《Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers》


 Chapter 1: Forsaken

    <h4>Chapter 1: Forsaken</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Tonight was supposed to be beautiful.


    The full moon was bathing the garden in silver light, illuminating the celebration in the pack. Laughter and music was filling the air as wolves danced, drank, and cheered for the future Alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack - Ethan ckwood.


    <i>My Ethan</i>.


    My heart swelled as I watched him from the shadows, noticing how his golden eyes gleamed with pride. He stood tall, confident, like the very embodiment of strength and everything I had ever wanted. He was my beacon of light in this cruel world.


    For as long as I could remember, my life had been a never-ending nightmare. My mother died when I was young, and my father remarried a woman who despised me.


    My stepmother made sure I knew I wasn¡¯t wanted, and my stepsister, Lillian, took every opportunity to remind me of my worthlessness. As for my stepbrother, Damian... at his very thought, fear gnawed at my insides. He was the monster in the shadows, and the reason for my deepest fears.


    But Ethan... he had always been my escape, my sanctuary. He had cared for me when no one else did. Andst night, he had made me believe I was his.


    I was still able to feel his touch on my skin, his lips on mine, the way he made my body and soule alive.


    And tonight, I was here to confirm what I already felt deep in my soulst night. Ethan was my mate.


    My hands trembled as I stepped forward, pushing through the crowd. I could feel their eyes on me, their sneers and murmurs. I had been theughingstock of these two packs ever since my sixteenth birthday when I failed to shift.


    I was the daughter of Alpha Greystone from the Shadowfang Pack, and yet, I was wolfless. It made me nothing more than a shame on my father¡¯s legacy and name.


    But none of it mattered now as I was going to spend the rest of my life with the man who had never seen me as a mutt like everyone else.


    Ethan turned toward me as I reached him, and the moment our eyes met, something happened.


    A force unlike anything I had ever known crashed into me, searing through my veins like fire and ice. My body trembled, and I caught my breath as my vision blurred.


    The mate bond.


    It was real.


    It was <i>him</i>.


    I gasped. "Ethan..."


    And then everything went silent. Theughter died, the music stopped, and I felt the entire gardening to a still.


    At the same time, I noticed how Ethan¡¯s expression hardened before a slow smirk curled his lips, but there was no warmth in it.


    "Are you serious?" His voice was cold, filled with amusement.


    Confusion twisted inside me. "Ethan, we are mates. Don¡¯t you feel it?" I was excited to finally be mated to my boyfriend, but a strange feeling was starting to twist my insides.


    He chuckled, but it wasn¡¯t the sound I knew, the one that used tofort me. Thisugh was cruel, mocking.


    "Feel what?" he drawled. "Disgust? Humiliation? Because that¡¯s what I feel right now."


    A chill ran down my spine.


    My heart was pounding wildly, and I felt my chest tightening.


    No. No, this wasn¡¯t right.


    "Ethan," I whispered, reaching for him, st night... we..."


    His smirk widened. "We what?" He leaned in. "Did you really thinkst night meant anything?"


    Something inside me cracked at these words. I felt dizzy, as if the ground had disappeared beneath my feet.


    Ethan turned away from me and his golden eyes locked on someone else. I followed his gaze and felt my blood turn to ice.


    Lillian.


    She was standing beside him in a shimmering silver dress with her brown eyes gleaming with triumph.


    Ethan wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close before announcing, "Because I have already chosen my mate."


    I stopped breathing... for real.


    Lillian smirked down at me, tilting her head. "Oh, Eva. Poor, pathetic Eva. Did you really think you deserved a happy ending?"


    The crowd roared withughter.


    But I was barely able to process what I was experiencing. Before I could have even wrapped my mind around the betrayal, a sharp, searing pain exploded in my chest as Ethan spoke the words that broke me forever.


    "I, Ethan ckwood, reject you, Eva Greystone, as my mate."


    Agony.


    It tore through me like a thousand silver des, ripping apart every fiber of my being. My knees buckled, and I copsed to the ground, gasping.


    No. No. No.


    This wasn¡¯t happening.


    This was a nightmare.


    I clutched my chest, digging my nails into my skin as if I could physically hold myself together. My vision blurred with tears, and my body started trembling uncontrobly.


    And then... a heavy boot mmed into my back, shoving me face-first into the dirt.


    Laughter erupted around me once again while panic seized me as rough fingers tangled in my hair, yanking my head back.


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    A voice, dark and sickeningly familiar, murmured against my ear. "She looks so pretty like this. Broken. Humiliated."


    My blood turned to ice. I knew this voice - it was Damian. My stepbrother. My worst nightmare.


    His grip tightened, causing his nails to dig into my scalp. "Did you really think Ethan wanted you?" His voice was low, meant only for me. "He was mine to control, just like you are. Just like you¡¯ll always be."


    Terror flooded my veins.


    I struggled against his grip, but he only chuckled. "You have nothing now. No pack. No mate. No future." He leaned in closer, his breath hot against my skin. "And that means you belong to me."


    No.


    No.


    I had to get out of here.


    With thest of my strength, I twisted out of his grasp and ran.


    "Stop her!" someone shouted.


    But I didn¡¯t stop.


    Wolves lunged for me, but I was faster... for once. Fueled by desperation, I tore through the garden.


    I didn¡¯t stop running until I reached the gates. Until I crossed the borders. Until the darkness of the forest swallowed me whole.


    Only then did I copse to the ground, sobbing.


    I had lost everything. I had nothing.


    What I didn¡¯t know yet... by morning, I was going to lose even more.

 Chapter 2: The End of Everything

    <h4>Chapter 2: The End of Everything</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The forest was stretched endlessly before me, shrouded in an eerie silence. My breaths wereing in shallow gasps as I pushed forward even though my legs had started to tremble from exhaustion.


    I was on my way to pack house. It might be a stupid idea knowing Damian would be there, but I couldn¡¯t run away on empty hands. I just wanted to sneak in and grab some clothes and the little saving I had been secretly keeping. It might not be a lot, but it could earn me bread for a few days.


    The night air was damp against my skin, but I barely noticed. My mind was consumed by a single thought.


    <i>I have to get away. </i>


    Ethan had rejected me.


    The man I had loved... the only hope in my life... had shattered me without a second thought. Just hours ago, he had held me, made me believe I was wanted. And then, in front of everyone, he had cast me aside like I was nothing.


    <i>"You mean nothing to me."</i>


    His voice echoed in my head, sounding venomous and final.


    And Lillian - my perfect, cruel stepsister - had stood by his side with a victorious smirk on her lips as if mocking me - <i>"Ethan was always mine, Eva. Did you really think he would choose you?" </i>


    I clenched my fists, digging my fingernails into my palms as I ran. I had spent my whole life enduring torment at the hands of my stepmother, my stepsiblings, even my own father. But this? This was the final betrayal.


    I had nothing left.


    No home. No mate. No future.


    But at least I was free.


    The thought barely had time to settle before a sharp, metallic scent invaded my senses. My steps faltered as dread coiled in my stomach.


    <i>Blood</i>.


    The air was thick with it.


    I swallowed hard. My heart was hammering against my ribs as I forced myself forward. The trees thinned ahead, opening into the clearing where the pack was located. And that¡¯s when I saw it.


    Bodies.


    I stopped breathing as I took in the scene.


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    Dozens of bodies were scattered across the ground like discarded puppets. The warriors, the elders, the pack members who had once sneered at me, tormented me... were now nothing more than lifeless corpses.


    The pack was in ruins. Someone had set the houses on fire, including the pack house.


    I stumbled forward as my mind struggled to process what I was seeing.


    Shadowfang Pack was gone. It was annihted.


    A numb sort of disbelief settled over me as I took another shaky step. My father... where was he? Step mother? Lillian? Damian?


    I turned my head, searching for their faces among the dead, but it was hard. And that¡¯s when I saw it - a symbol, carved deep into the bark of a charred tree.


    A crescent moon, shed through by three w marks. It was the mark of the <i>Rogue Kings</i>.


    A shudder wracked my body as I realized who had done this - the four Alpha Kings who ruled the roguends. The ones whispered about in hushed voices, feared by every pack.


    River. Kieran. Draven. Oscar.


    I had heard the stories. How they had once belonged to a noble pack, only for my father to attack them, ughtering their people and seizing theirnds. And how the four brothers had survived against all odds, vowing vengeance.


    This was their revenge.


    And I was the only one left alive.


    A choked sob wed its way up my throat, but I swallowed it down. There was only one thought in my head - I had to run.


    If the Rogue Kings had wiped out my pack, they wouldn¡¯t leave loose ends. And I was thest one.


    Panic surged through me as I turned and fled into the darkness, leaving the ruins of my past behind.


    * * *


    <i>One Month Later~</i>


    The cold seeped into my bones as I crouched behind the abandoned shack. My heart was mming against my ribs crazily. The night was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, but beneath it, something more dangerous was lingering.


    Wolves.


    And these were not just any wolves, but rogues.


    I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to remain still. I had been running for weeks, barely stopping to rest, never staying in one ce long enough to be found. But it had been getting harder.


    I had no money. No change of clothes. No food. And no shelter. And no matter how far I ran, they were always behind me.


    I had managed to stay ahead of them... until now.


    A low growl rumbled through the air, sending a shiver down my spine.


    They were close.


    I pressed my back against the wooden wall while my mind raced. My body was aching with exhaustion, my limbs were weak from weeks of starvation, but I couldn¡¯t let them catch me.


    I sucked in a sharp breath and prepared to run. But at that very moment, a voice cut through the silence.


    "Enough."


    The single word was calm, yet it carried a weight that sent an icy chill through my veins.


    Slowly, I turned my head.


    A man was standing just beyond the trees, mostly hidden in the shadows which made it hard for me to see his face. But even then, he looked - tall, powerful, and lethal.


    I took a step back as my instincts screamed at me to run. But before I could, the man stepped forward and his dark gaze pinned me in ce.


    "You are a hard one to catch, Ms. Greystone."


    They had found me.


    My chest tightened and my mind scrambled for a way out. "Let me go," I forced out, though my voice was barely above a whisper.


    He showed no change in his expression. "You need toe with us."


    My heart raced. "I¡¯m not part of Shadowfang anymore. The pack is gone."


    His expression didn¡¯t change. "I know."


    The weight of his words pressed down on me. He wasn¡¯t here for my pack. He was here for me.


    Before I could react, he moved. And he was fast. Too fast.


    I barely had time to gasp before his hand wrapped around my wrist, grounding me in ce. I twisted, trying to break free, but it was all in vain.


    "Let me go!" I struggled, but he didn¡¯t even flinch.


    "The Rogue Kings are waiting for you. It¡¯s time you stop running." He said, once again barely showing any change in his expression.


    And then everything went ck.

 Chapter 3: Dungeon Encounter with the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 3: Dungeon Encounter with the Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The stench of damp stone and rot clung to the air as the guards shoved me into the one of the cells in the dungeon. And then, the metal door was mmed shut behind me with a deafening ng.


    The force of their push had me stumbling forward, and I barely caught myself before hitting the ground.


    The cell was dark and the only source of light was a flickering torch ced outside the iron bars.


    I shivered, but not from the cold - it was the weight of my reality finally sinking in. My life was hanging from a thread, and any minute could be myst.


    After I got caught by the rogues and passed out, I was shoved into a car and brought to whatever ce this was. And if I had to guess... I was surely somewhere in the Rogue territory.


    I slumped against the wall and my gazended on the heavy chains bolted to the floor. No one had bothered to lock me to them... yet.


    The following hours dragged by inplete silence, and each passing second amplified the suffocating dread in my chest. I didn¡¯t know what the Rogue Kings had nned for me, but I doubted they went to such great lengths to capture me just to show me mercy.


    The Rogue Alpha Kings wanted revenge, and they had seeded in their mission. All they needed was to eliminate the only survivor of Shadowfang pack - me.


    Considering everything I had been through in the past eight years of my life, I believed that there was nothing out there that I couldn¡¯t face, but this... this was different.


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    The sound of footsteps suddenly echoed down the dimly lit corridor, growing louder with each passing second. I sat up with my gaze fixed on the part of corridor I could see while my heartbeat escted.


    The scent of dominance and raw power hit me even before I saw him.


    Rogue Alpha King River.


    From what I knew, he was the eldest of the four brothers, and also the most ruthless of the quad.


    He stepped into view, his presence immediately dominating the small space. Tall and broad-shouldered, he carried himself with an authority that demanded submission. His cold green eyes found mine, and the sheer intensity of his gaze made me want to shrink back.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    "Stand up," hemanded in his deep voice that was dripping with disdain.


    I hesitated for only a moment before rising to my feet. I refused to cower even as his piercing gaze bore into me.


    "So, this is the daughter of the great Alpha of Shadowfang Pack," River said, his toneced with mockery. "Daughter of the man who thought he could rule mynd after killing my family. Funny how far you have fallen, isn¡¯t it?"


    I clenched my fists and swallowed the retort that was burning on my tongue. I understood his hatred, what I couldn¡¯t understand was his attempt at making me feel guilty about someone else¡¯s crimes. But I knew that there was no point in arguing. Nothing I could say would change his hatred for me.


    He studied me for a minute or two, taking in my expression before he suddenly asked, "You don¡¯t think that I despise you because you are wolfless, do you?"


    Before I could have even thought about answering him, he was already continuing, "No. I despise you because of your blood. Because you carry the name of a man who destroyed lives and betrayed his kind. My brothers and I have waited years to see the Greystones pay the price for their crimes. And now, here you are - thest pathetic remnant."


    His words were filled with so much hatred, but I refused to show just how affected I was. I met his gaze head-on, keeping my voice steady as I finally spoke. "If you hate me so much, why don¡¯t you just kill me?"


    A cruel smirk tugged at his lips as he answered, "Because death is too easy for you. You don¡¯t deserve the peace it brings."


    He stepped closer, causing his towering form to cast a shadow over me. "From this moment forward, you are no longer the Princess of the Shadowfang Pack. You will be nothing but a survivor here... but only if you know how to even survive."


    "What kind of survival?" I asked, surprised at how calm I sounded despite the tsunami brewing within me.


    He appeared lost in thought for a moment, as if he was actually considering what to do in order to make my life worse. And then, I saw as his eyes twinkle with an idea.


    "How about the Princess starting her new life as a maid?" He proposed and waited for some sort of reaction from me, maybe shock, or anger.


    But when he got absolutely nothing, a scowl appeared on his face and he added, "You will scrub the floors, wash clothes, and serve the very people who hate you. Consider it your first punishment for the sins your blood carries."


    He watched me for another minute, but I remained silent, giving him nothing but a dead silence in response. Eventually, he decided that he didn¡¯t want to waste any more time on me. But before leaving, he spared me few more words. "You will report to the head maid at dawn. Don¡¯t think for a second that I¡¯ll tolerate disobedience. If you step out of line, I¡¯ll make sure you regret it."


    And with that, he was gone, leaving me alone in the suffocating darkness of the cell to process what just happened.

 Chapter 4: The Alpha in Towel

    <h4>Chapter 4: The Alpha in Towel</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I did exactly what I was told - reporting to the Head Maid Sera the very first thing as dawn arrived. I was starving as I hadn¡¯t eaten anything since the previous morning, but I didn¡¯t dare to say it to anyone.


    Soon enough, I was led to the maid¡¯s quarters. I stared at the small cot they had assigned me. The scratchy nket and the t pillow barely qualified asforts, butpared to the cold and hard floor of the dungeon, and everything I went through the past month, they were a pleasant sight for my eyes and body.


    But looking at the faces around me, I could tell that some of them were either pitying me orughing at my fall from grace. Little did they know that my life had been far from the luxury lifestyle they all believed I had been enjoying up until this point.


    Growing up as the wolfless daughter of the most powerful Alpha in the region was a nightmare disguised as a privilege. My parents never missed a chance to remind me I was a disappointment. My father¡¯s punishments were swift but cruel, and my stepmother never failed to make my life miserable.


    No one ever cared about the bruises I hid or the tears I swallowed. And now, here I was, once again a target.


    The other maids didn¡¯t bother hiding their disdain. Whispers followed me as I passed, and when I walked into a room, the conversations abruptly stopped.


    Those who didn¡¯t openly re at me kept their distance, as if I carried some contagious disease. I didn¡¯t me them. Being the enemy¡¯s daughter painted a bullseye on my back, and associating with me would only bring trouble.


    Since I was already given my work, I didn¡¯t stay behind and hurried away to start my work. I was starving and I needed to earn my food bypleting my work.


    I started my work by scrubbing the floors and polishing them until they were shining. Then I hauled buckets of water to fill up the barrels. I cleaned halls, polished windows, and dusted furniture.


    By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, I thought I might finally be done. But of course, I wasn¡¯t that lucky.


    Sera found me and handed me another bucket and a rag. I wondered if It was just for me or that scowl was permanently etched into her face. But I kept the thought to myself.


    "The Master Floor needs cleaning," she said without an ounce of sympathy at my worn out appearance. "Start with the study and the private library before cleaning the bedrooms. And don¡¯t take all night."


    I wanted to argue, to remind her that I had been working nonstop for the entire day, but the look in her eyes told me that it would only make things worse. So, I bit my tongue, grabbed the supplies, and climbed the stairs to the top floor - the Master Floor - where the Rogue Alpha Kings lived.


    My pulse quickened as I stepped onto the plush carpet of the hallway, realizing that while I wasn¡¯t able to see the ce from outside when I was brought here the day before, I could still tell the ce was huge. It was almost like a mansion from what I could tell.


    I was worried that I might encounter the Rogue Kings, but both the study and the private library were empty, and so were next two bedrooms. I worked quickly, wiping down surfaces and trying to keep my presence as invisible as possible.


    Then I reached the third bedroom.


    The door was slightly azar and I hesitated before pushing it open. The scent of cedar and rain hit me immediately as I entered the room. It was a heady mix that was strangely intoxicating.


    My heart raced as I was half-expecting to find one of the Alpha King brothers lounging in there, ready to berate me for invading his space. However, the room was empty... or so I thought when I found no one inside.


    I had just finished dusting the bedside table when I heard the sound of footsteps and the soft click of a door opening behind me.


    I immediately froze.


    Turning slowly, I found myself face-to-face with Alpha King Oscar. The only reason I could recognize these brothers was because I had once seen a portrait of them.


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    He was standing in the doorway of the adjoining bathroom while steam billowed out behind him. His dark hair was damp, and droplets of water were sliding down his bare chest before disappearing into the towel slung low around his hips. His piercing green eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.


    "What the hell are you doing in here?" he demanded. His voice was a low growl that sent shivers down my spine.


    "I-I was told to clean," I stammered and clutched the rag in my hands like a lifeline.


    His eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer. "This is my room. No one enters without my permission."


    "I didn¡¯t-"


    "Silence."


    The single word was sharp enough to cut, and I immediately mped my mouth shut. He loomed over me, his presence overwhelming, and I had to fight the urge to shrink back.


    Oscar¡¯s gaze swept over me and his lips curled in disdain. "Of course. The little Greystone princess, reduced to scrubbing floors. How poetic."


    I said nothing. My throat felt tightened with a mix of humiliation and fear. I was also surprised that he recognized me.


    "Now, get out of my sight," he snapped, his tone final.


    I nodded and turned to leave, but as I walked past him, my foot got caught on the edge of the rug. I ended up losing my bnce and stumbled right before crashing into him.


    The impact was electric.


    The second my hands touched his chest, a jolt shot through me. Warmth and tingles immediately spread throughout my body. And his sharp intake of breath told me he felt it too. For a split second, the world seemed to stop, and all I could focus on was the strange connection pulling me toward him.


    But the moment passed as quickly as it came.


    Oscar shoved me away. His touch was cold and forceful. I stumbled back, barely catching myself before I fell to the ground. His expression twisted in disgust, though there was something else flickering in his eyes - something he quickly masked.


    "Don¡¯t touch me," he growled in a voice dripping with venom.


    "I-I didn¡¯t mean to-"


    "I don¡¯t care," he snapped, cutting me off. "Next time, watch where you are going. Or better yet, stay far away from me."


    The icy tone of his voice sent a chill down my spine. I mumbled an apology and hurried out of the room. My cheeks were burning with shame.


    My heart was still racing from the strange sensation as I made my way down the hall. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something strange did happen between us.


    But what?

 Chapter 5: The Girl With Apples

    <h4>Chapter 5: The Girl With Apples</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The sun was hanging high in the sky, casting golden rays over the back garden of the mansion.


    But despite its warmth, I felt nothing but the cold emptiness that had taken root inside me. My hands were sore from scrubbing floors, my legs ached from hours of standing, and my stomach twisted painfully in hunger.


    I had checked the servant kitchen after finishing my tasks, but there was nothing left - no scraps, no leftovers, not even a stale piece of bread. It didn¡¯t surprise me. I was the lowest of the low here, an enemy in the eyes of everyone. If they had the choice, they would let me starve.


    And maybe that wouldn¡¯t be such a bad thing.


    I exhaled softly and trudged toward the stables. The heavy scent of hay and horses was filling the air, mixed with the faint scent of rain that lingered fromst night¡¯s storm.


    The stables stood at the farthest end of the mansion¡¯s grounds, past the lush back garden.


    As I stepped through the stone path leading to the stables, a small figure caught my attention.


    It was a little girl, no older than seven or eight, sitting on the edge of a flower bed. She had golden-brown curls that tumbled past her shoulders, and her chubby hands were clutching a small wicker basket filled with bright red apples. Her tiny legs swung as she hummed to herself,pletely unaware of my presence.


    Just as I was about to walk past her, she looked up, and her big, innocent green eyes met mine.


    My body stiffened, instinctively preparing for the worst. She would scream for a guard, call me names, or throw something at me - just like the others did.


    But she did none of those things. Instead, she smiled.


    "Are you hungry?"


    I blinked, feeling my body tensing. Was this some kind of trick? A cruel joke?


    Before I could react, the girl picked up one of the apples from her basket and held it out to me. "Here! You can have one."


    My throat tightened.


    I shouldn¡¯t ept it. If someone saw me taking food from her, I would be used of stealing. And yet... the hunger wing at my stomach made it impossible to ignore the offering.


    Still, I didn¡¯t move. "Why...?"


    She tilted her head, her curls bouncing with the motion. "Why what?"


    "Why are you offering me food?"


    She giggled, as if my question was silly. "Because you look hungry."


    Simple. Honest.


    Something inside me twisted painfully at her words. No one had ever looked at me with such pure kindness before.


    I swallowed hard, my hands shaking slightly as I reached out and took the apple. "Thank you."


    Her smile widened. "I¡¯m Liliana! But everyone calls me Lily."


    Her name was simr to my step-sister¡¯s, but they felt world apart from each other.


    I hesitated before finally replying, "Eva."


    Lily¡¯s dark eyes sparkled. "You have a pretty name."


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. No one had ever called my name <i>pretty</i> before.


    "Are you new here?" she asked curiously, swinging her legs again. "I haven¡¯t seen you before."


    Before I could answer, a sharp voice cut through the air.


    "Liliana! There you are!"


    Lily flinched, quickly hiding her basket behind her back.


    A woman in a crisp, dark uniform stormed toward us, her sharp eyes narrowing the moment theynded on me. I recognized her instantly. She was one of the senior maids.


    "What are you doing here?" she demanded from me, her voiceced with suspicion. "And why are you talking to the young miss?"


    Young miss?


    My eyes darted back to Lily. It made sense now. Her fine silk dress, her delicate gold bracelet... she wasn¡¯t a servant¡¯s child. She was someone important.


    "Lily." The maid grabbed the little girl¡¯s arm. "You shouldn¡¯t be talking to this woman. She is... not... someone you should associate with."


    Lily frowned. "But she was nice-"


    "Enough." The maid¡¯s grip tightened. "Come inside now."


    Lily¡¯s eyes met mine again, but this time, there was confusion in them. I could see the questions forming in her mind. She didn¡¯t understand why I was being treated like this. She didn¡¯t understand that in this ce, kindness was not meant for people like me.


    As the maid dragged her away, Lily twisted in her grip. "Eva! I hope we meet again!"


    I stood frozen as I watched her disappear into the mansion, and the apple in my hand suddenly started feeling heavier.


    ***


    I spent the rest of the day in the stables, scrubbing the floors, cleaning the stalls, and hauling heavy buckets of water. The other stable workers ignored me, some even sneered when I passed by. But I was used to it.


    The sun was beginning to set when I finally finished. My body was aching, my hands were blistered, and my stomach was still painfully empty.


    As I dragged myself back to the servant quarters, my mind drifted back to Lily.


    She was too kind, too innocent for this ce. If she knew who I truly was, would she still have smiled at me? Would she still have offered me that apple?


    Probably not.


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    I reached into my pocket, my fingers brushing against the smooth surface of the fruit.


    I hadn¡¯t eaten it.


    Not because I wasn¡¯t starving - I was. But because it was the first time someone had given me something without expecting anything in return. And for some reason, I wanted to hold onto that feeling a little longer.


    When I finally reached my small, cramped room in the servant quarters, I copsed onto the thin mattress.


    I was exhausted, but I knew sleep wouldn¡¯te easily.


    Because the moment I closed my eyes, the nightmares would return.


    They always did.


    ***


    That night, I woke up gasping. My body was drenched in cold sweat. If it wasn¡¯t Damian¡¯s years of torment haunting me, then it was Ethan¡¯s betrayal.


    My hands clutched the nket as my entire body trembled.


    No matter how much time passed, the past refused to leave me. It wrapped around me like chains, reminding me that I would never be free.


    I swallowed hard and sat up. The room was dark, and the only sounding was from the faint creaking of the old wooden bed frame.


    My fingers tightened around the apple in my hand.


    Maybe... maybe I wasn¡¯tpletely alone.


    For the first time in a long while, someone had been kind to me. And even if it didn¡¯t change anything... it still mattered.

 Chapter 6: A Storm in the Hallway

    <h4>Chapter 6: A Storm in the Hallway</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The night was long and restless. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face. His taunting smirk, his cruelughter, the sickening way he looked at me as if he owned me. My body still remembered the pain he had inflicted, the humiliation he had made me endure.


    Fortunately, morning came soon enough. The thin walls of the servant quarters did little to block the early morning noise. I had barely slept, but there was no time to rest. I knew that if I didn¡¯t get up now, I would be punished again.


    I sat up, ignoring the sharp pain in my lower back. My muscles were protesting, but I had no choice. I forced myself to my feet, reaching for my servant uniform. Once I got dressed, I headed to start my day.


    By the time I had finished my morning chores - scrubbing floors, polishing silverware, and fetching water from the well - my arms were on fire, and my back was throbbing.


    The other maids worked alongside me, but they acted as if I didn¡¯t exist. No one spoke to me. No one acknowledged my presence unless it was to bark an order or sneer in my direction.


    I was the enemy¡¯s daughter. And now, I was nothing more than a maid.


    I had just finished sweeping the back corridors when Sera stormed into the hall, her eyes zing with frustration. I would have loved to avoid her wrath, but I was never the lucky one.


    "You! Useless girl!" she snapped.


    I stilled, gripping the broom tightly. "Yes, Head Maid?"


    "The western wing is a mess," she growled. "The guards brought in mudst night, and none of the other girls want to clean it up. So guess who gets the honor?"


    Of course. Me.


    I lowered my gaze and nodded. "I¡¯ll get to it right away."


    "Make sure it¡¯s spotless," she snapped before marching off, muttering under her breath.


    I sighed and turned toward the western wing.


    It was one of the lesser-used areas of the mansion, mainly upied by higher-ranking warriors and visiting rogues. I hadn¡¯t been sent there before, and a part of me wondered if Sera was purposely making my life harder.


    Not that it mattered. I had no choice but to obey.


    With my cleaning supplies in hand, I trudged toward the western wing. The hallway was eerily quiet as the usual hum of servants was absent. A thickyer of dried mud was covering the floor, smearing into dark streaks by careless boots.


    I knelt down, scrubbing at the stains. The rough bristles of the brush dug into my palm, but I kept going, biting my lip against the difort.


    Minutes stretched into an hour. Then two.


    By the time I reached the end of the hall, my fingers were raw, and my arms felt like lead. I leaned back, wiping sweat from my brow.


    That¡¯s when I heard it.


    Footsteps - slow, measured, and deliberate.


    A shiver crawled down my spine as I realized that someone wasing. I scrambled to my feet just as a figure rounded the corner.


    He was tall, powerful, and unmistakablymanding.


    My heart skipped a beat as my eyesnded on him.


    Alpha King Kieran.


    The second-born of the Rogue Alpha Kings.


    Unlike Lucian, whose presence was cold and suffocating, or Oscar, who radiated controlled arrogance, Kieran carried an air of quiet intensity.


    He wasn¡¯t as outwardly intimidating as his brothers, but there was something about him that made the air feel heavier. His features were sharp but not cruel, and his shoulder-length blonde hair was slightly tousled, as if he had run his fingers through it absentmindedly.


    His deep green eyes locked onto mine. And for a second, I forgot how to breathe.


    Then his gaze flickered to the bucket of dirty water at my feet. "You missed a spot."


    His voice was calm. Smooth. But there was something underneath it... a quiet amusement, a test.


    I stiffened, gripping the cloth in my hands. "I was just about to finish."


    He tilted his head slightly, as if studying me. "So, you are the infamous princess-turned-maid."


    The way he said it made my stomach twist. I had no idea why they addressed me as ¡¯Princess¡¯ when I was just an Alpha¡¯s daughter. I¡¯m no royalty like them.


    "I was never a princess," I said before I could stop myself.


    His brows lifted slightly. "No?"


    I swallowed hard, lowering my gaze. "No."


    Silence stretched between us. Then, without warning, he crouched down, leveling his gaze with mine. The proximity sent a wave of unease through me. He was close. Too close.


    "Strange," he murmured. "I expected you to be more... bitter."


    I didn¡¯t answer. Because I wasn¡¯t bitter. I was just tired.


    His gaze flickered to my hands, to the raw skin on my fingers. "They are working you hard."


    "It¡¯s what I deserve, isn¡¯t it?" I said, keeping my voice even.


    His eyes darkened slightly. "You think so?"


    I didn¡¯t know how to answer that.


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    I had been punished my entire life. First by my father, then by my stepmother, my stepsiblings, by the pack that never wanted me, and then by my fated mate.


    And now by them... the Alpha Rogue Kings.


    Kieran exhaled, standing back to his full height. "You should take care of your hands," he said simply before stepping past me.


    The moment he was gone, I released the breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding.


    I didn¡¯t know what just happened. But one thing was certain - meeting Kieran was different.


    And for some weird reason - that terrified me more than anything.

 Chapter 7: A Night of Shadows

    <h4>Chapter 7: A Night of Shadows</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Kieran¡¯s presence lingered long after he was gone.


    Unlike Lucian¡¯s suffocating dominance or Oscar¡¯s disgust, Kieran¡¯s gaze hadn¡¯t been filled with hatred. He had studied me like I was a puzzle, one he was trying to solve.


    And it unsettled me.


    I couldn¡¯t afford to be under the scrutiny of any of them, not when I was already walking on fragile ground.


    While at first I was almost ready to ept my end and greet it with open arms, I wanted to survive now. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what made me change my mind, maybe it was because I didn¡¯t want these Rogue Kings to feel like they had won.


    After spending these few days here, I realized that survival meant staying invisible.


    I forced myself to finish scrubbing thest section of the hallway before dragging my aching body back toward the servant quarters.


    I was making my way through the long hallway leading to the servant quarters, when Sera suddenly appeared at the other end and her sharp gazended on me.


    "Took you long enough," she snapped. "Did you think I wouldn¡¯t notice you cking off?"


    I bit the inside of my cheek, and despite knowing better, I ended up opening my mouth. "I wasn¡¯t cking off."


    Her lips curled into a sneer. "Oh? Then what exactly were you doing in the western wing for so long?"


    I hesitated, but she didn¡¯t need me to answer.


    Her gaze darkened as she stepped closer. "Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t hear about your little run-in with Alpha Kieran."


    I stiffened at her words.


    Of course. Gossip spread like wildfire among the servants.


    Sera¡¯s voice dropped into a sharp whisper as she continued, "Are you trying to crawl your way into the Alphas¡¯ favor, whore?"


    <fnde5b> Read full story at </fnde5b>


    I clutched my hands into tight fists, causing my nails to dig into my palms. I had learned long ago that defending myself would only make things worse. But this time, the usation burned.


    I lifted my gaze to hers before speaking, "I bumped into him by ident."


    Sera scoffed. "And Oscar? Was that an ident, too?"


    I clenched my jaw, refusing to take the bait.


    Her eyes gleamed with cruelty. "You are nothing but a pest here, Eva. You should have died with the rest of your pathetic pack."


    The words sliced through me like a de, but I didn¡¯t let it show.


    She smirked at my silence, feeling satisfied. "Since you have so much energy to loiter around, you can clean the kitchen floors after dinner."


    I wanted to protest, but the fear of consequences helped me keeping my mouth shut this time. I bowed my head and muttered. "Understood."


    She clicked her tongue. "And don¡¯t think for a second you¡¯ll get a proper meal tonight. You¡¯ll take whatever¡¯s left, if there is anything."


    With that, she turned and stalked away, leaving me standing there with the weight of my exhaustion pressing down on me.


    I knew it was only going to get worse.


    Sera was angry because of Oscar¡¯s outburst at her. And she had chosen me as her punching bag.


    As for me, I had no choice but to endure it.


    ---


    As night arrived and Iy down on my bed, sleep once again refused toe easily.


    My body was aching from exhaustion, and my stomach felt hollow from theck of food, but it wasn¡¯t hunger or pain that kept me awake... it was the past, one that had refused to let me go.


    As I finally drifted into unconsciousness, the nightmare came. But this time, it wasn¡¯t like the ones I had be ustomed to over the years.


    No.


    This time, it was him.


    -


    <i>The scent of sandalwood and musk surrounded me. It was thick and intoxicating, making my head spin.</i>


    <i>I couldn¡¯t see him because of the blindfold covering my eyes.</i>


    <i>But... I was able to feel him. Every inch of him.</i>


    <i>His touch was fire, searing against my skin as he traced the curve of my waist. His rough palms skimmed the softness of my exposed body, making me shiver.</i>


    <i>I never thought that being with Ethan would feel like this.</i>


    <i>My Ethan. </i>


    <i>The man I had loved, the man I had wanted to give my everything to. </i>


    <i>And yet, I couldn¡¯t help but kept feeling that something was different. </i>


    <i>His grip was stronger, more possessive than I had imagined. His touch burned hotter, sending waves of need through me that I had never felt before. </i>


    <i>And the way he kissed me... desperate, hungry... like a man starved. </i>


    <i>His lips devoured mine, stealing my breath, leaving me weak beneath him as he pressed me into the soft sheets.</i>


    <i>My body responded to him even before my mind could catch up. I was arching into him, craving more. </i>


    <i>"Mine," he growled against my lips, his voice sounding deeper than usual. </i>


    <i>I would have paid more attention to this slight difference if not for the strange sensation I felt coursing through me at that one word. That feeling curled deep in my stomach, making my heart race. </i>


    <i>Fated mates. </i>


    <i>Was this what it felt like? </i>


    <i>Ethan had never spoken about mates, had never cared for the bond. But now, as he moved above me, his body molding against mine, I swore I could feel it. It was an undeniable pull, a connection that was deeper than anything I had ever known. </i>


    <i>I gasped as his lips trailed down my neck, his teeth scraping over my sensitive skin. </i>


    <i>"Say it," he murmured against my throat. His voice was too low that it was a surprise I even heard him in the first ce. </i>


    <i>"Say what?" I whispered, barely able to think. </i>


    <i>"Say you are mine." </i>


    <i>My heart started pounding. I was ready to say it, to believe it. But just as I opened my mouth, something stopped me.</i>


    <i>For the briefest moment, I felt a flicker of uncertainty. </i>


    <i>But then, pain consumed me only to be reced by pleasure momentster. Suddenly, there was too much going on.</i>


    <i>It was a sharp, overwhelming sensation as he imed mepletely, as he took everything I had to offer, leaving me breathless beneath him. </i>


    <i>My fingers dug into his back as my body surrendered to his. </i>


    <i>And then, his name tore from my lips... Ethan. </i>


    ---

 Chapter 8: Another Brother Hates Me

    <h4>Chapter 8: Another Brother Hates Me</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My eyes flew open, meeting the darkness that was surrounding the small servant quarters.


    I was still able to feel the remnants of the dream clinging to my skin like a fever. My breath wasing in shallow pants, and my pulse felt unsteady.


    It felt too real.


    Too vivid.


    I was still able to feel the ghost of his touch, the weight of his body pressing me into the sheets, and the heat of his breath against my neck.


    Ethan...


    But was it truly him that night?


    I had believed it then. But now as time had passed and my memories kept reying that moment over and over, doubt had started creeping in like a poison.


    The man from my the night of my eighteenth birthday... he did feel different.


    He was stronger. More... possessive. And the way he touched me, the way my body reacted to him... It had felt like fate itself had bound us together.


    I pressed a trembling hand against my stomach, swallowing down the unease.


    I couldn¡¯t afford to think about it now, not when my reality was already a living nightmare.


    A loud knock at the door startled me, followed by a sharp voice.


    "Get up, Eva! You have work to do!"


    It was Sera.


    I took a shaky breath, and forced the dream into the farthest corners of my mind before dragging myself out of bed. My body was aching from all the work I had done the previous day.


    But there was nothing I could do about. I was hungry, and to get the food, I needed to work.


    ---


    The library was thest ce I wanted to be, but I had no choice.


    After scrubbing the floors of the eastern halls, one of the senior maids had shoved a pile of books into my arms, ordering me to return them.


    I kept my head down as I entered therge space, inhaling the scent of aged parchment and ink that soothed me a little.


    The walls were lined with towering bookshelves. Dozens of potted nts were sitting around, and the heavy velvet curtains were drawn halfway over the tall windows to let in slivers of thete afternoon light.


    The library should have been empty.


    It was always empty.


    Which was why the sounds that met my ears froze me in ce.


    At first, there was a hushed moan. Then a breathy gasp.


    And then... a deep, unmistakable growl of pleasure.


    My entire body locked up as I turned my head toward the source of the sound.


    Near one of the bookshelves, partially hidden in the shadows, was standing a man. And he wasn¡¯t alone.


    His back was against the shelves, and hisrge frame was barely visible. But the woman in his arms was all too clear. She was pressed against him, her fingers buried in his dark hair as her lips traced a path down his jaw.


    I took a step back, but it was toote.


    His gaze snapped to mine, and time seemed to stop.


    I knew who he was instantly, even though I had never met him before. There was no mistaking it.


    Draven - thest of the four Rogue Alpha Kings.


    And he looked exactly as terrifying as the others.


    His dark hair was almost as ck as midnight, but they had a blue hue to them. His eyes were a shade of hazel, unlike the emerald ones of his brothers. His features were sharp, as if carved from stone.


    I noticed how his jaw clenched as he held the woman against him. And for a moment, I swore I saw something flicker in his gaze. It felt like something other than fury, something sharp, calcting.


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    But it was gone just as quickly as it hade, reced by pure, unrestrained anger.


    "What," he bit out in a lethal voice, "are you doing here?"


    My mouth instantly went dry. The books in my arms felt heavier, but I couldn¡¯t move.


    I had walked in at the worst possible moment.


    Again.


    First Oscar, and now Draven.


    If River¡¯s hatred hadn¡¯t already sealed my fate, this certainly had.


    "I-I was just-"


    The woman in his arms turned to look at me then. Her lips were swollen, and her gaze was filled with clear annoyance.


    "Who is she?" she asked, not bothering to hide her irritation.


    "A maid," Draven growled in response while his gaze never left mine.


    I swallowed hard.


    "Then why is she staring?" the woman scoffed, brushing her fingers over his chest as if reminding him where his attention should be.


    Draven didn¡¯t answer. He just kept staring at me as if he was trying to see through me. Like he was trying to understand why I was here.


    I lowered my gaze, and bowed my head. "I didn¡¯t mean to intrude. I was just returning these books."


    I was rewarded with silence. And it was a thick, suffocating one that stretched on far too long.


    Then, after what felt like an enternity, I finally heard Draven letting out a slow, sharp exhale.


    "Get out."


    I didn¡¯t wait for him to say it twice. Clutching the books to my chest, I turned on my heel and hurried toward the exit.


    My heart hammering in my chest and I had barely made it into the hallway when I felt it... a presence.


    Not just anyone¡¯s... but his.


    <i>Draven. </i>


    He had stepped out of the library, and his gaze was burning into my back. But I didn¡¯t dare look.


    I just kept walking. Faster. As fast as my trembling legs allowed me to.

 Chapter 9: The Sickening Realization

    <h4>Chapter 9: The Sickening Realization</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment I stepped into the dimly lit corridor leading to the servants¡¯ quarters, I knew she was waiting for me. It seemed like every time I ended up encountering one of the Rogue Kings, it led me straight into her waiting arms.


    Sera was leaning against the cold stone wall, with her arms crossed, and her lips curled into a knowing smirk.


    "You just can¡¯t help yourself, can you?" she sneered, not bothering to hide the gleam of malice in her eyes.


    I instantly tensed and my grip tightened around the ragged hem of my apron. I had been dreading this moment, yet I knew it was inevitable. Sera thrived on moments like these... moments where she could twist the knife a little deeper.


    She pushed off the wall and stepped closer before speaking again. "First Alpha Oscar, then Alpha Kieran... and now Alpha Draven?"


    My breath hitched at the clear usation. "I didn¡¯t-"


    "Silence," she snapped the moment I tried to defend myself. Her voice echoed through the empty hall, cold and unforgiving.


    "The other maids saw youing out of the library," she continued in a voice that was dripping with satisfaction. "And I heard from a little bird that you were caught somewhere you shouldn¡¯t be."


    My heart sank at her words, and realization dawned on me-the whispers had already begun to spread.


    It didn¡¯t matter that I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. It didn¡¯t matter that I had barely spoken to Draven, or that my presence in the library had been a simple mistake. In the eyes of everyone here, I was guilty.


    "You enjoy this, don¡¯t you?" I asked bitterly as I was unable to hold myself back. And while my voice barely was above a whisper, but Sera heard me loud and clear.


    She tilted her head, and mock innocence shed across her face. "Enjoy what?"


    "Watching me suffer."


    Her grin widened at my words. "Oh, you bet I do."


    She stepped closer, until she was mere inches from me. And I didn¡¯t fail to notice how the scent of her cheapvender perfume was shing with the musty dampness of the corridor.


    "You¡¯ll be cleaning the main hall floors after midnight," she announced with a bright smile. "And don¡¯t expect any food before then."


    I clenched my fists, the only thing I was able to do in this moment.


    Even though I wanted to fight back, to tell her she had no right to treat me this way, that I had done nothing to deserve it... I remained silent. There was no point.


    The Alpha brothers were making my life hell. And Sera was taking every opportunity to make it worse.


    I had no allies here. No escape. No hope.


    Running was no longer an option as I knew I could never stay hidden for long from these four extremely powerful brothers, let alone the entire roguemunity.


    So... if I wanted to survive, I needed another n.


    ---


    By the time I finished scrubbing the main hall floors, my arms were feeling like dead weight. The stone was ice-cold beneath my fingers, and my knees had be raw from kneeling for hours.


    The massive chandeliers above were casting eerie, flickering shadows on the walls around me, and the silence of the empty hall seemed to be pressing down on me like a suffocating weight.


    I had long since stopped feeling hunger.


    There was only exhaustion now.


    With shaking limbs, I dragged myself back to my tiny chamber. The mattress was thin, barely more than a sack of hay, but right now, it felt like the most inviting ce in the world.


    I copsed onto it, pulling the threadbare nket over my trembling form. My eyes fluttered shut, but the moment I allowed myself to rx, a strange sensation rolled through me - a deep, twisting nausea.


    It started as a dull ache in my stomach, then turned into a sharp, unbearable churn. Panic seized me as I bolted upright, barely making it to the bathroom before I was heaving.


    My stomach clenched violently as my body rejected the nothingness inside it. Tears burned at the corners of my eyes as I gasped for breath, pressing my forehead against the cool wooden frame.


    It took a few moments before the nausea finally faded, allowing me to think properly. And as my thoughts started wandering, trying to think what could have caused this sudden wave of nausea, a sudden realization finally hit me hard.


    I could have dismissed it as nothing. Or med it on the fact that I hadn¡¯t eaten even a single proper meal in days. But I just couldn¡¯t, not after that one certain thought registered in my brain, refusing to leave no matter what.


    The horror settled deep inside me. Something far worse. It was a cold, sinking realization that had me panicking.


    I pressed a trembling hand to my stomach, my brain trying its very best to deny the thought that was taking root deep within me.


    No.


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    It couldn¡¯t be.


    It wasn¡¯t possible.


    And yet... as I recalled the night with Ethan and the fact that we didn¡¯t use protection... I started panicking even more.


    My period was almost two weekste, but I had been ignoring it, thinking that it was due tock of proper food and all the stress I have been going through ever since I ran away from my pack.


    But now...


    Terror wed at my throat as the truth settled over me like a suffocating shroud. There was a high possibility that I was... pregnant.


    With the child of my ex-mate - Ethan.


    My hands curled around my stomach, as my breath starteding in short, panicked gasps.


    How could my life keep going from worse to worst? How could there be no ending to my sufferings?


    Even before I realized it, tears were streaming down my cheeks. I was trembling, my breathsing in short gasps.


    If... I turned out to be indeed pregnant... what I was going to do?

 Chapter 10: I Don’t Want Her Dead

    <h4>Chapter 10: I Don¡¯t Want Her Dead</h4>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    The scent of parchment, wax, and burning wood filled my nostrils as I stepped into River¡¯s study. The heavy mahogany doors closed behind me with a dull thud, sealing Oscar and me inside with our eldest brother.


    River was sitting behind his massive oak desk, his fingerszily flipping through a thick ledger. The room was dimly lit, and the glow from the firece was casting long shadows across the bookshelves that lined the walls. He didn¡¯t look up when we entered.


    <fna8ef> The rightful source is find?novel</fna8ef>


    What I didn¡¯t expect was to find Kieran here. He was lounging in a chair by the firece, one leg draped over the armrest. He looked rxed, but I knew better. Kieran never sat still unless he was deep in thought.


    "You are both frowning," River finally said, breaking the silence. "I assume this is about the girl."


    Oscar let out a sharp exhale and dropped into the chair opposite River¡¯s desk. "Of course, it¡¯s about her. Why the hell is she still here?"


    River nced up then, his gaze shifting between us before settling on me. "And you feel the same, Draven?"


    I clenched my jaw before replying, "Her presence is... unnecessary."


    Unnecessary.


    That was the safest way to put it.


    The girl, Evaline Greystone, was the daughter of our greatest enemy. She was the constant reminder of everything we had lost, a reminder of the blood spilled at her father¡¯s hands.


    She should have died with the rest of her wretched pack.


    And yet, she was here - Living. Breathing. And disrupting everything.


    "It would be easier if she were dead," Oscar muttered, tapping his fingers impatiently against the armrest. "The servants are already whispering. They say we are keeping her here out of spite. That we enjoy seeing her suffer. But if we let her leave, it¡¯ll look like we are soft."


    Soft.


    I nearly scoffed at the word.


    We were anything but soft.


    We had spent years hunting down everyst trace of the Greystones and Shadowfang Pack. Every man, woman, and child who carried that cursed bloodline had been wiped out.


    All except her.


    River leaned back in his chair. His dark green eyes were filled with amusement as he asked, "So? What do you want me to do?"


    "Get rid of her," Oscar said tly. "Send her away. Kill her. I don¡¯t care how you do it, but she doesn¡¯t belong here."


    River silently watched Oscar, and then his gaze shifted to me. "Would you two be satisfied if I simply killed her?"


    His voice was calm, almost too casual. But something about the way he said it made my stomach turn.


    My hands clenched into fists at my sides, but I wasn¡¯t sure why.


    Would I be satisfied?


    Yes.


    No.


    I didn¡¯t know.


    The thought of her dying should have been easy to ept. She was nothing to me. Just a burden. A stain on our family¡¯s history.


    And yet...


    A strange, unwee feeling curled in my chest at the thought of her lifeless body, her mesmerizing amber eyes dull and unseeing.


    I nced at Oscar, noticing how his expression had shifted as well.


    He had been the most vocal about getting rid of her, but now that River had suggested killing her outright, there was hesitation in his eyes.


    "Something wrong, Oscar?" River asked, his expression not changing at all. "You wanted her gone. I¡¯m giving you a solution. What¡¯s stopping you?"


    Oscar didn¡¯t answer, and neither did I.


    It was actually Kieran, who had been silent the entire time, who broke the unsettling silence.


    "Do you all hate her that much?" he asked.


    We all turned to him.


    He was still lounging in his chair, but his gaze was sharper now, focused.


    "I don¡¯t hate her," Kieran continued with a shrug. "I don¡¯t like or dislike her, to be honest. She¡¯s just... there."


    "Exactly," Oscar said, scowling. "And that¡¯s the problem. She shouldn¡¯t be here."


    "Neither should you, considering yourck of authority on the matter," Kieran returned, earning a re from Oscar.


    "We are talking about a girl who could be a threat to us." My brother was determined to get rid of <i>her.</i>


    River raised a brow before reminding, "She¡¯s powerless."


    "That we know of," I muttered.


    River sighed. "And if she¡¯s not? What then? Do you think I will truly let her live if she posed a threat?"


    Silence.


    We all knew the answer to that.


    River might be cruel, but he wasn¡¯t reckless. If Evaline posed even the slightest danger, he would have killed her already.


    And yet, he hadn¡¯t.


    Which meant, for now, she was harmless. But that didn¡¯t exin why I felt this way.


    Why the idea of her death left an ufortable weight in my chest. And I hated this unrecognizable feeling.


    My thoughts returned to <i>her</i>, and I scowled at the memory of our encounter.


    I had gone to the library for some privacy, only to end up with a willing woman in myp, andvher eager lips pressed against mine. I had been seconds away from losing myself in the pleasure of the moment... until I sensed someone nearby.


    And there she was.


    Evaline Greystone.


    The candlelight cast a soft glow over her delicate features, illuminating those amber eyes that widened in horror the moment she realized what she had walked in on. She froze like prey caught in the sights of a predator, and the second our gazes met, something strange pulsed through me.


    A spark of irritation, or maybe a flicker of something else.


    I had seen women blush before. I had seen them flustered, shy, embarrassed. But Evaline¡¯s reaction had been different.


    She had been afraid. And that fear irritated me for some reason.


    Even before I knew it, I was snarling at her, letting my anger spill out. But instead of reacting, she simply lowered her head, muttered an apology, and scurried away. The sight of her retreating form only annoyed me further.


    It was Kieran¡¯s deep sigh that pulled me out of my thoughts. "I didn¡¯te here to discuss the maid."


    River turned to him as well. "Oh? Then why are you here, dear brother?"


    "The Academy," Kieran said. "The entrance exams begin next week. We need to finalize our selections before the Council steps in."


    River¡¯s expression shifted slightly. "Ah," he murmured. "Yes, the Academy."


    A long silence followed.


    Oscar tapped his fingers against the chair¡¯s armrest, clearly still irritated about Evaline, but he didn¡¯t press the issue further.


    For now.


    River leaned back in his chair, exhaling. "Fine. We¡¯ll deal with the Academy matters first. As for the girl..."


    His gaze flickered between me and Oscar. "She stays," he said simply.


    Oscar tensed, but River cut him off before he could argue.


    "Unless you want me to kill her," he added.


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether I felt relieved or frustrated by that decision.


    But one thing was clear.


    Evaline Greystone wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    And whether I liked it or not, she was starting to be a problem.

 Chapter 11: Worst of the Four

    <h4>Chapter 11: Worst of the Four</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The days started to pass in a suffocating blur.


    I had barely slept since that night. My mind was trapped in an endless loop of fear and doubt.


    My episodes of nausea had only worsened. They crept in like an unwee shadow at the oddest times - early in the morning, in the middle of chores, and even when I was alone in my chamber.


    The worst part was the helplessness.


    I had no way to confirm what I already knew in my heart. Even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t sneak out and buy a pregnancy kit. I was a captive in this mansion, and was surrounded by guards and acres of forest. I had no friends, no money, and no escape.


    But even if I could confirm it... what then? There was no way I could get an abortion. It wasn¡¯t just about finding a ce and enough money to do it, even escaping long enough to reach a clinic was impossible.


    I was trapped.


    <fn70f3> Find the newest release on Find_Novel(.</fn70f3>


    My stomach twisted violently again, forcing me to lean over the sink in the empty servant bathroom as another wave of sickness rolled through me. My body heaved, but there was nothing left inside me to throw up.


    My limbs shook from exhaustion as I wiped my mouth with trembling fingers. I slumped back against the wall as my chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths.


    If things had been different, if my life hadn¡¯t fallen apart the way it had, I might probably have felt happy about the idea of carrying a child.


    But not like this.


    Not after everything that had happened. Not after Ethan¡¯s betrayal.


    I still remembered the way he had looked at me when he rejected me...the disgust, the cold indifference. My so-called mate had cast me aside like I was nothing and chosen my step-sister over me.


    And then the Rogue Kings hade, burning my world to the ground.


    Now, I was possibly carrying the child of my ex-mate, a man I trusted and loved for as long as I could remember.


    The thought alone made my stomach churn with something far worse than nausea.


    I shook my head and forced myself to push those thoughts away. Right now, I had one goal - survival. I needed to stay unnoticed.


    I had been trying my best to avoid the brothers, staying in the shadows, keeping my head down, and working as hard as I could to keep Sera off my back. Thest thing I wanted was to run into one of the Rogue Alphas and give her another reason to make my life more miserable.


    But it was easier said than done.


    Servants were everywhere, and so were the guards who were stationed around the mansion all day and night.


    There was no ce I could hide, no moment I could be alone without someone watching. And amidst this all, my body kept betraying me in ways I couldn¡¯t control.


    The fatigue was the worst.


    Even if I ignored the nausea, even if I forced myself to keep moving, the exhaustion made everything harder. My legs felt heavier, my head constantly ached, and every task seemed ten times more difficult than before.


    But I couldn¡¯t let anyone notice.


    If Sera or any of the other servants saw how weak I was, they would take advantage of it. If the brothers saw... I didn¡¯t even want to think about what they would do.


    So I swallowed my pain and kept my head down.


    - - -


    The afternoon sun was a cruel reminder that time kept moving, even when my world felt frozen in ce.


    I was scrubbing the side hallways when I heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching.


    I immediately stiffened. I tried to brace myself for another cruel remark, another sneer, but when I turned my head to look in the direction of the sound, I was met with a familiar, small figure.


    Lily.


    The moment she saw me, her face lit up with a wide, beaming smile.


    "Eva!" she eximed and immediately rushed toward me.


    I blinked in surprise as I watched her. "Lily...?"


    She stopped right in front of me, her bright blue eyes shining with excitement. "I was looking for you! I haven¡¯t seen you in so long!"


    Something in my chest tightened. She was the only one in this entire mansion who looked at me with kindness. The only one who didn¡¯t treat me like an outsider.


    I forced a smile. "You shouldn¡¯t be here, Lily. If someone sees you talking to me..."


    She pouted at my words and crossed her arms. "I don¡¯t care what they say. You are my friend!"


    Friend.


    The word felt foreign to me.


    Had I ever truly had a friend?


    I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, a sharp voice cut through the air.


    "That¡¯s enough."


    My body tensed immediately as I recognized the owner of the voice. At the same time, I noticed how Lily flinched.


    I turned slowly and my stomach dropped at the sight of River standing at the end of the hallway.


    His piercing dark green eyes locked onto me with that same cold intensity they always carried. He was taller than the other brothers, and his presence felt the most suffocating, like a storm waiting to break.


    Lily immediately straightened and lowered her gaze. "I was just-"


    "Go," Rivermanded.


    Lily hesitated and nced at me onest time before scurrying away.


    I swallowed hard, keeping my head low as insteas of leaving, he started making his way toward me. My hands were clenching the damp rag in myp as my pulse hammered against my ribs.


    Even if I wanted to pretend to not be affected by his presence, I couldn¡¯t. I was terrified and anxious as I knew my worst fears were about toe true.

 Chapter 12: Alpha River’s Warning

    <h4>Chapter 12: Alpha River¡¯s Warning</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    He stopped merely inches away from me, and despite my anxious inner self, I found myself inhaling his strong scent that took me by surprise.


    He smelled like - storm and spiced amber - if I had to put it into words.


    It was like the sharp, electrifying scent of an approaching storm, carrying the raw energy of lightning and the briny bite of sea salt.


    But also, there¡¯s this warmth beneath the cold. The deep, resinous scent of amber added a subtle but undeniable presence, something rich and lingering.


    Without realizing it, without even meaning to do it, I found myself inhaling deeply and taking in his unique but irresistible scent. And as I did, my body actually started rxing, leaving me stunned.


    Unfortunately, this peaceful moment didn¡¯tst for long as I made the mistake to look up at his face and found his cold orbs fixed on me.


    My breath trapped in my throat, and my heartbeat started pounding against my ribs like a frantic bird trying to escape its cage.


    I didn¡¯t dare move. Didn¡¯t dare to breathe too loudly.


    And if the burning anger in his deep green eyes was anything to go by, I had every reason to fear him.


    I forced my hands to remain steady. I had known he didn¡¯t trust me, none of them did. But now, after seeing the way his expression had darkened upon finding me with Lily, I realized just how wary he was of me.


    And considering how important Lily seemed to be in this mansion, I could see why my presence near the child had only fueled his anger.


    He took a slow step closer, causing his boots to echo against the marble floor.


    I fought the urge to shrink away.


    "Stay away from Lily," he said in a controlled voice, but his tone left no room for argument.


    I nodded stiffly. It wasn¡¯t like I had a choice.


    "Do you think I¡¯m a fool, Evaline?"


    His question caught me off guard, and I hesitated before shaking my head. "No, Alpha."


    River¡¯s eyes narrowed. "Then you should know that I see exactly what you are doing."


    I swallowed. "I don¡¯t know what you mean."


    His jaw clenched at my response. "You have already caused enough chaos in my home. First Oscar, then Draven, both my brothers are furious, and do you know why?"


    I didn¡¯t answer.


    He took another step forward,ing really close. His towering frame was casting a long shadow over me.


    "Because of you."


    I felt my pulse spike and my throat drying at the sharpness in his tone.


    "You have been testing their patience, pushing them, making them angry. And now, they want you dead," he revealed coldly.


    My breath hitched and I felt my body going numb for a moment.


    "I can handle my brothers when they are angry, but when both Oscar and Dravene to me demanding the same thing..." His eyes gleamed with something dark, something unforgiving. "It makes me wonder if I should finally listen."


    I forced my hands to remain still even as a cold shiver ran down my spine.


    They wanted me dead. I had known Oscar and Draven hated me, maybe Kieran too. But for them to go so far as to demand my execution...


    I clenched my fists.


    I should have stayed quiet. Should have bowed my head and let him walk away. But something inside me snapped.


    I had done nothing wrong. And I was tired of being med for things I had no control over.


    "I never went anywhere near your brothers on purpose," I said in a steady voice despite the fear curling in my gut. "I have done everything I could to stay out of their way."


    River¡¯s expression darkened. "And yet, you still managed to anger them. That tells me one thing - you are a problem, Evaline."


    His words were sharp, precise, and designed to cut. But I had spent too many years being wounded by words to let them make me bleed.


    I lifted my chin slightly, digging my nails into my palms. "If my existence alone is enough to make them angry, then that sounds like their problem," I said. I was just unable to stop myself.


    And I knew that I made a mistake... a huge one.


    River¡¯s eyes turned cold. "Watch yourself," he warned. "If you keep testing my patience, I will kill you myself."


    The words should have sent terror crashing through me. And yet... a bitterugh almost escaped my lips.


    The words I wanted to say were right there, at the tip of my tongue.


    <i>Then do it.</i>


    <i>Kill me.</i>


    <i>End this miserable existence.</i>


    <i>I had nothing left.</i>


    <i>No pack. No family. No freedom.</i>


    <i>What was I even fighting for anymore?</i>


    But just as the thought solidified in my mind, something else shattered through me. My hand twitched over my stomach as the unspoken truth settled in my chest like a heavy stone.


    I might not be alone.


    There was a chance, however small, that another life existed within me. It was a life I hadn¡¯t chosen, a life I didn¡¯t know if I even wanted.


    But... it was still life.


    And for some reason, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to throw it away.


    I pressed my lips together. My heart was pounding so loudly I swore he could hear it.


    He was watching me carefully, as if trying to decipher my thoughts. But after a long, heavy pause, he exhaled sharply and turned on his heel.


    "I expect you to remember what I said," he called over his shoulder. "If you make my brothers angry again, I won¡¯t stop them next time."


    I stayed silent, watching as he disappeared down the hall.


    <fn396a> Readplete version only at find{n}ovel</fn396a>


    Only when I was certain he was gone did I allow myself to breathe. I let out a shuddering exhale and pressed my hands against the cool marble floor in an attempt to steady myself.


    I was trembling.


    Whether from fear, anger, or something else entirely, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    All I knew was one thing... I couldn¡¯t stay here.


    River had just made it painfully clear, if I remained in this mansion, I wouldn¡¯t survive. Whether it was Sera, Oscar, Draven, or even River himself... someone would kill me eventually.


    And if I really was pregnant... I wasn¡¯t just fighting for my own life anymore.


    I needed to escape.


    But how?


    My heart pounded against my ribs as I closed my eyes, taking a slow, steadying breath.


    I had no allies. No resources. No n.


    But I was going to find a way.


    I had to.

 Chapter 13: Silver Moon Academy

    <h4>Chapter 13: Silver Moon Academy</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I kept my head down as I moved through the dimly lit corridors of the mansion, keeping to the shadows whenever possible.


    The Rogue Kings¡¯ home was a maze of stone hallways and towering walls. It was a fortress meant to keep outsiders away, and in my case, to keep me trapped inside.


    I had done everything I could to stay out of sight, to avoid crossing paths with anyone who might bring trouble. After myst encounter with River, I knew better than to push my luck. His warning had been clear. His patience with me was running thin, and his brothers had already demanded my execution.


    The mere thought of it made my stomach twist. Or maybe that was just the nausea again.


    It had only gotten worse over the past few days. I could no longer predict when the sick feeling would hit me. Some mornings, I woke up lightheaded, barely able to stand without my vision swimming. Other times, the nausea would struck out of nowhere, forcing me to hold my breath and steady myself against whatever surface was closest.


    I did my best to hide it, keeping away from prying eyes.


    The servants already despised me, treating me like a burden at best and an enemy at worst. If they noticed my situation, they would pounce on it like vultures circling a dying animal.


    As for the brothers... I couldn¡¯t even make myself think about what they might do.


    So I focused on blending in, moving quickly and quietly through the halls.


    And that was how I overheard something that changed everything... for me and also for the brothers.


    It happened when I was passing by the kitchen.


    The smell of roasted meat and freshly baked bread wafted through the open doorway, reaching me and making my stomach churn in protest. Still, I might have walked right past if not for the excited whispers of the servants that reached my ears and made me halt.


    "Silver Moon Academy," one of the maids said, her voice brimming with enthusiasm.


    I had never heard of Silver Moon before, but the way they spoke about it sent a ripple of curiosity through me.


    An academy?


    "Tomorrow is thest day to submit applications, isn¡¯t it?" another servant asked.


    "Yes, and you should see the number of forms that havee in this year. It¡¯s overwhelming."


    "Well, of course. Silver Moon is the best academy in the shifter world. It¡¯s only natural that everyone wants a chance to get in."


    I held my breath. At this point, I was almost straining to listen their conversation.


    "Can you believe it¡¯s only been five years since it was founded? And it already has surpassed every other shifter academy out there."


    "Because it belongs to the Rogue Kings," someone muttered. "That¡¯s why."


    A hush fell over the room.


    <fn2c1c> Content originallyes from find¡¤novel</fn2c1c>


    Then another voice spoke, but this one sounded more cautious than the others. "I heard the entrance exams are brutal. Harder than any other academy. Only a handful of students pass each year."


    "That¡¯s true," the first servant confirmed. "It¡¯s not just about power or intelligence. The Rogue Kings don¡¯t ept the weak. They only want the best of the best. So, while anyone can apply, not all can get admission."


    I swallowed hard as I heard them mentioning the Rogue Kings.


    <i>Did they own an academy? </i>I wondered.


    It was something I didn¡¯t expect. The four most ruthless alphas in the world had built a school, an academy so prestigious that shifters from all over the world fought for a chance to enter.


    And anyone could take the entrance exam - this particr detail sent my mind reeling.


    They had said it so casually, but the words kept repeating over and over in my head. Anyone could apply.


    "It¡¯s no wonder that all the young wolves out there want a ce in Silver Moon. It¡¯s a school owned by the Rogue Kings themselves. It¡¯s a ce that promises a grand future to those who graduates - future Alphas, Lunas, Betas, even members of the Shifter Council, and academies around the shifter world."


    As they continued to talk about the academy, I listened attentively.


    "The best part is, anyone epted into the academy is under the protection of the Rogue Kings until the end of their term. Imagine being protected by the four most powerful Alphas walking on thisnd."


    I almost stumbled back at these words.


    The very men who wanted me dead... would be forced to protect me if I became a student in their academy?


    I was so lost in my thoughts that I barely noticed when one of the servants nced up and saw me lingering near the doorway.


    Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you doing here?"


    I quickly took a step back, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Nothing. I was just passing by."


    "Then keep walking," she snapped.


    I didn¡¯t argue. I turned and left with my heart hammering in my chest.


    -


    That night, I couldn¡¯t sleep no matter how hard I tried, and for the first time in weeks, it was not because of the nightmares but an entirely different reason.


    I just couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Silver Moon Academy.


    The way the servants spoke about it made it sound almost mythical. It was the most powerful institution in the shifter world, and in just five years, it had be the ultimate goal for every young shifter seeking a future filled with power and prestige.


    It sounded like... my only chance at survival.


    If I managed to get in, I wouldn¡¯t just be another prisoner in this mansion, waiting for my inevitable end. Instead, I would be a student of Silver Moon Academy.


    And as long as I became a student there, I would be untouchable. Even River wouldn¡¯t be able to kill me. No matter how much he hated me, he wouldn¡¯t go against his own set rules to finish me off.


    A small flicker of hope ignited inside me. It was a feeling I hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time.


    But then reality set in.


    There was just one problem...


    How was I going to get admitted in the Silver Moon Academy?

 Chapter 14: Late Night Encounter with Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 14: Late Night Encounter with Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline: </strong>


    Sleep hadpletely abandoned me.


    I turned onto my side, then onto my back, or kept staring at the cracked ceiling of the chamber. The thin nket was barely providing any warmth, but that¡¯s not what was keeping me up.


    My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, filled with questions that had no answers. The Moon Goddess was finally presenting me with a chance, a real chance to change my miserable fate. And yet, I had no idea how I was supposed to do it.


    I kept wondering about Silver Moon Academy.


    <fna7ed> Original content can be found at find~novel</fna7ed>


    Where was it located? Was it somewhere nearby, hidden deep within these mountains? Or was it in an entirely different ce, far beyond my reach?


    And even if I could find out where it was, how was I going to get an entrance form?


    Could the Alphas have the forms in their rooms or the study? Should I try to sneak in and search for the form?


    But even if I could find one, how in the world was I going to submit it when I couldn¡¯t step out of the mansion?


    The endless questions were suffocating me. The opportunity was right in front of me, but I had no way to seize it.


    Frustration coiled in my chest. I needed air.


    With careful movements, I slipped out of bed and ced the pillow under the nket to make it look like I was still sleeping there. Then, I padded silently to the door, making sure to not wake up the five other women who were fast asleep across the chamber.


    Coincidentally, the back door of the chamber was right next to my cot, and it opened straight into the hallway leading to the side gardens.


    After two weeks of living and working in this mansion, I had memorized the guards¡¯ rotations, just in case I ever found a chance to run. That knowledge came in handy now as I navigated the halls, avoiding the patrols with ease.


    The moment I stepped outside, the cool night air wrapped around me, sending a shiver down my spine. I inhaled deeply, trying to steady my thoughts.


    But the questions wouldn¡¯t stop.


    Was I about to lose my only chance at freedom?


    I walked toward the side garden, wrapping my arms around myself as if that could keep my mind from spiraling further. The moon was full tonight, casting a silver glow over the mansion¡¯s stone walls and the wildflowers swaying gently in the breeze.


    I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice the approaching figure until it was toote.


    I collided with something solid.


    A guard?


    Panic shot through me as I stumbled back. My heart was mming into my ribs as I braced for the worst. But when I lifted my gaze, my breath hitched for an entirely different reason.


    The man standing in front of me was no guard, but Alpha Kieran.


    He stood before me, tall and broad-shouldered, his striking features illuminated by the moonlight. His hair was pulled back in a manbun with lots of loose strands framing his face, and his usually sharp eyes appeared hazy.


    He seemed... <i>drunk</i>.


    As I allowed myself to inhale deeply as my lungs were protesting for oxygen, his scent wrapped around me. It was cedarwood mixed with a hint of spiced vani. It was oddly grounding, rich and steady like the warmth of a cabin in the middle of winter.


    My stomach twisted as a strange heat spread through me. It was same with all four of them. Their presence was impossible to ignore.


    But Kieran...


    There was something different about him tonight.


    His usual warmth, the quiet gentleness that set him apart from his brothers, was buried beneath something else. A sadness, maybe. A weight I didn¡¯t understand.


    His eyes focused on me, and though his movements weren¡¯t as fluid as usual, he was still sharp enough to recognize me.


    The moment he did, his expression changed. And for a second, he looked intrigued, or maybe amused. His lips twitched as if he was suppressing a smile.


    I, on the other hand, was struggling to breathe. I needed an excuse, to find a reason for why I was sneaking around the garden in the middle of the night.


    But my tongue refused to cooperate. I opened my mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. But nothing came out, not a single word.


    This only made his amusement to deepen. His lips curved into a slow,zy smile, and for some reason, the sight of it sent another wave of warmth through me.


    I hadn¡¯t seen him ever since our first encounter in the side hall. And as I stood this close to him, I realized just how breathtaking he looked.


    I hated myself for thinking it. I was supposed to despise them because of what they had done to me, and were still doing to me. But the Moon Goddess was cruel. She had made them irresistible.


    And I couldn¡¯t help but notice it.


    Before I could find a way to save myself from the awkwardness, he suddenly tilted his head and asked, "Do you know how to cook?"


    I blinked,pletely taken aback by his question that came out of nowhere.


    "Uh..." I cleared my throat, trying to find my voice that had refused to cooperate. "Yes?"


    The moment the answer left my lips, he moved.


    I barely had time to react before his fingers wrapped around my wrist and he started pulling me in the direction of the kitchen.


    "I¡¯m hungry," he announced as if that exined everything. "Make me something."


    I stumbled after him, too stunned to protest. "Wait... what?"


    "I said, I¡¯m hungry." He nced over his shoulder, shing me azy smile. "And you owe me a meal."


    "Owe you?" I huffed, trying to keep up. "For what?"


    "For sneaking around."


    I stared at him in disbelief. "That doesn¡¯t even make sense."


    But he ignored me, leading me straight to the kitchen like it was the most natural thing in the world.

 Chapter 15: Alpha’s Unexpected Offer

    <h4>Chapter 15: Alpha¡¯s Unexpected Offer</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment we stepped inside the kitchen, I was hit with the familiar scent of herbs, flour, and the lingering warmth of the ovens.


    All of the kitchen staff had already retired for the night which left the massive space eerily quiet.


    Alpha Kieran finally released my wrist and moved to lean against the counter, watching me expectantly.


    I was still pretty much at a loss about what was happening. "You do realize you could just order a servant to make you something, right?"


    "Yeah." He replied with thatzy smile still ying on his lips. "But this is more fun."


    I hated how my stomach flipped at that. I knew better than to read too much into his words. Also, I was aware of the mistake I just made - I was a servant too.


    I didn¡¯t move for a while and stood there while he just kept watching me. His deep green eyes were heavy-lidded, intense in a way that made my breath hitch.


    Something was so wrong here... and dangerously so.


    I swallowed hard and forced myself to look away. "Fine," I muttered. "But don¡¯tin if it¡¯s terrible."


    His chuckle was low and smooth as he spoke, "I wouldn¡¯t dare."


    I exhaled slowly and turned toward the pantry to gather ingredients. But even as I moved around the kitchen, even as I tried to ignore the way his gaze was following my every movement... I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this night was going to change everything.


    As I collected the ingredients I needed, he settled down on one of the high stools near the counter. He kept watching me with azy interest. His slightly unfocused gaze made it clear that he was still feeling the effects of the alcohol, but his sharpness wasn¡¯t entirely dulled.


    A voice at the back of my head kept reminding me that I shouldn¡¯t be here... with <i>him</i>. Yet, something about the way he looked at me made it hard to resist the moment. There was no outright hatred, instead, he looked intrigued.


    And it was rare - being in the presence of one of the brothers and not feeling like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to be shoved off.


    "Can you make something quick?" He asked, pulling me out of the depths of my wandering thoughts.


    I hesitated before nodding. "I can."


    I reached for the ingredients. My hands working on their own as I prepared a simple but filling meal. The scent of freshly chopped herbs and sizzling butter soon filled the air, mixing with the faint traces of his intoxicating scent.


    "You don¡¯t hate me the way your brothers do," I said before I could stop myself.


    And much to my surprise, he chuckled before asking, "And what makes you think that?"


    "You don¡¯t re at me like you want me dead," I muttered as I stirred the pot. "You dragged me here to cook instead of throwing me back into my chamber. That¡¯s something, isn¡¯t it?"


    "Maybe I just wanted food." His lips curved into a smirk. "And you seemed like the perfect little kitchen maid."


    I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from reacting. I wasn¡¯t a fool. He was teasing me. But at least it wasn¡¯t cruel. Not yet.


    Silence settled between us for a moment before he suddenly asked, "Why were you sneaking around sote at night?"


    I immediately went stiff and my grip on the spoon tightened.


    I could lie. I <i>should</i> lie. But my thoughts had been so tangled that, before I could stop myself, the truth was slipping past my lips.


    "The academy¡¯s entrance exam..."


    His expression shifted, but just barely. He tilted his head in the slightest and his eyes narrowed in the faintest. Yet, despite how carefully he concealed his emotions, I knew I had surprised him.


    "Hmm," he mused. "And why would you be interested in that?"


    I opened my mouth, then shut it again. I knew better to expose myself. I knew I should brush it off. But something about him made me feel like he already knew.


    I turned back to the pot and stared at the simmering broth as if it held the answers to all my problems. "I want to be safe," I finally admitted softly. "I want a future. And Silver Moon Academy is the best ce for that."


    He said nothing, letting me continue.


    "I heard it before," I went on in a much steadier voice. "You and your brothers protect your students. If I be a student, then you¡¯ll have to protect me, too. Or at the very least, you won¡¯t kill me."


    I finally looked up at him. I was expecting to see an amused look on his face, but his expression remained unreadable.


    "So that¡¯s your n," he finally said while leaning back against the counter.


    "Yes." I exhaled. "Or at least it would be... if I even knew how to get in."


    He hummed softly as his gaze flickered to the meal I was ting. "How do you n on getting admitted?"


    I paused at the question. This was the problem - I had no idea.


    I didn¡¯t know where the entrance forms were kept, how to submit them, or what the exams even entailed. The more I thought about it, the more impossible it seemed.


    As I failed to answer, silence took over the kitchen, making the air feel heavier.


    I finished cooking and quickly presented the food to him. Without a word, he picked up his fork and started eating. I was unable to tell what he was thinking, and it unsettled me.


    I had just exposed my wild n to one of the brothers. <i>Had I just made things worse for myself? Had I signed my own death warrant?</i>


    The tension in my shoulders didn¡¯t ease even as he spoke again, taking me by surpise by thepliment. "You are a good cook."


    <fn2158> Discover more novels at findnovel</fn2158>


    "...Thank you."


    He continued eating until his te was nearly empty. Then, just as I began thinking that the conversation had ended, he set down his fork and leaned forward.


    "I¡¯ll help you."

 Chapter 16: Alpha Wants Something From Me

    <h4>Chapter 16: Alpha Wants Something From Me</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I froze as the words hit me like a p.


    I stared at him, feeling unsure if I had heard correctly. "You will... what?" I finally found my voice to ask.


    "I¡¯ll help you get into the academy," he repeated, meeting my eyes.


    I almost stopped breathing. "Why?"


    He tilted his head and thatzy smile returned to his lips as he replied, "Because I have something I want you to do."


    I waited for him to reveal whatever it was that he wanted me to do in exchange of his help, and when he didn¡¯t, I decided to ask. "And what is that?"


    "That¡¯s forter." He made it clear that he wasn¡¯t going to reveal further details. The smile from his lips finally faded, turning into something more serious. "But if you get in, I¡¯ll tell you."


    I was hesitant... and for all the right reasons. What he just offered was a deal, a dangerous one. But it was also an opportunity.


    "I need to know if you are serious about this," he continued. "I¡¯m not going to waste my time if you are just ying around."


    I bit my lip, trying toe to a decision. I needed to weigh my options. I had already revealed my ns to him. Wouldn¡¯t I be calling for trouble if I refused his offer?


    "If you make it in, my brothers will find out," he warned. "And they will know I was the one who helped you. Whether you pass or fail, I will need to face them. But at least if you made it in, all the trouble will be worth it."


    I stared at him, trying my best to find what he was exactly trying to do here. Could he really be offering me help for something he needed me to do in return? But what could it be that I possibly help him with?


    "Are you sure you want to help me?" I asked.


    My question made a slow smirk to tug at his lips. He leaned forward as he replied, "I wouldn¡¯t have offered if I wasn¡¯t."


    I inhaled deeply, somehow aware that he wasn¡¯t lying. My heart was pounding crazily in the confinement of my chest as I realized that this could be my only chance.


    "I¡¯ll let you think about it," he said as he pushed back from the counter. "But you don¡¯t have much time. The deadline for submission is tomorrow."


    I stared at him while my struggle continued to process everything.


    "If you want my help, find me in my room before noon," he continued. "After that, the deal is off."


    He stood up and stretchedzily. The food had removed the little bit of drunkenness he had when he found me in the garden.


    Then, just as he turned to leave, he stopped and nced back at me. "Thanks for the meal, Eva."


    And with that, he walked out of the kitchen, leaving me standing there, stunned and my heart hammering in my chest.


    I didn¡¯t know what to focus on - all the shit that just happened, or the way something deep within me fluttered as he called me <i>Eva.</i>


    I quickly shook my head, trying to get rid of my unnecessary thoughts. Right now, I needed to return to my sleeping chamber before anyone could find me.


    I quickly cleaned the kitchen to make sure I wasn¡¯t leaving behind any visible trace of my presence here, before finally stepping out.


    Surprisingly, as I made my way back, I didn¡¯te across even a single guard on duty. Even though I was trying my best to avoid them, it was still weird to not see even a single guard anywhere on my way.


    I finally made it back and quickly climbed onto my cot, burning myself under the cover. Only then did I allowed myself to take in a deep breath.


    <fn8533> Content originallyes from Find_Novel(.</fn8533>


    Once I was calm enough to think properly, I allowed myself to recall everything that just happened.


    Alpha Kieran had just offered me a deal... one that could change everything for me.


    I stared at the ceiling with my heart still pounding and my mind racing through the possibilities.


    If I epted, I would be walking straight into the fire. There was no doubt about that. His brothers already hated me enough to want me dead, and if they found out he helped me, the consequences would be severe, not just for me, but for him too. I didn¡¯t know why he was willing to take that risk.


    What did he want me to do?


    That question gnawed at me. He hadn¡¯t said much, only that it was something only a student could help him with. It made no sense. He was one of the founders of the Silver Moon Academy. If he wanted something done, he had plenty of ways to make it happen. So why me?


    I sighed and turned onto my side, gripping the nket tightly.


    I had always known my fate in this ce was uncertain. I was weak, unwanted, and at the mercy of the very people who had destroyed my pack. But the academy... it could give me a future, and a chance to change my destiny.


    And he was right. If I failed, all of this would be for nothing.


    Could I even pass the entrance exam?


    I heard the servants talk about the exam. It¡¯s brutal, designed to weed out the weak. If even the shifters from the strongest packs struggled to get in, could I make it without my wolf.


    At that moment, I felt surpised that in my situation, I was even considering such an absurd possibility. But what other choice did I have?


    I could try to run away again, but where would I go? Even if I managed to escape, I would be hunted down within days. These Rogue Alphas were powerful more than I had initially thought, and I had nowhere to hide.


    The academy was my best chance.


    Even if it was a gamble, it was one worth taking.


    I just had to survive the entrance exam.


    The weight of my decision settled over me, but before I could let doubt take hold, exhaustion finally pulled me under. I needed to sleep.


    And tomorrow, before noon, I would give Alpha Kieran my answer.

 Chapter 17: The Shirtless Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 17: The Shirtless Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Morning arrived just as quickly as I expected. The moment I opened my eyes, I found myself recalling everything that happened the night before.


    Today, I needed to sneak into Alpha Kieran¡¯s room before noon. But the reality of this n was proving to be a nightmare.


    I started my day as usual, getting ready, grabbing a bread from the kitchen, and heading to start my work. But as I scrubbed floors, polished furniture, and cleaned the guards¡¯ quarters, my mind was focused on only one matter - how was I going to get to the Master Floor without being caught.


    But no matter how many scenarios I yed out in my head, none of them felt foolproof.


    The Master Floor was off-limits except for a selected few, and I was definitely not one of them. There were also guards stationed at key points to ensure that no one wandered where they shouldn¡¯t.


    Yet, despite all the troubles awaiting me on the way, I had no other choice. Alpha Kieran had made it very clear, if I wanted his help, I had to go to him before noon.


    I kept checking the time every chance I got. My nerves were twisting tighter as the minutes ticked by. By the time mid-morning arrived, I knew I had to make my move.


    I swallowed my fear and grabbed a stack of freshlyundered linens from the storage room. I was nning to use this as my excuse to wander through the halls with the belief that no one would question a servant carryingundry.


    I kept my head down and walked with purpose, making my way through the giant mansion. My heart was thundering by the time I arrived near the stairs that led to the Master Floor.


    Two guards were stationed at the bottom of the stairs.


    I didn¡¯t break my stride. Instead, I shifted my grip on the linens and acted like I was heading toward the rooms on the second floor. At thest moment, just before I reached the staircase, I pretended to trip and sent the linens spilling across the floor.


    Without wasting any time, I started gathering the scattered sheets while also frantically apologizing.


    "Stupid girl," one of the guards muttered with an unhappy groan.


    "Get out of here before you cause more trouble," the second one snapped.


    I mumbled another apology and ran from there. But instead of heading toward the second-floor rooms, I slipped into a small servant passageway. I had recently discovered another staircase from here that led to the upper floors. It was rarely used as it was mostly meant for emergencies.


    This was my best shot.


    My heart was racing crazily as I moved quickly. I was praying to note across anyone at all on my. Not only that, but to keep my footsteps as silent as possible, I had even taken off my shoes which was now proving to be a good idea.


    By the time I reached the third floor, my palms were sweaty, and my breath wasing in fast, shallow bursts. I pressed myself against the wall to listen if there were any movements.


    But I was greeted with pure silence.


    Letting out a shaky breath, I peeked around the corner and found the hallwaypletely deserted.


    It was now or never.


    With this thought in mind, I rushed toward the room that belonged to Alpha Kieran. I was just about to knock when my ears registered the sound of footsteps.


    I instantly froze once I realized that someone was heading my way.


    As panic surged through me, I didn¡¯t bother to think. I just grabbed the handle, twisted it, and slipped inside the room before shutting the door quickly behind me.


    I pressed my ear against the door, trying to listen, but I could no longer hear anything. I didn¡¯t even got a second to steady my breathing before a voice murmured right against my ear.


    "What are you up to, little troublemaker?"


    Shocked, I yelped and spun around only to have a warm and firm hand pping over my mouth to muffle the sound.


    My eyes went wide as I found Alpha Kieran standing there in front of me. He was way too close and his eyes were half-lidded with sleep. His hair was messy and falling over his forehead. It seemed like I had woken him up from his sleep.


    It took me a second, or probably longer that that, to register the fact that he wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt. And before I could have stopped myself, my gaze dropped lower.


    Oh.


    Oh, dear moon.


    My brain instantly stopped working as my eyes traced over the defined muscles of his chest, the sharp lines of his abdomen, and the deep V that disappeared beneath the low-hanging ck trousers that were sitting dangerously on his hips.


    I had seen men without shirts before, but none of them looked anything like this.


    Alpha Kieran had the kind of body that was carved by riches and power. He was lean but impossibly strong. His skin was wless and his muscles were firm. And the way he was standing -pletely at ease while pinning me with a knowing look - made it clear that he was well aware of what I was doing.


    And then, I made the situation even worse as I lingered despite knowing better.


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t. I knew I should have looked away immediately, but my traitorous eyes took their time in absorbing every inch of him, every ridge, every curve...


    The low chuckle that rumbled from his chest, finally pulled me out of whatever spell had taken over my sanity.


    "I knew you had guts," he mused as his lips curled into azy, amused smirk. "But I didn¡¯t expect you to be this bold."


    Heat instantly flooded my face and I snapped my gaze up to his. I felt mortified. "I-I wasn¡¯t-"


    Before I could finish defending myself, he arched an eyebrow, making it clear that he didn¡¯t believe me.


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    "I see," he drawled as he finally removed his hand from my mouth, but didn¡¯t step back. "So, you break into my room and immediately start appreciating the view? Should I be ttered?"


    I let out a strangled sound. At this point, my entire body was burning with embarrassment.


    "I didn¡¯t-" I started shaking my head furiously. "I wasn¡¯t appreciating! I was just-"


    "Admiring?" he supplied helpfully while his smile widened.


    "NO!"


    My horrified reaction made him chuckle again. The sound was so deep and warm, and for some reason, it made my stomach twist.


    I took a step back as I needed space, but realized there was barely any as I was nearly pressed against the door.


    He tilted his head as he continued to watch me carefully.


    "Well?" he began, breaking the silence. "Are you going to tell me why you are here?"


    "I came to give you my answer," I replied firmly.


    He crossed his arms over his chest, making his muscles shift in a way that I pretended not to notice.


    "And?"


    I swallowed hard and took in a deep breath before finally speaking, "I ept your offer. I want to enter the academy."


    For a moment, he didn¡¯t say anything. He just kept watching me in silence as if he was assessing me. But then, with the smallest nod, he spoke, "Good."


    Relief flooded me at his response. A part of me had almost started worrying that he might no longer want to help me. But it turned out I was overthinking as always.


    Then, he added, "But you should know. Once you make it in, there¡¯s no turning back."


    I met his gaze as I answered in a firm voice. "I know."


    His smirk returned, but there was something different in his eyes now, something unreadable.


    "Then, let¡¯s get to work, little troublemaker."

 Chapter 18: Secret Message from the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 18: Secret Message from the Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Exhaustion was all that I could feel as I stepped into the servants¡¯ quarters. It was pressing down on me like a heavy weight.


    My body was aching from the long day of work, and my stomach felt hollow as I ended up missing lunch. Thest time I ate was in the morning, and then too I barely got a bread and a bowl of vegetable soup.


    Shaking my head, I pushed open the thin curtain that separated my small cot from the rest of the room, only to freeze at the sight in front of me.


    There was a wooden box waiting on my cot.


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    I blinked, taking a moment to collect myself out of the shock and confusion before I quickly looked around. There was only one other maid in the chamber and she was busy in her own world.


    Returning my attention back to the box, I closed the curtain behind me and cautiously stepped closer.


    The box looked simple. It was made of dark wood with no markings or notes. It was small, barely the size of an average notebook.


    I hesitated for a second but then lifted the lid, only for my jaw to drop once I realized what the box held. Inside were four soft and round buns, neatly arranged and looking extremely mouthwatering.


    I inhaled sharply.


    The scent was almost overwhelming... sweet, warm, and delicious. My stomach clenched painfully at the smell, reminding me just how little I had eaten today.


    But instead of reaching for one, I took a step back as questions filled my head. Who left this here? And why?


    Food was rarely wasted in this ce, especially on me. No one would give away something like this without a reason. Was this a kindness? A trap? A test?


    I clenched my hands, keeping them firm at my sides. I couldn¡¯t deny that I wanted to eat those buns so badly, but my trust issues kept me from doing so.


    I sat down on the edge of my cot and stared at the buns as if they would give me the answer.


    But as minutes passed, my hunger started gnawing at me. It was making my head feel light, and my limbs weak.


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t eat them, but the scent was curling around me, teasing, tempting, making my self-control waver.


    Finally, as I failed to hold myself back any more, I reached forward. My fingers hesitated over the soft surface of the first bun before I picked it up, finding that it was still warm.


    I swallowed hard as I stared at the round thing in my hand.


    <i>One bite. Just one.</i>


    Slowly, I lifted it to my lips and sank my teeth into it. And the moment its soft, fluffy dough melted on my tongue, I let out a quiet, shaky breath.


    It was delicious. Actually, more than delicious. It was the best thing I had eaten in forever.


    It was sweet and buttery, filled with something rich and slightly savory that I couldn¡¯t quite ce. The vors coated my mouth, spreading warmth through my entire body.


    Even if I died after eating these buns, I wasn¡¯t going toin. They were worth my life.


    My hands moved before I could stop them and I picked up another bun, then another. By the time I was halfway through the third bun, I bit down and felt... something.


    As I pulled the bun away from my lips, I found a small, folded piece of paper hidden inside it.


    My stomach twisted as I wiped my fingers and carefully unfolded it to find neat, beautiful handwriting starinb back at me.


    <i>Meet me in the side garden tomorrow at midnight. Bring everything you need to.</i>


    <i>-K.</i>


    I shouldn¡¯t have felt so sure about my guess, but I just knew that this was from none other than Alpha Kieran.


    It had been two days since I had stood in his room and epted his offer. Two days with no word, no instructions... until now.


    My fingers tightened around the note as I reread it. My mind started racing as I wondered about what the message might be implying.


    Was he going to take me to the Academy? Or why else he would ask me to bring whatever I wanted to take with me?


    I had no answers.


    The only thing I knew was that I would do exactly what the letter asked me to.


    - - -


    The next twenty-four hours passed in a blur.


    I barely slept that night, and once morning arrived, I went about my chores as usual. At one point, I did realize that I was trying extra hard to act normal even as my nerves were twisting tighter with every passing hour.


    I didn¡¯t want to draw attention to myself, but I knew I wasn¡¯t doing a great job of it. My hands were trembling when I cleaned. My mind kept reying different scenarios - what if it was another test? What if it was a trap? What if-


    No.


    I forced myself to push those thoughts away.


    Alpha Kieran wanted to meet me. That was all I knew. And that was all I needed to know.


    By the time night fell, my heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.


    I waited until I was sure everyone was asleep and the hallways outside the servants¡¯ quarters were quiet.


    Only then did I dare to sneak out.


    I had once again taken my shoes off to not alert the guards with the sound of my footsteps, and I was wearing a ck cloak to blend myself in the shadows.


    Though the side garden wasn¡¯t far, getting there without being seen was the real challenge.


    The mansion¡¯s guards were alert, trained to notice even the slightest movement. I had barely taken five steps before I saw the movement ahead.


    I immediately pressed myself against the wall. My body tensed as I noticed two guards who were patrolling the hallway.


    I forced myself to breathe slowly and waited until they went another way. Only then did I dare to continue on my way. I crossed another hallway before finally arriving at the door leading to the side garden.


    At this pony, my nerves were so raw that my hands had started shaking. I inhaled deeply and pushed the door open just enough to slip outside.


    The cool night air hit my face as I took in the moonlit garden. As my gaze ran across my surroundings, I realized that there was no sign of Alpha Kieran there.


    I swallowed as my nerves started taking over.


    Was I early? Or-


    Before I could finish the thought, a hand grabbed my arm, forcing my heart to skip a beat.


    Another hand mped over my mouth before I could have made a sound, forcing my body to go rigid in fear.


    But then, a low voice murmured in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. "You arete, little troublemaker."

 Chapter 19: Escaping the Mansion

    <h4>Chapter 19: Escaping the Mansion</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I inhaled deeply to allow myself to calm down once I realized that it was none other than Alpha Kieran who had sneaked up on me. His grip on my arm was firm and he didn¡¯t let go even after I stopped struggling.


    "You almost got caught twice," he murmured, letting me know that he had been watching me all this time. "You need to be better than that."


    I swallowed, forcing myself to breathe evenly. The way he had appeared so suddenly, the way his hand had silenced me before I could even react, it sent a chill down my spine.


    "Follow me," he said and finally released me.


    Without another word, he turned and moved soundlessly through the garden. I hesitated for only a moment before following him. My bare feet barely made a sound against the cool grass as I trailed behind him with my shoes still in my hands.


    We moved quickly, weaving through the shadows until we reached the outer wall at the back of the mansion. There, hidden behind thick vines, was a narrow iron door.


    I watched as Alpha Kieran reached into his pocket and pulled out a key before unlocking the door with a soft click. He stepped aside and gestured for me to go first.


    I hesitated again, casting him a wary nce, but when he merely raised an eyebrow in challenge, I swallowed my doubts and slipped through.


    The moment I was on the other side, my gazended on the ck sports car that was waiting there, right outside the back door of the estate.


    And right next to that car was standing a young man with his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. His sharp features were set in a neutral expression. His dark eyes flicked to me briefly before turning to Alpha Kieran who followed right after me.


    I watched as Alpha Kieran moved toward the car and opened the passenger door before gesturing for me to get in.


    This time, I moved despite the hesitation. I climbed in and he closed the door after me. The leather seat was cool against my skin, and the car had a clean and expensive scent that greeted me.


    I looked out through the window in time to notice the two men exchanging a few quiet words, but their voices were too low for me to catch.


    The young man gave a small nod before turning on his heel and heading toward the iron gates. Once he slipped inside, he carefully shut them again without making a single sound.


    A shiver ran down my spine.


    Who was he? How many people knew about this arrangement between Alpha Kieran and me?


    Before I could think too much about it, Alpha Kieran was slipping into the driver¡¯s seat beside me.


    For a moment, the only sound was the quiet hum of the engine as he started the car. Then, the vehicle pulled smoothly onto the empty road, leaving the estate behind.


    I stared out at the dark road ahead before finally gathering the courage to speak. "Where are we going?"


    He nced at me briefly, then returned his gaze to the road. Silence stretched between us for next few moments before he finally spoke, but instead of answering his my question, he presented me with one of his own. "Why didn¡¯t you bring anything?"


    I blinked, slighgly caught off guard by the question.


    My fingers curled around the old sneakers in myp. I had been holding onto them the entire time, but beyond that, I hadn¡¯t brought anything else.


    "There was nothing to bring," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "My pack was burnt down. I never got the chance to grab clothes or money before fleeing. And when your warriors found me... all I had was the pair of jeans and sweater I was wearing."


    I hesitated before continuing. "Even as a maid at the mansion, I was only given a pair of old maid clothes. For the past three weeks, I have been washing them and wearing them in turns."


    I tugged at the cloak wrapped around my shoulders, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "This... I found this a week ago. A guard threw it away, and I picked it up. The nights were getting colder, and I didn¡¯t have anything warm to wear."


    For a long moment, Kieran didn¡¯t say anything. His expression didn¡¯t change, but I noticed how his fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel, turning his knuckles white.


    I wondered if I had spoken too much. Maybe he found me too talkative.


    Biting my lip, I turned my gaze out the window, watching as the darkndscape passed by. Even though it was the dead of night, the silver moonlight allowed me to take in the beauty of the Rogue world. Dense forests were lining both sides of the empty road, their leaves rustling softly in the cool breeze.


    The sight was strangely peaceful.


    I hesitated, then reached out to lower the window on my side, craving the fresh night air. But before I could nce at the man beside me to check if he minded, he did something unexpected.


    With a silent press of a button, he lowered both our windows. A rush of cold air filled the car, and before I could stop myself, a bright smile bloomed on my lips.


    The wind swept through my hair as I leaned against the window, allowing myself to enjoy the ride.


    What I didn¡¯t notice was the way he finally turned to look at me and his gaze lingered for a while before he turned away.


    We drove in silence for another ten minutes before I finally noticed a town in the distance.


    As we neared, Alpha Kieran slowed the car, guiding it through the quiet streets. The town lookedpletely asleep at this hour with its empty streets and its buildings dark.


    I furrowed my brows, turning my attention at him. "Is the academy in this town?"


    "No," he said simply. "I was going to take you straight to the academy."


    I blinked. Was?


    He gave me a sideways nce before returning his focus to the road. "But now," he continued, "we are going shopping."


    I stared at him for a moment before repeating, "Shopping?"


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    "In the dead of night?"


    "In a town that lookspletely asleep?"


    He didn¡¯t answer right away. But the corner of his mouth curled into the faintest smirk. And for some reason, that smirk made my heart race.

 Chapter 20: Shopping with the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 20: Shopping with the Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I watched as he pulled out his phone, all the while he maneuvered the car through the quiet streets of the town.


    His fingers swiftly tapped and then he was dialing a number. It barely took a ring before the other person picked up the call.


    "Be ready in five," he said curtly before hanging up without waiting for a response.


    I nced at him with curiosity stirring in my chest. "Who was that?" I asked hesitantly, not sure if I would get an answer.


    "The boutique owner," he replied, keeping his eyes on the road. "She¡¯ll open the store for us."


    I blinked in surprise. "You are waking someone up in the middle of the night... just for shopping?"


    He shot me a brief look, as if debating whether to answer or not, before finally speaking. "Lakeshire is one of the towns most frequently visited by the students of Silver Moon Academy. Because of that, most of the town is made up of stores, cafes, restaurants, and a few hotels. The shop owners are used to unusual customer timings, especially during exam seasons."


    I nodded slowly, taking in the empty streets lined with cozy-looking buildings. The town had a charm to it - clean cobbled roads, streetmps casting a warm glow, and shop windows showcasing a variety of goods. Even though it was dead silent now, I could imagine how lively it must be during the day.


    Alpha Kieran pointed out a few ces as we passed.


    "That¡¯s one of the most popr cafes," he said, nodding toward a quaint two-story building withrge ss windows. "Students gather there after sses or before exams to study. The Academy library is great, but sometimes people just need a different atmosphere."


    My gaze lingered on the cafe, appreciating how beautifully its exterior was decorated with vines and fairy lights. It looked weing, a ce filled with warmth andfort.


    "There¡¯s the bookstore," the Alpha continued, nodding toward another building with a wooden sign that read Everleaf Books. "They sell both Academy textbooks and personal reading material. If you need anything for your studies, you¡¯ll find it there."


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    The idea of being able to buy books, or having the time to read again, made something warm stir inside me.


    "And over there," he said as we passed another shop, "is one of the best bakeries in town. Their chocte croissants sell out before noon every day."


    My stomach growled at the mention of food, but I pretended not to hear it.


    Five minutes passed in what felt like seconds, and before I knew it, we were pulling up in front of a boutique. The store was still dark, but standing outside were two women. One seemed to be in herte thirties, and the other younger probably in her early twenties.


    Alpha Kieran parked the car and stepped out without hesitation. And I hurried to follow, shivering slightly as the cool night air wrapped around me.


    The women immediately greeted him, bowing their heads slightly in respect.


    "Alpha Kieran," the older woman said.


    He gave a curt nod. "I need to buy her some clothes."


    Both women turned their attention to me as if only just realizing I was there. Their eyes flicked over my disheveled appearance, lingering on my cloak and bare feet.


    I could see the questions in their eyes.


    Who was I?


    Why was I with Kieran?


    But they knew better than to ask.


    The older woman, whom I assumed was the boutique owner, quickly regained herposure and smiled politely. "Of course, pleasee inside."


    But just as we were about to step in, I grabbed his arm and stopped him at the entrance.


    "You don¡¯t have to do this," I blurted out. Embarrassment was taking over me. I knew I talked too much by bbering out myck of clothes.


    "I-" I swallowed. "I don¡¯t want to owe you more than I already do."


    He studied me for a long moment before speaking. "You¡¯ll need clothes for the uing week of examinations. Do you n on staying in just one pair of clothes for the entire week?"


    I bit my lip because I already knew the answer. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right.


    As if sensing my hesitation, he continued, "Consider this my investment in our deal. You can pay me back by passing the entrance exams and doing what I brought you here to do."


    His words made it clear, I didn¡¯t really have a choice.


    With a small nod, I finally relented.


    Inside, the boutique was warm and well-lit, filled with rows of neatly disyed clothing.


    The owner, whom Alpha Kieran called Melinda, first showed me dresses, but I quickly shook my head. Dresses weren¡¯t practical for me.


    Instead, I went ahead with trousers.


    I wasn¡¯t a fan of skinny jeans, so I chose five pairs of trousers - two ck, a dark blue, a beige, and a white. Initially, I only wanted two, but Alpha Kieran insisted on more, so I settled on five.


    For tops, I picked a mix of shirts, crop tops, and woolen sweaters. Again, I tried to keep it minimal, but Alpha Kieran selected several more, finalizing about ten in total despite my denials.


    Once that was done, he turned to Melinda and said, "Shoes."


    That¡¯s how I ended up with two pairs of sturdy, high-quality shoes and even a pair of slippers.


    Just when I thought we were finished, Melinda led me to another section of the store, this time to choose undergarments.


    Heat rushed to my face, but I knew I couldn¡¯t avoid it.


    I quickly grabbed a few essentials, trying to finish as fast as possible.


    It was at this moment when my eyesnded on a small section near the counter that had face masks.


    An idea suddenly formed in my head. I wasn¡¯t sure how much of it was going to work, or if its even going to work, but it still gave me hope.


    Without hesitation, I grabbed two ck masks and a cap,pleting my shopping.

 Chapter 21: A Temporary Disguise

    <h4>Chapter 21: A Temporary Disguise</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Alpha Kieran noticed the masks and the cap in my hands when I returned to the front section of the store. Instead of asking it out loud, he just arched his eyebrows in a silent question.


    I hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell him the truth.


    "I want to keep my identity hidden," I said, gripping the fabric between my fingers. "At least until I pass the exams and make it into the academy as a student. If one of your brothers is there during the exams, I don¡¯t want to risk them recognizing me. The masks and the cap will help with that."


    He listened quietly with an unreadable expression on his face. But as I spoke, a new, horrifying thought crashed into me.


    How could these masks and cap help me hide? If the brothers were indeed going to be present during the exams, wouldn¡¯t there be possibility that they would have lists of the students¡¯ names taking the exams?


    "Are they going to be there?" I asked,pletely failing in hiding the panic in my voice. "Your brothers, are they going to be present during the exams?"


    My mind was starting to fill with questions. Could they disqualify me from taking the exams? And if yes, then would they?


    I was still struggling to get a grip on myself when I felt fingers softly brushing over one of my eyebrows. Startled, I looked up in time to see Alpha Kieran pulling his hand back. The look on his face almost made me believe that even he was surprised by what he had just done.


    He buried his hands in his pant¡¯s pockets as if to physically stop them from doing something unnecessary again. "You don¡¯t have to worry about my brothers. Draven is still a second-year student at the academy. So, he can¡¯t be present at the entrance exams."


    That was one down.


    "But Oscar is a different story," he continued. "This will be his first year as an official trainer at the academy. He¡¯s going to be present during the final round of exams."


    I swallowed. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how I felt about this piece of information.


    He went on, as ifpletely oblivious of the storm brewing inside my head. "I¡¯m a professor at the academy and the person in-charge of the entrance exams. So, you will see me there,"


    That part I already expected, but my mind was already moving to...


    "And Alpha River?" I asked, almost dreading the answer.


    "River onlyes to the academy now and then. He has more pressing matters to handle as the ruler of the Roguemunity. It¡¯s unlikely that he¡¯ll be present during the exam week. His chances of appearance are just as low as Draven¡¯s."


    I released a slow breath.


    So the ones I had to worry about the most was Oscar. The only good part about this was that I wouldn¡¯t be seeing him until the veryst round.


    I watched as Alpha Kieran tilted his head slightly, his gaze locked on me. "You don¡¯t have to worry too much about my brother recognizing you during exams."


    I nodded, but I wasn¡¯tpletely convinced, and it seemed like he understood my lingering doubt because a momentter, he said, "I can help too."


    Before I could ask what he meant, he turned to Melinda and called her over. Once she arrived, he ordered, "Take her to the back and change her look."


    Melinda blinked in surprise before nodding. "Understood."


    "Wait-" I started, but before I could protest, Melinda and her assistant ushered me into a deeper section of the boutique.


    Everything after that happened in a blur.


    I was quickly made to change into a fresh pair of clothes and new shoes. The fabric felt strange against my skin. It was warm, soft, and unfamiliar.


    After that, I was made to sit down in front of a mirror, and Melinda¡¯s assistant started working on my chipped nails, shaping and painting them with a neutral color while Melinda herself focused on my hair.


    "Hold still," she murmured as she ran her fingers through the strands.


    A few minutester, I saw ck dye seeping into my silver hair.


    "This is temporary," she exined when she noticed the horrified look on my face. "It¡¯ll fade in about two to three weeks. But until then, no one will recognize you from your hair alone."


    Next, she handed me a pair of contact lenses, and instructed, "Try these on."


    I hesitated but did as told. The moment I blinked and looked at my reflection, my amber eyes were gone. reced by a deep brown color.


    I almost didn¡¯t recognize myself. When I entered the store about an hour ago, I was looking like a homeless girl. A stray. But now, I was hardly able to believe the reflection staring back at me.


    My new clothes fit me well. They were not too fancy, butfortable and well-tailored. My waist-length silver hair was now jet ck, and my amber eyes had darkened into an unremarkable brown.


    With the sessful transformation beingpleted, I was finally allowed to step out of the back room.


    Alpha Kieran was waiting by the counter, checking his phone, but the moment he looked up, his gaze locked onto me. It was hard to read his thoughts as he kept his expression neutral, but i could tell that he was satisfied with Melinda¡¯s work.


    "These changes will help you stay unnoticed," he said, crossing his arms as he studied me. "Your hair and eyes would have given you away immediately if Oscar saw you."


    I nodded, still mentally adjusting to my new appearance.


    I was still me... but I wasn¡¯t.


    The silver-haired girl who had suffered through years of pain, loss, and rejection, she wasn¡¯t visible anymore. The girl right now looked like someone new.


    It wasn¡¯t a fresh start, but a temporary disguise. And I was determined to make the best out of it.


    Kieran watched me closely before speaking again.


    "Are you ready?"


    I inhaled deeply, steadying myself before I answered, "Yes."<fne24e> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n findnovel</fne24e>

 Chapter 22: No Turning Back

    <h4>Chapter 22: No Turning Back</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The drive to the Silver Moon Academy was shorter than I expected.


    More or less fifteen minutes was all it took before we reached the towering mountain peak where the academy was located.


    The road leading up was winding, cutting through dense forests that seemed untouched by time. The higher we climbed, the clearer the night sky became with the silver moon casting a soft glow over everything.


    But despite the beauty, my nerves were starting to creep in. I was about to step into an entirely new world. A world I didn¡¯t belong to.


    When the car finally slowed to a stop, I expected to see the academy¡¯s grand gates. Instead, we were still at the foot of the mountain. Not far from us, there was a small clearing surrounded by trees. Several cottages were built in neat rows, their wooden exteriors blending seamlessly with the wilderness around them. A few scattered lights glowed from the windows, but most of the area was quiet.


    "This isn¡¯t the Academy?" I asked, turning to Alpha Kieran.


    He was already reaching for something in the backseat. "Non-students aren¡¯t allowed to step inside the Academy grounds until they pass the entrance exams," he exined. "So, the exams will take ce outside. Those taking the test are staying here until then."


    That made sense. They wouldn¡¯t want just anyone wandering into their prestigious academy.


    He pulled out a bag and ced it on myp. "Your essentials."


    I blinked at it before looking up at him, clearly confused. "Essentials?"


    "You didn¡¯t pack anything for yourself," he reminded me. "So, I did."


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. I should have expected it, considering how he forced me to buy more clothes than I initially nned, but the fact that he even thought of giving me essentials left me feeling... strange.


    Before I could say anything, he handed me a folded piece of paper.


    "This is your entry form. You need to show it to the guard at the clearing entrance," he said. "Once he verifies it, you¡¯ll be allowed to enter and get your assigned cottage."


    I took the paper, my fingers gripping it tightly.


    Though his expression remained neutral, something in his gaze softened slightly as he spoke the next words. "This is where we part ways for now. The first exam is the day after tomorrow. Until then, rest. Eat. Make sure you are prepared."


    He didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. I knew I needed to be at my best. So, I nodded my head in understanding before adding, "I will."


    For a brief moment, neither of us spoke. I knew that it was time for me to climb out, but I was almost frozen in my seat.


    <fnd207> Th?s chapter is updated by find{n}ovel</fnd207>


    Then, I watched him leaning toward me, reaching for the door handle to open it. "Good luck, Eva."


    And just like that, I had to force my body to move. I gave him a nod and stepped out of the car with the bag. Then I grabbed the suitcase from the trunk and stepped to the side, watching as the car pulled away, leaving me behind.


    The moment he was gone, I let out a slow breath.


    This was it. There was no turning back for me now.


    Gathering my things, I made my way toward the clearing entrance, ready to face whatever awaited me next. In the meantime, I decided to take a look at the form in my hand.


    Even though I was wolfless, I still had more enhanced sensespared to a normal human. Plus the bright moonlight helped me read the small letter written on the piece of paper.


    It had my information and Alpha Kieran¡¯s seal on it. What caught my attention was that there was no surname mentioned with my name and in ce of my pack¡¯s name, there was written ¡¯rogue¡¯.


    He had nned everything so well. I myself wasn¡¯t looking forward to introduce myself as a Greystone or someone who once belonged to Shadowfang pack. So, I was content with the missing and changed information in the form.


    Taking in a deep breath, I approached the entrance and noticed a guard standing just beyond the wooden archway that marked the boundary of the clearing.


    He was a tall, broad-shouldered man, dressed in dark clothes that blended with the night. His stance was rxed, but there was no mistaking the sharpness in his gaze as he watched me approach.


    I stopped a few feet away and held out the form. "I¡¯m here for the entrance exams," I said, keeping my voice steady.


    The guard didn¡¯t say anything at first. He reached out, took the paper from my hand, and unfolded it. His eyes scanned the contents before he looked back at me.


    "Name?" he asked.


    "Evaline."


    His brow furrowed slightly, but he didn¡¯t question it. Instead, he turned and reached into a small wooden booth beside the entrance. He pulled out a clipboard, checked something off, then handed my form back.


    "Cottage thirteen," he said. "Follow the path straight ahead. You¡¯ll find it on the left."


    I nodded, murmuring a quiet, "Thank you," before heading inside.


    The path leading through the clearing was well-trodden, the dirt packed firm beneath my feet. As I walked, I took in my surroundings more carefully. There were about twenty cottages in total, scattered throughout the clearing in neat rows. Some had soft candlelight flickering through the windows, while others werepletely dark, signaling that their upants were already asleep.


    I wondered how many people were already here. How many would be taking the exams alongside me? Would any of them be like me? A nobody with no wolf, no pack, no real identity?


    I was probably too lost in my thoughts because the next thing I knew, I was bumping into someone, or maybe it was that someone who bumped into me.


    Fortunately, I was able to catch myself right before I could have ended upnding on the ground. I immediately turned around, ready to apologize, but...

 Chapter 23: Best friends For Years

    <h4>Chapter 23: Best friends For Years</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Sorry-" I started to say, but the words barely left my lips before the person was already moving past me.


    He was tall, dressed in dark clothes with a cap pulled low over his head and a ck mask covering the lower half of his face. The only thing visible was his eyes. They were a piercing icy-blue, sharp and cold as they met mine for a fleeting second before he turned away.


    Something about him made my instincts stir. But before I could even react, he was gone, disappearing down the path without another word.


    Strange.


    That¡¯s what I felt as I stared after him. I couldn¡¯t tell exactly why I felt this way about him just by bumping into him, but something just didn¡¯t set right with me about him.


    Shaking my head, I turned my attention away from the guy. It didn¡¯t matter. I had more important things to focus on right now.


    Gripping my suitcase, I continued toward my assigned cottage, following the path the guard had mentioned. The night air was still and quiet, and the only sound wasing from the asional rustle of leaves in the breeze.


    When I finally reached Cottage Thirteen, I stopped outside its entrance, hesitating. The house was filled with mostly darkness and there was no sounding from inside, making it obvious that people inside were already asleep.


    I took a moment or two before finally stepping inside.


    The interior was simple, dark, but cozy. Themon area had a few chairs and a small wooden table. There was also antern hanging from the ceiling, but it was switched off at the moment. There were four doors, each leading to a bedroom.


    A quick nce around told me that three rooms were marked upied, but the fourth one had one empty bed. The bedroom doors had these markings to make things simple. Making sure not to make too much sound, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.


    The room had two single beds, one on each side, with a small wooden dresser in between. There was a window on the far wall, though the curtains were drawn.


    The other bed was already upied, but not by a person. Someone¡¯s belongings were neatly stacked next to it, including a suitcase and a few folded clothes on the dresser.


    But there was no sign of the other upant.


    I exhaled and set my suitcase and bag down next to my bed. Maybe my roommate was out somewhere. Maybe they were already asleep in another part of the cottage. Either way, I wasn¡¯t going to dwell on it.


    I took off my boots and sat on the bed, running a hand through my hair. It had been a long, exhausting night. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I had a real bed to sleep in.


    Lying down, I pulled the nket over myself, allowing my body to finally rx. I was both excited and anxious about theing day.


    - - -


    When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was that I was still alone in the room. The other bed was still empty, and there was no sign that anyone had returned during the night.


    Stretching, I got up and grabbed some fresh clothes before heading to themon showers. The water was ice-cold at first, making me shiver, but soon, it warmed up, allowing me to enjoy the rare luxury of a real shower.


    I scrubbed my skin and hair clean, washing away the dirt, exhaustion, and the lingering memories of the past two months. By the time I stepped out, wrapped in a towel, I felt fresher than I had in months.


    I changed into simple ck trousers and a long-sleeved gray top. Since my hair was still pretty much damp, I left them loose and put on my shoes.


    Even though my hair and eye color had been changed, I still decided to wear the mask to cover the lower half of my face, and only then did I stepped out of the changing room.


    <fn2877> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? F¦Énd£Îovel</fn2877>


    By now, more people had woken up, making the once-quiet clearing to buzz with voices and movement, making the ce livelier.


    I made my way toward the dining area, following the scent of food. My stomach had started growling in anticipation, reminding me that I hadn¡¯t eaten anything since yesterday.


    And as I walked, I identally bumped into someone... again.


    But this time, it wasn¡¯t a quiet, masked stranger. Instead, it was a girl... a beautiful one. She had mesmerizing blue eyes and her blonde hair was cut short, not even reaching her shoulder.


    I also noticed how the roots of her hair were actually ck, making me realize that her hair wasn¡¯t originally blonde, but she had colored them.


    She looked up at me with a wide, friendly smile. "Oh! Sorry about that! I wasn¡¯t looking where I was going," she said,ughing a little.


    I took a step back, feelinb unsure about how to respond. "It¡¯s fine."


    Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she took in my masked face. "You are new, aren¡¯t you? Well, I guess we are all new here, technically." She giggled. "I¡¯m Mallory, Mallory Campbell, by the way! And you are...?"


    I hesitated for a second before replying, "Evaline."


    "Evaline," she repeated as if testing how my name sounded. "Nice to meet you! You can call me Mallo. Or Lory. Or even Allo, though only my brother calls me that."


    She was talking really fast and with a lot of energy. Her words were bouncing in the air like an excited puppy and I had no idea how to respond to someone like her.


    Instead of waiting for me to answer, she linked her arm with mine as if we had been best friends for years.


    "Come on! Let¡¯s get food before the good stuff is gone," she said, dragging me toward the dining area.


    I blinked,pletely unsure of what just happened.


    Had I just... made a friend?

 Chapter 24: Learning About the First Test

    <h4>Chapter 24: Learning About the First Test</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The dining hall wasrger than what I was expecting.


    There were rows of long wooden tables stretched across the room with students scattered throughout, either eating or chatting amongst themselves.


    A warm scent of fresh bread, eggs, and something sweet was lingering in the air, making my stomach tighten in anticipation. It had been a long time since Ist had a proper breakfast.


    It was Mallory¡¯s voice that pulled by attention back to her, reminding me that there was someone right next to me.


    "Looks like most people are already here. We should really hurry!"


    She then grabbed my wrist before I could say anything and started dragging me toward the food counter. Her energy was infectious, bubbly and chaotic in the best way possible.


    "Don¡¯t let the rustic look fool you," she continued while motioning toward the wooden interior. "The food here is actually amazing. My brother told me about it, but I thought he was exaggerating. Turns out, he wasn¡¯t."


    I followed her lead and picked up a tray as we reached the counter. There were plenty of options - eggs, sausages, fresh fruit, toast, and porridge. Since I was starving, I opted for a bowl of porridge, an apple, two boiled eggs, and a cup of coffe.


    But if I was thinking that my tray carried too much food, then I was mistaken. Mallory had her tray piled with everything she could fit in it, making it twice as full as mine.


    "Are you feeding an entire pack?" I asked, failing to stop myself.


    I was worried that she might feel offended, but found her grinning as she replied. "Nope! Just me. But you never know when your next meal will be, right?"


    I shook my head and tried to suppress the smile that was threatening to spill on my lips. She was absolutely right.


    Once we had our food, Mallory started scanning the area before spotting someone. "Oh! There he is. Come on, I want you to meet someone."


    Without warning, she pulled me along toward a table near the corner where a guy was sitting alone with a book open beside his tray.


    He looked up as we approached, and I took the chance to study him. He didn¡¯t look like the type to stand out in a crowd, not in the way most shifters did, anyway. He had an air of quiet intelligence about him, with neatly styled dark hair, sharp features, and a pair of thin-rimmed sses perched on his nose.


    He was wearing a simple, well-fitted ck shirt, and even though his posture was rxed, there was something guarded about him.


    "Kyros!" Mallory chirped as she sat her tray down across from him. "I broughtpany!"


    <fn6244> Updates are released by Find[F]ovel</fn6244>


    His gaze flickered to me for a moment before he gave a small nod. "I see that."


    "Her name is Evaline!" Mallory introduced me before I could even open my mouth. "We just met. Well, actually bumped into each other."


    "Evaline," Kyros repeated as he returned his attention to me. "Nice to meet you."


    I nodded and sat beside Mallory, across from him. "Likewise. And please call me Eva."


    The three of us started eating, and while Mallory did most of the talking, I observed. Kyros was theplete opposite of her, where she was loud and expressive, he was quiet and reserved. But somehow, their dynamic worked.


    "So, what were you reading?" Mallory asked between bites.


    Kyros closed the book and tapped the cover. "Just some notes on the Academy¡¯s entrance exams."


    That caught my interest. "You know about the exams?"


    Kyros adjusted his sses as he answered, "I have been preparing for them my whole life. I need to pass."


    "Same!" Mallory chimed in. "Well, not my whole life, but my brother took these examsst year, so I already know a lot about them."


    I leaned in slightly before asking, "What do you guys know?"


    The two looked at me as if they were surpised by my question. It was Kyros who answered first. "The first round is a written test. It assesses general knowledge about the shifter world."


    Mallory nodded. "There will be five questions, and you need to get at least three right to move on to the second round."


    That was... unexpected. I hadn¡¯t thought they would start with something like this.


    "What kind of questions?" I continued with my questions. And fortunately, these two were ready to answer.


    "Ranging from moderate to difficult," Kyros replied. "Each question is worth a different amount of points. Those points will determine rankings."


    Mallory leaned forward eagerly as she added, "And the person with the most points at the end of all the exams will get a special reward!"


    "What kind of reward?"


    "A privilege," Kyros answered. "It changes every year, but it¡¯s something valuable. Last year, the highest-scoring student got direct mentorship under one of the Academy¡¯s top trainers. Before that, someone received a rare enchanted weapon."


    Mallory nodded. "It¡¯s a big deal."


    I became quiet for a moment as I processed the information.


    A written test was actually good for me for two reason. First, because it didn¡¯t require me to use strength or speed - two things Ickedpared to other shifters. And second, I had a lot of knowledge about the shifter world.


    "How did you guys prepare for this?" I asked.


    Kyros shrugged. "Years of studying."


    Mallory grinned as she spoke, "Having a brother who tells me things."


    I found Kyros studying me for a second before he spoke. "You will need basic knowledge about packs, roguews, history of the Academy, and the hierarchy of shifters. If you don¡¯t know those things, I suggest you find a way to learn them before tomorrow."


    Mallory tapped her chin. "I could quiz you!"


    Kyros sighed. "Or she could read."


    Mallory pouted at that. "Where¡¯s the fun in that?"


    I chuckled softly. Despite their differences, they were both oddly entertaining.


    I cleared my throat, pulling both their attention toward me. "Can I bother you guys to tell me about the history of this academy?"

 Chapter 25: Missing Roommate

    <h4>Chapter 25: Missing Roommate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    After breakfast, the three of us wandered through the clearing, enjoying the morning air while continuing our conversation.


    The more time I was spending with Mallory and Kyros, the more I found myself learning about them, and about Silver Moon Academy itself.


    "So, you are from the Blood Moon Pack?" I asked, ncing at Kyros as we walked along a dirt path leading toward a clearing.


    He nodded, adjusting his sses. "My father is the beta."


    That exined his strict and disciplined demeanor. The Blood Moon Pack was one of the strongest packs in the region, known for their rigid hierarchy and elite warriors. If Kyros was the son of their beta, that meant he had been raised with high expectations.


    "And you?" I turned to Mallory.


    "Nightshade Pack," she said proudly. "Not as big as Blood Moon, but we are still a well-known pack."


    I hummed in acknowledgment. Nightshade wasn¡¯t as famous, but I had heard of them in passing.


    "You guys are both eighteen, right?" I asked.


    "Yup," Mallory confirmed. "What about you?"


    "Same," I replied.


    Kyros shot me a nce. "And your pack?"


    I had been expecting this question sooner orter. And despite that, U found myself hesitating for a brief moment. I carefully chose my words before responding.


    "I don¡¯t really remember much about my original pack," I admitted while lowering my gaze slightly to sell the act. "I have been a rogue for most of my life."


    Mallory¡¯s expression softened and she pulled me into a side hug. "Oh... that must have been tough."


    I gave a small shrug. "You get used to it."


    On the other hand, Kyros didn¡¯t say anything. But I found his sharp gaze studying me as if trying to read between the lines. I kept my expression neutral. I couldn¡¯t afford to let anyone see through my lies, at least not yet.


    To change the topic, I gestured around us. "So, tell me more about the academy."


    That got Mallory excited. "It was founded by the Rogue Alpha brothers five years ago. Crazy, right? In such a short time, it has became the most prestigious shifter academy in the world!"


    Kyros nodded. "The Academy started as an independent institution, but now even high-ranking packs send their best candidates here. If you graduate from Silver Moon, you are guaranteed a ce among the strongest."


    I already knew this part, and it did exin why people were so desperate to get in.


    I took it all in as we reached the end of the clearing. We found a spot under the shade of arge tree and settled down on the grass, letting the warmth of the sun bnce out the cool breeze.


    Mallory flopped onto her back with a sigh before speaking, "I could stay like this forever."


    I too leaned against the trunk and stretched my legs out before admitting. "Feels nice."


    Kyros settled down cross-legged before he pulled out his book again and got absorbed in it.


    A few minutes of pure silence must have passed before Mallory shifted the conversation back to me.


    "So, what made you want to join the Academy?" She asked.


    I exhaled, searching for right words. "Survival, I guess. Being a rogue doesn¡¯t offer much security. I figured if I made it in here, I would have a shot at something better."


    That wasn¡¯t entirely a lie.


    Kyros hummed softly. "Makes sense."


    Mallory also nodded. "Well, you are here now. And as long as we stick together, we¡¯ll all get through it!"


    I didn¡¯t respond, but I appreciated the sentiment.


    After a while, we got up and headed toward the dining hall for lunch. The meal was just as good as breakfast, and I found myself enjoying theirpany more than I expected.


    But eventually, exhaustion caught up to me.


    "I think I¡¯ll head back to my cottage," I told them after we finished eating.


    Mallory pouted. "Aww, already?"


    "I barely sleptst night," I admitted.


    Kyros adjusted his sses. "You should rest. Tomorrow is important."


    I nodded and bid them goodbye before making my way back to my cottage.


    - - -


    The ce was quiet when I arrived. There were seven other students assigned here besides me, but I had yet to meet them all.


    As I stepped into themon room, I finally spotted three of them.


    There was a tall, dark-skinned girl with short curly hair lounging on the couch while flipping through a book. Two guys were sitting nearby, one was blond with a lean build, while the other had shaggy brown hair and a mischievous grin.


    They all looked up as I entered.


    "New girl?" the blond asked.


    I nodded in response. "Eva."


    "Jace," he introduced himself. "That¡¯s Naomi, and the idiot next to me is Felix."


    <fncf77> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? F?ndNovel</fncf77>


    Felix smiled softly as he spoke. "Nice to meet you, roomie."


    I gave a small nod. "Likewise."


    There was a brief silence before Naomi spoke. "Your roommate hasn¡¯t shown up yet."


    That made me nce toward my bedroom door and I replied, "Yeah, I noticed."


    "I saw him briefly yesterday morning when he arrived. But he has been gone ever since then." Jace shared.


    I hummed in acknowledgment before excusing myself and heading into my room.


    The bed opposite mine was still untouched, making it known that my roommate hadn¡¯t set his food inside ever since I arrived.


    With a sigh, I changed into somethingfortable and climbed into my bed, finally allowing myself to rest.


    Sleep came almost instantly, pulling me into a dreamers slumber.


    - - -


    When I woke up, the sun had already set.


    I groggily checked the time. Five hours. It was longer than I intended, but I still felt a bit tired.


    Deciding to shake off the sluggishness, I did some light cardio and stretching in my room before heading to the shower. The cool water helped wake me up, and by the time I changed into fresh clothes, I felt much better.


    Since my stomach was calling for food, I made my way back to the dining hall. And as expected, Mallory and Kyros were already there.


    "Took you long enough," Mallory teased as I sat down.


    "Needed sleep," I muttered as I focused on my food.


    Dinner was rxed, and after we finished eating, we took a slow walk around the clearing. By the time we headed back to our cottages, I felt a sense of ease.


    And despite the sleep I caught earlier, I still ended up falling asleep almost immediately. What I didn¡¯t expect was to wake up a few hourster...

 Chapter 26: The Army of Applicants

    <h4>Chapter 26: The Army of Applicants</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My eyes flew open at the rustling noise that suddenly filled the silent room. My senses were on alert as I turned my head slightly, my gaze adjusting to the darkness.


    A figure just walked into the room, and the noise came from the door that they just closed behind them.


    For a brief moment, I tensed. But then I got a look at <i>him</i>.


    Despite the darkness, I recognized the broad shoulders, the lean frame, and the familiar mask covering his lower half of face.


    It was <i>him</i>.


    The man I had bumped intost night. And it turned out he¡¯s my roommate, the one who had been missing since previous night.


    I watched as he moved. He didn¡¯t make a sound as he crossed the room, keeping his footsteps light on the wooden floor. He didn¡¯t bother turning on the light or even acknowledging my presence.


    Without a word, he pulled back the nket on his bed and slid under it, turning his back to me in one fluid motion.


    And just like that, it was as if I didn¡¯t exist.


    I stared for a few more seconds, waiting to see if he would say anything. But he didn¡¯t.


    Shaking my head slightly, Iy back down and exhaled, forcing myself to rx. Tomorrow was the first test, and I needed all the rest I could get. So I ignored him and went back to sleep.


    - - -


    Once again it was the sound of movement that stirred me from sleep, and when I opened my eyes, I realized that my roommate was already awake.


    Just likest night, he didn¡¯t acknowledge me.


    By the time I sat up, he was already heading toward the door with the mask in ce. Before I could even think of saying anything, he was gone.


    I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I quickly grabbed my toiletries and clothes before heading to the showers.


    About fifteen minutester, I was in the dining hall for breakfast. Once again, Mallory and Kyros were with me, and I found myself realizing that I might have indeed found two friends.


    I knew that a lot of people had arrived to take the entrance exams, but it was only when we arrived at the hall where the test was going to take ce, did I got to know the real numbers.


    A hundred and fifteen.


    That was way too many people. And it turned out that not even half of us were going to make through the tests considering the history of previous years.


    This piece of information only made me worry about myself, but I tried to not think about it and focus on the test.


    The atmosphere was tense, filled with hushed whispers and nervous nces. And the only thing helping me distract myself was Mallory who was practically bouncing on her feet.


    "Eva! Ready for the big test?"


    "As ready as I¡¯ll ever be," I replied.


    Kyros was on my other side, lookingpletely calm. "It¡¯s just a written exam. No need to panic."


    Mallory scoffed. "Says the guy who¡¯s been studying for this his whole life."


    Kyros just sighed but said nothing. Looking at him, I just knew that he was going to ace the test.


    Before we could continue talking, a sudden shift in the air made everyone turn their heads.


    My heart skipped a beat as my eyesnded on a familiar figure making his way into the hall. His arrival changed the energy in the room. Conversations died down, and every shifter instinctively straightened.


    It was Alpha Kieran.


    He was dressed in an all ck suit that made his blonde hair and deep green eyes stood out more than usual. His silky hair was styled so neatly, and as he walked, his entire persona radiated power and authority.


    "Oh my!"


    I heard Mallory gasping beside me, and she wasn¡¯t the only one. Almost every person present in the hall was taken aback by Alpha Kieran¡¯s appearance and aura.


    Once he reached the front of the room, he took his ce in the center and his piercing eyes scanned the crowd, and for a brief moment, theynded on me. And then, just as quickly, he looked away.


    "As you all know, today marks the first round of entrance exams," he said in a calm yet authoritative voice. "Only those who prove themselves worthy will move on to the next round. Do your best."


    And with that being said, he turned and left the hall. Yet, his presence lingered even after he was gone.


    The tension in the room eased slightly, but not by much.


    "Well," Mallory whispered, "that was intense."


    "Focus," Kyros muttered as he adjusted his sses again. It wasn¡¯t normal for shifters to wear sses as they always had heightened eyesight. This made me wonder if the sses were his personal preference or something.


    <fn5db7> For more chapters visit find~novel</fn5db7>


    Minutester, the staff members overseeing the test entered the hall. There were two teachers, both older shifters with stern expressions, and a handful of senior-year students who had been assigned as exam supervisors.


    A teacher with graying hair cleared his throat. "The first test is a written assessment. It consists of five questions. You have one hour toplete it. Answer at least three correctly to move to the next round. The more correct answers you have, the more points you earn. The highest scorer will receive a special privilege as a first-year student at Silver Moon Academy."


    A murmur rippled through the crowd. There was no doubt that the special privilege reward sounded too tempting.


    Soon, we were guided to our seats. The long tables had answer sheetsid out, each marked with a student number.


    I took my assigned seat and exhaled slowly. I was as ready for this exam as I ever could. Since I hadn¡¯t done any sort of revision, I was only depending on the knowledge I had about our world.


    Momentster, the test papers were handed out.

 Chapter 27: A Genius Rogue

    <h4>Chapter 27: A Genius Rogue</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My heart was racing as the question papernded in my hand. I immediately flipped it over and scanned the questions.


    <i>1. Describe the history of the shifter world and how the current governing system came into power.</i><fn9ea2> Original content can be found at FindN0vel</fn9ea2>


    <i>2. Exin the hierarchy of packs and their political structure.</i>


    <i>3. What is the significance of Silver Moon Academy, and why was it established?</i>


    <i>4. How do roguemunities operate, and what are the challenges they face?</i>


    <i>5. Why do you want to join Silver Moon Academy?</i>


    I blinked and quickly reread the questions. These... weren¡¯t difficult at all.


    The first four questions covered topics I had already learned previously. Even though I had spent almost my entire life being tortured by my stepmother and her children, I was still treated like a proper Alpha¡¯s daughter up until my sixteenth birthday.


    I had best tutors giving me private lessons on academics andbat. I went to one of the best schools and was always at the top of my ss because I wanted to impress my father.


    And even though I lost all these privileges when I turned out to be wolfess on my sixteenth birthday, that didn¡¯t take away the years of knowledge and skills I had already garnered.


    That¡¯s why the first four questions made me feel relived. I knew I could answer them, at least good enough to pass the test.


    As for thest question? That was just a personal statement, but one that demanded probably the most attention as it was the question with most points.


    I picked up my pen and began writing.


    For the first question, I detailed the rise of the shifter governing system, how the powerful Alpha council had formed over the centuries, creatingws to maintain order among packs.


    The second question was just as easy. The hierarchy of packs was something I had grown up not only learning but also witnessing firsthand. I wrote about the structure - Alphas, Betas, and Gammas, followed by warriors and ranked members. And then continued with the ranks of packs around the world.


    For the third, I exined how Silver Moon Academy had been founded by the Rogue Alpha brothers and had risen to be one of the most prestigious training institutions in the world for various reason.


    I made sure to only write the answers to the point and not to exaggerate.


    The fourth question made me pause for a moment. Then I carefully wrote about how roguemunities often struggled without a pack structure, facing dangers from both within and outside their groups. Theycked resources, protection, and stability, making survival incredibly difficult... until the Rogue Alphas took over and changed everything.


    It took me a while to wrap up the fourth question. And then, I was left with thest one, and it made me hesitate.


    Why did I want to join Silver Moon Academy?


    I couldn¡¯t write the truth, that I was here to find protection from the brothers. That I wanted to grow stronger, to be powerful enough to keep myself and my unborn child safe.


    The thought had me inhaling deeply. I hadn¡¯t realized that over time, I was slowly epting the fact that I was carrying a child.


    Even though I still hadn¡¯t done a pregnancy test, all the signs were there. My period was more than three weekste and I was experiencing all the symptoms of an early pregnancy.


    I inhaled deeply once again and decided to craft a response that was believable.


    <i>"As a rogue, I have spent my life on the fringes of the shifter world, always on the outside looking in. Silver Moon Academy represents an opportunity for me to belong, to learn, to grow, and to be stronger. I seek a ce where I can sharpen my skills, gain knowledge, and forge my own future. This academy is not just a school, but a chance for me to prove myself."</i>


    I set my pen down and started reading over my words. My answer was nothing special, but at least it sounded honest enough.


    With a final nce at my paper, I leaned back in my chair.


    I had answered all five questions, and I was confident about passing the test.


    As soon as the supervisors called for the test papers to be collected, I pushed my chair back and stood, handing mine to the tall senior with icy-blue eyes who barely even looked at me.


    A momentter, I spotted Mallory waving from the other side of the room before she hurried toward me with Kyros calmly walking beside her.


    "Eva!" she hissed in a whisper-shout as she reached me. "How did you do?"


    I offered her a small smile before answering, "I think I did okay."


    Mallory groaned dramatically. "Okay? I only managed four questions, and I totally butchered the politics one."


    Kyros gave her a sidelong nce. "You spelled the Alpha Regent¡¯s name wrong."


    This earned us a loud gasp from Mallory who was staring at Kyros with wide eyes. "You saw my paper?"


    "I was sitting right beside you," Kyros replied ndly as he pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose. "Your penmanship is hard to miss."


    She rolled her eyes before announcing. "I¡¯m not talking to you anymore."


    I chuckled softly. I was thankful for their presence. The tension from earlier was already beginning to fade.


    We walked outside together into the warm noon air. The clearing was buzzing with murmured conversations as more students trickled out of the building.


    "Honestly," Kyros said, looking thoughtful, "they made this test less about book knowledge and more about understanding the current and historical state of our world. It¡¯s smart. They want people who are aware, not just well-read."


    "Agreed," I said quietly as I nced around at the unfamiliar faces. "Still... I didn¡¯t expect to know all the answers."


    Mallory looped her arm through mine and pulled me closer. "Well, that¡¯s because you are secretly a genius rogue."


    I smiled at her joke but stayed quiet. My mind was already buzzing with the tension for next round.


    What it¡¯s going to be?

 Chapter 28: He Needs to Stop Thinking About Her

    <h4>Chapter 28: He Needs to Stop Thinking About Her</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    The sun was almost at the horizon, casting a dim golden glow through the tall ss windows of my office. Though the warm light was painting the room in a peaceful hue, I felt far from rxed.


    Stacks of parchment and electronic reports were cluttering my desk. I had been sitting here for hours, poring over schedules, finalized dormitory cements, training protocols, and resource distributions for the new term.


    The Academy had grown exponentially in thest five years, and with that came an overwhelming increase in responsibilities.


    And I preferred to handle everything myself. Delegating these duties made sense on paper, but I couldn¡¯t make myself trust easily, especially when the reputation of Silver Moon was on the line.


    I just finished sending a mail when the silent office got filled with sounds of knocking on the door.


    "Come in," I called and straightened in my chair.


    The door creaked open, revealing a familiar face. It was Professor Rodrigo who stepped inside with a thick folder in his hand and his usual serious expression stered across his face.


    "Evening, Alpha Kieran," he greeted with a respectful nod.


    "Rodrigo." I gestured for him to take the seat opposite mine. "Is that what I think it is?"


    He nodded in a positive response. "Yes. The results of the written exam."


    I leaned forward, interested for obvious reason. "Let¡¯s hear it."


    He flipped open the folder and handed me the first few sheets. "Out of a hundred and fifteen applicants, seventy-three have passed. The remaining forty-two will be dismissed tomorrow morning and sent back to their packs."


    I scanned the list of names briefly and asked to confirm. "The second test is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon?"


    "Yes," Rodrigo confirmed. "It¡¯s all prepared. But before that, there are three applicants I think you should take a closer look at."


    He pulled out three answer sheets, each neatly stacked andbeled with the student¡¯s name and score.


    "This one-" he ced the top sheet before me, "-received a perfect score. Seventy out of seventy. His name is Kyros Graves."


    My eyes narrowed slightly at the familiarity. "Graves? As in...?"


    "Son of Beta Graves of Blood Moon Pack," Rodrigo confirmed my guess.


    I nodded slowly, taking the sheet into my hands and scanning it. The writing was precise while the content was sharp andprehensive. Every question was answered with the rity of someone who had studied not just to pass, but to master. He knew the weight of every word he had written on the sheet.


    "Impressive," I murmured as I set it aside. "Beta Graves always did take education seriously."


    Rodrigo ced the second answer sheet in front of me. "This one belongs to Emilie Broom. Sixty-nine out of seventy. Also an exceptional piece of work."


    I gave the sheet a nce. Her responses were thoughtful, concise, and showed genuine understanding. That one-point deduction was probably due to slight generalization in the rogue-rted question. But it was still impressive.


    "Keep an eye on her," I said absently. "Who¡¯s the third?"


    This time, Rodrigo hesitated just a second longer than he should have before cing the final answer sheet in front of me, and that got my attention.


    My gaze dropped to the answer sheet and I froze for a second there as my eyesnded on a very familiar name.


    Evaline.


    I stared at the letters as if they would rearrange themselves and give me someone else. But no. I knew that name. Knew it too well.


    "Evaline..." I said slowly. "She got seventy?"


    "Yes, Alpha," Rodrigo replied. "Perfect score. I was surprised too, considering her background. A rogue with no prior affiliations? But her knowledge rivals even the top-ranking Alpha-born students."


    I didn¡¯t respond. My fingers brushed across the page, trailing over her handwriting. It was elegant, measured. There was control in it... and grace.


    I read through her answers. One by one.


    Her exnation of the shifter governing system wasyered with historical references even some current pack schrs struggled to remember. Her pack hierarchy breakdown wasn¡¯t just urate, it was insightful. The way she wrote about the Academy¡¯s purpose... was almost reverent.


    And then there was her response to thest question.


    <i>"As a rogue, I have spent my life on the fringes of the shifter world, always on the outside looking in. Silver Moon Academy represents an opportunity for me to belong, to learn, to grow, and to be stronger. I seek a ce where I can sharpen my skills, gain knowledge, and forge my own future. This academy is not just a school, but a chance for me to prove myself."</i>


    A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. She had lied, obviously. But the lie was beautifully woven. It was subtle, believable, and emotionally potent. No exaggerated dreams or lofty promises. Just a quiet, persistent yearning to belong.


    The kind of honesty you can¡¯t fake.


    Beautiful. Just like-


    My fingers abruptly let go of the paper as if it had burned me and the answer sheet fell onto the desk.


    No.


    No, no. I wasn¡¯t going down that road.


    Rodrigo raised an eyebrow at my sudden shift but didn¡¯tment. Instead, he gathered the answer sheets.


    "Shall I post the results?" he asked.


    I cleared my throat and gave him anod of approval. "Yes. Go ahead. Let them celebrate a little before the test tomorrow noon."


    "Understood." He said and stood up, leaving the room.


    The moment the door clicked shut behind him, silence enveloped the office again.


    I knew that she would pass this test, but I was not prepared to see her actually acing it. But considering she was an Alpha¡¯s daughter, it wasn¡¯t surprising that she was well versed in academics.


    Under that scared and lost exterior of hers... was hiding a smart girl. And she was smarter than I expected.


    And she had lied so well. I couldn¡¯t decide if that impressed me more or bothered me. I was gambling with my decision of supporting her, and I didn¡¯t want for it to turn out as my worst ever decision.


    I leaned back in my chair, raking a hand through my hair.


    I needed to stop thinking about her.


    <fn488b> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find?novel</fn488b>


    Right at that moment, my phone started ringing. Looking at the caller ID, I realized that it was Morris calling me.


    And his call meant one thing... <i>news. </i>

 Chapter 29: Helping My Enemy’s Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 29: Helping My Enemy¡¯s Daughter</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    "Morris," I said while leaning back into the leather chair. "What news do you have?"


    "I have two important updates, Alpha." Morris replied and the seriousness of his voice had me straightening again in my chair.


    "Let¡¯s hear the first."


    He wasted no time and revealed the first important update he had for me. "Alpha River¡¯s men are spreading past the forest area to search for her. A group of his personal guards even visited Lakeshire earlier today."


    My jaw clenched. I knew this was going to happen. River would never ept that adaptive ran away from right under his nose. He was too proud to let this matter go.


    "Did something happen at Lakeshire?" I asked to confirm even though I knew that Morris would never fail me. And my trust in him was proven right with his response.


    "Nothing. I personally confirmed it. No camera footage. No scent trails. The car was cleaned, and as per your orders, even Melinda has promised to y dumb if the guards ever decided to question her. Her assistant too."


    Good. While Melinda wasn¡¯t someone to ever y favorites among us brothers, she owed me this little favor. Besides, she wouldn¡¯t need to lie unless the guards asked her about Evaline.


    That night when I took Evaline away from the castle, Morris was left to observe the situation at the castle and inform if her absence would get detected during night.


    Fortunately, no such thing happened. It wasn¡¯t untilte next morning that her absence finally got detected when Sera failed to find her working anywhere in the castle.


    Though all hell broke loose once River got notified about the matter, those eleven hours were more than enough for me to put Evaline where no one would think to look, at least not anytime soon. I also took care of every loose end of her escape from the castle.


    She was safe. For now.


    Morris lowered his voice as he continued, even though he knew this line was secure. "I don¡¯t know how you pulled it off, but Alpha River is furious. He¡¯s convinced someone inside the castle helped her."


    "He¡¯s not wrong," I muttered.


    <fna7a9> Readplete version only at find[f]ovel</fna7a9>


    Morris grunted at my words before adding, "He doesn¡¯t seem to suspect you, though. Not yet."


    "He won¡¯t. As far as he knows, I couldn¡¯t care less about her. Besides, we are brothers." I paused at that. I knew how all this was going to unfold once truth woulde to light. My brothers would see me as a traitor, but it was toote for me to change anything.


    Besides, I didn¡¯t really want to change what I had done. So far, I didn¡¯t regret doing what I did, helping Evaline.


    Since this matter hadpletely caught River¡¯s attention, I was nning to quickly wrap up the next two rounds of entrance exam. Once Evaline would be officially registered as a student of Silver Moon, even my brother wouldn¡¯t be able to touch her... not without challenging the very rules he had set in ce.


    That was a game even he wouldn¡¯t dare y.


    "You want the second update?" Morris asked, pulling my attention back to him. The drop in his tone had me wondering if this was about <i>that </i>matter...


    "Go ahead."


    There was a silence on the other end, just long enough to make my skin itch. But then he spoke, "We still don¡¯t have anything."


    My fingers curled into a fist on the desk.


    Morris continued, "It¡¯s been nearly two months. No prints, no footage, no scent, no records. It¡¯s like whoever you saw that night didn¡¯t exist."


    He paused again before asking, "Alpha... are you sure it happened?"


    The question hung in the air, souring the room like rot. I closed my eyes, and for a moment, I was back there. That night. It was still too vivid in my memories to be considered my drunken imagination.


    I knew what happened that night. I knew what I felt...


    "No," I said quietly into the phone. "It wasn¡¯t my imagination, Morris."


    He didn¡¯t respond right away. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t trust me, but because he was at the end of options that could help him find the person I had him searching for the past two months.


    "I believe you," he finally said. "But this is going to take some time. I will keep digging, but we are already running out of ces to look."


    "I know," I muttered.


    There was silence as neither of us spoke for the next couple of seconds. But then he did, "I¡¯ll check in tomorrow. Good luck with the tests."


    The call ended after that with a soft click, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I just sat there with the phone still in my hands, not realizing as time passed by.


    When I finally returned to my senses, the outside world had long turned dark. The moon was just beginning to rise. It was beginning of fall and also a new semester at Silver Moon.


    While the Academy grounds werepletely silent at the moment, they were going to be filled with activities and sounds within days as students would start arriving.


    I stood from my chair and walked toward therge window, looking toward the southern peaks. Somewhere down there, nestled in the protected clearing, was Evaline.


    I had hated Greystones just as much as my brothers. After all, that man had taken away all our happiness and left us with nothing. I might have never added about his daughter if not for River bringing her to the castle.


    As I watched her pay for a crime she didn¡¯tmit, I started wondering if she really deserved what she was going through. Her only mistake was that she too was a Greystone. But could that be used to punish her like that?


    But despite my beliefs, I couldn¡¯t make myself question River¡¯s intentions. I knew better than anyone what my brother had gone through all these years. If anyone deserved to hate the Greystones the most, then it was him.


    And here was I... helping the daughter of the very man whom my brother hated with his every breath.

 Chapter 30: They Don’t Judge Me

    <h4>Chapter 30: They Don¡¯t Judge Me</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I was standing at the edge of the clearing while blinking up at the morning sky.


    People, some of whom were soon going to be students at Silver Moon, kept bustling past me. Their voices were filled with excitement and nerves. Some were talking about the written test and how well they had perfomed in it. Some were talking about those who failed the test and were leaving for their packs. And then there were those who were talking about the second test.


    <fnb904> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find?novel</fnb904>


    <i>Second test.</i>


    That phrase alone sent my stomach twisting into knots. I was already feeling sick when I woke up two hours ago, and now my nerves had decided to y their twisted game with me.


    "You look like you are about to pass out." Mallory¡¯s familiar voice reached my ears first before she herself appeared beside me with her signature bounce and confidence. Her hair was wet, making it obvious that she just walked out of showers.


    "Maybe I am," I muttered and then gave her a side nce. "Do you know what this second test even is?" I was unable to stop myself from asking. I needed to know what I was going to face next.


    And as I watched a grin spread across her lips, I knew I had asked the right person. "That¡¯s what I came to tell you. Kyros and I want to share with you what we already know."


    Right on cue, Kyros joined us. He was holding a paper bag with something that smelled suspiciously like cinnamon rolls. "Morning," he said as he handed the bag to Mallory and nodded at me. "You eat yet?"


    I shook my head. My morning sickness hadn¡¯t allowed me to step anywhere near food yet.


    Mallory handed me a warm roll. "Eat. You are going to need it."


    "Why?" I asked while taking a bite and instantly realizing how hungry I was.


    Kyros folded his arms as he spoke. "Second test is team-based. They don¡¯t tell us what it¡¯ll be until the test starts, but the structure¡¯s always the same. There will be teams with three to seven members. And those who will fail to form a team, will be immediately out of the test."


    I nearly choked on the bite. "What?"


    "Yeah," Mallory said as she chewed thoughtfully. "Pretty brutal, right? They are trying to see who can work together, who¡¯s smart enough to n ahead."


    I wiped my hands, feeling my heartbeat picking up its speed. "So... what happens to people who don¡¯t get picked for any team?"


    "Immediate disqualification," Kyros said tly.


    My hands went cold. How was I going to survive this?


    "Why are you turning pale?" Kyros was first to notice, and his words had Mallory turning her worried eyes at me. "You don¡¯t have to worry. We are already a team. Even if no other person joins us, we will not be disqualified as we meet the minimum requirement of members."


    I stared at them, my eyes wide with shock. I was really surprised that they included me in the team without even a single thought. And while I knew that this was possibly my only chance to grasp if I needed to pass the test, I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to cheat them.


    That¡¯s not who I was... or wanted to be.


    "I... I should probably tell you something," I said, and both of them turned to look at me.


    I swallowed, hard, before muttering out the secret. "I don¡¯t have a wolf."


    The words came out quieter than I intended, but they hit the air like a stone dropping into ake. The silence that followed was sharp and it had my insides twisting even more painfully.


    Kyros didn¡¯t react at first. He just looked at me while Mallory¡¯s eyes widened slightly.


    "I have never shifted," I said quickly before they could say anything. "I have never heard a wolf¡¯s voice in my head, never felt the connection. I¡¯m wolfless. Always have been."


    I braced myself for the awkward goodbye, the polite excuse, the shifting of feet and careful distance that always came after this piece of information.


    But instead, Mallory just shrugged. "Okay."


    I blinked. "What?"


    "So?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Doesn¡¯t change the fact that you are smarter than most of the idiots out there. You passed the written test perfectly, didn¡¯t you?"


    Kyros gave a small nod. "Top score."


    "And I¡¯m confident that you will give your best in this team-based test as well. You don¡¯t need a wolf to have brains and reflexes," Mallory said. "Honestly, the wolfless thing just makes it more impressive."


    I stared at her, genuinely stunned.


    My gaze moved to Kyros next and he gave me a look I couldn¡¯t quite read. "You in or not?"


    "What do you mean?"


    He held out his hand before speaking, "We form a team. You, me, Mallory. Right now."


    I looked at the outstretched hand, then at Mallory, who was grinning and nodding in agreement.


    For a moment, I didn¡¯t move.


    Why would they do this? Why would they risk their own advancement, their own chances, by adding someone like me?


    After another moment of hesitation, I finally took Kyros¡¯s hand.


    "Alright," I said. "Let¡¯s be a team."


    * * *


    By the next morning, our team of three became a team of five.


    It happened during breakfast when Mallory and I were finishing off our bowls of oatmeal in the dining hall and Kyros waved two people over to our table.


    "Eva, Mallory," he said while motioning to the pair. "This is Noah and Selene. They are from my pack."


    Noah was tall and lean, with warm brown eyes and a calm presence. Selene had a sharp, assessing gaze, dark brown skin and short-cropped hair. They both looked like they belonged in this world. They were confident, strong, the kind of people who didn¡¯t need to say much to make you notice them.


    "Kyros speaks highly of you two," Selene said after a brief nod. "So we are in."


    Just like that. No questions. No suspicion. No hesitation.


    We were a team of five now. A strange team, maybe - two boys, three girls, one of them wolfless - but it felt... right.

 Chapter 31: Second Test Begins

    <h4>Chapter 31: Second Test Begins</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The test was to take ce right after lunch. So we headed there once we were done eating.


    I barely felt like eating, half because of my nerves and half because I ate a bunch of strawberries just half an hour ago. Still, I forced myself to empty a bowl of chicken soup.


    The five of us walked out onto the training fields with other applicants. And I found myself closely observing my teammates. I was grateful to them, but that didn¡¯t mean I trusted them. Not fully. At least not yet.


    I had learned the hard way that trust was a currency few could afford. People left. People betrayed. Even those who smiled at you today could twist the knife tomorrow.


    So I was nning to enjoy this... warmth, this sense of belonging... but I would not lower my guard.


    Notpletely.


    The sound of a bell ringing reached our teams. It was a long, sonorous tone that vibrated through the very ground beneath us and it was summoning everyone to gather for the second test.


    Within next five minutes, everyone was present in a wide arena carved into the side of the lower hill. A tform was standing in the front, raised and shaded, where a few high-ranking officials of the academy were standing.


    And among them, I spotted him.


    Alpha Kieran.


    It was impossible to miss him, and noticing the way everyone around me was huddling together and whispering about him, I wasn¡¯t the only one.


    His pale hair was catching the sunlight like a golden crown. He wasn¡¯t moving much, wasn¡¯t speaking, but his eyes were sweeping over the crowd with silent authority.


    And when his gaze passed over me, I froze. He looked, just a fleeting second longer than needed, before turning away.


    Right then, a tall woman in a long ck coat stepped forward from the side of the arena. She was one of the academy¡¯s lead instructors<strong></strong>- Professor Mara.


    When she spoke, her voice was loud and clear. "Wee, applicants, to the second round of the Silver Moon entrance exam. You have all passed the first stage.<strong></strong>Congrattions. But the path to bing a student here is far fromplete."


    Her eyes silently scanned the crowd<strong></strong>as she continued, "This next challenge will test more than just your strength or knowledge. It will test your instinct. Your cooperation. Your trust in others."


    She gestured to the forested trail behind the arena.


    "Behind me lies the Ashgrove Maze. Your team will enter the maze with one mission - to retrieve the hidden sigil before time runs out. You will face obstacles. Creatures. Illusions. Each team will be assigned a unique route. You have until nightfall."


    She paused. Then added, "And remember, those without a team will not enter."


    I nced around and watched as those, who just learned about this particr requirement for taking the test, rushed to form a team.


    Getting disqualified even before the test even began was another level of horror.


    I inhaled deeply. I had a team. For once... someone had chosen me despite me being wolfless. And I was going to make sure they didn¡¯t regret it.


    The path into the Ashgrove Maze was narrow and cloaked in shade. Towering trees were bending inward from either side, their leaves filtering the afternoon sun into eerie patches of light. The five of us were now standing shoulder to shoulder just outside the entrance, waiting for the signal to begin.


    Around us, the other teams were preparing as well. They were either stretching, whispering strategy, or checking their gear. Some of the teams were even looking so sure of themselves. Confident. Polished. Elite.


    And then there was us.


    Mallory was humming under her breath like this was some kind of pic. Kyros was calmly rolling his shoulders, his eyes were narrowed toward the trees like he was calcting every possible danger before we stepped in. Selene was standing with her arms crossed, eyes scanning other teams with sharp assessment, while Noah was quietly adjusting theces of his boots like nothing in the world could bother him.


    And me?


    I was trying not to show the way my stomach flipped each time I looked at the maze.


    <fn6102> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on FindN()vel</fn6102>


    "Remember," Kyros said in a low voice. "The sigil is our goal. But we won¡¯t find it just by walking in a straight line. They¡¯ll throw obstacles at us - mental and physical. We need to stay close. Communicate."


    Mallory nudged me gently. "And don¡¯t worry. If anythinges at you, I have got your back."


    I smiled faintly, feeling touched despite myself. "Thanks."


    A deep horn sounded momentster, echoing through the arena. And then, the gate to the maze creaked open.


    It was time.


    Without a word, our team stepped forward and immediately got swallowed by the shadows of the Ashgrove.


    It was quiet inside. The kind of quiet that made your skin crawl. The trees here were ancient, their barks were gnarled and covered with thick moss. There was no chirping of birds. No rustling of leaves as the wind was missing too. It was only the crunch of our boots on the dirt path that broke the silence.


    We moved cautiously with Kyros leading and Selene covering the rear.


    It was ten minutes in when the path spilt into two. Kyros stopped and all of us followed.


    "Left or right?"


    Before anyone could answer, I found myself pointing and speaking, "Left."


    All eyes turned to me. The question was loud and clear despite no one voicing it.


    I shrugged. "There¡¯s a faint smell... fresh water. The sigils are usually ced near ces of power, right? Rivers or groves. If we follow the scent, we might find a clue."


    Selene raised an eyebrow at my words. "Sharp nose for someone without a wolf." She wasn¡¯t hostile toward me for being wolfless, but she wasn¡¯t as friendly as Mallory or Kyros either.


    "Years of survival," I replied tly and it wasn¡¯t exactly a lie.


    Kyros didn¡¯t question it. He gave me a little nod before announcing, "Left it is."

 Chapter 32: A Special Test for Us

    <h4>Chapter 32: A Special Test for Us</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    We took the left path, moving deeper into the maze. And slowly, the forest around us began to change. Vines were curling down from branches like snakes, some even twitching as we passed. The shadows kept growing darker, and a strange mist was clinging low to the ground.


    And then... we heard the first scream.


    It was not from our team, but someone else. Probably another group, somewhere deeper in the maze. The sound was sharp, raw, and got cut off far too quickly.


    Mallory stiffened next to me. "That sounded real."


    "It was," Noah said quietly. "They don¡¯t hold back in these tests. The threats are controlled, but the danger is very real."


    We didn¡¯t speak after that. We just moved faster. By the time we reached the de, my heart was pounding. Not from fear, but from the sheer intensity of the maze.


    We had passed through a patch of whispering trees that tried to turn us against each other, spinning lies into our ears. Selene had nearly drawn her de on Kyros, until Noah snapped her out of it by throwing dirt in her face.


    It was a little unorthodox, but effective.


    Now we were standing in a clearing with arge stone pir in the center. Strange glyphs were carved into its surface, glowing faintly. At its base was sitting a riddle etched into a que.


    <i>I am always hungry,</i>


    <i>I must always be fed.</i><fn45f1> For original chapters go to Find1Novel</fn45f1>


    <i>The finger I touch,</i>


    <i>Will soon turn red.</i>


    "Fire," I said immediately as the answer popped into my mind the second I was done reading the riddle.


    The moment the word left my mouth, the glyphs shifted and a small section of the stone slid open, revealing a glowing ember inside.


    "Well done," Kyros said with a flicker of approval.


    I nodded, feeling quite proud of myself for being helpful. "Let¡¯s take it and go-"


    Before I could have finished the sentence, the ground beneath us started shuddering.


    "Trap!" Selene shouted.


    Vines shot up from the ground, aiming for our legs. Noah grabbed me, pulling me back just in time. Mallory was quick to unsheath her dagger and began slicing through the writhing nts. Selene spun midair andnded hard on one knee before swinging her own de in a wide arc.


    I took out my own dagger, something Kyros had given all of us after lunch. He believed that whatever test we were about to face, it would be dangerous and a dagger mighte handy. Turned out he was right.


    I was ready to help the others and slice down some of those vines, but I never really got the chance. Neither did Noah as he was basically protecting me.


    Within minutes, the vines were gone and the ground settled down once again. With the way cleared, Mallory stepped forward and retrieved the ember from the stone pir.


    "It¡¯s actually a sigil fragment," she said as she joined us. "It looks like we need two more."


    With that knowledge, we continued to look for the other two fragments.


    And the maze didn¡¯t give us another moment of peace. We ended up facing mirrored illusions of ourselves next. They were twisted, monstrous, and even tried to break us apart. But with Kyros and Selene leading us, we made it past them in no time.


    Then we solved another riddle. This one involved the names of the moon phases in reverse order. And it took all five of us to find the answer.


    Then we crossed a ravine next by using fallen branches and bncing ropes we made from vines.


    It was not until the veryte afternoon that we found the third and the final fragment of the sigil in the center of a ring of stones, hidden beneath a pool of still, dark water.


    We were expecting some kind of trap under the water, but as Noah dove in and came up with the fragment, we realized the only obstacle there was bone-chilling water - something none of us noticed until Noah came out shivering.


    Mallory and Kyros both had jackets on, so they quickly took them off and wrapped around Noah. While me and Selene tried to rub his hands and feet to channel some warmth in him.


    Poor Noah wouldn¡¯t have to go through all this if not for first rule of entrance exam - applicants weren¡¯t allowed to shift into their wolf forms.


    It took about ten minutes for him to calm down enough for us to focus on the three pieces we had sessfully collected.


    Kyros assembled them with practiced hands, clicking each into ce. Once all the pieces were in ce, the sigil started pulsing with a soft white light.


    "We did it," Mallory whispered with a small smile of victory on her lips.


    "We are not done yet," Selene surprised us by her next words while pointing in a certain direction. And it was only then that we realized someone else had joined us.


    The trees had parted to reveal the final exit, but standing between us and the end was a single figure. Tall. Cloaked. Masked.


    "I thought there weren¡¯t supposed to be final bosses," Mallory muttered.


    "Some teams get tested more than others," Noah replied before adding, "And it¡¯s always the top three ones."


    The thought of us being one of the top three teams, made me feel excited. But I held myself back and joined the others as we formed a line with our weapons drawn.


    I didn¡¯t have ws or wolf strength. But I had my mind and about ten years worth of physical training. It¡¯s just been a long time since Ist used thetter one.


    But I was determined to not let my team down.


    The fight was fast, brutal, making us realize that the test was no joke. The warden was moving like smoke, shifting between us, trying to separate and confuse.


    I took a hit to the ribs but rolled through it, drawing the warden¡¯s attention just long enough for Selene to strike from behind. At the same time, Kyrosnded the final blow - disarming and disabling without killing it.


    And with that, the warden vanished like mist, leaving the path ahead clear.

 Chapter 33: Nicest Words Spoken

    <h4>Chapter 33: Nicest Words Spoken</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Without wasting any more time, we stepped out of the maze just as the sun started to dip below the horizon.


    Dozens of eyes were watching us. These were the other applicants, some had already passed the test while others were those who got disqualified. And then there were also the staff of the Academy.


    Whispers filled the air as some looked at us in shock with others seemed impressed. As for the five of us? We were smiling.


    The five of us were dirty after spending so many hours inside the maze and going through all sorts of obstacles. All of us were bruised too, small cuts and scraps here and there. Exhaustion was beginning to dawn over us, especially on me. But... we all were proud.


    Mallory flung an arm around my shoulders as she spoke, "Told you we would make it."


    This made meugh, and it a rare, full sound that even I hadn¡¯t heard from myself in ages.


    "You were indeed right."


    <fn2810> This content belongs to find~novel</fn2810>


    We had passed the second test.


    * * *


    By the time we made it back to the clearing where our cottages were located, night had fully descended. The sky was velvet ck and stars were scattered across it, blinking like tiny secrets.


    A cool breeze whispered across my face, brushing away the remaining adrenaline still clinging to my skin like a secondyer.


    We had passed the second test, we were still standing, and yet, I couldn¡¯t shake the weight pressing against my ribs.


    Mallory was chatting animatedly with Selene and Noah. The three of them were recounting moments of the maze like it had been some thrilling, harmless adventure.


    Kyros was walking beside me in silence with his hands shoved in his pockets. I liked that about him. He never pushed me to speak. Just existed quietly beside me, like a steady wall in a world full of falling stones.


    I was grateful for that.


    "I don¡¯t think I have ever seen someone move the way you did," he said suddenly.


    I blinked, feeling startled. "What do you mean?"


    "In the fight with the warden. You didn¡¯t hesitate. You read his patterns like it was second nature."


    I shrugged, trying to make light of it. "I grew up needing to be faster than those trying to hurt me. Guess it stuck." It wasn¡¯t really a lie.


    His brows furrowed, but he didn¡¯t ask more which I was again grateful for.


    We finally reached the cottages and Noah was first to split from us, Kyros and Selene followed next, and then it was my turn. I was about to wave a bye at Mallory when she surpised me with a hug.


    "I¡¯m d you were with us," she whispered while pulling back. "Don¡¯t forget that."


    "I won¡¯t," I said quietly.


    She stepped back and gave me her signature bright smile. "Good night, Eva."


    I gave her a small but sincere smile before heading inside the cottage. After the first test, the number of applicants living in Cottage 13 had dropped from eight to six. And I wondered how many would be left after this second test.


    Once I was inside my bedroom, I let out a deep sigh. I was feeling extremely exhausted and I was thankful for the absence of my roommate, not like he¡¯s ever present except forte nights.


    I needed a quick shower and then plenty of sleep.


    * * *


    The next morning, I found myself wandering toward the outer field before breakfast as I felt drawn by the sound of distant shing.


    It was only when I arrived there did I notice Kyros.


    He was sparring with another student. He was moving like water and steel, fluid yet deadly. The other boy was tall and broad, but he was slower. Kyros ducked under a swing, twisted, and then knocked the weapon clean from his opponent¡¯s grip.


    Sound of pping and cheers filed the air from the spectators that had gathered to enjoy and appreciated the moment.


    "Impressive," I said once Kyros walked toward me when he noticed my presence among the crowd.


    He took a moment to watch me before asking, "Couldn¡¯t sleep?"


    "Not really." I admitted truthfully but didn¡¯t delve in the nightmares that haunted me during the nights.


    He nodded lightly before suddenly offering me a wooden de. "Want to try?"


    I arched a brow,pletely taken aback. "You want to fight someone with no wolf and no training?"


    "I have seen the way you move," he said simply. "You don¡¯t need a wolf to be dangerous."


    That... was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me. And that... made me reach forward and ept the de.


    I wasn¡¯t confident, at least not against Kyros. Despite his initial nerdy appearance and energy, he was strong and knew exactly what he was doing.


    Besides, I didn¡¯t want to take any chance by engaging into heavy physical activity, especially after going through the second test just the day before.


    With each passing day, I was getting more and more sure about my pregnancy and my worries were increasing with it. Time was slipping past and I still had no idea what I was going to do about my pregnancy.


    But at the moment, I had no time to think about this matter. First, I needed to make it into the Silver Moon as a new student, and then I would think about the rest.


    I focused my attention on sparring, and despite ying safe, we ended up going on for nearly half an hour.


    Kyros wasn¡¯t gentle, but he wasn¡¯t cruel either. His every strike was to test my reflexes, and every block forced me to think, to adjust. He didn¡¯t give me room to feel sorry for myself. And I respected that.


    By the time I stumbled back, chest heaving and hair sticking to my forehead, I was smiling. Genuinely.


    "You are fast," he said. "Sharp, too."


    I panted, trying to catch my breath. "You are not bad either."


    He grinned. "Come on. Let¡¯s go grab breakfast?"


    I nodded and fell into step beside him. I wasn¡¯t sure yet what to think about his and Mallory¡¯s presence in my life, but I was grateful for it. And I wanted these two to make into Silver Moon.

 Chapter 34: The Wrong Alpha Brother

    <h4>Chapter 34: The Wrong Alpha Brother</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The dining hall was bustling despite the decrease of nearly fifty percent in the original numbers of applicants.


    After the second test, only sixty applicants were left to take the third test. Thinking about the third and final test that was to take ce the day after, I felt my nerves tensing.


    I knew only one thing about this test - it¡¯s tend to be harder than the first two. And this alone was enough to make me nervous.


    "Is he that handsome?"


    Mallory¡¯s sudden question pulled me out of my thoughts and I turned my confused gaze at her. "Who?"


    "That guy over there. You have been staring at him." Mallory pointed at a certain guy at the other side of the hall, making me realize that in my trance, I had been facing him. Fortunately, he was busy with his friends and didn¡¯t notice me.


    I quickly shook my head. "I wasn¡¯t looking at him. I was thinking."


    "About?" She pressed, not ready to give up yet.


    I let out a small sigh before slipping into the seat opposite from hers. "About the final test. You guys must know what it¡¯s going to be. Right?"


    I was hopeful as I looked between her and Kyros, waiting for at least one of them, or both, to reveal some information about the final test.


    Kyros watched me for a long minute, making me wonder if I said something wrong. "What is it?"


    He exchanged a quick look with Mallory who, for once, looked just as clueless as me. Turning his attention back to me, he answered, "I¡¯m just surprised by your question. You make it sound like you haven¡¯t done any research on the entrance exams at all."


    This time, Mallory nodded her head, showing her agreement.


    "That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t." My response had them looking at me with shock and confusion. "I just heard about the exam and decided to try my luck at thest minute. So... I have no knowledge regarding these tests."


    The two were silent at my response. A moment passed. Then another. And then...


    "It¡¯s one-on-onebat," Mallory exined. "No wolves allowed. No weapons either. Just hand-to-hand. First one to either pin their opponent or force them to yield wins."


    "But if you get knocked out," Kyros added, "you lose. Immediately."


    My heart sank immediately, and I found myself asking, "And the people I¡¯ll be fighting...?"


    "Most will be shifters with stronger reflexes and healing than you," Mallory admitted softly.


    I inhaled sharply and then muttered, "You are not sugarcoating it."


    "No point," she said in honest and unflinching voice before adding, "But that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t win."


    "Mallory¡¯s right," Kyros said. "You are faster. Smarter. You read movements like you have been fighting your whole life. And your pain tolerance also seems to be high."


    I let out a small bitter and dryugh. Before I could have stopped myself, I was whispering the words. "That¡¯s because I have spent my whole life getting hurt."


    Mallory reached out and brushed her knuckles lightly against my arm. "Then maybe tomorrow will be the day all that pain finally count for something."


    Their belief in me... it was strange. Almost unfamiliar. I had never known people who stood beside me like this. Who didn¡¯t care that I had no wolf or that I was, in their world, broken.


    <fn32f5> Latest content published on Find~Novel</fn32f5>


    I still didn¡¯t trust easily. But this morning, I let myself hope.


    Even just a little.


    * * *


    The arena was already filling up by the time we arrived.


    There were dozens of applicants, instructors, and high-ranking academy members lining the benches. Even some seniors were present to witness the test, as if it wasn¡¯t already pressing enough without their presence.


    We were standing in a long line of applicants outside the circr ring. Each one of us was filled with tension, watching as names were called one by one to step into the center.


    I had no idea why I didn¡¯t think about this part when I decided to take on the exam. And now, I was at a loss about what I was going to do. I wanted to pass the test and join the Academy so badly, but at the same time, I was worried about the life forming in my belly.


    My hands itched to cover my belly, but I held myself back.


    "What if I get paired against someone like Noah?" I whispered under my breath.


    Kyros was standing right beside me and he didn¡¯t look the least bit concerned after hearing my question. Instead, he replied in a way that was so him. "Then beat him."


    I gave him a t look.


    Mallory snorted, clearly amused. "If you can outwit the maze warden, Eva, you can survive this."


    I knew they were trying to ease my nerves, but my stomach was still twisting. No matter how fast or clever I was, I was still wolfless. I had no boosted strength. No healing factor. No instincts to fall back on.


    I had... just me.


    And the memories of every fight I¡¯d had to survive before this one.


    I kept my eyes low, trying not to draw attention. I was hoping the officials would overlook me for the first few rounds, and maybe give me time to watch and learn.


    That was until the murmurs started behind us.


    It was Mallory¡¯s sharp intake of breath that made me look up. And that¡¯s when I saw him.


    Alpha Oscar.


    He just walked into the arena with his brother, Alpha Kieran. Their presence was unmistakable, drawing attention from everyone present there - applicants and staff alike.


    But while everyone else was appreciating either their looks or power, I felt the ground slipping beneath my feet.


    My lungs stalled.


    Why was he here? I asked myself even though I knew the answer. He was an instructor at the academy, and his presence during abat test made sense. But still, I was hoping to not cross paths with him until this test was over.


    My heart was thundering, louder than the crowd.


    "Eva," Kyros said under his breath once he noticed the sudden change in me. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    I didn¡¯t respond.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Because in that moment, I knew something had gone terribly wrong.

 Chapter 35: The Wrong Name on the Slip

    <h4>Chapter 35: The Wrong Name on the Slip</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    A chill licked down my spine as I watched him make his way through the central arena, stopping at the raised officials¡¯ tform, nodding to a few of the instructors gathered there.


    I barely registered the murmurs of students around me, their excited whispers, dreamy sighs, or awestruck stares. The girls in the crowd were clinging to each other and gushing like he was a prince from a fantasy novel.


    But for me, he was no fantasy. He was a nightmare.


    I was thankful for the cap pulled low over my brow, and the mask I had dug out this morning for no particr reason. I hadn¡¯t worn them since my first day here as I wanted to blend in like every other applicant. But something in my gut had told me to cover up today. Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was luck. Or maybe some part of me had sensed this was going to be the most important day yet.


    Even so, could a piece of cloth really hide me from him?


    My eyes quickly darted to Alpha Kieran. He was standing tall on the opposite side of the tform, speaking with two senior instructors. Calm. Composed. As if this was just another ordinary test.


    But something about seeing him... made my chest loosen just a little.


    It was relief.


    A strange sense of security washed over me the moment I spotted him. He was the man who had brought me here and wanted to me to make it through the exam.


    He didn¡¯t look at me. Not even once. His gaze was fixed on whatever conversation he was having with the others. But the more I looked at his calm demeanor, the more I started hearing that cruel voice in the very back of my head.


    "You okay?" Mallory¡¯s voice pulled me back.


    I blinked before turning my attention to her. Kyros was looking at me too with his brows knitting together in concern.


    "You have gone pale," Mallory added. "And you look like you just saw a ghost."


    I swallowed. "I¡¯m fine," I said, my voice thinner than I liked. "Just nerves, I guess."


    Kyros didn¡¯t look convinced, but thankfully, neither of them pressed further.


    And then, Alpha Oscar stepped forward to address the crowd. His voice sliced through the air like polished steel.


    "Good afternoon, applicants."


    The murmurs died instantly.


    The man had presence. Authority. Even power in the way he stood, it was unshakable and grounded.


    "I am Oscar Thorne," he said and his deep voice sent another round of dreamy sighs among the students. "I am one of the instructors at Silver Moon Academy, and I look forward to meeting many of you again... as students in the second term."


    <fnf8ef> Follow current nov?ls on f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fnf8ef>


    He continued, "Reaching this final stage is not a small feat. You have shown wit, strength, and resilience. Now, for your final test, you will face one-on-onebat. No wolves, no powers. Just skill. Strategy. And determination."


    He looked around, gaze lingering on each section of the arena.


    I tensed when his gaze passed near me... but his eyes didn¡¯t pause, letting me breathe.


    Another instructor stepped forward and began reading out the matchups. I tried to listen, but my thoughts were like waves crashing over one another.


    <i>He doesn¡¯t know you are here. Not yet.</i>


    <i>But he might.</i>


    If he asked to see the applicant list, if he saw my name, or heard it... it would be over for me. Even if there might be many Evalines in the world, he would still not ignore that name. Would he?


    "Selene versus Liora Stone," the instructor called, pulling my attention back to reality as heard the familiar name.


    Selene stepped forward with a bored expression. She looked ready to win and get done with the test.


    "Noah Rivers versus Mallory Campbell."


    Mallory groaned. "Of course I get paired with Noah." She didn¡¯t look too worried about facing someone as physically strong as Noah.


    Then the instructor¡¯s voice shifted.


    "For the top five scorers in the first and second tests, you will be matched against instructors and senior students."


    My heart skipped. I nced sideways and found Kyros straightening and tightening his jaw with focus. He was looking forward to the test.


    On the other hand, my heart was ready to jump out at any minute. The dread of my name being called out by the instructor, was making my vision go dark.


    But then...


    "The top five applicants, please step forward and draw a slip." The instructor announced, and a wave of relief washed over me.


    I followed Kyros, keeping my head low.


    As first on that list, Kyros was the first one to draw the slip. When he opened it, his lips curved. "Senior Instructor Mara," he announced before walking to the staging area.


    As the second on the list, it was my turn.


    I took in a deep breath and reached out to pick a slip from the dozen others that were filling the ss bowl held by probably a senior student.


    I chose a random one, trying hard to stop my fingers from trembling. Pulling it out, I unfolded it.


    And my heart dropped.


    <strong>Oscar Thorne.</strong>


    The paper might as well have turned to ash in my fingers.


    The world dimmed around me and a buzzing roar echoed in my ears. I stared at the name like it might magically shift into someone else¡¯s.


    But it didn¡¯t.


    "Your opponent-" the instructor called, but I had no voice to answer him. I just stood there, staring at the name in shock.


    "Ms.-"


    "Let me."


    I looked up as my ears registered the familiar voice, and I found Alpha Kieran stepping in front of me and taking the slip out of my hand. He didn¡¯t look at me, not until he saw the name on the slip.


    When his gaze found mine, I finally felt his calm demeanor faltering... though just for a mere second. If not for the fact that I was standing right in front of him, I might havepletely missed it.


    He then turned to face the other instructors and the crowd of applicants before announcing my fate out loud. "Our second best applicant will be facing none other than... Instructor Oscar."


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 36: Alpha Kieran Saving the Day

    <h4>Chapter 36: Alpha Kieran Saving the Day</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Alpha Kieran announced Alpha Oscar¡¯s name, gasps filled the otherwise silent air.


    Everyone knew just how powerful these rogue Alpha brothers were. Anyone fighting against them never held a chance of winning. Not even the strongest of the Alphas of the shifter world, let alone an applicant... especially a wolfless one like me.


    My fate in this test was not only clear to me, but to every person present in this arena. They all knew that I was going to lose.


    My fingers tightened around the slip that Alpha Kieran had handed me back.


    Oscar Thorne.


    Of all the instructors... of all the names... it had to be his.


    And while my entire being was having a hard time processing what just happened, I knew that I couldn¡¯t falter. I couldn¡¯t afford it.This was my chance. My only chance. If I passed the test, I would be a student at Silver Moon. That meant safety. Stability. Future.


    So I took a breath and forced my shaking heart to calm down. I needed to create a n to get through this.


    "You can do it."


    I looked up and found Alpha Kieran watching me. His expression was soft, but there was nothing special about how he was looking and talking to me. It was a professor motivating a possible future student.


    "You have done exceptionally well in the previous two tests, applicant. Don¡¯t let the name of Oscar Thorne affect your n of passing the final test. If you want it, then you can do it. Good luck."


    He kept his voice loud enough to be heard by those nearby. He gave me onest soft smile of encouragement before stepping away as if nothing had happened.


    I didn¡¯t dare to look at Alpha Oscar. I just kept my head low and searched for a possible good enough n that could help me turn the tide.


    The remaining three applicants also picked their partners, and then, the matches finally began soon after.


    Selene was the one to start the test. And she was a force to watch. Fast, efficient, and brutal. She won in less than two minutes, earning 18 out of 20 points and a round of apuse from the crowd.


    Two more roundster, it was finally Mallory and Noah¡¯s turn. I straightened in my seat, hoping for the former to win. I liked Noah too as he had been nothing but a nice person to me, but he still was far from Mallory who had been a constant source of warmth in my life during the past week.


    I pushed my own worries to the back for a moment and focused on their fight. Looking at Noah, I was having a hard time manifesting Mallory¡¯s win, but I still did it.


    They shook hands before the round officially began. They fought fiercely, neither of them holding back. And despite her soft looks and a normal wolf, Mallory was actually well trained inbat. She was smaller, leaner, and had a weaker wolfpared to Noah, but she knew how to use her shorings to her advantage.


    Their fight continued for about seven minutes where each second was filled with thrill and a goodbat performance. But then, Mallory lost.


    My heart dropped for a moment before the instructor announced that Mallory got extra points for how well she did in the test despite losing.


    With these new points added to her points from previous two tests, she made it through the required points for passing the entrance exam.


    As she returned to our section flushed and panting, she had a proud smile ying on her lips. And I was happy for her, she deserved to be a student at Silver Moon.


    "You better make it," she whispered while bumping her shoulder against mine. "Let¡¯s all get in together."


    I nodded as my gaze returned to the center of arena where a new pair was getting ready to take the test.


    <fn8d1a> Readplete version only at fin?novel</fn8d1a>


    About twelve more roundster, it was finally Kyros turn.


    "All the best."


    Both me and Mallory said as he stood up. He gave us a nod before heading down.


    His battle with Senior Instructor Mara was nothing short of epic. Dust swirled. Blowsnded sharp and loud. He pushed her harder than most students probably had, and for a few heart-stopping seconds, I thought he might actually win.


    But a single misstep cost him.


    Senior Instructor Mara saw the chance and struck with a swift and merciless blow, knocking him t on his back.


    Still, he earned fifteen points for how long hested and how well he did in thebat. Whenbined with his previous scores, that was more than enough to pass.


    So far, a total of five applicants had been able to make it through the test despite losing, and it gave me hope. But that didn¡¯t mean I was nning to lose.


    At the same time, looking at how brutally everyone was fighting, I was starting to get worried. I was still in my first trimester and one single wrong move could cost me a lot.


    Thest thing I wanted was to end up bleeding in the middle of the test. That sure was going to cost me my only chance to be a student at Silver Moon.


    No, I needed to y not only smart, but also safe.


    Two more roundster, it was finally my turn. Fortunately, Alpha Kieran was there to once again save the day as he took over the job of calling names.


    "Final match," he called. "Applicant 151... and Instructor Oscar Thorne."


    The crowd hushed as I stepped forward and walked into the arena. Every step I took echoed in my ears like a drumbeat. I had a n, but I wasn¡¯t sure how well it was going to work.


    Instructor Oscar was standing at the other end, rolling his shoulders with practiced ease. He looked rxed, but there was a sharpness in his eyes that hadn¡¯t been there before.


    He was watching me.


    Assessing me.

 Chapter 37: Defeating the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 37: Defeating the Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I studied him just like he was doing with me.


    He looked as collected as ever, with his broad shoulders rxed, muscles loose. His face betrayed nothing, but there was something different about the way he stood. His eyes were fixed on me, sharp and narrow.


    He rolled his shoulders casually, but the intensity of his gaze said something else.


    He wasn¡¯t taking me lightly.


    He might not have recognized me yet, but he wasn¡¯t foolish like everyone else present here with us to not notice his brother helping me twice. Doing it once might not have caught his attention, but the second time definitely did that.


    So now, he was confused, intrigued, and looking forward to our match.


    He was reading me.


    And I knew what he was looking at - slim build, cap pulled low, ck mask covering the lower half of my face. Everything about me was screaming weird and mysterious to him, something I was nning to use to my advantage.


    My heart was pounding, not out of panic but resolve. The moment had finally arrived. And I only had one shot at this.


    I felt his eyes narrowing slightly. Could almost hear the thoughts racing behind that unreadable face of his.


    <i>Who is she?</i>


    <i>Why the secrecy?</i>


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Alpha Kieran helped me just because there was no other option to keep my name being called out by the other instructors, or if he knew just what would his involvement do to his brother. Either way, I was grateful to him.


    I bent my knees slightly, centering my weight as I took position.


    "Begin!" the instructor called.


    The sharpmand cut through the stillness like lightning and the match began.


    Oscar moved first.


    And he was... effortless. Smooth, like water flowing downhill.


    But he wasn¡¯t attacking to destroy. Not yet. He was probing, testing the waters. His strikes came fast, but not hard, like he was measuring my reactions.


    I dodged the first. Blocked the second. And spun out of reach before the third. My movements weren¡¯t as polished as his, but I made up for it with instinct and raw determination.


    Each time he reached for me, I slipped just out of reach.


    He circled, calcting. Still holding back as he studied me. And I was grateful for it... for as long as it mightst.


    Him going soft on me was helping me. Not only because it lowered the chances of a miscarriage, but also because I needed him off-guard to do what I had nned to.


    Every moment I kept my identity hidden brought me one step closer to the result I wanted.


    I breathed evenly. Focusing my attention to him and him only.


    I might be wolfless, but that didn¡¯t mean I had no knowledge ofbat. I was an Alpha¡¯s daughter, and was treated like one up until my sixteenth birthday. While my personal life was a mess at home throughtbjy entire life, I still went to the top school, learned from the best, and was trained by my father¡¯s beta.


    It was solely because of how good I was at academics, sports, andbat, which earned me the hatred of my stepmother and Lilian. Those might have ignored me all along if I wasn¡¯t ¡¯the perfect daughter¡¯.


    And though I stopped getting these privileges after my sixteenth birthday, I had learned enough to continue training in secrecy. I never stopped trying to get better... up until two months ago.


    So... as I faced Instructor Oscar, I still knew how to keep myself safe even though I was no match to him.


    But he was smart... too smart. He feinted to the left and came at me from the right. And this time, about seven minutes into our battle, his palm finally connected with my shoulder. It just grazed me, but was enough to knock my bnce.


    I stumbled backward, dragging my feet across the sand.


    A sharp sting pulsed through my arm, but I clenched my jaw and got back in position.


    The crowd started murmuring at this point.


    "She¡¯s not bad."


    "She¡¯s still on her feet?"


    "How is shesting against *him*?"


    Oscar tilted his head and a small crease formed between his brows. "Your stance," he said finally in a calm, probing voice. "Where did you learn that?"


    His voice was low, curious. But I didn¡¯t answer. I kept my silence, kept moving, forcing him to attack again... faster this time.


    He was no more testing me.


    I barely managed to slip out right before his fist would havended at my shoulder. I came behind him, and... smiled.


    He couldn¡¯t see it. But I smiled anyway.


    <i>It was time.</i>


    I braced myself as he turned around and surged forward again, this time with more speed and less caution.


    He wasing in close, exactly what I needed. I waited with my heart thudding in my throat as he got closer.


    One more step.


    And then, in a single breath, I reached up and pulled both my cap and the mask off, letting him see me for the first time.


    And just like I thought, he recognized me instantly. His body stopped mid-motion with his arm hovering in the air.


    His eyes locked with mine... and they widened.


    Shock flooded his face. There was recognition, then confusion, and then something else.


    "Y-you-"


    I didn¡¯t let him speak, didn¡¯t give him time to recover.


    I ducked, dropped low, and with a sweep of my leg, knocked him clean off his feet.


    <fn9b82> Chapters first released on F¦ÉndNovel</fn9b82>


    The crowd gasped as his body hit the ground with a heavy thud, and before he could roll away, I pounced andnded on him, pressing my knee into his chest and pinning him in ce.


    My fist hovered just above his face, tight and steady.


    This... this was how matches ended - a clear winning stance and unquestionable dominance.


    The silencested for way too long, but then, the whistle blew.


    "Match over!"


    The sound echoed across the silent field... and suddenly, the arena erupted with cheers, shouts, and screams of disbelief.


    I climbed off him slowly. My chest was heaving and heart rattling like it would explode.


    But he didn¡¯t move at first. Hey there with his chest rising and falling, and eyes fixed on me like I was something unreal.


    After what felt like forever, he finally sat up, but his gaze didn¡¯t leave mine even for a second. He still looked extremely confused and stunned, as if I had torn the ground out from under him.


    I looked down at him, unflinching as I spoke, "Hello, Alpha Oscar."


    And them, I turned around and walked away.

 Chapter 38: She Made His Wolf React

    <h4>Chapter 38: She Made His Wolf React</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong><fn135a> The source of th?s content is FindN0vel</fn135a>


    I remained sitting with the dust of the arena thick in my lungs, but it wasn¡¯t the fall that stole my breath... it was <i>her.</i>


    Evaline Greystone.


    The girl whose face had been etched into a corner of my mind I didn¡¯t dare acknowledge. The girl I had only seen once, barely for a few minutes, and yet her eyes had haunted me since.


    And now, she was here. In my arena. In my world. And she had just defeated me in front of dozens of people.


    I should have been angry.


    I should haveunched to my feet and demanded an exnation - who let her in, why she was here, what she wanted. She wasn¡¯t just anyone. She was <i>his</i> daughter.


    The daughter of the man who killed my parents, brought my pack to ruin. Who orchestrated the attack that nearly cost me and my brothers our lives. Her father¡¯s blood soaked the memories of our past, the same blood that ran through <i>her</i> veins.


    I was unable to remove my gaze from her retreating figure.


    She walked off with her head held high, spine straight, dark hair flowing freely behind her like a banner in the wind.


    She was unlike anything from our first encounter. It wasn¡¯t just her appearance that had changed, but even her persona. She had power in her step. Confidence.


    She didn¡¯t spare me a single nce, but I was still staring at her like I had just seen a ghost... or a storm.


    The air felt strange. It was charged and heavy. My heart was pounding against my ribs like it was trying to break free. My wolf was restless, pacing inside me, agitated.


    No. Not agitated, but awake.


    That pull, I felt it again. The one I had experienced the first time Iid eyes on her. Though it wasn¡¯t as strong as back then, I still recognized that familiar flicker of something I couldn¡¯t understand. It was like gravity shifting under my feet, like my instincts were being rewired around <i>her</i>.


    I had ignored it back then. Had refused to believe it.


    I told myself it was irritation, disdain, a sense of danger that came with her presence. After all, she was a Greystone.


    But now?


    Now I wasn¡¯t so sure.


    Everything in me buzzed with a sensation I couldn¡¯t name.


    Desire? Recognition? Bond?


    <i>No</i>. That was impossible.


    Or was it?


    I rose to my feet slowly, brushing dust off my shoulders while still staring at the space where she had stood. The instructors were speaking now, but their voices were a background murmur I couldn¡¯t bring myself to focus on.


    But then I saw him... Kieran.


    He was standing near the edge of the arena with his arms folded and an unreadable expression on his face.


    But I knew him too well.


    There was a tension in his jaw, a flicker of something behind his calm eyes.


    He had known.


    He had helped her.


    My stomach twisted at the realization.


    Kieran, my brother, my blood - he allowed her to face me without revealing who she was. He stood there while she fought me, while the entire arean watched, knowing exactly who she was.


    What the hell was he thinking?


    Heat bloomed beneath my skin. I marched toward him, clenching my fists at my sides and ignoring the nces thrown my way.


    He saw meing, but didn¡¯t move,


    "Kieran," I said in a low and sharp voice, "how long?"


    He didn¡¯t pretend not to understand. But his answer wasn¡¯t one I was expecting to hear.


    "Since the very beginning."


    I stared at him. Stunned. Confused.


    What did he mean by from the very beginning? Was it from when she applied for entrance exam?


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me?" I demanded, trying to hold the anger off my voice.


    He let out a small sigh before speaking, "You saw her fight. She earned that win. She¡¯s now a student at Silver Moon."


    "She¡¯s <i>his</i> daughter," I hissed, almost loosing my control. "Have you forgotten what her family did to us? What they cost us?"


    "I haven¡¯t forgotten," he said in a voice that was still maddeningly calm. "But neither have I forgotten that sins of the father don¡¯t always belong to the child."


    I shook my head. I was breathing hard at this point. I turned away before I could say something I would regret. My mind was a storm of disbelief and confusion.


    Evaline Greystone.


    The one girl I had sworn to hate. The one person who should have never been allowed to cross the Academy threshold. And yet, here she was, not only standing among us but rising through the ranks.


    I hated her for that.


    I hated her for the way she looked at me like I was just another opponent. For the way her eyes burned with that same quiet fire that had captivated me the first time we met.


    I hated the way my body had reacted to her.


    And most of all, I hated the fact that deep down, beneath the rage and betrayal, was a part of me that wasn¡¯t mad about her winning.


    <i>What the hell is wrong with me?</i>


    I walked through the corridors of the Academy, ignoring everyone and everything but the thoughts of <i>her</i>.


    I mmed the door to my office behind me and leaned back against it, exhaling hard.


    That moment in the ring kept reying again and again in my mind - her standing over me, victorious. Her voice, soft and confident.


    <i>"Hello, Alpha Oscar."</i>


    It shouldn¡¯t have affected me. It shouldn¡¯t have meant anything. But my wolf had stirred at the sound.


    Had <i>recognized</i> her.


    Had whispered something I wasn¡¯t ready to hear.


    <i>Mate</i>.


    No. It couldn¡¯t be.


    She was the daughter of our enemy. She was everything I should reject.


    And yet...


    I could still feel her presence like she had left something behind in the air between us.


    A mark.


    A im.


    No. I couldn¡¯t afford this weakness.


    Not now. Not with everything we had built, everything we had fought for. I had to find out why she was here. What she wanted. And why my instincts were beginning to betray me.

 Chapter 39: An Unexpected Betrayal

    <h4>Chapter 39: An Unexpected Betrayal</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The call came just as I was boarding the truck with my guards. We had beenbing through the edge of the neighboring town for nearly two days now, chasing rumors and shadows.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time we thought we had found her. But every lead turned to ash.


    And then Oscar called.


    His voice was low, tight with disbelief, and yet every word cracked like thunder in my ear.


    "She was there, River. In the arena. Masked. Fighting me."


    I froze mid-step and my fingers tightened around the truck door.


    "What?" I demanded as I stepped away from the vehicle. I was confused, and yet, there was a part of me that already knew whom he was talking about. "Who?"


    "Her. Evaline Greystone."


    I went still as the weight of that name dropped into my stomach like a stone.


    "No," I muttered. "That¡¯s not possible. She¡¯s supposed to be in hiding. We have been looking for her. We searched every possible-"


    "She didn¡¯te out of hiding," Oscar interrupted me. "She was already inside. Already enrolled as an applicant. She fought with me and... beat me. And then... then she took off her mask at the end..."


    Oscar was clearly having a hard time keeping his emotions under control. Whatever happened there, it had him in shackles.


    But I was in no ce to try tofort him as my own thoughts were going berserk. I stared at the dusty road, trying to piece everything together.


    No one could infiltrate the Academy... at least not without help, especially someone as weak as <i>her</i>. Not unless someone on the inside let her in.


    And then Oscar said the name I wasn¡¯t expecting to hear at all.


    "Kieran knew."


    It was like something cracked inside me. And it wasn¡¯t just anger, but a heavy sense of betrayal... one that came from my very brother.


    I didn¡¯t respond and just hung up the call without a word. Then I turned to the guards. "Return to the outpost. The girl¡¯s not here."


    They blinked at me in surprise.


    "But Alpha-"


    "I said she¡¯s not <i>here</i>. Dismissed."


    I didn¡¯t wait for a reply. I climbed into the car and drove myself back to the mansion.


    * * *


    The sky had turned purple by the time I reached our private estate - home for me and my brothers. It was a fortress between us and the rest of the world.


    My hands tightened on the steering wheel as I pulled into the gravel path. I knew Kieran would be inside and I made my way to his room.


    I found him there, fresh out of the shower with damp hair and a towel slung around his shoulders like he didn¡¯t have a single regret in the world.


    "Kieran," I barked.


    He looked up and gave me a smile... the same warm smile he used to greet me with every time.


    "You are back early."


    My blood was boiling, not just because of what he had done but also because I wasn¡¯t seeing an ounce of regret or guilt on his face.


    "Don¡¯t y games with me," I said as I stepped into the room and swung the door shut behind me. "You knew. You knew where she was this whole time."


    He didn¡¯t even flinch as he replied, "Yes." Just like that, no hesitation, no denial. He said it like it was nothing. Like he hadn¡¯t broken every vow we made when we founded this Academy. Like he hadn¡¯t gone behind my back while I wasted days chasing a ghost.


    I stared at him, stunned. "You helped her?"


    <fnd934> Find the newest release on find(?)ovel</fnd934>


    "Yes," he said again, still calm as usual. "I helped her apply. I helped her sneak out of the mansion that night. And I have been helping her stay hidden ever since."


    I felt the words like daggers, sharp and deliberate. "Why?" I asked, my voice low and tight. "Why, brother?"


    He shrugged as he answered, "Because she wanted to enroll into the academy."


    "That¡¯s not good enough!" I roared, mming my hand against the wall. "You put everything at risk - our position, ourws, this entire Academy. We searched for her across five provinces while you were hiding her in in sight. You lied to <i>me.</i>"


    "Not once did I lie," he corrected. "You never asked the right question."


    "That¡¯s bullshit." I stepped closer to him. I was breathing hard, and my fists were clenched, turning my knuckles white. "She¡¯s the daughter of the man who took everything from us, Kieran! You hate her!"


    His expression didn¡¯t change. "I did," he finally said... softly.


    That stopped me cold.


    Did?


    What the hell was going on?


    "You have seen what her father did. You were there. You know what we went through because of him. So why would you help his daughter?"


    Silence stretched between us as he didn¡¯t answer. But that told me more than anything.


    He <i>had </i>a reason. He just wasn¡¯t ready to say it. Or maybe he couldn¡¯t say it without digging deeper into something he didn¡¯t understand himself.


    My heart thudded with a bitter rhythm.


    I turned away from him, trying to rein in the fire inside me, trying to think. But the door creaked open behind us and another voice cut through the tension.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    It was Draven. He stepped in, dressed casually but alert. He looked between us and narrowed his eyes.


    "I heard yelling," he said as his eyes flickered to Kieran. "What did you do?"


    Kieran didn¡¯t respond.


    I turned to Draven as I filled him in. "She was at the exam. Evaline Greystone."


    His face went nk. "What?"


    "She fought in the arena," I continued. "Against Oscar and she defeated him. She¡¯s been here the whole time."


    Draven blinked, then looked sharply at Kieran. "And you knew?"


    When Kieran didn¡¯t answer, Draven cursed and ran a hand through his hair. "Brother, you helped <i>her</i>? That girl is the daughter of-"


    "I know who she is," Kieran cut in, finally letting some steel into his voice. "I¡¯m not stupid."


    "No," I said, "but you are reckless."


    "You think I don¡¯t know the consequences?" he asked. "You think I haven¡¯t spent every second knowing what this would mean if I got caught? But I didn¡¯t get caught. She passed every test. She earned her ce. And as for the rest, I did what I believed was right."


    "That¡¯s not your call to make," I snapped.


    "No," he said, "it wasn¡¯t. But I made it anyway."


    I stared at him. Fury was pulsing through me. But so did something else - helplessness.


    I couldn¡¯t hit him. Couldn¡¯t throw him out. Couldn¡¯t strip him of his rank. Not only because he was my brother, but because he <i>knew</i> I wouldn¡¯t.


    Kieran had always been the righteous one among us. The one who held us to a higher standard when we forgot our way. And that made his betrayal cut deeper than any de.


    But the worst part?


    He had outsmarted me. Because five years ago when we built this Academy from scratch, we made rules. Rules that protected the students... all students.


    And now, Evaline Greystone was a student.


    I couldn¡¯t touch her.


    Not without breaking the very code I had written.


    "She¡¯s off-limits now," Kieran said quietly. "You know that."

 Chapter 40: Burden of His Help

    <h4>Chapter 40: Burden of His Help</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The sun had barely risen. Its gentle light was cascading through the thin white curtains of the bedroom window. My roommate was already gone... as we¡¯re his bags, and the other students were also busy packing their things.


    With the final test over, the air was buzzing with quiet excitement and fatigue. One by one, the other candidates were preparing to leave, heading back to their packs before the new semester officially began in three days.


    There were forty-two of us who had made it, epted as students into Silver Moon Academy. And somehow, <i>I</i> was one of them.


    Not just one of them, but <i>the</i> one.


    My name, Evaline, was sitting at the top of the final result sheet with top score - 98/100 points.


    This made me recipient of the Privilege Award that I was supposed to receive sometime during the first week of the term.


    But before that, there were still three long days that I needed to pass. I quickly showered, got dressed, and met with Mallory and Kyros for breakfast as they were about to leave.


    Mallory hugged me tight once it was time to leave. "You better message me the second you are settled in. Got it?"


    "Yeah," I lied while nodding. I didn¡¯t even have a phon, something she probably failed to notice.


    Kyros lingered a little longer. "You sure you are okay? You never said where you are going."


    I forced a smile and slipped into that familiar mask I had been wearing for years. "I¡¯ll figure it out."


    He frowned, clearly unconvinced, but didn¡¯t push.


    Selene and Noah waved from a distance. Their bags were slung over their shoulders and they were already halfway down the gravel path toward the transport station. Mallory ran to catch up with them and Kyros followed with a heavy sigh.


    And just like that... I was alone.


    Completely and utterly alone.


    The sun climbed higher as the day wore on. The cottages emptied, one after another. The chatter, the footsteps, theughter... all of it faded into silence.


    Even most of the staff had disappeared as they headed back to the Academy to prepare for the influx of students. Only a couple of guards had remained behind who were stationed idly at the entrance.


    I was standing near the wooden fence bordering the training grounds, staring at the horizon, while my suitcase and small carry bag sat next to me.


    I had no pack to return to. No family to wee me home. And definitely no money to afford a room for the night, let alone for the school supplies or the custom uniform required for the semester.


    I had no idea what I was going to do, or supposed to do, so I just waited... for either a miracle, or for the guards to throw me out as they were done waiting for me to leave on my own.


    It wasn¡¯t until the sun began to dip into the horizon, that the silence of the ce was broken by the sound of a sleek ck car that pulled up to the entrance. The engine purred as it came to a stop. The door opened and I found myself looking at a familiar face,


    Alpha Kieran.


    He stepped out in casual clothes, but the power and poise he carried made him impossible to mistake. He looked around once before his gaze found me, and he walked toward me with the calm of someone who never had to rush.


    I straightened, brushing the dirt off my trousers whike trying not to feel too awkward.


    "You stayed behind," he said as he reached me.


    "There was no one to pick me up," I replied.


    There was a pause before he gave a soft nod. "I figured."


    The next thing I knew, he had my stuff loaded in the trunk of his car while I sat on the passenger seat. Then, we were off to somewhere.


    I didn¡¯t ask a single question, but he exined on his own. "I have booked a hotel room for you in the nearby town," he said simply. "You¡¯ll stay there until it¡¯s time to return to the Academy."


    I opened my mouth to protest, but he was already pulling a small envelope from his coat.


    Inside was a key card, a sleek phone, and a silver bank card.


    "I don¡¯t-" I began as panic hit me. "I can¡¯t take this, Alpha Kieran. I already owe you for everything. I-"


    "You¡¯ll take it," he cut in gently but firmly. "You need a phone to stay in contact. You¡¯ll need funds to buy supplies and your uniform. You are a student now... <i>my </i>student. You can¡¯t afford to walk into the Academy unprepared."


    "But-"


    "It¡¯s not charity," he added. "This is part of our arrangement. You hold up your end of the deal, and I¡¯ll hold up mine."


    I swallowed hard.


    He was making it sound so reasonable. So professional. But deep down, I knew it was more than that. I could see it in the way he watched me, as if trying to figure out something even he didn¡¯t understand.


    He handed me a folded list of essentials.


    "This will help you know what to buy," he said. "Text me once you are done. Someone wille to pick you up and take you to the Academy. My number is already saved in the phone."


    I stared at the list, then at the items in my hand. The phone felt too light for the weight it carried.


    He nced at the sky, then back at me. "You did wonderful in the tests, Evaline."


    I looked up, surprised by the sudden acknowledge... or was it praise?


    He wasn¡¯t smiling. Not quite. But his eyes... they held a quiet kind of pride.


    "Thank you," I whispered, unsure why it made my throat tight.


    He gave me onest nod as we arrived at our destination. I climbed out and he followed, unloading my bags.


    "Have a little break and get your things. I¡¯ll see you at the academy, student," he said with a soft smile before slipping into the driver¡¯s seat and driving away.


    I stood there, clutching the bag and the phone and the damn envelope, watching him leave. The car pulled away, taillights glowing faintly as it disappeared down the road.


    And just like that... I was alone again. But this time, it felt different. Because now, I had a room waiting for me.


    A phone.


    Money.


    A future.


    And - whether I liked it or not - a thread connecting me to the very man who once stood on the other side of a war.<fna256> Get full chapters from Find¡ïNovel</fna256>

 Chapter 41: Two Positives

    <h4>Chapter 41: Two Positives</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The hotel room was modest but clean. There was a queen bed, a hot shower, and fresh towels.


    And as I stood in the middle of it, I felt an overwhelming sense washing upon me.


    I dropped my bag by the door and settled down at the edge of the bed. A momentter, I picked up the phone, unlocked it, and stared at the saved contact.


    <strong>Professor Kieran. </strong>


    That¡¯s how he had saved his contact. Opening the message box, I quickly tyoed: <i>Got the room. Thanks</i>.


    Barely seconds passed by before the phone buzzed with a reply.


    <i>Good. Rest tonight. Start fresh tomorrow.</i>


    I stared at the screen for a long time. Then I put the phone down, let out a deep exhale, and let myself fall back against the bed.


    I had three days to prepare. To be the girl who topped the entrance test. To survive Silver Moon Academy.


    And somehow... to keep my secrets buried where they belonged.


    * * *


    The next morning, I left the hotel early with the list Professor Kieran gave me. The air was still crisp and the streets half-empty as the town slowly woke up.


    Though there wasn¡¯t a need for it anymore, I was still wearing the mask. Thest thing I wanted was to draw attention. Who knew if the other applicants of the exam were present in this town.


    The first thing I bought was the Academy¡¯s uniform - two pairs of it, one for daily wear and one spare in case of damage. I also got a simple sportswear in deep blue, made from breathable fabric as listed on the Academy requirements.


    I stuck to the list and only the list.


    Books, notebooks, pens, an enchanted rm crystal... check, check, and check.


    By the time I was done, my bag was heavy, but my heart was lighter. The card Professor Kieran gave me still had plenty left on it... I knew that. But I refused to use more than I had to.


    I didn¡¯t need more clothes, or food, or extras. The hotel room and meals were already covered. And thanks to that ridiculous midnight shopping spree he forced me into before the tests, I had more than enough clothes and daily essentials tost the semester.


    So I told myself I was done.


    I should have been done.


    But as I stood at the corner of the street, waiting for the light to change, my eyes drifted to the pharmacy across the road... and I stopped breathing.


    Though I didn¡¯t want to waste his money, I knew I needed to do this. I quickly crossed the road and walked straight into the store.


    I didn¡¯t say a word as I moved through the aisles and grabbed two boxes the moment I found them before heading to the self-checkout. I paid in cash, some crumpled bills I got as change at the previous store.


    Thest thing I wanted was a digital receipt to be sent to Professor Kieran¡¯s phone about my purchase at this store with his card. No one could know about it, certainly not him.


    Ten minutester, I was back in my hotel room. And the boxes were sitting on the bathroom sink.


    I stared at them for a long time.


    My heart was thundering in my chest as I finally opened it and followed the instructions. The silence in the room was suffocating.


    Three minutes.


    That¡¯s all it took.


    Three minutes to change everything. To confirm what I had known for a while by now.


    The first test turned out positive.


    <fnca52> Th?s chapter is updated by FindN0vel</fnca52>


    I sat down on the closed lid of the toilet, staring at it in stunned silence.


    Thest bit of hope I still had, it left me. But I still grabbed the second stick and did it again with trembling hands.


    Another three minutes and a second positive result.


    My head hit the wall behind me, and I shut my eyes tight, trying to will away the truth. But it was there. Clear. Unavoidable.


    I was pregnant.


    Now I was carrying a life inside me.


    I looked down at my stomach, it was t and quiet. Nothing was showing. Nothing was moving. But I was able to feel it now. That subtle, terrifying awareness.


    I didn¡¯t know whether to scream or cry or just crawl under the bed and disappear forever. Even if I believed all this time that I was pregnant, there was still a part of me that was expecting it all to turn out as a false rm.


    But not anymore.


    I grabbed both tests and covered them with tissues and packaging so they wouldn¡¯t be seen before shoving them deep into the trash. My hands were still trembling as I washed them and sshed cold water on my face.


    I looked up at my reflection.


    I was still Evaline Greystone. Still the top applicant of the entrance exams.


    But now?


    Now I was also something more.


    A mother.


    I pressed a hand over my stomach. All it took was just that fleeting moment where I made up my mind.


    "I¡¯ll protect you," I whispered.


    The words came unbidden, shaky but sure.


    "I don¡¯t know how yet... but I will."


    And just like that, I knew. I couldn¡¯t afford to break down. Not now.


    I had made it this far. And I was going to survive the Academy. And I was going to find a way to keep all my secrets hidden, no matter what it would take.


    I wasn¡¯t keeping the baby because I had no way to safely abort it, but because I just couldn¡¯t make myself end an innocent life.


    And I was determined to make sure that my child would have a safe environment growing up. A house, friends, and a future.


    I was ready to fight, tooth and w, for the life growing inside me, because no one else ever had for me.


    I would be the kind of mother I never had.


    Even if I had to do it all alone.

 Chapter 42: Arriving at Silver Moon

    <h4>Chapter 42: Arriving at Silver Moon</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The next morning, I was standing in front of the gates of Silver Moon Academy.


    It felt unreal.


    A pair of towering, wrought-iron gates were stretched out before me, embellished with symbols I recognized from the Academy¡¯s crest, it were two wolves circling a moon.


    As I stepped through, my heart started pounding in my chest, not from fear, but from awe.


    The Academy was... magnificent.


    It looked like something out of a storybook - grand, ancient, even though I knew it had only been built five years ago.


    The path leading to the main building had tall trees standing on both sides with leaves falling down as wind whispered by.


    The path was long, especially when I was dragging a huge suitcase and a bag along with me. But I wasn¡¯t the only one. Dozens of other students were also on their way to the administrative building that finally came into view.


    The stone walls of the main building were rising high into the sky, their gray surfaces were softened by thick, twisting ivy that was clinging to every crevice.


    Red and gold autumn leaves were speckling the ivy in patches, catching in the wind and fluttering like confetti. Today was thest day of August and the mountain air was cool and crisp, hinting at the nearing season change.


    The grounds were stretching endlessly in every direction. Wide, paved paths were cutting through lush greenwns, lining with tall, evenly spaced trees. There were students scattered about, some were moving luggage, others chatting in small groups, while a few were standing alone like me... still taking it all in.


    I nced around, hoping to spot a familiar face. Kyros. Mallory. Selene. Noah. But there was no sign of them.


    Though Mallory handed her number to me before leaving, I ended up miscing that piece of paper. And now, I had no way to contact her.


    So, I decided to settle down first before looking for them.


    At the reception, a woman in her early thirties was waiting. She was dressed in a sharp and elegant ck dress with the Academy crest pinned to her chest. She greeted me with a polite smile.


    "Ms. Evaline?" she asked to confirm as she nced at the monitor sitting in front of her.


    "Yes," I replied, clutching the strap of my bag tighter.


    "Wee to Silver Moon. Here¡¯s your dorm key and identification badge. You are in Dorm 2-B, second floor. You can scan the QR code here to join the Academy¡¯s official website as a new student. You will find your ss schedules, academy map, and other information there."


    "Thank you," I murmured as I epted the envelope with the key and badge before quickly scanning the QR.


    My footsteps echoed quietly against the stone path as I made my way to the dormitories.


    The dorm building was standing off to the west side of the Academy, tucked just behind a line of towering pine trees. It was a ten-story structure, rectangr in shape with old-fashionednterns lit even during the day along its walls.


    Unlike the grandeur of the main building, the dorm had a slightly humbler look, with wooden ents, climbing vines, and the scent ofvender drifting from a nearby garden.


    I entered through the wide, arched doorway and followed the signs until I reached my dorm.


    With a soft click, the key turned, and I stepped inside.


    The space was... nicer than anything I had imagined. Far too nice for someone like me.


    The main door opened into a sharedmon room,plete with a couch, a bookshelf, and a small round table near the firece. The pastel blue-colored walls were clean and unmarked, and the wooden floors looked freshly polished. There was even a small kitchte tucked into the corner.


    Two doors branched off from themon area and I chose the one on the left.


    Inside was a shared bedroom with two beds on either side, separated by ss doors that skide open into a small balcony. The far wall held two desks and matching closets. Soft light was pouring in through gauzy white curtains, casting gentle patterns on the floor.


    I walked over to the balcony and pushed the door open. A soft breeze immediately greeted me, cool and refreshing.


    The garden below was quiet, framed with blooming shrubs and neat stone benches. Beyond that, the mountain range rolled into the horizon with its sharp, jagged peaks covered in evergreens. And far to the left, just past a rocky outcrop, I saw a waterfall, glinting silver in the morning light as it cascaded down a cliff like liquid light.


    It was breathtaking.


    A tree was standing just outside the balcony, its branches close enough to touch. I rested my hand on the wooden railing and breathed in deeply.


    This... this could be my home. At least for now.


    I turned back inside and ced my bag on the bed near the window, the one with the better view. Since my roommate hadn¡¯t arrived yet, I got to pick first.


    I spent the next hour or so unpacking my essentials - books, notebooks, the uniform I had folded neatly, my shoes, and my daily clothes. Everything was ced in their right ces.


    After finishing, I headed out to grab lunch as it was almost noon.


    The map was a savior as it made finding the dining hall easier. The Academy was not only huge, but also confusing, especially for a new student like me.


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    The hall was massive with long rows of polished oak tables lining the area. Stained ss windows were towering overhead, and golden chandeliers were hanging from the high ceiling.


    The air was buzzing with conversation,ughter, footsteps. Students were everywhere now as most of the second and third years had already arrived during the past couple of days.


    No one paid me much attention as I got my food and found a quiet corner to sit in.


    I chose my meal carefully. Vegetables, rice, grilled tofu, a small fruit bowl, a slice of bread, and a cup of herbal tea.


    I needed to eat properly now. Not just for me. But also for the baby.


    Once I was done with the lunch, I set out again to continue exploring more of the academy.

 Chapter 43: Chaos in Dorm 2-A

    <h4>Chapter 43: Chaos in Dorm 2-A</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Once I decided exactly where I wanted to go next, I closed the map and took a path that led me through the central courtyard. It was a circr space with a massive stone fountain in the middle. The carving was of a she-wolf and her cubs beneath the crescent moon.


    Students were lounging here too, flipping through books, talking,ughing. A few staff members were also passing by, all dressed in the same sharp ck as the woman from earlier.


    The library was standing just past the courtyard, nestled between two lecture halls.


    And it was beautiful, with tall windows, carved wooden doors, and ivy curling around its edges like poetry.


    Inside, the scent of parchment and leather-bound tomes was filling the air. Rows upon rows of shelves were stretched out before me, neatly categorized by subject. There were high ceilings and spiral staircases leading to the upper levels. Tables with small readingmps and cushioned chairs were scattered throughout.


    I could spend days here, I already knew I would.


    I grabbed a few books on magical theory - nothing too advanced, just enough to get a head start before sses started. Then, I found a small table near the back and nestled down to read through the book.


    I got too immersed in it, that Ipletely lost track of time. By the time I flipped through thest page, the sun was already close to the horizon.


    I returned the book to its original ce before heading out, mentally taking note you get my library pass as soon as possible.


    The Academy was bathed in the golden evening sunlight and the mountain air was carrying the cool breath of the approaching September, rustling the ivy-covered walls and lifting the loose strands of hair around my face.


    I had barely taken three steps toward the dorms when a familiar voice called out, "Eva?"


    I froze, immediately recognizing the voice. Turning around, I spotted Mallory jogging across the courtyard toward me, her hair bounced behind her and a wide grin on her face.


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    "Mallory!" I said, the surprise slipping into a smile before I could stop it.


    She threw her arms around me in a tight hug. "I thought it was you! You look... different." She added thest part as she pulled back and took a look at my face.


    I tilted my head in question, and her gaze moved to my eyes, her own narrowing slightly.


    "Your eyes," she murmured. "They are... amber?"


    Ah. The contacts.


    I had taken them off before arriving at the academy. There didn¡¯t seem to be a point anymore as I no longer needed to hide from the brothers, at least not in the way I had been doing till now.


    "They have always been this color," I said quietly. "The ones you saw before were fake."


    She blinked at me, thenughed. "Well, I like the real ones better. They make you look fierce."


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond to that, but I felt oddly warm at thement.


    She looped her arm through mine without hesitation. "Come on! Kyros just arrived a little while ago. He¡¯s unpacking in his room, and he¡¯s already grumbling about how his suitcase exploded."


    My chest lightened at the thought of seeing him again. "Where¡¯s his dorm?"


    "Right across from mine!" she said brightly. "I¡¯m in 2-B. What about you?"


    I stared at her, surprised. Then a smile bloomed on my lips as I answered, "I¡¯m in 2-B as well."


    Her eyes went wide. "You must be in the other bedroom. Unfortunately, we aren¡¯t sharing the same room. But let¡¯s look at bright side. We are in the same dorm and Kyros is in right opposite ours!"


    The grin that slowly stretched across my face waspletely unguarded. "That¡¯s... really good news."


    "Right?" she beamed, giving my arm a squeeze. "Let¡¯s go see Kyros before he turns the entire dorm upside down."


    Dorm 2-A was still a mess when we entered. Boxes were half-unpacked, clothes were spilled across his bed, and his shoes were mismatched on the floor. Noah was leaning against the closet, arms crossed, looking vaguely amused as Kyros fought with a tangled bedsheet.


    "You know," Noah drawled, "It¡¯s a bedsheet, not your opponent. "


    Kyros turned toward us and then paused, eyes going straight to my face.


    "Eva?"


    His gaze locked onto mine, and for a moment, his brows furrowed as if something was out of ce. Then -


    "Your eyes."


    Mallory snorted beside me. "Told you. She took off the brown lenses. Look at those wolf eyes now."


    I shifted ufortably under the sudden attention, but Kyros¡¯s surprise quickly morphed into a smile.


    "Amber suits you better," he said softly.


    I looked away, brushing my hair behind my ear. "I didn¡¯t think anyone would notice."


    "We notice everything," Mallory quipped.


    "Especially when ites to you," Noah added with a faint grin.


    We helped Kyros finish unpacking. And it turned out he and Noah were roommates.


    When the room was finally in order, we all headed to the dining hall together. Dinner was louder than lunch, with more students pouring in as stars filled the night sky. The chandeliers were illuminating the hall which was buzzing with energy, excitement, and curiosity.


    We enjoyed the dinner while chatting about the rooms, specting about the courses, and sharing bits of nervousness over the assembly the next morning. When we were done, Mallory and I made our way back to our dorm while the boys lingered behind to finish a dessert Noah had be far too fond of.


    The moment we entered our dorm, I let out a long breath.


    Themon area felt warm and familiar now. The ce was looking more lived-in, especially with Mallory¡¯s pink slippers already by the couch and her jacket slung over the armrest.


    "Okay," she said, flopping down dramatically. "I officially love this ce. The beds arefy, the food¡¯s delicious, and we even have a garden view. This is way better than my home pack¡¯s training barracks."


    I smiled as I curled up on the opposite side of the couch. "It really does feel different here."


    She nced at me. "So... are you nervous? About tomorrow?"


    "Terrified," I admitted. "But excited too."


    "I get that." She picked at the hem of her sleeve. "I¡¯m d you are here, Eva. Really."


    "Me too."

 Chapter 44: Midnight Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 44: Midnight Reunion</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Sleep pulled me in the moment my body hit the soft mattress, and for once, it was peaceful.


    Until I was woken by the click of the dorm door.


    I stirred, half-asleep, squinting my eyes at the glow of the bedside clock.


    <strong>12:14 a.m.</strong>


    I blinked as footsteps entered themon area and then stopped just outside my bedroom. A momentter, the doorknob turned slowly.


    I immediately up and then... froze.


    There, in the doorway, was a tall figure in ck jeans and a matching sweater with a backpack slung over one shoulder. A familiar, silver-lined mask was covering the lower half of his face.


    My heart jumped as I immediately recognized him despite the darkness.


    He was the masked guy, the same one I had shared a bedroom with during the entrance exam week. The one who barely spoke, but whose presence had lingered in my thoughts.


    His eyes met mine. Ice blue. Sharper than I remembered.


    For a second, he said nothing. Then, his gaze swept over the room and the two beds.


    Of course. He was my roommate.


    He dropped his bag by the other bed without a word.


    I was still staring, struggling to find my voice. "You are... my roommate?"


    He looked at me again with unreadable eyes behind the curtain of dark hair and that half-mask.


    "Looks like it," he said in a low and calm voice. And it was the first time I had heard his voice despite sharing a room with him for a week.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. What kind of twist of fate was this?


    As he began to unpack in silence, I sat there frozen, my heart pounding louder with every tick of the clock. Silver Moon Academy was full of surprises.


    I sat in bed with the covers drawn to my waist and my eyes fixed on him as he moved around in the shadows. His tall frame was shifting silently through the room.


    He was careful with his steps, but not careful enough. A soft thud echoed when he bumped into the edge of the dresser.


    I winced at the sound, watching as he paused mid-motion. "If you are going to unpack, you might as well turn on the lights," I said quietly, breaking the heavy silence.


    He didn¡¯t reply immediately. His gaze flickered to me, and for a moment I thought he was going to ignore mepletely. But then, without a word, he reached out and flicked the switch.


    The room brightened in a warm amber glow, and I blinked to adjust.


    He moved quickly then, efficient and focused. Within minutes, his side of the room began to take shape. Clothes were folded neatly in drawers, a set of neatly stacked books was ced by the study area, and a small box of supplies was organized on the desk.


    There was a kind of warrior precision to his movements, like he had done this a hundred times before. No wasted steps, no hesitation.


    I sat quietly, observing him as I hugged my knees under the nket.


    Despite the quiet, there was something loud about his presence. He didn¡¯t have to say much, he simply filled the space by being in it. And as much as I wanted to look away, I couldn¡¯t.


    He moved to the edge of his bed and sat down slowly. Then, without a word, he reached up and took off the ck mask, finally allowing me to find out what he really looked like behind that mask.


    He was handsome with strong bone structure, high cheekbones, a faint scar on his chin like a secret he didn¡¯t talk about. His dark hair fell across his forehead, just brushing against those pale, intense eyes that looked like they could pierce through bone.


    I didn¡¯t realize I was holding my breath until I let it out in a quiet exhale.


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    He caught my stare, and his eyes locked with mine for a heartbeat. Then he stood and reached for the light switch.


    The soft hum of the light clicked off, returning the room to its previous quiet glow. Only now, the moonlight filtering in felt different, like it was reflecting something I shouldn¡¯t have seen.


    He moved toward his bed again and slid under the sheets, turning slightly toward the wall. I thought he would stay silent. But just before the room fully fell into stillness, he spoke.


    His voice was low and deep, almost a whisper. "You should get some rest. Tomorrow¡¯s the first day of the term."


    I swallowed, caught off guard again by the sound of his voice. It wasn¡¯t cold or dismissive. Just... calm. Collected.


    "I will," I said quietly.


    He didn¡¯t respond, and I didn¡¯t expect him to.


    Iy back down slowly and pulled the nket up to my chin. My heart had calmed down and I felt a sense of peace washing over me.


    A part of me had been curious about my roommate throughout the day. I kept wondering with whom I would be sharing my personal space and how I would manage to keep all my secrets hidden from a person staying so close to me.


    But now that I found <i>him</i> as my roommate, a sense of relief washed over me. Considering how he always kept his distance and was barely around, I couldn¡¯t ask for a better roommate.


    I turned my head slightly, staring at the moon beyond the ss window. It was half-bright, hangingzily over the mountaintop. The view was beautiful, and so was the moonlight, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t cover it with the curtains.


    The Academy felt like a different world already.


    And I had a feeling that the stranger on the other side of the room, who wasn¡¯t really a stranger at all anymore, was going to be part of it in ways I couldn¡¯t yet understand.


    I closed my eyes, ready to fall asleep once again as I indeed wanted to be prepared for what was awaiting me theing morning.


    Tomorrow, everything would change.

 Chapter 45: First Day of the Term

    <h4>Chapter 45: First Day of the Term</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The Academy uniform fit better than I expected.


    It was tailored in deep navy with silver ents. The zer hugged my waist just right, with the Silver Moon Academy crest embroidered neatly over the left side of my chest. The skirt was modest, pleated, and brushed just above my knees, paired with soft ck stockings and low-heeled boots.


    I buttoned thest silver sp and nced at my reflection in the mirror. I barely recognized the girl looking back. I looked healthier, the color had returned my pale face and there was a quiet steadiness in my posture, as if my spine had learned how to hold strength instead of shame.


    Was I really the same Evaline from a week ago? Let alone the one from two months ago The? The girl who ran for days through the woods, hiding from the betrayal and the brothers?


    I straightened the cor of my blouse and brushed a hand over my t belly. The first term wouldst from September to January. All I needed to do was to keep my pregnancy a secret by then.


    I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be an easy task, but I was determined to find a way.


    The room behind me was quiet as my mysterious roommate had left before dawn, slipping out silently like a shadow.


    After onest look in the mirror, I grabbed my bag and headed out to meet Mallory and Kyros.


    They were already waiting in the dorm¡¯smon area. Mallory was wearing the uniform like she had been born in it - sharp and proud. Kyros was looking just as perfect and... nerdy. It was his appearance that fooled people at first nce. He smiled the moment he noticed me.


    "Woah," Mallory said as her eyes widened. "Someone¡¯s glowing today."


    I blinked. "What?"


    Kyrosughed. "She¡¯s right. You look... good. Strong."


    "Must be the uniform," I muttered though a small smile crept to my lips.


    We walked together to the main building where the dining hall was located. The morning air was crisp and cool against our skin. Mist was clinging low to the grass, and above us, the sky was pale with dawn light, streaked with soft golds and blues.


    The dining hall was buzzing just like the previous evening as students had filled up the ce. The only difference was that now everyone was dressed in their uniforms.


    I filled my tray with two boiled eggs, a cup of mixed berries, a sandwich, and a cup of herbal tea. I was making sure to eat a bnced diet as I had promised myself that I would do this right.


    As we ate, chatter filled the room. The first-years were mostly looking nervous, while the second and third years looked like they owned the ce. There were more staff members present todaypared to yesterday, but I still hadn¡¯t seen any professors.


    Once breakfast ended, Mallory checked the ss list. "Alright," she said, tapping her phone. "First ss is at the East Wing. ¡¯Werewolf Law and Pack Hierarchy¡¯ with Professor Alden."


    Selene groaned. "Great. A lecture to start the year."


    Weughed while grabbing our bags and making our way across the courtyard.


    The East Wing was filled with the smell of old parchment and lemon polish. We slipped into the lecture hall with minutes to spare and found seats near the middle.


    The room was tiered like an amphitheater, with rows of stone benches and desks, and arge ckboard at the front.


    The sound a bell filled the Academy momentster, announcing the start of the first official day of the new term.


    Professor Alden entered a momentter. He was a tall, gray-haired man with sharp eyes. He didn¡¯t waste a second.


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    "Wee to Silver Moon," he began and his voice boomed. "This is not your average academy. Here, you are not just students, but heirs of a world that lives in secrecy and survival. Understanding that world begins with its rules."


    We dove into a brief summary on the structure of packs, the responsibilities of Alphas, Betas, Enforcers, and Omegas. We learned about packws - ancient codes, inter-pack treaties, and the fragile bnce that kept werewolf society from tearing itself apart.


    By the end of the lecture, my notebook was nearly full.


    Next, we had Werewolf History and Politics. Professor Elira was a young woman with wild red curls and a whip-smart attitude. She spoke about the historical wars between Northern and Southern packs, the rise of rogue alliances, and the impact of human technology on werewolf secrecy.


    "Always remember," she said as she paced at the front. "Humans may be fragile, but they are clever. The age of silver bullets is over. They don¡¯t need to shoot to kill anymore... just expose us."


    A chill ran down my spine at herst words.


    After that came Lunar Energy and Moon Cycles. It was taught in one of the Academy¡¯s towers. It was a smaller ss, held in a circr room with ss walls and a perfect view of the distant waterfall.


    We learned how the moon affected our senses, instincts, and even our magic. The professor showed us how to track our strength levels using lunar charts, and what rituals helped in maintaining control during full moons.


    Kyros was busy jotting down notes furiously. And Mallory, she was leaning back in her chair, watching the professor with the same expression she used while listening to music.


    As for me? I felt all of it settle into my bones.


    This wasn¡¯t just school.


    It was survival. Knowledge. Power.


    By lunch, we were starving again. We found Noah already seated at a table, surrounded by two other boys who were apparently his and Kyros¡¯ dorm mates. They seemed friendly enough, and we all talked through our break.


    "You get used to it," Noah said. "Or you pretend to."


    After lunch, our final ss was Wolf Psychology and Emotional Regtion. It wasn¡¯t a subject I hadn¡¯t expected but quickly realized was vital. The professor, a soft-spoken woman named Rhea, spoke of the emotional ties between wolves, pack bonding, imprinting, grief, rage, and instincts.


    "This ss will help you understand not just yourselves, but each other," she said. "Control starts in the mind, not the ws."


    And the ss continued for an entire hour...!


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 Chapter 46: The Privilege Award

    <h4>Chapter 46: The Privilege Award</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time the lunch bell rang across the Silver Moon Academy grounds, I was already feeling exhausted. My head was hurting from trying to follow advanced theory in Wolf History, and my stomach was grumbling for food.


    I havee to a realization recently - I started feeling more hungry ever since I confirmed my pregnancy. Three meals a day were just perfect for me before that, but now, they didn¡¯te anywhere near enough.


    <strong>"</strong>Let¡¯s go grab food." I told Mallory and Kyros.


    At this point, I was finally epting the fact that these two were now my friends, real friends who were with me because they liked me for who I was, and not because they were ying some sort of game with me under someone¡¯s orders.


    We were about to enter the dining hall, when...


    "Ms. Evaline from Year One, report to Professor Kieran¡¯s office," the announcement echoed through the halls like a death sentence.


    I stopped walking and so did my friends. The two exchanged a nce before looking at my half confused and half stunned face.


    "Maybe it¡¯s about the privilege reward." Kyros provided and it did make sense.


    I quickly nodded my head. "I¡¯ll meet you guyster." I waved at them before heading toward my changed destination, the food was now wiped out of my brain.


    Professor Kieran.


    It had been a week since Ist saw him. His sses wouldn¡¯t be starting until two more weeks, and hence, there was never a chance where I caught have caught even a glimpse of him.


    One might stumble across an ancient ghost while walking around the Academy, but stumbling across Professor Kieran was just impossible.


    But I wasn¡¯t sure why I even wanted to see him. It wasn¡¯t like we were friends or anything. At most, we were two people who had a deal between us.


    However, no matter how much I tried to think otherwise, a part of me knew that I hade to appreciate Professor Kieran¡¯s attitude toward me. The way he looked at me was as if I mattered. Like I wasn¡¯t invisible. Like I <i>should</i> be visible.


    I walked down the west corridor toward the staff wing. The further I got, the more I felt something wrong in the air. It was just a feeling, one that I could neither understand nor ignore.


    But it kept making me feel like I should turn back.


    The office door was slightly ajar. I knocked once and stepped in, only for my breath to catch in my throat when not one, but three pairs of eyes turned to me,


    Professor Kieran was sitting behind the sleek wooden desk, his expression calm and almost... regretful?


    Then there was Instructor Oscar who was standing near the tall bookshelf with his arms crossed and his deep green eyes locked on mine like he was trying to read something hidden in my soul.


    Recalling thest time we met, in the arena duringst test, I quickly looked away from me. I didn¡¯t need him to voice it out for me to know that he might hate me now just as much as Alpha River, if not more.


    Talking about the devil, he was standing near the window. He was like a ghost of hatred wrapped in tailored perfection.


    He stood near the window, a ghost of hatred wrapped in tailored perfection. His silver-blond hair was styled neatly, and his eyes met mine with the sharpness of daggers.


    Every cell in my body started screaming danger, forcing me to take a step back.


    "Evaline," Professor Kieran said gently. "Come in. Please."


    I stepped in, but I kept my distance. "Am I... in trouble?"


    "No," he said softly. "Actually, you are here because you are due a privilege award."


    So, it was indeed about that. What I didn¡¯t expect was the presence of three of the four brothers just to hand over the award to me.


    "You ranked first in your cement evaluation," Professor Kieran continued as he pushed a sealed folder toward me. "It¡¯s tradition. The top-performing neer is granted a reward."


    Alpha River scoffed. "Imagine that. The daughter of a murderer being awarded anything."


    I didn¡¯t react, even though the pure hatred in his tone caused my heart to race even more quickly than it already was.


    What really caught my attention was how Instructor Oscar shifted ufortably, his jaw tightening. He didn¡¯t speak, but his difort was written all over his face. And this made me wonder what was going on with him.


    At the same time, Professor Kieran shot Alpha River a look. "Brother, we agreed to be civil."


    Alpha River only smirked in response. "I am. I¡¯m simply stating facts."


    I swallowed down the rising heat in my throat. "You said there¡¯s a reward?" I asked Professor Kieran. I wanted to get over with this as quickly as possible.


    He nodded. "Three options. You are to choose one. Each has its own benefits... and consequences."


    My fingers trembled as I reached for the folder. But before I could open it, River strode across the room and snatched it away.


    "I¡¯ll do the honors," he said smoothly and flipped it open. "Option one - a private one-on-one training session with each professor every week for the remainder of the term. This includes personal tutoring, simted case studies, and advanced theory. All tailored entirely to you."


    My eyes widened a little.


    This... sounded like a dream.


    But as I looked at River, I felt a sick feeling taking root in the depth of my belly. He might not be a professor at the academy, but I had no doubt about the authority he held here.


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    If I ended up chosing this option, not only I would be training under Oscar, but River might also find a way to use this to torment me. Besides, I was pregnant and being in direct sight of any of these brothers, or the other professors and instructors, sounded like a dangerous idea.


    "Option two," River continued...

 Chapter 47: Best of the Three Options

    <h4>Chapter 47: Best of the Three Options</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I listened closely as the second option got revealed.


    "... is ess to the restricted section of the Silver Moon Library. For the entire academic year."


    I couldn¡¯t hide my reaction this time. My gaze turned to Professor Kieran as I asked, "That¡¯s... possible?"


    He nodded in response. "For you, yes. That section holds ancient scrolls, forbidden histories, bloodline theories, magical relic records - things even staff are limited from essing without proper clearance. You could find things even we have never seen."


    I swallowed hard.


    That kind of knowledge... was something students could only dream about. The amount of knowledge I could gain from the restricted section was limitless. Not only that, but this one sounded like such a safe option with no threat of these brothers interfering in my life.


    "Don¡¯t think it¡¯s all rainbows." River added when I stayed silent and lost in my thoughts. "If you chose this one, you will be watched. Every book you open. Every note you take. Misuse of information, intentional or not,es with severe consequences. Expulsion is just the beginning."


    To say I wasn¡¯t intimidated, would be such a lie. But I wasn¡¯t really surprised by the strictness that followed this reward. When giving ess to such kind of knowledge, they would definitely make sure that nothing would go wrong.


    "And the third?" I asked quietly.


    <fn0e74> The source of th?s content is f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fn0e74>


    This time, the one who spoke was Professor Kieran. "A personal rmendation for an internship under the Council."


    My eyes went wide.


    A small smile touched the corners of his lips at my reaction. "You would be the first first-year ever given such an opportunity. If you ept this one, you will travel during weekends and term breaks to work alongside some of the most powerful Alphas, learnw, negotiation, policy writing, and representation."


    I stood there in silence, my head buzzing with thoughts. Finally, I looked up and fixed my gaze of Professor Kieran as I asked, "Can I have time to think about it?"


    His eyes softened as he replied, "You have until the end of the week."


    "Or now," River interrupted. "Why dy the inevitable?"


    I stared at him, finally noticing something I failed to initially as I was too affected by his presence. He wasn¡¯t acting his normal self. The calm, collected, and powerful Alpha I hade to know him as, was now looking... helpless.


    And I might just know why - on one side was the daughter of his enemy whom he could no longer hurt, and on the other side was his own brother who helped me. His helplessness, it wasing from here. And that¡¯s why he¡¯s being like this... someone ready to pounce at me but had no idea how and when.


    Without even meaning it, a small - almost unnoticeable - smile tugged at my lips. And he saw it.


    The way his gaze heated up in anger, I was sure that he knew exactly what was going on in my head, and he definitely didn¡¯t like someone knowing his helplessness, especially me.


    He opened his mouth, probably ready to throw more hateful and degrading words at me, but before he could, someone else spoke up.


    "Let her choose in peace, River."


    My head snapped in Oscar¡¯s direction. It was the first time I heard him speak since I walked in. His voice was quieter than I expected. Thoughtful. As if he wasn¡¯t just defending me, but also defending <i>himself </i>from something.


    River too looked at his brother, clearly as stunned as me. Then, he inhaled deeply. It was an attempt at keeping his bubbling emotions from breaking out, but I could tell that he was at the very edge.


    He was already battling with Kieran¡¯s betrayal, and now with Oscar speaking up for me, he was feeling at a loss.


    At first, it felt like he was about to lose his mind, but then, he walked out of the room as if he could no longer breathe the same air as us... or me. He looked ready to take down anything or anyone that crossed his path at the moment.


    Once he was gone, the office got filled with silence. Then, Professor Kieran spoke. "Take your time to decide. You still have three days. It¡¯s your choice, Evaline. But choose knowing each option will change your path."


    I nodded my head in understanding before walking out of his office with the folder clutched tightly to my chest.


    * * *


    I didn¡¯t sleep much that night.


    Though I had asked for time, I already knew what I wanted to choose.


    The first option was already a big no from the very beginning. And while the second one sounded like the safest among all three, safe didn¡¯t mean best. This left me with the third option - internship at the council.


    I knew the stakes in this one were just as high as the one-on-one training option. I would be working under the Alphas, their Betas, and other important figures of the Shifter Council.


    But again, I wouldn¡¯t be working there all the time, only on weekends and during term breaks. This internship would not only pay me, but would also give me a chance to learn and forge a future for myself.


    I could use that money for my medical bills, to pay Professor Kieran back, and if possible, then to save some for the baby. And with the mention of this internship in my resume, it would be easier for me to find good jobs in the future.


    All in all, the option of internship appealed the most .


    The only thing I needed to worry about was the first term breaks. I would be around seven months pregnant by then, and it would be impossible to hide it.


    But I still had five months to worry about that. I was sure to find a way to make things work.


    With the decision made, I finally allowed myself to rx and fall into the depths of the slumber as I had sses in the morning.

 Chapter 48: Surprise in the Library

    <h4>Chapter 48: Surprise in the Library</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The academy¡¯s library was quiet as dusk began to paint the sky with shades of bruised purple and weary gold.


    The momentst bell of the day was heard across the academy, students rushed to take a break from another long day of sses. Since it was still the first week of the term, almost all the sses were theory based and there was a limit to how much theory shifters could take in.


    Instead of following Mallory back to dorms, I excused myself and headed toward the library. Not because I wanted to spend thest bit of the day reading through books, but because I needed some alone time.


    It wasn¡¯t as if I disliked Mallory and Kyros¡¯spany. I just still wasn¡¯t used to having friends - real, good friends.


    Besides, I loved the library for the peace it brought to my usual chaotic mind. I made my way to the back of the never-ending room, not really looking for anything and just surfing the shelves.


    My fingers traced the edge of a bookshelf, and I inhaled the familiar scent of old pages and ink. The library was my favorite ce at Silver Moon.


    I turned down one of the far aisles, looking for a copy of Magical Herbs and potions - Professor Kieran¡¯s subject. I was actually looking forward to his sses, a part of me knew that he was going to be one of my favorite teachers at Silver Moon, if not <i>the </i>favorite.


    I froze as I sensed something - a shift in the air. Like breath exhaled too close. My pulse quickened as I nced behind me.


    But there was nothing.


    Then suddenly, a rough grip pulled me backward between two towering rows of old encyclopedias, and before I could cry out, a hand was pressed over my mouth. My back hit the wooden wall of a shelf, causing my breath to get caught in my throat.


    "Shh," a voice whispered against my ear. It was deep, controlled, and dangerous.


    Panic immediately filled with blood, making me thrash against the strong hold me.


    "Don¡¯t scream," he murmured.


    And that¡¯s when I recognized that voice. Even though I had heard it only once before, barely for seconds, I somehow remember it.


    He was one of the brothers - Alpha Draven.


    His green eyes met mine. They were intense and unreadable, but not cold like River¡¯s or uncertain like Oscar¡¯s. They were burning like a green wildfire.


    He slowly removed his hand from my mouth, but didn¡¯t move away.


    "What the hell-" I started.


    "Keep your voice down," he cut in while his eyes flicked toward the hallway.


    "What are you doing?" I hissed.


    He didn¡¯t answer immediately, just stared at me like he had been waiting. Like he knew I would pass this aisle. Like he had stood there, still as stone, just for me.


    "Why are you here?" he finally asked.


    My brows furrowed. "This is a library. Students are allowed here."


    "I didn¡¯t mean the library," he said darkly. "I meant this school."


    I stiffened. There it was... that hatred I had be too familiar with qhen it came to these Rogue Alpha brothers. There was suspicionced in every word they all threw at me.


    "You want me to leave?" I asked quietly. "Get in line."


    His jaw clenched. "I don¡¯t want you anywhere near my brothers."


    "Believe me, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m trying."


    He stepped closer, and I had to force myself not to move. He was tall, almost taller than the others, maybe... and built like he belonged on a battlefield, not in a room full of books. And yet here he was, ring at me between the pages of dusty volumes as if I had walked into his territory.


    "I don¡¯t trust you," he said.


    "That makes two of us." I wasn¡¯t sure where all this confidence wasing from, but it felt good. Maybe it was because I knew he couldn¡¯t hurt me, at least not directly.


    He tilted his head, as if studying me. "Then why did youe here, Evaline Greystone?" He said my name like it was poison. Like it burned his tongue.


    "I came to learn," I answered evenly. "To survive."


    "You should have stayed away."


    I didn¡¯t respond. Because what was I supposed to say? That I didn¡¯t have a choice? That I had been offered a spot I couldn¡¯t refuse, and a chance I couldn¡¯t walk away from?


    And then his gaze shifted, and I realized he was looking at my hair that was still ck.


    "Is that all?" I asked. "Or did you drag me in here just to stare?" I pulled his attention back to my face.


    He took another step closer, and I felt it hit me out of nowhere... something like static in the air. My breath got caught as his hand brushed my arm.


    And then it hit us both... a pull unlike any, yet something I had experienced before... more than once.


    It wasn¡¯t violent, but quiet. A soft jolt. An invisible string that tugged at something deep, ancient, and terrifying.


    He blinked while I swallowed hard.


    "What-" I whispered.


    "I don¡¯t know," he said while pulling his hand away quickly. "That - wasn¡¯t supposed to happen."


    He took a step back and I was grateful as there was nowhere I could move to. The aisle was suddenly feeling too small. Too warm. Too dangerous.


    "We are not. Impossible." I whispered, more to myself.


    "No," he added sharply. "It¡¯s probably nothing." But the look in his eyes betrayed him. It wasn¡¯t nothing. And we both knew it.


    "Do your brothers know you are stalking girls in libraries?" I snapped, trying to gain back some sense of control.


    He gave a bitter smile. "I don¡¯t stalk girls. Just enemies."


    My spine straightened. "So I¡¯m your enemy?"


    He leaned close, just enough to make my pulse race. "You are the daughter of the man who murdered my parents."


    That silenced me.


    "I don¡¯t want anything from you," I said.


    "Good," he said, stepping back finally. "Stay away from my brothers. Stay away from me."


    "I would have, if you hadn¡¯t pulled me in here."


    He didn¡¯t respond, just turned and disappeared into the rows of books, his footsteps muffled by the old carpet.


    I let out a long breath, steadying myself against the shelf.


    This school was supposed to be hard.


    But this?


    This was something else entirely.<fnf85e> Fresh chapters posted on Find?Novel</fnf85e>

 Chapter 49: Something Happened to Roomy

    <h4>Chapter 49: Something Happened to Roomy</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note: </strong>Chapter 41-48 have been heavily edited. I¡¯m really sorry for the inconvenience caused.


    Also, thank you "Grace_Archuleta" & "Jennifer_Rea" for all the support you both have shown to the story. It means a lot!


    * * *


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Thest ss of the day finally ended, and I exhaled as I stepped out of the lecture hall.


    It was friday afternoon, and unsurprisingly, it was chaotic as students celebrated the end of the long week full of sses. The next two days, were to rx and enjoy.


    "Are you going to the library, Eva?" Mallory asked, "Howe you are turning out to be even more nerdy than Kyros?"


    Kyros just sighed while I chuckled softly. "No. I¡¯m not heading to the library. But I need to drop by one of the Professor¡¯s office. I¡¯ll meet you in the dormter."


    I didn¡¯t mention Professor Kieran¡¯s name because I didn¡¯t want her to pester me with questions about the so-called ¡¯dream Professor¡¯ of every girl at Silver Moon.


    "Alright. We will be waiting. Let¡¯s y some indoor games to rx in the evening." Noah suggested. Being Kyros roommate, he had be almost a permanent part of our group for most of the days.


    I gave a nod of approval before separating from the group and making my way toward the administrative wing of the Academy where most professors and senior staff had their offices.


    Professor Kieran¡¯s office was tucked away in the far west corridor, away from the general student traffic, which didn¡¯t surprise me. He never seemed to like attention, despite the authority and fan following he carried.


    I knocked gently on the wooden door and my heart skipped a beat when his deep but gentle voice replied, "Come in."


    He was standing near the window with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tailored cks. The sunlight was nting across his long blonde hair and calm expression. His familiar scent greeted me as I stepped inside.


    "Evaline," he said with a small smile. "I was expecting you."


    I gave a hesitant smile before speaking, "I have made my choice."


    He tilted his head. "And?"


    "I¡¯ll take the internship," I replied, keeping my voice steady. "I want to make best of this opportunity."


    He studied me for a long moment, nodding slowly as if trying to read between the lines. "That¡¯s a wise choice," he finally said. "And possibly the most difficult one."


    "I know," I said softly. "But I¡¯m prepared."


    He walked over to his desk, picked up a sealed folder, and handed it to me. "These are all you will be needing. Your work will start from next weekend and you¡¯ll be escorted on your first visit. Take the next two days to enjoy a bit because you won¡¯t get this privilege again."


    I epted the folder while nodding my head in understanding. "Thank you... for giving me a choice."


    His gaze softened. "You are a capable student. You deserved it."


    <fn11b8> This text is hosted at find?novel</fn11b8>


    I nodded, then turned to leave, not trusting myself to speak more without my voice betraying me.


    * * *


    Saturday arrived with a cool breeze and a golden sky. It was a perfect day for a break.


    After breakfast, the six of us - Mallory, Kyros, Selene, Noah, Ria, and I made our way to the academy gates. Ria was Mallory¡¯s roommate, with sharp wit and easy confidence. And in the few days we had known each other, we had bonded more than I expected.


    "I can¡¯t believe we survived week one," Selene groaned as she stretched her arms above her head.


    "Barely," Noah added with a grin.


    "You guys think this was tough?" Riaughed. "Wait until midterms."


    We took the academy transport shuttle to the nearest town - ckwood Hollow. It was a cozy, slightly rustic town nestled at the foot of the north of the mountain, full of cobbled streets, tiny cafes, bookstores, and boutiques.


    And for the first time in what felt like months, I let myself breathe.


    We had coffee at a corner caf¨¦, I obviously got herbal tea. Then we wandered into a quirky shop that sold handmade trinkets and herbs, and shared slices of warm apple pie at a bakery that smelled like cinnamon and childhood.


    "So... have you decided yet?" Kyros suddenly asked me as everyone was busy taking photos in front of a beautiful fountain in town¡¯s square.


    I nced up at him. "Decided?"


    "Your reward," Mallory chimed in as she joined us. "We have been dying to know!"


    I hesitated, then said softly, "I chose the internship at the council."


    Selene blinked. "Wait, that was one of the options?"


    Kyros gave me an impressed look. "Bold move. But that¡¯s exactly what I was expecting from you. I wish you all the luck in the world."


    "We too!"


    The others chimed in, and as I looked at their sincere smiles, my throat almost felt heavy with emotions.


    "Thank you."


    That was all I could muster. We spent another hour wandering through the twon before returning to the academy. The dinner was just as lively and when we were back in our rooms, I realized that my roommate was still absent.


    I curled under my nket and fell asleep almost immediately as I was feeling tired after having fun the entire day.


    But then, I was pulled awake... again.


    The door creaked open around midnight, and the faintest rustle of movement reached my ears. At first, I thought it was just the usual - him returningte as always.


    But then, I caught the scent of blood which forced me to shot up, my heart pounding.


    Moonlight was streaming through the balcony, painting him in silvery hues. His back was to me as he tried to move silently across the room. But he was slower tonight. Stiff. Struggling.


    "Turn on the lights," I said quietly.


    And he paused.


    I saw his shoulders tense, and for a second, I thought he might ignore me. Then the soft click of the switch filled the silence, and the room was flooded in soft yellow light.


    And my breath caught once again as I took in his half-torn shirt which was stained crimson. Cuts were shing across his arms and back, and there was a dark bruise blooming near his temple. His hands were trembling slightly as he ced a small pouch on his desk, trying hard not to make any noise.


    "You are hurt," I whispered.


    He turned then... slowly, like he was debating it. His face was pale, lips pressed tightly together as his piercing icy-blue eyes met mine.


    I didn¡¯t miss the blood dripping near his wrist. But before I could say another word, he simply said in a low and hoarse voice, "Go back to sleep, Eva."


    But sleep was thest thing on my mind now.

 Chapter 50: Playing Nurse with Roommate

    <h4>Chapter 50: ying Nurse with Roommate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I should have gone back to sleep.


    He told me to.


    But as I sat upright on my bed, watching him wince under the soft light while blood soaked through his clothes, I realized that wasn¡¯t an option anymore. Not for me.


    The old Eva might have kept her head down and remained hidden under the covers, pretending she didn¡¯t see a thing.


    But I wasn¡¯t her anymore. I was changing, for the better..


    I pushed the nket off and slid off the bed. "You are bleeding," I repeated quietly.


    He didn¡¯t even look at me. "So?"


    "So," I said, frowning, "you are injured. Badly."


    "I¡¯ll heal," he muttered, half-sitting, half-slumping into the chair by the desk. "Just mind your business and go to sleep."


    "No."


    His head turned sharply toward me. His eyes were narrowed, the blue of them almost glowing under the light, but I stood my ground. I wasn¡¯t scared of him. Not anymore. Maybe I should have been. Maybe there were a thousand reasons to pretend I didn¡¯t see him bleeding all over the floor.


    But I couldn¡¯t.


    He opened his mouth to say something else, but I was already moving. I grabbed one of the clean hand towels from my drawer and slipped out into themon room, heading straight for the small kitchen tucked into the corner. The dorm was quiet and filled with darkness, the only source of light was from the bedroom as I left the door wide open.


    I wet the towel under cold water, wrung it out quickly, and hurried back with a bowl of water.


    He was still seated, now watching me with an unreadable expression.


    "Take off your shirt," I said softly.


    He stared at me like I had just grown a second head. "What?"


    "You heard me. I need to see how bad it is."


    "I told you, I¡¯ll heal-"


    "And I told you, I don¡¯t care. Just take it off."


    A tense silence settled between us, but surprisingly, he obeyed.


    He tugged the tattered shirt over his head and tossed it aside. I inhaled sharply at the sight of him, not just because of the lean, well-defined muscles or the striking contrast of his pale skin against the blood, but because of the bruises, the angry red gashes, and the dried blood that ran down his side.


    I dropped to my knees beside him and began to gently clean the wound on his shoulder.


    He flinched at first but didn¡¯t stop me.


    "Where were you?" I asked quietly, making sure to be as gentle as possible. "Who did this to you?"


    "That¡¯s none of your business," he said, but there was no anger in his voice, just tiredness.


    "I figured you would say that." I nced up at him.


    He didn¡¯t respond. Just stared at the wall behind me with his jaw set tight.


    "I won¡¯t tell anyone," I added. "But someone needs to take care of this."


    "They¡¯ll heal," he muttered.


    "I know," I replied. "Werewolf thing. But you are still bleeding right now. You are not invincible, just really good at pretending you are."


    For a moment, I thought he might get up and walk out. But he didn¡¯t. He stayed and let me clean the worst of the blood. The silence between us wasn¡¯tfortable, but it wasn¡¯t hostile either. More like... cautiously curious.


    I wrung out the towel again and pressed it gently to a bruised cut near his shoulder.


    "Do you alwayse back thiste?" I asked even though I knew the answer.


    "Usually."


    "Do you alwayse back bleeding too?"


    "Not always."


    I gave him a look. "Comforting."


    A corner of his mouth twitched, almost like a smirk, but it faded just as quickly as it came.


    I sat back a little, examining his injuries. Most of them had already begun to seal over. The skin was knitting itself back together at a remarkable pace, making me wonder if he was an Alpha. "They are healing fast," I said.


    "They would have healed faster if you hadn¡¯t stopped me to y nurse," he muttered, but there was no real heat behind it.


    "You are wee," I replied with a shrug.


    Finally, he leaned back against the wall, letting out a long, slow breath. For the first time, he looked... tired. Not just physically. There was a weight on his shoulders that didn¡¯te from battle alone.


    "Rowan," he said suddenly, without looking at me.


    I blinked. "What?"


    "My name," he said. "It¡¯s Rowan. Rowan Mills."


    I arched my eyebrowso at the sudden self introduction. "You are telling me your name now? After nearly two weeks of pretending I don¡¯t exist?"


    "You weren¡¯t supposed to be my roommate," he surprised me. "I applied for a single. Didn¡¯t expect... well, you."


    I sat down on the floor beside his bed, pulling my knees to my chest. "I didn¡¯t expect to share a room with a brooding, bleeding mystery man either, but here we are."


    His chuckle was soft. Barely there. But it happened, taking me by surprise.


    We sat in silence for a while after that. The awkward kind, sure, but it wasn¡¯t as heavy as before.


    "Thank you," he said a few momentster and I almost missed it if not for the deadly silence filling the room.


    <fn0468> Fresh chapters posted on F?nd-Novel</fn0468>


    I looked up and asked, "For what?"


    "For... not asking too many questions," he replied as he shifted his eyes to me. "And for not treating me like I¡¯m broken."


    "I don¡¯t think you are broken," I said, watching him. "I think you are hurting. And trying very hard not to show it."


    I was rewarded with another silence, but this one didn¡¯tst for too long.


    "You are... different," he said after a while, ncing sideways at me.


    "Different how?" I almost sounded curious.


    "You don¡¯t talk much, but when you do, it¡¯s not like everyone else." He paused. "You are quiet, but not weak. Soft, but... not fragile."


    I swallowed hard. Words like that meant more than I could say, especiallying from someone like him. Someone who saw things most didn¡¯t.


    "Well," I said, standing and gently tossing the bloodied towel into the small basket in the corner, "you are not as cold as you pretend to be, either."


    His lips twitched again. "Don¡¯t let anyone hear you say that."


    I smiled faintly. "Your secret¡¯s safe with me, Rowan."


    Hey back on the bed slowly, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion now that the worst of the pain had passed.


    "You should sleep," he murmured. "It¡¯ste."


    I nodded and slipped back into my bed but not before switching off the lights. And just before I could have drifted off, his voice came again. It was so quiet that I almost thought I imagined it.


    "Good night, Eva."


    Something in my chest twisted gently. I didn¡¯t reply, but a small smile did bloom on my lips.

 Chapter 51: The Mate Bond

    <h4>Chapter 51: The Mate Bond</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    I should have been at the mansion.


    It was Sunday, and we had a rule to always return home during weekends no matter what. These were the days we always spent together, no matter how busy or angry we were during the week.


    But not today. Not with the heavy storm brewing between us, especially between River and Kethan.


    I held myself back from sighing and instead ran my fingers through my hair as I walked through the empty halls of the academy.


    I wasn¡¯t nning to ever use my quarters here in the academy, let alone doing so in my very first week as an Instructor. My quarters here were supposed to be a backup, a formality... not my shelter.


    And yet here I was... and that¡¯s when I saw <i>her</i>.


    She appeared as I turned a corner, like some cruel trick of fate.


    Evaline Greystone.


    She was walking alone through the quiet hallway, and from what I could guess, she seemed to be heading to the library.


    I stopped dead in my tracks.


    There was no one else around. Most of the students were out enjoying the day in the nearby towns, leaving the academy feeling ghost-like and still.


    Except for her.


    I should have turned around. I should have walked away, remembered every reason why getting close to her was wrong.


    Instead, I just... stared.


    My wolf started pushing hard against my chest and a growl vibrated low in my throat. It wanted what I had been denying it.


    And this led me to do something I shouldn¡¯t have. Without even realizing it, I started following her, making sure to not alert her.


    I followed her into the empty library and watched her walk between the tall shelves while she trailed her fingers lightly over the spines of old books.


    Few momentster, she disappeared deeper, oblivious to the way my heart was hammering in my chest or the way my wolf was practically howling now.


    She was too far and I couldn¡¯t see her face anymore. But I needed to see her face.


    <fnfb86> This content belongs to Find1Novel</fnfb86>


    The beast inside me demanded it.


    Before I could think better of it, I moved with quick, quiet strides. I followed the thread of her scent - fresh, warm, soft - and found her again near the back of the library, scanning the shelves with her back to me.


    "Eva."


    Her name left my lips before I could stop it, rough and low.


    She turned sharply at the sound, surprise shing across her features... and then she stumbled.


    Just likest time.


    I moved on instinct. One step. Two. And then my hands were on her, catching her before she could fall. I wrapped one arm firmly around her waist while the other steadied her shoulder.


    And the moment our bodies collided, it hit us both... <i>the bond</i>.


    It mmed into me so hard that I staggered, and I felt her gasp against my chest.


    The pull between us wasn¡¯t just me.


    She felt it too.


    She clutched my shirt as if to stop her body from trembling, but ended up pressing herself closer as if on instinct.


    And I... I was lost.


    I tightened my arms around her and pulled her flush against me before burying my face in her now ck hair, breathing her in like a starving man.


    My wolf howled with satisfaction as I finally had her in my arms, finally touching what was his.


    She smelled like wildflowers and sunlight and something sweetly forbidden.


    "Eva..." I breathed her name against her hair in a hoarse, broken voice.


    She tilted her head up and her wide amber eyes met mine. And Moon Goddess help me, I almost kissed her.


    Her lips were parted slightly and I was able to feel her warm breath against my corbone. I was also able to feel her heart pounding wildly against my chest, matching the frantic beat of my own.


    Without thinking, I brushed a strand of hair from her face and my fingers lingered against her soft skin.


    Her cheeks flushed under my touch, but she didn¡¯t pull away. Instead, she leaned into it.


    The small, unconscious movement shattered thest of my restraint. I cupped her face in both hands and lowered my forehead until it rested against hers.


    Our breaths mingled while ours souls begged to interwine... at least mine did.


    <i>Mine.</i>


    The word echoed through every fiber of my being.


    I didn¡¯t know how long we stood like that - seconds, minutes, an eternity. I didn¡¯t care. All I knew was that the ache inside me, the hollow, empty space I hadn¡¯t even realized was there, finally felt whole.


    But reality was a cruel, cold thing. The harsh reminder of her identity pierced through the haze like a knife, cutting me deep.


    I pulled back sharply, as if burned, though my every instinct was screaming against it.


    She stumbled slightly at the sudden loss of contact, her eyes looking confused. And I hated myself for putting that look on her face.


    I turned away, running a shaking hand through my hair while trying to gather the pieces of my shattered control.


    "You need to stay away from me, Eva," I rasped, my voice raw and unsteady.


    "But... I nev-"


    "No." I cut her off in a much harsher voice than I was intending. "This - whatever this is - can¡¯t happen."


    With my back to her, I couldn¡¯t see her reaction. But I couldn¡¯t make myself face her, not when I was hanging just by a thread of control.


    For a moment, neither of us spoke and the bond thrummed between us. But then, I opened my mouth to ruin things further.


    "What we felt just now... it doesn¡¯t matter," I forced the words out before I could take them back. "You are the daughter of the man who destroyed my family. My brothers would never ept this. I can¡¯t ept this."


    I wanted to sneak a look at her, but I knew I couldn¡¯t stay. Because if I did, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop myself from touching her again.


    From kissing her.


    From iming her.


    "Stay away from me, Eva," I repeated in an almost broken voice before I fled the library, leaving the only girl I could never have behind.

 Chapter 52: He’s a Good Roommate

    <h4>Chapter 52: He¡¯s a Good Roommate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I mmed the dorm door shut behind me, causing the frame to rattle.


    The echo rang out through the emptymon area, but I didn¡¯t care. My blood was boiling, my thoughts were in chaos, and my heart - damn it - was aching.


    I stormed into my room and kicked the edge of my bed. Hard.


    "Stupid... arrogant... delusional brothers!" I seethed while pacing like a madwoman. "I didn¡¯t ask for this! I didn¡¯t <i>want</i> this!"


    Every step was making the rage bubble higher in my chest. The audacity of Oscar to pull me close, to stare at me like I was something precious... and then act like I was a mistake secondster? I wasn¡¯t some doll he could y with and then discard like trash.


    "I¡¯m not some helpless girl just begging for his attention!" I yelled into the empty room. "And I sure as hell don¡¯t need him or <i>any</i> of his brothers thinking I¡¯m desperate for their time!"


    I dragged both hands down my face and groaned in frustration.


    Why was it always like this?


    First Ethan. Now Oscar.


    One moment, they looked at me like I mattered, like the Moon Goddess had ced me in their path on purpose, and the next, they shoved me away, like I was cursed.


    Or I might really be cursed. Because what¡¯s with these bonds that I kept feeling with these men? How could I feel more than one bond?


    And I felt it. Oh, I <i>felt</i> it.


    The moment Oscar¡¯s hand wrapped around me in the library, everything else disappeared. The aching weight of the world lifted, and something deep inside me whispered - <i>Mine</i>.


    I knew what it was this time, there was no confusion or misunderstanding. The pull was soft and warm. Comforting.


    But only until he looked down at me with wide, horrified eyes and said, <i>"This can¡¯t happen."</i>


    That sharp memory burned like salt in a wound. My heart twisted violently, and the tears I had been holding back finally pushed through. I let out a broken sob, curling my knees into my chest as I sat on the cold floor.


    "I didn¡¯t ask for this," I whispered. "I didn¡¯t want this. Why does it always have to hurt?"


    I didn¡¯t even realize I was crying so loudly until I heard a faint thump.


    My head snapped up as the curtain over the balcony shifted, and then the ss door opened.


    "Woah - what the hell?" Rowan¡¯s voice cut through the silence. "Eva?"


    <fn118b> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? find?novel</fn118b>


    I sniffled and quickly wiped at my eyes, scrambling to my feet, but not before he saw.


    I was toote.


    He stepped inside only to freeze as he took in the sight of me - tears streaming down my face, face blotchy, and an emotional wreck on the floor.


    "What happened?" he asked as his eyes widened. "Did someone die?"


    "No," I croaked in a hoarse voice. "It¡¯s... I don¡¯t know. Hormones, maybe."


    His brows lifted slightly. "Right. That time of the month?"


    I gave him a dry, humorlessugh. "Sort of."


    He tilted his head but didn¡¯t push further. "Well... whatever it is, I have never seen you like this."


    "Yeah, well, I don¡¯t normally break down like this either," I mumbled while stepping back and trying to pull myself together.


    He walked over and leaned against the wall beside my bed, crossing his arms. "You wanna talk about it?"


    "No."


    "Great," he said with a casual shrug. "Then I¡¯ll just sit here and judge you silently for crying over... whatever the hell made you cry."


    I turned sharply to re at him, but the mock frown on his face, so painfully exaggerated, made me snort.


    "That¡¯s better," he said while pointing at me. "I think I saw the tiniest crack of a smile."


    I shook my head. "You are an idiot."


    "Yeah. But I¡¯m an idiot who knows how to cheer you up."


    There was something oddlyforting about Rowan¡¯s presence. He wasn¡¯t trying to dig into my feelings or offer some overly-sentimental speech. He was just... here.


    Uplicated. Normal.


    "I hate them," I said finally as I sank onto my bed.


    "Hate who?" Rowan asked, genuinely confused now. "Wait, are we talking about the professors? Did someone flunk you or something?"


    I stared at the ceiling as I replied, "No. Not professors. Just... people."


    He blinked, still looking lost. "Well, damn. Okay. Want me to break their legs?"


    Iughed, a realugh this time. "You don¡¯t even know who they are."


    "Doesn¡¯t matter. Anyone who makes you cry like that probably deserves a swift kick in the groin."


    "That¡¯s disturbingly sweet."


    "I¡¯m a disturbingly sweet guy."


    We sat in silence for a while. The storm inside me wasn¡¯t gone, but it had dulled now, like the worst of it had passed. Rowan didn¡¯t press me further. He just stayed nearby, flicking a small de in his hand in and out of its casing with soft clicks.


    "Do you... ever feel like the universe is just messing with you?" I asked after a while.


    He nced up before answering, "Every damn day."


    "I keep getting pushed into situations I never asked for. People I never wanted in my life keep showing up and... making it harder."


    His brows pulled together slightly, but he just nodded. "You are not the only one."


    There was something in his voice, quiet and tired, that made me pause.


    "You okay?" I asked as I turned my head to look at him.


    "Me?" He gave a crooked smile. "I¡¯m always okay."


    Liar.


    But I didn¡¯t push him. Just like he didn¡¯t push me. Maybe that¡¯s why I felt a little calmer with him here.


    "Thanks foring in," I said. "Even if you were sneaking in through the balcony like some kind of rooftop bandit."


    He grinned in response. "I prefer the term ¡¯professional entry expert.¡¯"


    I rolled my eyes, but there was a smile ying on my lips. All it took was an unexpected incident on Saturday midnight to break the wall between us.


    "You going to be okay?" he asked in a serious voice.


    I hesitated before nodding. "Yeah. Just... needed to let it out."


    "Well... good. Thest thing I wanted was to hear you sobbing while trying to get some sleep." He said while standing up. "Let me grab some water for us."


    "Hey," I called before he could step out of the room, making him turn back.


    "I¡¯m d you are my roommate."


    His expression shifted just a little... softened. "Me too."

 Chapter 53: The Jealous Gang

    <h4>Chapter 53: The Jealous Gang</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Monday mornings should be ouwed.


    That was the first thought I had as the sun forced its way through the curtains and my rm rang like a vengeful banshee. I groaned while nting my face into my pillow.


    Rowan was gone already like always. The only evidence he had even been here was the faint scent of pine and ash that was still lingering in the room.


    <fn0713> This text is hosted at Find1Novel</fn0713>


    Dragging myself out of bed, I headed to themon girl showers before getting dressed in my bedroom. Once I was done, I joined Mallory and Ria before all three of us headed to the dining hall where the others were waiting for us.


    "So," Noah said as he popped a slice of fruit into his mouth, "who else nearly fell asleep during Professor Elwin¡¯s monologue on magical contractsst Friday?"


    "I did," Ria confessed immediately. "I swear his voice is cursed. He could read a battle n and still make it sound like bedtime poetry."


    "I think he¡¯s just old," Mallory said with a smirk. "But that doesn¡¯t exin why half the ss actually likes him."


    "Because he gives easy marks," Selene added with a shrug.


    I was half listening to them while half ncing around the dining hall that was buzzing with students. Our table was tucked into the corner beneath arge ss window, and it had be our little pocket of piece from the very first day.


    I was enjoying the view until my eyes halted on a familiar figure at the far end of the room.


    Oscar.


    He was standing near the staff table, dressed in simple ck training clothes. His attention was somewhere else. His hair was damp, probably from a morning run or some physical drill. He looked rxed, but I knew better. There was tension in his stance. The same tension I had seen in that library when our bodies collided, and the mate bond hit us like a tidal wave.


    I hadn¡¯t told my friends. Not a single word about that stupid Rogue Alpha had held me, breathed me in like I was a secret he had been dying to discover... and then pushed away as if I had burned him.


    And now he was just there, chatting with another instructor like he hadn¡¯t turned my world upside down and left it like that.


    I looked away quickly, stabbing a slice of fruit with unnecessary force.


    "Something wrong?" Mallory asked as she noticed the way my smile dropped.


    "No," I replied too quickly. "Just... remembered something annoying."


    Selene handed me a napkin. "Was it that Amara girl? She was ring at you during Professor Lysandor¡¯s lecturest week."


    "It¡¯s not Amara," I muttered. "Though her constant eye-rolling is getting old."


    Ever since the results of the entrance assessment were announced, things had... shifted. At first, I thought it was admiration. Now, I realized some students weren¡¯t thrilled that a rogue had not only topped the written exam but also received the privilege award.


    "She and her gang is just jealous," Mallory said bluntly. "You didn¡¯t just pass, you wiped the floor with them. And you did it without an ounce of noble blood or a famous family name."


    "Don¡¯t forget the rumor mill," Noah added with mock seriousness. "They are saying you bribed someone. Or cheated. Or seduced an instructor."


    I choked on my drink.


    "What?"


    Noah grinned. "Wee to elite werewolf education. Where talent must be exined away by scandal."


    Ria leaned in. "For what it¡¯s worth, I think it¡¯s hrious how pressed they all are."


    Noah raised his juice. "To Eva. Queen of the Rogues."


    I clinked my cup with theirs, halfughing, half-wishing I could crawl into a hole.


    * * *


    After breakfast, we headed to our Magical History ss, followed by a long and slightly tedious Herbology lecture. I tried to focus, but part of me kept drifting.


    Professor Kieran¡¯s sses were scheduled to begin next week, and even though I had already spoken to him privately on Friday about my choice for the privilege reward, I hadn¡¯t seen him since. And he hadn¡¯t tried to approach me either.


    This made me wonder about our deal as he hadn¡¯t spoken about it again so far.


    After lunch, we had a physical exercises ss - running drills, strength-building routines, and group stretches in the training field. Nobat training was allowed until the second term, but apparently, they wanted to make sure we were in "eptable condition" before we started.


    And I couldn¡¯t be more grateful about it. My pregnancy wouldn¡¯t allow me to take parts in thebat sses, but I couldn¡¯t ignore them either. Hence, not needing to worry about them for these couple of months was a blessing.


    At the same time, the physical training sses were good for me as I could get back in shape.


    "You are fast," Noah said between breaths while jogging beside me and Kyros. "Where did you train?"


    "Nowhere fancy," I said with a smirk. "Just... surviving life, I guess."


    We shared augh before Mallory stumbled into us, nearly taking us all down in a pile.


    "I¡¯m dying," she wheezed.


    "You are dramatic," Noah returned as he pulled her up by the arm.


    By the time the drills ended and we returned to our dorms, I was exhausted. My legs were sore and arms were aching, but my heart was lighter. My friends, annoying as they were, made things bearable.


    And for now, that was enough.


    Even if the shadows still followed me, even if the bond I felt with Oscar sat like a weight on my chest... at least I could still smile.


    At least I had people who didn¡¯t look at me like I was something to be silenced.


    I headed to showers and changed into casual clothes. It was when I returned to the dorm and was standing in front of the full-length mirror, did I notice the silver in my hair that had finally started making its appearance.


    "You look good in the original color."


    The familiar voice that suddenly filled the room had me turning to face... <i>him</i>.

 Chapter 54: Alpha’s Changed Heart

    <h4>Chapter 54: Alpha¡¯s Changed Heart</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "You look good in the original color."


    I spun around so quickly that the towel slipped from my hand andnded on the floor.


    He was standing there - Draven.


    He was standing by the balcony doors with his arms crossed as he was leaning casually against the frame like he belonged in this room.


    My stomach lurched. "What - how did you even get in here?"


    He lifted a brow and pushed off from the wall before stepping forward with an infuriating calmness. "Maybe you should lock your balcony."


    My eyes quickly darted to the balcony and I noticed the sliding ss door was unlocked. I never really bothered to lock them as Rowan had a habit of using them instead of the main door.


    "I didn¡¯t know I needed to guard it from entitled, brooding Alphas who break into others¡¯ rooms uninvited," I snapped even though my heart was hammering in my chest.


    He stopped just a few feet from me, close enough that I could see the slight tension in his jaw despite his cool demeanor.


    "You weren¡¯t at dinner," he said simply.


    I blinked at his words, feeling lost. "You came here because of that?"


    He said nothing.


    And I hated that I couldn¡¯t read him. Though he was youngest of the Rogue Alpha brothers, he was just as cold as the others. Just as proud. And just as infuriatingly unpredictable. And worst of all, he kept making me feel the same pull that had started terrorizing my life.


    It was a pull I had started fearing. A pull I didn¡¯t want... with anyone, let alone him and his brother.


    I watched as his eyes dropped to my hair and lingered on the silver strands as if confirming something. The tension in the air thickened, crackling like static, and something unspoken passed between us... maybe an acknowledgment of what we were both pretending not to understand.


    His gaze returned to mine. "You felt it too... didn¡¯t you?"


    I swallowed while backing up a step, only for my back to hit the edge of the dresser. "There¡¯s nothing to feel."


    My mind started racing as I couldn¡¯t understand what he was trying to do, or why he was even here. Just like his brother, he made it pretty clear that he didn¡¯t like whatever was going on between us... yet, here he was.


    He tilted his head and studied me like I was someplex equation he couldn¡¯t solve. "Keep lying to yourself if that helps you sleep."


    Before I could respond, he moved closer with slow, deliberate steps. My breath caught as he reached out and tucked a damp strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers brushed my skin for a brief moment, and I felt it again... that telltale rush that burned low in my belly.


    No. No. I couldn¡¯t do this. Not again. Not with another one of <i>them</i>.


    "I think you should leave," I said, but my voice wasn¡¯t as firm as I wanted it to be.


    His hand dropped to my waist instead of stepping away, shocking me further. "I¡¯m tired of pretending this isn¡¯t happening."


    "Draven-"


    "Say you didn¡¯t feel it in the library," he cut me off in a quiet but demanding voice. "Say it to my face, and I¡¯ll walk out that door."


    I opened my mouth, but couldn¡¯t make myself deny the truth. So instead... "I thought you didn¡¯t want to associate with me. Then whye here demand-"


    The rest of the words changed into a gasp as his hand suddenly slid around my back and he pulled me flush against his chest.


    My breath escaped me in a single gasp and I stared at him, trying to get a hold on... <i>whatever</i>... was happening.


    He leaned closer and brushed his nose against my temple, then the curve of my cheek, inhaling deeply like he couldn¡¯t get enough of my scent. "You are driving me crazy," he murmured against my skin. "I hated you before I even met you."


    I stiffened.


    "But this... this bond doesn¡¯t care about hate."


    His lips grazed the shell of my ear, and I shuddered, feeling my legs going weak under me. I should have pushed him away. Told him to stop. But all I was able to do was cling to the dresser behind me as his other hand slid around my hip, holding me there like I might vanish if he let go.


    That¡¯s when my phone buzzed on the nearby desk.


    I blinked, trying to break free of the haze, and grabbed it quickly.


    <strong>Mallory: We are waiting. Where are you?</strong>


    My thumb hovered over the keyboard, but before I could type a response, Draven caught my wrist gently and pulled the phone from my grasp.


    "Draven," I warned, "I need to reply."


    <fn4272> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fn4272>


    "Then tell her you will be there in a while," he said in a low and rough voice. But instead of handing the phone back to me, he quickly tapped a response and hit send before cing the phone back on the table.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was the pregnancy hormones, the bond, or just the look in his eyes, but something inside me cracked wide open.


    "Why are you doing this?" I whispered.


    "Because I have had enough," he answered simply. "Of pretending. Of trying to hate you when my wolf won¡¯t stop howling for you."


    His lips brushed my cheek this time, softer, lingering. "I told myself I would nevere near you again. That you weren¡¯t worth the trouble. But I can¡¯t stay away."


    My heart was pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it.


    He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes. "I don¡¯t care anymore that you are a Greystone. I don¡¯t care what happened between our families."


    His hand came up again, brushing along my jaw while his thumb traced my cheekbone. "I care about this," he murmured. "About whatever the hell this is that¡¯s tying me to you."


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. So I said nothing.


    But I didn¡¯t stop him when he leaned down. Didn¡¯t push him away when he tilted my chin. And didn¡¯t fight it when his lips finally found mine in a kiss that was neither urgent nor soft... just honest. Filled with questions and longing and tension we didn¡¯t know how to name.

 Chapter 55: Ready to Accept Her

    <h4>Chapter 55: Ready to ept Her</h4>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    The moment my lips touched hers, I knew I was in trouble. Not because she didn¡¯t kiss me back, but because she did.


    Completely.


    Wholly.


    Like her body had been waiting for this even longer than mine had.


    She tasted like honey and something else, something addictive and maddening, and I wanted more.


    I deepened the kiss almost instantly with no hesitation. My hand stayed curled around her waist, anchoring her to me, while the other rose to the back of her neck, sliding through damp strands of her hair.


    Her fingers were clenching the edge of the dresser behind her like she needed something to hold on to. Like she was trying not to fall.


    But I felt it.


    I felt the way her body pressed into mine, the way her breath hitched against my lips, and the way her chest rose and fell in sync with mine.


    And just like that, the kiss turned feverish.


    I growled low in my throat and pulled her closer, crushing the remaining space between us. She gasped softly at the force of it, and I took advantage of that moment, angling my head and deepening the kiss until we weren¡¯t just breathing each other in... we were consuming.


    Her lips were soft, warm, and addictive. Every movement, every breath, felt like it tore another piece of my control away. I wasn¡¯t supposed to want this. Not with her. Not with someone who bore the Greystone name and blood.


    But her scent was driving me insane.


    The connection between us was pulsing harder now, like something old had awakened and was wing at the inside of my chest, demanding I surrender - and my wolf was responding.


    It wasn¡¯t just lust.


    It was need.


    It was bond.


    It was <i>her</i>.


    When she finally broke the kiss, it was with a soft, shaky breath. Her lips were pink and slightly swollen. Her eyes were wide with disbelief and something else. Something fragile and unsure. But she didn¡¯t pull away from me.


    I watched her, trying to memorize every damn detail of her face, every flicker of emotion that was crossing her eyes. This close, I could see the golden halo around her pupils and I wondered if she knew how unnatural that was. How beautiful. How terrifying.


    "I wasn¡¯t supposed to kiss you," I admitted and brushed my nose lightly against hers.


    Her hand had somehow ended up curled into my shirt, and I doubted she even was aware of it. "Then why did you?"


    "Because I couldn¡¯t stop myself."


    The words came out rough. Honest. It hurt to speak them, like ripping a confession from my own bones.


    I was already unraveling.


    "Every time I see you," I said slowly, "I tell myself to stay away. That this is a mistake. That you are a mistake."


    Her jaw tightened, but she didn¡¯t interrupt.


    <fn63b8> Original content can be found at FindN()vel</fn63b8>


    "But then I catch youughing with your friends, or walking through campus like you don¡¯t know everyone¡¯s watching, and all I want to do is get closer. Hear yourugh. Touch your damn hand. Smell your skin. I don¡¯t know when it started. I just know I hate it."


    Her voice was soft as she asked, "Then why give in to it?"


    I let out a dry breath before answering, "Because I have been trying to fight a war that I have already lost."


    I leaned in again and brushed my lips over her jaw, her cheek, her temple. "When you are not around, I can breathe. I can think. But when you walk into the room, everything else stops existing."


    "I didn¡¯t ask for this, Draven."


    "I know," I said. "Neither did I."


    There was a long pause.


    Her breath ghosted across my skin. And I felt her body rxing slowly in my arms, like she didn¡¯t realize she was letting her guard down. And maybe she wasn¡¯t. Maybe something in her, something deeper than her mind, had already made the choice.


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether that terrified me or thrilled me.


    Then, sheughed. It was hollow, one that didn¡¯t reach her eyes.


    "What?" I asked.


    She stared right into my eyes as she spoke, "Nothing. Just wondering how long it¡¯s going to take you this time to change your mind again. Maybe you will find me tomorrow to remind me who I am and how I should stay far away from you."


    Her words hurt, and for the right reasons. "I know you don¡¯t trust me, yet. But I¡¯ll prove to you that I¡¯m indeed ready to ept you."


    Her eyes widened in shock at my words, filled with disbelief. And I decided to mark my words with actions. So, I kissed her again.


    Harder.


    Hungrier.


    She responded with a soft sound - half surprised, half surrendering. Her body curved into mine like we were two halves of something ancient finally meeting at the seam.


    My fingers gripped her waist as I turned us slightly, pressing her back against the wall beside the dresser. She gasped into my mouth at the movement, but didn¡¯t let go. Her legs brushed against mine, and everything inside me roared to life.


    But I held back.


    Barely.


    Because if I kept going, I wouldn¡¯t stop. And I couldn¡¯t do that to her. Not yet.


    I broke the kiss slowly before pressing onest lingering kiss to the corner of her mouth.


    As I pulled back, she blinked. And I saw the moment reality came rushing back into her eyes.


    "I should go," I said quietly.


    Her expression didn¡¯t change and she only nodded.


    But as I stepped away, she reached out suddenly and touched my arm. Not hard. Just a light brush of her fingers. "Draven..."


    I paused and turned back toward her.


    Her mouth opened, then closed again.


    I waited.


    But she said nothing.


    And that was okay.


    Because we had said everything already.


    I stepped toward the balcony, sliding the door open and stepping into the moonlight. Her scent was clinging to my skin. Her taste still lingered on my tongue.


    I didn¡¯t know where this would go.


    But I knew one thing for damn sure.


    Evaline Greystone was mine.


    Whether she epted it or not.

 Chapter 56: Moon Goddess’ Plan

    <h4>Chapter 56: Moon Goddess¡¯ n</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The room became too quiet the moment Draven left.


    The echo of the door clicking shut after him was what cracked something inside me. I stood there frozen with my back still against the dresser. My lips were tingling with the memory of his kiss while my heart was thudding wildly like it hadn¡¯t realized he was gone.


    "What just happened...?" I whispered aloud and touched my lips, as if the pressure of my own fingers would somehow erase what had just transpired. But it didn¡¯t. It only made it more real.


    I kissed him back.


    Goddess.


    <i>I kissed Draven back</i>!


    The thought sent a chill down my spine. Not because it was unpleasant... it wasn¡¯t. It was the opposite. That was the problem. I kissed the youngest Rogue Alpha back and for a moment, I <i>wanted</i> it. I wanted <i>him</i>.


    And now that he was gone, I was finally able to breathe again. Only, every breath felt like a lie.


    I bent down and picked up the towel I had dropped earlier and tossed it in theundry basket sitting under my bed. Then, I started pacing across the room like a madwoman. My thoughts refused to sit still. They were wing at me from every angle, each more panicked than thest.


    I shouldn¡¯t have let that happen.


    I don¡¯t like him. I don¡¯t trust him. And I certainly don¡¯t want anything to do with whatever pull was working between us.


    But... didn¡¯t I just <i>melt</i> in his arms? Didn¡¯t I just shudder when he whispered those words against my skin? Didn¡¯t I lean<i></i>in when he kissed me?


    I groaned and dropped onto the edge of the bed and buried my face in my hands. This wasn¡¯t how things were supposed to go. I was supposed to survive this cursed pregnancy, find some peace, and maybe... rebuild my life in my own way. Alone. Strong.


    But now there was him... Draven.


    And worse, there was Oscar, too. Another Rogue Alpha brother who could make my insides twist with the same damned pull that now felt like it was wrapped around my soul.


    I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. No. I wasn¡¯t going to fall apart like this. I couldn¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t.


    I stood up and nced at my phone. The screen was still lit up from the message Draven had sent to Mallory.


    <fnf5b6> The rightful source is find~novel</fnf5b6>


    I wanted to skip the dinner and just crawl into my bed. But instead, I forced myself to grab the phone, shove my feet into the shoes by the door, and walked out of the room.


    The hallway was too quiet, and my each step was echoing like a guilt-ridden confession. I paused in front of the elevator, then changed my mind and took the stairs. The physical effort helped a little. It forced my body to focus on something other than the kiss... the warmth of his hand on my waist... the way he had looked at me like I was <i>his</i>.


    I shook my head violently, trying to clear it.


    No. No. No.


    Draven wasn¡¯t mine. And I wasn¡¯t his.


    I halted as I reached the dining hall. Food was thest thing on my mind. I didn¡¯t want to be around anyone in my current messed up mood, and I definitely didn¡¯t want to see <i>him </i>again.


    But... I still walked in. Not only because my friends were waiting for me, but also because of the tiny heartbeat inside my belly. It deserved more than my emotional mess. It deserved food. Safety. Love.


    Theughter and low chatter around the table stopped as I arrived at our special corner with my food tray in hands.


    Mallory immediately pulled me toward the empty seat next to hers while speaking, "Here you are finally. We were about to send a search party."


    "Sorry," I muttered while avoiding her. "Got a little caught up."


    She raised a brow but didn¡¯t say anything. The others gave me looks as well, but didn¡¯t ask questions. That was the thing about this group. They didn¡¯t push unless you gave them a reason to.


    Still, I felt their eyes on me. Curious. Concerned.


    I picked at my food, managing to eat enough to not go hungryter, but my appetite had already withered. My mind was still stuck in the storm left behind by Draven.


    I barely heard what the others were talking about, something about visiting another town thising weekend. My gaze kept flickering around therge hall, half-expecting to spot <i>him</i>. But I didn¡¯t... fortunately.


    I stabbed a piece of roasted carrot with unnecessary force, once again pulling my friends¡¯ attention to me.


    Mallory leaned closer. "Eva," she whispered, "are you okay?"


    I looked up at her. "What?"


    "You are doing that thing of yours - where your soul leaves your body and we all have to pretend you are not halfway to another."


    This finally made me crack. It was a small smile, but it was enough for them. The atmosphere at our table immediately lifted.


    "Finally!"


    Noah whistled softly while others chuckled.


    I was finally feeling slightly better, so I finished my food. Though I still didn¡¯t participate in the ongoing conversation, they all looked content now that I was eating properly.


    As the dinner ended and we all returned to dormitories, I took my leave with the excuse of feeling tired. And thankfully, none of them stopped me. They just wished me "good nights" and let me slip inside my bedroom.


    My n was to sleep, but as I was back in the very same ce where <i>the incident </i>took ce barely an hour ago, my thoughts started getting overwhelming all over again.


    The memories returned and so did the questions and confusion.


    I had one problem to avoid - the Rogue Alpha Brothers - and so far, I had failed badly in doing so. It was as if the Moon Goddess herself had taken a liking to my fate connected with these men.


    And she really had... or why would two of the brothers turned out to be my destined mates?

 Chapter 57: Conflict Between Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 57: Conflict Between Brothers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Sleep refused to greet me even as midnight passed.


    I kept tossing and turning under the nket. My body was exhausted but my mind refused to rest. Thoughts of Draven - the feel of his lips, the intensity in his eyes, the way my whole body betrayed me - kept spiraling like a storm I couldn¡¯t outrun. I must have finally drifted off at some point because the next thing I knew, I wasn¡¯t in my room anymore.


    I was in a forest.


    It was bathed in silver moonlight. The trees were glowing like ancient guardians. Mist was swirling around my ankles, cool butforting. The leaves rustled with a sound like whispers, and there was a pull inside my chest. Gentle...coaxing... like something was calling me.


    Or someone.


    I turned slowly and the fabric of a white dress I didn¡¯t remember wearing brushed against my legs. My bare feet made no sound against the mossy ground, and though I was alone, I didn¡¯t feel afraid.


    "Eva," a voice called out. It was deep, smooth, and hauntingly familiar.


    My heart skipped a beat. I quickly turned again and found <i>him</i>.


    Oscar.


    He was standing at the edge of the clearing, dressed in ck. Shadows were clinging to him like a second skin, but his eyes - Goddess, those eyes were glowing with a golden touch to original emerald. They locked onto mine, and I felt it again. The pull. The ache. The impossible bond neither of us wanted but couldn¡¯t deny.


    He didn¡¯t speak, but I heard him.


    <i>Come to me.</i>


    I wanted to fight it. I wanted to run. But my body betrayed me once more. I took a step toward him. Then another. And another.


    "Oscar," I whispered. "Why are you here?"


    He didn¡¯t answer with words. Instead, he held out his hand, and the moment I touched it, I felt warmth flooding my chest.


    <fn344e> This update is avable on F¦ÉndNovel</fn344e>


    The next moment, the trees blurred and the moonlight dimmed. And then we were suddenly somewhere else entirely.


    A bedroom - not mine. Neither his.


    It was... just a space. Oscar sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled me gently into hisp like I belonged there, like I had always belonged there. One of his hand came to rest on my hip while the other moved to cradle the back of my head.


    "You are mine," he whispered against my ear in a rough, desperate voice. "Even if you fight it. Even if you hate me. I¡¯ll <i>never</i> stop feeling this."


    I shivered.


    Because I felt it too.


    The bond.


    The heat.


    The terrifying intimacy of someone knowing you before you even understand yourself.


    "I don¡¯t want this," I said as tears prickled behind my eyes. "I don¡¯t <i>want</i> to feel this for you. Or for Draven. Or for anyone."


    Oscar pulled back just enough to look into my face. His looked confused, almost cold and angry.


    And then he asked, "Draven?"


    The dream shifted, and suddenly, another figure appeared in the room.


    Draven.


    His presence was like heat after a frost. His gaze fell on me instantly while I was still sitting on Oscar¡¯sp in a daze. It was full of something dark and dangerous and... hurt.


    "You let him in," he said softly, as if betrayed.


    I shook my head. "I didn¡¯t mean to."


    His eyes turned on Oscar. "Leave."


    "No," Oscar growled and tightened his hold on me, refusing to let me go as I tried to climb down from hisp. "You don¡¯t control this."


    "She¡¯s <i>mine</i>," Draven snapped at his brother.


    "I felt the bond first," Oscar returned. "She came to <i>me </i>first."


    "I kissed her."


    "You did what?" Oscar was angry, really angry.


    "Stop it!" I shouted as I finally got myself free from his hold and climbed down. My heart was thundering. "You are not - this isn¡¯t -"


    But the room was no longer still.


    It cracked open beneath my feet, and in a terrifying surge, darkness swallowed the space and both men.


    All of a sudden, pain red across my chest.


    It was the bond. It was pulling me in two directions - Oscar and Draven.


    I screamed as the pressure built, as their voices turned into echoes, shouting my name over and over -


    "Eva."


    "Eva."


    "Eva - "


    "Eva!"


    I jolted awake with a strangled gasp. My hands were clutching the sheets and my skin was slick with cold sweat. The room was dark, but not silent.


    Rowan was sitting up on his bed, wide awake, and his face looked pale in the moonlight.


    "Hey, hey - breathe," he said quickly while swinging his legs over the bed anding to kneel beside me. "You are okay. You are safe. It was just a dream."


    I couldn¡¯t speak. My chest was rising and falling in rapid pants, like I had been running for miles.


    He reached for the water on my nightstand and handed it to me. "Here. Small sips."


    I took it with shaking hands and obeyed, forcing the cool liquid down my dry throat.


    He settled down on the bed next to me, not crowding me, but close enough that his presence was grounding.


    "I heard you thrashing and calling out," he said after a moment. "You were... scared. Like terrified."


    I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth and closed my eyes before speaking in a barely audible voice. "Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to wake you."


    "Don¡¯t apologize." His tone was firm but gentle. "Are you okay now?"


    I nodded, though I wasn¡¯t sure if it was true. I hated how badly I was shaking. I hated how vulnerable I felt.


    He waited patiently. He didn¡¯t ask what the dream was about, neither pushed for answers. And for that, I was grateful.


    "I-" I started as I needed to let it out, at least a little bit. "I saw... someone. And I felt the bond. It felt like it was trying to tear me apart."


    His brows furrowed in confusion. "Bond?"


    I paused. "It¡¯splicated," I added a momentter. "And I¡¯m not ready to talk about it."

 Chapter 58: Sharing Secrets Late at Night

    <h4>Chapter 58: Sharing Secrets Late at Night</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Okay. When you are, I¡¯m here," He said with a soft smile, one that was filled with warmth.


    I looked at him, like really looked at him. Rowan wasn¡¯t like the others. He didn¡¯t carry the same edge or fire. He was calm. Steady. Kind in a quiet way that didn¡¯t make me feel judged.


    "Thank you," I whispered.


    "You want me to stay up for a bit?" he asked. "Or do you want space?"


    "Just... stay. A little while."


    He nodded again and shifted so he was sitting beside me, his shoulder barely touching mine. "You don¡¯t have to exin anything. Just breathe."


    So I did.


    I breathed.


    In and out.


    <fn53c1> Readplete version only at find?novel</fn53c1>


    The room was still dim, and the only light spilling in was through the sliding ss door of the balcony.


    The two of us sat in silence for a while, side by side on my bed. Not touching, not speaking. Just <i>being</i>. And strangely, that was enough.


    Until it wasn¡¯t.


    "How about you tell me something about you?" He suddenly suggested.


    "About me?" I stared at him, my eyes wide in half confusion and half surprise as I wasn¡¯t expecting him to suddenly ask something like this.


    He didn¡¯t say anything and just looked at me. The expression on his face made me feel that he would understand if I decided to stay silent. But something in me... wanted to talk.


    I inhaled deeply and hugged my knees to my chest. "I don¡¯t talk about myself much. Not because I¡¯m mysterious or anything... just because it hurts."


    His silence was weing, like an encouragement, so I continued.


    "My family... they are gone." The words felt cold in my mouth, like I had stolen them from someone else. "It wasn¡¯t an ident. It wasn¡¯t an illness. It was just... fate, I guess. Something I couldn¡¯t stop."


    He didn¡¯t interrupt, didn¡¯t ask the obvious <i>how</i>. And I was grateful.


    "I used to belong to a pack," I added, deliberately keeping the name to myself. "We were small but strong. And then, one day, they were just... not there anymore. All of them. So, I ran away... and... became a rogue."


    Thest part wasn¡¯t really a lie. Since my pack was gone and I had no family left anymore, I was more or less a rogue now.


    His icy-blue eyes were calm, unreadable, but not cold. "That must have been hell."


    I gave a shortugh as I recalled the past two and a half months of my life. "Yeah, it wasn¡¯t great."


    More silence passed before I added, "I only found out about the Academy¡¯s entrance exam merely a day before the deadline. And somehow, I was lucky enough to submit my form before it would have been toote. And now... I¡¯m here."


    A slight frown appeared on his face, and then, he gave me a proud smile. "I saw you during the entrance tests. You did amazing in all three rounds. You deserve to be here."


    Something warm filled my heart at his words. I could tell that he really meant what he was saying, and it only surpised me. After Mallory, Kyros, Selene, and Noah, Rowan was another one who made me feel like I wasn¡¯t the weak, broken, and coward girl I believed myself to be all these years.


    "So, what¡¯s your privilege reward?" He asked, continuing our conversation.


    "Internship with the Council. I¡¯ll be starting this weekend." I replied.


    His eyebrows rose a little and another smile bloomed on his lips. "That¡¯s... impressive."


    I smiled lightly as I spoke, "It¡¯s a start. I want a future. Graduating from here and with my internship with Council, I might seed in building one for myself."


    That was as much of the truth as I could give. Maybe more than I should have.


    He was silent for a beat. There was no pity in his eyes. Just quiet respect. After a long pause, he exhaled and leaned his back against the headboard beside me. "My turn?"


    "If you want to," I said even though I was eager to learn more about him. He was the most mysterious person around me at the moment, and I knew that he was hiding just as many secrets as me, if not more.


    "I don¡¯t talk about myself much either," he began slowly. "Because there¡¯s not a lot to say. My parents died when I was a kid. I don¡¯t even remember my dad¡¯s face. Mom diedter... from sickness."


    He nced at the window briefly, then back at the wall in front of him. "I grew up in a small pack far from here. The kind of ce no one talks about because there¡¯s nothing worth mentioning. After Mom passed, my grandma took me in. She¡¯s tough as nails and twice as sharp."


    That brought a faint smile to my lips. "Sounds like someone I would like."


    "You would," he replied. "She¡¯s a storyteller. Talks about wolves and magic and destiny like they are all tied up in knots we have to untangle ourselves."


    He fell quiet after that. So, I asked that one question I had been wanting to for a while now.


    "Where do you keep disappearing to?"


    His body went still.


    "We are both first-years," I continued even though I was feeling a little hesitant now. "And yet... you are barely in sses. You leave before dawn and return after midnight most days. I know we are not exactly close, but... you are my roommate. I notice things."


    He didn¡¯t answer right away and the silence stretched long enough that I almost regretted asking.


    But then he spoke.


    "I¡¯m raising money."


    I blinked at that. "Money?"


    "A lot of it," he said in a soft voice. "And fast. Every spare minute I have goes into work. Not the kind of work you find on a Council bulletin board. The kind that pays in whispers and secrets."


    I didn¡¯t pry. Didn¡¯t press. But my heart squeezed painfully at the weight in his words.


    "Can I ask why?" I asked gently. "Why so much, so fast?"

 Chapter 59: Not Forgetting the Deal

    <h4>Chapter 59: Not Forgetting the Deal</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    There was another long pause before he answered. "Because someone I care about needs it. And I would burn myself down before I let them suffer."


    That was all he gave me. But it was enough.


    His truth was just as iplete and yet <i>just</i> as honest as mine. And somehow, that made all the difference.


    We didn¡¯t need to spell out our secrets. We just needed someone to understand that we <i>had</i> them.


    And for the first time since arriving at the Academy, I felt safe enough to rx.


    "Thanks for talking to me," I murmured as I shifted on the bed to slide back beneath my nket.


    Rowan pushed himself up and stretched before moving to his own bed. "You ever need to talk again, you know where to find me."


    "Hopefully, I won¡¯t be waking you up at two in the morning again for that," I joked weakly, trying to add some humor before sleep.


    He chuckled. The sound was low and surprisingly warm. "Don¡¯t worry. I have had worse."


    That made me go still for a moment. Something about him and his story made me feel that he had been through a lot, or might still be going through it. But I couldn¡¯t make myself ask any further questions. Not only because I wanted to respect his silence like he was doing with me, but because I was in no ce to offer him a helping hand in my current situation.


    As he pulled the covers over himself, I let my eyes close again. The weight in my chest was still there, but it was much lighter now. Easier.


    Though we didn¡¯t share everything, we had shared enough. And in a ce where I was hesitant about trusting anyone, Rowan was proving himself to be a friend I might find myself trusting.


    Still, I didn¡¯t let my hopes get too high. After all, I knew better than anyone what it felt like to have one¡¯s trust shattered.


    * * *


    Morning arrived four hourster, and while I barely got enough sleep, I was in good spirits. I felt... better. Clearer. Like a fog had finally lifted from my thoughts.


    Maybe it was the talk with Rowan. Or maybe it was just knowing someone else in this massive, unpredictable ce carried secrets too. Either way, I didn¡¯t feel as alone anymore.


    He was already gone as usual when I slipped out of bed and headed to the girls¡¯ showers.


    The day passed quickly. The lectures were dense, packed with theory and practical concepts that would have overwhelmed me if not for my regr visits to the library.


    I was following along easily as the second week came to an end, even answering a few questions in the sses that got me smiles of approvals from the professors but eye rolls from some of the other students.


    As the final bell rang and the halls began to empty, I headed to the administrative wing to meet him - Professor Kieran.


    I was felling slightly nervous as I approached his office door. I stopped for a moment to take in a deep breath before knocking softly on the door. It swung open almost immediately.


    "Evaline," he greeted as I stepped in. He was standing tall in a crisp ck shirt and charcoal trousers. His long hair was tied back loosely, and his eyes were glinting warmly under the soft light of thete afternoon that was filtering inside through the open window. "Right on time."


    I nodded. "You said toe after sses."


    "And I appreciate your punctuality," he said and gestured for me to sit across from him.


    "I won¡¯t keep you long," he said before adding, "I know it¡¯s been a long week."


    "Thank you," I murmured. "Is this about tomorrow?"


    He nodded. "Yes. You¡¯ll be starting your internship with the Council. It¡¯s a valuable opportunity, and I hope you make the most of it."


    "I will," I said quickly, meaning it.


    "One of my men will be waiting for you outside the Academy gates at eight in the morning. He¡¯ll escort you to the Council headquarters," he exined. "Once you are there, show your student ID at the main reception. The staff will fill you in on your duties and schedule."


    <fn9234> Newest update provided by find¡¤novel</fn9234>


    I nodded, mentally noting everything. "Got it. Thank you."


    His smile softened. "You have earned this. You are working hard. I have heard nothing but praise about your progress from the other professors."


    That surprised me. "You have?"


    He chuckled lightly. "I may not be teaching your ss yet, but I hear things. Apparently, you have got a sharp mind and a hard working spirit."


    I smiled faintly. "I¡¯ll take that as apliment."


    "You should," he said with a warm smile. "And I¡¯m looking forward to starting my own sses next week."


    I was also looking forward to his sses, not only because I found him to be a really kind and warm person to be around, but also because of the great things I have been hearing about him as a professor and his sses.


    Taking another deep breath, I began. "Professor... about the deal... the one we made before I came here."


    He stilled slightly but didn¡¯t seem surprised. He leaned back in his chair and studied me quietly.


    "I haven¡¯t forgotten," he said eventually in a low voice. "And I don¡¯t expect you to either."


    My pulse picked up, but I forced myself to remain still. "Then what do you want me to do?"


    He smiled gently. "Not today. We¡¯ll talk about it next week, once your internship has started and you have settled in. It¡¯s not urgent. Yet."


    I exhaled, not sure if I felt relieved or even more anxious.


    "Alright," I said finally. "Next week, then."


    He nodded once. "Good. In the meantime, rest up tonight. You¡¯ll need your energy."


    I stood and gave him a polite nod. "Thank you again. For everything."


    "You are wee," he said, his gaze lingering for a heartbeat too long before he looked back at the papers on his desk. "Good luck tomorrow."


    As I left his office and stepped back into the cool evening air, I realized I wasn¡¯t scared of tomorrow anymore.


    Nervous? Yes. Uncertain? Always.


    But scared? No.


    Because for the first time in a long while, I had a goal. A direction.

 Chapter 60: Into the Wolf’s Den

    <h4>Chapter 60: Into the Wolf¡¯s Den</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The chill of early morning was clinging to the air as I stepped outside the Academy gates at exactly eight.


    A tall, broad-shouldered man in a crisp uniform was standing by a sleek ck vehicle, arms crossed and posture like steel. The moment his eyes met mine, he nodded in acknowledgment.


    "You are Ms. Evaline?" he asked curtly.


    "Yes."


    "Get in."


    I didn¡¯t waste time with small talk. The moment I slid into the back seat, he started the engine, and we drove in silence through winding roads that cut through the thick forest and then opened up into a wide valley where a colossal stone structure was looming in the distance.


    The Council Headquarters.


    I had heard about it. It was a ce of legends and power. The building looked like a fortress with towers stretching high into the clouds. The ss and the dark stone was giving it an aura of permanence and authority. I tried to steel myself as we drove through the main gates and parked in arge courtyard.


    "Reception¡¯s through there," the man said while pointing at a pair of ornate double doors. "Good luck."


    I nodded and climbed out, smoothing down my clothes as I approached the building.


    Inside, the air was cool and clean. The reception area was vast, with floors of polished ck marble and banners depicting various packs and their territories hanging from the vaulted ceilings.


    A curved desk was standing in the center where I noticed a woman in her thirties who seemed busy as she scrolled through something on the monitor sitting in front of her.


    I approached hesitantly.


    "Name?" She asked without looking up.


    "Evaline," I replied and handed over my student ID. "First-year from the Silver Moon Academy. I¡¯m here for the internship."


    She scanned the card and typed something into herputer before smiling at me. "Wee, Ms. Evaline. You¡¯ll be working directly under one of the Council¡¯s Alphas."


    My heart stuttered at the words. "An Alpha?"


    "Yes," she said brightly. "An assistant position. It¡¯s rare for a student, let alone a first-year, but you havee with a privilege award and glowing rmendations from your professors."


    I opened my mouth to protest - I wasn¡¯t ready for this, not for such a big position- but she cut me off with a knowing look.


    "Consider it an opportunity. Alphas don¡¯t usually take interns unless they see potential. Or have ns."


    ns?


    I didn¡¯t like the sound of that.


    "Which Alpha?" I asked cautiously.


    She blinked at me, then smiled as if it were some sort of inside joke. "You¡¯ll see soon enough. Just head to the elevator at the end of the hallway. Take it to the top floor. His office is at the very end."


    "Any tips?" I asked before I could stop myself.


    She paused, then leaned in slightly. "He¡¯s powerful, important, and... intense. Doesn¡¯t tolerate mistakes. But if you are smart, and careful, you might just survive. Lucky girl, working under someone like him."


    My stomach dropped.


    This wasn¡¯t luck. It felt like a trap.


    Still, I nodded stiffly and turned, walking to the elevator with stiff legs. My boots were echoing across the marble like warning bells as I made my way to whatever disaster was awaiting me,


    The elevator opened with a soft chime, and I stepped in before pressing the button for the top floor. The ride was smooth and silent, but my heart wasn¡¯t. It was pounding against my ribs like a caged beast.


    When the doors finally opened, I stepped out into a quieter hallway. Thick carpet muffled my footsteps as I moved toward therge, dark wooden door at the very end.


    Once there, I knocked.


    A voice called out from within - low, bored, and unmistakably familiar.


    "Enter."


    I froze.


    No. No, no, no.


    There was no way it could be him. But I already knew that I hadn¡¯t recognized the wrong person.


    <fnaf39> For original chapters go to Find_Novel(.</fnaf39>


    My hands were nearly shaking as I pushed the door open, and my nightmare greeted me with a slow, amused smirk.


    "Ah. Look what the wolves dragged in."


    River Thorne.


    The eldest of the Rogue Alpha brothers. The one whose re could freezeva. The one who hated me most of them all.


    And the one I had gone to extreme lengths to avoid.


    He was lounging behind a massive ckwood desk, dressed in tailored charcoal-gray with silver cufflinks. He looked like power personified. His dark hair was styled neatly, sharp features were hard and calcting, and his eyes were fixed on me with the precision of a predator who knew exactly where to strike.


    I stood frozen just inside the door, refusing to believe that I could be this unlucky when I knew that luck had never been on my side through these eighteen years of my life.


    "What... what is this?" I managed, but my voice was barely audible.


    Yet, he heard me loud and clear because of his enhanced hearing. He leaned back in his chair and thenced his fingers behind his head. "Your internship. Congrattions, assistant."


    My mouth went dry and I stared at him. "This is some kind of joke."


    "No joke," he said. "You are mine for the duration of your internship. I have let the council known." He then nced at his wrist watch before adding, "... by now, those at Academy would have learned about it too. Everything¡¯s by the book."


    Panic surged through me, sharp and unforgiving. I should have known. He was <i>the </i>Rogue Alpha King. He not only ruled the Roguemunity, but was also the most powerful figure in the Council. There¡¯s nothing he couldn¡¯t do.


    My hands curled into fists, and despite knowing better, I demanded. "I want a different cement."


    He stood slowly. His each movement was deliberate, calcted. He walked around the desk and came to stand just a few feet from me.


    "You don¡¯t get to want things, Evaline," he said, his voice soft but razor-edged. "Not here. Not with me."


    I red at him. I refused to back away even as my instincts screamed. "This is personal," I said. "You are doing this to punish me."

 Chapter 61: The Horror of Internship

    <h4>Chapter 61: The Horror of Internship</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I watched as his smile vanished at my words.


    "You think this is punishment?" he asked while stepping closer, and it took some effort on my part to stay still and not take a step back. "Punishment would be dragging your name through the mud and getting you expelled. Punishment would be telling everyone at the Academy exactly who you are. But I haven¡¯t done that. Not yet."


    I swallowed hard.


    "I¡¯m here to learn," I said quietly. "Not to fight with you."


    "You are here to serve," he corrected. "You¡¯ll fetch reports, attend meetings, write summaries, and stay where I want you to. That¡¯s all I require."


    "And if I say no?" I challenged before I could stop myself.


    He shrugged to my surprise. "You won¡¯t. Because this internship matters to you. Because you are trying to build something, aren¡¯t you? A future. A new life. And you are smart enough to know that making me any further mad at you, than I already am, won¡¯t get you there."


    He was right.


    Damn him, but he was right.


    This internship was my only ticket to building a reputable future. To proving myself. And I couldn¡¯t afford to throw it away, not even for the satisfaction of mming the door in his face.


    I clenched my jaw and nodded stiffly while whispering, "Fine."


    His eyes glittered, and he looked extremely pleased. "Good girl."


    I clenched my fists at the words, but held back from saying anything.


    He moved past me and opened a side drawer, pulling out a thick stack of folders.


    "Start by sorting these by date and department," he said and thrusted them into my arms. "Then scan and log them into the database. Password¡¯s on a sticky note. If you make a mistake, I¡¯ll know."


    I said nothing. Just turned and walked to the side desk he pointed at, setting the files down with shaking hands.


    He had won this round.


    But this wasn¡¯t over.


    As I sat down and began to flip through the documents, I could feel his gaze still on me, heavy and unwavering.


    He hated me.


    But what unsettled me more was how little I knew about what I felt.


    He was infuriating. Unbearable. Arrogant.


    And yet... I was noticing other things about him as well, things I shouldn¡¯t be noticing. Like how handsome he was. How good ck looked on him. Or how his familiar scent was filling the very air I was breathing.


    I didn¡¯t want to notice. But I did. And I hated myself for it.


    <fnbfe9> ?????? ???? Find¡ïNovel</fnbfe9>


    Shaking my head to get rid of the thoughts, I tried to focus on getting the work done.


    I was expecting River to create more trouble for me throughout the day, but it turned out that he wasn¡¯t free enough to do so. As the Rogue King, he got a lot of work to handle, and that saved my day from getting any worse.


    By the time I left the Council buildingte thst afternoon, I was aching in ces I didn¡¯t know could ache. My wrists were sore from flipping through endless files, my back was stiff from sitting upright for hours. But worse than all of that was the weight of River¡¯s presence pressing into my skin, even long after I had left his office.


    I didn¡¯t think it was possible to feel someone¡¯s gaze long after it was gone. And yet, here I was, haunted by the memory of his deep green eyes and the cold edge of his voice as I climbed into the car to head back to the Academy.


    By the time I arrived at the Academy, the sun was already setting. I headed to my dorm, took a quick shower to get rid of the exhaustion and tension. As I was done getting dressed, I received a message from Kyros: <i>Waiting in the dining hall.</i>


    It was dinner time, and I was hungry, so I headed to meet my friends.


    "Eva!" Mallory stood up from our usual table once she spotted me.


    I smiled snd made my way over. All of them were crammed together. Their tes were piled with food, and faces were bright from the wind and sunlight they had basked in all day.


    "We missed you," Ria said, reaching out to squeeze my hand as I slid into the seat next to her.


    "You should have seen the market near the southern bridge!" Kyros said while pushing a bowl of garlic potatoes my way. "They had spell-bottles that could levitate fruit. Noah nearly bought one just to prank you."


    "I would have appreciated the fruit," I said, chuckling as I filled my te.


    Selene leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Tell us everything! What was it like? The Council? The headquarters?"


    Noah grinned, looking just as curious. "Come on, tell us. What was your first day like?"


    I hesitated for a moment before carefully assembling the truth, just not all of it.


    "The building is... ancient," I began. "But the inside? Totally high-tech. ss walls, enchanted elevators, even heard about a conference room that adjusts lighting based on who¡¯s speaking. It¡¯s kind of incredible. And the staff, well, let¡¯s just say no one¡¯s cking off in there. Everyone¡¯s either stressed or stone-faced."


    "And the food?" Mallory asked, wiggling her eyebrows.


    "Oh, it¡¯s good," I admitted. "Like, <i>chef¡¯s kiss</i> good."


    "Lucky!" Ria sighed dramatically. "So, what¡¯s your job?"


    I paused again. This was the part I didn¡¯t want to say. But I didn¡¯t want to keep it a secret either. "I¡¯m... Alpha River¡¯s assistant."


    "What?!"


    "Like... <i>the Rogue King River Thorne</i>?!"


    "No freaking way, Eva!"


    "That¡¯s huge!"


    Their voices rang with shock, awe, and disbelief, exactly the way I was expecting. Mallory was practically bouncing in her seat, Selene¡¯s mouth was hanging open, and Noah looked like he couldn¡¯t decide if he should bow to me or burst intoughter.


    "That¡¯s like being assigned to the Moon Goddess herself!" Kyros said, shaking his head.


    "You are going to learn so much," Ria added, grinning. "That¡¯s a dream internship, Eva. I¡¯m so proud of you."


    I smiled, but the expression felt both warm and wrong on my face.


    "Thanks," I said in a soft voice.


    They didn¡¯t see the weight in my chest. Didn¡¯t hear the unspoken truth wedged between my ribs. That I wasn¡¯t just working under Alpha River, but was walking a tightrope over fire, every step watched by the man who hated me more than anyone else in the world.


    And I couldn¡¯t tell them.


    Not now.


    Not ever.

 Chapter 62: I’m Not My Father

    <h4>Chapter 62: I¡¯m Not My Father</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The cold marble floors of the Council building echoed beneath my boots as I walked in for the second day. I was too tired to pretend I wasn¡¯t exhausted, too tired to hide the tension in my shoulders after yesterday. But I came anyway, because I refused to be chased out. Not by River. Not by anyone.


    The receptionist nced up at me, offered a wary smile, and nodded me toward the elevator. There was no small talk this time. Maybe she could already sense the storm brewing again.


    I rode the elevator up in silence. My reflection was staring back from the polished metal walls, making me realize that I was looking paler than usual. And it was mostly because of the morning sickness that had hit me the hardest today.


    I badly wanted to take a day off and just stay in bed. But I knew better than to dream about getting a day off on my second day of internship.


    So, I forced myself to get ready and arrived to my current least favorite ce, and to work for my least favorite person.


    The hallway to his office was feeling longer today. He hadn¡¯t messaged or summoned me, but I knew he was expecting me. That man probably timed every breath he took. Of course he would notice if I was five secondste.


    Once outside, I knocked.


    "Come in," came the cool, familiar voice.


    With a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.


    He was standing by the window again, a dark silhouette against the pale morning sky. His shoulders were straight, his hands sped behind his back. He was looking... Regal. Controlled.


    A devil with good posture.


    "You arete," he said without turning.


    "It¡¯s 9:01," I replied dryly.


    "That¡¯s not nine."


    I resisted the urge to scoff and moved toward the desk. "Next time I¡¯ll pitch a tent outside."


    That got his attention. He turned, slow and sharp like a de unsheathed, and his eyes pierced straight through me.


    "You are getting bold," he said, and I didn¡¯t miss the edge in his tone.


    "You are getting irritating," I shot back, walking to my desk. "Let¡¯s call it even."


    I didn¡¯t miss the sh in his eyes. But I didn¡¯t care. The only way I was going to survive this internship was by not letting him scare me.


    He walked to his side of the desk and dropped a thick stack of papers with an audible p.


    "These need to be sorted, indexed, and filed by region. I want a report on the Nightwatch patrols fromst week and apiled list of gged rogue movement in Sector Three. By noon."


    I raised a brow. "And what do I get if I finish early? A gold star?"


    He stared at me for three long seconds before replying, "You get to keep your seat."


    I matched his stare, and muttered, "How generous."


    He leaned forward slightly, and despite myself, I noticed how the muscles in his arms flexed beneath his sleeves. "Do not mistake your current position for safety, Evaline."


    "And do not mistake my silence for surrender," I snapped. I wasn¡¯t sure where I was finding this confidence from, but I sure was enjoying it.


    He red at me for a second. Another. And then, he moved.


    In less than a heartbeat, he was around the desk and in front of me. I stepped back instinctively, but he followed, herding me like a predator. I hit the filing cab behind me with a soft thud, trapped between cold steel and his burning presence.


    He braced one hand on the cab beside my head. His face was merely inches away from mine.


    "I don¡¯t care how special you think you are," he murmured in a dangerously low voice. "You are here because I let you be."


    "No," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I¡¯m here because I earned it."


    His eyes red in anger. "You were handed an internship most wolves would kill for."


    "Don¡¯t pretend this is about the internship," I hissed. "You just want to make me miserable."


    "You think I¡¯m ying games?" His voice turned colder, if that was even possible. "You are the daughter of the man who destroyed my family and pack. You expect me to treat you like a friend?"


    "No," I said, my own anger ring. "I expect you to treat me like a person."


    He didn¡¯t move, but much to my surprise, something in his expression cracked. The edge in his anger dulled and got reced by something else. Frustration? Confusion?


    "Why are you here?" he asked, his voice quieter this time.


    "What?"


    "You could have run. You could have stayed hidden. Whye here... into my territory?"


    I didn¡¯t know how to answer that. Did I even have the option of running away?


    "Because I¡¯m not afraid of you." I ended up saying instead.


    He stared at me, as if trying to see past my skin, past my walls. Then, before I could react, his free hand shot out - not to strike, but to grip the edge of the filing cab beside my hip. And then he whispered in a deadly low voice, "You should be."


    I swallowed, my heartbeat loud in my ears. "Why?"


    <fna943> Original content can be found at FindN0vel</fna943>


    His voice dropped to a whisper. "Because I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do next."


    That scared me more than a threat ever could. And yet, I didn¡¯t look away. I didn¡¯t flinch.


    We were too close. I could feel the heat radiating off him. I could smell his familiar scent. My pulse betrayed me as it picked up speed for reasons I didn¡¯t want to name.


    He then exhaled slowly and stepped back, finally breaking the spell. "You are dismissed for the day."


    "But it¡¯s not even-"


    "I said go."


    I nodded stiffly and forced my legs to move as I walked past him. But just before I opened the door, I paused.


    "I¡¯m not my father," I said quietly, without turning around.


    He didn¡¯t reply.


    I left the room and closed the door behind me, leaning against it for a second to catch my breath.


    My legs were shaking. My throat was dry.


    What the hell just happened?

 Chapter 63: Summoned by the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 63: Summoned by the Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The night was cool. Stars were littering the sky like scattered salt, andughter echoed off the stone walkways of the Academy as we walked back toward the dorms.


    Noah was animatedly retelling a story about how one of the second-year students identally turned his eyebrows into moss during ss, and both Ria and Mallory were nearly in tears fromughing. Even I found myself smiling, the weight of the Council and River was temporarily forgotten in their easypany.


    Then my phone buzzed in my pocket.


    I fished it out and blinked at the name on the screen: <strong>Professor Kieran</strong>.


    <i>Are you free for a moment? I¡¯d like to speak with you in my office.</i>


    "You alright?" Kyros asked when I halted in my steps.


    "Yeah." I slid the phone back into my pocket. "I need to stop by Professor Kieran¡¯s office. He wants to talk about something."


    "You want me toe?" he offered, all casual and unbothered, but I could tell from the slight crease between his brows that he was serious.


    "No, it¡¯s probably nothing," I said with a faint smiling. "I¡¯ll meet you guyster."


    He nodded, though his eyes lingered on me as I turned and walked away.


    The halls were quiet as I made my way to the staff wing. Themps were glowing softly, casting long shadows along the polished floors. Professor Kieran¡¯s office door was ajar, and the light was spilling into the hall like a golden invitation.


    Once there, I knocked lightly.


    "Come in," came his voice, calm but... weary.


    I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.


    He was seated behind his desk, surrounded by open folders and glowing scrolls. His hair, always neatly pulled back, was now slightly loose near his temples, and shadows were clinging to the skin under his eyes. He looked... tired. Not just physically, but like something had been eating at him from the inside.


    "You wanted to see me, Professor?" I asked cautiously.


    He looked up at me, and his eyes visibly softened. "Yes. Please, have a seat."


    I sat, suddenly more alert. His energy wasn¡¯t like usual, it was heavier, quieter.


    "I heard what happened at the Council," he began gently, folding his hands on the desk. "With my brother."


    My stomach tensed. I nodded once. "I handled it."


    "I¡¯m sure you did," he said with a small smile, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. "Still... I want to apologize. Both as your Professor and as River¡¯s brother. I thought the Council would be neutral ground... I was wrong."


    I blinked at him, stunned not just by the apology, but the guilt in his tone. "You are not responsible for his behavior."


    "I put you there," he said, his voice quieter now. "It was part of your reward. I should have made sure to supervise the assignment till the very end."


    He was silent for a moment before adding, "If you want me to change your position, or the reward entirely, it can be done."


    "I appreciate the apology," I said softly. "But I don¡¯t want to change it. Everyone knows now. If I back out, it¡¯ll raise suspicion. Questions neither of us want."


    He studied me for a moment, and I felt it - his worry, like a quiet current flowing under the surface. Then he nodded. "You are right. You have already handled it with more grace than most seasoned wolves would."


    I hesitated, then leaned forward slightly. "Are you alright?"


    He looked up, clearly caught off guard by the question.


    "You look... tired," I added. "More than... tired."


    He exhaled slowly and rubbed the back of his neck. "The full moon¡¯s ising soon. It always makes me feel like I¡¯m wearing skin that doesn¡¯t quite fit."


    I frowned. The full moon was still a week away. Still, I asked,9 "Is it... painful?"


    "No," he said, shaking his head. "Just... heavy. Like a constant hum beneath my skin. My wolf gets more restless. More aware."


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that. I didn¡¯t even have a wolf. But I could sense that he wasn¡¯t telling me everything. There was something in his voice that hinted at a deeper burden. One he wouldn¡¯t share. Not yet.


    Still, he leaned back in his chair and gave me a small smile, the tension in his shoulders softening just a bit.


    "You didn¡¯t have to check on me," he said.


    "I wanted to," I said, surprising even myself.


    Something shifted in the air between us. He tilted his head, studying me the way he did in ss when I gave a particrly interesting answer - curious, gentle, focused.


    <fn13c3> Original content can be found at findnovel</fn13c3>


    "You remind me of someone," he murmured.


    I raised a brow. "Hopefully someonepetent."


    "Someone brave," he corrected. "Someone who tried to fix things even when the world told them they couldn¡¯t."


    I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. No one had ever said that about me before. Not even my mother.


    "I¡¯m just trying to survive," I said honestly.


    "Sometimes survival is the bravest thing of all," he said quietly.


    We sat in silence for a moment. The kind that wasn¡¯t awkward, but... warm. Like the flickering calm after a storm.


    Then he stood,ing around the desk and offering his hand. "Come here for a moment."


    I looked up at him, uncertain, but ced my hand in his. His fingers were warm and calloused, surprisingly gentle as he guided me toward the small window overlooking the Academy grounds.


    "Do you see that?" he asked, pointing to the training fields where a fewte students were still sparring under the moonlight.


    I nodded.


    "You belong here," he said. "No matter what anyone else says."


    My breath hitched. Not because of his words, but the way he said them - with such quiet certainty, like he had seen straight through me and still wanted me here.


    I turned to face him.


    He was closer than I expected. Taller. Warmer. And for the first time, I didn¡¯t see him as just my professor or one of the Rogue Alphas.


    Instead, I saw the man underneath. The one carrying guilt not meant for him. The one offering me space in a world that wanted to push me out.


    "Thank you," I whispered.


    He looked at me a moment longer, then stepped back. The moment broke, but the warmth lingered.


    "Get some rest," he said softly. "You have got sses tomorrow."


    I nodded and slipped out of his office, heading back to the dorm.

 Chapter 64: Whispers and Thorns

    <h4>Chapter 64: Whispers and Thorns</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time Monday morning rolled around, I was able to feel the change in the air like a pulse beneath my skin. The whispers were louder, more frequent. Eyes were trailing after me in the hallways, lingering a second too long.


    The students at Silver Moon Academy had always talked. It was their favorite pastime. But now, the gossip wasn¡¯t just about entrance scores or... my identity as a rogue, as a nobody. It was about my internship and the<i> Alpha</i>.


    Not only was I a top scorer. Not only had I secured the prestigious privilege award. But now... I was working at the Council. Under Alpha River.


    By some cruel twist of fate, my private misery had be public envy.


    It started innocently enough. I didn¡¯t realize at the time of dinner on Saturday evening, when I revealed about my position as River¡¯s assistant to my friends, someone at the table next to ours was listening.


    <fnac3f> Discover more novels at find~novel</fnac3f>


    By Sunday afternoon, the rumors had spread like wildfire. And by Monday morning, the students were no longer whispering about <i>my internship</i>, now they were whispering about me.


    And yet, as unsettling as it was, most of them hadn¡¯t confronted me. Not directly. They preferred to make passive-aggressivements in the halls orugh louder than necessary when I walked past.


    I could live with that.


    What I wasn¡¯t prepared for was Tuesday.


    Because Tuesday changed everything.


    * * *


    "Good morning, first-years," Professor Kieran greeted as he entered the lecture hall, the soft click of his boots echoing as students sat up straighter. He was wearing his usualposed expression, but there was an energy in him that hadn¡¯t been there the previous evening... something sharper, more attentive.


    The golden strands of his hair was shimmering beneath the lights as he nced at his tablet and then out across the room.


    His gaze swept across the students until itnded on me. And lingered.


    "Let¡¯s begin with a short discussion," he said before pausing. "Evaline, would you mind leading us into today¡¯s subject?"


    Every eye turned to me. And there were dozens of expressions - shock, confusion, narrowed eyes - all locked on me as if I had just grown a second head.


    And I was no different. I just sat there staring at him, and it was only when Mallory patted my thigh under the table, did I forced myself out of the shock.


    I stood slowly with my heart thudding, and recited the introduction of the lecture we had prepared. My voice was surprisingly steady despite the boiling stares stabbing into my skin.


    I could feel Kyros smirking from two rows behind me, probably proud. And Mallory offered me a discreet thumbs-up.


    But there were others, girls in expensive robes trimmed in family crests, males with entitled expressions, who were less impressed.


    When I sat down, Professor Kieran gave me a small nod. "Excellent start. As expected."


    And that... was when things truly spiraled.


    * * *


    By lunch, the whispers had evolved into open scorn.


    "Guess sucking up to the professors works after all," one girl muttered as I passed by her table in the dining hall Wednesday morning.


    "She probably threw herself at Alpha River to get the position of his assistant."


    "Have you seen how Professor Kieran looked so proud of her? What¡¯s even there to bother sparing her a second nce?"


    I gritted my teeth and forced myself to keep walking, with tray in hand and shoulders straight. I wasn¡¯t going to let them see me flinch.


    I had survived the streets. I had survived the massacre of my pack. I had survived betrayal and pain and nightmares. I had survived far worse than what they could imagine even in their worst nightmares. So, there¡¯s no way I was going to let these petty girls with too much lip gloss and daddy¡¯s money shake me.


    But the tension only thickened as the day wore on.


    By afternoon, it wasn¡¯t just strangers who noticed the change.


    "You okay?" Kyros asked as we walked out of Rune Theory.


    "I¡¯m fine," I lied. "Just tired."


    He gave me a look, one that said he didn¡¯t believe me, but let it go.


    "I have heard some of the girls talking," he said eventually. "About Professor Kieran. And Alpha River."


    I let out a sigh. "Let them talk. I¡¯m not here for their approval."


    "No," he said thoughtfully, "but some of them might try more than words."


    "What do you mean?"


    He gave me a grim smile. "You are new. You are smart. You are... unpredictable. That makes you dangerous to some of them. Especially the ones who think they have dibs on power."


    Iughed without humor. "What, like River¡¯s fangirls?"


    "Not just fangirls," Noah added as he joined us with Mallory. "There are senior students who believe they¡¯ll end up mated to one of the Rogue Brothers. They have built their entire future around it."


    That made me pause. "Seriously?"


    He nodded. "I would stay alert, Eva. Especially around-"


    "Speak of the devil," Mallory whispered sharply from behind us.


    I turned just in time to see <i>her</i>.


    Tall. Elegant. Dressed in a fitted Academy uniform that looked tailored and undoubtedly expensive. Her dark hair was flowing in soft waves around her shoulders, and her eyes - a striking violet - held no warmth.


    "She¡¯s Celeste Renwyn. Daughter of Alpha Renwyn of the Eastern Peaks. Senior student. High-ranking... and Powerful." Noah whispered next to my ear, letting me know whom I was facing.


    I had heard of Eastern Peaks and Alpha Renwyn. They were one of the most powerful packs.


    And by the looks of it... his daughter didn¡¯t seem like a fan of mine.


    She was nked by two equally striking girls, one with ice-blond hair and the other with gray eyes that were shimmering with amusement. They looked like royalty surveying their court.


    Celeste¡¯s gazended on me and her lips curved in a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes.


    "Evaline, isn¡¯t it?" she said sweetly.


    "That¡¯s right."


    She extended a hand and I took it cautiously. Her grip was firm, cool.


    "I have heard so much about you," she said in a velvety voice. "Top of the entrance exam. Interning at the Council. How impressive."


    "Thank you," I said, unsure of what game we were ying. "I¡¯m just doing my best."


    "Oh, I¡¯m sure you are." She tilted her head slightly. "And working under Alpha River, no less. Such an... intimate position."


    I didn¡¯t flinch and replied calmly. "It¡¯s just an internship."


    "Oh, of course," she said with a tinklingugh. "It¡¯s just... most girls would kill for a chance like that. Especially when the Alphas are so... selective with who they let close."


    I didn¡¯t respond. Because there was nothing I could say that wouldn¡¯t fuel the fire.


    She took another step closer, and though her tone remained polite, her eyes sharpened.


    "Let me give you some advice, Evaline. This Academy thrives on bnce. Some of us have worked very hard to maintain that. When new variables arrive, especially rogue ones, it¡¯s easy to upset the flow. That kind of imbnce can lead to... unfortunate consequences."


    I met her gaze squarely as I asked, "Was that a threat?"


    She smiled at that. "Of course not. Just a friendly warning."


    Then she and her entourage turned and walked away with theirughter echoing down the hall like a pack of circling wolves.


    - - -


    By the time I got back to the dorm that night, my muscles were aching and my mind was buzzing. Mallory and Noah both had tried to cheer me up, but I could tell even they were feeling the pressure of association.


    Kyros, however, didn¡¯t mince words.


    "She¡¯s not done," he said as we stood outside our dorms after curfew check.


    "I know," I said while hugging my arms to my chest. "But I¡¯m not backing down."


    "I didn¡¯t expect you to," he replied. "But be careful. Celeste ys dirty. She¡¯s been eyeing the Rogue Alphas for years. Especially Alpha River."


    Iughed bitterly. "Then she¡¯s wasting her time. River hates me."


    He gave me a strange look. "Is that what you really think? Why would he even hate you?"


    I paused and thought back to the way River had red at me. The way he had lost his temper. The way his gaze lingered just a second too long when he thought I wasn¡¯t looking.


    "I don¡¯t know what to think," I said honestly, not being able to share the beef between me and the Rogue Alphas.


    "Then maybe don¡¯t think at all," he said with a soft smile. "Just keep doing what you do best. Surviving."


    But even as I crawled into bed that night, exhaustion pulling at me like vines, my mind wasn¡¯t on Celeste or the rumors or even the growing danger around me.


    It was on River.


    On the heat of his eyes when we argued.


    On the way Kieran¡¯s voice had softened when he said I belonged here.


    On the fact that somehow, despite everything, I was now tangled in a web of power, politics, and desire that I never asked for and couldn¡¯t seem to escape.


    But if they thought I was going to break... they had no idea who I really was.

 Chapter 65: Another Meeting with Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 65: Another Meeting with Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It was only my third week at the Silver Moon, and the library had already became my haven. It was my most favorite ce - a quiet space carved out of the chaos where my thoughts could breathe, where the weight of expectations didn¡¯t press quite so heavily on my shoulders.


    And today, it felt like my only escape.


    It had been two days since I came across Celeste, and while I wasn¡¯t feeling threatened, I still couldn¡¯t entirely remove her and her words from my thoughts. Her veiled threats were still clinging to me like cobwebs I couldn¡¯t shake off.


    The whispers in the hallways had also grown sharper since many noticed our confrontation and took the initiative to presume that I was someone who could be turned into their newest prey.


    The usations wereced in honeyed tones and venomous smiles. My desk in the ssroom was even defaced with mocking words etched faintly in pencil. Nothing bold. Nothing direct. Just subtle enough to make me feel like prey.


    So I did what I always did when the world spun too fast. I retreated.


    Tucked away in the farthest corner of the library, surrounded by towering shelves of forgotten tomes, I let the silence wrap around me like armor.


    I was sitting with my legs tucked under me on one of the plush reading couches. And a book on defensive rune was left open on myp.


    I hadn¡¯t turned the page in twenty minutes.


    My focus had drifted back to the storm I had somehow walked into. Celeste. The rumors. River¡¯s cold indifference. Professor Kieran¡¯s silent concern. And that constant tension beneath my skin .


    I pressed my hand against my chest, willing the ache to settle.


    "I thought I might find you here."


    The voice was silk. Low andzy, like a slow-moving storm. It sent an involuntary shiver skittering down my spine.


    I didn¡¯t have to look up to know who it was.


    Draven.


    The most dangerous of the Rogue Alphas... for me at the moment.


    I turned my head anyway, and there he was - leaning against the bookshelf like he belonged in some romantic dream I had no business having.


    He was drressed in dark, fitted clothes that were clinging to his lithe frame, his hair was tousled just enough to look like sin. His eyes were shimmering in the dim lighting of the library, locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch.


    He smirked. "Is this where you hide from all your adoring fans?"


    I rolled my eyes. "If you are here to tease me, you can keep walking."


    He strolled forward, ignoring my wordspletely, and dropped into the seat across from mine like he owned it.


    "I¡¯m not here to tease," he said, his voice dipping a little lower. "Not yet, anyway."


    I snapped my book shut. "What do you want, Draven?"


    "Now that¡¯s a loaded question." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and sping his hands. His gaze dropped to my lips and then moved back to my eyes with a slowness that made my skin burn.


    "I heard about the little drama storm around youtely," he said casually. "Celeste Renwyn making her move. Girls sharpening their ws. You interning under River."


    I groaned. "Let me guess. You are here to warn me too?"


    He raised an eyebrow. "Warn you?" Heughed. "No. I think it¡¯s adorable watching them panic. You have turned their little world upside down without even trying."


    I blinked. "Then what are you doing here?"


    He tilted his head and the grin on his face softened into something unreadable. "Maybe I wanted to see how you were handling it. Maybe I missed the way your eyebrows scrunch when you are pretending not to be annoyed by me."


    I stared at him. "You are impossible."


    He leaned closer. "So I have been told."


    <fne5bc> Th?s chapter is updated by ?ovelFind</fne5bc>


    The space between us shrank in slow degrees, but it felt charged, like every inch pulled us into a dangerous gravity. I forced myself to lean back, to break eye contact, to remember all the reasons why I should not fall into his orbit.


    "You should go," I said quietly.


    But he didn¡¯t move.


    "You know," he murmured, "the first time I saw you, really <i>saw</i> you, you looked like you wanted to disappear."


    I stiffened.


    "But then you stood up to River," he continued. "And arrived here, bing the talk of the town..." He paused. "You don¡¯t look like someone trying to disappear anymore."


    "I¡¯m not," I said before I could stop myself. "I¡¯m just trying to survive."


    His gaze darkened, but not in anger. It was... something else. Something I couldn¡¯t name.


    He reached out in in slow and deliberate move, and brushed his knuckles against my cheek. Just once. The touch was barely there, but it lit my every nerve on fire.


    "You don¡¯t have to survive alone, Eva."


    I jerked back, with my breath caught in my throat. "Don¡¯t. I don¡¯t know what you are doing, Draven," I said in a trembling voice despite my best efforts. "But I can¡¯t - won¡¯t - get tangled in games with you."


    His smile returned, softer this time. "This isn¡¯t a game for me."


    "You flirt like it is."


    "I flirt because I like seeing you flustered. It¡¯s cute. But I¡¯m not ying." He stood, towering over me now, and the light caught the edge of the tattoo peeking out from under his sleeve, something dark and intricate.


    I couldn¡¯t move. Couldn¡¯t breathe.


    He leaned down, bracing one of his hands on the back of my couch. His mouth was merely inches away from mine.


    "Everyone wants a piece of you," he whispered. "They want to break you, im you, control you. But not me."


    "Then what do you want?" I whispered, hating the way my voice shook.


    He smiled. "To watch you set them all on fire."


    Then he straightened and walked away, leaving me breathless and burning.


    I sat there long after he was gone. My heart was pounding like it was trying to escape my chest.


    I hated the way he got to me. Hated how easily he crawled under my skin.


    But the worst part?


    I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted him to stop.

 Chapter 66: Not Worth the Pieces

    <h4>Chapter 66: Not Worth the Pieces</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Somehow, I managed to survive the next two days. But surviving wasn¡¯t quite the same as living, and definitely not the same as focusing.


    No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t push a certain Rogue Alpha out of my thoughts.


    Draven.


    Ever since the library meeting... everything had changed.


    Before that evening, I had only met him twice and barely caught even a glimpse of him around the Academy. But now, he was suddenly everywhere.


    I noticed him walking past me in the hallways, like a phantom brushing along the edge of my world. Then, he was in the dining hall, always a few tables away. He always kept his gaze cool and unreadable even though I knew... he was watching me.


    Another time, he passed by the north-wing courtyard where I was resting with my friends after a long history ss. His steps were measured and he kept his expression unreadable, like I wasn¡¯t even there.


    And yet my heart flipped in my chest just seeing the curve of his smirk, the way his eyes lingered for just a second too long.


    Then there was the library. Again. He didn¡¯t approach me this time, but he sat at a table a few shelves away, reading a book on ancient Alpha rites.


    Was it just a coincidence? No. But he was so subtle that no one else suspected a thing.


    And that was the terrifying part.


    Draven knew what he was doing. He wasn¡¯t parading around me. He wasn¡¯t shing me smiles or causing scenes. It was all... quiet. Deliberate. Calcted.


    Only I knew the truth. And I hated it.


    Because no matter how much I reminded myself to stay away, no matter how often I warned myself that he was dangerous and everything I couldn¡¯t afford to get involved in... I still noticed him. Every time. It was like gravity refused to work properly when he was around. Like I couldn¡¯t breathe unless I made sure he was real.


    And it was driving me mad.


    By the time Friday arrived, the entire academy was buzzing with excitement. Weekend ns, full moon night ns, people were chatting about getting extra rest or heading into town.


    Everyone was excited. Everyone but me.


    I sat with Mallory and Noah at lunch, forcing a bite of roasted vegetables into my mouth, barely tasting them. My head was throbbed and my chest was feeling tight. It wasn¡¯t just Draven haunting me, it was whating next.


    The weekend meant only one thing for me - Internship hours with River.


    My stomach twisted at the thought of stepping into that Council building again. Of facing him again.


    Thest Sunday didn¡¯t exactly end well. And it was making me dread theing day.


    "You have been quiet all day," Mallory said as she nudged me with her shoulder. "Is this about the internship again?"


    I gave her a half-hearted smile and nodded. "Just... trying to mentally prepare."


    I could tell that they all still felt confused about why I was so disturbed about the internship, but they didn¡¯t try to pay. They just made sure to motivate me.


    Kyros dropped a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You are strong, Eva. I¡¯m sure you will handle this internship well."


    I nodded again, but it felt robotic. The truth was, I didn¡¯t feel strong. I felt like I was breaking at the seams, caught in a whirlwind of Alpha egos, and impossible expectations.


    By dinner, I just epted the reality of my weekend fate. I barely tasted the food, exchanged minimal conversation, and nodded my way through goodnights.


    The only thing I looked forward to was my bed.


    I just wanted to get into my room, crawl under my nket, and hide. But when I opened the door to my dorm, I froze in the doorway.


    He was there.


    Draven.


    He was sitting on my window ledge like he belonged there. His one leg was hanging over the edge while the other was pulled up to rest an arm on. Moonlight was spilling through the window, casting pale silver across his skin, making him look like something unearthly.


    "You really need to start locking this door," he saidzily as if he hadn¡¯t just broken into my room.


    "What... what are you doing here?" I asked, my voiceing as a soft whisper.


    He tilted his head and a crooked smile yed at the corner of his lips. "It didn¡¯t feel right to let you go into the weekend looking like someone kicked your soul."


    I locked the door behind me and stepped forward, but kept my distance from him at the same time. "Draven, you can¡¯t just show up in my room. What if someone saw you?"


    "No one did." His smile widened. "I¡¯m good at shadows."


    And somehow, I could feel that he was telling the truth.


    "I don¡¯t need you to check on me," I said as I folded my arms across my chest.


    <fn5705> The source of th?s content is F¦Énd£Îovel</fn5705>


    He didn¡¯t seem bothered by my words. Instead, he replied simply. "Maybe. But I wanted to."


    There was something different in his tone. It was... softer. Quieter. But no less intense.


    "And maybe," he added in a voice that was barely more than a whisper now, "I needed to see you too."


    I swallowed hard before asking, "Why?"


    His eyes burned into mine as he answered, "Because you are impossible to ignore."


    "Don¡¯t," I whispered as my heart mmed against my ribs. "Don¡¯t do this."


    He stood slowly and stepped away from the window, closing the space between us until I had to tilt my head to keep looking into his eyes.


    "I¡¯m not trying to hurt you, Eva."


    "You already are," I whispered. "By being here. By making me feel things I shouldn¡¯t."


    His hand hovered in the air like he wanted to reach out, but he didn¡¯t touch me. Not yet. "I¡¯ll go," he said finally. "But not before I say this."


    I held my breath to hear what he had to say.


    "You think you are surviving," he murmured as his eyes searched mine. "But you are fighting. And you are winning. Even if it doesn¡¯t feel like it."


    And with that being said, he turned to go, only to stop before stepping out into the balcony. He nced at me from above his shoulder as he whispered. "Don¡¯t let my brother break you, Eva. He¡¯s not worth the pieces. No one is."


    Then... he was gone, while I stood there with my heart racing and my mind in chaos.

 Chapter 67: Something’s Wrong with River

    <h4>Chapter 67: Something¡¯s Wrong with River</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When morning arrived, so did Saturday.


    I was standing in front of the tall headquarters building, hugging my coat tighter around me. A cool wind rustled through my hair, but it wasn¡¯t the breeze that was sending shivers down my spine.


    It was the thought of him.


    River Thorne.


    I had prepared myself all week - mentally, emotionally, even physically. Or so I thought.


    As I walked into the building, I was surprised to find the front desk nearly empty except for one woman typing quietly. She offered me a polite nod but said nothing.


    The upper floors were quiet. It was the kind of calm only early weekends could bring. I hesitated in front of River¡¯s office, but then slowly pushed the door open.


    The ce was... empty.


    He wasn¡¯t here.


    I blinked before looking around to make sure I hadn¡¯t walked into the wrong room. But no, this was the same ce. His scent was still lingering faintly in the air.


    I stood there, in the middle of the room, in stunned silence which was finally broken momentster when my phone buzzed in my pocket.


    It was a message from River, the first one he had ever sent me. And the only thing that let me recognize it¡¯s him was the content of the message.


    <i>I won¡¯t be in today. Your tasks are waiting for you on your desk. Finish them before the day ends.</i>


    That was it. No hello. No exnation. No sarcasm or insults or veiled threats.


    For a moment, I just stared at the message. And then... I smiled.


    For the first time since the internship began, I smiled while standing in his office.


    The table was looking friendlier without him behind it. A neat pile of documents, a notebook, and a digital folder were waiting for me like loyal pets on my desk on the other side of the office.


    I slipped into the chair, pulled the files toward me, and started reading through the summaries and progress reports from various departments under his charge.


    With him not breathing down my neck, the atmosphere was shockingly light. I was focused. Energized. Everypleted task gave me a sense of aplishment.


    And even before I knew it, the morning was gone in a blink


    At lunch, I joined a group of interns in the cafeteria - a first for me.


    They were warm, talkative, and surprisingly curious about me. Though none of them asked directly about River, I caught the subtle looks.


    "Working directly under Alpha River must be intense," one girl whispered, but I only shrugged with a small smile. No one needed to know the truth - that the man was a beautiful, walking hurricane who shredded nerves and dignity for sport.


    By the time I returned to the office, I was in a mood I hadn¡¯t felt in weeks.


    Happy.


    With a tall ss of chilled coconut water in hand, I leaned against the desk and resumed my work. The humming came naturally. A light, silly tune I remembered from childhood. My shoulders were rxed. My mind stopped racing. And the space was feeling brighter. Peaceful.


    And that should have been my warning.


    Because peace neversted long for me.


    The door creaked open, causing my heart to drop. I didn¡¯t need to look up to know who it was.


    The room grew colder, heavier, as if winter itself had stepped in.


    Slow, confident footsteps echoed across the polished floor until he was standing beside the desk, just slightly to my right. I was feeling the weight of his gaze on me before I even looked up.


    Still, I did... slowly... and met his deep green eyes.


    He was looking... tired. His hair was slightly tousled like he had run a hand through it too many times. The dark button-up shirt was fitting him perfectly, as always, but his sleeves were rolled up and his jaw was more tense than usual.


    For a moment, he didn¡¯t say anything. Just stared.


    Then his eyes drifted to the half-empty coconut water ss beside me. "Having a vacation, are we?"


    I didn¡¯t flinch. "I finished all the morning files. Just returned from lunch."


    <fnbc37> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find?novel</fnbc37>


    He arched an eyebrow. "And the humming? Was that part of the productivity strategy?"


    I tilted my chin up, not backing down. "It helps with focus."


    His lips curved into something between a smirk and a sneer. "Next time, hum silently."


    And just like that, the warm, calm space crumbled under his voice.


    I exhaled slowly and turned back to theputer. "You said you wouldn¡¯t be in today."


    "I changed my mind."


    Of course, he did.


    I resumed working, trying to ignore the way his presence was filling the room like smoke. He moved behind me, probably toward the files I hadn¡¯t gotten to yet. I heard him flipping through papers, tapping at his tablet, and even pacing asionally.


    Minutes passed.


    Maybe more.


    But the silence wasn¡¯t peaceful anymore. It was sharp. Watching. Testing.


    I nced sideways once and caught him leaning against the window. He had his arms folded, while his eyes were on me - not just watching but studying.


    "What?" I asked before I could stop myself.


    He blinked, slowly. "You are in a better mood today."


    I didn¡¯t answer. I didn¡¯t trust myself to.


    He tilted his head and continued, "Did I miss a birthday?"


    "Maybe you missed the part where you weren¡¯t here." I looked back at the screen and tapped too hard on the keyboard. "That probably had something to do with it."


    He pushed away from the window and walked around the desk until he was standing in front of me. I saw the shift in his expression. Not angry. Not smug. But... curious.


    "Interesting," he murmured. "So my absence improves your productivity."


    "Immensely."


    His gaze flicked over my face as if he was searching for something. "I¡¯m not the monster you think I am, Evaline."


    That caught me off guard. I blinked, not expecting... that. "Could have fooled me," I muttered much to myself, but he heard me.


    "I could have done worse," he said in a low voice. "You have had it easy so far."


    I pushed back from the desk and stood up. "Is that a threat?"


    His jaw tightened, and he stepped closer. "No. It¡¯s a reminder."


    Now we were inches apart, and I hated how fast my pulse was racing. His presence was like ice and fire all at once - unnerving, cold, and yet it sparked something in me I didn¡¯t want to name.


    "I don¡¯t need reminders, River. I¡¯m doing this internship because I earned it. I don¡¯t need you looming over me to prove a point."


    His eyes darkened. "You are right. You earned it."


    I blinked again. What?


    Before I could process his words, he stepped back and turned away.


    "Leave the rest of the files," he said over his shoulder. "You have done enough for today."


    I stood there, frozen for a few seconds, andpletely unsure whether I had just been praised or warned.


    Or both.


    He paused at the door and added, "Don¡¯t forget your water."


    I picked up the ss with my heart still thumping. I watched as he nced at me again with unreadable eyes.


    "For what it¡¯s worth, I didn¡¯t want to ruin your good mood."


    And then he was gone.


    The door clicked shut behind him, and I was left standing in a room that felt too quiet, too heavy... too confusing.


    What just happened?

 Chapter 68: Alpha’s Sinister Plan

    <h4>Chapter 68: Alpha¡¯s Sinister n</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong><fn31ef> Discover more novels at find?novel</fn31ef>


    By noon, I had signed twenty-seven documents, argued with three people, reviewed two field reports about rogue movements near the northern borders, and threatened to personally rip out the throat of an Alpha who thought rules of our world weren¡¯t for him.


    I was busy, <i>too busy</i>, to waste my time on petty distractions.


    And yet...


    Here I was, sitting in the backseat of a sleek ck car with my crest gleaming faintly on the door. Without even realizing it, I was drumming my fingers against the leather armrest as the city blurred past the window.


    Beside me, my secretary was sitting with a digital pad in herp. She was cautiously silent, perhaps sensing the sharpness in the air around me.


    "Remind me again why we are heading to headquarters?" she finally dared to ask.


    I didn¡¯t look at her.


    "For oversight," I said tly. "There are reports to review. Interns to monitor."


    She didn¡¯t speak again. Wise.


    I clenched my jaw and leaned back, fixing my eyes on the skyline. But even the towering buildings and cloud-smeared horizon weren¡¯t able to block the image in my mind.


    <strong>Her.</strong>


    Evaline Greystone.


    The daughter of the man responsible for my parents¡¯ death. The girl whose name I had once spat like poison. The girl I should have broken by now.


    And maybe I was going soft. Maybe I had wasted too much time letting her think she could win against me. I believed I could humiliate her with coldmands and endless assignments during her internship, but she still kept appearing in front of me with her head held high, her eyes defiant, and that mouth -


    Goddess, that <i>mouth.</i>


    No one else ever talked to me like that. Not the Council members. Not the Alphas. <i>Not even my brothers</i> - well, Kieran did sometimes, but that was Kieran.


    But Evaline?


    She looked me in the eye and spoke like I was a man, not an Alpha. She called me <i>River</i> like it didn¡¯t burn in her throat. Like the title meant nothing.


    And the worst part?


    I let her.


    Every. Single. Time.


    I could have corrected her. Could have reminded her of who I was, of what I was. I could have demanded she say <i>Alpha,</i> like every other breathing soul in ournds. But I didn¡¯t.


    Why?


    I didn¡¯t want to answer that question.


    Instead, I told myself I was going there for <i>vengeance.</i> Pure and cold.


    Evaline Greystone needed to be reminded of what her name meant. She needed to be <i>broken.</i> Not just bruised. <i>Shattered.</i> I wanted to see her confidence splinter. I wanted her to feel the weight of her father¡¯s sins. I wanted...


    I wanted to see if she would still stand tall when everything was taken away from her.


    The thought twisted in my chest.


    I should have stopped thinking about her after that first week. She was just a pawn. A piece on the board. I should have used her, crushed her, and moved on.


    But no. She had to be different. It barely had been a month since she escaped from the mansion, and she¡¯s nothing like the weak, scared, trembling girl whom I didn¡¯t even wanted to bother to look at.


    Now, she looked at me straight in the eyes... and she even hummed songs in my office when she thought I wouldn¡¯te.


    She had to smile today. And mean it.


    And the moment I saw that smile, saw her at ease in my space, I felt something coil inside me.


    Not rage. Not annoyance.


    <i>Jealousy.</i>


    Of what? Her joy? Her peace?


    Of the fact that she was finally rxing under my roof while I was losing sleep over the way she said my name?


    Pathetic.


    I watched her from the window for longer than necessary. She hadn¡¯t noticed me yet. She was working. Her lips were curved in a gentle smile as she read through a report, sipping something from a tall ss. Coconut water, maybe. She liked those. I had seen her drink onest week when she thought I wasn¡¯t looking.


    I should have walked away.


    Instead, I opened the door and stepped inside.


    Her hum cut off the second she felt my presence. And her smile vanished when she finally looked up. Her back straightened, hands stiffening over the papers.


    Good. She should be afraid.


    But she wasn¡¯t.


    "You said you wouldn¡¯t be in today," she said tly, as if I had interrupted her nap and not a work shift. "Thought you were busy."


    "I changed my mind," I said coolly.


    And I hated how calm she looked. How unfazed.


    When she replied, it wasn¡¯t with trembling lips or lowered eyes. It was with that <i>tone</i> again - firm, sharp, entirely too bold.


    No one used that tone with me.


    Except her.


    I tried to mock her, poke holes in her confidence. Something. Anything. But even when she pushed back, she didn¡¯t break. When I leaned in, she stood her ground. When I threatened, she challenged.


    And when she called me <i>River</i> again, I once again wanted to remind her of my identity.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    Because somewhere in the back of my mind, there was a voice whispering that I <i>liked</i> hearing her say my name.


    Damn it.


    I circled the desk slowly, hiding the chaos under my skin.


    <i>Get a grip,</i> I told myself. <i>She¡¯s a Greystone. She¡¯s the enemy.</i>


    You don¡¯t soften for the enemy.


    You destroy them.


    So why didn¡¯t I pull the trigger?


    Why did I end up telling her she had done enough for the day? Why did I let her keep that smile, even a faint one?


    And why, when I stood at the door, did I say, "I didn¡¯t want to ruin your good mood," like some idiot trying to sound considerate?


    Because something was changing.


    Not in her.


    In <i>me.</i>


    I hated it.


    And yet, even now, as I sat in the car again - alone this time, no secretary to witness the mess - I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her voice, her expression, the strength behind those amber eyes.


    A n had started forming in my head as I eventually convinced myself that all I wanted was to break her.


    I started nning something big. Something that would leave her stunned. Broken. Her reputation, herfort, her sense of safety - I wanted to take it all.


    I needed to remind her of who she was. Who her father had been. What the name Greystone meant.


    And yet...


    There was a part of me, quiet but persistent, that kept seeing more of Evaline Greystone than I should.


    More than the enemy¡¯s daughter.


    More than the girl with sharp words and stubborn pride.


    I saw herte at night in my thoughts. In the curve of her lips as she smirked. In the fire in her eyes when she stood her ground. In the rare softness when she was lost in her work, unaware of anyone watching.


    That part of me didn¡¯t want to destroy her.


    That part of me wanted to know her.


    And that... that was the most dangerous thing of all.

 Chapter 69: A Different Sunday

    <h4>Chapter 69: A Different Sunday</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was expecting when I arrived at the Council headquarters Sunday morning.


    After how strangely Saturday had gone, with River suddenly acting so differently, I braced myself for another emotionally disorienting day. Maybe he would revert to his usual passive-aggressive jabs. Maybe he woulde up with new creative ways to ruin my day. Maybe he would finally snap and remind me exactly who he was - the Alpha who hated my bloodline.


    But none of that happened.


    He greeted me... like actually greeted me... when I walked into the office.


    "Morning," he said in an even voice without the ice or condescension.


    I blinked as surprise took over me, causing me to halt in my steps. "Good... morning?"


    Our eyes met for a second longer than they should have, and I noticed as something flickered there... just a breath of something unreadable... but it was gone before I could decipher it. He turned back to his screen without another word.


    I waited for the trap. Waited for a sarcastic remark or some impossible task. But he simply handed me a stack of notes and said, "Take your time. This one needs more organization than the others."


    That was it.


    No tone. No challenge.


    Nothing.


    The day passed like that. Strangely... peacefully.


    He was quieter than usual, which was saying something. He didn¡¯t hover, didn¡¯t nitpick. He reviewed my work with nods instead of sighs, passed my desk a few times with silent nces, and once - once - ced a ss of coconut water near my elbow without saying a single word.


    He didn¡¯t even look at me when he did it.


    At first, I thought it wasn¡¯t for me. I nced around the room, waiting for someone else to grab it. But when no one came, my stomach twisted.


    I drank it anyway.


    It wasn¡¯t poisoned. Not literally, at least.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t rx.


    The silence wasn¡¯tforting. It was loud in its own way. A quiet before a storm kind of loud. River wasn¡¯t just being ¡¯nice.¡¯ No, he was being... different.


    Detached, but present.


    Restrained, but barely.


    And I knew better than to lower my guards down around him.


    But other than his unusual behavior towards me, something else was also different about him today.


    I caught him once, staring out the window with his jaw clenched. His normally sharp, coldposure was reced with something rawer... more vtile. His shoulders were too stiff, and he was drumming his fingers against the ss too fast.


    And his eyes... there was a flicker of gold in them that hadn¡¯t been there before.


    It made sense,ter, when the thought finally clicked in my head.


    The full moon.


    <fnc716> For more chapters visit Find¡ïNovel</fnc716>


    It was tomorrow. Monday.


    And suddenly, everything about his strangeness made sense. At least the part where he was being silent, restraint, and the way his power kept shifting around the room like it couldn¡¯t decide whether to retreat or explode.


    I found myself recalling how Professor Kieran had looked almost simr to his brother just a week ago. But River was looking worse.


    Not physically - of course not. He looked perfect, as always. Crisp ck shirt rolled to the elbows. Watch glinting on his wrist. Hair slightly messier than usual, but not enough to seem deliberate. To anyone else, he looked wless.


    But I had spent enough time studying this particr Alpha for past few weeks to know better.


    His calm wasn¡¯t natural today. It was forced.


    By the time the clock struck five, I had finished my work, proofread three internal memos, and organized two files that weren¡¯t even mine. And River? He simply nodded, said, "Good work," and let me go.


    Just like that.


    No insults.


    No games.


    Just... calm.


    But he was too calm.


    I didn¡¯t know if I liked it. And neither did I know if I should like it.


    Trusting River Thorne was like standing on ice in bare feet. You would be fine for a few seconds, maybe even enjoy the cold bite of it, until it cracked under you without warning.


    So I didn¡¯t let myself trust it.


    But still... I noticed him.


    When I packed my things, I noticed how he rubbed his temple for the fourth time that hour.


    When I stood at the door and muttered a soft, "See you next Saturday," I noticed how his gaze dropped to the floor, not in dismissal, but in hesitation.


    And when I stepped out, I noticed how his power - usually wrapped around the room like a noose - recededpletely, almost like he didn¡¯t want me to feel it. Like he didn¡¯t want me to carry that weight.


    And I hated how much that tiny act affected me.


    And I hated it more that I didn¡¯t hate him enough.


    I didn¡¯t know what game he was ying, but if this was part of it, it was a dangerous one.


    He was more dangerous like this - quiet, human, almost... kind.


    Back in my dorm room, I tossed my bag onto the chair and copsed onto the bed with my shoes still on. The sky outside was a softvender, the kind that felt too peaceful to be real.


    I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. My fingers were itching to grab a pen, to write something, to do something... but all I could do was rey every nce, every word, every unnerving absence of conflict from today.


    What was he nning?


    Why this sudden change?


    Was it just the moon? Or something else?


    I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh. I hated how easily these brothers couldpletely overtake my thoughts without even trying to... or maybe this was exactly what they wanted.


    One day, I might be worrying about River, and the other, my head might be filled with the thoughts of another of his brothers. Ever since they entered in my life two months ago, they had refused to let me live in peace.


    And right now, nothing scared me more than what Moon Goddess had nned for me when it came to Throne Brothers.

 Chapter 70: The Night of Full Moon

    <h4>Chapter 70: The Night of Full Moon</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The air was feeling charged from the moment I stepped out of my dorm.


    A gentle breeze swept through the gardens, but it was carrying an undercurrent of tension. It was almost like the moon, though still hidden beyond the horizon, had already whispered its promises into the hearts of every werewolf walking this campus.


    Except... for me.


    As someone without a wolf, my world continued like it was any other Monday.


    sses weren¡¯t canceled officially, but it didn¡¯t take long to realize that today wasn¡¯t normal.


    As I crossed the halls toward my first lecture of the day, I noticed the absences immediately. The usual clusters of students that filled the Academy every morning were thinned out. Those who walked did so more quietly.


    I reached the ssroom and stepped inside, only to find it barely half-filled.


    Mallory waved at me from her seat by the window. Noah was sitting in front of her, half-dozing but present, and Ria joined shortly after, her braid swinging like a tail with her every step. The rest of our group? They were nowhere in sight.


    "Where¡¯s Kyros?" I asked as I slid into the seat beside Mallory.


    She shrugged, "Took the day off. His wolf gets too antsy on full moons."


    "And Selene?"


    Ria answered this time, "Same. Alpha-blood wolves usually struggle more. The pull is stronger."


    That made sense. I didn¡¯t have a wolf, but I had eyes. Even without the moon rising, Kyros and Selene were walking vessels of power. On a night like this, it probably surged in them like a tidal wave.


    "I didn¡¯t know we could take the day off," I murmured as I flipped open my notebook.


    Noah yawned. "It¡¯s not announced formally. But yeah, most people don¡¯t show up - students or professors. Especially those with stronger wolves."


    His words rang true throughout the day.


    Professor Kieran¡¯s lecture was reced by a printed handout left behind by a substitute who didn¡¯t even show his face.


    During lunch, I overheard a conversation about how Oscar had taken the day off as well.


    And for the first time in the recent days, I didn¡¯t catch a single nce of Draven around the academy.


    What really left me feeling devastated was how the absence of these four brothers, even for just a day, had me thinking about them as if I had lost a part of myself.


    I tried to push it on the absence of my friends and how the academy was feeling so empty, but a part of me knew better than to believe in those lies.


    As evening settled in, my remaining friends started buzzing with energy. They were preparing for their night runs.


    "I can¡¯t wait to stretch out these legs," Ria said, practically bouncing.


    "You sure you¡¯ll be okay alone?" Mallory asked for the fifth time in thest hour.


    "Yeah," I said quickly. "I¡¯ll hang out in the library for a bit. Then head to dinner. Maybe an early night."


    "Text us if anything¡¯s weird," Noah added.


    I nodded, not bothering to remind him that his wolf would have no time to check his phone.


    By the time I reached the library, the sky outside had turned golden with dusk. Thest traces of sunlight were filtering in through the massive windows as the library¡¯s soft yellow lighting took over. I slipped into my usual corner table with a book I barely read and a mind that wouldn¡¯t quiet.


    Outside, the academy was emptying as all the students were heading out for runs.


    Even the staff were quicker to leave tonight.


    The librarian gave me a small nod as she collected her things. "Don¡¯t stay too long, dear. Head out before it gets toote, alright?"


    "Of course," I said.


    She gave me a look like she wanted to say more but didn¡¯t, then left through the side doors.


    The silence of the library wrapped around me. It wasn¡¯t the peaceful kind I usually enjoyed. It was too quiet. No creaking floorboards. No flipping pages. No footsteps.


    Nothing.


    I tried to focus on the textbook in front of me, but the words blurred together. My ears strained for sounds I couldn¡¯t ce. Every rustle of wind outside, every groan of the old wood, made my body stiffen.


    I wasn¡¯t scared.


    I told myself that.


    This was the Academy, the safest ce in the realm for werewolves. No outsider could step foot here. There were wards, guards, patrols.


    And yet...


    Something didn¡¯t feel right.


    After failing to concentrate for another half an hour, I closed the book and stood, stretching my arms and shaking off the paranoia. I was probably just tired. And maybe a little more sensitive to the energy in the air.


    Grabbing my bag, I turned to leave the library when I felt it.


    Pressure.


    Not like the kind River usually filled a room with, his was cold, sharp, and calcting.


    This... was heavier.


    Wilder.


    It pressed down on me like a wave of heat and tension.


    I froze halfway down the hall as I felt something moving between the rows of books in front of me.


    It didn¡¯t feel like someone, but... something.


    I stepped forward slowly as my heartbeat crawled up my throat. The light flickered slightly overhead as I moved toward the center of the room, eyes narrowing between the shelves.


    And that¡¯s when I saw it.


    A wolf.


    A full, massive, ck wolf was standing silently between the stacks of ancient books. Its deep green eyes were glowing with gold. Its shoulders were tense, muscles twitching under a sleek coat. Its presence filled the entire library like it had always belonged here.


    And it was staring directly at me.


    I stood frozen in my ce with my breath caught in my throat.


    The wolf didn¡¯t move.


    Didn¡¯t snarl.


    Didn¡¯t blink.


    But its presence was undeniable.


    It wasn¡¯t just a wolf.


    It was power.


    It was danger.


    It was wrong.


    <fn13dc> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n f?ndnovel</fn13dc>


    Every instinct in my body was screaming that this wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. The Academy was protected. Full-moon or not, no one was allowed to shift outside the designated areas.


    And yet, here it was.


    Standing still.


    Watching me.


    Waiting.


    I took a single step back, and its ears twitched. Its gaze sharpened.


    And I suddenly had the feeling that running wouldn¡¯t help me.


    That nothing would.

 Chapter 71: The Big, Black Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 71: The Big, ck Wolf</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The wolf didn¡¯t move.


    But neither could I.


    My back was pressing lightly to the wooden railing of the stairs leading to upper floors. My feet felt frozen mid-step, and my lungs refused to expand fully, like any sudden breath might provoke the beast standing in front of me.


    I kept my eyes glued on it while it stood there - watching me.


    Not like prey.


    Not like threat.


    Just... watching.


    Its eyes were gleaming faintly in the dim lights of the library, but there was a depth in them I couldn¡¯t exin. Something human. Something aching.


    I swallowed and took another step back, only for the wolf to take a step forward.


    My stomach dropped immediately.


    A second passed. Another. And then, I turned and bolted.


    Stupid.


    So stupid, Eva.


    I didn¡¯t even make it to the main door. In seconds, the soft padding of ws echoed too close behind me. I stumbled against the reception desk just as a huge body blocked my path. The wolf didn¡¯t growl. Didn¡¯t pounce. It simply cut off my exit, standing tall and calm like a guardian or a wall.


    I backed away slowly. My palms were trembling as they brushed the smooth desk behind me. "I... I don¡¯t want trouble," I whispered, eyes on the wolf¡¯s unmoving form. "You are not supposed to be here."


    It blinked.


    Once.


    And then slowly, it sat.


    <i>Sat.</i>


    <i>The hell?</i>


    My breath wasing out in a heavy, disbelieving puff. The adrenaline was still pumping through me like fire, but a small part of my brain - my rational side - had started to catch up.


    The wolf hadn¡¯t attacked me. It hadn¡¯t chased me for sport. It was just... following.


    And now it was sitting there, like some beast-shaped statue with its tail curled neatly to its side and ears alert but rxed.


    "I don¡¯t understand," I whispered and saw it tilt its head.


    Goddess above, it was actually looking curious.


    Almost like -


    Could it be one of my friends?


    The thought suddenly struck me. And it made sense. Otherwise, why would a random wolf appear in front of me?


    But again, none of my friends had golden or green eyes. The only ones I knew with such eyes were -


    No!


    No. That couldn¡¯t be possible. But the more I looked at the wolf, the more familiar its eyes starting appearing.


    I nced toward the ss windows. Outside, the full moon had made its appearance, pulsing with a silvery glow that turned the world almost dreamlike.


    I moved around the desk carefully, trying not to look away from the wolf¡¯s eyes.


    "Okay," I said in a low and cautious voice. "I¡¯ll just... sit over here. Not moving. Not running. You can... do whatever you want."


    The wolf stood up instantly, making me flinch. But I calmed down when it didn¡¯t lunge.


    <fnc73c> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find?novel</fnc73c>


    It started walking. Quietly. Slowly... To me.


    I stumbled into the chair behind the desk with hammering heart. But it didn¡¯t attack. Neither did ite too close.


    Instead, ity down in front of me, between the desk and the main exit, paws crossed like a statue and eyes trained on me. That was it.


    We stayed like that.


    Five minutes passed.


    Then ten.


    Then thirty.


    The longer I sat, the more my breath slowed. My limbs stopped shaking and my heartbeat steadied, if only slightly. The weight of fear was beginning to lift.


    "Who are you?" I asked softly and noticed how its ears twitched immediately.


    I wasn¡¯t expecting a response. But still, I found myself speaking again. "If you wanted to hurt me, you would have done it already."


    Still no movement.


    "So why are you here?"


    It blinked again, slower this time.


    I leaned back in the chair and my gaze drifted up toward the massive window overlooking the courtyard. The moon had reached its peak now. Its light was softer somehow, less blinding. Like it had finished whatever pull it held.


    "I have never met a wolf like you." The words came out without meaning to. I should be screaming. I should be trying to escape. But I wasn¡¯t.


    Because somewhere deep in my chest, a strange calm had settled.


    Maybe I was tired. Or maybe it was the quiet, the moonlight, the steady rhythm of breath beside me.


    Or maybe...


    Maybe I was feeling something. A connection. A bond. A familiarity.


    The wolf didn¡¯t move again, but I noticed the shift in its posture - just a slight adjustment of its head, a flick of its tail, like it was trying to getfortable.


    "Are you one of them?" I murmured the question before I could have stopped myself.


    And while there was still no response from the wolf, I knew that it belonged to one of the Rogue Alphas. Because that same pull was there that always came with the brothers.


    I just didn¡¯t know which one.


    Another ten minutes passed.


    I pulled my knees up to my chest in the chair and rested my chin atop them. Neither of us moved. The world outside had gone still, the campus swallowed in that deep, velvet silence that only came once the moon was highest and strongest.


    And then, I sensed a shift in the very air surrounding me. It was slow, gentle. Almost like wind rustling through the trees.


    I heard bones creak.


    Fur shimmered.


    My heart was thudding as the figure began to rise - limbs stretching, form contorting, light bending in ways it shouldn¡¯t have.


    I scrambled to my feet with wide eyes. The moonlight caught on skin, not fur, as the wolf - no, the person - stood up.


    Naked.


    Tall.


    And facing away from me. His back was tense, head bowed, and his dark hair was a mess.


    Even with his back facing me, I recognized him immediately. How could I not when the rush of familiar tingles hit me hard?


    My breath hitched as I watched him turn. Just slightly. Just enough for the shadows to part.


    I knew that voice the moment it whispered, low and soft.


    "...You stayed."

 Chapter 72: Giving in to Temptation

    <h4>Chapter 72: Giving in to Temptation</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Oscar.


    I stared at him like I was seeing a ghost... except ghosts didn¡¯t breathe heavy in the moonlight. They didn¡¯t hold your gaze with dark green eyes full of wild tension. They didn¡¯t smell like fire and pine and something dangerous that lived in the back of your throat and heart.


    But he did.


    He was real.


    And he was naked.


    I instinctively took a step back. My heart was mming so hard that it hurt. The weight of the mate bond red up between us like it had just remembered its purpose. A golden string pulled tight in my chest, vibrating, burning.


    He didn¡¯t move at first. His gaze was locked on mine, unreadable.


    He was the same man who kept telling me to stay away. Who hadn¡¯t even looked at me since ourst meeting when my world tilted and my heart betrayed me by epting him despite everything.


    <fn95a2> The rightful source is find?novel</fn95a2>


    He had rejected that bond. Rejected me. Even if not directly, his words that day were enough for me to know that he didn¡¯t want the bond, or me.


    But his wolf?


    His wolf had done the exact opposite.


    "I didn¡¯t know," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I didn¡¯t know it was you."


    His jaw twitched. Still, he didn¡¯t speak.


    The tension thickened between us. It was like a pressure that was pushing against my skin like the heat before a storm. I should have left. I should have turned and walked straight to the door. But I didn¡¯t.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Because something in his eyes had changed.


    There was no cold dismissal there. No contempt. Just intensity. Heat. Hunger. And something far more terrifying... need.


    "I told you to stay away." His voice was low and raw, breaking the silence. "So why are you here?"


    My lips parted in disbelief. "You think I followed you? It¡¯s the other way around for your kind information."


    He took one slow step toward me and the air shifted.


    "You are in the library. Alone. On a full moon night."


    "It¡¯s my Academy, too!" I shot back, feeling slightly frustrated. "And if anyone¡¯s to me for this situation, it¡¯s your wolf, not me!"


    His expression faltered.


    Just for a second.


    And that second was all I needed.


    "Your wolf came here," I said, quieter now, almost breathless. "He found me. He waited for me. He didn¡¯t hurt me. He didn¡¯t leave."


    His hands clenched at his sides. "He¡¯s... not me."


    "Yes, he is," I whispered. "He¡¯s the part of you that you try to bury. The part that doesn¡¯t lie."


    I saw it in his eyes then - that war. That push and pull inside him. The Alpha and the man. The wolf and the stubborn fool who didn¡¯t want this bond.


    But tonight?


    Tonight, he wasn¡¯t the one making decisions.


    I stepped back, slowly, until I reached one of the lounge chairs by the window. I didn¡¯t sit. I couldn¡¯t. My legs were trembling too much. My heart was caught between fear and something dangerously close to longing.


    "Are you going to tell me to stay away again?" I asked softly. "Even now?"


    He didn¡¯t answer.


    Instead, he crossed the space between us in three big strides.


    He didn¡¯t touch me.


    But Goddess, he almost did.


    His presence towered over mine. The heat rolling off his body was wild and electric. The bond between us was screaming louder now, coiling around my ribs like vines with thorns.


    "I shouldn¡¯t be here," he muttered, more to himself than to me.


    "But you are."


    I looked up into his face. His lips were parted and his breath was uneven. The edge of his control was so thin I could feel it cracking. The full moon had done something to him. Not just to his wolf. But to him.


    "I fought this," he said suddenly in a harsh voice. "From the moment I scented you, I fought it. Because I didn¡¯t want this - you - to destroy what¡¯s left of my brothers."


    "I never asked to be your mate," I shot back and lifted my chin. "You think this bond doesn¡¯t terrify me, too? That I want to be tied to someone who looks at me like I¡¯m poison?"


    His face twisted, but I didn¡¯t back down.


    "I hate this," I admitted with a shaking breath. "I hate how it feels when you look at me. How my chest aches when you ignore me. How your wolf shows up and makes me feel like I matter, and then you disappear like I don¡¯t."


    His hand moved.


    Just a flicker of movement, like he was about to reach for me... and then stopped.


    But it was enough.


    My resolve cracked. And before I could think it through, before my fear could remind me how wrong this was... I stepped forward.


    The bond between us red at the closeness.


    I was standing so close now, causing our breaths to mingle. I stared at his lips. At the sharp line of his jaw. At the brokenness he tried to hide but couldn¡¯t anymore.


    "I don¡¯t know what you want from me," I whispered.


    But he didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he did thest thing I was expecting.


    He leaned down... slowly, so carefully... and rested his forehead against mine.


    The touch was light. Barely there. But it felt like being struck by lightning.


    "You drive me insane," he murmured in a hoarse voice. "I hate how you make me feel. How he..." he thumped his chest, "... how he won¡¯t stop wanting you."


    "Then don¡¯t fight him." The words escaped before I could stop them, and his breath hitched.


    "Don¡¯t tempt me," he growled.


    But I already had.


    And I didn¡¯t pull away.


    Not even when he gently, almost reluctantly, pressed his palm to my waist. Not even when his nose brushed along my jaw in the softest, most reverent way, like he was scenting me.


    Because some twisted, desperate part of me wanted it.


    Wanted him.


    Even after everything.


    "I can¡¯t give you what you want, Evaline," he said, his voice breaking. "But tonight... I just need to stay close."


    I nodded, chest burning. "Then stay."

 Chapter 73: Alpha’s Claim (I)

    <h4>Chapter 73: Alpha¡¯s im (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    His touch was barely there.


    But it seared through my skin like wildfire, sinking into the hollow of my chest where his name had carved itself the moment we first met and the mate bond flickered to life between us.


    I didn¡¯t mean to lean in.


    But I did.


    I let my forehead rest against his. My breath was trembling between us, catching on every flicker of heat that licked up my spine. His hand on my waist wasn¡¯t firm, wasn¡¯t pulling, but it grounded me. Anchored me to him in a way I had sworn never to allow.


    And still, I didn¡¯t move.


    Because I couldn¡¯t.


    Because the bond between us had stopped being a whisper. It was a scream now. A hurricane inside me, shaking me from the inside out.


    His thumb brushed my waist, slow and unsteady. "You should hate me," he said. "You should want nothing to do with me."


    "Maybe I do," I said quietly. "But my heart stopped listening the moment you looked at me like I was yours."


    He exhaled, sharp and shaky. "I never meant to."


    "I know."


    His nose brushed mine again, and it made my knees threaten to give out. I could smell the fire on his skin and my body responded before my brain could. My hands lifted, unthinking, and I curled my fingers around the edge of his bare shoulders.


    He didn¡¯t flinch.


    Didn¡¯t step back.


    Didn¡¯t say my name like a curse or spit out the truth of my bloodline like it was poison on his tongue.


    He just stood there, letting me touch him.


    Letting me close.


    And for someone like him, someone like me, that meant everything.


    "I¡¯m not supposed to want you," he said again. "You are the daughter of the man who ughtered my pack. My parents. Me and my brothers lost everything because of your father."


    "I¡¯m not my father."


    "No," he admitted. "But when I look at you... I see him."


    My grip on his shoulders tightened and I felt my lungs squeezing painfully as I asked, "Then why are you still here?"


    His eyes, dark and stormy, locked on mine. "Because when I look longer...<i> I see you</i>."


    My heart cracked wide open.


    The truth shimmered between us... sharp and dangerous.


    His brothers hated me. Especially River. The eldest Rogue Alpha who stared at me like I was a ticking time bomb every time we crossed paths. And maybe I was.


    But right now?


    It was just us.


    Just the bond.


    The full moon.


    And the raw ache of wanting something we couldn¡¯t have but needed anyway.


    <fn82f6> Fresh chapters posted on fin?novel</fn82f6>


    His fingers flexed against my waist. His head dropped lower, and my breath caught when his lips hovered over mine. He didn¡¯t kiss me. Not yet. But it was so close I could taste the decision breaking inside him.


    "I used the full moon as an excuse," he admitted. "Said it was my wolf¡¯s fault. That I couldn¡¯t help it."


    My pulse thundered. "And now?"


    His lips brushed mine. It wasn¡¯t a kiss, just a cruel, beautiful tease.


    "Now I just don¡¯t want to fight anymore."


    I gasped, and that single breath was all it took.


    He closed the distance... and I shattered.


    His mouth crashed against mine with weeks of buried longing. Of fury and guilt and confusion and need. His lips moved like they had been starving, and mine answered like they were just as desperate. There was no softness in the kiss. No hesitation. Just heat and hunger and the bond roaring between us like a tidal wave.


    His hand slid from my waist to the small of my back, pulling me flush against his very bare chest. Heat to heat. Every inch of him was fire, and I was burning for him.


    My fingers found his hair and tugged at those soft strands. He groaned into my mouth. The sound was rough and low and devastating.


    The lounge chair was behind me, and he walked us back without breaking the kiss, guiding me until the back of my knees hit the cushion. He paused only long enough to stare at me again, like he wasn¡¯t sure I was real.


    "Tell me to stop," he rasped. "If you do, I will."


    I didn¡¯t.


    Because my body had betrayed me long ago. Because my heart never stood a chance.


    And because the part of me that should have told him to stop? That part was gone. Buried under every moment he had looked at me like he didn¡¯t want me... when deep down, I knew he did.


    "I won¡¯t," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I won¡¯t tell you to stop."


    His lips returned to mine with a force that shook me.


    We fell onto the chair, tangled and breathless, and his mouth never left mine. His hands mapped every inch of me, trembling like this was the first time he had touched something he couldn¡¯t destroy. And maybe it was. Maybe I was the first thing he didn¡¯t want to ruin.


    His wolf was close now. I could feel it, just beneath the surface, wing at him, wing at me, not out of rage but out of longing. I felt it when he scented me again, when he buried his face in my neck and let out a growl so low it vibrated through my bones.


    "Mine," he whispered like a confession.


    And Moon Goddess help me... I wanted to be.


    I pulled him closer. My breath catching when his hand slid beneath my uniform shirt that was no longer tucked in my skirt. The moment his calloused fingers came in contact with the bare skin of my waist, tingles erupted all over me.


    But something else struck me in that moment as well - realization. I realized just how aroused he was as his erection was pressing against my inner thigh. And I also realized that no matter how much we wanted it, I wanted him, we couldn¡¯t continue.


    I was still in my second month of pregnancy and I couldn¡¯t take any risks.


    The reminder of my pregnancy was like a bucket of ice cold water, making all my need and desire fading away in seconds.


    And right before his hand could have moved any up, I pushed him away...!

 Chapter 74: Alpha’s Claim (II)

    <h4>Chapter 74: Alpha¡¯s im (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment my hands pressed against his chest, I knew it wasn¡¯t fair - not to him, not to me. But the reminder of my pregnancy had yanked me back to reality, and reality was sharp and cold and merciless.


    "Oscar..." I said. My voice was shaky and quiet as I pushed him away.


    His eyes snapped open, breath catching as if just realizing how close we were to crossing a line we couldn¡¯te back from. I pulled away and wrapped my arms around myself instinctively. The space between us was too small, but it felt like a canyon in that moment.


    He didn¡¯t say anything at first. His breathing was still harsh, his body still strung tight with restraint, and his eyes - wild, hungry, beautiful - were watching me with confusion and guilt battling in them.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I whispered, feeling the need to say something.


    His brows furrowed in confusion and he asked, "Why are you apologizing?"


    I looked away. The warmth of his body was still lingering on my skin, and the bond between us was tugging painfully, like it hated being interrupted. "Because I wanted it too," I said truthfully, "but I can¡¯t..."


    His gaze searched mine for a beat longer, and then he nodded.


    And for the first time since I had known him, Oscar stepped back. He gave me space. Not because he wanted to. But because I needed it.


    I took off my Academy zer and wordlessly offered it to him. He blinked at it, then gave a low, amused sound that was half a chuckle, half a groan. "That thing won¡¯t cover a damn thing," he muttered.


    I couldn¡¯t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. "It¡¯s either that or the curtain, and I don¡¯t think Ms. Harlow would appreciate finding one missing."


    He eyed me for a moment, then took the zer. Since there was no way he could have fit into it, he tied it around his waist to hide the... most distracting part of his at the moment.


    Once he was done, he looked absolutely ridiculous, and somehow, still unfairly gorgeous.


    I bit my lip, trying not tough. "You look... respectable."


    "Do I?" His mouth curved into a lopsided smirk. "Remind me to carry a bag of clothes next full moon ."


    "Remind me to stay locked in my dorm next full moon."


    A short silence fell between us, but it wasn¡¯t awkward. If anything, it felt like an exhale. Like we had both been holding our breath for weeks, and now we finally let a little bit out.


    But the silence was broken when he suddenly made an unexpected request. "Sit closer to me."


    I hesitated for a second or two, before giving in. I curled beside him on the couch that was barely enough for both of us. He immediately folded his arms around me before I could settle, pulling me into his chest.


    Being held like that... felt perfect.


    His warmth was perfect. His scent. The steady thump of his heart. The way he rested his chin on top of my head and let out a quiet breath, like this - this - was what we had been needing all along.


    "Sorry for rushing you," he murmured against my hair. "I wasn¡¯t thinking."


    "You were thinking," I corrected. "Just... with a different part of yourself."


    He huffed augh. "Guilty."


    We stayed like that for a long moment, tangled together in the soft quiet of the library. The moonlight was casting silver lines across the floor.


    "Do you think we¡¯ll regret this in the morning?" I asked quietly.


    He tipped his head, just enough to press a kiss to the crown of mine. "Probably."


    I turned my head a little, enough to meet his eyes. "But not yet?"


    He smiled. "Not yet."


    Then another kiss followed. This one near my temple. Then another, along my jaw. My breath caught when his lips brushed the curve beneath my ear, making my entire body tense in the most delicious way.


    "Oscar," I warned.


    "Hmm?" he asked in a low, dangerous murmur.


    "I¡¯m trying to be good."


    "Me too," he said, kissing the side of my throat. "We are both doing a terrible job."


    Despite myself, Iughed softly. "You are going to get me into so much trouble."


    "I think you already were trouble, Evaline."


    He leaned down again, this time capturing my lips in a slow, tender kiss that sent my heart spinning. It wasn¡¯t rushed like earlier. It wasn¡¯t desperate or fevered. It was the kind of kiss that felt like a promise.


    A dangerous one.


    My hands found their way to his neck, and my fingers brushed against the soft hair at his nape as his tongue swept gently against mine. I should have pulled away. I should have ended it.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    Instead, I let myself feel.


    Because Goddess, I wanted to feel something good. Even if it wouldn¡¯tst. Even if the world was ready to burn around us.


    His mouth left mine only to return to the skin just below my ear. Every kiss was making my pulse race. Every breath I took wasced with his scent. And every whispered word he spoke in between made my chest ache a little more.


    "I think about you all the time."


    I blinked. "Even when you are being an ass?"


    "Especially then."


    I shook my head, but my smile betrayed me. "Well, I guess I think about you too."


    He grinned against my neck. "Even when I¡¯m being an ass?"


    I didn¡¯t answer, but my kiss on his jaw was enough.


    Eventually, the heat between us mellowed into something softer. Sleepier. He stretched out just a little, adjusting me more into hisp until I was half draped over him. His hands settled on my back, warm and heavy. I didn¡¯t realize how much I needed this closeness until now.


    "I could stay like this all night," I mumbled.


    "You are wee to," he said much to my surprise.


    The thought of this sweet momenting to an end, and him returning to his usual self - made my heart clench. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was strong enough to handle his rejection after experiencing something so beautiful with him like this.


    Before I could stop myself, I was cing a kiss on his lips.


    <fn5bdf> Updates are released by Find1Novel</fn5bdf>


    He stared at me, as if he could feel the shift of my thoughts. His hand came to cup the back of my head before he started running his fingers through my hair that were almost back in their original color.


    He let out a quiet sigh and nuzzled my cheek onest time. "I need to shift back before someone finds us like this."


    I hesitated, not wanting the moment to end. But eventually sat up reluctantly, already missing his warmth. He stood and slipped off the zer, handing it back to me with a wink. "Thanks for the modesty. Ten out of ten coverage."


    I folded it over my arm, shaking my head. "Next time I¡¯ll bring a towel."


    Heughed.


    Then his body shimmered, muscles tightening, bones shifting in a smooth, graceful ripple. Where Oscar once stood, now arge dark wolf stared at me with those same fierce golden-green eyes.


    Still him.


    Still mine.


    Even if I couldn¡¯t have him.


    I crouched and reached out, scratching gently behind his ear. He leaned into the touch, and a soft rumble vibrated through his chest.


    "Be careful," I whispered. "You are already making things worse just by being you."


    He gave a low huff, like he understood, and turned toward the shadows near the back of the library. Hisrge body moved soundlessly as he slipped into the dark, vanishing before anyone could see.


    And I was alone again.


    I stared at the spot he disappeared, zer still clutched in my arms and heart racing for all the wrong reasons.


    Tonight had been beautiful.


    Unexpected.


    Real.


    But it didn¡¯t fix anything. It didn¡¯t change the fact that I was still carrying a child that wasn¡¯t his. That I had felt mate bonds with more than one of the Rogue Alphas. That the others, precisely River, would never ept me.


    No one knew any of it and I couldn¡¯t make up my mind to reveal anything to anyone when we weren¡¯t officially together yet.


    I wrapped the zer around myself and stepped out into the hallway, head down, heart full of butterflies that fluttered and fought inside my chest.


    This night had changed everything.


    And somehow... it had only made everything worse.

 Chapter 75: Unnecessary Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 75: Unnecessary Trouble</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The second day after the full moon was when things finally started returning to normal.


    The howling in the distance had stopped. The energy in the air - the restless tension clinging to every hallway, stairwell, and hidden forest trails - had slowly faded like morning mist. Wolves were calm again, grounded. Students had filled the campus with their usual chatter. Professors also resumed lectures with the stern energy they always carried on daily basis.


    And I?


    I pretended.


    Pretended like I hadn¡¯t spent the full moon locked in the library with a man who wasn¡¯t supposed to want me.


    Pretended like Oscar¡¯s arms hadn¡¯t felt like something I secretly craved.


    Pretended like the mate bond wasn¡¯t still humming quietly beneath my skin, desperate and alive despite knowing that there was no hope for us.


    I put my hair up in a high bun, put on the uniform, and headed to dining hall with the same purpose I used to have before all of this mess. Focus. Learn. Survive.


    <i>Forget.</i>


    But Silver Moon Academy never really made it that easy.


    Especially when my first ss of the day was with Professor Kieran.


    - - -


    <fn06e3> Fresh chapters posted on F?nd-Novel</fn06e3>


    "Today we¡¯ll be working with Larkroot, Frostmint, and Blightvine," Professor Kieran announced as we filed into his greenhouse-turned-ssroom.


    "These herbs aremonly used in calming brews and sleep potions, but vtile when mixed improperly. A single drop too much of Blightvine will turn your entire mixture into poison. So pay attention."


    His voice was smooth and authoritative, the kind that made students straighten instinctively in their seats.


    I took my ce near the back with Mallory and Ria, slipping on my gloves and apron while sneaking a quick nce at the array of herbsid out on the long wooden tables. All freshly harvested. The room was filled with the smell of soil and crushed herbs, sharp and earthy.


    Professor Kieran was standing near the front, wearing a fitted charcoal vest over a dark green shirt. He had rolled the sleeves up to his elbows as he moved with fluid grace between the tables. His eyes scanned the room, notzily, but with focus.


    When his gazended on me, it didn¡¯t move.


    My breath caught for a second. Not because he was looking. But because of <i>how</i> he was looking.


    Warm.


    Lingering.


    Almost as if he was... relieved?


    I dropped my gaze to my tools.


    Stop it, Eva.


    Not now.


    "Miss Greystone," he said suddenly, making me snap my head up while half the ss turned to look at me.


    Even the brats in the front row - those ever-jealous, ever-watchful students who always seemed to sneer when I spoke too confidently - turned with narrowed eyes.


    "Yes, Professor?" I said, careful to sound neutral.


    He walked toward my table and ced a neatly bundled Frostmint stem beside my cutting board.


    "Would you mind assisting me during today¡¯s preparation rounds? You have consistently scored highest in potion bnce tests, and I could use an extra pair of sharp hands."


    There it was.


    The invitation.


    A spotlight I didn¡¯t ask for, but couldn¡¯t turn down. Not when knowledge was the one ce I still had power.


    "Of course," I said quietly and stood up.


    He gave a small smile... small, but real.


    I heard the hiss of whispers almost immediately. Someone behind me muttered something that included the words <i>ying innocent </i>and <i>bitch.</i>


    I ignored them.


    It was only my friends that gave me encouraging nods and smiles, like they always had.


    Professor Kieran led me to the front of the room where several bowls were already prepared with measurements of the three herbs.


    "I¡¯ll demonstrate the first brew," he said, loud enough for the ss to hear. "Miss Evaline will prepare the second. Watch carefully. You¡¯ll each attempt your own afterward."


    He moved like the herbs respected him.


    There were no wasted movements. Each leaf, root, and pinch of powder was handled with intention. Watching him work was like watching a spell be woven - not one of magic, but of mastery. He had that quiet,manding presence that even the most distracted students couldn¡¯t look away from.


    Once he finished, he stepped aside. "Miss Evaline?"


    I nodded and stepped up. My hands were trembling slightly as I reached for the Larkroot, but I steadied them. I had done this before. Countless times.


    Just never with every pair of eyes on me... including <i>his</i>.


    Growing up, herbology and potion making was my secret talent, one I started learning for personal gains but soon found myself falling in love with it.


    With this reminder, I got to work. I crushed the root with the pestle, added the Frostmint in small shavings, and stirred in a slow figure-eight pattern exactly as Kieran had demonstrated.


    And when I reached for the Blightvine, the dangerous one, I felt him move closer behind me.


    He wasn¡¯t touching, but close enough to sense.


    "You have got it," he said softly, too low for the others to hear. "Steady."


    I added the precise three drops and watched as the brew turned a gentle shade of violet... perfect.


    The ss murmured in approval.


    When I stepped back, Professor Kieran gave me a faint nod, and for a moment, I saw something flicker across his face. Pride?


    "Excellent work," he said aloud, returning to the center of the room. "Now, in pairs, begin your own preparations. I¡¯ll be checking each brew before ss ends."


    I made my way back to my table, trying not to flush under the weight of the res being shot my way from across the room.


    Noah leaned over from his ce beside Ria, whispering, "You realize the angry fan club is going toe for you with pitchforks."


    "I didn¡¯t ask to be chosen," I said tly.


    "That¡¯s never stopped jealous people before," Mallory added as she started chopping Larkroot.


    I tried to focus on their banter. I really did. But every time I looked up, I caught him watching me.


    He wasn¡¯t just observing. But Watching.


    And it didn¡¯t help that the more attention he gave me, the more the front-row gang red. It was a trio of girls - Nadine, Violet, and Bianca. They were whispering in huddled judgment, their eyes darting between me and Kieran like they were already drafting letters ofint.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what upset them more... that I had the professor¡¯s attention, or that I didn¡¯t appear to be enjoying it.


    And honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure myself.


    Kieran was... kind.


    Protective.


    Gentle in ways the others weren¡¯t.


    And yet, every time he looked at me with something soft in his expression, I felt torn. Because no matter how much warmth was there, I was just a girl whom he felt some sympathy for.


    And I didn¡¯t want his sympathy tond me in unnecessary trouble.

 Chapter 76: Alpha’s Alarming Request

    <h4>Chapter 76: Alpha¡¯s rming Request</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The rest of the ss passed in a blur.


    Even as I returned to my seat and attempted to help Mallory and Ria with their brew, my thoughts stayed tangled in the moment before - Kieran¡¯s voice close to my ear, the warmth in his gaze, the quiet pride. He hadn¡¯t praised anyone else aloud. Just me.


    And that should have felt good.


    But I had learned long ago that attention, especially the wrong kind, always came with consequences.


    When the ss ended, I barely had time to gather my notes before his voice rang out again.


    "Miss Evaline, stay back for a moment."


    It was casual, almost offhand. But to the girls who had spent thest hour staring daggers at me, it might as well have been an invitation to war.


    I heard Bianca¡¯s sharp intake of breath. Nadine looked like she was going to bite through her lip, and Violet didn¡¯t bother hiding her rolled eyes.


    I pretended not to notice any of it.


    "See youter," I whispered to my friends as they packed up.


    "You want us to wait outside?" Ria asked in a low and a little too serious voice, almost causing a smile to crack on my lips.


    "No. Just... go ahead. I¡¯ll be fine."


    Noah raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Text us if the Professor turns out to be a secretly love-struck vampire."


    I almostughed this time. Almost.


    The greenhouse emptied quickly, and once the door shut behind thest student, Professor Kieran began organizing the bowls and vials at the front table.


    His movements were calm and unhurried, unlike my racing heart.


    "Thank you for assisting today," he said after a moment, ncing at me.


    I nodded. "It was no trouble."


    "You performed well. As expected."


    Silence stretched again and I shifted awkwardly before mustering the courage to ask, "Was that all, Professor?"


    "No. Actually..." He walked over to his desk and picked up a small notebook. "There¡¯s a quiz scheduled for Monday. I want to make sure the ss is properly prepared, and you are the most capable person to assist with that."


    I blinked. "You want me to... help with the quiz?"


    "In a way," he replied. "I have prepared supplemental reports - herb breakdowns, reaction patterns, potential pairings. With those, you could conduct two prep sessions before the quiz. But the reports are at the mansion."


    My breath caught at thest sentence. "The mansion?"


    "Yes. I left them in my study. I¡¯ll be away on assignment starting tomorrow and won¡¯t return until Sunday evening. Which is toote to assist the ss."


    He said all of this so professionally, so rationally, that for a second, I just stood there like an idiot, trying to piece together what felt very normal... and yet not.


    "You... want me toe with you to your mansion?" I repeated slowly.


    "To retrieve the reports," he rified with a tilt of his head. "Nothing more."


    I opened my mouth, closed it, then tried again. "Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to ask one of your men to deliver them?"


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    He shook his head. "They are out on a separate task. And even if they could deliver them, you would receive them by tomorrow evening at the earliest."


    I frowned and muttered, "That¡¯s not terrible."


    "For the average student, no. But if you want the ss to benefit, and prepare in time, the best time to distribute the notes would be tomorrow morning."


    I was still hesitating.


    He stepped closer and folded his arms. "You have internship duties on the weekend, do you not?"


    I nodded.


    "Which gives you only Thursday and Friday to help your ssmates. And if you receive the notes Friday evening, that leaves no time to review, organize, or hold a session."


    Everything he was saying made sense. Perfect, undeniable sense. And yet...


    "You are not... worried about the way it might look?" I asked carefully.


    His brows lifted slightly as he asked, "How it might look?"


    "You are asking me, a student, toe with you to the private mansion of the rogue Alphas. Do you know how that sounds to people already determined to hate me?"


    His gaze darkened with understanding and he murmured a secondter. "I see."


    For a second, I thought he might say something like don¡¯t worry about them or let them talk - things teachers often said when they didn¡¯t truly understand the weight of being watched, whispered about, picked apart.


    But he surprised me.


    Instead, he walked back to his desk and picked up a folded paper from beneath a book. Then he turned to me and said,


    "That¡¯s why I¡¯ll be announcing your new position tomorrow morning."


    "My what?"


    "You¡¯ll be the ss president of Year One."


    It took a moment for the words to register. And when they did, I almost forgot to breathe.


    "What?"


    He gave me the faintest smile. "You have demonstrated academic excellence in three courses, consistent leadership in assignments, and emotional resilience in the face of more... personal challenges. It¡¯s only natural that you step into a more visible role."


    "But... I didn¡¯t ask for this. No one even voted-"


    "I¡¯m within my rights as a professor to appoint leadership where I see potential. If anyone has questions, they cane to me."


    I opened my mouth again, but he was already packing thest of the tools into a wooden box.


    "After your sses end today, meet me at the Academy gates. I¡¯ll take you to the mansion to get the reports."


    "I don¡¯t think this is a good idea," I said, almost to myself.


    But he looked up and met my gaze directly.


    "I do," he said quietly. "Because I trust you, Evaline. And it¡¯s time others started doing the same."


    His voice was calm. Firm. Unshakable.


    And even though the knot in my stomach was twisting tighter, part of me - the part that still wanted to believe I could be more than the girl everyone whispered about - felt something stir at those words.


    Hope. Or maybe just... danger in disguise.

 Chapter 77: The Surpise at the Mansion

    <h4>Chapter 77: The Surpise at the Mansion</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I shifted on my feet, watching the sun filter through the tall windows of the greenhouse ssroom. A strange sensation was making my chest feel heavier - prideced with hesitation.


    "You are going to make a lot of people ufortable with this power, Evaline," Professor Kieran added.


    I already was.


    "I want to choose the ss Keeper myself," I said quietly after I finally epted his decision.


    His head lifted slightly and his dark green eyes focused on me. I didn¡¯t flinch. "You do?"


    "Yes." Iced my fingers together, trying not to fidget. "If I¡¯m to lead this ss, I need someone I trust beside me. Someone reliable. Someone I know will always do the right thing."


    He leaned back against the desk and arched a brow. "And your choice?"


    I didn¡¯t hesitate as I dropped the name. "Kyros."


    As soon as the name left my lips, I saw something shift in Kieran¡¯s expression - a twitch of approval.


    "Kyros," he repeated, as though tasting the name. "Top scorer after you in the entrance exams. Alpha-blooded, clean record, sharp instincts. Loyal. Good choice."


    I allowed myself a small breath of relief. "He¡¯s also one of my friends. I trust him."


    He folded his arms over his chest. "I see no reason to object. Inform him yourself, he should hear it from you before the professors make it official."


    I nodded quickly. "Thank you, sir."


    He inclined his head, and I didn¡¯t wait around long enough to invite further questions. The truth was, his approval made my chest tighten more than it should have. I couldn¡¯t afford to think about how strange and careful his attention was bing.


    I hurried down the marble hallway toward my next ss, letting my feet carry me faster than my mind. My thoughts were a whirlwind - about Kyros, about my new role, about this entire idea of me going to the mansion.


    When I stepped into the ssroom, Mallory waved me over to the desk in third row, and Ria gave me her usual grin from beside her. Kyros had his arms crossed on the desk, head tilted, as if he already knew something wasing.


    "Took you long enough," Mallory whispered as I slid into my seat. "What did he want?"


    I exhaled slowly. "It¡¯s...plicated. He offered me a position."


    Their eyes widened.


    "ss President," I said. "Effective immediately. And Kyros," I nced toward him, "will be the ss Keeper."


    Kyros blinked. "Wait, what?"


    I smiled and leaned forward to whisper, "I asked for you. I wanted someone I trust."


    For a moment, his expression went perfectly still, then softened into something rare - genuine, quiet pride. "Thanks, Eva. I¡¯ll do my best."


    "You better," I teased.


    Mallory gaped. "You are President? Of Year One? Eva, that¡¯s... Goddess, that¡¯s huge."


    Ria elbowed her as she spoke, "Well deserved, if you ask me."


    I smiled softly at her, feeling my heart easing just a little. "It¡¯s... a lot. But I¡¯ll manage."


    The bell rang before we could talk more, and our focus shifted to lectures and note-taking. After lunch, we filed into History and Politics ss as the midday sun castzy shadows across the desks. I felt the shift in the air even before the professor spoke.


    Professor Elira walked to the front with slow, deliberate steps. She was younger than most, but her voicemanded the room with ease. She ced a folder on her desk before turning to survey the ss.


    "Before we begin," she said, "a quick announcement."


    I sat straighter, my heart skipping a beat as I prepared for what wasing.


    "With the full agreement of the Academy Council and all Year One professors, we are instating two student roles this term. Your ss President will be Miss Evaline."


    There were audible gasps. A few people whispered, and not kindly.


    "And your ss Keeper will be Mr. Kyros Graves."


    More whispers.


    Someone from the back scoffed. "Why her?"


    I turned slowly. It was Marcus - always loud, always arrogant. Professor Elira¡¯s gaze cut toward him with deadly precision.


    "You want to know why?" Her voice was calm, but sharp. "Miss Evaline ranked first in the entrance examination - the same one where you ced thirty-second, Mr. Bane."


    There were some chuckles and Marcus looked thoroughly embarrassed.


    Professor Elira continued, "Miss Evaline is consistently top of the ss in every subject. She shows discipline, attentiveness, and initiative. She has answered more questions in this ss alone than half of youbined."


    That shut everyone up.


    "She is also an intern at the Council... the youngest we have seen in a century," the professor finished, smoothing out her clothes. "So, unless any of you haveparable qualifications, I suggest you hold your tongues."


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    I lowered my gaze, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. Not from embarrassment, but from pressure. Every single word of praise felt like a spotlight. I didn¡¯t like it. But at least it kept the doubters quiet.


    The rest of the day passed in a blur of congrattions from some and res from others. When the final bell rang, I packed my bag quickly and slipped out of ss.


    I had to meet Professor Kieran, but I had no ns of going alone.


    I found Mallory by the lockers, and she tilted her head when she saw my expression. "What now?"


    "You areing with me," I said, grabbing her hand.


    She blinked. "To...?"


    "The mansion."


    Her mouth fell open. "What mansion? You can¡¯t be talking about <i>that mansion</i>!"


    I nodded. "Professor Kieran is taking me there to grab some reports. I figured... maybe it would be easier if you came too."


    Her eyes flicked between excitement and sheer panic. "I... should I be excited or terrified?"


    "Both," I muttered.


    We arrived at the Academy¡¯s front gate just as Kieran pulled up in a sleek ck car. The engine was purring like a beast, and the windows were tinted dark.


    When he stepped out, his expression flickered slightly upon seeing Mallory at my side.


    "She¡¯s with me," I said before he could speak.


    His unreadable gaze lingered on her a moment longer before he nodded once. "Fine. Get in."


    Mallory clutched my arm as we slid into the back seat. "For the very first time, he smells dangerous." She whispered.


    "He is dangerous," I whispered back.


    As the car sped through the forest road, I stared out the window. A whileter, the trees started thinning, revealing the towering gates of the mansion. Even now, after everything, the sight of it still gave me chills.


    The gates opened slowly, revealing a wide stone path lined with manicured bushes and fountains. The mansion was looming ahead like a fortress, majestic and cold.


    Mallory pressed her face to the ss. "This ce looks like a fairytale."


    "Not the good kind," I murmured before I could stop myself.


    When we stepped out, a few servants milling near the entrance paused. Their eyes locked on my Academy uniform, then flicked to Kieran, then back to me. They recognized me immediately.


    They knew who I was. They remembered. And they were looking ufortable.


    My gaze thennded on a very familiar face, Sera. She was standing by the doorway, watching us. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something. But Kieran¡¯s presence silenced her. One look from him, and she lowered her gaze, stepping aside.


    I nced at Mallory who was too busy gaping at the sheer luxury around us to notice anything. Good. She didn¡¯t need to know what I used to be.


    I wasn¡¯t ashamed of the work I had done, I was ashamed of the memories. Of how powerless I used to be in these halls. And most importantly, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to exin my twisted rtion with the Rogue Alphas.


    Professor Kieran led us through the grand corridor, past rooms I had once cleaned.


    We rounded a corner toward the west wing when the air shifted.


    A man was standing at the far end of the hallway. Broad shoulders. Dark brown hair that they almost looked ck in shadows, just like his eyes. And though I have seen him only once before this, I recognized him instantly.


    Jasper.


    He was River¡¯s second-inmand. His Beta. And the same man who caught me during my run and brought me here to present to his Alpha.


    My pulse quickened.


    But he wasn¡¯t looking at me.


    His gaze had locked onto Mallory.


    And in that instant, the entire world seemed to still.


    His chest rose sharply, like he had been punched in the gut. Mallory blinked up at him, confused, unsure why the stranger looked like the ground beneath him had cracked open.


    "Who-?" she started, but he stepped forward, slowly, like a predator stalking prey.


    His voice came low and ragged.


    "Mine."


    Mallory froze.


    So did I.


    And somewhere deep in my chest, I knew... everything had just changed.

 Chapter 78: Tangled in Fate

    <h4>Chapter 78: Tangled in Fate</h4>


    <strong>Mallory:</strong>


    The moment our eyes met, something snapped inside me. It wasn¡¯t painful, but it was jarring. Like my whole body had gone electric. Like I had suddenly stepped into a different realm entirely, one where the only things that mattered were his eyes on mine, and the breath I couldn¡¯t seem to take in.


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    My heart was hammering in my chest, hard and loud and fast. I couldn¡¯t look away. Couldn¡¯t breathe.


    And then I felt it.


    The bond.


    Every fairytale I had heard whispered in corners of the Nightshade Pack gatherings. Every dreamy sigh girls released when they talked about soulmates, true mates, destined partners. I thought those were just stories. I had never expected to feel something so real, so immediate, and so overwhelming.


    My stomach twisted and heat flushed my skin from head to toe. I couldn¡¯t make sense of anything... only that my soul was wing toward him. Reaching. Anchoring.


    But before I could even speak, before I could blink again, the handsome man with dark brown eyes was moving. He strode toward me like a storm in tailored clothes and predator-like confidence. His grip wrapped around my wrist firmly, but not cruelly, and the next thing I knew...


    "Wait - Mallory!" Eva¡¯s voice pierced through the haze, her fingers trying to catch my other hand. Her face was pale, her eyes wide, torn between panic and disbelief.


    But she couldn¡¯t follow.


    Professor Kieran stopped her and shook his head silently. It was like he knew something I didn¡¯t. Or maybe... he knew exactly what was happening to me.


    Because I didn¡¯t.


    Not really.


    Not until I found myself pulled through a set of quiet hallways and pushed inside a dim, cool, and quiet room. An office, maybe. Books were lining one wall. A desk was sitting neatly and untouched on the other. But I barely registered any of that.


    Because he was there.


    And I was in here. Alone. With him.


    I was trembling. Not because I was scared. But because everything inside me was thrumming with need, confusion, and an ache so bone-deep, I thought I might crumble if I didn¡¯t touch him.


    He mmed the door behind us, but the sound barely registered. I backed instinctively, needing space, air, sense... but his presence was overwhelming, dragging me under all over again.


    My back hit the wall.


    And he was there, towering over me. His muscles were tight beneath his dark shirt, face carved from shadows and fire. His scent - forest, spice, power - wrapped around me like silk and smoke. It made my knees weak and my lips dry.


    He nted one hand against the wall beside my head, and I swore the room spun.


    "I need your name," he said. His voice low and dark andmanding. It wasn¡¯t a growl, but it felt like one.


    I blinked. "M-Mallory," I breathed. "Mallory Campbell."


    His eyes flicked down to my lips before catching mine again. "Pack?"


    "N¨CNightshade," I whispered, barely able to speak around the pressure in my chest.


    His jaw tightened. "How old are you?"


    I swallowed. "Eighteen. I mean... I¡¯ll be neen in three weeks."


    He cursed under his breath, stepping back half a pace, but it didn¡¯t make breathing easier. His other hand joined the one on the wall, caging me in. Still close enough that his scent clouded my senses and made my skin flush.


    He was too much.


    Too tall.


    Too intense.


    Too everything.


    I tried to focus. Tried to be rational. Tried to remember I was a person, not just a trembling mess of hormones and emotions and whatever this man was doing to me.


    But he was staring down at me like he was trying to memorize me. Like he had found something he had been looking for forever and couldn¡¯t quite believe it was real.


    And I couldn¡¯t stop looking at his lips.


    They moved - he was asking something else, I think - but I didn¡¯t hear it. All I could think about was how close they were. How soft they looked. How desperately I wanted to kiss him. Taste him. im him.


    What was happening to me?


    I reached out before I could stop myself. My fingers brushed his forearm, finding solid muscle under warm skin. The contact caused a spark to explode through my hand before it bolted straight to my core. I gasped and snatched my hand back, feeling my cheeks flooding with color.


    His nostrils red, and his whole body went still.


    "Mallory," he whispered in a hoarse voice. "Do you have any idea what you are doing to me right now?"


    I shook my head as my breathing picked up its speed. "No. I... I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s happening?"


    He closed his eyes for a beat as if to collect himself.


    "I¡¯m your mate," he said finally, the words thick with something I didn¡¯t know how to name. "And you are <i>mine</i>."


    The way he said it... like it was aw written in the stars, unchangeable, undeniable... made something inside me click. It was the bond. That wild rush of heat in my blood. The way my body leaned toward him even when my brain screamed to find logic.


    It wasn¡¯t just attraction.


    It was nature.


    It was fate.


    "I¡¯m Jasper Walker. Alpha River¡¯s second-inmand." He introduced himself. Then his lips twitched, but it wasn¡¯t quite a smile. "I didn¡¯t expect my mate to be a Nightshade pup."


    I bristled at the word pup, even though it wasn¡¯t meant cruelly. "I¡¯m not a pup."


    "You are eighteen."


    "I¡¯ll be neen."


    "You are still so young." His voice softened then, something almost pained entering his eyes. "You don¡¯t even know what you are feeling right now, do you?"


    "I know I want to kiss you," I blurted out before I could stop myself.


    He froze.


    And so did I.


    Oh Moon Goddess.


    Why did I say that?


    I turned my face away, feeling mortified, but he gently caught my chin and turned me back to him.


    His eyes weren¡¯t angry. They were dark, yes. Intense. But there was heat in them. A storm brewing just beneath the surface.


    "You feel the bond," he said softly. "That¡¯s what this is. It¡¯s driving you to me. Making you ache. Want. Crave."


    I nodded shakily. "It¡¯s so strong. I don¡¯t know how to... to think."


    He nodded as his gaze dipped to my mouth again. "That¡¯s because you are feeling it for the first time. I have had years to learn. To know what to expect."


    His fingers brushed a lock of my hair from my cheek, and I shivered under the contact.


    "I¡¯m not going to take advantage of that. Not tonight. Not until you know me."


    "But I do," I whispered. "I feel like I do."


    He leaned in closer, his breath ghosting over my cheek. "That¡¯s the bond talking. But I promise, little mate... I¡¯ll give you time. I¡¯ll give you space to want me for real, not just because your wolf says so."


    I nodded. My heart was pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it.


    He exhaled slowly, like he was trying to cool the fire crackling between us. His hands lowered, resting gently on my waist.


    "You are beautiful, Mallory," he said in a voice that sounded like velvet and thunder. "Even without the bond, I would have seen you. Noticed you. Wanted you."


    My breath hitched, and I stared up at him helplessly. "What do we do now?"


    He tilted his head, watching me like I was the only thing that existed.


    "Now?" he murmured. "Now, I let you go. Just for tonight."


    "What if I don¡¯t want you to?"


    He clenched his jaw. The battle in his eyes was unmistakable. "You are my mate. You will be mine. But we¡¯ll do this right."


    His fingers traced the curve of my cheek as he added, "Even if it kills me."


    And then, just as suddenly as he had caged me in, he stepped back... leaving a chasm in the air where his warmth used to be.


    I wasn¡¯t able to move. Couldn¡¯t breathe.


    But I already knew...


    I was his.


    And I had a feeling that Jasper Walker would never let me forget it.


    I closed my eyes and started taking deep breaths to calm myself down. I wasn¡¯t sure how long it took me, a few seconds or several long minutes, but once I was calm enough to walk, I raced out of the room.


    I needed to find Eva.

 Chapter 79: His Little Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 79: His Little Trouble</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The second Jasper gripped Mallory¡¯s wrist and tugged her forward, I blinked.


    I was startled, unsure if I had just imagined the tension crackling in the air or if the earth had truly tilted on its axis. But when I saw the dazed expression on my best friend¡¯s face - wide-eyed, stunned,pletely mesmerized - I knew something very real had just happened.


    "Wait, Mallory-!" I took a step forward as panic rose in my chest.


    I barely managed two steps before a firm handnded on my shoulder, halting me mid-stride.


    "She¡¯s fine," Professor Kieran said calmly, gently but with enough force to root me in ce. "Let them be, Evaline."


    I turned to him with a frown decorating my face. "What do you mean let them - what just happened? What did he do to her?"


    He wasn¡¯t looking concerned at all. If anything, his eyes were gleaming with quiet understanding.


    "They are fated mates," he said simply.


    But I wentpletely still.


    Fated... mates?


    I looked back toward the hallway they just disappeared into as my heart thudded in my chest. Mallory found her mate? Right here? Today?


    I had an inkling - that sudden shift in the air, the way her gaze locked on Jasper like he was gravity and she was just helplessly falling into orbit. But hearing the words out loud solidified it.


    Fated. Mate.


    "She found her mate," I whispered as the realization sank in like a stone in a stillke. "I just brought her along with me. I didn¡¯t think..."


    "That she would stumble into destiny?" Kieran said with a hint of a smile. "Fate has a habit of striking when you least expect it."


    I crossed my arms tightly, still stunned. "I mean... what are the chances?"


    "Apparently, one in one."


    He was far too amused for my liking.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t deny it. The pull had been unmistakable. The silence between them, the intensity... it had been more than a simple moment. That was the moment.


    "She¡¯s in safe hands," he said in a soft voice. "Jasper¡¯s rough around the edges, but he¡¯s one of the best wolves I have known. He wouldn¡¯t harm her. He¡¯s probably just... overwhelmed."


    I sighed. "So I should just let her be?"


    "For now," he said. "They need to talk. Or bond. Or argue. Or whatever it is newly mated wolves do when the world flips upside down."


    I huffed, but nodded. "Fine."


    "This way. Let¡¯s get your reports."


    I followed him through the grand halls of the mansion, down to his study. It was a well organized space with tall windows and rows of books. The scent of aged paper and warm cedar was filling the air. He handed me a sleek folder of reports, and I checked them quickly, skimming through the details I would needter.


    But Mallory still hadn¡¯t returned.


    So I waited.


    <fn3c19> Official source is find?novel</fn3c19>


    Pacing by the tall windows, I kept ncing at the door, debating whether to text her or not. But I didn¡¯t want to intrude. If what Kieran said was true, my dear friend was in the middle of the most important moment of her life.


    And I was... stuck in a giant mansion with too many enemies and not enough exits.


    "You are free to look around if you like. I¡¯m heading upstairs for a shower." Professor Kieran notified me as he rose from his seat.


    I gave him a tight smile. "Thanks."


    He left, and I let out a long sigh. I just needed to walk. To clear my head and maybe find a way to pass time until Mallory reappeared. I started down the master floor. My quiet steps echoed through the corridor lined with paintings and antique furniture.


    And then I froze.


    My breath caught as I spotted someoneing up the stairs.


    River.


    My stomach dropped.


    Out of all the people in this cursed mansion, he was the one I least wanted to deal with. Not today. Not after how weird he actedst Sunday. I still hadn¡¯t wrapped my head around that.


    He was dressed in all ck, and looking at the intensity in his eyes, it was clear that he wasn¡¯t in good mood.


    Nope.


    I was not emotionally prepared for this.


    Panic surged through me as I looked around. There was nowhere to run. No staircase. No hallway. Just a single door to my right.


    With no better n, I grabbed the knob and twisted.


    Locked.


    Damn it.


    I was about to turn and sprint down the hall when the door suddenly opened... from the inside.


    A hand reached out and grabbed me, pulling me into the room so fast my breath whooshed out.


    The door mmed shut behind me, barely making a sound.


    And I was suddenly pressed against it.


    My palmsnded t on the wood as a warm body hovered inches from mine. I blinked up.


    "Oscar?"


    He leaned one hand beside my head while the other was casually resting in his pocket. His expression was unreadable, but his presence... goddess, I was too aware of it.


    His eyes roamed my face like he hadn¡¯t seen me in years.


    "Well, well," he drawled as a smirk tugged at his lips. "Trying to sneak around the house, sweetheart?"


    "I... I wasn¡¯t-"


    "You were running, or at least trying to," he said, clearly amused. "And from the looks of it... not from me." His gaze sharpened. "Was it River?"


    I swallowed, still processing the fact that I was currently trapped between a locked door and a man who had once pretended I didn¡¯t exist - only to kiss me like I was oxygen on the full moon night.


    "I didn¡¯t want to deal with him. Not today."


    His smirk widened slightly. "Lucky me, then."


    I blinked, thrown off. He wasn¡¯t cold. He wasn¡¯t distant. He wasn¡¯t pretending he didn¡¯t remember the way our lips had touched, or how the bond had red between us.


    He looked...fortable.


    Sure.


    "Why are you acting like... we aren¡¯t just a mistake?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.


    His expression softened. "Because we aren¡¯t a mistake. I just pretended we were."


    I stared at him. "So what, now you have suddenly decided you care?"


    He tilted his head, leaning closer. "I never stopped caring, little trouble."


    My breath hitched at the nickname. While his eyes sparkled at the reaction.


    "I just thought I could keep pretending. Thought I could shut you out. Ignore the bond. Stay sane." He paused. "But I lost that power that night."


    I felt his body inch closer, and the door at my back felt too small, too confining.


    "I can¡¯t push you away anymore," he murmured. "Even if I wanted to... which I don¡¯t."


    I stared into his dark, hooded eyes, my heart thumping wildly. "What changed?"


    "You," he said simply. "You were always there. But that night, you were... mine. And it felt like my soul finally caught up."


    I wasn¡¯t ready for this. Not this version of him. The one who flirted with ease, stood close with intention, and said things that melted through the barriers I had built.


    He pulled his phone from his pocket and lifted a brow. "Give me yours."


    I blinked. "What?"


    "Your phone. I need to add my number before you run away again."


    I hesitated, then reluctantly handed it over.


    He typed quickly, then smirked, hitting the call button.


    His phone rang in his pocket. Then he looked at my screen and grinned.


    "What did you save yourself as?" I asked, nervous.


    He turned the screen toward me.


    "Mine"


    I almost groaned. "Seriously?"


    "You¡¯ll thank meter."


    "You are insufferable."


    "And you are blushing."


    I tried to push him away, but he caught my wrist and held it gently.


    "Evaline," he said, his voice dipping low. "I can¡¯t go back to ignoring this. And I know I have been a coward, a douchebag. But not anymore."


    He let go, and for a moment, I missed the warmth of his hand.


    "I won¡¯t pressure you," he continued. "But I want you to know I¡¯m done pretending."


    Silence hung between us, thick and fragile. I didn¡¯t know what to say. And I wasn¡¯t sure if I believed him yet.


    But for the first time, I wanted to.


    He stepped back just a little, giving me space to breathe, but not enough to escape. His presence was still wrapping around me like a warm cage.


    I crossed my arms, needing some kind of shield. "You are saying all the right things, Oscar. But what if it¡¯s just the bond talking?"


    He tilted his head, studying me like I was the only thing worth seeing in the room. "Maybe it started with the bond," he said honestly. "But it¡¯s more than that now. I have tried to forget you. It didn¡¯t work. You are in my head, Evaline. Every damn day."


    My heart twisted. I wasn¡¯t ready to fall into this, not when I had spent so long guarding myself from people. But the sincerity in his voice... it shook something loose in me.


    "I don¡¯t know what to do," I whispered honestly.


    He leaned in, close enough for our breath to mingle. "Then let me show you what I want. And maybe... you¡¯ll want it too."


    I swallowed hard, feeling my pulse racing. His eyes dropped to my lips for the briefest second.


    But before either of us could move, or say more, a knock echoed from the hallway.

 Chapter 80: Alpha’s Date Offer

    <h4>Chapter 80: Alpha¡¯s Date Offer</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The knock came again. Firmer this time. Sharp enough to yank me back into my own body.


    Oscar¡¯s eyes narrowed in irritation, and his jaw tightened. But he didn¡¯t move away though. Not right away. We both stood frozen against the door, his tall frame still blocking mine while his hand was still loosely resting on the door beside my head.


    It was insane how aware I was of him. His scent, the way his voice had wrapped around my name like he was afraid to let it go. And now... now that I had seen the side of him that didn¡¯t push me away... I didn¡¯t know what to do with it.


    "Are you going to get that?" I asked breathlessly.


    He huffed. "It¡¯s probably Kieran. He has the worst timing."


    With a reluctant nce down at me, he finally stepped back, but not without brushing his fingers against my arm in the process. That brief touch felt like a trail of fire across my skin.


    He opened the door, and much to my surprise, it was indeed Professor Kieran standing on the other side with his arms folded and an unimpressed expression on his face.


    "I assume Evaline wasn¡¯t giving you a tour of the bedrooms?" He asked dryly as his gaze flicked from Oscar to me and back again.


    Oscar shrugged shamelessly. "She looked like she needed saving. I just happened to be nearby."


    Kieran sighed, then turned to me. "Your friend is back. She¡¯s waiting in the foyer."


    Relief flooded through me. Mallory.


    "I¡¯ll be right there," I said while brushing past Oscar as quickly as I could without looking at him again. I didn¡¯t trust myself to. My heart was still tangled in the sound of his words - <i>You are in my head, Evaline.</i>


    And the worst part?


    He was in mine too.


    * * *


    Mallory was looking like she had just been pulled out of a whirlwind.


    Her cheeks were flushed, her blonde hair was slightly tousled, and her eyes were wide with the kind of dazed awe I recognized all too well. The same kind I must have worn that night of the full moon when everything changed between me and Oscar. Or every time I was with Draven.


    "There you are," she said, trying to sound casual as I approached, but her voice cracked slightly at the end. "Ready to go?"


    I nodded, thankful for the way Professor Kieran stepped away to give us a moment of privacy.


    "You okay?" I asked under my breath.


    She nodded too fast. "Yes. No. I don¡¯t know. I think...I think I found my mate."


    I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her into a brief, fierce hug. "Yeah," I whispered back. "I figured."


    She buried her face in my shoulder for a second, and I felt her take a deep, steadying breath.


    "I¡¯m scared, Eva," she murmured. "He¡¯s older. Stronger. I didn¡¯t know the bond would feel like this."


    I pulled back to meet her gaze. "It¡¯s alright. You will figure it out. You are not alone in this."


    She smiled, just a little, and that was enough for now.


    The ride back to the Academy was silent for the most part. Professor Kieran didn¡¯t press, which I appreciated, and Mallory was too busy staring out the window like the entire world had just been turned upside down... and maybe it had.


    What I found weird was - since Kieran had enough time to drive us back to the Academy, why didn¡¯t he picked up the report himself and gave it to me?


    But I didn¡¯t ask any question. I didn¡¯t dare to.


    By the time we reached the dorms, the sky was already darkening. Evening was settling over the Academy, casting long shadows between the stone buildings and glowing lights.


    I bid Kieran a quick goodbye and dragged Mallory with me up to our shared dorm before pulling her into my room. Closing the door, I tutned to her with a raised brow.


    "Okay. Start talking."


    She dropped onto my bed like her legs had given out. "His name is Jasper," she said, voice still breathless. "He¡¯s River¡¯s beta. And I have never met someone like him in my life. It was like... like the air changed the second I saw him."


    I sat down beside her, my heart softening at the look on her face. She was overwhelmed, clearly. But beneath all the shock, there was something else, something warm. Hopeful.


    "And what did he say?"


    She flushed. "He asked about me. A lot. My name, my age, my pack. He didn¡¯t touch me inappropriately or anything, but he did... stand really close. He smelled so good. Is that normal?"


    Iughed. "Very."


    She groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I thought I was going to pass out. He was huge. Like, scary handsome. I couldn¡¯t even think straight. I don¡¯t remember half the words he said because I was too busy staring at his mouth."


    I coughed to cover myugh, nodding. "That¡¯s... yeah, that sounds... I don¡¯t know."


    Mallory peeked at me through her fingers. "Do I sound horny?"


    I chuckled and shook my head. "No. You don¡¯t... or maybe... a little."


    She groaned, clearly embarrassed. She then rolled over onto her side and looked at me seriously. "Do you think it¡¯s fate?"


    "Maybe," I replied. "Or maybe fate just gives us a nudge in the right direction, and the rest is up to us."


    She smiled. "That sounds like something you would say."


    "Because it is."


    We bothughed then, the tension breaking just a little. And even though the night was heavy with all the unexpected things that had happened, I felt better knowing I wasn¡¯t the only one walking this strange new road.


    * * *


    Later that night, after we returned from dining hall and I was alone in the room, I sat on my bed with my legs crossed and my phone in my hand. My fingers hovered over the screen, then hesitantly clicked open the contact list.


    There it was. Oscar, saved under the name he had chosen himself.


    "Mine," it said beneath his number.


    I stared at it for a while, with my heart thumping too loud in my chest.


    Then, before I could overthink it, I sent a message.


    <i>Evaline: I didn¡¯t thank you earlier... for pulling me into that room. River almost saw me.</i><fna538> This update is avable on Find1Novel</fna538>


    The reply came almost instantly.


    <i>Oscar (Mine): I didn¡¯t do it for River. I did it for me.</i>


    <i>Oscar (Mine): But if you want to thank me, pick a time. I¡¯ll take you to dinner. No pressure. Just me and you.</i>


    I swallowed hard, staring at those words until they blurred.


    Dinner.


    Just him and me.


    I should have said no. I should have thought it over. But I didn¡¯t.


    Because deep down, I wanted it.


    <i>Evaline: Okay.</i>


    The three dots bounced on the screen for a moment before his next message arrived.


    <i>Oscar (Mine): Tomorrow. After ss. I¡¯ll wait by the fountain.</i>


    I didn¡¯t reply again. I didn¡¯t have to. Because my heart had already answered.


    I didn¡¯t sleep much that night.


    Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Oscar - his half-smirk, his dark eyes that always seemed to look deeper than they should, the way he had crowded me against that door like he was trying to memorize the feel of my presence.


    I couldn¡¯t stop hearing his voice either. Calm. Confident. Flirtatious in a way that should have made me roll my eyes, but instead made my stomach twist with something dangerously close to anticipation.


    <i>Tomorrow. After ss. I¡¯ll wait by the fountain.</i>


    I clutched my pillow tighter and groaned into it. What was I doing?


    He was trouble. Oscar was the exact kind of chaos I was trying to avoid - unpredictable, emotionally unavable, and frustratingly attractive. Yet here I was, agreeing to have dinner with him like it wouldn¡¯t mess with everything I had been trying to keep stable.


    The worst part? I wanted that chaos. I wanted him.


    When morning came, I looked like I hadn¡¯t slept, because I hadn¡¯t. Mallory didn¡¯t notice though, she was still in her dreamy post-mate haze, moving around like her feet barely touched the floor. I envied her a little. The way she just epted what had happened with Jasper. No fear. No second-guessing.


    Me? I was second-guessing everything.


    sses went by in a blur. I barely heard anything my professors said. My thoughts were circling back to the same point - what would happen tonight? Was this really just dinner? Was Oscar trying to make things right between us... or was this another game?

 Chapter 81: Preparing for Quiz

    <h4>Chapter 81: Preparing for Quiz</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Though I was barely able to focus on anything, I still pull myself together for Professor Kieran¡¯s ss. Not because he was going to be there, but because I had the responsibility of helping my ss prepare for the Monday quiz.


    "Are you alright?" Kyros asked as we settled down around our usual table for lunch.


    <fn197b> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find?novel</fn197b>


    "Just worried about Herbs and Potions ss. It¡¯s our first time performing our new rules." I replied, speaking half-truth. After all, I couldn¡¯t confide in him about my dinner date with one of the Rogue Alphas.


    Kyros gave my head a pat, something he used to do whenever one of us were feeling down or unmotivated. "You can do it, Eva. And you will have me right next to you."


    I nodded my head, giving him a sincere smile. I was really happy to have him as a friend.


    With all the required materials ready, we headed to the lecture hall. Inside, the ssmates were scattered in groups across the room - some buried in notes, others busy talking. It was the usual mix of determined and indifferent.


    I ced the folder Kieran gave me on the front desk and began distributing the handouts and diagrams he had allowed me to copy. Several students perked up at the sight of official Academy material, quickly gathering around as I set up the board.


    "Alright," I began, "as you all know, we have got the quiz on Monday. Professor Kieran said it will cover Chapters six to nine, and he has emphasized the application sections, so I would suggest you all focus there."


    The ss murmured in acknowledgment, and a few began flipping through the pages I handed out.


    Everything was going smoothly...until I heard them.


    The whispers.


    They were low,ced with poison and polished smiles.


    Nadine, Violet, and Bianca.


    The Terrible Trio, as my friends had privatelybeled them.


    They were sitting in their usual corner seats, their manicured fingers flipping idly through the notebooks as they leaned in, talking in voices just loud enough to be heard.


    "She probably begged Professor Kieran for extra help, how else would she get this stuff?"


    "Or maybe she¡¯s hoping helping the ss makes her look useful... for once."


    "I mean,e on, she¡¯s not only a rogue but also wolfless? If I were her, I wouldn¡¯t even show my face here."


    The words hit me like invisible needles - sharp, well-aimed, and deeply familiar. Because I had heard them all before. Not just here.


    Back in my pack.


    There... even as the Alpha¡¯s daughter, I was always the other. The failure. The disappointment. The wolf-less heir.


    They even said it outright, insulted me to my face.


    I remembered the stares. The muttered words when I walked past. The pitied nces. The way even the people who were supposed to love me looked at me like I didn¡¯t belong.


    And here they were again, this time dressed in expensive uniforms and pretty hairstyles, doing the exact same thing.


    After the full moon night, it was amon knowledge now that I was wolfless. And some people were determined to use this to try to degrade me even more.


    I felt the burn rise in my chest.


    It wasn¡¯t anger. Not shame. But resolve.


    I turned around and faced the trio fully as the entire ss watched. I folded my arms and let silence settle in the room.


    "Did you say something, Nadine?"


    She blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Just chatting. Didn¡¯t think you would be so sensitive."


    I smiled. Sweetly. Calmly. But my words were anything but soft.


    "Oh no, I just thought if you had something to say, you could say it to my face, since you have already decided to be brave enough to whisper it in public."


    That earned a few quiet gasps and some exchanged nces.


    Bianca scoffed. "We didn¡¯t say anything worth your dramatics."


    I stepped away from the front desk and let my voice carry through the room.


    "You know, I used to think the worst thing about not shifting was the silence. The absence of something everyone else had. But I was wrong."


    I met each of their eyes, one by one.


    "The worst part? Was people like you. People who thought they had the right to define my worth because of what Icked. People who forgot that strength isn¡¯t just about power. It¡¯s about resilience."


    The air tightened.


    "And here¡¯s something else you might want to remember - I don¡¯t need ws or teeth to protect what¡¯s mine. Including my ce in this ss."


    There were murmurs now, quiet and stunned. But I wasn¡¯t finished. "I offered this material and study help because I care about our performance during Monday quiz."


    I turned back toward the board and wrote the quiz breakdown Kieran had detailed in his notes.


    "But let me make something very clear."


    I faced the room again, speaking in an unwavering voice.


    "You can choose to listen and prepare, or you can roll your eyes and keep whispering. That¡¯s entirely up to you."


    A pause.


    "But when the grades wille out and some of you will be left wondering why you are scraping the bottom of the rankings, don¡¯t look at me for answers."


    Then I walked back to the front desk and continued passing out the notes like nothing had happened.


    For a few seconds, no one moved. Then a few ssmates began to quietly gather closer, forming small groups to go through the handouts. I saw Ben and Lana whispering, clearly stunned, but their nces toward me weren¡¯t mocking. They were respectful.


    A couple of the quieter students even gave me nods of approval, including my friends who were looking at me with pride filled eyes and big smiles.


    I didn¡¯t look back at Nadine, Violet, or Bianca. I didn¡¯t need to.


    Their silence was speaking volumes.


    Maybe this didn¡¯t make me the most popr girl in ss.


    But it reminded them, and me, that I wasn¡¯t weak. That I wouldn¡¯t shrink just because people thought I should.


    My wolf may not havee yet. But my spine was intact.


    And that was more than enough.

 Chapter 82: The Alpha Who Will Wait

    <h4>Chapter 82: The Alpha Who Will Wait</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When the final bell of the day rang, I stayed seated for a minute longer.


    Just dinner. I repeated to myself like a mantra. No pressure. Just... dinner.


    When I reached the Academy¡¯s front courtyard, I spotted Oscar immediately by the fountain.


    He was leaning against the stone edge, dressed in space blue tshirt which was tucked in the beige pants. He had rolled his sleeves up, allowing me a view of his muscr, veiny arms. His hair was messy in the way that probably took effort, and he hadn¡¯t seen me yet.


    I knew that I still had the option of walking away. That I could still turn back now.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    Because when he looked up and his eyesnded on me, something in his expression shifted. It was calm giving way to warmth, teasing melting into something dangerously close to softness. I didn¡¯t smile back. I couldn¡¯t. Not out here in the open.


    There were too many eyes. Too many ears.


    And thest thing either of us needed was for people to start talking.


    So, I walked to him slowly, like he was nothing more than an Instructor I had to meet for some school rted stuff, not that he was teaching my ss at the moment. I kept my faceposed and my voice neutral when I said, "You are early."


    He tilted his head with a cocky grin. "So are you."


    He pushed off the fountain and straightened to his full height, towering over me. "Ready?"


    I gave a small nod, careful not to look at him too long. "Where are we going?"


    He didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he nced around the courtyard, then subtly tilted his head toward the path leading out of the Academy gates. "Walk with me."


    I did, falling into step beside him, yet keeping just enough distance between us to look casual, distant. And still, I was able to feel the heat of him, of the bond humming beneath the surface, reminding me with every step that this was more than just a walk.


    It always was.


    Once we were far enough from campus, he slipped a hand into his pocket and finally spoke. "You are tense."


    "Can you me me?" I muttered. "Anyone could have seen us back there."


    "Rx," he said with a shrug. "I know how to keep things quiet."


    "That¡¯s notforting, Oscar."


    He paused mid-step and looked at me, brows raised. "You think I would risk your reputation?"


    <fn5bf0> Newest update provided by F?nd-Novel</fn5bf0>


    I didn¡¯t answer. Not because I didn¡¯t trust him, but because I wasn¡¯t sure what I trusted more - his words or the pull that kept dragging me toward him despite every warning in my head.


    He sighed, softer than I had ever heard before. "I wouldn¡¯t let anyone find out, Eva. Not unless you wanted them to."


    That surprised me. The Oscar I knew, or thought I knew, never sounded this patient. This careful.


    He gestured to a side road I hadn¡¯t noticed before, leading to a more secluded part of the Academy¡¯s outskirts. Trees were lining the gravel path, quiet and still under the soft blush of the setting sun.


    "You brought me to the woods?" I asked, a little amused.


    "There¡¯s a cabin," he said. "It belongs to one of the caretakers. Empty for the month."


    I narrowed my eyes. "Are you trying to lure me into a horror movie scene?"


    He grinned. "If I was, would you still have followed?"


    Unfortunately... yes. And we both knew it.


    Inside the small wooden cabin, it was warm and quiet. The faint scent of old books and cedar was filling the air, and there was a table already set with food. It was nothing fancy, but still screamed more effort than I was expecting.


    "You cooked?" I asked.


    "I had it brought here," he said honestly. "Didn¡¯t want to risk setting anything on fire."


    I smiled softly and settled down at the table. "Good choice."


    We ate in near silence for a few minutes. I was waiting for the tension to crack, for him to revert to his usual self and make somement to throw me off bnce.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    Instead, when I looked up from my te, I found him watching me. Not with hunger. Not even with flirtation. Just watching. Like he still couldn¡¯t believe I was sitting in front of him.


    "What?" I asked.


    He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "This is weird for me too, you know."


    "What is?"


    "This," he said, gesturing between us. "Having dinner. Wanting to have dinner. Not... pushing you away."


    I didn¡¯t speak. Because hearing him say it out loud did something strange to me.


    It made everything more <i>real</i>.


    "I was fighting it," he continued quietly. "The bond. You. I was fighting harder than I ever have. And it didn¡¯t work."


    I studied him, trying to read between the lines. "You are saying you gave up?"


    "I¡¯m saying I gave in," he corrected. "I still don¡¯t know if I deserve this. You. But I¡¯m done pretending like I don¡¯t want it."


    That honesty... it wasn¡¯t something I expected. Not from Oscar. And definitely not with that quiet vulnerability in his voice.


    It hit deeper than any flirtation ever could.


    I swallowed hard and ced my fork down. "We can¡¯t tell anyone."


    "I know."


    "This... whatever it is between us... it has to stay between us. No one finds out. Not until I¡¯m sure of where I stand."


    He didn¡¯t flinch. "I figured you would say that."


    "And?"


    He leaned back slightly. When he spoke, his voice was still low, but firm. "And I¡¯ll wait."


    I blinked at that. "You will?"


    "I told you, Eva. I can¡¯t ignore this anymore. I tried. You saw how well that turned out. So if waiting is what it takes, then that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do."


    There was no mockery in his tone. No sarcasm. Just steady, quiet eptance.


    And suddenly, I wasn¡¯t feeling so unbnced anymore.

 Chapter 83: Worth Waiting For

    <h4>Chapter 83: Worth Waiting For</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say after that.


    His quiet confession sat between us like something sacred, something I wasn¡¯t sure I was ready to touch, let alone return. And yet... I felt it. That unmistakable tug between us. It was gentle but persistent.


    He saw the hesitation in my silence but didn¡¯t push. Instead, he let the moment breathe.


    "I meant what I said, Eva," he murmured while looking directly at me. "I¡¯m ready to ept the bond. All of it. You, us, the future thates with it. As well as the trouble that wille with it."


    I stopped breathing for a second as I took in his confession.


    He leaned forward slightly. "But I¡¯m also not stupid. I know you are not ready yet. And that¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not here to pressure you. I¡¯m here to court you. Properly. Like you deserve."


    My heart stuttered.


    Court me?


    That wasn¡¯t the kind of thing I was expecting him to say. It wasn¡¯t the kind of thing I was expecting him to do.


    "You don¡¯t have to-"


    "I want to," he interrupted softly. "This isn¡¯t about obligation. It¡¯s about choice."


    Choice.


    That word struck something deep in me.


    For so long, everything in my life had felt like it was spiraling out of my control. My past, my wolf, my position in the Academy, my tangled, impossible bond with Draven... and Oscar. The idea that <i>I</i> got to choose - even if I wasn¡¯t ready to choose yet - was both terrifying and... freeing.


    And speaking of Draven...


    I opened my mouth, ready to confess about my bond with Draven, but the words refused toe.


    Not because I wanted to lie to him, but because this wasn¡¯t the moment. Not yet. This dinner, this strange, sweet quiet between us... it wasn¡¯t the time to shatter it with something I hadn¡¯t even begun to unravel myself.


    <i>Soon</i>. I promised myself. <i>I¡¯ll talk to both of them. But not tonight. </i>


    "Okay," I said finally in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "But you will need to be patient with me."


    He smiled, slow and breathtaking. "That¡¯s the n."


    Dinner became lighter after that.


    He poured me a drink, some herbal mix he imed helped with stress, and coaxed me into eating more than I intended. Every time I reached for something, he would beat me to it.


    "You are not like I thought you would be," I admitted, licking a bit of sauce off my finger before I caught the way his eyes followed the movement.


    It was a mistake. Immediate mistake.


    "And what exactly did you think I would be like?" he asked, clearly amused.


    "Cockier," I stated honestly. "More... infuriating."


    He chuckled. It was a low sound that did things to my spine. "Oh, I can be all of that. You just bring out my gentler side."


    "I don¡¯t believe you have a gentle side."


    He leaned in then, resting his forearms on the table. His voice dropped to something dangerously smooth. "That¡¯s because you have only ever seen me holding back."


    I absolutely loved the dessert. It was a warm chocte tart, a really delicious one.


    It was ten minutester, when my phone started to buzz with a flurry of messages, msking me realize just how long it had been since we left the Academy.


    <i>Mallory: Where are you?? We are heading to dinner!</i>


    <i>Kyros: Eva, are you still in the library? Want us to wait?</i>


    "Friends checking in?"


    "Yeah," I said, typing quickly. <i>Something came up. Skipping dinner tonight. Will see you guys in the dormter.</i>


    Putting the phone aside, I returned my attention to the desert and the man sitting opposite me.


    When it was finally time to leave, we didn¡¯t take the main path.


    "Come on," he said while reaching for my hand but stopping just before his fingers could brush mine. "There¡¯s another way. No one will see us."


    He led me down a barely-visible trail behind the cabin. A few minutester, we came to a small arch of ivy-covered stones that looked like nothing more than decoration... until he pressed his palm to the center, and the ground beneath us shifted.


    There was asecret door.


    "What the-?"


    "The Academy has numerous secret rooms, hallways, tunnels, and passages... and I know almost all of them." He sounded really proud as he spoke.


    "Of course you do."


    We walked down a narrow stone corridor that was dimly lit by oldnterns hanging from the walls. It was quiet, cool, and surreal.


    When we reached the other side, a concealed passage just outside the dormitory building, he stopped and turned to face me.


    "This is the part where I say goodnight."


    My heart skipped immediately.


    It shouldn¡¯t have felt like a goodbye. But it did.


    "Thank you," I said softly. "For everything."


    He stepped closer in a slow and measured move. "You don¡¯t have to thank me."


    I thought he might hug me.


    Instead, he leaned down. He was so close that I was able to feel the warmth of his breath on my skin. And he was waiting.


    It was a question.


    One I answered by lifting my chin and closing the small distance between us.


    As our lips met, everything else disappeared.


    His mouth moved over mine with a kind of fierce tenderness that left my knees weak. He kissed like he was memorizing me. Like he had waited for this longer than he was willing to admit.


    And when his hand slipped to the small of my back and pulled me closer, pressing us together, I let out a soft gasp... because it was too much. Too intense. Too perfect.


    But I didn¡¯t stop.


    <fn8960> Th?s chapter is updated by f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn8960>


    Not when his lips parted mine. Not when the bond between us red like a live wire, humming under my skin. And not even when I realized I was never going to walk away from this the same.


    He pulled back, just enough to look at me, resting his forehead against mine.


    "Now that," he whispered, "was definitely worth waiting for."


    I didn¡¯t say anything. I couldn¡¯t. Because I was still gasping. Still blushing.


    And still falling... hopelessly, breathlessly... into something I couldn¡¯t control.

 Chapter 84: Midnight Alarm

    <h4>Chapter 84: Midnight rm</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time I finally reached my dorm, the sun was long gone. But the warmth from Oscar¡¯s kiss was still tingling on my lips.


    I was still able to feel the press of his hand at the small of my back, the phantom weight of his arm around me as we had walked through that secret tunnel. His voice was lingering in my ears too, every soft tease and every promise was wrapped in that low, warm tone.


    And yet, the moment I opened the door and stepped into themon area of my dorm, the haze of that moment shattered like thin ss.


    Mallory was there.


    And so were Kyros, Selene, Noah, and Ria.


    They were all lounging in various degrees offort. Selene was sprawled across the floor with her legs on the couch. Kyros was perched on the armrest, tapping away on his tablet. Noah and Ria were discussing something quietly in the corner. And Mallory had her nose buried in a thick textbook.


    "Eva," Selene was the first to notice me. "Where have you been? We thought you were buried in the library or something."


    Mallory sat up, her eyes narrowing yfully. "We almost sent Noah on a rescue mission."


    Noah raised a brow and added, "I had my cloak ready."


    I forced a smile, shaking my head with practiced ease. "Sorry. Lost track of time. Got caught up with some prep for Monday¡¯s quiz."


    That was a lie. But I couldn¡¯t tell them the truth.


    Ria grinned and nudged Kyros. "Told you she was in study mode."


    "I figured," Kyros replied in a gentle voice. "You have got that internship this weekend. Makes sense you would try to get ahead."


    He then reached down beside the couch and picked up a steaming bowl covered with an aluminum foil. "We saved you dinner," he said, holding it out to me. "Soup. From the dining hall."


    My heart dropped.


    "You smuggled it out?" I asked, taking the bowl carefully.


    He shrugged like it was nothing, but there was a note of pride in his tone. "Healthy. Easy on the stomach. You¡¯ll need the brainpower."


    My fingers tightened slightly on the warm ceramic. I was full... ridiculously full, actually. But the thought of him risking his neck just to sneak this out for me made guilt settle in my stomach like a stone.


    "Thanks," I murmured while looking at all of them in turn. "Really. It means a lot."


    They all brushed off my words, pretending like they had done nothing, but I noticed the soft, warm smiles on their lips.


    Eventually, they all trickled out one by one. Selene left first before Noah and Kyros bid their good nights. Finally, Ria and Mallory took their leave and disappeared inside their bedroom.


    Once the dorm was quiet again, I carried the soup to the kitchte, took a few slow sips - just enough to not feel like aplete fraud - and cleaned the bowl. Then I grabbed my toiletries and headed to the girl¡¯s showers down the hall.


    The warm water helped ease some of the lingering tension in my shoulders. I changed into my sleepwear, brushed out my damp hair, and finally crawled into bed. My limbs sank into the mattress like they had been waiting all day for this moment.


    Before I let sleep take mepletely, I set my rm for midnight.


    Exactly two and a half hourster, the soft chime rang beside my head.


    My eyes flew open immediately. I was feeling groggy but determined. I climbed down the bed and pulled open the sliding ss door of the balcony.


    The moment door opened, Rowan nearly tripped over himself.


    "What the-" he cursed under his breath, catching himself as I stared back at him with sleep still clinging to myshes.


    "Hi," I whispered.


    He blinked. "You... set an rm?"


    "To talk to you," I said while stepping back and letting him in. Once he was inside, I handed him a neat stack of notes I hadpiled earlier in the day. "Before you disappear again in the morning."


    He epted the papers slowly, blinking down at them in disbelief. "What is this?"


    "Everything I have for Monday¡¯s quiz," I said while crossing my arms. "Herbs and Potions. It¡¯s going to count toward thirty percent of your total marks. And I haven¡¯t seen you in ss since day one."


    <fnc782> Chapters first released on Find1Novel</fnc782>


    He scratched the back of his neck, still looking bewildered. "I didn¡¯t think anyone noticed."


    "I did," I said, quieter this time. "I know Silver Moon Academy lets students ck off for the first few weeks, but then they blindside you with the finals. It¡¯s brutal. People think they¡¯ll coast through until it¡¯s toote."


    He stared at me, the notes clutched in his hand like they were a lifeline.


    "You don¡¯t have to do this," he said after a beat.


    I offered a small smile. "I know. But I don¡¯t want to watch you crash and burn because no one warned you."


    He looked down at the notes again and a flicker of something unreadable passed across his face. Maybe it was surprise. Maybe something softer.


    "You are serious about this?" he asked.


    "Completely."


    Heughed under his breath, shaking his head like I had just pulled the rug out from under him. "My dear roomie, what am I going to do with you?"


    "Don¡¯t mock me," I warned lightly. "Just show up to ss on Monday with at least half of that in your brain."


    He ced the notes carefully on his table and moved to take off his shoes. "Fine. I¡¯ll read it. But if I fail, I¡¯m ming your handwriting."


    I sighed but there was a smile on my lips. "Fair enough."


    We didn¡¯t talk any further. He grabbed his clothes and left to take a shower.


    I once again slipped under the covers and sleep came faster than I expected this time.


    A lot happened today, and a lot had changed too.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure how it¡¯s going to change the future that I was trying so hard to build.

 Chapter 85: Peaceful Friday

    <h4>Chapter 85: Peaceful Friday</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Friday mornings always felt deceptively energetic at Silver Moon. Not because the day itself was special, but because it was thest day of the long weeks of studies and everyone was excited about the weekend.


    Rowan had a fixed timing of appearing and disappearing. He returned daily at midnight and left around five-thirty in the morning.


    Though he always made sure to stay as silent as possible, I was still a light-sleeper and knew exactly when he came and went away.


    During the second week, once I was sure of his timings, I created a schedule for myself. I started sleeping at ten o¡¯clock and waking up at six in the morning. After making my bed and freshening up within ten minutes, I spent next forty-five minutes doing prenatal ptes and prenatal yoga.


    At seven o¡¯clock, I would head for showers and get ready within thirty minutes. Since sses started at nine, I always had enough time for breakfast, stroll around the academy grounds with my friends, or for even some early morning self-study.


    This particr morning, I just finished getting ready for the sses when my phone buzzed on the side table.


    As I picked it up, I was mostly expecting the usual morning alerts from the school bulletin or an update from Mallory about breakfast. Instead, I found a small lineup of messages waiting for me... and not from who I was expecting.


    <strong>Professor Kieran:</strong>


    <i>Good morning, Evaline. Just checking in - how¡¯s the ss preparing for Monday¡¯s quiz? Hope the study guides I sent helped. Looking forward to seeing everyone¡¯s progress.</i>


    I smiled despite myself. It was him being himself - kind, diligent, and painfully unaware that more than half of the ss was dying to perform well in his subject, if not all. Still, his faith in me felt oddly grounding.


    Just as I was about to reply, another buzz lit up the screen.


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    <i>Good morning, Little Trouble. Hope today treats you kindly. Don¡¯t forget to breathe, okay? Text me if you get a break.</i>


    My cheeks flushed immediately. His words were simple, but they hit harder than they should have. Afterst night, everything about him felt... dangerous. The good kind of dangerous. The kind that made my pulse race and my head spin. I hadn¡¯t fully processed what it meant, but I didn¡¯t have time to spiral because there was another message waiting for me.


    <fn7a30> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find¡¤novel</fn7a30>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    <i>Dreamt of you. If that¡¯s not fate, I don¡¯t know what is. Let me know if you need help sneaking snacks out of ss today, little moon.</i>


    I groaned and flopped back onto the bed, holding my phone to my chest like it had personally betrayed me.


    Three out of four Rogue Alpha brothers had messaged me before 8 a.m.


    And none of them had <i>any</i> idea about the others.


    If karma was a real thing, I was surely in its crosshairs.


    Before my mind could spiral into conspiracy theories and romantic confusion, Mallory barged into my room without knocking, looking really excited.


    "Eva! Wake up, we are nning tomorrow¡¯s movie night and you are not allowed to skip this time."


    I sighed. "I have internship tomorrow, remember?"


    "Which ends by six," she said as she pulled me to my feet and fixed my hair. "Plenty of time for you to suffer through a horror flick and dinner with your beloved friends."


    I narrowed my eyes. "Define ¡¯beloved¡¯."


    Kyros popped his head in next. "That means me."


    Noah¡¯s voice came from themon area. "And me."


    Selene and Ria shouted together, "Don¡¯t forget me!"


    "I never get peace," I mumbled, but I was already smiling.


    They were relentless. And in the end, I gave in because a part of me really did want that sense of normal. The friendship, the movie, theughter... the reminder that not every day needed to be about survival.


    The day officially started with our first ss - <i>Herbs and Potions.</i>


    Professor Kieran¡¯s domain.


    Everyone arrived on time, except for Rowan as usual. They all were carrying notebooks and tablets, looking like they might actually care about learning. It wasn¡¯t because my yesterday¡¯s talk had worked wonders. No. They were motivated by something much more powerful... Admiration.


    Kieran had that effect. He wasn¡¯t just brilliant and patient... he was <i>beautiful</i>. In that effortless, golden-boy way that made people want to prove themselves to him. Add to that his identity as one of the original founders of Silver Moon and also being one of the Rogue Alphas, and suddenly everyone wanted to be a top student in his ss.


    I didn¡¯t mind. It made for a peaceful, productive ss. No snide remarks. No questioning my authority as the ss President. And no side-eyes from the trio who clearly disliked my very existence.


    Everything went... smoothly.


    After sses ended, I headed to the library with Selene while the others wanted a break before continuing with studies.


    The second floor was always quieter. Not many students liked the narrow spiral staircase or the dusty smell of the old archives stored in the corners. But I loved it. It gave me space.


    I found my usual nook tucked between the window and a forgotten bookshelfbeled <i>"Pre-Reform Spellcraft: Restricted Use."</i> The sunlight always hit the corner just right, and with the distant silence of rustling pages around me, I finally sank into my work.


    There was a lot to get through - an assignment on beast ssifications due Monday, my ongoing notes for Herbs and Potions, and a personal draft I waspiling for the next stage of my internship evaluation.


    Half an hour passed in focused silence before Selene left after getting a message from her roommate.


    And the moment she disappeared down the stairs, the scent of orange blossoms hit me. It was subtle, but there. Fresh. Real.


    Then I heard the footsteps, slow, confident, and not rushed.


    I looked up, sure that it wasn¡¯t Selene.


    Someone turned the corner into my aisle with an easy grace, holding a bottle of fresh juice and a small paper bag.


    My heart skipped a beat as my eyesnded on a familiar face.


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 86: Studying With the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 86: Studying With the Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It was Draven Thorne.


    I should have known. Only he had the audacity to stroll into the second floor of the library like he owned the ce. He was holding a bottle of fresh orange juice in one hand, a small brown bag in the other, and azy grin on his face like he wasn¡¯t breaking at least four school rules just by being him.


    "You look like you are about to hex someone," he said in a low and amused voice "Please tell me it¡¯s not me."


    I looked up at him and asked before I could catch myself. "What... are you doing here?"


    "I¡¯m on duty," he said innocently, setting the items down on the table beside my open notes. "Evening shifts in the library. I just started today."


    "Since when do you volunteer for anything that doesn¡¯t involve rules breaking or detention?"


    He ced a hand on his chest like I had wounded him. "Eva. You wound me."


    "You just stole my line."


    "Technically, I borrowed it. And technically...," he leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming with mischief, "... I requested this library job so I could see more of you. You study here every evening, always in the same corner, always with your face buried in books and barely a sip of water. It¡¯s impressive. And a little tragic."


    I raised a brow. "So you are stalking me?"


    "Observing," he corrected smoothly. "I¡¯m just good at paying attention to people whom I care about. Like how you prefer fruit-based drinks over milk-based ones. And how you eat exactly three slices of toast when they serve sweet potato stew. You never touch the meat unless it¡¯s grilled. You always go for extra servings of herbal soup on Thursdays because they add saffron, and you avoid all the junk stuff like they are cursed."


    I stared at him, left stunned.


    He grinned, clearly satisfied with my reaction. "What can I say? I notice things."


    That was putting it mildly.


    "Also," he continued as he settled into the chair beside mine without asking, "I know you have been stressing about the Monday quiz. My brother is probably the coolest professor out there, but his ss can be intense. It was my weakest subject when I started, but I figured it out eventually. I could help."


    "I thought you said it was your weakest subject."


    He gave me a sly smile. "Yeah. And I still topped the ss. I¡¯m not just here to look good and break rules, you know. I haveyers."


    I hated how easily he could make me smile. I hated even more how effortlessly he made my heart race just by sitting close enough for our knees to almost touch. The worst part?


    He had brought me food. The juice smelled fresh and delicious while the bag held a mini whole grain grilled sandwich, low sugar oatmeal cookies, and a few dried berries.


    <fnd3ad> For more chapters visit find~novel</fnd3ad>


    "I could get detention for eating this in here," I muttered, even as I took a sip of the juice.


    He gave a dramatic sigh. "What a tragic way to go. Receiving detention over snacks and study sessions with a handsome second-year."


    I sighed and reached for my notes. "Are you actually going to help me or not?


    "Of course," he said while scooting closer. "Show me what you are stuck on."


    To my absolute horror and reluctant admiration, Draven was a genius.


    He didn¡¯t just help me through the sections I was struggling with, he even broke things down in ways that made everything click. It was like he lived and breathed the subject now.


    I almost forgot that he was also the same man who could charm someone into handing over their deepest secrets with a single smirk.


    Almost.


    Because whenever I looked up from my notes, he was watching me.


    Not staring in a creepy way. But watching. With real interest. Like he was fascinated by how I processed information or how I chewed the corner of my lip when I was confused. Like he was enjoying just being near me.


    It was... overwhelming. And oddlyforting.


    After an hour, I finally leaned back and let out a deep sigh. "Thank you for the help."


    He smiled warmly. "Feel free to ask for help any time you want. I¡¯ll be in the library daily during evening from today onwards."


    And I was sure that I didn¡¯t like the idea of that. Library was my safe haven. I came here not only to study but also to give myself some alone, peaceful time.


    As if he read my thoughts through my expression, he quickly exined, "Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t disturb you too much. I will make sure not to overwhelm you with my presence. I¡¯ll respect your boundaries."


    A lump formed in my throat, and I hated it. I hated how sincere he sounded. How <i>safe</i> it made me feel.


    Because I didn¡¯t believe it. I couldn¡¯t.


    Two months ago, I was nothing more than a girl on the run. A broken, wolf-less nobody with nothing to offer and too many secrets to count. Then Kieran helped me get into the Academy. He was the first to show me kindness, the first to believe I deserved a chance.


    And now, both Oscar and Draven seemed ready to ept the very mate bonds with me that they tried to ignore in the beginning.


    Even River had cracked in some strange, almost painful wayst weekend.


    It was too much.


    Too good.


    Too perfect.


    And I wasn¡¯t the kind of girl fate favored. Not for long.


    So I gave Draven a small, grateful smile, took another sip of juice, and said, "Thanks for the help."


    But I didn¡¯t reach for his hand. I didn¡¯t lean into his touch when his fingers brushed mine.


    And I definitely didn¡¯t tell him how badly I wanted to believe him. Because I couldn¡¯t afford that kind of hope. Not when I know how painful disappointment felt like.


    I wasn¡¯t going to reveal my secrets or lower my walls, not even when my body and heart were ready to betray me any second.

 Chapter 87: The Alpha Gathering

    <h4>Chapter 87: The Alpha Gathering</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Saturday mornings usually meant exhaustion. At least for me. But this one came with a different kind of weight in my chest. It wasn¡¯t quite dread, not quite curiosity... just a tense anticipation as I made my way to the Council headquarters for my internship shift.


    A whole day under River¡¯s eye wasn¡¯t how I would like to spend my weekend. But I had no other choice. And after how strangely decent he had beenst time, I wasn¡¯t able to help but wonder what version of him I would be getting today.


    When I arrived, he was already in his office, going through a thick stack of reports. The moment his gazended on me, I braced myself... only to be thrown off once again.


    "You are early," he said simply. "That¡¯s good. Punctuality is a virtue."


    I blinked and waited for a sarcastic jab or some cryptic remark, but none came. He was civil. Maybe even, dare I say it, pleasant.


    <fnbd3c> This text is hosted at f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fnbd3c>


    The first half of the day passed in a strange blur. He assigned me tasks without the usual cryptic instructions. He answered my questions. Gave guidance where needed. And never once raised his voice or looked at me like I was an inconvenience.


    Everything was going fine. Way too fine.


    By the time lunch passed and I returned to the office, I almost... almost... allowed myself to believe the rest of the day was going to remain peaceful.


    But then...


    "You¡¯ll be apanying me to the Alpha Gathering tonight."


    I nearly chocked on the water I was drinking.


    "Excuse me?"


    His face remained impassive. "You heard me. There¡¯s a private gathering tonight. High-level Alphas and a few selected Beta representatives will be attending. I want you there."


    "Why?" I asked, feeling baffled. "I¡¯m barely three weeks into this internship. What possible use could I be at an Alpha Gathering?"


    He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "Because you are the top of your ss in behavioral analysis and political theory. Because I have already noticed your knack for observation. Because I need someone who will listen and report rather than try to impress everyone in the room."


    "I don¡¯t have anything to wear," I tried.


    "This isn¡¯t a fashion show. You are there to observe, not walk a runway."


    "I have ns tonight," I tried again. "I promised my friends-"


    He raised an eyebrow. "Do you want this internship or not?"


    I shut my mouth. He wasn¡¯t threatening me. Just stating facts.


    And unfortunately, he was right. I needed this internship. It was the kind of opportunity that could open doors I didn¡¯t even know existed. Even if it meant sacrificing a night of movies and dinner.


    "Fine," I muttered. "I¡¯ll go."


    He gave a single nod, then went back to reading his file as though the conversation was already over.


    I messaged my friends in between sorting reports.


    <strong>Eva</strong>: <i>Hey guys. Something¡¯se up at the internship. I have to go with Alpha River to some meeting tonight. I can¡¯t make it to the movie and dinner, I¡¯m really sorry.</i>


    Their responses were almost instantly.


    <strong>Mallory</strong>: <i>You have got to be kidding me.</i>


    <strong>Noah</strong>: <i>Why today?</i>


    <strong>Ria</strong>: <i>Ugh... That sucks. We¡¯ll miss you, Eva.</i>


    <strong>Selene</strong>: <i>This better be worth ditching us for, girl.</i>


    <strong>Kyros: </strong><i>Don¡¯t overwork yourself.</i>


    I sighed and tucked the phone away. They didn¡¯t oppose to my change of n, but their disappointment was practically vibrating through the screen.


    It wasn¡¯t really easy for me to focus on work after that as I felt nervous, but I still tried my best. And as clock struck six, we finally left for the hotel in his car.


    I was wearing a simple ck blouse tucked into te gray cks. My hair was pulled back into a clean, low bun. I was looking neat, professional, practical.


    But it took precisely one step into the grand hotel¡¯s ballroom to realize I was looking like someone¡¯s lost assistant.


    The room was glimmering with warm gold light. Chandeliers were dripping from the ceiling like constetions. Tables were dressed in white and silver. Men in tailored suits and women in elegant dresses were moving like royalty. There were even a few extravagant gowns that looked like they belonged on red carpets.


    I didn¡¯t even make it to the main floor before the stares began. But they were for the Rogue Alpha King.


    River, of course, didn¡¯t react at all. He moved like he owned the ce - calm, confident, effortlesslyposed.


    Meanwhile, I tried to keep my shoulders square and my steps steady. No matter how amateurish I looked, I wasn¡¯t going to shrink. Not tonight.


    River handed me a ss of water from a passing server and leaned close to speak near my ear. "Stick to listening. Note bodynguage. Who talks to whom. Who doesn¡¯t. You are not here to speak. Just absorb."


    I nodded silently, grateful for the rity, even though I noticed how this action immediately caused the people there to finally <i>notice </i>me, something they didn¡¯t until River whispered in my ear.


    We started making rounds. He introduced me to no one, and I offered no words unless spoken to... which wasn¡¯t often. Most conversations around us were loaded with polite hostility, veiled threats wrapped in business lingo, and political maneuvering so slick I could barely keep up. But I did my best to watch, to notice details, like River had asked.


    A tall man with sharp features kept adjusting the ring on his finger whenever the Alpha from the northern mountains approached him. Another younger Beta was trying to hide how his hands trembled every time River walked past him. A female Alpha in a deep emerald gown was watching everyone but said very little, her silence was more powerful than most speeches in the room.


    I was almost beginning to settle into the rhythm of it.


    Until I felt it.


    That icy prickle on the back of my neck. It was a sharp, instinctive awareness.


    I turned slowly... and my breath caught.

 Chapter 88: River’s Sinister Plan

    <h4>Chapter 88: River¡¯s Sinister n</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Professor Kieran.


    He was standing near the far end of the ballroom, in a sleek dark suit, nked by two Alphas I didn¡¯t recognize. His posture was regal,manding, and his expression unreadable.


    But his eyes?


    They were on me.


    And they weren¡¯t the only ones.


    Because to his right, Oscar was standing with a wine ss in hand, his jaw ck with surprise. And just behind him, partially hidden in the crowd, was Draven.


    I swore under my breath.


    All four of the Rogue Alpha brothers were present in the same room, and while it shouldn¡¯t have been weird, a familiar feeling started blooming deep inside me.


    But before I could have focused further on that feeling, River ced a hand on my lower back and gently, but firmly, guided me toward a cluster of Alphas standing near the center of the ballroom.


    His touch wasn¡¯t feeling friendly. It felt calcted.


    "Come," he said smoothly with that unshakableposure on his face. "There are people I would like you to meet."


    I knew that tone. That calmness. It wasn¡¯t kindness. It was warning.


    And the second we stepped into the circle of powerful men and their perfectly groomedpanions, I knew I had been thrown into a pit of wolves, and not the kind that bared fangs. These smiled with poisonced words.


    "Evaline," River introduced. His voice was strong enough to pull the attention of every Alpha around us. "ss President. Top of this year¡¯s Academy entrance exams. She¡¯s actually the only wolfless entrant to ever achieve it."


    Silence followed his words. And then came the stares. Some were skeptical. Some amused. While some openly judgmental.


    Yet, I stood tall. Straight spine. Even breath. Neutral expression.


    "She¡¯s quite... casual, isn¡¯t she?" one of the women said with a too-sweet smile. She was wearing emerald silk and enough diamonds to weigh her down. "Is this your usual wardrobe for high-level gatherings, Miss Evaline?"


    "It¡¯s a work outfit," I replied evenly, not flinching. "I wasn¡¯t aware I would be attending until a few hours ago. Besides, Alpha River told me that I¡¯m here to observe and learn, not to join a fashion show."


    Thest one hit its mark, upsetting all the right people.


    Another chuckled behind her wine ss. "It¡¯s brave of you toe anyway. Most girls wouldn¡¯t risk being mistaken for a waitress."


    There wasughter. Soft, vicious.


    "She has unique coloring," an Alpha chimed in. "The silver hair and amber eyes are quite striking. Very... wild."


    "She would fit in well at a carnival," someone muttered just low enough to be audible.


    I said nothing. Doing so once ended up ring their dislike toward me. So, I let their words hit, sink, and slide off me. It wasn¡¯t the first time I was being picked apart. It wouldn¡¯t be thest.


    But River wasn¡¯t done.


    "She¡¯s more than just a pretty face," he said smoothly as he sipped his drink. "Evaline chose to be my assistant over a full year of training under experts or ess to the entire Silver Moon library. Bold, don¡¯t you think?"


    My stomach twisted.


    Each word was stinging like acid across raw skin. He was lifting me up just to drop me harder. He knew what he was doing. And I knew, deep in my bones, that he had brought me here for this.


    To show me off. To remind me what I was. To push me until I cracked in front of every person who mattered in our world.


    "She also defeated Oscar in the final round of the Academy entrance trials. Caught himpletely off guard with an unexpected move. Remarkable how far instinct can carry a rogue."


    There it was. The twist in his words. The knife dressed as praise.


    "Rogues do tend to be... unpredictable," another Alphamented only for hispanion to add, "And aggressive when cornered."


    I could feel eyes on me... burning from across the room. I didn¡¯t have to turn to confirm that the other three brothers had their full attention on me.


    And then, I felt <i>him.</i>


    Kieran.


    I didn¡¯t see him arrive, but I felt the shift in the air beside me. Warm. Calm. Like a wall at my side.


    His voice was quiet, but firm when he spoke. "River."


    River barely turned. "Kieran."


    "I believe Evaline¡¯s already met most of the gathering¡¯s key members. No need to parade her further."


    "Oh?" River smiled, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. "She deserves the recognition. Don¡¯t you agree, brother?"


    <fnf078> Get full chapters from Find[F]ovel</fnf078>


    I flinched, just a flicker, but it was enough. The warning was clear in River¡¯s tone. No matter how much he loved his brothers, he wouldn¡¯t tolerate them questioning him in front of outsiders. He was the Rogue Alpha King, and his authority wasn¡¯t to be questioned.


    Kieran stepped in closer to me, subtly shielding me with his body from the surrounding Alphas and their women. "She didn¡¯te here to be your conversation piece."


    River¡¯s eyes glittered. "Of course not. I simply want our future generation of leaders to be inspired."


    He was enjoying every second of this.


    And I...


    I wanted to leave.


    I wanted to disappear from the scrutiny, the whispers, the polished knives disguised aspliments. But I couldn¡¯t... wouldn¡¯t... give River the satisfaction of seeing me break.


    So I stepped forward. Just half a step. And I gave the circle my most polite, Academy-perfect smile.


    "Thank you, Alpha River, for the generous introduction." My voice didn¡¯t shake. "And thank you all for your... insightfulmentary."


    I could feel Kieran holding back a breath beside me.


    "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to excuse myself now. My work hours are over and I have ns with my friends. If you will excuse me."


    A lie. A graceful, convenient one.


    Without waiting for permission, I turned. I wasn¡¯t too fast... just confident. I walked away with my head high and my spine straight.


    It was only when I reached the hallway outside the ballroom did I let out a slow, shaking breath.


    My walls didn¡¯t crumble. Not yet. But there was a crack now. A fracture beneath the armor.


    River had aimed his arrow well, and I felt the sting.


    But I didn¡¯t fallen. Not this time. And I was not going to forget it.


    Not theughter. Not the looks. And certainly not the man who wore a mask of calm while twisting the de in my ribs.


    Follow current novels on freewe(b)novel.c(o)m

 Chapter 89: Searching for Her

    <h4>Chapter 89: Searching for Her</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    Evaline walked out with her chin high, her posture perfect, and her pace steady.


    To everyone else, she was looking unbothered. Untouched.


    But I knew better.


    I didn¡¯t know when it started - this strange, silent ability to read her. Maybe it was after watching her push herself so mercilessly that she would copse when no one was looking. Or maybe it was after witnessing her constantly putting on a strong and emotionless front while she was just an innocent and kind girl.


    But it was her eyes... always her eyes... that betrayed her.


    No matter how calm the rest of her seemed, her eyes always told the truth. And right now, they were screaming. Not with fear or anger, but hurt.


    I took a step to go after her, only for River¡¯s hand tond on my shoulder.


    "She¡¯s fine," he said softly, too softly for my liking. "She needs to learn to handle situations like these."


    I turned my face toward him slowly. "You think that was a lesson?"


    "I think it was reality. She wants to be part of this world, she needs to know how it works."


    I stared at him, feeling my heart twist. "She¡¯s eighteen, River. A first-year student. An alone girl who¡¯s barely finding her footing. You paraded her around like a trophy, then used her as target practice."


    His eyes darkened, but his face remainedposed. "I praised her."


    "You used her achievements as a leash. Every word from you was dressed in poison."


    From the corner of my eye, I caught Oscar slipping out through the side exit. Not long after, Draven followed in quick, urgent steps.


    My chest tightened.


    <i>What are they doing?</i>


    River caught my brief distraction and also noticed our brothers slipping away. "Worried our brothers might say something reckless?"


    "I¡¯m worried they¡¯ll do something reckless," I muttered.


    He scoffed. "They wouldn¡¯t hurt her."


    "No. But they might hurt her more, even without meaning to."


    His silence was answer enough.


    I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "River... this isn¡¯t like you."


    His brow lifted ever so slightly. "Isn¡¯t it?"


    "No," I said firmly. "You are strict, calcted, cold even... but this? You humiliated her in front of some of the most influential wolves in the country. For what? To prove a point? Or because you <i>hate</i> her?"


    Something flickered in his eyes. Then, just as quickly, it vanished.


    "I don¡¯t hate her," he said atst. "I just don¡¯t like her or trust her. I..." he trailed off as if he was having a hard time decide exactly what he felt for her.


    "And yet, you brought her here," I pressed. "Knowing how people would treat her. You set her up."


    His jaw tightened, but he didn¡¯t reply.


    <fn5521> Read full story at F¦ÉndNovel</fn5521>


    I took in a deep breath before continuing, "I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯ll make sure she gets back safely."


    "She¡¯s not your responsibility, Kieran."


    "She¡¯s my student."


    He said nothing else as I turned and walked out.


    I didn¡¯t bother sparing anyone else a nce or word. Didn¡¯t storm off. I kept my steps measured, but every one of them was filled with urgency.


    As I stepped into the lobby of the hotel, the cool air hit me, and so did the sharp scent of worry.


    Oscar was standing by the main entrance with phone in hand, tapping at the screen with furrowed brows. Draven was pacing a few feet away, his hands running through his hair.


    They both looked up as I approached.


    "She¡¯s not picking up," Oscar said immediately, surprising me by the knowledge that he had her number.


    "She didn¡¯t take a transport from the main exit," Draven added, also looking worried much to my surprise. "I checked the tracker. She didn¡¯t even scan out."


    Though I was surprised to see my younger brothers worrying for her, there was no time to ponder on this matter at the moment. My mind was racing as I spoke, "Which means she¡¯s still around."


    "What the hell was River thinking?" Oscar muttered. "Bringing her here and then dragging her into... <i>that</i>?"


    I blinked. "You are upset?"


    "Of course I am!" he snapped, then looked away. "I mean... yeah. Maybe I gave her a hard time at first. But she didn¡¯t deserve <i>that</i>. No one does."


    Draven was quieter. "She didn¡¯t even flinch when they mocked her clothes. Not once. That¡¯s not normal."


    "She¡¯s learned how to survive that way," I said quietly. "Hide the pain. Stay invisible. Never show weakness."


    Oscar looked visibly shaken. "I thought she would snap. Or cry. Or scream. But she just walked out like it didn¡¯t matter."


    Draven muttered under his breath, "That¡¯s the part that makes it worse."


    I looked between them both.


    Their concern wasn¡¯t fake. It was real. Raw. But that made no sense.


    Neither of them had ever acted like they gave a damn about her well-being. Yet here they were.


    Worried.


    Looking for her.


    "You said she didn¡¯t scan out," I said to Draven. "Then she might have left through the back corridors. Try the east garden exit."


    "I already checked there," he said. "Empty."


    Oscar ran a hand over his face. "Should we contact the warriors?"


    "No," I said immediately. "What happened inside already put her into unnecessary limelight. If we made our warriors search for her through the city, it will only cause more gossip. And it will not be right for her."


    "Then what do we do?" Oscar asked in a tight voice.


    I inhaled deeply, trying to remember theyout of the hotel. "There¡¯s a lower parking level. It¡¯s usually quiet. Let¡¯s check there next."


    As we started toward the back elevators, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder where she had gone.


    And more importantly... Why did she leave without asking for help?


    But I already knew the answer to that.


    Evaline Greystone didn¡¯t ask for help.


    Because life had taught her no one woulde when she did.


    <i>Not this time</i>... I promised silently as the elevator descended. <i>Not when I¡¯m here. Not anymore.</i>


    She was my student, my responsibility, and I was not nning to let her down.

 Chapter 90: Walking into Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 90: Walking into Trouble</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t remember leaving the ballroom.


    I only remembered the heat in my chest, the stinging behind my eyes, and the noise of clinking sses andughter blurring behind me.


    My barely made any sound on the glossy floor of the hotel lobby, then onto the pavement, and before I knew it... I was just <i>gone</i>.


    I was gone from that hall, from the humiliation, from River¡¯s smug voice painting me as something I wasn¡¯t - an object to prove a point. A tool. A showpiece. The very thing I had vowed to never be again.


    The air outside was cool and damp, tinged with the faint scent of the nearby river that was cutting through the city. I walked. Fast. Then faster. Turning corners, taking streets without looking at their names, ignoring the stares of passersby. I was still in that stupid blouse and trousers, clean and modest but in. Cheap.


    I kept walking and walking until the noise behind me faded, until the ache in my feet was too much to ignore, and until my breath wasing out in ragged bursts from both the cold and my emotions threatening to spill out.


    When the fog of my rage began to lift, the panic crept in.


    I was somewhere in the city - <i>somewhere</i>. But where exactly, I had no idea. Nothing was looking familiar. There were no signboards I recognized. No scent I couldtch onto. The city lights were casting an artificial glow over everything, making even shadows look unreal.


    I pulled out my phone, but the battery had already dipped into red. I could neither call nor message anyone, not like I had any idea whom to call and what to say.


    <fn5> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find{n}ovel</fn5>


    <i>Hey, I walked off in a fit of rage and now I¡¯m stranded in a city I don¡¯t know without a single coin to get back. Could someone please fetch this emotionally unstable rogue girl?</i>


    I let out a humorlessugh.


    The worst part?


    Even if I wanted to call a cab or hop on a bus, I couldn¡¯t.


    I had no money.


    Nothing.


    My internship stipend wouldn¡¯te until next week. The only thing I had on me was my ID and that ck card Professor Kieran had given me before the Academy year started. I still remembered how casual he had been about it - "Use it for anything you need" - but I hadn¡¯t touched it after buying the school supplies.


    I had already decided I would return that card soon. And even if it took me a few months, I would still pay back the amount I had spent from it. I wanted <i>nothing</i> that belonged to them.


    Especially not after tonight.


    I inhaled deeply and kept walking, even as my feet screamed. The city was buzzing with neon lights and chatter, but the street I wandered into next was quieter... too quiet.


    It was narrow... and mostly shrouded in darkness except for the faint lighting from a brokenmp hanging from a streetmp.


    This was the kind of alley that made the hair on the back of my neck rise.


    I paused. Maybe I just needed to turn around and find a more popted road -


    A shuffle.


    Then another.


    And I knew it was toote.


    Three figures emerged from behind a dumpster. Another two from the other side of the alley. Street thugs. They were tall, grinning with yellowed teeth and cracked knuckles. They were reeking of alcohol, sweat, and something darker... something I didn¡¯t want to identify.


    "Hey, sweetheart," the one in front said with a grin that made my stomach churn. "You lost?"


    I stepped back only for them to step forward.


    "We can help you out. Pretty thing like you shouldn¡¯t be all alone in a ce like this."


    I turned, ready to bolt, but a sudden, loud roar filled the air.


    A growl louder than thunder echoed in the alley as headlights bathed the thugs in white. A motorbike screeched to a stop right at the mouth of the alley, its rider tall and broad-shouldered. He cut the engine and pulled off the helmet, revealing a mop of unruly dark hair and eyes I knew.


    "Rowan?"


    He kicked the stand and swung off the bike, rolling his neck like he was preparing for a fight. "You guys have about five seconds to get the hell away from her."


    The thugs hesitated.


    "Two," Rowan said.


    And they scattered.


    I didn¡¯t even realize I had stopped breathing until thest of them disappeared into the darkness.


    Rowan strode toward me and immediately removed his jacket, wrapping it around my shoulders. "What the hell, Eva? What are you doing here?"


    I opened my mouth. Closed it. I was still shaking. The fog was back... different this time. Sharper. Cold.


    "I-I didn¡¯t mean to," I said finally. "I just... I left. And I kept walking. I wasn¡¯t thinking-"


    "You clearly weren¡¯t," he muttered, then sighed. "Come on. Let¡¯s get you out of here."


    Before I could take a step, another voice cut through the alley.


    "Evaline!"


    I froze and so did Rowan.


    Professor Kieran appeared at the end of the alley. His coat was ring around him as he hurried toward us. He looked around, taking in the alley, the bike, Rowan, and me in one sweeping gaze. There was a furrow between his brows and a tightness around his mouth.


    "Are you alright?" he asked, looking directly at me.


    I nodded, then shifted ufortably. "I¡¯m fine."


    He turned his gaze to Rowan, brows narrowing. "And you are?"


    "Rowan," my roommate said smoothly, slipping one arm around my shoulder - just enough to be protective, not possessive. "Her friend. ssmate. I live in the same dorm room."


    Kieran blinked, clearly surprised. "You are one of the First Years?"


    "Yep. And you must be Professor Kieran," Rowan said, not bothering to hide the sharpness in his tone. "Didn¡¯t expect to see you here."


    Kieran didn¡¯t respond to that. He looked back at me. "Let me take you back. I have my car."


    "No," I said quickly, taking a step back from him and closer to Rowan. "No offense, Professor, but I would rather go with Rowan."


    His expression flickered with confusion, hurt, or something else I wasn¡¯t able to name. But he nodded. "Of course."


    Rowan gently steered me toward the bike. "You¡¯ll be warm enough?"


    I tightened the jacket around me and nodded. "Yeah."


    "I¡¯ll follow on foot until you are on the main road," Kieran said, stepping aside as Rowan helped me onto the bike. "Be safe, both of you."


    Rowan started the engine and looked over his shoulder. "I always am."


    And then we were off within seconds. The city lights blurred behind us as wind whipped past my face.


    My heart was still a mess. My mind, worse. But for the first time that night, I wasn¡¯t feeling alone.

 Chapter 91: Finding a True Friend

    <h4>Chapter 91: Finding a True Friend</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time we left the city behind, the wind had calmed my nerves. The bike ride with Rowan was smooth, fast, and strangelyforting. No words were exchanged, but something about the silence didn¡¯t feel heavy like it usually did. Maybe because it wasn¡¯t the kind that judged.


    Instead of heading straight for the Academy, he slowed down as we passed the first town nestled at the base of the Academy mountains. The streets here were quieter, cozier, lined with small shops, bakeries, and warm yellow streetlights that were glowing like fireflies in the night.


    Without warning, he pulled into the parking lot of a small diner that was looking like it had been pulled out of another era. Red booths were lining the windows. A neon sign was buzzing above the ss door, casting a soft pink glow.


    He turned off the engine and looked over his shoulder. "Come on. Let¡¯s eat."


    I blinked. "Shouldn¡¯t we... go back?"


    He shrugged. "The gates are open till midnight. We have got time."


    I hesitated only for my stomach to let out a sudden, loud growl.


    And while I was busy feeling embarrassed, he grinned. "Thought so."


    As we stepped inside, I was hit by the warm scent of butter, spices, and freshly brewed coffee. It made my mouth water. I hadn¡¯t even realized how hungry I was until that moment.


    We slid into a corner booth, and the moment the waitress came by, Rowan rattled off an order like he had been here a dozen times before - burgers, fries, something called "dragon-spiced dumplings," arge te of garlic butter pasta, and strawberry milkshakes.


    <fn4473> Content originallyes from f?ndnovel</fn4473>


    "You didn¡¯t ask what I wanted," I muttered once the waitress walked away.


    He just leaned back and grinned again. "Didn¡¯t need to. You¡¯ll like them all. Trust me."


    I narrowed my eyes. "And what if I don¡¯t?"


    "Then I¡¯ll eat what¡¯s left. Win-win."


    He said it so casually, so cheerfully, that augh slipped out of me before I could stop it.


    This made him grin wider. "There she is."


    When the food arrived, it was steaming and colorful. And to my surprise, every dish was amazing. The first bite of the dumpling was spicy and savory and just the right amount of crispy. I didn¡¯t even realize how much I was eating until half the table was cleared.


    "Slow down," he chuckled. "No one¡¯s stealing your te."


    "You ordered too much," I replied with a small smile as I wiped my mouth.


    "I nned to order too much," he replied in a light tone. "You needed it."


    I paused at that for a moment before asking, "You knew I hadn¡¯t eaten?"


    He shrugged again, but his gaze softened. "You looked like someone who forgot how to breathe, let alone eat."


    That... made something twist in my chest.


    "I¡¯m paying you back for this once I get my sry. Just give me few days," I said quickly.


    But he was quick to shook his head. "No, you are not. It¡¯s my treat. Let me have this one, alright?"


    "Why?"


    He tilted his head slightly, expression unreadable. "Because it¡¯s what friends do."


    <i>Friends.</i>


    That word shouldn¡¯t have meant so much. But right then, in that quiet diner where the world felt far away, it did.


    We finished the meal infortable silence, and when we stepped outside, the night air was crisp again. I turned toward his bike, but he shook his head and pointed toward the gravel path beside the diner that led toward the forest trail.


    "My friend¡¯s picking the bike upter. I figured we could walk. It¡¯s only half an hour to the Academy."


    I nodded, liking the idea of a walk.


    We walked in silence while the sound of our footsteps crunching on leaves, the asional hoot of an owl, and the rustle of wind through the trees surrounded us.


    After a few minutes, Rowan finally broke the silence.


    "So..." he said gently. "Want to tell me what happened back there?"


    I didn¡¯t answer right away.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why I was hesitating. Maybe because telling the truth meant admitting how deeply it hurt. Maybe because I wasn¡¯t used to people caring.


    But then I nced sideways.


    He wasn¡¯t looking at me with suspicion. There was no pressure in his voice. Just... genuine concern.


    And something inside me cracked.


    So... I told him everything - from the unexpected invitation to the Alpha Gathering, to River¡¯s cold games in front of the others. I didn¡¯t spare the details.


    I expected Rowan tough, or roll his eyes. Maybe to say I was being dramatic or to use me of lying as I was talking about not some random guy but the respected Rogue Alpha King.


    But he did none of those things.


    Instead, his expression darkened. "River¡¯s a bastard," he muttered. "I don¡¯t care what title he holds. That wasn¡¯t right."


    I stopped walking.


    "...You believe me?"


    Rowan blinked. "Of course I do."


    "But... he¡¯s the Rogue Alpha King."


    "So?" he said with a frown. "He¡¯s not God. He¡¯s still a man. And a man who humiliates an eighteen-year-old girl in front of a ballroom full of wolves deserves a good punch in the jaw."


    I stared at him, feeling overwhelmed.


    Not because of what River had done... but because of <i>this</i>. Because of Rowan. Because he didn¡¯t doubt. Didn¡¯t question. Didn¡¯t tiptoe around my pain like it was something he couldn¡¯t touch.


    And before I could stop it... a single tear escaped.


    I quickly wiped it away, embarrassed, but he still ended up noticing.


    "Hey..." he said softly. "What¡¯s that for?"


    I shook my head. "I don¡¯t even know. It¡¯s not about what River did. It¡¯s just... I guess I didn¡¯t expect you to be like this."


    He stared at me for a moment, then stepped closer. His hand rose and gently patted my head, fingers brushing through my hair like it was the most natural thing in the world.


    And then, without asking, he pulled me into a hug.


    It was warm. Solid. Safe.


    I stood there frozen for a second, but then slowly melted into it.


    "Everyone thinks you are cold," I mumbled against his shoulder. "Quiet. Dangerous."


    He chuckled. "They are not wrong."


    "But you are kind," I whispered. "You are one of the kindest people I have met."


    He didn¡¯t say anything, just held me before we finally pulled apart momentster.


    We continued walking, slower than before, and didn¡¯t say much this time. But something had shifted between us.


    Rowan wasn¡¯t just a roommate anymore. He was <i>my friend</i>.

 Chapter 92: Missing Warriors

    <h4>Chapter 92: Missing Warriors</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Sunday mornings at the council headquarters were usually quieter. Most of the council members took the day to rest unless something urgent required attention.


    But I arrived there at nine sharp, dressed in my usual clothes, hair pulled back, and with a calm expression. Or at least that¡¯s what I was showing on the outside.


    Inside, I was hollow.


    I didn¡¯t sleep well as the nightmares were back. Barely ate in the morning and my head was throbbing. Yet, here I was, pretending like I hadn¡¯t been paraded like a fragile pet by the most feared Alpha in our world.


    Sincest night, my phone had buzzed several times with calls and messages from Kieran, Oscar, and Draven.


    But I didn¡¯t attend the calls or opened their messages. I didn¡¯t need to read them to know what they would say.


    <i>"We didn¡¯t know."</i>


    <i>"River went too far."</i>


    <i>"Are you okay?"</i>


    A part of me knew that these three weren¡¯t directly to me for what River had done. They weren¡¯t the ones who humiliated me in that gilded ballroom. But another part of me, the part that still throbbed with shame and betrayal, couldn¡¯t separate them from <i>him</i>. They were brothers. A unit. Always moving together.


    And I didn¡¯t want to hear their apologies if they couldn¡¯t change the truth.


    So I kept walking past the buzzes and pings of my phone. Kept working like my bones weren¡¯t aching and my chest wasn¡¯t tight.


    River, of course, was already at headquarters when I arrived.


    He didn¡¯t speak to me. And I didn¡¯t look at him.


    But that didn¡¯t stop me from <i>feeling</i> him. His gaze was relentless, and the air between us was like thin ice over deep water - cracking, threatening to copse beneath the weight of what neither of us would say.


    He passed by me a few times throughout the day, and I sensed the hesitation in his steps. The subtle pauses. The nces. But I never lifted my head.


    He had already looked at me enough the previous evening... for the whole world to see.


    I wasn¡¯t giving him the satisfaction of a reaction now.


    It didn¡¯t take long for others to notice. By noon, the entire building grew colder.


    The people working in the main administrative wing - the secretaries, the researchers, the junior warriors and assistants - were moving carefully when they passed by us.


    They only talked in hushed voices and a few even fumbled their files when they caught the tension thick in the air.


    At first, I thought I was imagining it, but by the afternoon, even the low-ranking guards were ncing at us with tight lips and stiff backs. Word had spread, like wildfire through a dry forest.


    They didn¡¯t know what happened, of course. But they felt it.


    As for the Alphas and Council members? Not a single one of them dared to show their face at the headquarters that day.


    They knew what had happened. Some of them had even watched it firsthand.


    And no one wanted to be near River Thorne now that he was visibly, undeniably in a bad mood as he stared at the same girl who now wouldn¡¯t look at him. The same girl who walked past him as if he was nothing but a shadow on the floor.


    By the time the sun dipped low and thest of the administrative staff were preparing to head out, I finally allowed myself a breath.


    So far, this was my hardest day at work, and I was looking forward to returning to the Academy. Back to silence. Back to pretending again.


    I had just closed the final report file and was gathering my things when the door burst open.


    And Jasper stormed in.


    I had never seen him like that before. He was the kind of man who walked like wind - quiet, efficient, almost invisible when he wanted to be. But today, his face was pale and his eyes sharp with urgency. There was no softness in his tone when he addressed River.


    "A patrol team¡¯s gone missing," he said tly,pletely missing my presence in the office. "Five of our warriors. They were scheduled to check the borders around Red Hollow."


    River¡¯s head snapped up. "When did this happen?"


    "Last contact was seven this morning. They were supposed to report back by eleven. We have tried theirms... nothing. No trace of them on radar, and no scent trails near theirst known location. It¡¯s like they vanished."


    I stilled.


    <fnb1a3> For original chapters go to F?ndNovel</fnb1a3>


    Red Hollow. That was deep in the northern mountains, a forbidden zone


    River stood up, his expression finally cracking into something other than that calcted calm he wore like a second skin. "Who led the patrol?"


    "Corin," Jasper replied. "And before you ask - yes. I handpicked the team. They weren¡¯t new. They have run that route half a dozen times before."


    The silence that followed was crushing.


    River¡¯s eyes flicked to me for a brief second before settling back on Jasper.


    "Get me the map," he ordered. "And gather every tracker we have. We move within the hour."


    "I already have the files in the war room," Jasper said, turning on his heel.


    River looked like he was about to follow, but then paused. His gaze flicked back to me again, this time slower.


    Something passed in his expression.


    I didn¡¯t move. Didn¡¯t speak.


    I should have said something. Should have asked what we were going to do. I worked here. I was supposed to be involved.


    But my voice was gone.


    Everything that had been swirling in me all day - the anger, the resentment, the weight of silent eyes - finally pushed against my chest like a tide, threatening to drown me again.


    So I picked up my bag and walked away.


    Again.


    Just like I had on Saturday night.


    I didn¡¯t stop until I was in the car, heading back to Academy. I didn¡¯t check my phone. Didn¡¯t breathe properly until I was back in my dorm.


    But the moment I stepped inside my bedroom and switched on the lights, I came face to face with Draven.

 Chapter 93: New Addiction

    <h4>Chapter 93: New Addiction</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When I opened the door to my room, all I wanted was to copse face-first into bed, pull the nket over my head, and shut out the world.


    So when I stepped in and saw Draven standing next to balcony door, I stopped cold and blinked.


    Once.


    Twice.


    Still there.


    Tall, sharp-edged, wearing a red silk shirt paired with ck pants, and looking just as handsome as always. His dark green eyes were watching me like I was a storm he wasn¡¯t afraid to stand in.


    I opened my mouth, but he beat me to it.


    "You weren¡¯t answering my messages."


    I dropped my bag on the floor with a little more force than necessary. "That wasn¡¯t an ident."


    He took a small, slow step toward me. "So you are ignoring me now?"


    "Yes," I snapped. "And I would like to keep doing that, so if you don¡¯t mind-"


    "I do mind," he cut in while stepping between me and the bedroom door. "That¡¯s why I¡¯m here."


    I narrowed my eyes. "Well, I¡¯m not in the mood to talk, Draven. Not to you. Not after everything that happenedst night. Not after the hellish day I have just had."


    He didn¡¯t flinch. Just looked at me quietly,patient. "I¡¯m not River," he said atst in a low voice. "I didn¡¯t drag you into that gathering. I didn¡¯t put you on disy."


    "No," I admitted and crossed my arms. "But you didn¡¯t stop him either."


    A heavy and thick silence settled between us. But then he said something I wasn¡¯t expecting,


    "I¡¯m not here to exin or defend anything." He stepped closer. "I¡¯m here because you looked like the world had yed you yesterday, and I couldn¡¯t just sit back and pretend I didn¡¯t see that."


    <fnb57d> Latest content published on find~novel</fnb57d>


    I felt my throat tighten but stayed silent.


    He nced toward the bed before asking, "Will you let me stay? Just for a little while?"


    I should have said no.


    I <i>wanted</i> to say no.


    But I was so tired. My feet was hurt. My head was throbbing. And beneath all that exhaustion, I didn¡¯t have the strength to fight someone who, for once, wasn¡¯t trying to argue or make excuses.


    So I gave a shallow nod and toed off my shoes.


    To my surprise, Draven crouched in front of me and started carefully undoing theces to help me take them off.


    I asked with a frown. "What are you doing?"


    "Helping," he said, gently setting the shoes aside before rising and pointing to the bed. "Sit. Please."


    Still frowning, I obeyed and dropped onto the edge of the mattress only to hear him asking - "Can I sit too?"


    I was surprised to see him seeking permission, especially when he had the tendency to enter my room despite me telling him not to. Still, I nodded my head and watched as he settled down beside me.


    "Now," he said while pulling out his phone with an almost mischievous glint in his eye. "You are going to y a game with me."


    "What?"


    "Yup," he said as he reached for my phone. "Give me this. Trust me, it¡¯s therapeutic."


    Too tired to argue, I handed it over and watched as he downloaded a game - some colorful little town-building thing with bouncing music and adorable graphics.


    He handed it back and scooted closer. "Wee to your new obsession."


    I scoffed, but my curiosity was winning. "What am I supposed to do?"


    "Build your town. Feed your vigers. y mini-games. Hoard coins. Rule the world."


    I gave him a skeptical nce, but the corner of his mouth lifted in a lopsided grin, and somehow... I smiled back.


    As the minutes passed, I got lost in the game - collecting fruit, decorating little cottages, unlocking farm animals and bakery recipes. Draven kept leaning over asionally to give tips. His arm would brush mine, his voice low and warm in my ear.


    And I wasughing...actuallyughing... when my vigers all danced after I finished a sessful harvest.


    He chuckled too. "Told you it was good."


    "It¡¯s stupid," I said, smiling anyway. "But kind of... addictive."


    "Wee to the dark side," he whispered dramatically, and I shook my head.


    Right at that moment, my phone buzzed with a message from Mallory.


    <i>Where are you? It¡¯s almost dinner time. Are you still at headquarters?</i>


    I quickly closed the game and typed back a response, letting her know that I would be joining them in the dining hall within ten minutes. Then, I set the phone aside.


    The room became silent as we sat side by side on the bed. The gap between us now so small that I was feeling the heat of him.


    Then Draven asked, softly, "Are you still mad at me?"


    My heart thudded.


    I didn¡¯t look at him as I answered truthfully. "Yes."


    He nodded while whispering, "I figured."


    "But I don¡¯t hate you," I added, surprising even myself.


    When I turned to look at him, his eyes were on me -unusually open and vulnerable beneath the usual green.


    "Eva," he whispered. "Can I... kiss you?"


    I sucked in a breath atthe request that came out of nowhere. My first instinct was to say no. Not because I didn¡¯t want to. But because I didn¡¯t know if I should.


    Still, when I looked at him and saw the softness behind his sharp features, the question in his gaze and the care behind it...


    I couldn¡¯t say no.


    So... I gave the faintest nod. And he moved.


    Slowly.


    Gently.


    His hand came up to cup my cheek. The touch was warm and steady, and I leaned into it without meaning to. Then he was leaning in, brushing his lips against mine with such tenderness it almost unraveled me.


    It wasn¡¯t rushed. It wasn¡¯t hungry or desperate. It was sweet, like a promise whispered into the night.


    His lips lingered and I kissed him back, fluttering my eyes closed as I gave into the moment. His thumb stroked my cheek, and his other hand came to rest lightly on my knee. Everything about the kiss said, <i>I¡¯m here, and I¡¯m trying.</i>


    And for now, that was enough.


    When we finally pulled apart, neither of us spoke. There was no need. Then, he finally stood up a momentter.


    "I¡¯ll go now," he said quietly. "Before you regret letting me stay."


    I stood with him, walking him to the balcony door.


    He paused before opening it and turned back to me. "I¡¯ll do better. I promise. You deserve that. You deserve more."


    I didn¡¯t respond, just stared at him as I watched him take onest look at me, like he was memorizing the moment, before he finally left, closing the door softly behind him.


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 94: The Quiz Day

    <h4>Chapter 94: The Quiz Day</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Monday came faster than I could have hoped. As the dawn light crept across the walls of my dorm, I groaned and rolled to my side, clutching my pillow like it owed me sleep. But reality was relentless - it was the day of the Herbs and Potions quiz.


    And I hadn¡¯t revised yet.


    Thanks to Saturday night, and everything that unraveled after, the weekend was turned into an emotionalndslide. I didn¡¯t even open my notes, let alone revising anything.


    I sat up with a sigh and quickly made my bed. But instead of my usual morning exercise session, I settled down in the balcony and started flipping through the notes.


    "C¡¯mon, Eva. You have got this," I muttered to myself as I scribbled keywords on the edge of my notebook.


    I wanted to do well in this quiz, not just to prove something to anyone else, but to myself. I needed some kind of win after how low I had felt all weekend.


    And then there was him.


    Kieran.


    His messages had kepting, and I had ignored them just like his brothers¡¯.


    I didn¡¯t even know if they were about the quiz, about Saturday night, or something else. I didn¡¯t want to open them. Because if I did, if I read concern or guilt or worse, apologies, I wouldn¡¯t know how to feel. He wasn¡¯t River. He hadn¡¯t hurt me.


    But he was River¡¯s brother. And that, somehow, was enough to tie a knot in my chest.


    Herbs and Potions was right before lunch. I walked in with my books hugged tightly to my chest and my nerves a bubbling mess beneath my skin.


    I slid into my usual spot beside Mallory and Selene. My friends were chattering quietly about the questions that mighte up. I got involved too. I was as ready for the quiz as I ever could be.


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    I hadn¡¯t heard anything about the missing warriors since returning to the Academy, and part of me wondered if it had all been handled quietly by the Council. Or maybe no one wanted to involve students in matters like that. Whatever the reason, the silence around it made it easy to push to the back of my mind, for now.


    I was just about to take out my potion form cheat-sheet when someone unexpected walked in.


    Rowan.


    He looked casual - messy hair, untucked shirt, and that always-too-cool-to-care air around him. He stopped at the front and started scanning the ss as if he was looking for someone.


    "Holy hell," Mallory whispered beside me. "Who is that?"


    Selene blinked. "He¡¯s not from our ss, is he?"


    I smiled as warmth rushed through me. "That¡¯s Rowan."


    "Rowan?" Mallory asked, raising her eyebrows at me. "As in the roommate you never let us meet?"


    "Howe it¡¯s my fault?" I murmured. "He usually has his own... schedule."


    Kyros turned to nce over his shoulder at us. "I think I saw him during the entrance exams. He was there for thebat trial, I remember."


    "Of course you would remember someone like that," Selene said under her breath, clearly watching Rowan with the kind of interest that made me want to chuckle.


    Rowan noticed us, and with zero hesitation, walked over and slumped into the empty seat next to me that Mallory emptied.


    "Hope you saved me a spot," he said with a wink.


    I rolled my eyes but couldn¡¯t stop the grin from spreading across my face. "You came."


    "You said it was important," he replied, shrugging like it wasn¡¯t a big deal. "I¡¯m here to ace this quiz and ruin the curve."


    Mallory leaned in, eyes wide. "Okay, he¡¯s charming and confident. Eva, you have been holding out on us."


    Iughed, for what felt like the first time all morning. "Everyone, meet Rowan. Rowan, these are my friends - Mallory, Selene, Kyros, Noah, and Ria."


    He nodded at them, shing an easy smile. "Nice to meet you. I have heard way too much about all of you."


    "You have?" Selene blinked.


    He smirked. "Eva talks in her sleep."


    My mouth dropped. "I do not-"


    "Okay, okay," Rowan chuckled, holding up his hands. "Maybe I¡¯m making things up. Maybe not."


    Kyros leaned over to Mallory. "I like him."


    "Same," she whispered back, smirking.


    The mood around us brightened instantly. Rowan had that effect. He settled into the group like he had always belonged. It wasn¡¯t forced or awkward, he just fit. And somehow, just by showing up, he made me feel more grounded than I had in days.


    Then the door opened again as the bell rang for the ss to begin. And the air changed as Professor Kieran walked in, causing all the chatter to die down immediately.


    I didn¡¯t look at him. I kept my eyes trained on the desk as he began cing the quiz sheets on each desk, one by one. My heart was thudding in my chest, and when he finally reached our row, I felt his presence before I saw the edge of the paper slide into ce on my desk.


    "Good luck," he said softly.


    I nodded once, but didn¡¯t dare to say a word. Not even thank you. My throat was too tight.


    I felt Rowan nce at me. Just briefly. Like he was checking if I was okay. But he didn¡¯t say anything either.


    I picked up my pen, took a steadying breath, and turned the paper over.


    Much to my surprise, the quiz wasn¡¯t too hard. There were a couple of hard questions, but overall, it was bnced properly to let all those pass who would have spent some time going through their quiz notes.


    It took me about thirty minutes to finish answering and rechecking, before I handed in my paper along with Rowan and Kyros.


    We waited in silence for others to finish and twenty minutester, the test officially ended.


    Mallory stretched beside me. "That wasn¡¯t too bad, huh?"


    "It could have been worse," I said, agreeing with her.


    "Honestly," Rowan chimed in, "I was expecting trick questions. Professor Kieran seems like the type."


    "He is," Selene agreed. "He¡¯s just sparing us since it¡¯s our first test."


    The bell rang and I started packing my things. I just finished packing when my gaze flickered once toward the front where Professor Kieran was organizing the collected quizzes.


    He looked up as if sensing my gaze and our eyes met.


    It was only for a second. But it made my chest ache in a way I didn¡¯t want to examine.


    So, I looked away and followed my group out of the ss.


    As we stepped out into the corridor, I finally breathed in deeply. The air was cooler out here. Lighter. And with my friends beside me, the knot of tension in my chest slowly began to loosen.


    "You okay?" Rowan asked as he appeared beside me.


    "I will be," I replied honestly.


    "Then let¡¯s go find lunch," he said. "Because I¡¯m starving. And I¡¯m hoping that quiz earned me at least one of the good desserts at the dining hall."


    I chuckled, realizing that it was his first time tasting the food at Academy¡¯s cafeteria.

 Chapter 95: The Top Scorers

    <h4>Chapter 95: The Top Scorers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    If someone had told mest weekend that the following days would pass without any drama, I would haveughed in their face. But here I was, Friday evening, five whole dayster and not a single emotional explosion, argument, or surprise ambush by any of the Rogue Alpha brothers.


    Well, except Draven.


    But even he had been... different.


    After Sunday night, I was expecting him to slip back into his usual teasing, overly forward self. Yet, despite seeing him every single evening in the library, he kept his promise.


    He didn¡¯t hover. He didn¡¯t push. He just existed like a quiet, consistent presence at the front desk of the library - checking in books, organizing the archive shelves, and asionally waving at me with a bright smile when I entered and left the ce.


    And I couldn¡¯t lie... it surprised me.


    <fn5443> For original chapters go to f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fn5443>


    Maybe I was underestimating him. Maybe beneath all that smug confidence and flirtatious bravado was someone who genuinely wanted to do better.


    By Wednesday, his presence stopped bothering me. In fact, it even started to feel normal, like part of my routine. I would take my spot by the window in the far corner on second floor, light a small studymp, sip on the water, and do my work while he quietly moved about.


    He only approached me once all week.


    Thursday evening, I was organizing my history notes when I heard the soft thud of a book being ced on the table.


    "Herbs and Healing Through the Ages. Thought this might help with your next essay," he said.


    I nced up. "Thanks."


    He nodded, gave me a soft smile, and walked away.


    That was it. No unnecessary words. No lingering stares. Just quiet help, respectfully offered.


    The only time he actually <i>pestered</i> me was in-game.


    <strong>Draven</strong>: <i>Come on, Eva. You have reached level 25! Join my Co-op team already.</i>


    <strong>Draven:</strong><i>It¡¯s</i><i>Team Darkfang</i>. <i>We are number one for a reason. Don¡¯t make me beg.</i>


    <strong>Draven</strong>: <i>Okay, I¡¯m begging. PLEASE. We need your strategy brain for the next tournament.</i>


    I chuckled when I read his messages.


    It turned out that he was the leader of the top-ranked team in the town-building game we started ying together. He took it very seriously. Daily logins, coordinated side missions, tournament schedules - it was more intense than I expected. But it was fun. More fun than I¡¯d had in a while.


    So, after a bit of teasing on my part, I finally epted his invitation. His victory message was a barrage of celebratory stickers and virtual confetti.


    Despite myself, I was smiling more this week, especially on Wednesday.


    The quiz results were announced and I nearly dropped my toast when I saw the top scorers posted on the notice board in the main hallway.


    Evaline ¨C 100/100


    Kyros Graves ¨C 100/100


    Celine Warter - 98/100


    Nadine Parker - 97/100


    Rowan Bane ¨C 94/100


    Kyros let out a sigh of satisfaction before speaking, "Tied with you at the top. As it should be."


    "Should I feel threatened?" I teased.


    "Maybe just a little."


    But the real surprise was Rowan.


    He shrugged when we pointed at his name. "Guess I got lucky."


    "Rowan," I narrowed my eyes. "Don¡¯t even pretend. You <i>studied</i>."


    He smirked in response. "Might hve. Just a bit. And the credit goes to you."


    I shook my head before speaking, "Don¡¯t push the credit to me. You did a great job this time." I was indeed happy about his achievement, even proud. Not only he listened to me and appeared for the quiz, but even made it in top five.


    Mallory and Selene nodded their heads in agreement to my words, and thetter voiced out her appreciation for him. "Okay, now he¡¯s hot and smart."


    It felt good to share a win with my friends. It was like a tiny bubble of normalcy in a sea of chaos.


    Kieran did congratte us during his ss, and though he <i>did</i> nce my way a few times, we didn¡¯t exchange any direct words. But I did notice the look in his eyes that I failed to decipher. It was something quiet, almost regretful. But he never approached me.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure if I was relieved or disappointed.


    After the results, he canceled our sses for the rest of the week, iming that he was caught up with something important. But he made sure to leave us with ample amount of homework.


    I spent the better part of every evening working throughplicated potion analysis essays, herb mapping diagrams, and cross-referencing medicinal history.


    Still... the silence was appreciated.


    Since it were weekdays, I was saved from River¡¯s annoying presence in my life. And Oscar - well, I spotted him once, walking through the Academy halls with a couple of other instructors and professors.


    Part of me was grateful for the brothers¡¯ absence and the distance they had kept from me over the week.


    I needed this space. This breath of calm to gather myself. But this peace finally shattered Friday evening.


    I just submitted my History project to Professor Elira and was walking back to the dorms. Since the sses were over, the hallway was empty and quiet. Thete afternoon light was filtering through the tall windows, casting long golden shadows on the marble floor.


    Just as I turned a corner, I ended up nearly running into <i>him</i>.


    Oscar.


    He was alone. Dressed in a blue shirt and white pants. As his emerald gaze locked on mine, I almost forgot to breathe.


    Before I could have said a word, before I could have reacted, he reached out and wrapped his hand around my wrist. Not painfully, not harshly... but firmly.


    "Oscar-what-"


    "We need to talk."


    And then we were walking. We didn¡¯t stop until he had pulled me into the nearest empty ssroom and closed the door behind us.


    The room was dim, filled with old desks and covered boards, abandoned for the evening. My heart was pounding in my chest as I stepped back, creating that much-needed space between us.

 Chapter 96: The Reason Behind Her Anger

    <h4>Chapter 96: The Reason Behind Her Anger</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Finally having a normal week without any chaos, any unexpected events, and the constant presence of Thorne brothers in my life, I got enough time to calm down.


    I spent the week focusing on my work, on my sses, and... on the events of the weekend.


    And slowly, the sting of Saturday night began to fade.


    Not because it no longer mattered, but because I realized I had directed my anger at the wrong people. Kieran hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Oscar hadn¡¯t either. And Draven had actually been there when I needed someone.


    It was River who crossed the line. And him who yed with my emotions and trust.


    So, as I now stood facing Oscar in the empty ssroom, I was no longer furious. I was... guarded. Wary.


    But not angry.


    Still, I put on an indifferent face when he shut the door behind us. "Is this how we are doing things now? Dragging people into empty ssrooms?"


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t rise to the bait. He lookedposed as his eyes locked onto mine. "You have been avoiding me."


    "I needed space."


    "I gave it to you." His voice was calm. "But I can¡¯t stay silent anymore."


    As I looked at him, I was expecting the tension to rise again, for words to start spilling out in an angry flood, but... they didn¡¯t.


    Instead, he stepped closer. He was slow, cautious, and his movements careful, like he was afraid I might bolt.


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    "I didn¡¯t know what River had nned until I saw it happen. And by the time I did... you were gone. Avoiding everyone." He ran a hand through his hair. "I wanted to give you space, but I also wanted to make sure you were okay. And that¡¯s the truth."


    I studied him. His eyes looked tired, his brow were creased faintly, snd his shoulders were holding tension even in stillness.


    And before I could stop myself, the words were slipping out.


    "I know it wasn¡¯t your fault."


    His eyes widened, just slightly.


    I looked down at my shoes, the knot in my chest loosening just a little. "I have had time to think. And you, Professor Kieran, Draven... none of you deserved my silence. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong."


    There was a pause.


    And then, without lifting my head, I added in a much softer voice this time, "If I was angry, it was because... I kept expecting you to say something. To find me. To-" My breath hitched. "To care."


    He stepped closer.


    Too close.


    And I finally looked up, only to regret it instantly. Because he was watching me, really <i>watching</i> me. His eyes turned soft with something that made my stomach flip.


    "You thought I didn¡¯t care?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper.


    I shrugged helplessly. "You didn¡¯t even try to talk to me."


    His lips curved in response. It wasn¡¯t a mocking smile, neither smug. Just... warm. Like something inside him just fell into ce.


    "You are unbelievable," he said more to himself than to me. "You ignored all my messages, avoided every hallway I walked through, and then you are the one upset that <i>I</i> didn¡¯t approach you?"


    I opened my mouth to argue... and stopped.


    Huh.


    When he put it like that...


    "Oh my god," I muttered as I brought a hand to my face. "I¡¯m ridiculous."


    "Yeah," he teased. "A little."


    I groaned. "I didn¡¯t mean to say all that. It just slipped out."


    "I¡¯m d it did," he said while leaning a bit closer. "I like knowing you wanted to see me."


    "Oscar." My voice held warning, but my heart was already racing.


    "You missed me."


    "I didn¡¯t say that."


    "You didn¡¯t have to."


    I narrowed my eyes. "Are you smiling?"


    "I might be."


    And he was. That stupid, beautiful, infuriating smile of his was stretching across his face like it had every right to live there.


    "You are impossible."


    "And you are adorable when you are flustered."


    I was not flustered. I mean... maybe a little.


    He stepped even closer, so close that I was able to feel his breath on my cheek. One of his hands lifted slowly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. His touch was warm, gentle. It made my breath hitch.


    "I wanted toe to you," he confessed softly. "But I didn¡¯t want to push you. I saw how easily River¡¯s choices shattered your trust. I didn¡¯t want to be another wound."


    My throat felt tight as I quickly whispered, "You are not."


    He looked at me for a long time, like he was searching for something. And then, quietly, he asked, "Can I kiss you?"


    Stars.


    I didn¡¯t think I could breathe.


    But I nodded.


    That was all it took.


    His lips touched mine - soft at first, hesitant, like he was still giving me time to change my mind. But when I melted into him, his hand came up to cradle the back of my neck, and the kiss deepened.


    Warm. Slow. Meaningful.


    It wasn¡¯t rushed, wasn¡¯t desperate. It was careful and sweet and honest, like he was trying to tell me everything he hadn¡¯t said all week.


    When we finally pulled apart, my face was flushed and my heart was racing.


    "I should be mad at you for being so smug," I whispered breathlessly.


    He grinned. "But you are not."


    "Don¡¯t push your luck."


    Heughed and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in again. I rested my forehead against his chest, breathing in the familiar scent that was so uniquely him.


    "Let¡¯s start over," he murmured. "No more silence. No more avoidance. Just... us. Getting to know each other."


    I nodded into his chest. "Okay."


    When I looked up again, he kissed me... again. Slower this time. His hands held my waist firmly as his mouth moved against mine with a confidence that made my legs feel weak.


    I might have melted into the desk behind me. I definitely ended up perched on the edge of it with his hands on either side of my hips and his lips tracing a line from my mouth to my jaw, down to the curve of my neck where his breath lingered just a little too long.


    "Oscar..."


    "Mmh?"


    "Not here."


    He pulled back just enough to smile down at me. "Tempting though."


    "Control yourself, Instructor."


    He chuckled, kissing the tip of my nose. "You make that very difficult, you know."


    I bit my bottom lip to hide the smile I couldn¡¯t stop. "Let¡¯s go back before someone starts wondering where we are."


    "Or worse... finds us."

 Chapter 97: Whispers in the Dark

    <h4>Chapter 97: Whispers in the Dark</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The morning sun was filtering through the tall windows of the Council headquarters as I walked down the familiar corridors.


    The building always looked so grand and cold with its white marble floors, high ceilings, and that distant hush that never quite left, even when people were talking.


    It was Saturday again. A full month since I had started my internship.


    I received my first month¡¯s pay just two days ago, and while it wasn¡¯t arge sum, it felt... satisfying. Empowering, even. It was more than enough to give me some independence and the feeling that I was finally building something of my own. I hadn¡¯t grown up with money or resources. Every bit I earned now was mine and mine alone, and that gave me a quiet sense of pride.


    Since I didn¡¯t have many expenses - no rent, no food, no clothes obsession, no constant need for new gadgets - it was easy to put eighty percent of it aside as saving.


    I needed to earn and save money, and I needed to do it before the end of first term.


    River didn¡¯t show up at all throughout the day and arge part of me was relieved. I didn¡¯t have the emotional energy to deal with him, especially not in the very ce where I was trying to build a professional identity.


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    Without him, my workload was light. Too light, in fact. I spent more time organizing old reports than handling anything real, which would have bothered me if I hadn¡¯t been in desperate need of a quiet day.


    But something else was nagging at me.


    The reports fromst week... the missing warriors... it was as if none of it had ever happened.


    There was no mention of the incident. No whispers in the hallway. No tense nces exchanged between employees or even the Alphas who appeared at the headquarters. It was like the whole thing was wiped clean.


    I didn¡¯t ask, of course. I knew better than to bring up something that someone in power clearly didn¡¯t want spoken about. And I had a feeling that it had something to do with River.


    But I couldn¡¯t help the chill that crawled down my spine.


    Had I imagined it?


    Had it really happened?


    The memory was too clear to be fake. I remembered how tensed Jasper looked and how urgently River had reacted. And yet... there was no record, no update, not even a casualment.


    It made the silence feel loud.


    Too loud.


    I clocked out earlier than expected and asked Kieran¡¯s man, who had been driving me back and forth from Academy to council headquarters, to drop me at Lakeshire Town where my friends were waiting for me.


    They all were waiting for me at a small but cozy diner. The ce was warm with amber lighting, and the smell of seasoned fries and grilled sandwiches was filling the air.


    It seemed like we all enjoyed snuggling up in corners as Kyros had picked a booth at the very corner near the window. Noah was busy arguing with Selene about which dessert was superior -va cake or cinnamon rolls.


    "Don¡¯t start with me again," Selene groaned dramatically, nudging Kyros with her elbow. "You are just bitter because you can¡¯t handle chocte."


    "Excuse me," Noah gasped and ced a hand over his heart. "That¡¯s nder."


    Iughed as I slid into the booth as Mallory sided with Noah. "He¡¯s not wrong though. You nearly died after eating that dark chocte bar two weeks ago."


    "It was <i>too</i> dark. That¡¯s not even chocte anymore, it¡¯s emotional trauma in a wrapper." Selene depended herself.


    I chuckled as Kyros ced the menu in front of me. "Help me order. These maniacs are just too busy arguing."


    We ordered a massive tter to share. It had seasoned fries, onion rings, tiny grilled sliders, and grilled chicken.


    It was perfect. The food. The atmosphere. Everything.


    Until it wasn¡¯t.


    I was on my way back from the restroom. I took the long route around the diner, avoiding the tightly packed central tables. That¡¯s when I heard it - low voices, urgent and hushed,ing from the far corner where a small group of warriors were huddled together.


    I wasn¡¯t trying to eavesdrop. I wasn¡¯t even that close. But one sentence froze me in my tracks.


    "-the missing group fromst weekend-"


    I stopped breathing for a second as I instinctively stepped closer.


    One of the warriors, a dark-haired man with a jagged scar across his cheek, leaned closer to the others. "Still no sign. It¡¯s like they vanished into thin air."


    "Alpha River has sealed the report," another replied. "Only his brothers and a few of the top-ranking officers know anything. If you hadn¡¯t been on duty that night, you wouldn¡¯t even remember it happened."


    "So that¡¯s it?" a third voice said bitterly. "We give up? Like thest time?"


    There was silence.


    Then someone murmured, "Just like that kid from the Academy. One day here, the next... gone. No exnation. Just another secret swept under the rug."


    I pressed my back against the wall, making sure to stay hidden from their sigh. My theart was thudding in my chest.


    They didn¡¯t know I was there. Didn¡¯t know I was listening.


    The words echoed in my mind:


    <i>Missing warriors... sealed reports... just like the kid from the Academy... gone without a trace.</i>


    My palms were cold.


    The cheerful diner noises suddenly sounded far away, like I was underwater. I didn¡¯t imagine it. The warriors indeed went missing.


    But it had already been a week and no one was talking about it. No news, no search alerts. The warriors in that corner had already resigned themselves to defeat.


    Like it was normal.


    Like people disappearing into nothing was just another Sunday around here.


    I slowly backed away, careful not to make a sound, and returned to our booth with a practiced smile on my face.


    But the food tasted like ash in my mouth. And my milkshake was suddenly too sweet, too thick, too much.


    I kept ncing at the corner, at the warriorsughing now like they hadn¡¯t just spoken of hopelessness and missing lives.


    And that one word - <i>gone</i> - kept circling in my mind like a storm waiting to break.


    <i>Just like that kid from the Academy.</i>


    What did they mean by a kid from the Academy going missing?

 Chapter 98: The Heartbeat

    <h4>Chapter 98: The Heartbeat</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I let out a deep sigh and stood up to stretch my body.


    It was Sunday and River was absent again.


    Not that I was surprised.


    He hadn¡¯t shown his face since the weekend warriors went missing, and every time I came in for work, it felt like walking into a fog that refused to lift. The assignments he gave me through his secretary were straightforward and dry - sorting documents, updating reports, rewriting summaries.


    There was no mentions of ssified cases. No warriors. Just paper and silence.


    Though I did spentst night pondering on the matter, I eventually decided to put away the matter as it had nothing to do with me.


    By four in the afternoon, I was done with my work. It wasn¡¯t that I was rushing, I just worked faster when I wanted to be somewhere else.


    And today, I <i>did</i> want to be somewhere else.


    I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs, finding the familiar ck SUV in the parking just as it had been every weekend for the past month.


    Kieran¡¯s man had been taking me to and from the Council headquarters for weeks now, even after I insisted I could just take the bus.


    "You don¡¯t need to keep doing this," I had told him during the second weekend. "Really. I¡¯m not new0 anymore."


    But he had only said in his usual monotone, "Orders from Alpha Kieran."


    Today, however, I wasn¡¯t going back to the Academy.


    I hesitated outside the car for a second before getting in. Once the doors were shut and the tinted ss sealed us off from the world, I spoke softly.


    "Can you drop me in Mapleton Town today?"


    He didn¡¯t ask why. Didn¡¯t raise a brow or look suspicious.


    "Understood," was all he said as the engine came to life.


    The drive to Mapleton took about an hour. Thendscape blurred past the windows - endless rows of forest, glimpses of farms, and quiet towns that had the same sleepy charm every small ce did.


    I sat still the entire way, one hand on my belly.


    I was more than three months along now.


    <fndd81> ?????? ???? Find[F]ovel</fndd81>


    I knew I couldn¡¯t dy this any longer. I needed to get checked. I needed to know everything was okay. Not just for me. For the life growing inside me.


    When we reached the edge of Mapleton Town, I tapped his shoulder gently. "You can drop me off here. I¡¯ll manage from here."


    He looked at me through the rearview mirror but said nothing. Just nodded once and parked by a corner near a quiet row of shops.


    "Thank you," I said. "I¡¯ll call one of my friends. You don¡¯t have to wait."


    "Very well," he replied.


    As the car pulled away, I waited until it was out of sight. Only then did I pull out a ck cap from my bag and tuck all of my silver-white hair beneath it. The strands were always a dead giveaway, shimmering like moonlight even under shadow.


    Next came the mask. I slipped it over my face and tucked the edges beneath my ears.


    My reflection in the nearby store ss showed a girl who looked like any other in town. Not a she-wolf. Not a student. Not someone caught in theplicated web of Rogue Alphas and secrets.


    Just a girl.


    That¡¯s all I wanted to be today.


    I walked down the quiet main street, scanning the signs until I found what I was looking for: <i>Willow Creek Community Clinic</i>.


    It looked clean and small. Exactly the kind of ce that wouldn¡¯t ask too many questions if you came in with a mask and didn¡¯t give your real name.


    I stepped inside, inhaling the faint scent of disinfectant andvender that was filling the air. A receptionist looked up from her desk and smiled politely.


    "Good afternoon. Do you have an appointment?"


    "No," I replied. My voice slightly muffled behind the mask. "But I was hoping to see someone for... a check-up."


    The receptionist¡¯s gaze lingered a bit, probably trying to guess my age behind the mask and cap, but she didn¡¯t pry.


    "Alright. Please fill this out. You are in luck. One of our OB doctors is avable today."


    I took the clipboard and sat in the corner of the waiting area. For a long moment, I just stared at the form. Name. Age. Reason for visit. Contact details.


    I filled in what I could with vague but believable information, using my mother¡¯s old surname instead of Greystone.


    The wait was short. Fifteen minutester, I was in a small examination room with light blue curtains and soft overhead lights.


    The doctor was a woman in her mid-forties with soft eyes and no-nonsense energy. She even gave me a kind look.


    "I¡¯ll just ask a few questions first," she said. "How far along are you, dear?"


    "Thirteen weeks," I replied quietly.


    "Any major symptoms? Bleeding, cramping, nausea?"


    "No bleeding or cramps. Just fatigue and some nausea in the mornings, but it¡¯s been getting better."


    She nodded and jotted things down. "Good. We¡¯ll do a quick ultrasound, check for heartbeat, measurements, and general development."


    Iy down on the table as she prepared the machine.


    I didn¡¯t know I was holding my breath until I saw it.


    A flicker of motion on the screen.


    It was a small shape, curled and moving faintly. And then... came the sound.


    It was the heartbeat. Fast, steady.


    I blinked rapidly, feeling my eyes suddenly bing warm.


    "There¡¯s your little one," the doctor said with a warm smile. "Heartbeat is strong. Measurements are all within range. Everything looks good so far."


    I nodded as I was unable to speak for a moment.


    It was real.


    It was alive.


    This wasn¡¯t some strange nightmare I was going to wake up from. This was my baby.


    The doctor printed out the sonogram and handed it to me. "We¡¯ll need to do another check-up in four weeks, but for now, I would rmend plenty of rest, small frequent meals, and avoid stress as much as possible."


    I wanted tough. <i>Avoid stress</i>, she said. If only she knew the chaos of my world.


    But I thanked her anyway and promised to follow the advice.

 Chapter 99: Chocolate Muffins

    <h4>Chapter 99: Chocte Muffins</h4>


    <strong>Mallory:</strong>


    The night air was crisp as we walked down the cobbled street of Mapleton Town.


    "Coming here was a great idea. Thanks for calling us here, Eva." Selene said and the rest of us nodded along. This was our first time in Mapleton and we were enjoying it so far.


    We were walking past by a little bakery nestled between a flower shop and a closed tailor¡¯s store, when the scent of warm chocte and butter drifted out and curled around me like a promise.


    I stopped mid-step.


    "Wait," I said, turning toward the glowing windows. "I need something sweet."


    Selene raised a brow. "Didn¡¯t we just stuff ourselves like wild dogs?"


    "I have a separate stomach for desserts," I replied, tugging her and Eva¡¯s arms with a grin.


    "Don¡¯t we all," Noah added, already pushing open the door.


    The ce was warm and fragrant inside, and the air was thick with the aroma of baked goods and melted chocte. A ss disy revealed rows of cupcakes, cookies, and muffins, all glistening under soft golden lights.


    We each ordered a chocte muffin, and the first bite melted into my mouth like sin. It was soft, rich, gooey in the center with chunks of warm chocte that clung to my soul like a warm nket.


    "Oh my goddess," I moaned. "I could marry this muffin."


    "Not before I propose to mine," Selene said while closing her eyes in pure bliss.


    Even Eva, who wasn¡¯t usually one for sweets, had a small smile on her lips as she finished hers.


    Once we finished, we headed outside, stepping into thete-night cool breeze. And then, I felt someone brush against me.


    I turned... and froze.


    Jasper.


    Every cell in my body reacted to the sight of him. He was standing tall and calm under the moonlight. His dark clothes were clinging to his lean but muscr frame. And his impossibly dark, deadly eyes softened the moment they met mine.


    I stopped breathing. All I could do was stare at him.


    He was looking like a storm wrapped in silk - dangerous, powerful, but oddly gentle in that moment. His hair was tousled slightly by the wind, and I was hit with the memory of our first encounter at the mansion. That electric jolt the moment we realized we were mates.


    Since then, we hadn¡¯t seen each other face-to-face again. But he messaged me. Not every day. Not annoyingly often. Just enough to make me look forward to seeing his name pop up on my screen.


    He asked about my sses. My weekend ns. If I liked sunrise or moonlight more. It wasn¡¯t like anything I had expected from someone like him.


    And now... here he was.


    "Mallory," he said, his voice low and warm. "I was hoping I would see you tonight."


    I swallowed, suddenly hyper-aware of my friends around me and the fact that I was probably looking like a starstruck idiot.


    "You look-"


    <fn51a2> The source of th?s content is F?ndNovel</fn51a2>


    "Stunned?" I offered.


    "Beautiful," he corrected smoothly as the ghost of a smile curved his lips.


    Eva¡¯s eyes narrowed yfully. "You are not stealing her unless we get a guarantee that she¡¯ll be in the dorms before midnight."


    Jasper didn¡¯t even blink. "I promise she¡¯ll be at the Academy before the gates close. Safe and sound."


    I turned toward my friends, giving them a small smile. "I¡¯m good, I swear."


    Eva stepped closer, squeezing my arm. "Take care."


    "I will."


    And then they left, disappearing into the street as the crowd thinned around us.


    Jasper didn¡¯t waste time. He gestured toward the street ahead. "Walk with me?"


    "dly."


    We strolled in silence for a few moments with the hum of night sounds around us - distant crickets, the whisper of leaves, the asional passing car.


    He was close but not too close. As if he was respecting the space but didn¡¯t want to be too far.


    "How was your dinner?" he asked.


    "Delicious. And I think I have met my soulmate in the form of a chocte muffin," I replied lightly.


    He chuckled. It was a quiet, velvety sound that made my pulse flutter.


    "I¡¯ll make a note of that. Chocte muffins - top of the list."


    I smiled and nced at him from the corner of my eye. "So you are making a list?"


    "I¡¯m trying to learn everything about you. Your likes. Dislikes. What makes youugh. What makes you run. What makes you stay."


    The way he said it - so simply, without ir - made my throat tighten.


    "I like rainy days. I hate beetroot. I read mystery novels before bed. I have a terrible habit of pulling all-nighters before exams and then acting like I¡¯m fine the next day."


    He kept listening like every word was worth gold.


    "And I have been good," I added after a moment. "Busy. But... content. Happier than I was months ago."


    His eyes softened again. "I¡¯m d. I wanted to ask you out sooner, but I didn¡¯t want to overwhelm you."


    "I would have said yes," I admitted, biting the inside of my cheek. "If you had."


    He paused. Then smiled, a slow and crooked one. "I¡¯ll remember that for next time."


    We reached his sleek ck car parked near a quiet stretch of the road. He opened the passenger side door for me like it was instinct, not just courtesy.


    The drive to the Academy was silent but not ufortable. Just... quiet. Comfortable.


    I watched the moonlitndscape pass by through the window, ying with the hem of my sleeve. I was feeling a buzz in my chest that I couldn¡¯t exin, like something important was about to happen.


    When we finally pulled up near the gates of the Academy, he shifted in his seat to look at me.


    "I¡¯ll walk you to the gates," he said.


    But I didn¡¯t move.


    I stared at him for a long heartbeat. The way the moonlight softened his sharp jaw. The scar on his brow. The way he was calm andposed and quiet but somehow always made my heart beat like a war drum.


    He wasn¡¯t going to kiss me. I could feel it. He wasn¡¯t the type to steal things, not even kisses.


    So I did it instead.


    I leaned forward, my hand gripping his jacket near the cor as I pressed my lips to his.


    He inhaled sharply, as if caught off-guard, but the next second, his mouth was moving against mine with fire.


    It was nothing like the stolen kisses from boys at school.


    This was deep. Intense. It was molten and slow, lips sliding together with growing hunger.


    He tilted his head and deepened the kiss. One of his hands slid behind my neck while the other gripped my waist gently, as if grounding himself.


    His lips were soft and demanding all at once. I felt like I was being drawn in, dissolved and made new again in the heat of his mouth.


    When we finally pulled apart, I was breathless and flushed.


    And he was staring at me like he wanted to devour the air I breathed.


    "Goodnight, Jasper," I whispered with a wicked little smile on my lips.


    Before he could say a word, I slipped out of the car and jogged toward the gates, but his voice still reached my ears.


    "Goodnight, Mallory."

 Chapter 100: Assignments and Autumn

    <h4>Chapter 100: Assignments and Autumn</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The beginning of the sixth week rolled in with golden leaves rustling against the stone pathways of the Academy.


    Autumn had fully embraced the grounds, painting the trees in hues of amber, burnt orange, and deep red. If I were someone else, I might have romanticized the beauty of the season - the crunch of leaves underfoot, the mellow sunlight filtering through branches - but the shift in the air was not just in the weather.


    The peaceful lull we got to enjoy for the five weeks of the term came to a sharp, screeching halt.


    Professors across every subject seemed to have woken up with a vengeance, as if they all collectively decided that now was the time to remind us we were at the most prestigious and demanding academy in the shifter world.


    Over the week, we received assignments, group projects, and news of tests/quizzes that were to take ce I¡¯m seventh and eighth weeks.


    Some students actually groaned out loud in the middle of sses, others (like me) just buried their heads in their notes and braced for the wave.


    Still, what unsettled me the most wasn¡¯t the workload, but Professor Kieran.


    He returned mid-week, and the first moment he stepped into ss, I felt it like a chill wind slithering down my spine. He looked the same - long blonde hair tied back, his attire sharp and schrly, his posture perfect - but something about him was feeling different.


    It wasn¡¯t visible... but it was there. To anyone else, he was just as clear, efficient, and gentle in tone. But for someone like me, who had shared quiet conversations and half-smiles with him before, I could tell.


    His eyes were more tired. Less warm. The small, amused expressions that used to flicker across his face during lively ss discussions were gone.


    And I wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed something had changed. At least not emotionally.


    "Did he seem...off to you?" Mallory whispered Thursday afternoon after ss, as we headed toward the library.


    "A little," I replied, though the weight of that "little" was sittinb heavy in my chest. "Maybe he¡¯s just tired."


    She gave me a long look and added, "Or maybe something¡¯s wrong."


    I didn¡¯t say it aloud, but I was thinking the same. He hadn¡¯t shown up for a few days, and then returned like nothing had happened. I had a terrible feeling it might be connected to the thing no one else was talking about - the missing warrior group. The incident that only I seemed to know about.


    But I said nothing. I couldn¡¯t afford to stir any more questions.


    As the week wore on, the rest of the Academy carried on in typical fashion - loud, dramatic, and asionally ridiculous.


    The usual crowd of jealous girls, and even some petty boys, never stopped throwing looks my way. They made it known that they still hated my presence, still whispered behind my back, still rolled their eyes if I so much as spoke in ss.


    They reminded my friends... again. Told Kyros he was wasting his potential by sticking with someone like me. Tried to corner Mallory with fake concern. I even overheard one idiot tell Selene that she was making a mistake trusting a girl with "no real past."


    But my friends didn¡¯t flinch.


    <fn9688> Find the newest release on Find1Novel</fn9688>


    "You people are so boring," Mallory had snapped at one point. "Find a new hobby."


    "We don¡¯t drop our own," Selene said another time, with that unnervingly sweet smile of hers.


    And Kyros? He just stared them down like a wolf ready to bite.


    I didn¡¯t say much during those encounters. I didn¡¯t need to. They fought my battles with me, and that meant more than they could ever know.


    Ironically, the meanest ones had gone quiettely. Likely because there hadn¡¯t been any public interaction between me and the Rogue Alpha brothers.


    And so, my life at the Academy was back into a rhythm again - stressful, but steady.


    I spent most of the week studying with my friends. When we weren¡¯t in ss, we sprawled across corners of the gardens, huddled together in dormmon rooms, in study halls, or library, surrounded by scattered books and ourptops.


    Some evenings were filled withughter, other times with collective groans as we stared at impossible problems in Spellcraft or Theoretical Rune Configurations.


    There was somethingforting about the shared struggle. It made things feel...normal.


    Until Runes ss.


    Professor Aldric cleared his throat dramatically as he stood before our seated ss on Friday morning.


    "I hope you have all been paying attention these past weeks," he said. "Because it¡¯s time to take things beyond ink and paper. Starting Monday, our ss will be traveling to Halendor Ruins."


    A buzz of excitement rippled through the ssroom.


    Halendor Ruins.


    I knew the name from books and overheard conversations. It was a historical site located two hours south of the Academy, known for its ancient rune stones and faded glyphs said to predate even the first wars of the ns.


    It was rare for students to be granted ess.


    "We¡¯ll be spending four days at the site," Professor Aldric continued. "You¡¯ll be partnered up and given a list of runes to identify, trante, and research. The final analysis will count toward twenty percent of your overall grade."


    Twenty percent.


    The gasps were loud, including mine.


    "You¡¯ll be expected to maintain academic decorum during the trip. No fooling around, no sneaking off, and no tampering with the protected areas. Anyone caught breaking rules will be sent back and fail this assignment."


    The room quieted fast.


    The rest of the period was spent reviewing ancient rune structures and ssifications. My mind kept wandering more than once, already trying to n for the trip.


    What would the ruins feel like in person? Would I sense something others wouldn¡¯t?


    I was both nervous and excited about this trip. Nervous because it wasn¡¯t just a trip but a field project that held extreme importance for final grades, and excited because... well... it was a trip after all.


    In short, I was really looking forward to it.

 Chapter 101: The Unexpected Driver

    <h4>Chapter 101: The Unexpected Driver</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Once again... it was Saturday.


    Two weeks had passed since the Alpha Gathering incident, and while the memory of it was still sitting somewhere in the corners of my mind, I had decided not to let it take up space in my heart.


    I wasn¡¯t going to spend another moment recalling the horrors of that evening. I had other much important matters to focus on. I had a future to build, a child to look after, secrets to hide, and I refused to be the kind of girl who clung to shadows.


    So I was actually feeling good - cheerful, even - as I left the dorms and headed toward the Academy gates. Thete autumn wind tossed my scarf around my neck as I crossed the stone courtyard, and for once, I didn¡¯t mind the way the cold was making my cheeks pink.


    Saturday meant another day at the Council headquarters. It meant focused work, neat files, and quiet corners where no one disturbed me.


    Mr. Wood always waited at the gates by this time to pick me up for work. Ever since I started my internship, he hadn¡¯t beente even once.


    So imagine my surprise when the car I saw waiting wasn¡¯t Mr. Wood¡¯s usual model, and the man leaning against it most certainly wasn¡¯t Mr. Wood.


    But... River Thorne.


    I stopped dead in my tracks.


    He stood tall as always, dressed in darkyers that were hugging his lean frame. A simple coat was slung over his arm, and his dark hair looked slightly tousled by the breeze. He wasn¡¯t smiling. In fact, he looked... impassive. Cold, even.


    But his presence, his sheer presence, was making everything else around him feel quiet.


    My stomach twisted, half in dread, half in confusion. And I wasn¡¯t sure which was worse.


    <fn716a> For more chapters visit Find~Novel</fn716a>


    "What are you doing here?" I asked, stopping a few feet away. I also realized that my voice came sharper than intended because of how surprised I was.


    He didn¡¯t even blink as he replied. "I¡¯m here to pick you up for work."


    "I-but where¡¯s Mr. Wood?"


    "I gave him the day off."


    My brows shot up at that, and I quickly asked, "Why?"


    This time, his gaze flicked to mine. "Because I¡¯m allowed to."


    That... wasn¡¯t an answer. But it was River Thorne I was talking to, and this man had always been good at giving half-replies and expecting obedience.


    Still, I hesitated. The thought of getting into a car with him, especially alone, made something in me twitch. I hadn¡¯t forgiven him. Not for that night. Not for the silence that followed. He hadn¡¯t even bothered exining himself, let alone apologizing.


    "I can take the bus," I said, keeping my voice cool and calm.


    But in his typical style, hepletely ignored me and opened the passenger door with one hand. "Get in, Evaline."


    I stared at him for a moment before finally giving in. But instead of heading to the passenger side, I moved to sit in the back only to get interrupted.


    "Don¡¯t even think about it," he said while pinning me with that intense eyes of his. "You¡¯ll sit beside me."


    I huffed and the words spilled from my mouth before I could stop them. "I¡¯m your assistant, not your girlfriend."


    For a moment, amusement flickered in his expression and he leaned in closer, speaking in a low voice. "And I¡¯m your boss, not your driver."


    Stars, he was infuriating.


    Still, my feet moved. Begrudgingly, I stepped around him and sank into the passenger seat. The car smelled faintly of cedar and something sharper - River¡¯s cologne, maybe. Clean, expensive, and distant.


    As he slid into the driver¡¯s seat beside me, I crossed my arms and turned to the window. I didn¡¯t want to talk. Not to him. Not today.


    "You seem happy this morning," he said, shifting gears smoothly as the car rolled forward.


    "Was," I muttered.


    He didn¡¯t respond immediately. The silence stretched between us, tense but not suffocating.


    "I have been busy," he said after a long moment.


    "Didn¡¯t ask."


    He sighed softly. "But I know you want answers."


    My jaw clenched. "No, I wanted answers. That ship sailed two weeks ago."


    He nced at me briefly, but I kept my attention on the familiar scenery flying by. Momentster, he finally spoke. "You are still angry."


    This time I failed to contain myugh, but there was no humor in it. "Wow. Genius deduction, Alpha."


    I noticed how his grip tightened slightly on the wheel, causing his knuckles to turn pale. "I¡¯m not here to fight," he murmured secondster.


    "Good," I returned. "Because I don¡¯t have time to waste on someone who thinks disappearing after a public humiliation counts as leadership."


    His jaw tightened, but he didn¡¯t speak this time.


    The rest of the ride passed in silence, broken only by the soft hum of the engine and the asional click of the turn signal. It was oddly peaceful, much better than the two of us trying tomunicate and failing miserably.


    I was trying to lift my spirits and focus onpleting another day at work,pletely unaware of the storm that soon going to hit me.


    When I was busy bickering with River at the Academy gates, there was someone observing us, someone who shouldn¡¯t have seen us together - Mira, one of Celeste¡¯s closest friends.


    She recognized the Rogue Alpha King the moment her gazended on him, and she also recognized me - someone who should be keeping her distance from River as per Celeste¡¯s sweet warning.


    She was quick to pull out her phone for a quick picture that she immediately shared with someone with a short message:


    <i>Guess who¡¯s getting cozy with the Rogue Alpha King again?</i>


    And just like that, a storm began to brew behind my back.


    But inside the car, I remained oblivious. My focus was torn between trying to ignore the man beside me and nning on how I was going to keep my distance from him for the rest of the weekend.


    What Ipletely failed to focus on was why he came to pick me up in the first ce. After all, he couldn¡¯t have done it for nothing.

 Chapter 102: He Sees Her as a Threat

    <h4>Chapter 102: He Sees Her as a Threat</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It started as a twinge in my gut. The kind that whispered something was off, even if everything seemed perfectly in ce on the surface.


    River was back into his usual self - cold, distant, wearing that detached expression like a second skin. He looked every bit the powerful Alpha he always did, with his hair gleaming under the soft light of the early sun and his shoulders squared as he drove in silence.


    But as I sat beside him in the passenger seat, with my arms folded and attention locked on the woods outside, that feeling in my gut kept growing stronger.


    It wasn¡¯t just one thing. It was everything.


    The way his fingers were tapping restlessly on the steering wheel when he thought I wasn¡¯t watching. The way his jaw clenched every time his phone buzzed and he ignored it. Or the way he waspletely ignoring my presence. It was not with his usual arrogance, but as if he was genuinely... uneasy.


    This shift in him... made me uneasy.


    I turned my head slightly to study his profile. "You okay?" I asked, surprising even myself.


    He didn¡¯t answer. Not with a word. Just a slight shift of his fingers on the wheel, and that was all I got.


    I let out a small sigh and leaned back, trying to shake off the unease crawling up my spine. "Typical," I muttered under my breath. "Ask a simple question-"


    Before I could finish, the car jerked gently and began to slow down.


    "What are you doing?" I asked, sitting upright.


    He didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he pulled the car to the side of a long, empty stretch of road surrounded by tall trees and golden-brown fields.


    "What the hell-?" I started, but he had already unbuckled his seatbelt and was stepping out of the car.


    For a moment, I just sat there. Stunned. Confused. And filled with suspicion.


    The girl inside me, the one who remembered the cold sting of his hatred, immediately raised her guard. My fingers were twitching, and a thousand questions were rushing to my head.


    Was this a trap?


    Was he nning something?


    But no. I wasn¡¯t that scared girl anymore. I wasn¡¯t going to let fear dictate my actions.


    So I opened the door and stepped out, mming it behind me.


    "River!" I called as I walked toward him. "What the hell is going on? Why are we stopping in the middle of nowhere?"


    He was standing with his back to me, hands in his pant pockets. When he turned to face me, his expression was unreadable, but there was a fire in his eyes I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time.


    "Tell me," he started in a low but hard voice, "what¡¯s going on between you and my brothers?"


    I swear I stopped breathing and the world stopped spinning for a second.


    "What?" I whispered.


    <fnd29b> Find the newest release on Find?Novel</fnd29b>


    He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. "Don¡¯t y dumb, Evaline. First it was Kieran. Now Oscar and Draven too? What exactly are you trying to do - build your own collection of Rogue Alpha supporters?"


    My heart mmed against my ribs as I realized - he didn¡¯t know.


    He was angry - furious, even - but he didn¡¯t know about the mate bonds. Not yet. His usations were driven by jealousy, yes, and a need for control, maybe. But not knowledge.


    The relief that hit me was almost dizzying.


    I was barely able to breathe, but I forced my voice to stay steady. "Are you seriously using me of manipting your brothers right now?"


    "I¡¯m not using," he growled. "I¡¯m stating facts."


    I couldn¡¯t stop the chuckle, though my stomach was still twisted in knots. "Facts? You are the one who disappeared after the Alpha Gathering. You didn¡¯t speak to me for weeks. You made me feel like I was a problem you needed to erase. But the second you realize your brothers might not be as insane as you, suddenly I¡¯m the maniptive one?"


    His jaw clenched as he spoke. "I didn¡¯t disappear."


    "You sure as hell did," I snapped. "You just expected me to sit quietly and wait for you toe around again."


    "I didn¡¯t want this to get messy," he said through gritted teeth. "I didn¡¯t want them involved."


    "Oh, poor you," I hissed. "Maybe you should have thought about it about it you nned all that in the first ce."


    He looked like he wanted to argue more, but then something flickered in his expression... something dark and almost vulnerable.


    "They have been at my throat every damn day," he muttered in an almost bitter voice. "Kieran, Oscar... even Draven¡¯s started acting like I¡¯m the enemy. You have no idea how hard they have been pushing back since that night."


    "I didn¡¯t tell them to," I said quietly.


    "You didn¡¯t have to," he said. "They were always going to choose you over me. Just like you knew they would."


    The usation hit hard, making me feel guilty even though I knew that I shouldn¡¯t be feeling that. But a part of me could see the reason behind his bitterness.


    In his eyes, I was bing someone who could turn his dearest brothers against him. And he didn¡¯t want that to happen. I didn¡¯t want that to happen.


    This only made me wonder what kind of tsunami would hit me if River found out about my mate bonds with Oscar and Draven.


    So I shook my head slowly and took a step back, needing space to breathe. "Believe whatever you want, River. I¡¯m tired of trying to exin myself to someone who sees me as a threat."


    He looked at me, really looked at me, and for a moment, the anger drained from his eyes. Reced by something else. Guilt, maybe. Or regret.


    But I wasn¡¯t sure, and I didn¡¯t care anymore.


    I turned on my heel and walked back to the car. My hands were trembling slightly even as I forced myself to stay steady. He didn¡¯t follow at first. He just stood there, alone in the middle of the road, like a storm that didn¡¯t know where to go.


    And me? I sat back in the passenger seat, folded my arms, and waited.


    Eventually, he got in. And we drove the rest of the way in silence, but everything had changed.


    And deep down, I knew that I was sitting on borrowed time.


    Because one day, the truth was going toe out. One day, River was going to know about my bonds with his brothers.


    And when he did...


    The storm wouldn¡¯t just be between the Rogue Alphas. It would swallow me whole.

 Chapter 103: Calling Him a Coward

    <h4>Chapter 103: Calling Him a Coward</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    If I found the headquarters suffocating on my first day of internship, then today was far worse than that.


    From the moment River and I walked into the building, tension clung to us like a second skin. Neither of us spoke as we made our way to the Alpha floor.


    The silence between us was loud. Deafening, even. But I kept telling myself I would get through the day. I had already faced worse than River Thorne and his vtile moods.


    It didn¡¯t help that the atmosphere inside the Council headquarters was as heavy as ever. Warriors in crisp ck uniforms were standing at every corner, Alphas and their betas were moving like shadows through the halls, and I had tasks stacked on my desk waiting for me. There were reports to sort, summons to prepare, files to organize. The usual.


    I buried myself in the work.


    I didn¡¯t look at River unless I had to. Didn¡¯t speak unless required. And he... he stayed silent for the most part, though his tension was tangible - like he was a bomb ticking down to detonation.


    Somehow, the hours passed and before I knew, it was almost the end of the working hours. I stepped into the office and found River standing stiffly near his desk with his phone pressed tightly to his ear. His voice was low, dangerous, andced with the kind of sharpness that made your skin prickle even from across the room.


    "No, I don¡¯t give a damn what the High Table thinks," he growled into the phone. "Tell them if they push this any further, they are going to regret it."


    The line went dead with a final click, and he stood there, unmoving.


    I should have backed away. I should have turned and walked out without another word.


    But the printer had jammed, and I needed his ess to get into the file room. So, I stepped forward, pretending not to notice the fury radiating off him.


    Absolutely stupid of me.


    "Alpha River, the file room¡¯s on lockdown again," I said while keeping my tone professional and actually using his title to not give him a reason to shift his anger at me. "Could you-?"


    "Why is that report still on your desk?" he cut in sharply.


    I blinked, my mind freezing for a moment. "What?"


    "The request from the northern packs. It was supposed to be sorted and filed before lunch."


    "I-" I turned to look back at my desk. "I prioritized the southern territory logs because those had a Council deadline."


    His eyes darkened. "So you just decided which tasks were more important on your own?"


    "I-I wasn¡¯t trying to-"


    "Of course you weren¡¯t," he snapped, his voice rising. "You were too busy ying the sweet little assistant while plotting how to turn my entire life upside down."


    I froze. "What?" I was barely able to process the sudden shift.


    He stepped forward, looking extremely cold. "You act like you are this poor, innocent girl with no clue about the world around her. But I see you, Evaline."


    My breath caught in my throat.


    "I see exactly who you are," he continued. "You wear that soft face like a mask. You smile and y kind. You pretend you are weak. Helpless. But you only show your true self to me."


    I swallowed hard. "What the hell are you talking about?"


    "You tricked everyone," he spat. "Kieran vouched for you. Oscar protected you. You made it to the Academy on the back of my brother¡¯s help and then lied to everyone¡¯s face about how you earned it. You think you deserve to be there? You are a fraud."


    His words were hitting like a p. Not because they were true, but because they weren¡¯t. Because I had worked. I had fought for everything I had, even when the world tried to knock me down.


    "I didn¡¯t lie about anything," I hissed. "I worked hard to be there. I earned my ce-"


    "Bullshit," he growled. "You tricked Oscar in the final round, didn¡¯t you? Used whatever little tricks your father taught you."


    And just like that, he went too far.


    My eyes widened. The burn started in my chest. It was a slow ze climbing up my throat.


    "Don¡¯t you dare bring my father into this," I said, my voice trembling with restrained rage.


    "Why not?" He demanded with a cruel smirk. "You carry his blood. The blood of a murderer. A traitor. You think you can hide from that?"


    I felt my knees going week with his each word... allegation.


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    "And now look at you," he sneered. "Turning my brothers against me. First Kieran, now Oscar and Draven. You are doing exactly what your father tried to do - tearing my family apart. He didn¡¯t finish the job back then, so you are trying again."


    "Stop." My voice cracked, but I refused to cry.


    "Don¡¯t act like the victim, Eva. You are no better than him."


    "I said stop!"


    The file I had in my hands dropped to the floor, making the papers scatter like leaves. My chest was heaving and my hands were clenched, but my voice... my voice stayed firm.


    "You don¡¯t know anything about me," I said as I took a shaky step forward. "You think you see through me, but all you ever see is what you want to see. My father might have been a killer, but I¡¯m not him. I have never been him. And if you weren¡¯t so obsessed with controlling everything, you might actually realize that I¡¯m not the enemy here."


    He just stared at me, his face nk just like his eyes.


    "You think your pain gives you the right to wound others?" I asked. "You think punishing me for my father¡¯s mistake is showing your strength? It¡¯s not. It¡¯s cowardice."


    His eyes red. And for a moment, I thought he was going to shout again. Say something worse. Something unforgivable.


    But instead, he just stared at me. Cold. Silent. Like he didn¡¯t recognize me. Or maybe... like he didn¡¯t recognize himself anymore.


    Right that moment, the door behind us opened and an assistant stepped in, only to get startled by the tension in the air. "Um-Alpha River, the Head Councilor is ready to speak with you now."


    River didn¡¯t even blink as he growled the words at the poor guy. "Get out."


    The guy scampered off, clearly shaken.


    I looked back at River onest time. And as I spoke, my voice was barely above a whisper. "I thought you were a lot of things, River. But I never thought you were spineless."


    And then... I walked away.


    I didn¡¯t wait for him to stop me. I didn¡¯t wait for his anger to burst again because of my words. I just walked back to my desk to pick my bag and phone, and then left the office as the clock struck the end of my shift.

 Chapter 104: The Line Between Us

    <h4>Chapter 104: The Line Between Us</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment I stepped out of the suffocating walls of the Council headquarters, the cool evening air hit me like a balm. Still, it wasn¡¯t enough to chase away the fire that River¡¯s words had left burning beneath my skin.


    The parking lot was quiet, bathed in the fading light of dusk, and I was relieved - actually grateful - to see the familiar ck car parked near the edge. Mr. Wood was standing by the open back door, giving me a slight nod.


    I gave a tight nod back and silently slipped into the backseat.


    The second the door closed behind me, sealing me away from the world, everything inside me crumbled.


    I pressed my forehead against the cool ss window and tried to hold it in, but it was almost impossible to do. My throat gave a sharp, painful tug. My eyes were burning, my chest was heaving, and before I could stop myself, tears started pouring down my cheeks. Hot and heavy. Silent but relentless.


    Mr. Wood nced at me through the rearview mirror. He didn¡¯t say anything, didn¡¯t ask questions. He simply started the engine and drove.


    And for that, I was thankful.


    I didn¡¯t want anyone to ask what had happened. I didn¡¯t want to exin. I didn¡¯t even want to say his name out loud. The way he had looked at me... like I was the enemy. Like I was everything he imed.


    I didn¡¯t want to go back to the Academy. Not when I was still holding back sobs like they were knives threatening to spill from my throat.


    "Mr. Wood," I said softly, clearing my voice. "Can you drop me at Lakeshire... near the old station? I just need a bit of time."


    He looked at me again through the mirror with concern shadowing his kind eyes. But he gave a nod.


    "As you wish, Miss Evaline."


    The drive was peaceful. Serene. Far more forgiving than the chaos churning inside me. When we reached the little town tucked at the base of the mountain range, I gave Mr. Wood a faint smile and a quiet thank you before stepping out.


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    I found my way to the park near the pond. It was a ce I had stumbled upon once during my previous visits.


    Autumn had imed thend beautifully. Rusty golds, warm ambers, and faded greens were dancing in the breeze. The scent of fallen leaves and pine wrapped around me.


    Children were ying around the park. A couple walked past me hand in hand. And on the bench across the pond, a young mother was cradling a sleeping baby in her arms while the father kissed the baby¡¯s forehead with the kind of love that could make the world stop spinning.


    My throat tightened.


    I looked away, trying not to think about my baby. But how could I not? The ache in my chest intensified at the thought of the life growing inside me. So small. So fragile. Unaware of the mess its mother had been thrown into.


    I pressed a hand gently to my stomach.


    <i>I¡¯m sorry</i>, I whispered internally. <i>For everything.</i>


    I took a seat on one of the benches and allowed myself to breathe. I got too lost in my thoughts that Ipletely lost the track of time. It was only when someone called my name, did I returned to reality.


    "Evaline."


    I turned my head slightly to see Kieran standing a few feet away. He was dressed in a white suit and his eyes were full of quiet worry. He approached carefully, almost cautiously, like he was afraid I would bolt if he came too close.


    I wasn¡¯t surprised he found me. Mr. Wood worked for him. Of course, he would be informed.


    "I was worried," he spoke in a low voice. "Mr. Wood said you didn¡¯t want to return to the Academy. I figured something happened."


    I forced a small smile as I replied. "Nothing major. I just... got reprimanded. I didn¡¯t do my work properly. That¡¯s all."


    It was a not exactly a lie.


    His jaw clenched slightly, and I felt his eyes searching my face. Looking for the truth I wasn¡¯t going to give.


    But before he could press further, I changed the subject. I couldn¡¯t afford to let him see the raw parts of me right now, not when I was trying to pull away. Trying to regain control over my own story.


    "Do you remember the deal we made?" I asked quietly, straightening on the bench. "Back when you helped me get into the Academy."


    He blinked, startled by the shift. "Of course I do."


    "I want to be done with it."


    He frowned. "Evaline-"


    "I¡¯m serious." I reached into my bag and pulled out a bank card. His bank card. I held it out to him. "I don¡¯t need this anymore."


    He didn¡¯t take it. Instead, his gaze darkened. "You don¡¯t have to-"


    "I do," I cut in firmly. "I can¡¯t keep carrying it. Using it only reminds me that I¡¯m not here because I earned it. That I got in because of your help."


    "That¡¯s not true-"


    "It is true," I said with a shake of my yead. "You helped me. I wouldn¡¯t have made it without you. And even then, I needed your card to buy my supplies. I needed your help. But I don¡¯t want that anymore."


    I took out an envelope next. "This is a third of the amount I used from your card. I¡¯ll pay the rest in the next couple of months. And..."


    I hesitated for a moment, then continued, "I need you to tell me how much you spent on me the night you droppedme at the camp. I have a rough estimate, but I want the exact figure. I¡¯ll return it all as soon as I can."


    He finally took the card, and the envelope, though his expression had hardened with every passing second.


    "Why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice rough. "Evaline-why now?"


    I looked away, fixing my eyes on the autumn leaves drifting over the pond¡¯s surface.


    "Because I need to stop feeling like I owe anyone for being where I am," I answered honestly. "I need to know that whatever happens from this point on, I got there on my own."


    His silence was heavy.


    "You helped me when I was at my lowest. I¡¯ll always be grateful for that. But I don¡¯t want to carry that debt anymore."


    He stepped closer and then kneeled down on the ground so he could meet my eyes. "This was never about debt for me."


    "I know," I whispered. "But it is for me."


    He was silent for a moment, and when he finally spoke, his voice came quieter than ever before. "Does this mean you are cutting me off?"


    I shook my head as I answered, "No. I¡¯m drawing a line."


    And I was.


    It was a line that made things clearer. A line that put distance between us. That freed me from the guilt of needing help. A line that said I can stand on my own now.


    His eyes dropped for a moment, then returned to mine. "You have always stood on your own, Evaline. Even when you didn¡¯t realize it."


    Something twisted inside me at that. But I didn¡¯t let it show.


    I gave him a tight nod, then stood from the bench. "Thank you," I said softly. "For everything."

 Chapter 105: Everything’s Falling Apart

    <h4>Chapter 105: Everything¡¯s Falling Apart</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    "I don¡¯t need you to take me back," Evaline said for what must have been the fifth time.


    Her arms were crossed, her jaw set, and her eyes were locked stubbornly on the windshield of my car, where the streetlights passed by in gold-tinted streaks. She hadn¡¯t looked at me once since we left the park.


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    "I¡¯m not leaving you here alone," I replied as I returned my attention to the road ahead.


    "It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t take care of myself."


    I nced at her from the corner of my eye. "I know that. But it¡¯s getting dark. I¡¯m notfortable letting you wander around alone at a ce you have known for barely few weeks. This isn¡¯t up for debate."


    She didn¡¯t respond, just clenched her fists tighter in herp and exhaled sharply through her nose.


    She was trying so hard to push me away. Drawing lines. Paying back debts I never even considered as debts. Putting distance between us like it was the only way to breathe. And the worst part?


    A part of me was letting her.


    Because I could see how tired she was. How brittle she had be beneath her hard exterior.


    Still, I didn¡¯t trust the idea of her being alone tonight, and nothing she could say was going to convince me otherwise. The silence stretched between us like a wire strung too tight, and I focused on the winding road back to the Academy, pretending it didn¡¯t sting to feel her withdrawal.


    When we reached the gates, she murmured, "Thanks," and slipped out before I could even park properly. She didn¡¯t wait for a reply. Didn¡¯t look back.


    She didn¡¯t need to.


    I sat in the car for a few extra minutes, letting the silence wrap around me like a second skin. I didn¡¯t know what I was doing anymore. With her. With River. With myself.


    Eventually, I drove back to the mansion.


    The estate was quiet as always, but I was able to feel the tension humming beneath the surface. Like something was constantly pressing against the walls, waiting to break free.


    I stepped into the hallway and started toward my room, only toe face to face with River.


    He was standing at the other end of the corridor, walking toward his own chambers. He slowed when he saw me. But I didn¡¯t.


    I didn¡¯t stop. Didn¡¯t speak. Didn¡¯t even nce his way as I passed by.


    I felt his eyes burning into my back. There was a flicker of guilt and hesitation in the bond we shared.


    But I still didn¡¯t turn around.


    This had be routely. Cold shoulders. Muted footsteps. Conversations were reced by silence. Ever since the Alpha Gathering incident, I had been giving River the distance he had never asked for, but perhaps deserved.


    Because I didn¡¯t recognize the brother standing in front of me anymore. Not when he looked at Evaline like she was the worst person alive. Like she was nothing but her father¡¯s legacy.


    And just when I considered, briefly considered, breaking the ice, reminding him that I was still his brother no matter what, I received the news.


    Evaline... leaving the headquarters... while crying.


    I didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened, but I didn¡¯t need to know that River was behind it.


    Because who else had the power to hurt her like that?


    I walked into my room and mmed the door behind me harder than necessary. My wolf stirred, pacing just beneath my skin, restless and uneasy.


    "What is wrong with him?" I muttered as I yanked my shirt over my head and tossed it aside.


    He had every opportunity to see who Evaline really was. To understand that she wasn¡¯t her father. That she wasn¡¯t a threat. That she was... kind. And hardworking. And brave in ways I couldn¡¯t exin.


    But no.


    River had made it his mission to break her. To push her until she finally shattered.


    I rubbed a hand over my face. I didn¡¯t want to take sides. I didn¡¯t want to be <i>that</i> brother who turned away. But as days were passing and River continued this path, he was making it impossible not to.


    At first, I had believed, hoped, that the internship might help River see the truth. That Evaline could stand on her own. That she didn¡¯t deserve punishment for a crime she didn¡¯tmit.


    But that belief... it was turning out to be my foolish optimism, a hollow fantasy.


    And then there was Evaline herself.


    My mind kept drifting back to her. The way her voice trembled when she handed me that envelope. The tight way she clutched her bag to her chest like it was the only thing anchoring her. The way she looked at me... as if any more kindness from me would only make her break.


    And damn me, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her.


    At first, I told myself it was pity. That¡¯s all it had ever been. A girl with too much on her shoulders, a girl trying to survive in a world that wasn¡¯t made for her. So I helped her.


    But somewhere along the way...


    Something had shifted.


    My wolf had started asking the questions I didn¡¯t want to answer.


    <i>Why is she the one you are watching in a crowded room?</i>


    <i>Why does it bother you when she smiles at someone else?</i>


    <i>Why does her pain feel like your own?</i>


    I didn¡¯t want to face the answers. Not when I already had a bigger problem. One that had haunted me for months.


    My mate.


    I had found her. Or I thought I had.


    It was a fleeting encounter, one that happened out of nowhere and left me shattered. Worse part? I had no idea who she was. I didn¡¯t know her name, her whereabouts, or even how she looked.


    All I knew was that she¡¯s <i>mine.</i>


    And then she was <i>gone</i>.


    There had been no trace. No name. No clue to her pack. It was like she had vanished into thin air. I had been searching ever since, tirelessly, but each lead ended in disappointment.


    It was driving me mad. My wolf was fraying at the edges, restless and snarling. Mates weren¡¯t supposed to just disappear.


    And in the midst of that chaos... there was Evaline.


    Always Evaline.


    In my thoughts. In my every waking hour. I kept catching myself looking for her, wondering what she was doing, how her day had been, if she was okay.


    I didn¡¯t even mean to. It just kept happening.


    And now... she wanted to sever that connection. To clear the debt. To draw lines between us and pretend it had all meant nothing.


    But the ache in my chest said otherwise.


    She had asked me to assign her the task. She wanted to fulfill her side of the deal. But I couldn¡¯t do it.


    Because I knew the kind of mission I had originally nned for her. And I knew her. I could no longer make myself put her in danger.


    She wanted to stand on her own. And I admired that. But stars, a part of me hated how it felt to be left behind.


    Where had things gone wrong? When did the lines between obligation and emotion start to blur? When did I go from being her benefactor to someone who couldn¡¯t stop wondering if she smiled after I left?


    I dragged my hands through my hair and settled down on the edge of my bed, with my elbows on my knees and eyes fixed on the floor.


    My life was spiraling.


    My brother was slipping from me.


    My mate was lost.


    And Evaline... Evaline was trying to disappear from my orbit just as I was beginning to feel things I shouldn¡¯t be for a student, for someone who wasn¡¯t my mate.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    But one thing was clear - something had to change.


    Soon.

 Chapter 106: The Mean Girls

    <h4>Chapter 106: The Mean Girls</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    After Kieran dropped me off at the Academy gates, I thought I was finally going to have a moment of quiet.


    It was Saturday night, and most students were off-campus or downtown, soaking in their few hours of weekend freedom. The dorms were nearly empty. My friends were out too as usual.


    My head was throbbing from too much thinking. My heart was aching from too many conversations I didn¡¯t want to have. And the weight in my chest... well, that was nothing new. Ever since I stepped into the Rogue Alpha¡¯s world, it had be a constantpanion.


    I immediately headed for the showers. The hot water helped a little as it washed away some of the tension from my shoulders and cleared the fog in my head.


    For a while, I just stood there with my forehead pressed against the tile, letting the water cascade down my back like it could wash away everything else too - River¡¯s hatred, Kieran¡¯s conflicted kindness, the tangled bonds with Oscar and Draven, and the ache of trying to be strong when I was so very tired.


    But as always, peace didn¡¯tst long in my world.


    I barely stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped tightly around me, when I felt it.


    The shift in the air.


    The quiet that wasn¡¯t just empty... it was intentional.


    I reached for my clothes on the bench, but the sound of footsteps stopped me. Loud. Confident. Cruel. And then I saw her.


    Celeste.


    She was standing with a towel draped carelessly over her shoulders, makeup perfectly intact even at this hour, and her glossy hair was twisted into a sleek bun. She was looking like she just stepped off a runway, not walked into the dorm showers.


    Behind her were three more girls - two of them I recognized, the third I didn¡¯t. They were all dressed, clearly not here to shower.


    They were here for me.


    "Well, look at that," Celeste drawled as her eyes swept over me like I was something she had scraped off her boot. "The Academy¡¯s favorite stray. How cozy."


    I straightened on reflex. "I don¡¯t want trouble. I¡¯m just heading back to my room."


    "Oh, but see..." Her sharp and fake smile widened. "We want trouble."


    My fingers tightened around the fabric of my towel. But I didn¡¯t respond.


    "You have been busy today," Mira added with a smug expression. "First Alpha River picks you up in the morning. And then Professor Kieran drops you off tonight. Huh. Must be nice to get so much attention from the Rogue Alphas."


    "I didn¡¯t ask for-"


    "Oh, I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t," Celeste interrupted, her voice syrupy sweet. "Just like you didn¡¯t ask to be born packless, as a rogue. Or to worm your way into the Academy by pure luck."


    "I didn¡¯t worm my way into anything," I said coldly. "I earned my ce here."


    Celeste¡¯s smile dropped. "You think you belong here?" She stepped closer. "You think you belong next to them? Just because they were stupid enough to throw you a few crumbs?"


    "She¡¯s nothing, Cel," the third girl scoffed. "She¡¯s just a mark for them to pity. A project. Someone to save so they can feel good about themselves."


    "Oh, don¡¯t say that," Celeste said mockingly. "You¡¯ll hurt her feelings."


    I had enough.


    I was tired. I was done. First River, and now these girls - everyone seemed to think I was wing my way to the top through the brothers, when the truth was...


    "I don¡¯t want to be near them," I snapped. "You think I want their pity? Their protection? I never asked for any of it! I just want to live my life without being dragged through the mud every time they decide to show up!"


    The silence that followed was thick.


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    For a moment, I thought maybe, just maybe, they would back off. But then Celeste¡¯s expression darkened. "You really don¡¯t know your ce, do you?"


    She flicked her wrist. And then they surrounded me.


    There were four9 of them. I wasn¡¯t afraid, not exactly, but I knew I couldn¡¯t fight them, not like this. I didn¡¯t have a wolf. I didn¡¯t have strength. And right now, I didn¡¯t even have clothes on.


    "Don¡¯t touch me," I warned while stepping back. My heart was pounding in my chest as anxiety started wing its way up.


    "Oh, we are not going to hurt you," Mira said with mock sweetness. "Not really. But you need a lesson."


    Celeste was the first to move. She snatched my towel¡¯s edge and tugged hard.


    I held it tighter. "Don¡¯t-!"


    But before anything more could happen...


    "Enough!"


    The word sliced through the air like a whip, making all of us froze.


    And then, like a shadow peeling away from the dark corner of the hallway, Draven stepped forward.


    He didn¡¯t say anything else. He didn¡¯t have to.


    His presence was enough to make the blood drain from the girls¡¯ faces. Tall, broad-shouldered, and deadly calm, he had that kind of reputation - the kind that walked ahead of him like a warning.


    Even though he was a student, he¡¯s still one of the Rogue Alphas. And most importantly, he didn¡¯t bind himself with the same rules as his brothers.


    "Back off," he said in a calm yet deadly voice. "Now."


    Celeste was the first to recover. She lifted her chin, trying to muster confidence. "We weren¡¯t doing anything-"


    "Do you want me to repeat myself?"


    She hesitated. Then, with a scoff, she stepped back. "This isn¡¯t over," she hissed at me.


    Draven took another step forward which made her and her group turn on their heels.


    Within seconds, the hallway was empty again. There were just me... shaking... and Draven left.


    I clutched the towel closer to me, trying to get a grip on myself.


    Draven looked at me for a long moment before finally asking, "You okay?"


    There was no mocking, no condescension. Just a question.


    "I... I¡¯m fine."


    But he didn¡¯t look convinced. "Go get dressed," he said. "You are not walking back alone."


    I nodded.


    My legs moved on their own, still trembling slightly. It wasn¡¯t the first time I had been cornered. And it probably wouldn¡¯t be thest.


    But something about tonight had rattled me deeper. Maybe because I wasn¡¯t alone anymore. Maybe because now, I wasn¡¯t just responsible for myself.


    I was responsible for the life growing quietly inside me.


    And I wasn¡¯t going to let anyone touch a hair on my baby¡¯s head.


    Not River.


    Not Celeste.


    Not anyone.


    As I dressed and stepped out of the showers again, Draven was still there, leaning against the wall like a silent sentry.


    Without a word, he fell into step beside me, walking me back through the dim hallways of the dormitories.


    No words were exchanged. But somehow, that silence said more than anything ever could.


    And for the first time that day... I didn¡¯t feel alone.

 Chapter 107: In Alpha’s Warm Embrace

    <h4>Chapter 107: In Alpha¡¯s Warm Embrace</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Draven and I stepped inside my dorm room, a strange calm settled over me.


    It was the kind that came after a storm, unnatural and almost too still, like the world was holding its breath.


    He locked the bedroom door behind us without a word. His movements were silent but... protective. I didn¡¯t look at him. I couldn¡¯t. The pressure behind my eyes was building, threatening to spill. If I looked at him, I knew I was going to fall apart.


    So I walked straight to my bed and sat down with a dull thud. My towel was long reced with pajamas - warm, clean clothes that should have brought mefort but were feeling like paper on a raw wound. I drew my legs up and wrapped my arms around them, burying my face in my knees.


    The bed dipped slightly as he joined me.


    And then... I felt his arms wrapping around me.


    I didn¡¯t stop him.


    I didn¡¯t want to.


    He didn¡¯t speak at first, just held me. His arms were strong and grounding, not too tight, not too loose. It was like he knew exactly what I needed without me saying a word. And then his hand came up, brushing slowly through my damp hair, his voice whispering low into my ear.


    "You are safe now."


    That was all it took.


    The tears came like a dam breaking. Big, ugly, uncontroble sobs tore out of me before I could stop them.


    I clutched at his shirt, burying my face into his chest as he held me through it, rocking us ever so gently.


    "I have got you," he kept murmuring, again and again. His voice was the only thing keeping me from shatteringpletely. "I¡¯m here, Eva. No one¡¯s ever going to touch you like that again. I swear it."


    I didn¡¯t know how long I cried. Time blurred. Minutes felt like hours, hours like seconds. But he stayed. He didn¡¯t shift, didn¡¯t move away, didn¡¯t grow impatient.


    He just... stayed. And held me like I was precious. Like I was his whole world.


    Even when tears finally stoppeding, I stayed in his arms, breathing in the scent of him - pine, fresh, and something uniquely him that always made me feel... less alone.


    I had spent so long trying to keep him at arm¡¯s length.


    Pushing him away. Drawing imaginary lines between us. Telling myself that I couldn¡¯t afford to be close to anyone, least of my mate who was one of the Rogue Alpha. That it was safer this way. That I didn¡¯t want him getting too close, didn¡¯t want to be something fragile in his world of strength and power.


    But tonight, right now, I couldn¡¯t lie to myself anymore.


    <fnf041> This content belongs to Find?Novel</fnf041>


    He had always been there.


    From the moment he epted our bond, he had done nothing but try. And I... I was the one being unkind. Maybe not intentionally. Maybe not cruelly. But I kept dismissing his devotion like it was nothing. I took it for granted, his quiet, patient presence.


    And now, in his arms, I was realizing just how much he felt for me.


    I pulled away just enough to look at him, wiping at my tear-streaked cheeks.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I whispered.


    His brows pulled together, confused. "For what?"


    "For not letting you in," I breathed. "For making you feel like you didn¡¯t matter. For pretending to not see everything you have done for me until now."


    His face softened. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against my forehead. "You never have to apologize to me, Eva. I told you... I¡¯ll wait for you. As long as it takes."


    My heart squeezed at the sincerity in his voice.


    He brushed his thumb against my cheek, and I leaned into the touch instinctively.


    "Do you want to talk about what happened?" he asked gently.


    I closed my eyes, feeling the sharp sting of the memory - the cruel words, the hands reaching for me, the humiliation curling inside my gut.


    But I was so tired.


    Of thinking. Of hurting.


    "No," I murmured. "I just want to forget about it for now. Please... just make it go away."


    He hesitated for a beat. Then, with a ghost of a smile, he leaned closer. "I can do that."


    "How?"


    His lips brushed against mine in answer. "Like this."


    The kiss was soft at first. Barely there. Like a promise whispered on lips that had never lied to me.


    Then it deepened.


    He kissed me like I was something holy. Like I was the answer to every question his soul had ever asked.


    My fingers tangled in his shirt, pulling him closer without thinking. His hand cupped my face, thumb caressing my cheek as his lips moved slowly. He was patient, indulgent. Not demanding, but worshipping.


    My body responded without hesitation, instinctively arching toward him while my heart pounded against my ribs like a caged bird.


    When his tongue flicked gently against mine, my breath hitched, and I let him in.


    The kiss grew - longer, warmer, wetter. He tasted like fire and heat, like something wild I didn¡¯t want to tame. Every stroke of his tongue was sending sparks through me, a hum in my chest that pulsed with something more.


    The closeness awakened the mate bond.


    I felt it bloom inside me like spring after a long winter, glowing gold and bright where it had once been silent. It pulsed between us, soft but undeniable. It was a connection of between our souls.


    And the way he responded to it, the way he cradled me like I was breakable and sacred... I had never felt anything like it.


    Heid me down on the bed with a gentleness I hadn¡¯t known he possessed. He hovered over me, lips brushing down my jaw, my neck, the delicate space just below my ear.


    My breath starteding in soft pants,and my body was trembling not from fear but from need.


    But he didn¡¯t push.


    Even as his hands explored, sliding over my arms, my sides, my hips... he never crossed the line. Every kiss, every touch was a question, and every time I tensed or hesitated, he responded by slowing down, grounding me again with a press of his forehead to mine.


    "You are mine," he whispered against my lips, kissing me again, slower this time. "But I¡¯ll never take more than you want to give."


    And I knew he meant it. I knew I could stop him with a look, a breath, and he would listen.


    So I let him love me in his way.


    With kisses that tasted like promises. With touches that asked nothing in return. With warmth that filled the cracks I hadn¡¯t even realized were still bleeding.


    I held onto him like I had never held anyone before.


    Because maybe for the first time since my world fell apart... I had someone worth holding onto.


    And he never let go.

 Chapter 108: Her Melting Heart

    <h4>Chapter 108: Her Melting Heart</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Despite everything that had happened throughout Saturday, despite the burning humiliation and the echo of cruelughter, I woke up on Sunday morning feeling... different.


    <fnb53c> Fresh chapters posted on Find?Novel</fnb53c>


    There was still an ache in my chest, the memory of shower incident was still lingering like a bruise under my skin. But it didn¡¯t sting as much anymore.


    Becausest night, someone had made me feel like I mattered.


    Draven left just before midnight, sneaking out with his usual stealth, leaving a half-empty food container beside my bed and a soft warmth still wrapped around my heart. He didn¡¯t say goodbye... he didn¡¯t need to. His scent was still lingering on my pillow, and I knew he would be back.


    He always came back.


    With a small, tired smile, I pulled on my clothes and tied my hair back in a loose braid before leaving my dorm. I could have taken the day off. Honestly, I probably should have. But after everything, I needed something to do, somewhere to be.


    To my surprise, River didn¡¯t show up. There was not even a whisper of his arrogant presence, not a sideways re or clippedmand.


    The office was blissfully silent.


    I managed toplete all the documents assigned to me without interruption, filing reports, updating the database, and organizing the scrolls in the backroom. It felt good to work with a clear head for once, to not have to watch over my shoulder.


    Byte afternoon, I packed up and left the building as the sun started dipping toward the horizon. Instead of heading to the dorms, I made my way to the Academy library.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why, maybe I just didn¡¯t want to return to an empty room, or maybe I needed to feel prepared. After all, we were leaving for Halendor Ruins Tuesday morning.


    I needed to be ready.


    The library was as quiet as I expected on a Sunday evening. Most students were out enjoying the weekend, probably at one of the nearby town caf¨¦s or lounging in the Academy gardens.


    But not me.


    Books and solitude were far saferpanions than people.


    I settled into the far corner on the second floor and began sifting through ancient texts on the Halendor region - its history, magical significance, and the curious disappearance of wolves near the northern cliffs. The deeper I went, the more I realized how little we had been told during ss. It wasn¡¯t just a historical field trip, it was a ce of buried secrets and lost magic.


    And if I had to step foot there, I wanted to know everything.


    "Of course you would be here."


    My head shot up at the sound of the familiar voice as a smile already started tugging at my lips before I even saw his face.


    Draven was standing just a few feet away, one hand shoved into his hoodie pocket, the other holding a cup of something steaming. He looked rxed with that permanentzy grin tugging at the corner of his lips.


    "You are not on duty today," I said softly while closing the book on myp.


    "Nope," he said with a smirk. "But I like to stop by. You know, just in case a certain someone decides to hide out in the back corner of the library reading about ancient ruins."


    My smile immediately bloomed into a big one. "You came here hoping to find me?"


    "Guilty," he said as he took a seat beside me. His knee brushed mine under the table, and I didn¡¯t move away. "And lucky today, apparently."


    The sunlight filtering through the stained-ss windows behind us, casted multicolored shadows across his sharp jaw and tousled dark hair, highlighting the blue hue in them. He looked like something out of a fairytale, dangerous and devoted all at once.


    "What are you reading?" he asked, peeking at the book I had been flipping through.


    "Halendor Ruins," I replied. "I wanted to prepare."


    He blinked once, then looked at me with a new kind of gleam in his eyes. "Wait... don¡¯t tell me. Your ss is heading out for the field trip?"


    I nodded.


    "Tuesday morning," I confirmed.


    A knowing smile curved his lips. "First Academy expedition. Bet your professor didn¡¯t tell you half the crap that goes down there."


    "Obviously not." I turned the book toward him. "So, tell me. What really happens?"


    What followed was possibly the most enjoyable hour I had spent in months.


    He told me about his own trip during his first year - about the thunderstorms that trapped their group in a half-copsed outpost, the magical beasts they weren¡¯t supposed to engage but did anyway, and how he ended up carrying one of his ssmates for three hours after he twisted his ankle trying to escape a cursed thorn maze.


    "But the most important thing," he said, leaning a little closer, "is not to eat anything that grows in these areas."


    "Why?" I asked curiously.


    "Because you¡¯ll hallucinate for hours and might end up confessing your love to a tree."


    I burst outughing, and this time, I didn¡¯t even bother hiding it.


    There was something so easy about being with him. So... natural. I wasn¡¯t afraid of judgment or pity or even the mate bond anymore. In that quiet, sunlit corner of the library, it felt like two souls findingfort in sharedughter and old stories.


    And as he kept talking, I found myself watching him.


    Not just listening... but really watching.


    The way his hands moved when he described things. The light in his dark hazel eyes when he saw me smile. The subtle way his body leaned closer without him realizing it.


    I stared too long. I knew I did. But I couldn¡¯t stop.


    He wasn¡¯t just my mate anymore. He was bing my safe ce.


    When he finally looked down at his watch and realized it was close to dinner, he let out a small sigh.


    "I should let you get back," he murmured.


    "Yeah." I swallowed the disappointment. "Tuesday morning, we leave."


    "I know." He grinned. "Which means tomorrow night I get to see you before that. I¡¯ll drop by after dinner?"


    I nodded, feeling my chest warm with anticipation. "Okay."


    "But before I go," he said softly and leaned closer... kissing my cheek. It wasn¡¯t rushed, but a slow, deliberate kiss that made my skin tingle and my heart to skip a beat.


    By the time I registered what happened, he was gone, leaving behind a warmth that lingered far longer than his presence.

 Chapter 109: Cuddles and Kisses

    <h4>Chapter 109: Cuddles and Kisses</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Monday mornings were always sluggish, but today, my steps were feeling lighter.


    Maybe it was the good night¡¯s sleep. Maybe it was the memory of my time with Draven in the library. Or maybe it was the good time I spent with my friends in our dorm after dinner where we yed games and nned for the trip.


    Whatever it was, I wasn¡¯t dragging my feet toward ss like usual.


    First ss was Herbs and Potions with Professor Kieran. I kept to myself throughout the ss, scribbling notes and avoiding his eyes.


    Standing at the front of the ss, he was looking impossiblyposed in a silk green shirt tucked in light beige colored pants. He started the lecture with a simple overview of our current lesson - dream-root mixtures and their various magical reactions when paired with sunleaf.


    I took photos of the forms and diagrams he jotted down on the board, made notes in myptop, and marked all the important topics in my book. I was unwilling to fall behind just because I was leaving for a trip.


    Near the end of ss, he closed his book and looked at the ss with his usual unreadable expression.


    "Before we end today," he said in his clear and authoritative voice, "good luck for your first ever trip. This project carries significant weight for your practical exams, so make sure you pay attention to more than just thendscape."


    A few murmurs spread through the ssroom. Some students were looking excited, others nervous. Personally, I felt a mix of both.


    "And as a small mercy," he added with a dry smile flickering on his face, "there will be no homework from my ss for the rest of the week. Focus on staying alive and learning something useful."


    Lightughter rippled through the ss, and a few students began packing up their things.


    I started packing up too with Mallory, but then...


    "Evaline. Stay behind a moment."


    His voice wasn¡¯t sharp, but it was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. And the pause in motion was instant.


    I stiffened, catching the distinct sound of someone scoffing behind me.


    I didn¡¯t even have to turn around to know who it was. Nadine. And with her, like always, were Bianca and Violet. I was able to feel their stares drilling into my back, full of spection and venom.


    I waited until the ssroom emptied out. My friends left me with a promise to wait in the hallway outside.


    Once the door closed, I took a steadying breath and approached Professor Kieran¡¯s desk. He looked up with an unreadable expression on his face.


    "I just wanted to wish you the best of luck," he said simply. "This field project is important. Treat it that way."


    "I will," I replied, a little stiffer than intended.


    The silence stretched, and I shifted ufortably. "Can I go?"


    He leaned back slightly in his chair. "Once you return, I¡¯ll hand you your task... what we agreed upon before. Be prepared."


    I blinked in surprise.


    Then a mixture of relief and curiosity settled in my chest. I didn¡¯t know what he nned to have me do, but at least we were sticking to boundaries now. No more favors. No more lingering nces or confusing interactions.


    "Alright," I said, bowing my head slightly. "Thank you, Professor."


    And just like that, I turned and walked out, never looking back.


    * * *


    Draven was already waiting for me when I returned to my dorm room after dinner.


    I barely got the door closed before he caught me in his arms, spinning me once in a quiet, yful circle. Iughed, my voice muffled against his chest as he held me like I was something precious.


    "You smell like cinnamon rolls," I teased softly.


    "You are wee," he smirked. "I had to sneak past the kitchens to grab snacks for you. Healthy ones. Don¡¯tin."


    Sure enough, he had brought an assortment of snacks - cinnamon rolls, trail mix, fruit bars, packets of herbal tea, even a reusable hot pack for cramps. Nothing expensive, nothing shy. Just thoughtful little things someone might pack for someone they <i>cared</i> about.


    This made my chest ached a little.


    He wasn¡¯t trying to impress me. He was just... being himself.


    He flopped down on my bed and patted the space beside him. I joined him without hesitation, tucking myself under his arm as he pulled the nket over both of us.


    "Did I tell you how adorable you looked during dinner today?" he whispered, brushing his fingers against my cheek. "Rxed, smiling, and enjoying the food."


    I smiled, feeling the heat rush to my face.


    We kept our voices low, giggling in whispers like teenagers hiding from their parents. Ria and Mallory were down the hall, and the walls here weren¡¯t exactly soundproof.


    We didn¡¯t do anything more than talk and cuddle... though the kisses he nted along my jawline were enough to make my heart flutter and my body flush.


    "Draven," I murmured as he nuzzled the side of my neck, "thank you. For everything."


    He pulled back just enough to look at me. "You don¡¯t have to thank me, dove. You are mine. Taking care of you isn¡¯t a favor. It¡¯s a privilege."


    That... that nearly broke me again.


    He kissed me long and slow before finally whispering, "You need to sleep."


    "I know."


    "Promise me you¡¯ll text me, okay? Updates. Everything. I¡¯ll be waiting."


    "I promise."


    He brushed a final kiss on my lips. This one was deep and passionate and enough to make my toes curl. Then, he finally slipped out of the bed and vanished into the shadows outside the balcony door like he was never there.


    * * *


    Tuesday morning arrived in a blur of early rms and scrambled breakfasts.


    The Academy was buzzing with energy as the first-year students rushed to the main gates where three ck private busses were waiting.


    I arrived there earlier with Kyros and Professor Aldric handed us clipboards to check names and bags of the students.


    As the ss Keeper and President, it was our job to make sure everyone was ounted for.


    "No one brought swords, right?" I asked him dryly as he went through the luggage pile.


    "Not unless you count Bianca¡¯s curling iron. That thing looks lethal." He replied with a shake of his head, joining me in talking nonsense.


    I chuckled.


    Once Professor Aldric confirmed that everyone was present and the equipment was loaded, Kyros and I finally boarded the third andst bus.


    I let him take a seat in the middle section while I moved all the way to the back, craving a little silence.


    Most of the seats were filled. Some students were chattering excitedly while others were already passed out with neck pillows and earbuds. The back row was empty, and I slid into the corner seat by the window.


    The bus rumbled as the engine started.


    I leaned my head against the window and exhaled. Finally, I was able to...


    "Mind if I sit here?"


    My entire body tensed at the familiar voice. I turned slowly and my eyes widened in disbelief.


    The person who just slipped in the seat beside me was the <ist</i> person I was expecting to see.


    Of all people, Oscar, slid into the seat next to me like he owned it... and maybe the bus too, if his smug expression had anything to say about it.


    He stretched out, deliberately brushing his arm against mine before casually leaning back, one leg draped across the narrow aisle like he was here to lounge for the next three hours.


    "Isn¡¯t there aw against tormenting innocent students on school trips?" I muttered as I hugged my arms over my chest.


    He tilted his head toward me as he replied in a low voice. "You are calling yourself innocent now? That¡¯s cute."


    I shot him a re. "There are at least thirty other seats."


    "Thirty," he said, resting his cheek on his palm, "but only one next to you."


    I shook my head and let out a sigh. "You are going to bring me unnecessary attention."


    At that, he quickly scanned the bus before turning his attention back to me. "No one¡¯s looking our way. And even if they did..."


    He then turned to face me, staring into my eyes with such intensity that I found myself holding my breath.


    As if he knew what kind of effect he was having on me, he leaned even closer, leaving just a few breaths of space between our faces.


    "... I dare anyone here to question my presence next to you."


    That made me arch one of my eyebrows. "Of course, they won¡¯t question you. But nothing and no one will stop them from cornering me."


    His gaze softened immediately and he reached out to take my hand in his own. The moment our skin made contact, sweet tingles rushed across my body.


    "I¡¯ll make sure to not cause you any trouble. I promise."


    <fne8cb> This content belongs to f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fne8cb>


    How was I supposed to stay strong against such words and sincerity? So, I gave in, letting him win this time.

 Chapter 110: Their Beloved Instructor

    <h4>Chapter 110: Their Beloved Instructor</h4><subtxt> The bus ride was... peaceful.


    Oscar kept holding my hand even when we were done talking. Not that I tried to pull away. His thigh asionally kept brushing mine whenever the bus hit a bump.


    The strangest part? No one seemed to care.


    No one nced at the back even once. Everyone seemed pretty busy either catching up on their sleep or just ying on their phones. It was almost as if no one was aware of Oscar¡¯s presence in the bus.


    But I highly doubted it. As a Rogue Alpha, his wolf tended to have a much stronger presence than usual Alpha wolves. This alone was enough to give away his presence anywhere unless he had it under control.


    What made it even more peaceful was the fact that by some miracle, none of the usual ss bitches - Nadine, Bianca, or Violet - were on this bus.


    Everything was just... calm.


    Well... except Kyros.


    I noticed him turning in his seat to check on everyone near the back, his eyes scanning with a practiced, responsible gaze, until itnded on me... and then on the man sitting next to me.


    I watched as his brow furrowed instantly in confusion. But before I could panic, he turned around, returning his attention to the front as if nothing happened.


    A few secondster, my phone buzzed in myp.


    <strong>Kyros:</strong><i>Why is Instructor Oscar sitting next to you???</i>


    I just unlocked my screen to answer when Oscar took the phone from my hand like he owned it.


    "Hey-" I began in a whispered voice.


    But he ignored me. He started typing quickly with one hand, while still casually holding mine with the other one.


    I peeked at the screen.


    <strong>Oscar (to Kyros):</strong><i> Because I¡¯m the assigned in-charge for this trip. Problem?</i>


    I gave him a sideways nce. "You are in-charge?"


    He shrugged while returning the phone to me. "Yeah. One of two. Me and Corey got tagged for it. Since this trip¡¯s to a historical site, they needed someone who could keep things under control. You know... in case something stupid happens."


    I blinked. "And who better than one of the Rogue Alphas?"


    He grinned. "Exactly."


    It made sense. Forty-something first-year students on a multi-day field trip? No way Professor Aldric could manage that circus alone. With Oscar around, the chances of anyone acting out were nonexistent.


    One hour into the drive, I finally rxed. The silence between us waspanionable, not awkward. The hum of the bus, the scent of trees outside, and Oscar¡¯s steady presence beside me - it all made me feel... safe.


    And that was the problem.


    Becausetely, Draven was making me feel that too.


    He had been patient, gentle, always trying. I was starting to see him in a new light, like really see him. How he kept sneaking in food just to make sure I ate properly, how he held me whenever I was feeling low.


    And now, Oscar.


    Though he took his time with the initial push and pull after learning about our bond, he had never once walked away from it since epting it. He had been just as persistent in trying to win my heart as his younger brother.


    And here I was, opening up to both of them.


    Only... they still had no idea about each other sharing a mate bond with me.


    And I knew that if I didn¡¯te clean, this delicate bnce that was finally making its way into our rtionships would shatter fast.


    I had seen what happened when Alpha wolves got territorial, especially over mates. I wasn¡¯t sure I could survive being the reason they turned against each other.


    At some point, I must have fallen asleep with my head still buzzing with thoughts.


    It was Oscar¡¯s deep voice near my ear that stirred me awake. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," he murmured. <fn5996> This update is avable on ?ovelFind</fn5996>


    My eyes fluttered open, and I realized my head had been resting on his shoulder the entire time. Heat red in my cheeks as I straightened up, brushing my hair behind my ear awkwardly.


    "We are almost there," he informed. "Hotel¡¯s just up ahead."


    I rubbed my eyes and nodded. Thest thing I needed was for anyone to have seen us like that. But judging by the quiet atmosphere of the bus, no one had noticed us yet.


    When the bus finally pulled up near the hotel, which was nestled just at the foot of the Halendor Mountains, I shot up from my seat like I was lit on fire. Oscarughed under his breath as I made my way down quickly.


    Kyros was already by the doors with clipboard in hand. He handed me the list of names we were assigned to check before entering. I was grateful for the distraction.


    The duties of ss President gave me something to focus on besides the lingering warmth of Oscar¡¯s hand or the fact that my shoulder still tingled where it had pressed into him.


    Kyros leaned closer. "We¡¯ll talkter," he murmured, low enough that only I could hear.


    I nodded.


    Then came the chaos of students unloading, dragging bags, reuniting with friends from other buses. And then there was them - Nadine and her group.


    The moment they spotted Oscar, it was like watching a switch flip. Squeals. Giggles. Hushed shrieks of "Oh my god, it¡¯s him!" followed by pathetic attempts at fixing their hair in their reflections on the bus windows.


    Bianca practically tripped over her suitcase trying to strut past him. Violet twirled a strand of her hair like she was starring in a bad soap opera.


    While Nadine caught my eye and gave me a hard re. Her signal was clear - to stay away from their beloved instructor. Noted.


    I rolled my eyes and continued ticking names off the list, Kyros stood beside me, helping me with the duties. I knew he had questions, but he didn¡¯t press. He never did. That was something I really liked about him. He respected boundaries.


    After some minor chaos, all students had their luggage and were ready for room assignments. I hadn¡¯t even reached the front of the line when Mallory appeared by my side.


    "Roomies?" she asked with a huge grin.


    "Please," I smiled, feeling relieved. "I need someone sane to share a room with."


    We approached the check-in table where room keys were being distributed, and Mallory was already pointing out her preferred beds before we even got the number.


    But then... I felt it.


    That intense gaze.


    I turned my head slightly and locked eyes with Oscar, who was standing across the lobby near the check-in roster with Instructor Corey.


    He was looking right at me. Or rather... right at Mallory.


    His jaw was clenched. His expression was unreadable, but something about the way his eyes narrowed told me he wasn¡¯t happy.


    Why? What was his problem?


    Before I could piece it together, he turned away, handing a clipboard to Corey and murmuring something too quiet to catch.


    A chill slithered down my spine. Because I knew that look. He was nning something.


    And I had no idea what it was.</subtxt>

 Chapter 111: Her Roommate Got Snatched

    <h4>Chapter 111: Her Roommate Got Snatched</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    We had set off from the Academy at seven sharp, and by the time the buses rolled into the small mountain town nestled near the base of the Halendor Ruins, it was ten in the morning.


    Professor Aldric wasted no time. His voice rang out over the chatter of excited students, cutting through it like a bell.


    "Lunch will be served in at one. After that, we¡¯ll head to the first circle of the ruins. Everyone, use the next few hours to settle in, rest, or explore the hotel. But don¡¯t wander off too far. Understood?"


    A few cheers, a couple of groans, but everyone nodded or murmured acknowledgment. The real trip hadn¡¯t even started yet, but the energy was already buzzing.


    Since the entire hotel had been booked by the Academy, things were moving fast. With twenty-one rooms set aside just for students, each one shared by two people, and even more for staff and instructors, we were practically the only guests in the whole ce.


    Mallory and I headed to the elevator once we got our room cards. The hallway was dimly lit and quiet. The moment we entered the room, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft, appreciative breath.


    The ce was... nice.


    It was spacious enough not to feel cramped, yet cozy enough to feel intimate. The queen-size bed was looking inviting with its crisp white linens, and there was a plush dark blue couch positioned in front of therge TV.


    There was also a dressing table, a closet, and a massive ss window offering a breathtaking view of the forest-covered slopes of the mountains beyond.


    We freshened up quickly, sshing water on our faces and brushing out the tangles in our hair from the ride. After we were done, we headed down to the dining area on the ground floor to meet up with the others.


    Kyros was already there, leaning against a wooden pir near the buffet table with a te of fruit in hand.


    "Roomie update?" Mallory asked as she flopped into a seat beside him while I took a seat across them.


    He ced another te filled with fruits in front of me as he answered. "You are not going to believe this. I got paired with Rowan."


    Mallory blinked. "Wait, really? But I haven¡¯t seen him all morning."


    "That¡¯s because he wasn¡¯t on the bus," I added as I took a bite of a strawberry.


    "Yeah," Kyros said with a nod. "Apparently, he told Professor Aldric he would be runningte. So the Professor listed his name and gave him a room."


    "Wait! We can do that? Since when?" Selene asked as she appeared with Ria. The two of them were sharing a room on the fifth floor. Noah was right behind them.


    Kyros shrugged in response. "I have no idea how Rowan did it. But it¡¯s not usually seen. After all, students aren¡¯t allowed to step out of Academy gates during weekdays."


    Only if they knew that Rowan had been going out of the Academy on daily basis ever since the term started. That guy had too many secrets, and while I was curious, I had no ns of prying unless he felt like sharing.


    We just muched on fruits or enjoyed some juices while talking. Almost an hour passed when Rowan finally showed up.


    <fnd1eb> This update is avable on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fnd1eb>


    Only... he wasn¡¯t alone.


    As the front doors to the hotel swung open, all eyes turned to see Rowan walk in, nked by Beta Jasper.


    The silence at our table was almostical. Hands paused midway to mouths. Conversations died. And Mallory practically froze. Her eyes were locked onto the tall, broad-shouldered man entering behind Rowan.


    Her mate.


    Jasper offered a polite smile to us all but kept his eyes on Mallory. The rest of the world disappeared for her in that moment. She curled her fingers tightly around the edge of the table as if anchoring herself in ce.


    Rowan casually tossed his jacket over his shoulder as he walked toward us. "Met him in one of the towns an hour from here," he said in response to our unasked question. "Figured I must give him a ride."


    Before anyone could have said anything, Oscar decided to make his appearance. And he was looking far too pleased with himself.


    "Jasper," he greeted the man. "d you could make it. Since you were nearby, I thought your assistance with student safety would be useful."


    Jasper dipped his head. "I¡¯ll do my best, Alpha."


    Then, Oscar turned his attention toward our table, his eyes locking with mine. "Speaking of which - have you gotten a room yet? I think it¡¯s actually perfect for you to have some good yime with your mate. Don¡¯t you?"


    My eyes widened slightly. Oscar... He knew exactly what he was doing.


    One look at Mallory told me she was flustered, unsure, hesitant. She wanted to say yes, but not if it meant leaving me. We had nned to stay together from the start, and even convinced Professor Aldric to assign us in the same room.


    So I gave her a small nod. "Do it," I whispered. "You¡¯ll regret it if you don¡¯t."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Mallory," I said, resting a hand over hers. "You have four days. You won¡¯t get this chance again. Go."


    She hesitated for another heartbeat, and then smiled - a soft, grateful smile. "Thank you."


    She then quickly stood up and headed to meet Jasper before the two of them moved toward the elevators.


    My gaze returned to meet Oscar¡¯s and I found him smirking. He was looking very satisfied... because now I no longer had a roommate. And that gave him exactly what he wanted... a perfect opportunity.


    I didn¡¯t see him again until after lunch, when students started gathering their things to head out toward the first circle of the ruins. We would be hiking up in groups, led by Corey and Oscar, while Professor Aldric took the lead with Kyros.


    I just finished getting ready when someone knocked on my door.

 Chapter 112: First Circle of Runes

    <h4>Chapter 112: First Circle of Runes</h4>


    Evaline:


    <i>Is it him?</i>


    The thought entered my head as I found myself moving to open the door.


    And the moment I did so, Oscar stepped in without a word, pushing the door shut behind him. He turned the lock with a soft click that echoed through the room.


    "Oscar-?"


    I didn¡¯t even get to finish.


    His hand wrapped around my wrist, and in the next breath, my back hit the wall. And the next thing I felt was his lips on mine.


    Hot. Demanding. Absolute.


    My heart was kicking against my ribs as he leaned into me. His other hand moved to cradle the back of my neck while his mouth moved with purpose. There was nothing hesitant about it - he kissed like he was starving, like this was something he had been holding back for far too long.


    It happened so fast my brain barely caught up, but my body... traitorous as ever... was already responding.


    I curled my fingers in his jacket and kissed him back, matching his passion and hunger.


    After what felt like forever, we finally parted. Our breaths were uneven and chests were rising and falling.


    "You nned this," I said once I finally found my voice.


    He smirked, looking unbothered. "nned what?"


    "Don¡¯t you y dumb with me. You knew what you were doing the moment you paired Mallory with Jasper and sent her out of our room."


    He gave an exaggerated shrug in response. "I was just helping your best friend. They are mates. And considering Jasper¡¯s identity and duties, this is such a rare chance for them to get to know each other."


    He did make sense, but I still red at him because I knew he wasn¡¯t as thoughtful and nice as he was portraying himself.


    He leaned closer again, brushing his lips against my cheek this time. "I may have helped the stars align a little, sure. But it¡¯s not a crime to want some alone time with the woman I¡¯m trying to court, is it?"


    "Unbelievable."


    "Say that again," he murmured, pressing another kiss near the edge of my jaw.


    I flushed. My heart was hammering all over again. "We have to go."


    He ced a kiss on my forehead before stepping back. "I¡¯ll leave first. Don¡¯t want to give the giggling squirrels downstairs more gossip fuel than they already have."


    "Toote for that," I muttered, watching as he slipped out, just as silently as he had entered.


    When I finallyposed myself and left the room a few minutester, locking the door behind me, I couldn¡¯t help the way my lips were still tingling. The man was impossible. Infuriating. Shameless.


    Andpletely irresistible.


    * * *


    Downstairs, the ss was already gathering. With everyone dressed in hiking gear, their bags packed with notepads, research tools, and snacks, we were looking like a pack of over-prepared young archaeologists.


    Professor Aldric was standing at the front, already giving instructions in hismanding but oddly pleasant tone.


    "The first circle of the Halendor Ruins lies about thirty minutes from here," he exined. "A light uphill hike. Keep pace. Stay with your groups. Instructor Corey and Instructor Oscar will be nking both ends."


    My gaze flicked to where Oscar was standing a few feet away. He caught my eye and winked.


    I looked away, feeling my cheeks burning.


    The hike started smoothly. Trees were towering on both sides of the narrow trail, sunlight was filtering through the branches and casting dappled patterns on the path. The sound of birds and distant water flowing filled the silence between footsteps and casual chatter.


    Half an hourter, we reached the first circle.


    The ruins were a strange blend of forgotten beauty and quiet power. There were half-buried stone columns, some etched with old runes. Moss had crept up their bases, and tiny purple flowers were blooming through the cracks in the stone.


    Beyond the ruins, the forest thickened again, as if the mountain itself had wrapped its secrets tightly in vines and roots.


    "This circle was believed to be a trial ground," Professor Aldric said, as we gathered around him. "Ancient mages carved protective runes into these stones to contain wild elemental magic during their tests. Some say the remnants of those spells still linger."


    That exined the faint hum I was feeling in the air. Like something alive slumbered beneath the dirt.


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    We were divided into study groups. Mine consisted of Ria, Freya, Cedric, and Rowan.


    "Each group," he continued, "will be assigned a quadrant. Observe the runes. Sketch them. If you sense any magical residue, document it. But... DO NOT... attempt to activate any rune. Understood?"


    We all nodded.


    My group moved to the eastern section, near an arch that had mostly crumbled, but some of the runes were still intact along the base. Ria crouched beside me, already pulling out her rune guidebook.


    Cedric was hovering with his notebook while Freya took detailed photos with her tablet.


    And Rowan?


    He just watched.


    "You are quiet," I muttered to him under my breath as I ran my fingers lightly over one of the symbols, never touching it, just tracing the air above it.


    He tilted his head. "Just trying not to get in your way."


    I just shook my head and returned my focus on the rune. It was a swirling spiral that shimmered faintly in the sun. It wasn¡¯t just design... it was magic. Ancient andyered.


    "Binding rune," Ria murmured. "Low-level containment."


    "I think it¡¯s intertwined with a grounding sigil," I added. "See how it¡¯s ovepping with the corners?"


    Freya snapped a photo. "This is fascinating. Theyering means they probablybined spells into one set."


    As we moved around the arch, I noticed a cluster of herbs growing at its base. They had small blue leaves with silver-tipped edges.


    "Moonvein," I said as I recognized the herb. "Didn¡¯t think it would grow this far up."


    Rowan raised a brow. "You know about herbs?"


    "I try."


    There were more - blisterleaf, a potent burn salve ingredient, and even a few sprigs of shadowroot, which only bloomed near strong magical sources.


    It all made sense. The ruins weren¡¯t just a historical site... they were alive. The magic was still feeding the earth around it.


    I was kneeling near the base of a pir when I felt it. A soft pulse under my palm, like a heartbeat. It was... deep, ancient, and buried.

 Chapter 113: Sneaking Glances

    <h4>Chapter 113: Sneaking nces</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I immediately looked up, my gazending on the people around me. But I soon realized that none of them felt what I just did.


    Rowan caught my gaze and arched his eyebrows in a silent question. I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, so I just shook my head and returned my attention to the runes.


    This time, I felt nothing. No movement. No energy shift. It was almost as if I imagined that presence earlier. Because no one among the forty plus people around me seemed to have sensed the same.


    I almost dismissed the matter when... it happened again. The shift of energy that had nothing to do with any of us.


    And this time, I wasn¡¯t the only one who sensed it.


    Further back, I saw Oscar pause near a rune-inscribed stone. His hand was hovering over it before he turned to Corey and said something I couldn¡¯t hear.


    A sense of unease pricked at me.


    These ruins weren¡¯t entirely dormant.


    "Do we need to check these out too?" Cedric pulled my attention back as he pointed at a spell carved on a stone.


    "Let¡¯s take a picture to check it outter." I replied, taking Freya¡¯s tablet to click a clear picture.


    By the time we returned to the hotel, the sun had begun its slow descent behind the distant mountains, casting the sky in strokes of warm gold and mutedvender.


    It was just after five in the afternoon. My legs were aching from the hike, my fingers were sore from sketching runes and collecting herb samples, but despite that, I was feeling strangely energized.


    Professor Aldric had given us until dinner to startpiling notes and organizing our findings, so I joined my group in one of the lounges on the second floor. It was a quiet area with long wooden tables, and plenty of natural light.


    To my relief, working with my group turned out to be surprisingly smooth.


    Ria had her rune sketches organized with scary efficiency. She was already cross-referencing her notes with the Academy¡¯s database on ancient sigils.


    Rowan was also working quietly but diligently, scribbling his observations withoutint, asionally ncing up to offer insight or correct a rune sequence when needed.


    Cedric and Freya were both sharp and respectful. Cedric mostly helped with the research while Freya was taking digital scans of the ruins and crosschecking them with elemental energy readings.


    For once, I wasn¡¯t forced to defend myself or prove I belonged here. There were no condescending remarks, no second-guessing... just focused teamwork.


    And that alone made it a win in my book.


    "I think we are in a good ce," Ria said as she stretched her arms above her head after a couple of hours of work. "If we keep this pace, we¡¯ll be ahead of the others by tomorrow."


    "Agreed," Freya chimed in a thoughtful tone. "I¡¯ll fine-tune the energy readings tonight. If we are lucky, we might even iste the type of spell embedded in those ovepping runes."


    "We should write that into our outline," Rowan added without looking up from his notes.


    I leaned back in my chair, feeling grateful for getting the amazing teammates.


    ---


    Dinner was exactly what I needed.


    The dining hall had been transformed into something out of a rustic travel journal. Wooden beams crisscrossed the ceiling, soft lighting glowed from enchantednterns, and long tables were lined with tters of fresh bread, creamy soups, herbed vegetables, and grilled proteins seasoned to perfection. The food was warm, vorful, andforting¡ªthe perfect end to an academic day.


    We all found ourselves at the same table¡ªme, Mallory, Selene, Noah, Kyros, and Ria. Even with tired limbs and sore backs, the mood was light and spirited. We talked about everything from the beauty of the ruins to how Rowan somehow managed to stay silent and effective without drawing any attention to himself.


    "He¡¯s like a ghost," Malloryughed, spooning soup into her mouth. "But the useful kind."


    Noah smirked. "Useful ghosts are a rare breed."


    While my friends bantered and teased one another, I found my gaze drifting more often than I liked across the hall.


    <fn926e> Chapters first released on Find[F]ovel</fn926e>


    Oscar.


    He sat at a table near the firece, dressed in a ck high-cored shirt and his ever-present cloak slungzily over the chair behind him. His attention was on the discussion happening between Professor Aldric and Instructor Corey, though his eyes flicked to Jasper every now and then. Jasper, in turn, seemed perfectly content¡ªrxed, confident, but undeniably focused on the meal and the conversation.


    And then there was Mallory.


    She kept sneaking nces at Jasper like a schoolgirl with a forbidden crush. Her cheeks flushed every time their eyes met. I could see the restraint in her fingers, the way she resisted the urge to wave or smile too big.


    I understood it.


    Too well.


    Because I wasn¡¯t much better.


    Every few minutes, my gaze found Oscar again¡ªonly this time, I wasn¡¯t the only one noticing.


    Kyros, seated directly across from me, narrowed his eyes after the fourth nce.


    "You good?" he asked under his breath.


    "Perfectly fine," I replied, grabbing a slice of bread that I didn¡¯t even want.


    Rowan, sitting at the far end of our table, watched me quietly over the rim of his ss, his expression unreadable.


    I chose to ignore both of them.


    ---


    After dinner, with full stomachs and a rare sliver of free time, we decided to take a walk around the property. The hotel sat nestled at the edge of a forest, with well-lit paths winding through flower beds, stone benches, and tall evergreens that rustled with every evening breeze.


    Instructor Corey gave us a very specific warning: "Don¡¯t stray too far. Stay within sight of the property. Thirty minutes, and then I expect every single one of you back inside."


    We agreed, naturally. And then immediately went about pushing that boundary as close to the edge as we dared.


    The walk was filled withughter and quiet conversation. Mallory and Selene wandered a little ahead, talking about how breathtaking the stars looked above the mountain ridges. Ria and Kyros were discussing their theories about the ruins, while Noah, as always, kept things light with his ridiculous stories of theirst field trip.


    I lingered toward the back, letting the night wrap around me like a familiar cloak.


    The cool air smelled like pine and old magic.


    It was peaceful.


    Just as instructed, we all returned inside the hotel within half an hour. Back in my room, I let out a sigh of contentment as I stepped into the bathroom. A hot shower was a small luxury, but it felt heavenly after the long day of hiking, studying, and pretending I wasn¡¯t staring at Oscar like some lovesick idiot.


    I dried my hair and wrapped myself in a thick bathrobe. I just finished doing my skincare when-


    <strong>Knock. Knock.</strong>


    I stared at the door while my mind scrambled for possibilities, but really, there was only one person who had the audacity to keep showing up like this.


    Still, I cracked the door open cautiously.


    And of course... it was him.

 Chapter 114: The Space Between Us

    <h4>Chapter 114: The Space Between Us</h4>


    <strong>Mallory:</strong>


    The hallway was dimly lit and quiet as I made my way back to my room after bidding my friends ¡¯good nights¡¯.


    Jasper was still in conversation with Instructor Oscar and Corey when we returned from the walk and headed to elevators.


    I watched them for several minutes across the dining room, trying to read the stern lines of my mate¡¯s face. They were discussing something serious, perhaps trip logistics or training protocols, but all I could think about was the fact that we were going to sleep in the same room tonight.


    In the same bed.


    My heart refused to stop hammering in my chest ever since that realization sunk in for the first time.


    This wasn¡¯t the same as sharing a room at the Academy with friends. It wasn¡¯t like stealing nces. It was him. My mate. Jasper. And tonight, there was going to be no interruptions. No distractions. Just us.


    Just me and the man who had kissed me earlier that day like I was something precious.


    That kiss...


    My lips tingled just thinking about it. The feel of his hand around my waist. The heat in his eyes right before his mouth met mine. It wasn¡¯t rushed or hesitant like the first time - back when he dropped me at the Academy and I took the lead to make our first kiss happen. But that kiss was cautious, hesitant, unsure.


    But earlier today?


    That kiss was full of intent.


    He had wanted me. Chosen to kiss me. And I had floated through the rest of the day like I was wrapped in starlight.


    Now, back in our hotel room, the reality of it all was hitting me hard.


    I shut the door behind me and leaned against it for a moment, taking slow breaths. The room was just as we had left it. There were two pillows on therge bed, one suitcase half-unpacked, and his duffel bag in the corner.


    This was real.


    I went into the bathroom to calm my nerves. My hands were trembling slightly as I turned on the water. I took a long shower - warm, rxing, and just long enough to settle the butterflies in my stomach.


    By the time I stepped out, steam was curling in the air around me, clinging to the mirror and fogging my reflection. I wiped it away and stared at myself - flushed cheeks, damp hair, eyes too wide.


    I pulled on a soft pair of pajamas. It was light blue shorts and a matching top withce trim. It wasn¡¯t too revealing, but definitely not the oversized hoodie I usually wore to bed.


    <fn4ebb> For more chapters visit f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fn4ebb>


    I wasn¡¯t trying to seduce him.


    Not really.


    Okay... maybe a little.


    I paced for a while, then sat on the edge of the bed with my bare legs pulled to my chest. I turned themp on beside me and flipped through a magazine I wasn¡¯t reading, then checked the clock.


    Ten minutes.


    Then twenty.


    Then forty-five.


    The door creaked open an hourter, causing my heart to leap into my throat.


    Jasper stepped inside quietly, looking tired. But his eyes lit up the moment they found me.


    "Hey," he said in a low voice as he closed the door behind him before locking it.


    "Hey," I echoed, standing up.


    There was a brief moment of silence, and then his gaze swept over me slowly, taking in my bare legs, my flushed face, and the way I was twisting my fingers together.


    "Did you... talk about something important with the instructors?" I asked, trying to fill the awkward space between us.


    "I might have. Not sure though," he admitted as he walked toward me. His steps were unhurried but firm. "I was thinking about this."


    Then he was in front of me, and I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    His hand brushed the side of my face. His fingers trailing through my damp hair as he looked down at me like I was something fragile.


    I leaned into his touch without thinking. At some point, my hands even reached out to curl into the fabric of his shirt.


    "Kiss me," I found myself whispering.


    And he didn¡¯t hesitate.


    His mouth met mine in a kiss that was tender at first... soft, exploratory... but quickly deepened into something far more intense. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me flush against him as his mouth moved over mine with growing hunger.


    I gasped when he lifted me slightly, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he carried me to the bed. He knelt on the edge, still kissing me. His hands were warm on my waist as they slipped beneath my shirt, tracing the skin of my lower back.


    I had never wanted anything more in my life.


    We tumbled back onto the mattress and our kisses turned urgent. His hands started exploring, but never too much, just enough to drive me crazy. He was hovering above me, one hand cupping my face while the other held him up.


    He pulled away from the kiss only to trail his lips down my neck. His breath was hot against my corbone and I arched beneath him.


    The way he was kissing me made everything else disappear.


    As his fingers started exploring further, moving up, my heartbeat elerated. Then, I felt his thumbing in contact with the underside of my left breadt and I gasped at the contact, my body arching toward him instinctively. My hands fisted the front of his shirt, pulling him closer, needing more.


    "Jasper..." I whispered, "Please..."


    But suddenly, too suddenly, he stopped.


    His lips stilled, his hands froze. And then he slowly pulled back. He was breathing hard, and his eyes looked stormy with restraint.


    "I can¡¯t," he murmured Ina hoarse voice.


    "What?" I blinked, confused. "What do you mean you can¡¯t?"


    His hand slid out from under my shirt, and he sat back slightly, shaking his head. "We need to stop."


    I stared up at him, feeling stunned. "Did I do something wrong?"


    "No," he said quickly, running a hand down his face. "It¡¯s not you. Goddess, Mallory, it¡¯s not you."


    "Then why are you pulling away?" My voice trembled with something I hadn¡¯t expected... hurt.


    He looked at me then, his eyes filled with something I failed to read. "You are not ready yet."


    I flinched like he had pped me. "What?"


    "You are not ready," he repeated, softer this time, as if it would sting less. "We should take our time."


    Heat rose in my cheeks - first in confusion, then humiliation.


    "What does that even mean?" I asked as I sat up and pulled the nket around myself. "You kissed me. You carried me to the bed. And now I¡¯m not ready?"


    "I didn¡¯t mean it like that," he said while trying to reach for me again. "Mallory-"


    "No, exin it," I said as I pulled away. "Because to me, it sounds like you think I¡¯m too young. Or too inexperienced. Or not good enough."


    "No," he growled. "That¡¯s not it."


    "Then what is it?" My voice cracked this time, and I hated it.


    He stood up then and started pacing the room like a storm barely holding itself together. "Because if I go any further, I won¡¯t be able to stop," he said, finally facing me. "And I don¡¯t want to make you regret this."


    My breath caught.


    Regret?


    He thought I would regret him?


    The room was spinning.


    "I don¡¯t regret you," I said quietly.


    He closed his eyes like it physically hurt to hear that. "But I would regret rushing you. Hurting you."


    "You are hurting me right now," I whispered, blinking fast.


    He came forward again and kneeled in front of me. His hands were hovering like he wanted to touch me but didn¡¯t trust himself to.


    "Mallory," he said and his voice broke a little, "I never thought this was even possible. That you were possible. You don¡¯t understand how hard it is for me to even be in this room without touching you. But I don¡¯t want this to start with pressure or guilt. I want it to be right. For both of us."


    I stared down at him as tears threatened to fall.


    "You think I don¡¯t want that too?" I asked in a barely audible voice. "You think I haven¡¯t waited? Dreamed? Prayed for this day toe?"


    "I know," he said. "I know."


    "Then why does it feel like you are rejecting me?" My voice cracked, and I hated how small I sounded.


    He reached up to cup my face, but I turned away.


    He sighed heavily and stepped back. "I should go," he said after a moment of silence.


    I didn¡¯t say anything.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Because I knew if I spoke, I would start crying and wouldn¡¯t be able to stop.


    He hesitated at the door, waiting... hoping... for something. But when I didn¡¯t say anything, he slipped out quietly and closed it behind him.


    The second the door clicked shut, the tears came.


    Big, hot, aching tears that spilled down my cheeks and soaked the pillow I buried my face into.


    I cried for what could have been.


    For what wasn¡¯t.


    And for the space that now was feeling bigger than ever between us.

 Chapter 115: Falling For Her

    <h4>Chapter 115: Falling For Her</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    The moment I stepped out of the shower and looked at myself in the mirror, I knew exactly where I wanted to be. Not pacing around like a lovesick fool, not waiting for the "right time" to show her how much she meant to me... but with her.


    Eva.


    Even the thought of her name stirred something deep within me. It wasn¡¯t the wild heat of the mate bond alone, though that fire never really died. No, this was something different. Stronger. Deeper.


    It was the way her eyes softened when she was thinking, the way her shoulders held a strength she didn¡¯t even realize she had. She was fierce andpassionate, unafraid and yet so damn vulnerable it made my heart ache.


    With every passing day, I was falling harder. And it wasn¡¯t just because the universe decided we were fated. It was because <i>she</i> was everything I never thought I would find in someone. Brave, stubborn, resilient, kind. She was a contradiction of softness and steel that kept pulling me in.


    I hadn¡¯t nned to fall in love with her. But I was. Hard and fast.


    I made my way to her room. My each step was heavy with the anticipation that I could finally have a moment with her alone. Not as the instructor. Not as someone she should avoid or resist. But as a man in love... with every intention of earning her trust, her heart, and maybe, one day, her forever.


    I knocked once, softly, then again, louder. And when she opened the door, I found myself looking at her in nothing but a bathrobe. Her cheeks were flushed from the shower, hair was damp and falling around her face. And I forgot every ounce of restraint I was trying to build over the past few days.


    Beautiful didn¡¯t even begin to describe her.


    Without a word, I quickly slipped inside the room, not wanting anyone to notice us like this. Thest thing I wanted was for her to be the center of attention at the Academy because she got tangled up with me.


    I did watch her narrowing her eyes at me in half-hearted annoyance, but she didn¡¯t tell me to leave. And that was all the invitation I needed.


    "You can¡¯t keep doing this," she said. Her voice was soft butcked conviction.


    "Doing what?" I stepped closer. Her presence was already making the air feel heavier, sweeter.


    <fn81b9> Fresh chapters posted on find~novel</fn81b9>


    "Showing up unannounced. Kissing me. Getting into my head."


    God, how I wanted to be in her head. In her world. In her life.


    I took her hand and let my thumb trace over the soft skin of her wrist before lifting her fingers to my lips. "You say that like I¡¯m the only one feeling this, Evaline."


    She sucked in a breath. I felt it in the way her fingers twitched in my hand. I never called her by her full name unless I wanted her attention. And tonight, I wanted all of it.


    The faint twitch of her lips betrayed her. She tried to re. But she was smiling underneath it. I saw it.


    "Oscar-"


    "You are still thinking too much," I interrupted while stepping so close I felt the warmth of her against me. "You always think. Always run. When all I want..."


    I leaned in, brushing my lips against her temple, her cheek, until I hovered just at the corner of her mouth.


    "...is for you to finally stay."


    She didn¡¯t pull away. And I knew then... she wanted to stay too.


    The moment our lips met, it was like striking a match in a room already filled with gasoline. It wasn¡¯t just passion, it was hunger. A desperate need that had been simmering for days, weeks, maybe even longer.


    Her hands gripped my shirt, pulling me closer as my fingers slid through her damp hair, anchoring her to me like she was the only thing keeping me grounded.


    And maybe she was.


    Her robe slipped a little, revealing the curve of her shoulder. My mouth moved there without thinking, trailing kisses along her skin as she sighed into me.


    She didn¡¯t push me away. Instead, her hands found the hem of my shirt and slipped under it, her fingers grazing over my stomach and making me inhale deeply at the contact.


    BANG. BANG. BANG.


    The sound of urgent knocking startled both of us.


    I groaned, cursing whoever was outside that door.


    "Don¡¯t," I muttered, grabbing her hips and kissing her again before she could pull away. "They will leave."


    But then-


    "Eva... are you there?" Mallory¡¯s voice broke through, cracking like she had been crying.


    Eva stiffened in my arms.


    "It¡¯s Mallory," she whispered against my lips. "Something¡¯s wrong."


    I didn¡¯t want to let her go. But how could I stop her after hearing that voice?


    She pushed gently at my chest. "You have to hide."


    I looked around the room. There was nothing there to hide. No drapes thick enough. No ce big enough to squeeze into.


    And we were on the sixth floor. Jumping out of the window would have been idiotic, even for me.


    Eva moved quickly, fixing her robe and smoothing her hair. "Just wait by the door. I¡¯ll keep her distracted. When I pull her into the room, slip out."


    I didn¡¯t want to leave. Not like this. Not when we were finally... finally getting somewhere.


    But I knew she was worried for her friend. So I nodded and stepped back, waiting silently by the edge of the door as she cracked it open.


    "Mallory?" Her voice was warm, concerned. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "I-I just needed someone," Mallory choked out in a trembling voice. "I didn¡¯t know where else to go."


    "It¡¯s okay," Eva said softly and stepped aside to let her in. "Come here."


    As Mallory stepped inside, I slipped out as quietly and quickly as I could. The air in the hallway felt much colder than it had a minute ago.


    I leaned against the wall just beyond her room, breathing hard. My heart was still racing, not from the escape, but from her. From everything that just happened. Everything she made me feel.


    I was falling for her. Hard.

 Chapter 116: Jasper’s Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 116: Jasper¡¯s Secrets</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    By the time I slipped out of Eva¡¯s room and into the quiet hallway, my mind was racing, but not with the heat still lingering from our kiss. No, that fire had been doused the moment I heard Mallory¡¯s broken voice from behind the door. And the expression on her face had only confirmed what I already suspected.


    Something was seriously wrong.


    And there was only one person who could possibly be the reason behind it.


    Jasper.


    Instead of the elevator, I headed for the stairs, taking two at a time. My boots almost made no sound against the plush carpeting of the hotel floor. The building was quiet, wrapped in thatte-night stillness where even time seemed to slow. It was close to midnight, and most of the students and staff had already retreated to their rooms.


    Except for Jasper.


    Sure enough, I found him in the dimly lit lobby on the ground floor. He was sitting on the farthest couch, near the darkened window. He didn¡¯t notice me immediately, and for a second, I stood there watching him.


    He was looking like hell.


    Elbows on his knees, head low, fingers tangled in his hair. His shirt was wrinkled, the top few buttons undone, and there was something raw in the way he stared at the floor, like he was battling something he didn¡¯t know how to fight.


    The only difference between him and Mallory was that he wasn¡¯t crying.


    I moved toward him and dropped onto the couch beside him. The cushions shifted under my weight, and only then did he look up.


    "What did you do?" I asked bluntly. "What the hell did you do to make her cry?"


    He blinked before his eyes widened just slightly. The confusion on his face was genuine and immediate. "She¡¯s crying?"


    That told me everything I needed to know.


    He hadn¡¯t meant to hurt her.


    Which didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t.


    Jasper groaned and scrubbed his face with his palms like he could somehow wipe away the guilt gathering in his bones. "Shit."


    "Yeah," I muttered as I rested my arms on the back of the couch. "Shit."


    We sat in silence for a while. The only sounds were the soft hum of the AC and the distant ck of the receptionist typing behind the counter. No one else was around. Just two screwed-up men with mates we were trying to impress.


    Eventually, Jasper let out a long, tired sigh. "I did something... that probably upset her. I didn¡¯t realize it would make her cry."


    I turned slightly, watching him with narrowed eyes. "What exactly did you do?"


    He let out another breath, heavier this time, and shook his head. "We were getting close. Too close. And... I pulled away."


    That was vague as hell. But I had a feeling I didn¡¯t want the details.


    "She probably thought it was because of her," he added quietly. "And I didn¡¯t give her a reason. So yeah, I get it now. I messed up."


    I stayed quiet for a moment. Processing. Watching the lines of stress carved into his face.


    Then I asked the question that had been sitting at the tip of my tongue since I saw Mallory¡¯s shattered expression.


    "Why would you pull away, Jasper?"


    He stiffened.


    The silencested for a while before he finally answered. "Because she doesn¡¯t know."


    "Doesn¡¯t know what?"


    He lifted his eyes to mine, and the weight in them almost made me flinch.


    "About Liliana."


    My heart sank as the realization hit me hard.


    Liliana was Jasper¡¯s seven year old daughter from his first mate - the one he lost years ago.


    I nearly forgot that he still hadn¡¯t told Mallory about any of it.


    <fnb276> Content originallyes from Find~Novel</fnb276>


    "She¡¯s my second chance," he confessed in a raw voice. "I didn¡¯t expect to get one. And I didn¡¯t expect it to be her. She¡¯s so... young. So full of life. She deserves more than a broken man dragging his past behind him."


    I didn¡¯t say anything. I let him talk. Because this wasn¡¯t something he shared easily.


    "I was going to tell her," he continued. "Eventually. Just... not yet. I wanted to give us time. Let her get to know me. Not my past. Not the pain or the baggage. Just me. Jasper."


    I nodded slowly, understanding more than he probably thought I could.


    "She doesn¡¯t even know I had a mate before," he admitted. "She doesn¡¯t know about Liliana. She¡¯s seven, Oscar. Seven."


    There was a beat of silence.


    "And Mallory... she¡¯s eighteen."


    When he put it that way, that part hit differently.


    "I know how that sounds," Jasper said quickly, seeing the expression I wore. "I know she¡¯s technically an adult, and the bond is real, and she¡¯s my mate. But gods, Oscar... she¡¯s still in her first year at the Academy. She hasn¡¯t even figured out who she is yet. What kind of life she wants. How can I throw a child into the mix and expect her to be okay with it?"


    I leaned back and stared at the ceiling.


    "She has a right to know," I said quietly. "About Liliana. About everything."


    "I know," Jasper said. "I just... I¡¯m scared, man. What if she walks away? What if she hears the truth and decides she doesn¡¯t want this? Doesn¡¯t want me? I don¡¯t think I can handle losing a second mate."


    He sounded so damn tired when he said it.


    And despite everything, despite the fact that I had always seen him as the man with everything under control, I saw now just how fragile he was under the surface. The man had lost a mate, was raising a child alone, and now had a bond with someone who might be too young to handle it all.


    "You think I don¡¯t understand?" I asked quietly, turning my head to him.


    He frowned. "Sorry Alpha, but you don¡¯t have a mate. And you are not dating an eighteen-year-old."


    I huffed out a breath, almostughing.


    If only he knew.


    If only he knew how badly I wanted to scream that I did have a mate.


    That she was young. Bright. Complex. Beautiful. And absolutely, infuriatingly off-limits.


    He didn¡¯t know about Eva.


    No one did.


    Not yet.


    So I just shook my head and said nothing, letting him think what he wanted to think. Because his struggle tonight wasn¡¯t about me. It was about him, and the girl upstairs crying in my mate¡¯s arms because the man she loved couldn¡¯t say the one thing she needed to hear.


    "I don¡¯t think she wants perfect," I said softly. "I think she just wants honesty. Maybe even a little reassurance. You are scared she¡¯ll run. But she¡¯s up there crying because you already did."


    He let out a bitterugh. "I didn¡¯t run."


    "You didn¡¯t stay either."


    He pressed his hands to his face again, groaning. "I don¡¯t know how to fix this."


    "Start by telling her the truth," I said, standing up. "You don¡¯t have to unload everything in one night. But give her the choice to stay. Or go. Just... don¡¯t lie to her. Not by silence. Not by omission."


    He didn¡¯t answer right away.


    So I left him there, sitting in the shadows of the lobby, hoping he would take the advice he would have given me if the roles were reversed.


    Because if there was one thing I knew, it was this - Love wasn¡¯t about perfection. It was about effort.


    And if he didn¡¯t fight for her soon, someone else just might.


    Because Mallory may be young, but she wasn¡¯t stupid.


    And hearts? They don¡¯t wait forever.

 Chapter 117: Her Broken Bond

    <h4>Chapter 117: Her Broken Bond</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment I opened the door and saw Mallory¡¯s face, I knew something was terribly wrong.


    She was standing there like a ghost with red eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. Her lips were trembling as though she was holding herself together by a thread. Her clothes were slightly wrinkled, her hair tangled from tossing around, and the moment our eyes met, she looked away like she was ashamed to be seen.


    I let her in and let out a sigh of relief when Oscar sessfully slipped out of the room.


    Mallory brushed past me with slow, uncertain steps. Her shoulders were curled inward as though they were carrying the weight of the world. I closed the door gently and followed her into the room.


    Instead of bombarding her with questions, I quietly guided her to the small couch near the window. She copsed onto it, sinking into the cushions like her entire body had finally given out. I grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-fridge, poured her a ss, and ced it into her hands before sitting beside her.


    Her hands were cold and her fingers were barely clutching the ss.


    Without a word, I began rubbing soft circles on her back, slow and calming, letting the silence stretch until she was ready. I was able to feel her shaking beneath my hand. Her breath kept hitching now and then, but I didn¡¯t push.


    She broke the silence first... in a cracking voice.


    "I¡¯m sorry... I just... I didn¡¯t know where else to go."


    I turned to her sharply. "Hey, don¡¯t say that," I said softly. "You can alwayse to me. No matter the time, no matter the reason."


    She swallowed hard, her throat working visibly. Her eyes stayed fixed on the water in herp, like she didn¡¯t have the strength to meet my gaze.


    "What happened?" I finally asked as I kept moving my hand gently against her back.


    She didn¡¯t respond for a moment, but then her shoulders trembled with a deep exhale.


    "It was Jasper," she whispered.


    And that was all I needed to understand.


    My concern deepened, but I didn¡¯t interrupt her. I just waited as she gathered her words.


    "We were... together. Alone in our room. Everything was going well. Sweet. Intense. And then he just... he stopped. Like...pletely pulled away."


    I frowned but kept quiet, letting her speak.


    "I don¡¯t know why," she continued, her voice rising with emotion. "One second he was touching me like I was his whole world, and the next, it¡¯s like I had done something wrong. Like he realized halfway through that... it¡¯s not right."


    "Oh, Mallory-"


    "I know, I know I¡¯m probably being stupid," she said quickly, wiping her cheeks. "There¡¯s a part of me that knows I¡¯m overthinking this. That maybe he just had a reason. A good one. But there¡¯s another part... the bigger part... that just keeps screaming that he didn¡¯t want me. That he was disgusted by me."


    My heart clenched as I listened to her voice shake.


    "He always keeps his distance," she continued bitterly. "Even before tonight. He never kisses me unless I initiate it first, never touches me unless I lean into him. And I thought it was just because he respected me, that he wanted to take things slow because of my age or whatever. I appreciated that. I liked that."


    She let out a sharp breath, wiping angrily at a fresh tear. "But tonight... it didn¡¯t feel like that. It felt like he was afraid to touch me. Like he was holding himself back not for me... but from me. And that¡¯s what broke me, Eva. That¡¯s what made me feel so... so unwanted."


    She pressed a fist against her chest like she was physically trying to keep her heart from falling apart.


    "I¡¯m scared," she whispered. "So damn scared that he doesn¡¯t want me. That maybe he¡¯s just with me because of the mate bond, but deep down he¡¯s regretting it. And if he ever says those words... if he ever rejects me... I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll survive it."


    I didn¡¯t realize I was crying until she turned her face into my shoulder, her small body curling toward mine like a wounded child.


    "Oh, Mal..." I murmured, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her into my embrace. "I¡¯m so sorry. I know how badly it hurts to feel like you are the only one fighting for something that shoulde naturally."


    "I thought he was different," she whispered. "He¡¯s so good to me most of the time. So gentle. But now I don¡¯t know what to believe. I feel like I¡¯m going crazy, Eva."


    "You are not," I said firmly. "You are not crazy, you are not wrong, and you are not alone."


    She sniffled, pulling back just slightly as her red eyes met mine. "You say that like you have been through this too."


    I paused.


    I hadn¡¯t meant to say those words out loud. They had just... slipped. But now her eyes were locked on mine, expectant and confused.


    I sighed.


    "Yeah," I murmured. "I have been there."


    She blinked. "You mean..."


    "I had a mate once," I admitted quietly, staring past her and into a memory that still stung. "I have known him since I was eleven. We were together before we ever confirmed the bond. His name was Ethan."


    She stayed silent, listening intently.


    "He was older than me," I continued, my voice distant now. "He turned eighteen a few months before I did. We were already close by then. Dating, I guess. Or something like it. But he never said anything about the bond. Never told me if he felt it."


    "You weren¡¯t sure if he was your mate?" Mallory asked gently.


    "I hoped," I admitted. "Every night I prayed for it. But I couldn¡¯t be sure. And then... the night I turned eighteen, I felt it. The bond. So strong, so real. It nearly knocked me off my feet."


    I paused, feeling the old pain rise again. The humiliation. The grief.


    "So the next day, I went to him. With my heart pounding, so full of hope... and he rejected me."


    Mallory¡¯s eyes widened. "He what?"


    I gave a bitter smile. "Said he wanted someone stronger. Someone who wasn¡¯t weak. Who wasn¡¯t wolfless like me. He said he couldn¡¯t waste his future on a mate who couldn¡¯t even shift."


    Her hand found mine, and she squeezed it hard.


    "I thought it was the end of the world," I whispered. "I cried for days. I hated myself. I hated my wolf... orck of one. I felt like I was unworthy. Useless. Like I was just something to be pitied and passed over."


    "Eva..." Mallory¡¯s voice was barely audible.


    "But I survived," I said softly. "And I came out stronger. I don¡¯t need him anymore. He made his choice, and I have made mine. I¡¯ll rise on my own."


    Mallory stared at me with awe and sorrow in her eyes. "You are so strong," she whispered a momentter. "And brave."


    I shook my head. "No. Just... determined not to break. And I think you are too."


    She fell silent, wiping thest of her tears. But her shoulders were straighter now. Her breathing more even.


    "Thank you for telling me," she whispered.


    "I¡¯m always here," I said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Always."


    For the first time that night, she smiled. It was small. Shaky. But it was there.


    <fnb412> For more chapters visit f?ndnovel</fnb412>


    And I knew, somehow, that we would both make it through.


    She ended up staying the night.


    She curled up beside me on the bed. Her hair was still slightly damp from the quick shower she had taken to wash the tears and tension off. We didn¡¯t turn off the lightspletely, leaving the bedsidemp on with its warm, orange glow casting soft shadows around us.


    Neither of us felt like sleeping.


    Instead, wey side by side, whispering in the quiet darkness about everything and nothing - boys, the Academy, awkward first kisses, the terrifying reality of being mated before you are even ready to love, and the silly little things that used to bother us before the weight of the bond and heartbreak made them seem trivial.


    We painted little dreams in the air - of what life could be like if things were simpler, if we weren¡¯t tangled in bonds andplicated emotions. Of maybe living in a tiny cottage with a garden, with no packs or expectations, just freedom. Just peace.


    Eventually, Mallory rested her head on my shoulder. Her breathing haf finally turned even and her voice sounded soft as she whispered, "I¡¯m really d I have you."


    I turned slightly and brushed a kiss to her hair. "Me too."


    And in that quiet, safe bubble of shared pain and unspoken promises, we drifted off together. Not as broken girls, but as two best friends who, no matter what, would never let each other break alone again.

 Chapter 118: Deeper into Halendor Ruins

    <h4>Chapter 118: Deeper into Halendor Ruins</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The hotel¡¯s dining hall was already buzzing by the time sunlight started streaming through the grand windows.


    Students and staff were all preparing for the second day of the trip. Today, we were going to venture deeper into the Halendor Ruins - past the outer circle and further into the third and second circles.


    I focused my attention on tying bothces on my boots, not because I needed to, but because I had learned that small routines helped steady my nerves. My stomach was fluttery with a mix of excitement and nerves.


    I was excited to learn more in the ruins, and nervous because I kept sneaking nces at Oscar despite knowing better. What made thetter worse was that he too was looking at me most of the time.


    It was a miracle that no one had noticed us so far... except for Rowan and Kyros.


    Ignoring those two, I did a double check on my backpack. It had my notebooks, pencil kit, sample collecting packets and small containers, water, and a light lunch.


    Once I was assured that I was ready for the day, I settled down at the table and dived into food.


    Mallory was sitting beside me as usual, but her cheerful side was nowhere to be seen today. She was still carrying the shadow of yesterday, and everyone at our table had noticed it. But no one had the time to ask questions as Professor Aldric was rushing us.


    With the breakfast done, we all headed out of the hotel with our backpacks.


    Our hike was scheduled for forty-five minutes. For the werewolves, this was more like a leisurely trot. But for me, every upward step stung. My muscles were shaking the closer we got to the next field site, and my chest was burning in that peculiar "wolfless" way - like my lungs just didn¡¯t know they belonged in this terrain.


    But I didn¡¯t slow to a halt. If I had any chance of going on these trips without constant worry and feeling like a burden, I had to push.


    And my friends... they proved once again why I had been calling them friends all this time. It turned out both Kyros and Noah had packed extra water bottles as they knew I would need more than just 1 bottle that I packed for myself.


    The group also slowed down to match my pace, finding excuses every now and then to stop and let me catch my breath.


    Thanks to them, I didn¡¯t fall behind.


    We reached the circle of ruins ten minutester than the rest of the students. The secondyer wasrger, stones taller, glyphs ancient and deeper. Moss was crawling into crevices while vines were curling around edges. Magic was filling the air like perfume.


    Professor Aldric assembled us, briefing us on the main runes located around in third circle. We split into our respective groups to continue studying more runes.


    Freya had her tablet ready to capture more images. Cedric and Ria had their notebooks in hands just like me as we started sketching down runes. The only person who just silently watched everything was Rowan.


    If not for him proving the day before that he had a photogenic memory, he might have ended up causing chaos in our group as he was physically making no effort to help. Not only that, after returning to the hotel, he did his part well, satisfying the rest of our group members.


    I just finished sketching a rune and was moving through the huge rocks lining the ruins, when my gazended on a spiral-branched moss. Without wasting any time, I crouched to gather a sample.


    <fn6a82> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find{n}ovel</fn6a82>


    What Ipletely failed to notice was that there were two pairs of eyes watching me - Professor Aldric and Oscar.


    The next moment, Professor Aldric pped his hands to get everyone¡¯s attention.


    "Evaluate the site as a living entity," he said. "Draw from every sense - touch, smell, sight, memory. Runes, flora, fauna, even sounds. Let this be aplete study, not just for the Runes project."


    He paused and his gaze drifted over us. "Take Evaline¡¯s example. Yesterday, she cataloged herb species and spell impressions around the ruins. And she¡¯s doing the same today as well while keeping up with the main project."


    Turning, he set his attention on me. "It¡¯s not effort, but authenticity. This is what you call true learning. And that is what life-long study demands."


    I gave the professor a half-hearted smile. He just stumbled upon me in the study lounge the previous day when I was studying the herbs samples I gathered from the outer circle of ruins. Little did I know that he was going to use that to inspire the rest of the ss.


    But I knew better than to believe that the students were going to like it, at least the majority of them, and my belief turned out right when I heard Nadine¡¯s voice merely seconds after Professor Aldric finished speaking.


    "Nice show, Evaline," she said in a voice that was dripping with disdain. "Who knew gathering moss in the middle of nowhere could look so academic?"


    One of her flunkies added, "Maybe if she stopped collecting weeds, she would run faster."


    The chuckles were loud enough to catch Professor Aldric and the Instructors¡¯ attention, and it made me feel slightly embarrassed.


    But I wasn¡¯t alone. I hadn¡¯t been since the day Kieran dropped me at the Academy camp for the entrance exam.


    Selene turned sharply and called, "Actually, she¡¯s demonstrating a model every student should learn."


    Rowan fixed his gaze on Nadine and her group, and when he spoke, his voice was ice-cold. "Maybe you can run faster if you spent more time reading and less time whining."


    He flicked his gaze toward me, and a small but warm smile grazed his lips. "But again, the only thing fast about you is that mouth of yours."


    The gasps and chuckles were far louder this timepared to what I received just seconds ago. I gave my friends a grateful look and they smiled back at me.


    We eventually returned to continue studying before stopping at noon for lunch break. We got an hour to settle down and rest before heading to the second circle to continue studying more runes.


    On our way, I fell into steps beside Mallory, noticing that she had been extremely silent the whole day. I didn¡¯t speak, just walked with her to let her know she wasn¡¯t alone.


    Minutester, she finally spoke. "Eva, thanks forst night. I... feel a little more like me, today."


    I nodded. "You are allowed to be hurt. He¡¯s allowed to be scared. Now it¡¯s time to trust. You deserve rity."


    She stared ahead for a few moments. Then looked at me. "Do you think I was... overreacting?"


    I inhaled. Thinking.


    "No. Being hurt doesn¡¯t mean you are overreacting. It means you matter."


    She swallowed. "But what if I¡¯m childish? What if he sees me like that?"


    "You can¡¯t be childish for standing up for your heart," I challenged gently. "He¡¯s the one with the power, to guide you through this. If he¡¯s honest with you, you¡¯ll know. The trust isn¡¯t your job to fix. It¡¯s his to earn."


    Mallory rxed a little. "Okay. Thank you."


    I reached out and squeezed her hand and she finally smiled for the first time sincest night.


    Once we were at second circle, we once again split into our respective groups to study the runes. I was alone under a broken stone arch, when I noticed something glimmering at the corner of my vision.


    It turned out to be a tiny, barely noticeable, energy ripple.


    I immediately nced around to see if anyone had noticed it too and found Oscar making his way toward me, catching attention from certain students whom hepletely ignored.


    He stopped next to me as I bent over to touch the ripple. It was like a disturbance in the runic ne.


    "Good eye," he said quietly. "That tends to mean... a seal line. Maybe created to shield, or protect, a site."


    I swallowed, staring into stone. It could be a barrier... or a trap.


    "Let¡¯s keep it documented." Oscar suggested, keeping his tone and attitude soft yet professional. With that, he walked away and I had to force myself to not let my gaze follow him.


    The rest of the day passed in a blur. We all continued to work until Professor Aldric called a halt, announcing that it¡¯s time for us to return to the hotel.


    With everything packed, we all started our descent. After such a long day, almost everyone was tired. So we all were mostly quiet, except for a whisper here or there.


    We were halfway through the way back to hotel, when... the silence shattered.

 Chapter 119: The Injured Student

    <h4>Chapter 119: The Injured Student</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Everything was fine one moment, and then-


    A sharp, terrified scream split the calm air, cutting through the silence like a de.


    Gasps followed as someone shouted a name. Students froze and all our heads snapped toward the direction of the sound. My heart was lodged in my throat as I turned in time to spot someone slipping off the trail¡¯s edge where the ground had given away.


    He failed wildly as he slid on the gravel and dirt, and then suddenly, he wasn¡¯t. Fortunately, there were thick and sturdy vines that tangled around his torso and arm, catching him before he could plummet to the depths below.


    But he was hanging.


    Hanging over nothing but air and jagged rocks hundreds of feet down.


    Panic exploded among the students.


    "Oh my god!"


    "Is he going to fall?!"


    "Help him - somebody do something!"


    <fn668c> For more chapters visit fin?novel</fn668c>


    "Stay calm!" Oscar¡¯s voice boomed through the cries. He immediately moved through the crowd with his arms extended to keep others back. "Everyone stay where you are! Do not move unless you are told!"


    Professor Aldric rushed to his side with a serious and unreadable expression. "Instructor Corey, Beta Jasper," he called sharply. "We need him up. Now."


    "Let me handle it." Oscar interrupted.


    I watched as he and Jasper didn¡¯t waste a single minute before they were already moving down the slope, steady and quick despite the crumbling terrain.


    I didn¡¯t even realize that I hadpletely frozen in my ce until I felt Mallory¡¯s warm, yet shaky, hand slipping into mine. Her gaze was fixed on the spot from where Jasper just went down with Oscar to rescue our ssmate.


    I squeezed her hand softly while I too kept my attention on Oscar.


    Most of the students were still standing there in stunned horror because of the boy¡¯s terrified screams that were echoing up the cliffs as he dangled from the vines. His fingers were losing strength, increasing his panic and fear.


    "He can¡¯t shift," someone muttered. "He¡¯s in too much pain, too afraid... he can¡¯t shift!"


    I inhaled sharply as I too noticed the injury. The guy was bleeding. I was able to see red soaking through the leg of his pants, and one of his arms was bent at a disturbing angle. He must have hit the rocks during his fall before grabbing the vines.


    Fortunately, Oscar was here.


    He moved like a predator - agile, graceful, and utterly focused. There was something about the way he descended toward the boy that made my breath hitch. Power was radiating from his every movement and his Rogue Alpha aura was crackling in the air around him like a storm ready to break loose.


    With Jasper guiding from above and Oscar climbing lower, they reached the boy hanging from the vines within minutes.


    "Don¡¯t move," Oscar said, trying to reassure the boy. "We have got you."


    "I-It hurts," the boy, named Gavin, whimpered.


    "I know. We are going to get you out."


    Oscar anchored himself with one foot against the mountain ledge and reached for the vines. He didn¡¯t even flinch at the risk.


    Rowan and Kyros joined Instructor Corey and tossed a rope for Oscar to tie around Gavin. Once he was secured, they started pulling him up little by little. Jasper was there in the mid-way to help Gavin up while being as careful with his injuries as possible.


    It felt like time slowed down. Every second was stretching longer than thest.


    And then... sighs of relief filled the air as Gavin was sessfully pulled up to safety. Kyros caught hold of him and pulled him further back onto the safe ground, and Instructor Corey was there within seconds.


    The n was help Gavin shift so that he could start healing. But he ended up passing out the moment his brain realized that he was in safe hands.


    "His leg," Ria whispered behind me. "It¡¯s broken. And his shoulder looks dislocated."


    "He couldn¡¯t even shift," someone else said in a shaky voice.


    Instructor Corey didn¡¯t waste a second and gently lifted Gavin onto his back with Oscar¡¯s help.


    "We need to take him to thf hotel quickly," he said.


    "But-" Professor Aldric began, "-what about a healer? Should we call someone from the Academy?"


    "No use. It¡¯ll take hours for them to reach here," Corey replied, already starting up the trail with careful steps. "We¡¯ll have to check for one in the nearest town once we reach the hotel."


    I could feel the uncertainty and fear in everyone around me. The instructors were already murmuring to each other about medical options nearby, trying to decide what would be best, while still managing thirty other students.


    So... before I could rethink, I stepped forward. "I can help."


    Every eye turned to me. I felt their stares, their confusion.


    "I¡¯m not a healer," I said quickly, "but I know my way around herbs and potions. I might be able to ease his pain, enough so he can shift and let his wolf heal him."


    Oscar¡¯s gaze was the most intense of all. His eyes locked onto mine, and I could tell... he believed in me.


    Professor Aldric approached. "Evaline... are you sure?"


    "Yes." My voice didn¡¯t waver. "Just give me fifteen minutes and some supplies."


    He exchanged a quick look with the Instructors and it was Oscar who made the decision. "Alright. Tell me what you need?"


    "I collected some herbs yesterday, but I still need red-mugwort root to make the potion. Try asking the hotel staff if they had one. I will also need ess to their kitchen, and alcohol." I quickly listed down the items I needed.


    He gave a single nod and turned to face Instructor Corey. "You take the kid back to hotel first." He then turned his attention to Professor Aldric and Jasper. "Help the rest of the students on the way back."


    Instructor Corey immediately disappeared in the growing darkness. As for Oscar, he took out his phone and called someone, seemingly someone from the hotel.


    Once he finished the call, he returned to my side. "You areing with me."

 Chapter 120: Worried Mate

    <h4>Chapter 120: Worried Mate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Why are you so nervous?"


    I was jolted out of my thoughts when he suddenly asked the question. We had left the rest of the ss behind and were about ten minutes away from the hotel.


    "Well... do you really need to ask?" I questioned while tightening my hold on his neck.


    Though I couldn¡¯t see his face as I was on his back, I could still tell that he was smiling. He didn¡¯t respond and continued gracefully descending the mountains.


    Instead of ten minutes, Oscar brought the two of us at the hotel in only five minutes, finally allowing me to get down from his back.


    The manager led me to the kitchen while Oscar left to grab the herbs from my room. For the next fifteen minutes, I was busy preparing the potion - measuring, crushing, grinding, and mixing the herbs.


    Once it was ready, Oscar led me to one of the rooms on ground floor where Instructor Corey was waiting with an unconscious Gavin.


    "We will need to set his arm back in ce first." He informed Oscar as we stepped inside.


    Gavin¡¯s right arm was turned at an unnatural angle. Just looking at it made me feel the pain.


    "Let me do it." Oscar said as he moved to set Gavin¡¯s arm in ce. His hands were steady as he gently pressed and coaxed the bones back into ce with a soft click.


    Gavin groaned, clearly in pain, but didn¡¯t open his eyes. When the joint snapped into line, all of us exhaled in slight relief.


    "Here¡¯s the potion." I handed the bowl to Instructor Corey who helped Gavin drink it.


    "He¡¯ll shift soon. I¡¯ll stay with him," he said once he finished cleaning the wounds on Gavin¡¯s body. "Thanks to you, he¡¯s stable now."


    "I just did what I could." I whispered back, feeling slightly overwhelmed at the sheer appreciation and approval in the Instructor¡¯s eyes.


    "You did great. You can return to join your friends now."


    I sneaked a nce at Oscar before slipping out of the room and heading to find my group.


    All the students were present in the dining hall with Professor Aldric and Jasper. The moment they noticed me, the former quickly asked, "How¡¯s the boy now?"


    "The instructors have set his arm back in ce and cleaned his wounds. He has drank the pain relieving potion as well. Instructor Corey said that he will be able to shift in a while now." I answered, keeping my voice loud enough for others to hear because I could tell they all were dying to know. Not because they cared, but because they all were shook from the incident.


    The relief was clear on everyone¡¯s faces. Instead of heading to our rooms, we all sat down for dinner. And once we were done, we were sent to our rooms directly with strict instructions from Oscar to not cause any further episodes for the day.


    Before I left the dining area, he approached me and softly reminded, "Make sure to lock your room and get good sleep. I might be too busy tonight to join you."


    I nodded and hurried away to catch up with Mallory. "Want to stay with me tonight?"


    She paused and nced down the corridor toward Jasper¡¯s room. "Actually... I should probably check in with him."


    <fn3932> Official source is F?ndNovel</fn3932>


    As if on cue, the door opened and Jasper stepped out of his room. Mallory exhaled in relief before she took a small step toward him, while he closed the remaining distance.


    I watched as the two of them gotpletely lost in each other the moment their eyes met. That was more than enough sign for me to take my leave. And I did, hoping for things to work out in my friend¡¯s favor this particr night.


    I finally reached my own room and locked the door behind me. After such a long day out in the mountains, I was desperate for a shower. The water washed away not only the grime of the day, but also the tiredness and anxiety. I leaned into the stream, letting the water fall down on my back.


    Once I was done washing up, I put on the bathrobe and wrapped my hair in a towel before stepping out of the bathroom. I just finished doing my three-steps skincare routine when my phone started buzzing.


    I picked up the phone and realized that it was actually a call from Draven.


    My breath caught.


    He asked me to stay in touch with him during the trip before I left the Academy, and I hadpletely forgotten about it because of everything going on around me.


    I knew that he had sent me several messages, but I still hadn¡¯t opened them. With a sigh, I reached out to answer the call, ready to apologize.


    "Hey," I whispered, half expecting him to startining immediately.


    But instead, his voice hit me with thunderous tension. "Eva-are you okay? I heard... what happened."


    I was stunned in silence for a while. "I-I¡¯m fine," I faltered. "It was... we handled it."


    There was a pause. Somehow, I was able to feel his concern even though we were miles apart. The silence stretched on for long enough to make me wonder if he was still there. And then he said softly, "Oscar called Kieran and informed about everything that happened there. I was close to him. So I... heard their conversation."


    I nodded my head in understanding but them realized he couldn¡¯t see me. But before I could have spoken, he continued, "How are things now? Are you really okay?"


    "It¡¯s... okay," I said carefully. "I¡¯m okay. Gavin, the boy who got injured, he¡¯s safe too. We are all safe. I just... I feel a little bit exhausted."


    He sighed, and I imagined the tension finally lifting off his shoulders. "Promise me you¡¯ll look after yourself."


    A small smile bloomed on my lips. "I promise."


    We talked a little more. It was mostly him talking about one thing or another, and me listening. But I was grateful for the change.


    When we ended the call half an hourter, I was in a much better mood. I quickly brushed my now dry hair, put on my pajamas, and slipped under the covers to get some much needed sleep.

 Chapter 121: Hopeful Beginnings

    <h4>Chapter 121: Hopeful Beginnings</h4>


    <strong>Mallory:</strong>


    I stumbled into the warm light of our hotel room. I was exhausted but still shaken from the day¡¯s events. Gavin¡¯s near-fatal fall had cast a long shadow over all of us, and my heart was still pounding with the memory of his wounds.


    I turned slowly to face Jasper who just locked the door. The two of us just stood there, staring at each other in a heavy silence.


    Before either of us could say a word, he stepped forward and closed the distance. His arms wrapped around me in a fierce, immediate hug - tighter and more protective than any embrace we had ever shared. It was as if he had spent all day fearing he might return toote.


    "I¡¯m here," he breathed into my hair. "You are safe."


    My lips trembled as I swallowed back tears. Slowly, I rxed against him, letting the steady beat of his heart anchor my own.


    When he finally drew back, we were mere inches apart. His eyes were lined with exhaustion and something like awe as he searched my face.


    "Are you-?" He swallowed hard. "Are you okay? About Gavin?"


    I managed a small nod. "I¡¯m fine. I mean, I was scared... but he¡¯s okay now."


    He pressed my hands between his, brushing his thumbs over my wrists.


    "Good," he murmured. "I couldn¡¯t..." His voice cracked as he looked away for a moment, then back. "I couldn¡¯t bear if anything happened to you. Hell, I noticed how shaken you were and yet... I couldn¡¯t be next to you."


    He pulled me onto the low couch. My heart was hammering - not from fear, not from stress, but from the closeness, the raw emotion in his voice.


    He settled down beside me, leaning close but not crowding my space.


    "Mallory," he began gently, "aboutst night..."


    I held my breath. Not sure what he was going to say next, and it made me feel even more anxious.


    He reached out and lifted my chin so I could meet his gaze.


    "I owe you an apology," he said in a low voice. "Not just for leaving, but for failing to exin. I know it hurt you... more than I even realized."


    "It¡¯s okay," I whispered, though my voice was shaking. "I... it felt like you didn¡¯t care."


    He winced. "I do. Stars, I do. I care so much it terrifies me. I wanted to spend good time with my mate... and I froze. Not because I don¡¯t want you... because I¡¯m terrified."


    <fn6495> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? Find_Novel(.</fn6495>


    My heart twisted. "Terrified of me?"


    He nodded. "Terrified of losing you. I can¡¯t control things. I didn¡¯t want to get close, only to hurt you. So I thought... if I keep distance, then I can protect you."


    I shook my head as tears started pricking my eyes. "Pushing me away didn¡¯t protect me. It hurt me."


    He touched my cheek, gently. "I know. And I¡¯m sorry. I was thinking of <i>me </i>- keeping my assumptions safe. But I should have thought of you."


    He paused, swallowing. "I¡¯m trying, Mallory. I want to be with you, not because... not despite my fear, but because with you, I feel more... stronger. Like I can be more than my past."


    His hand tightened over mine. "Can we talk this through? Honestly?"


    I nodded, blinking back tears. "Tell me, Jas. Why did you freeze? What were you thinking?"


    He exhaled, his shoulders dropping. "I did care. Too much. And I thought... what if you regret it? What if you feel tied down, used, or... overwhelmed?"


    I swallowed. "I¡¯m eighteen, almost neen. I¡¯m scared of all this, yes." I gestured between us, to the bond, to the intensity of being called his mate. "But I didn¡¯t want to regret itter. I wouldn¡¯t havee to you otherwise."


    He drew a soft breath. "Thank you." He brushed a stray strand of hair from my face. "Then understand me when I say, this is new for me too in a way. I have a past that has made me fear that loving again means losing again."


    I nudged closer, feeling his pain. "I... I understand."


    His eyes gleamed in the soft hotel light. He rose, only to kneel before me so we were eye-level even as he sat on the floor in front of the couch. He held my hands and bowed his head.


    "Mallory Campbell," he whispered, and used my full name. "I choose you. I¡¯m sorry it took me telling you this sone time, but I needed you to know that every inch of distance was me being afraid, not of <i>you</i>, but of losing <i>you</i>. And now... I won¡¯t run."


    I choked on my next breath. "Jasper, I..."


    He lifted his head, and I found his eyes glistening. "Let me prove it. I promise I¡¯ll share my past with you once I¡¯m ready, once we both are ready. And for now, let me hold you, talk to you... make up for peeling away when you needed me to pull in close."


    The quiet sincerity was like warm sunlight across my heart. I nodded as a smile curved the corners of my lips. "Yes."


    He moved to stand, offering a hand up. I epted, and he guided me in his arms. He held me gently, and I let myself rx into him. There were no words for a while, just the quiet cadence of two hearts aligning.


    He gave me kisses at my temple, cheek, hairline... affectionate, considerate. His lips left impressions of warmth and seal of promise.


    "I want us to work," he said atst in a low voice.


    "Me too," I whispered.


    We remained like that until I pulled away to get ready for the night. I quickly showered and put on my pajamas, letting him shower so that he could join me.


    We both slipped under the covers once he was out, and he silently pulled me into his arms. He held me as I curled against him, feeling the heaviness of sleep taking over me.


    He tucked the duvet around both of us. "Tomorrow," he murmured, "I¡¯ll be here. No more distance."


    I lifted my head to kiss him softly. It was a silent thank-you.


    And that kiss... it sealed everything - forgiveness, eptance, hopeful beginnings.

 Chapter 122: Innermost Circle of Ruins

    <h4>Chapter 122: Innermost Circle of Ruins</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Despite Gavin¡¯s unexpected ident the previous evening, our third day of the trip continued as nned.


    Early in the morning, around seven, the ss received a message from Professor Aldric in our group chat where he announced that we all would be setting out to explore the remaining parts of the Halendor Ruins as was initially nned.


    I just finished getting ready, and was packing my bag, when the familiar knocking on the door halted me.


    I knew who it was even before I opened the door. And just as I expected, I found him standing outside my room, looking almost breathtaking. He had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and the top two buttons of his deep blue shirt were left open, allowing me a sneak peak at his corbone.


    As my eyes finished taking in these little details and finally moved up to his face, I found him staring right at me with a knowing smirk. I felt my cheeks burning in embarrassment.


    <fn5d7d> Chapters first released on find¡¤novel</fn5d7d>


    I straightened, tucked stray strands behind my ears, and took a steadying breath. "Morning," I said and walked back to the bed where my half packed bag was waiting.


    "Good morning, Eva," he replied, crossing the threshold and closing the door behind him with a soft click. "How was your sleep?"


    "It was good," I replied without looking at him.


    I felt him stepping closer but still didn¡¯t look up. I was still embarrassed about getting caught red-handed while checking him out. He stopped right behind me and I was able to feel his warmth against my back.


    "Did you not miss me at all, Little Trouble?"


    I sucked in a deep breath at his sudden use of the nickname, one that I hadn¡¯t heard in a while. Before I could have turned to face him, I felt his hands slipping around my waist from behind as he pulled me into a back hug.


    "Sorry I couldn¡¯test night. Between Gavin¡¯s shift and ensuring no one else was up to causing any trouble, it was hard."


    "It¡¯s okay," I assured him. "I was fine."


    He paused, then offered, "You handled everything beautifully. The way you kept calm and helped with the potion... Kieran and Aldric were both impressed. And yeah, I informed the former. He would have found out eventually."


    I finally turned around to face him, and almost once again lost my breath at the sight of him. He was indeed too handsome, just like his brothers. With such good looks, it wasn¡¯t a surprise that almost every other female student at the Academy had their eyes on them.


    I probably stared at him for way too long, because-


    "Stop looking at me like that." He whispered in a low voice, and I noticed how his eyes turned darker as he stared at me.


    "Like what?" I asked, my own voiceing in a breathy whisper that had him inhaling sharply.


    For a moment, I almost felt certain that he was going to kiss me. But he just leaned closer and pressed his forehead against mine while his hands moved to cup my face.


    "You are going to be death of me, my sweet little mate."


    I absolutely loved it when he called me with these nicknames. My entire life, I had been called either Evaline or Eva, and the only person who ever called me endearingly was my mother. She used to call me ¡¯honey¡¯. And it had been so long since she left me.


    So, hearing Oscar calling me these cute and sweet nicknames made a part of me really happy. Before this, I didn¡¯t even know that I was into such things.


    I didn¡¯t speak, just stood there while basking in his warmth and care. After several long minutes, he ced a soft kiss on my temple before finally stepping back.


    "You are gettingte for breakfast. Let¡¯s hurry up. I¡¯ll see youter," he said and then left the room.


    I quickly checked the time and realized that breakfast was about to begin in two minutes. Without wasting any more time, I finished packing and headed downstairs.


    The dining area was buzzing with energy. My friends were already waiting by a table with tes carefullyid out - oatmeal with berries, fresh bread, roasted nuts, fruits, and milk.


    "Did you sleep in?" Noah asked as I slipped in the empty seat between him and Kyros.


    "Not really. Just got caught up with packing my bag." I replied as I poured myself a ss of milk.


    My gaze then turned to Mallory and I immediately noticed the change in her. She looked... pretty much like her usual cheerful self, and it meant only one thing - she and Jasper had talked things through.


    She caught me watching and gave me a bright smile which I immediately returned. I was happy for her.


    We finished the breakfast and stepped out the crisp mountain air once it was time to set out.


    "Today is going to be the death of me." I whispered once Professor Aldric informed that we would be hiking for more than one and a half hour to reach the innermost circle of the ruins.


    "Stop worrying. You got us." Rowan dismissed my worries immediately and I knew that he and others indeed had my back.


    I was perfectly fine for the first half an hour before my body started showing signs of weakness. The trail also kept growing narrower with patches of golden moss that I quickly gathered as sample.


    My muscles were burning, but I forced a steady pace. My friends remained in sync. And Oscar was just behind us - quiet, watchful, checking each student to ensure no one slipped orgged.


    After a very long hike, we finally arrived at our destination. The innermost circle was spread in arge area. I had no doubt that exploring it was going to take the entire day if not more.


    At the heart of the ruins, a massive stone arch was rising over us with eep violet runes etched into its surface, faintly pulsing in the morning light.


    Professor Aldric gathered us, ready to start with another day of project research. For nearly an hour, he briefed us on what we were going to find in the ruins and what we needed to focus on.


    And then, I joined my project group to explore the final and most mysterious part of the Halendor Ruins.

 Chapter 123: Back at Silver Moon

    <h4>Chapter 123: Back at Silver Moon</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I woke before sunrise on Friday. It was thest day of our trip.


    As usual, I finished my morning routine and stepped into the shower to wash away the sweat that was clinging to me after nearly an hour long workout session. Once I was dressed, I started packing.


    By the time I finished, it was already past eight. I joined my friends and the rest of the ss in the dining area for ourst meal at the hotel.


    "Not sure where to put this trip. Good one, or just..." Ria didn¡¯t finish, but we all knew what she was trying to say.


    In my opinion, this trip was an alright one, just filled with some unexpected happenings. But still, we got to learn a lot and had sessfully finished exploring the Halendor Ruins.


    "Here, Eva. Try these dumplings. They are really tasty," Kyros said as he ced a te of warm dumplings in front of me.


    "Thank you." I gave him my warmest smile as I dug into the savory balls filled with grounded seasoned chicken. There were also ones with variety of vegetable fillings.


    As I ate, my eyes started scanning the area and I finally found <i>him.</i>


    Oscar was standing at the other side of the hall with Instructor Corey and Jasper. He had his regr calm appearance on disy but his gaze kept swiping over the students in the hall every now and then.


    As if he knew I was watching, he looked up and fixed his gaze on me, almost making me choke on the dumpling. The smirk that curved the corners of his lips almost made me feel embarrassed.


    "We need to talk."


    The chopsticks dropped from my hand the moment I heard Rowan whispering the words in my ear. Of course, he caught that momentarily interaction between me and Oscar.


    Before I could have replied, Professor Aldric pped his hands to get our attention. "The original n was to let you all have a tour around this town before we would have returned after lunch. However, we have received orders from the Academy to return early. So we have to cancel the tour n, unfortunately."


    The groans of disapproval were loud and clear, but there was nothing anyone could do against an order that might havee directly from Kieran.


    "It¡¯s alright, everyone. Let¡¯s look at the bright sight. We sessfully finished exploring the ruins and gathered all the required data for your projects. You all might be returning with a lesson or two." Professor Aldric tried to keep the atmosphere light and optimistic.


    "Finish your breakfast and pack your bags. We will be leaving in half an hour." He finished and left us to enjoy our food.


    We boarded the bus at nine. This time, both me and Kyros were spared from our ss President and ss Keeper¡¯s duties as the instructors took over them.


    But this wasn¡¯t the only change. Unlike Tuesday, Oscar didn¡¯t join me on my bus this time. Instead, he was in the first bus Professor Aldric. From what I knew, Nadine and her group had also boarded that bus.


    I took a seat next to Kyros while the rest of our group fell into seats either in front, back, or on our opposite side.


    The air in the bus was humming with quiet conversation. Some were discussing the project that we needed to finish by next friday while some were still voicing out their unhappiness about not getting the chance to explore the town as they had been hearing about a lot of good ces from the hotel staff.


    "Can you trade your window seat with me? Please." I requested Kyros once I realized that I would be missing on the beautiful view from my seat.


    I was expecting an immediate agreement, but instead, he turned to me with arched eyebrows. "What are you going to trade with me?"


    "Well... my seat for yours?"


    "Very funny, Eva." He gave me a fake smile before continuing, "How about you exin to me exactly..." he leaned closer and whispered next to my ear, "... what¡¯s going on between you and that person?"


    I let out a small sigh and quickly whispered, "You can keep your seat to yourself."


    He was clearly not impressed with my response. "Eva, I know you might be feeling that I¡¯m trying to be nosey, but that¡¯s not the case. If it was someone else, I would have left you alone. But it¡¯s... him<i>. </i>I¡¯m worried because-"


    "How about we talk about this when we are back at Academy? This ce is... too crowded." Rowan¡¯s sudden interuption from the back seat took both me and Kyros by surprise.


    Werewolves had sharp hearing, and with a bus full of students, it was indeed not a great idea to talk about the current topic even if we were whispering. So, Kyros just exchanged his seat with me and left the matter there.


    But I knew that I could no longer ignore his and Rowan¡¯s questions. And I also knew why they were pressing me for answers for the first time. Just like Kyros said - <i>because it¡¯s him... Oscar Thorne. </i>


    The three-hour ride was smooth. When we reached the Academy gate, Professor Aldric and Instructor Corey were checking the names. I looked for Oscar but he was nowhere to be seen. Instead Professor Kieran was there, waiting at the head of the line.


    "Eva," his tone was gentle under his mask of instruction. "Good work."


    I nodded. "Thank you, sir."


    He met my gaze and let it hold. "Have the afternoon off," he said, addressing the entire ss. "But make yourself ready - two sses this evening."


    "Yes, sir."


    I didn¡¯t allow my gaze to linger on him more than that and walked away with my friends. And while I didn¡¯t look back, I still felt the pressure of his gaze following after me.


    There was nothing much to do once we were back in our rooms and we weren¡¯t really tired. So we all decided to gather in Kyros and Noah¡¯s dorm to have some good time before lunch.


    "You areing, right?" I asked Rowan when I noticed he showed no sign of moving from his bed.


    "I actually need to go somewhere." He replied, putting his phone away.


    I stared at him, trying to study him. "Somewhere as in... outside the Academy?" I knew that there was this unspoken rule between us where we didn¡¯t press for answers about each other¡¯s personal life, but I was really curious.


    "That¡¯s right."


    That made me arch my eyebrows. "You are allowed to step out of the Academy during weekdays?" I asked, staring at him in shock.


    A smile broke out on his lips and he quickly shook his head. "Of course, not Eva. I¡¯m not Draven Thorne. Why would I get such a privilege?"


    I tried to not react at his sudden use of Draven¡¯s name. Instead, I continued with my questions. "Then how are you going to get out?"


    "The main gates aren¡¯t the only way to go out. You know?"


    He said it so casually, but my jaw was literally hanging open. I didn¡¯t even know why I was surprised. It¡¯s not like his constant disappearance every night for the past two months hadn¡¯t been enough of a proof that he was breaking Academy rules.


    I opened my mouth to say something, then closed it. Because really - what could I say? Lecture him like an instructor? Demand to know where he went every time he vanished into the dark? No, that wasn¡¯t our dynamic. We weren¡¯t that kind of friends.


    "You are going to get yourself in trouble one day," I muttered, narrowing my eyes as I crossed my arms.


    He just shrugged, his trademark calm confidence settling across his features like a second skin. "I¡¯ll survive. I always do."


    I let out a sigh but said nothing more. Whatever he was up to, it wasn¡¯t my ce to stop him, not unless it put him or someone else in danger.


    So, I left it at that and walked out of the room only to find Mallory and Ria already waiting for me in themon area.


    "Is he noting?" Mallory asked, ncing at the bedroom door I shared with Rowan.


    I just shook my head in response.


    "Typical him," Ria said with a shrug abd the three of us stepped out of the dorm to head Kyros and Noah¡¯s dorm.


    <fn084a> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? F?ndNovel</fn084a>


    Laughter greeted us even before the door fully opened. Their other two dormmates were also there with Selene and her roommate.


    We yed games, talked, and then headed to the dining hall for lunch.


    Instead of returning to the dorm after that, we decided to work on Runes project as we still had four hours of free time. I messaged Freya and Cedric and the two joined me and Ria in the library. But Rowan was missing and I had toe up with excuse of him not feeling well.


    I was two hours into the work, when my phone started buzzing.

 Chapter 124: Rewards and Offers

    <h4>Chapter 124: Rewards and Offers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The phone started buzzing with a soft vibration that cut through the silence at our table.


    I looked down at the screen and found Professor Kieran¡¯s name staring back at me. My fingers hovered over the answer button for half a second longer than they should have.


    But then I quickly answered, not wanting to disturb my group any further. I moved to the farthest corner with no other student there before speaking, "Hello?"


    "Evaline," his deep voice rolled through the line, smoother than I remembered. "Can youe to my office? I would like to speak with you for a few minutes."


    I swallowed. "Of course. I¡¯ll be there shortly."


    Ending the call, I returned to our table. "I¡¯m summoned to the administrative wing. I¡¯ll join you guys as soon as I¡¯m done."


    "See youter," Ria whispered with a smile and I nodded before turning on my heel.


    The walk to Kieran¡¯s office felt longer than it actually was. The tall, dark halls of the administrative wing had an imposing presence, with flickeringnterns casting long shadows. The quiet here was different - a kind of charged silence that made my steps echo louder than usual.


    I knocked once and heard his voice call, "Come in."


    <fna52d> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fna52d>


    He was standing near therge window when I entered, facing the view of the back courtyard below. Thete afternoon was spilling over his shoulders, and for a brief second, I understood why people feared and respected him in equal measure.


    "Thank you foring," he said, turning toward me with that rare softness to his expression that I swemed to be receiving a lot. "Please, have a seat."


    I took the chair opposite his desk. "You said you wanted to talk?"


    He nodded. "I have spoken with Professor Aldric and the instructors about the incident with Gavin. They had nothing but praise for you."


    "I only did what I could," I murmured, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the prideful look in his eyes.


    Ever since the Alpha Gathering incident, everything had changed between me and the Rogue Alpha brothers. While it eventually made things better between me and the two younger brothers - Oscar and Draven, the distance between me and Kieran had grown a lot since then. I was the one who did it, and I knew that I made the right decision.


    While Oscar and Draven were my soulmates, Kieran was just their elder brother and my professor, and I wanted to keep things that way.


    I sneaked a quick look at him, only to find him observing me in silence.


    Momentster, he finally spoke, "What you did saved him... and the trip. You showed quick thinking,posure, and practical skill. That¡¯s not something every student possesses, especially a first year."


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, so I remained quiet as he continued.


    "The High Circle at the Academy has decided to reward your efforts."


    My eyes widened slightly. "Reward?"


    He nodded before continuing, "You will receive five points bonus in all your subjects and will also be formally recognized in the elite student records."


    I was so stunned that no words came out of my mouth. I never expected that one simple act of mine would result in something like this.


    "Umm... thank you." I finally forced the words out.


    He paused again, then added, "Professor Aldric also mentioned your work at the Halendor Ruins. Not just with the runes, but the herbs you collected."


    "I didn¡¯t have anything special in mind," I admitted. "I just wanted to study them, maybe identify a few lesser-known variants. It was mostly for curiosity."


    He nodded thoughtfully. "Curiosity is the foundation of mastery. Let me know if you need ess to the restricted section in the botanical archives. I can arrange that."


    My eyes widened a bit more. "You would?"


    He gave a rare, amused smile. "You have earned it. And if you are interested, there is a group of senior students who specialize in Herbology and Potioncraft. It¡¯s not an official course, more like an internal collective of high-performing students handpicked by the faculty. I would like to extend you an invitation."


    I blinked. "I... thank you. I¡¯m honored. But I... I would like to think about it before giving an answer."


    "That¡¯s fine," he said while folding his hands on the desk. "I understand you are already bncing quite a lot. You have proven capable, but no one wants you to burn out."


    There was silence for a few seconds before he spoke again. "And onest thing..."


    I straightened in my seat.


    "I would like you toe see me after your Lunar Energy and Moon Cycles ss tonight. We should talk about our... arrangement."


    My heartbeat quickened. I nodded. "Yes, sir."


    "You are dismissed."


    - - -


    The rest of the evening passed in a quiet haze.


    Our Werewolf History and Politics ss was as dry as ever, filled with tales of ancient lineage battles and alpha disputes that shaped the modern social structure. I took notes mechanically as I was more focused on the ticking clock.


    Dinner was peacefulpared to usual days as most of us were tired after the lengthy and boring history ss.


    Lunar Energy and Moon Cycles was a more calming experience. The soft glow of moonstones lining the ssroom¡¯s ceiling, and the professor¡¯s voice was almost hypnotic as she spoke about energy tides and their impact on werewolf transitions and emotions.


    I learned a few things, I think, but when the ss ended, I was barely able to recall a word.


    I headed back to the dorm to drop off my books and change out of the uniform. The night air was cool as I walked back across the grounds toward the administrative wing. This time, the shadows didn¡¯t feel quite so intimidating. Maybe because I knew I was expected.


    Still, with every step closer to his office, my heart pounded harder.


    I didn¡¯t know exactly what this meeting would bring, but I was certain it would change something.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready.

 Chapter 125: One of His

    <h4>Chapter 125: One of His</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The hallway was quiet when I arrived outside Professor Kieran¡¯s office. Too quiet.


    The lights overhead flickered once, casting long, strange shadows on the polished floor. I hesitated before raising my hand to knock, but I didn¡¯t need to. The door burst open before I could touch it.


    Kieran stepped out. And for once, his usualposed gait was reced by hurried strides. His expression was sharp and tense and it took me a second to register it.


    Kieran Thorne, the man known for his stone-faced calm and unshakable authority, was actually looking... rattled.


    That alone sent a spike of rm through me.


    "Professor?" I asked quickly, my instinct overriding hesitation. "What¡¯s going on?"


    He didn¡¯t respond right away. His eyes flicked over me as if assessing something, and then, without a word, he turned sharply and started walking away.


    I blinked. "Wait-what?"


    <fn7758> This content belongs to FindN()vel</fn7758>


    "Follow me," he said abruptly, and his tone was moremanding than inviting. "Now."


    There was no time to question him. He was already halfway down the corridor, walking at a pace that demanded obedience. Confusion twisted in my chest, but I hurried after him, keeping close behind as we turned away from the familiar paths of the Academy.


    With every step we took, the surroundings were growing dimmer.


    We moved through back corridors and narrow halls I had never seen before. Here, thenterns were sparse, their glow faint and flickering, barely illuminating the cold stone walls. Soon, even the silence began to feel heavy. Each stair creaked beneath our feet as we descended deeper and deeper into the hidden spine of the Academy.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long we walked - five minutes? Ten? More? - but I knew we were no longer in any ce the average students could ess. The air grew colder. Thicker. I was able to feel something powerful clinging to the stones down here. Almost like a whisper of something forbidden.


    And yet, Kieran was moving like he belonged here.


    Which only confirmed my growing suspicion... this ce was hidden for a reason, and he was one of the few who had the right to be here.


    Eventually, the ustrophobic halls opened into a modestly sized stone chamber which was looking like amon room, if you could call it that. A singlentern was burning in the corner, casting just enough light to reveal an old table, worn chairs, and a hallway stretching into deeper darkness beyond.


    We had to be underground. Far underground.


    I wanted to ask where we were and what this ce was, but one nce at Kieran silenced me. Whatever this was, whatever had shaken him, he wasn¡¯t ready to talk. Not yet. His jaw was set and his eyes were burning with purpose.


    So I followed, silent, letting my curiosity simmer under the surface.


    He led me through another door and into a quieter room. It was warmer than the hall, almost eerily so. And inside, there were three people.


    One of them was unconscious, or just sleeping, I couldn¡¯t tell at first. He wasying motionless on a small cot against the wall, and his chest was barely rising.


    The second was a woman standing beside him with her fingers gently pressing over his pulse point. She was wearing a fitted uniform with a dark green sleeve badge that immediately caught my eye. It was a crescent symbol with vines and a single drop of water in the center.


    She was a healer.


    I realized then - that young man wasn¡¯t sleeping. He was injured.


    My stomach turned, but I didn¡¯t let it show on my face.


    The third person, a tall man in histe twenties or early thirties, was standing near the door with arms crossed and eyes sharp. His gaze locked onto mine the second I entered.


    "Alpha?" he asked, addressing Kieran. "Who¡¯s this?"


    Alpha.


    I knew immediately that this man wasn¡¯t a part of the faculty. That title didn¡¯t belong in Academy walls. This man was one of his. One of Kieran¡¯s outside personal men. Which meant... we were definitely nowhere students were meant to be.


    Kieran didn¡¯t answer him directly. He didn¡¯t even nce my way. "It¡¯s alright," he replied simply right before adding, "She¡¯s one of mine."


    It took too much for me to keep a straight face and not react at that. I knew I was overthinking, but the way he said it - <i>She¡¯s one of mine </i>- did something to me, something I didn¡¯t want to think about.


    I swallowed hard and kept my hands at my sides, trying not to fidget as my gaze flicked back to the man on the bed. Hisplexion was pale. There were faint bruises blooming along his jaw and neck.


    Kieran moved closer, his expression dark. "Status?"


    The healer didn¡¯t look up. Her hand was hovering over the injured man¡¯s chest and a gentle pulse of soft blue light was glowing from her fingers.


    "He¡¯s gone," she said tly. "Just like the student."


    I flinched. "What?"


    It came out before I could stop it.


    Gone?


    The healer nced at me, then at Kieran, silently asking if she could speak more freely. And he gave a single nod.


    "Whatever affected thest student... it hit this one the same way," she said quietly, removing her hand. "It¡¯s not a typical wound. Not poison, not a spell, not even a curse. It¡¯s something else entirely."


    "A draining," the other man muttered from near the door. "Like something... took him from the inside out."


    "But how?" Kieran asked under his breath, though it felt more like he was talking to himself. "No one is supposed to be able to breach the lower wards."


    "I checked the seals," the third guy replied. "They were intact."


    Silence settled in the room like a thick fog.


    I didn¡¯t move. I didn¡¯t even breathe too loudly.


    What student? What happened before?


    And what was this ce?


    But I didn¡¯t ask. I couldn¡¯t.


    This wasn¡¯t the time, and judging by Kieran¡¯s face... this was just the beginning of something worse.

 Chapter 126: Soul Death

    <h4>Chapter 126: Soul Death</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The night wind was carrying the faintest scent ofvender and earth as I sat silently on the old stone bench, nestled in the farthest, most forgotten corner of the Academy¡¯s grounds. The garden surrounding us was wild and secretive, like nature¡¯s hidden sanctuary. It was a quiet, overgrown escape that seemed untouched by the rest of the world.


    The only light illuminating the space wasing from the moon above - soft, cold, and silver. It was hanging low in the sky, nearly full, casting ghostly beams through the branches overhead. Its glow painted everything in shades of white and blue. As I tilted my head to stare up at it, a strange calm settled over me.


    Another full moon was near.


    Next to me, Kieran was sitting inplete silence with his elbows resting on his knees and his head slightly lowered. He hadn¡¯t spoken a word since we left the underground chambers. He simply guided me through the twisting paths of the Academy without exnation, and brought me here.


    I didn¡¯t argue. I didn¡¯t even ask where we were going.


    And now, I was sitting quietly beside him, despite the storm of questions brewing inside me. Questions that were wing against the back of my throat, demanding answers - about the man in the bed, about that ce deep beneath the Academy, and about what really was going on.


    But something about Kieran¡¯s posture stopped me from voicing them. There was a weight in his silence I had never seen before. He was looking less like the controlled, calcting leader I knew and more like someone quietly unraveling.


    His calm had cracks.


    And now that I was close enough to really see them, I realized something that sent a shiver down my spine - behind all the power andposure, behind the warm walls he always wore like armor, Kieran Thorne had been fighting battles I couldn¡¯t begin to understand.


    The faint sound of metal against cloth drew my eyes downward.


    He pulled something from the inside pocket of his jacket. It was a small ck can, worn at the edges. Without looking at me, he opened it and took a long sip of whatever was inside.


    I caught the faintest scent wafting from it - bitter, sharp, with a slight burn. Alcohol.


    Even with my dull, wolfless senses, I knew that smell. I raised an eyebrow, not even bothering to hide the way I was silently judging him.


    And he noticed. Of course, he did.


    A soft exhale left him. It was half a chuckle, half a sigh. "I don¡¯t usually drink on Academy grounds," he said, not bothering to defend himself too much. "Only around the full moon. And only when I feel like hell."


    He didn¡¯t say it to excuse himself. He said it like a man stating a simple, unpleasant truth.


    I didn¡¯t say anything to that. What could I say?


    So I let the silence stretch again. It wasn¡¯t peaceful, it was thick and restless, a tension sitting between us like a third presence. The cold of the bench was seeping into my skin, but I didn¡¯t move.


    Then finally... finally... he broke it.


    "The man you saw earlier," he said, his voice low and rough, "was one of mine."


    I turned to him, listening.


    "He was stationed here. One of the scouts tasked with patrolling the Academy perimeter. I ced him there a month ago, under direct orders."


    A beat passed in silence as he took another sip.


    "This evening, my men found him unconscious. Just outside the back border, near the forest trail. He shouldn¡¯t have been anywhere near there, but... we still don¡¯t know if he wandered or was dragged."


    The image of that man on the bed - pale, unmoving, bruises crawling up his throat - shed in my mind.


    "Is he dead?" I asked, finally finding my voice.


    He slowly shook his head and whispered, "No."


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    That surprised me. "But he wasn¡¯t responding. Not to touch, not to sound. Not even to your voice."


    "I know," he said. "That¡¯s because he¡¯s soul dead."


    I blinked at the foreign phrase that almost sounded chilling.


    "Soul dead?"


    Kieran leaned back and ran a hand over his face and took another sip, this one longer than the ones from before. "It¡¯s a... rare condition," he said. "One even most healers refuse to talk about because it borders on taboo. His body is alive. His heart is still beating. But his soul... it¡¯s gone."


    I stared at him in half confusion and half terror. "Gone? You mean..."


    "Taken," he said tly. "Ripped from his body by force."


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t speak.


    I had heard and read about a lot of things. Potions, curses, dark magic. Even forbidden rituals. But nothing had evere close to the concept of ¡¯soul death¡¯. It sounded like something pulled from myth. From nightmares.


    "Has anyone seen such a case before?" I whispered, curious to know more despite the chill I was feeling.


    He didn¡¯t answer immediately. But when he did, his voice was even lower than before. "Yes."


    The way he said it made my skin crawl. I didn¡¯t press him for details, but instead waited for him to continue on his own. Momentster, he did.


    "The first case of Soul Death was recorded about eighty years ago. I tried to find as much information on it as possible, but the records only mentioned a young girl being found in that condition in the woods near her pack by her pack members. The healers were only able to find out what was wrong with her, but they failed to find what did that to her or how to heal her."


    I processed the information, letting my mind wrap around what I was hearing. "What happened to that girl?" I finally found myself asking, and a big part of me was scared to hear the answer.


    He turned his head, his gaze locking with mine as he answered, "She died after sleeping for five long years."


    I forgot to breathe for a moment. Five years. Did that mean...


    "The senior fromst year and the one from today... do they have five years before..." I couldn¡¯t finish the sentence but he understood what I was trying to ask.


    Another sigh escaped him. "There¡¯s no confirming this theory. They might have five years... or maybe not even another day."

 Chapter 127: The Connected Cases

    <h4>Chapter 127: The Connected Cases</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    At some point, the cold night air became even sharper. Maybe it was the weather itself, or maybe it were the secrets that Kieran was unraveling.


    And as if I wasn¡¯t surprised enough, he ended up revealing another one.


    "You know, this isn¡¯t the first time I have seen someone in that condition," he whispered, and while his voice didn¡¯t waver, there was a heaviness in his confession.


    My heart was pounding as I asked, "What do you mean?"


    He let out a slow breath and fixed his eyes on the gravel path ahead. The moonlight was casting half of his face in silver, while the other half was in deep shadow. He was looking like someone torn between two choices - between truth and silence.


    He was silent for a while this time. Then, he finally spoke. "Last December," he began quietly, "a final-year student was found Soul Dead."


    I blinked. "What?"


    "In one of the abandoned ssrooms in the basement wing of the old Potion block. We never figured out how he got there or what happened to him. He was supposed to be in ss. Professors said he had shown up earlier that day. Then he was just... gone. Until he wasn¡¯t."


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    I stared at him,pletely in shock.


    "It¡¯s been nearly a year," he continued, "and we still have no real answers. The area didn¡¯t give us anything useful. And if his friends knew anything... they didn¡¯t say a word. Not one."


    "Not even under pressure?" I asked, trying not to sound as horrified as I was feeling.


    "They were questioned, yes. Even mind-probed... carefully... but all we got were fragments. Nothing that could be pinned down. It¡¯s like whoever or <i>whatever</i> was behind it... knew how to clean up every trace."


    I didn¡¯t realize how tight my fists were clenched until my fingers began to ache. "You kept it a secret?"


    "Yes," he admitted. "His parents gave us permission to contain the information. We couldn¡¯t risk panic, especially when we didn¡¯t know what we were dealing with."


    "And now this," I murmured. "A second case."


    He gave a curt nod. "Which means it wasn¡¯t just some freak, one-time incident. This... this is something real. And ongoing."


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. Nothing could have prepared me for any of this. When I enrolled in the Academy, I thought the biggest dangers I was going to face would be unpredictable potions or maybe the asional wild beast during outdoor lessons. Not... this. Not soul-stealing, deathly silence, and secrets buried so deep they had started to rot.


    We sat there for a while, not speaking. The garden seemed to hold its breath with us as the night started pressing down with its weight.


    And then, without really meaning to, I blurted out a question that had been nagging me for days.


    "What about the warriors?" I asked.


    He nced at me, looking puzzled.


    "The ones who went missing a few weeks ago," I rified. "I overheard a conversation... some warriors were talking about a student incidentst year and... about the three who never came back."


    "You know about that?" he asked slowly, studying me.


    I nodded. "I heard about the missing warriors when I was at the headquarters. As for the rest, I just happened to be nearby at the diner where some warriors were talking about it. Though they didn¡¯t say much, the missing student part stuck with me."


    I noticed him hesitating for a moment before he finally spoke, "That wasn¡¯t just a rumor."


    "You are saying...?"


    "They were found," he said, voice low. "All three of them. And before you ask... yes, they were Soul Dead."


    I felt my blood run cold.


    "Where?"


    "Back mountains of the Academy," he answered, and my confusion deepened.


    "But - no. I remember clearly. The warriors at the diner said they were patrolling the northern border, far from the Academy-."


    "That¡¯s what we let people believe," he interrupted softly.


    I stared at him, trying to put together what I had missed. "Why would you-?"


    "Because the real location could have put the Academy¡¯s safety and reputation in jeopardy," he said, not harshly, but with a finality that left no room for argument. "Too many people had already heard about their disappearance. We had to redirect the narrative before anyone started asking the <i>wrong</i> questions."


    I watched him. And for the first time tonight, I felt something sharper than fear stir in me.


    Anger.


    "I get that you are trying to protect the Academy," I said, my voice trembling slightly, "but what you are doing could be putting more people in danger. Especially the students."


    He blinked at the steel in my voice.


    I pressed on, "Every day, we walk these grounds thinking the worst thing we might run into is a potion gone wrong or a boring lecture. We are not trained to defend against something like <i>this</i>. Not even the Alpha heirs. And you are hiding such a big secret. You can¡¯t fight a threat you can¡¯t even see."


    He didn¡¯t respond immediately. But I noticed his jaw tightening.


    Then, out of nowhere, he reached out and took hold of my hands, causing me to freeze.


    His grip wasn¡¯t rough, but it was... desperate. His fingers were trembling slightly, and when I looked into his eyes, the wall of control I always saw in him had cracked. Behind the usual calm andmand was something raw. Vulnerable.


    "Eva," he said softly, not calling me by my full name like usual. "I know what it looks like. But you have to believe me - I <i>am</i> trying. I have been doing everything I can to uncover what¡¯s happening. This thing... it hides in in sight. Leaves no trace. No scent. No magic residue. Every lead we have found, it vanishes into smoke."


    "But you can¡¯t do it alone," I whispered.


    "I know," he said, squeezing my hands. "But if I pull in too many people, it gets harder to control. More exposure means more panic. And if whoever is behind this gets wind that we are closing in... they¡¯ll disappear again. Just likest time."


    His voice cracked at the end, making the truth of his helplessness to bleed through.


    I stared at him, feeling torn between sympathy and frustration.


    He <i>was </i>doing his best. That much was clear. But he was also carrying too much alone... and for too long.

 Chapter 128: Alpha’s Changed Plans

    <h4>Chapter 128: Alpha¡¯s Changed ns</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    He didn¡¯t let go.


    His hand stayed wrapped firmly around mine, even as I shifted and quietly tried to pull away. It wasn¡¯t forceful, but it was deliberate. Steady. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was doing it to reassure me or himself, but either way, I gave up trying to pull away... for the time being.


    There were bigger things to focus on.


    So I stared at him. The lines of his face were more visible under the pale wash of moonlight that was spilling over the hidden garden.


    I didn¡¯t even know such a ce existed, tucked away in some forgotten corner of the Academy, but I had to admit - it was beautiful. Silent. Isted. The kind of ce that felt like it belonged to someone who carried secrets heavy enough to require silence.


    The kind of ce someone like Kieran woulde to breathe.


    "Why did you bring me down there?" I asked, keeping my voice quiet and careful. "Why tell me all these secrets? What were you going to ask me to do when you called me to your office?"


    He didn¡¯t speak right away, instead his thumb started brushing slowly along the back of my hand, distracting me. His gaze was fixed on the ground for a moment, as though searching for a way to exin things.


    Then his lips curved upward and... he smiled.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure what unnerved me more - the fact that he looked... almost approachable when he smiled like that, or the way my heart stupidly fluttered at the sight.


    "I was wondering when you would ask," he said, finally lifting his eyes to mine.


    My brow rose, but I stayed silent.


    "When I made the deal with you before the entrance exam," he continued, "I already had a job in mind. Something... quiet. Something only someone like you could do."


    "You mean someone wolfless," I said, not bothering to hide the edge in my voice.


    He didn¡¯t deny it. "Someone who goes unnoticed. Who can blend in. Who no one would ever suspect of working with me."


    I tilted my head, still not fully convinced. "And what job was that?"


    "I wanted you to dig," he said simply. "Ask questions. Observe. Get close to the right people and figure out what happened to the senior student who was found Soul Deadst December."


    My breath caught. He was talking about the same case he had mentioned earlier. The first one. The one that started everything.


    "You made a deal with me before sses even started," I said slowly. "How did you know I would be any good at... spying?"


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    "I didn¡¯t," he admitted. "But I was desperate. As a professor and a rogue Alpha, most students either fear me or avoid me altogether. They keep their guards up, which makes it almost impossible to get real answers. Even Draven, who¡¯s technically still a student, is marked by the same suspicion. But you?"


    He leaned slightly closer.


    "You were new. Unknown. Unremarkable to most... and yet, something about you stood out."


    I felt bothplimented and insulted at once. "Gee, thanks."


    He grinned, but the look in his eyes turned serious again. "The senior student in question had already graduated, yes. But before his death, he was part of something. A group. Small. Secretive. It was made of students from first to fourth year. After he died, the group disbanded almost overnight."


    "And the rest of them?" I asked.


    "They are still here," he confirmed. "Of course, except the fourth year seniors from previous term. The rest are still walking the same halls as you. Attending sses like nothing ever happened. I tried to approach a few of them. But got nowhere. That¡¯s when I knew I needed someone entirely new."


    The weight of his words pressed down on me. A secret student group? Hidden projects? An incident no one wanted to talk about?


    It was a lot.


    Still... I understood his logic. He needed someone who could slip beneath the radar. Someone other students wouldn¡¯t expect to be gathering information. Someone who didn¡¯t belong anywhere, and so could go everywhere.


    And that... that was me.


    I had no pack. No wolf. No social group. No attachments. No loyalties.


    I could move through this ce like a shadow, and no one would care enough to notice. Not until it was toote.


    But before I could ask the most important question, the one that had already begun to form in my mind, he spoke again.


    "You don¡¯t have to do it anymore."


    I blinked. "What?"


    "I have changed my mind. You don¡¯t have to get involved in this."


    His words felt surreal.


    "Wait... why?" I asked with a frown. "You just told me everything. Showed me these secret ces. You clearly trust me enough to let me in... so why?"


    He pulled his hand away atst and leaned back slightly, folding his arms across his chest as he looked up at the moonlight cutting through the garden canopy.


    "Because up until recently, I believed this thing was just a one-time incident. I just wanted to find out what happened with that kid so that we can get exnations and find a way to cure him."


    He stopped to take a deep breath before continuing, "But it was my foolishness to think like that. This is more dangerous than I thought. And I¡¯m not going to put you at risk."


    "But I won¡¯t be doing anything risky. I just have to find the students of that secret group and investigate them. It doesn¡¯t sound too dangerous to me." I tried to reason.


    "It¡¯s still a no."


    "But why?"


    He turned his gaze to me as he answered. "Because I can¡¯t protect you if this gets worse."


    "That didn¡¯t seem to stop you when you first nned to give me this job."


    "I didn¡¯t expect to care back then," he returned.


    The silence that followed stretched long between us.


    My heart skipped a beat at his confession while my head tried to make sense of it. I didn¡¯t know what kind of care he meant - was it concern, guilt, something more? But the way he said it, quietly and with that grim look on his face, told me this wasn¡¯t easy for him either.

 Chapter 129: Falling For Her

    <h4>Chapter 129: Falling For Her</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I realized toote that I might have let slip more than I intended.


    The silence that followed was long, but then her voice finally cut through the stillness like a ripple across ss.


    "I want to help."


    I turned my head, blinking at her in surprise. I was sure I had misheard. "What?"


    "I want to help," she repeated, firmer this time. "I want to do this."


    She met my gaze with unwavering eyes. The same amber eyes that once held caution and unease were now burning with resolve. I had barely processed her words when she added,


    "I¡¯m nning to graduate from Silver Moon in four years. And for that to happen... this Academy needs to survive whatever is creeping through its shadows. I don¡¯t want to walk these halls wondering who¡¯ll be next."


    Damn her.


    Damn her bravery. Her heart. Her stubborn, unrelenting courage.


    I didn¡¯t want her involved. I couldn¡¯t afford for her to be involved. But as she sat beside me, spine straight, chin lifted, and the moonlight catching the soft strands of her gorgeous silver hair, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to shut her down.


    So I watched her.


    Watched her closely.


    She had gone through every stage of emotion tonight - confusion, shock, frustration, anger - but never fear. Not once. She had every reason to be terrified. Any normal student would have broken down or run away after hearing about soul deaths, secret groups, and cover-ups. But not her.


    Anxiety? Yes. She was fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. Her voice wavered once or twice. But fear? No. That wasn¡¯t in her eyes.


    She was brave.


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    Braver than I had ever expected.


    The girl I met months ago back at the mansion... she was cautious, wide-eyed, and so damn innocent. Back then, I had pegged her as fragile, someone I would have to protect if she ever walked through the gates of Silver Moon.


    But now...


    Now she was sharper. Her kindness hadn¡¯t faded, but it had been tempered with wisdom. Her sweetness was still there, yes - but there was something steel-like beneath it. Her growth had been subtle, almost unnoticeable if I hadn¡¯t been paying attention.


    But I had.


    Actually, I had been paying too much attention... more than a professor should be.


    She was still cute - Moon Goddess help me - but she was also strong. Smarter. Moreposed. She didn¡¯t crumble when she learned about the truth. She asked questions. She pushed me for answers. She challenged me.


    And I admired her for it, more than I should have.


    Maybe it was the alcohol whispering bad decisions into my head. Maybe it was the quiet of the garden or the way the moonlight wrapped her in silver. Whatever the reason, my hand moved before I could stop it.


    I reached out and gently, slowly, brushed a strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.


    She froze.


    I saw her inhale sharply and her lips parted just slightly in surprise. Her shoulders tensed. She wasn¡¯t expecting the touch, and honestly, neither was I.


    "Professor..." she whispered in a barely audible voice, but one that was filled with questions.


    That should have been enough. That one word should have grounded me, reminded me who I was, who she was. But my sane mind had long stopped functioning, drowned beneath the warmth in my chest and the ache I didn¡¯t want to name.


    Before I knew it, I leaned in. But not for a kiss.


    I pressed my forehead to hers, letting our breaths mingle, letting my senses fill with her presence. Her scent - sweet, delicate, with the barest hint of something wild beneath it - hit me hard.


    And my wolf responded instantly.


    It purred. It pressed forward, tail wagging like a pup, eager and content. And that was what terrified me.


    Because he had never responded like this to anyone.


    I felt her breath hitch. I felt the shiver roll through her body. She was trembling. Whether it was from shock or something else, I didn¡¯t know.


    But I knew one thing - I was at the edge of a cliff.


    One more second, one more breath, and I would lose whatever control I had left. My wolf would take over. I would pull her into my arms, taste her lips, and im something that didn¡¯t belong to me.


    And that¡¯s when it hit me... <i>she wasn¡¯t mine.</i>


    My true mate was still out there, somewhere, waiting for me. And if I took Eva now, if I let myself fall for her... it would be the worst kind of betrayal.


    Not just to my future mate, but to Eva herself.


    She deserved better than a man who was losing control because of alcohol and loneliness. She deserved someone who would choose her without hesitation or conflict.


    Which meant I had to let her go.


    I pulled back, forcing air into my lungs even as my hands clenched at my sides.


    "You need to leave," I said in my rough and low voice.


    She blinked.


    "Now, Eva." I stood up, dragging a hand through my hair and turning away before I could look at her again. "Before it¡¯s toote.".


    "There¡¯s a hidden path just behind the garden wall," I muttered. "It¡¯ll lead you past the greenhouse and back to the main building. Use it. Stay quiet. And don¡¯t stop for anyone."


    She stood slowly and walked away without a single. Her scent lingered around me even after she was no longer close.


    Then silence. And I was alone.


    The air was suddenly colder without her warmth beside me. I looked up at the moon again, the silver light blinding, cruel. It reminded me of her hair. It reminded me of everything I had no right wanting.


    I dropped back onto the bench, rubbing my face with my hands.


    I knew what was wrong with me.


    I was falling for her.


    Falling for a girl who wasn¡¯t my mate. Who didn¡¯t even know how deep she had crawled under my skin. And every instinct I had - Alpha, professor, protector - screamed that it was wrong.


    But the worst part?


    The part that gnawed at me like rot?


    It didn¡¯t want to stop.

 Chapter 130: Her Speechless Roommate

    <h4>Chapter 130: Her Speechless Roommate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It took everything I had to remain calm as I stepped through the dim corridors of the Academy.


    The quietness around me was pressing in on all sides like a thick fog. My footsteps were light, deliberate, while my ears were alert for any sound - shuffling boots, or the low murmurs of patrolling faculty or warriors.


    It wasn¡¯t against the rules to walk the halls after dinner hours, but it was unusual. Most students tucked themselves away after ten, a habit bred by routine... and perhaps by an unspoken fear. I couldn¡¯t me them. After everything I had just learned, I too felt like shadows were watching from every corner.


    The tall staircases creaked beneath my steps as I climbed them, casting quick nces behind me every now and then, half-expecting someone to appear out of the dark and question me. But no one did. The Academy was asleep.


    It was nearly midnight by the time I reached the fourth floor of the dormitories and slipped quietly into my dorm.


    The moment I shut the door behind me, my heart seemed to finally acknowledge the tension it had been holding in. It was thundering against my ribs like a war drum, and my chest was tight with everything I had just experienced - Kieran¡¯s secrets... and everything that happened after that.


    I was still trying to process all of it when the bedsidemp clicked on, making me jump and gasp softly as light spilled across the room.


    Rowan was standing beside his bed, with his arms crossed and his features carved in steel.


    "It¡¯s midnight," he said in a low voice.


    Guilt rushed through me like cold water. I was expecting him to be still out there somewhere, actually hoping for it. But of course, he wasn¡¯t.


    <fn981e> This update is avable on F?ndNovel</fn981e>


    "I didn¡¯t mean to be out sote," I said, trying to keep my voice light as I slipped off my shoes and put them away.


    "Where were you?" He asked. To my surprise, he didn¡¯t sound angry or judging, instead, there was a hint of worry in his tone as he voiced the question.


    "I was with Professor Kieran."


    He narrowed his eyes slightly at that. "At midnight?"


    "He asked me to meet him after dinner. About... Gavin and everything else that happened. It turns out the faculty seniors are impressed by my overall performance during the trip." I provided him with a modified story which wasn¡¯tpletely a lie considering it did happen, just earlier in the day instead of after dinner.


    A smile finally made its way to his lips and I watched him visibly rx a little. "You indeed perform so well. You deserve their recognition." But then a frown made its way to his face and he asked, "Did you only talk about this for over two hours?"


    "Of course, not." I tried to keep my tone normal. "Remember the herb samples I collected, we talked about it. We got so immersed that time got away from us. He even told me about some group of senior students who are good at herbs and potion-making. He asked if I want to join."


    He nodded his head in understanding, finally rxingpletely. "That sounds like a good offer." He provided while taking a seat on his bed.


    I moved to sit on mine as I answered honestly. "It sure does, but I¡¯m not sure if I have enough time to be part of such an important group. I¡¯m already full with the uing assignments, tests, and my internship."


    As I watched him nod his head again, I had a feeling that I had managed to avoid raising any suspicion. But if I thought that it was the end of his questions, then I couldn¡¯t have been more wrong.


    I was about to slip under the nket when his next question froze mepletely.


    "And what about Instructor Oscar?" His voice was low, but enough for me to hear him clearly. "Is he offering you ¡¯rewards¡¯ too?"


    My breath hitched. "What?"


    "You two," he said, gesturing vaguely. "There¡¯s something going on, right? I saw it in the way he kept looking at you... or the way you kept looking at him throughout the trip. And he clearly treats you differently."


    I looked away, my hands curling into the nket. I was tired - exhausted, actually - of running circles around these truths.


    Maybe it was the stress of everything I had just gone through, or maybe it was the pressure building in my chest since the moment I had stepped into this Academy. But something inside me snapped, and before I could stop myself, the words came tumbling out.


    "He¡¯s my soulmate."


    The silence that followed was deafening.


    Rowan blinked,pletely frozen. "What?"


    I met his eyes as I spoke in a much steadier voice this time. "Oscar is my soulmate. That¡¯s why... it¡¯s different. That¡¯s why I act how I act. That¡¯s why he-" I stopped myself before I said too much. "Even if people find out, they can¡¯t call it inappropriate. It¡¯s not my fault. The bond is real. I didn¡¯t choose it."


    He stared at me with his wide open, clearly reeling from the revtion. His mouth opened and closed again, but no words came out. He was looking like I had poured an ice bucket on his head.


    Before the poor man could have recovered, I decided to hot Jim with another blow. "There¡¯s more."


    He looked at me, still stunned.


    "Draven... He¡¯s my soulmate too."


    His eyes widened. "You-what?"


    I nodded. "Draven is my soulmate too. I don¡¯t know how or why, but I felt the bonds with both of them, and they did too."


    Rowan just stared at me, unmoving.


    And in that stillness, I felt the full weight of what I had just said.


    Two soulmates. Two Rogue Alphas. And I was at the center of it.


    And it seemed like my poor roommate was having a hard time digesting all that I just poured on him. But he asked for it.

 Chapter 131: They Got Her Back

    <h4>Chapter 131: They Got Her Back</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The morning air was carrying a soft breeze, rustling the hedges and stirring the wildflowers that were dotting the secluded garden behind the dormitory buildings.


    The early morning sunlight was filtering through the branches of the weeping willows, creating golden patches across the stone bench where I was sitting.


    The particr garden was one of the Academy¡¯s quieter ces, one of the few that rarely saw any students, especially on a Saturday morning. Most were either asleep or in the dining hall, dragging themselves through the first day of the weekend.


    But I wasn¡¯t alone.


    Rowan was sitting on my right with elbows resting on his knees and eyes fixed on the gravel path as if it held the answers to all of life¡¯s questions. Kyros was on my left, leaning back against the bench¡¯s curve with his arms crossed and brows deeply furrowed.


    No one spoke for what felt like forever.


    I knew why. My heart hadn¡¯t stopped thudding since I made the confession. There was no way to pretend anymore. The truth was out.


    There were two people who noticed things around me, about me, and those two wanted answers. While one of them got his answers the night before, I bestowed the same grace on the second one just moments ago after dragging him to this garden.


    Kyros reaction was almost identical to Rowan¡¯s from the night before. He was stunned. Silent. And eyes wide with disbelief.


    And I didn¡¯t me either of them. I had practically dropped a bomb in theirps.


    I shifted ufortably on the bench, tugging my sleeves down even though it wasn¡¯t that cold. The breeze was gentle, the air pleasant, yet I felt stifled... like something heavy was pressing down on my chest.


    I waited, hoping someone else would speak first.


    <fn2656> Latest content published on find{n}ovel</fn2656>


    Eventually, it was Kyros who broke the silence.


    "So... you are telling me... both Oscar and Draven are your soulmates?" His voice cracked slightly, as if he still couldn¡¯t believe the wordsing out of his own mouth.


    I gave a slow, small nod, keeping my eyes on the ground.


    "Both," he repeated, blinking at me.


    "Yes." I sped my hands tightly in myp. "It happened... I didn¡¯t ask for it. I didn¡¯t expect it. I just... knew. When I touched them, I felt it. They did too... so it wasn¡¯t just in my head."


    He let out a low whistle and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Damn, Eva..."


    Rowan finally moved beside me, drawing in a breath like he had been holding it the entire time. "That¡¯s... a lot."


    "I know," I whispered.


    No one spoke after that. The three of us just sat there, with the birds chirping overhead and the breeze rustling the leaves like nature¡¯s version of background noise for a dramatic moment.


    And then I stood.


    "I should go. The driver will be here to pick me soon, and I still need to go back and grab my bag from the dorm."


    Kyros didn¡¯t say anything, but Rowan¡¯s hand shot out, grabbing my wrist lightly. "Wait."


    I paused and looked back at him. His expression had changed. He was no longer just stunned, but thoughtful. Serious.


    "If you are mates with them," he started slowly, "do they... know about each other?"


    That took me byplete surprise.


    The answer was simple. And terrifying.


    "No," I said after a pause. "They don¡¯t."


    Both Rowan and Kyros stared at me, wide-eyed again.


    "You mean... neither of them knows that they are not your <i>only</i> mate?" Rowan asked, his voice slightly sharper from shock.


    "I haven¡¯t told them," I said, shame curling in my gut. "Not yet."


    Kyros sat up straighter. "Eva... you can¡¯t keep something like this from them. Especially not from Rogue Alphas. This could go south... fast."


    "I know," I quickly agreed. "I know it¡¯s wrong. I didn¡¯t mean to keep it a secret for this long, but everything¡¯s been happening so fast. And I didn¡¯t know how they would react, or how to even bring it up. I mean... how do you even start that conversation? ¡¯Hey, you are my mate. Also, so is your brother, by the way.¡¯" I threw my hands up. "It¡¯s not exactly dinner table talk!"


    They didn¡¯tugh. Not even a smile.


    Kyros sighed. "Girl... this is serious. Mate bonds aren¡¯t something to joke about. If either one of them finds out from someone else... hell, if they sense something before you talk to them... it could trigger all kinds of issues. Not just with you, but between them. You are not just dealing with ordinary wolves."


    "I know that," I sighed softly.


    "And you haven¡¯t talked to either of them?" Rowan asked again, like he couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it.


    "I haven¡¯t had the chance. Not properly. And the truth is... I have been scared." I bit my lip, staring at the tips of my shoes. "What if they... reject me? What if they hate me for not telling them sooner? What if it <i>breaks</i> them?"


    Kyros let out another deep sigh, running a hand through his hair. "You are their mate. It might not be pretty, and it definitely won¡¯t be easy... but they deserve the truth. From you. Not through each other. Not through their instincts. From you."


    I nodded. "I... I know. You are right."


    There was another pause before Kyros leaned in, his voice softer this time. "If you are ready... Rowan and I can help you."


    I blinked. "Help me?"


    He nodded. "We can help you find an opportunity, or create one, to talk to them about this."


    I looked over at Rowan, who gave a firm nod in agreement.


    Something warm bloomed in my chest, a small spark in the middle of the storm of uncertainty I had been living in. For the first time in days, I felt the knot in my stomach loosen a little.


    "Thank you," I whispered.


    "We have got your back, Roomie," Rowan said as he stood up and gave my head a warm pat. "Always."


    As we walked back to the dormitory building together, the garden faded behind us. The weight I had been carrying was feeling a little lighter. The truth was out, at least among the friends I trusted.

 Chapter 132: Riverstone Corporation

    <h4>Chapter 132: Riverstone Corporation</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time I stepped into the Council headquarters, the morning sun was already high in the sky, casting a warm glow through the tall windows that were lining the hallway.


    My sneakers made no noise at all against the marble floors as I made my way toward River¡¯s office.


    It had been three weeks since the Alpha Gathering incident, but the tension was still clinging between us like a secondyer. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready for another encounter with the Rogue Alpha King, not after how things went the previous weekend.


    But when I entered his office and found the room empty, I released a breath I didn¡¯t know I had been holding.


    Good. No River.


    I didn¡¯t waste any time. I dropped my bag on the guest chair and got to work. There were still a dozen reports to review, a stack of letters to respond to, and an overwhelming amount of coordination updates from the border patrol teams to filter and file.


    The familiar rhythm of work was soothing, numbing the ufortable thoughts swirling in my mind. For a while, I managed to forget that he even existed.


    That peacested exactly one hour.


    My phone buzzed sharply on the table beside me. I nced at the screen and saw the Council¡¯s internal number. It was River¡¯s secretary.


    With a resigned sigh, I answered.


    "Miss Evaline?" came the polite voice of the secretary, one I had grown familiar with over thest couple of weeks. "Alpha River has asked that youe to hispany office. A driver is waiting downstairs to escort you. He has some documents and tasks he would like to hand over personally."


    I blinked. "Hispany?"


    "Yes," the woman confirmed. "He¡¯s currently upied with meetings and cannote to headquarters today."


    And the line went dead with that. She didn¡¯t even wait for me to confirm, probably because she knew I was going to decline.


    I stared at the phone for a long moment while annoyance rose like bile in my throat. What kind of Alpha King summoned someone like they were a glorified messenger? I was working at the Council headquarters. His request was definitely outside my responsibilities.


    Frustrated, I stomped my way to the front desk. I was intent on rifying my work scope and telling that secretary exactly where she could shove her instructions.


    Unfortunately, the answer I got wasn¡¯t what I wanted to hear.


    "As Alpha River¡¯s personal assistant," the front deskdy said carefully, "any task that falls under the scope of administrative or support work can be assigned to you... regardless of location."


    Trantion: as long as I wasn¡¯t being asked to clean his shoes, I had no excuse.


    "Of course," I muttered under my breath, suppressing a groan.


    It was an hour long ride before I arrived at the location.


    I had heard that River ran a business on the side, something beyond his duties as Rogue Alpha King and a member of the High Council. But nothing prepared me for the reality of it.


    Hispany - no, corporation - was standing like a ss giant against the skyline, looking sleek and intimidating. The building was twenty-six stories tall, adorned with the Riverstone logo etched in steel above the revolving doors.


    Uniformed staff was moving with professional precision, and expensive cars were lining the private lot. This wasn¡¯t just an Alpha with a side hustle, this was an empire.


    No wonder he was the richest Alpha in the shifter world.


    A receptionist greeted me with a polite nod before escorting me to a private elevator. We rode in silence to the twenty-fifth floor, where I was guided through a corridor of executive offices until I finally entered a space that could only belong to one person.


    His office was massive, more like a luxury suite than a workce. Floor-to-ceiling windows were offering a panoramic view of the city, while the walls were lined with shelves of books, artifacts, and framed photographs of historic moments.


    A sleek desk was sitting near the center, but what drew my attention was the plush leather couch set near the side which was clearly meant for guests or, in this case, reluctant assistants.


    <fnd19f> Checktest chapters at Find[F]ovel</fnd19f>


    "Please wait here," the assistant said. "Alpha River is in a meeting and will return shortly."


    I took a seat on the couch and began scanning the room. Every inch of it was screaming River. Powerful. Precise. Regal. Even the air smelled faintly like him.


    Ten minutes passed before the door finally opened.


    River walked in, talking on his phone. His expression was unreadable as always. He was wearing a navy-blue suit that clung to his tall frame perfectly, and the subtle shift of dominance in the air made it impossible to look away.


    His gaze swept over me briefly and he actually nodded in acknowledgment before he ended the call and crossed the room to his desk.


    "If you thought I called you here to waste your time," he said as he set a stack of files on the desk, "you¡¯ll be disappointed."


    I raised an eyebrow but said nothing.


    "I need these cross-checked," he continued, gesturing to the papers. "And these emails reviewed. They are from the northern patrol division and require detailed feedback. Also, we need to coordinate the arrival of the new trainees at the border outpost next week. You¡¯ll find their files in the folder."


    So... actual work. Rted to the pack operations I had been overseeing for thest two weeks.


    "Understood," I said, even though I hated how smug he looked as he walked away from the desk and left me to bury myself in paperwork again.


    The hours passed faster than I expected. The couch was surprisinglyfortable, and though I would never admit it aloud, working in his office came with a quiet efficiency that even the Council building couldn¡¯t offer. No interruptions. No distractions.


    Just me and a mountain of tasks.


    By the time the clock struck six-thirty, I was done organizing thest file into its folder and was stretching my arms overhead when I heard the rustle of fabric behind me.


    He entered the office, back from another meeting.


    "You are done?"


    "Yes," I replied, stacking the folders neatly. "I¡¯ll be leaving now."


    But before I could even take a step, his voice stopped me cold.


    "You areing with me."

 Chapter 133: Dressed for Deception

    <h4>Chapter 133: Dressed for Deception</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I blinked. "What?"


    He turned fully to face me now with that usual unreadable expression stered on his face. "To a business dinner. You¡¯ll be attending as my assistant."


    Thest thing I wanted to do was apany him to a business dinner.


    I didn¡¯t care if he was the Rogue Alpha King, the wealthiest shifter in the world, or even the moon goddess¡¯s personal favorite. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to be paraded around like hisnpersonal trophy while pretending the events of the Alpha Gathering had never happened.


    "No," I said tly, folding my arms as I stood across from him in hisvish office. "Take one of your other assistants. Or your secretary. Or your beta. Or any one of the thousand people who would happily follow you anywhere. I¡¯m not your showpiece."


    He didn¡¯t even flinch. "This isn¡¯t about that, Evaline."


    I scoffed. "Oh really? Then what¡¯s it about? Because I¡¯m pretty sure you made it clearst time what you think of me."


    His jaw tensed, but his emerald eyes didn¡¯t leave mine. "I want to make up for that night."


    I was stunned that he even acknowledged the Alpha Gathering. Let alone admit fault. For a second, just a second, his expression almost looked... guilty.


    But I had learned the hard way not to trust River Thorne. He was a master maniptor. Whatever he wanted, he always got it, no matter who he stepped on along the way.


    I opened my mouth to refuse again when he said something that silenced me.


    "I¡¯ll pay you a bonus," he said smoothly. "The exact amount of your one month¡¯s sry."


    Damn him.


    He must have seen the flicker of hesitation in my eyes because he added, "I¡¯m not doing this to trap you, Evaline. You¡¯ll get paid for your time. That¡¯s all."


    I wanted to say no... desperately. But I couldn¡¯t afford to. I needed this money. Not for myself but for the life growing in my womb.


    I clenched my fists at my sides and took a deep breath before nodding. "Fine. But this doesn¡¯t mean I trust you."


    "I wouldn¡¯t expect you to," he said softly, and for once, I didn¡¯t hear arrogance in his tone. Just something else... quiet. Unreadable.


    I expected we would head straight to the hotel or wherever the dinner was being held. Instead, River had his driver take a different route, and when the car pulled up outside an elegant boutique with floor-length windows and gold-ted handles, I stared at the building like it had personally offended me.


    "What is this?" I asked, already suspicious.


    He stepped out first and opened the door for me like a true gentleman, which only irritated me more.


    "You are not wearing that to a business dinner," he said simply, gesturing to my blouse and cks. "Come on."


    "I¡¯m dressed fine," I muttered as I followed him inside, but my argument died when I saw the collection of gowns, heels, and essories that were glistening under the soft lighting of the boutique. This ce was luxury incarnate.


    A woman in a sleek ck dress greeted River like she knew him. Of course she did.


    "Alpha Thorne," she said with a smile. "We have prepared the private room as requested."


    I turned to him. "You nned this?"


    He didn¡¯t answer, just gave me that infuriating look - the one that said <i>don¡¯t fight me on this</i>. And I hated that it worked.


    Minutester, I was ushered into a dressing room with a dozen gowns waiting for me. I tried to argue again, but his voice was clear outside the curtain.


    "Evaline," His voice was low and firm, "the ce we are going tonight has a formal dress code. You either get changed... or I¡¯ll find a way to have someone choose for you."


    "I hate you," I muttered through clenched teeth.


    "Noted," he replied, not even sounding remotely offended.


    Grumbling under my breath, I slipped into the first gown. It was an emerald satin piece that hugged my curves and shimmered under the lights. I looked in the mirror and blinked. With my silver hair cascading down in soft waves, my amber eyes framed by thickshes, and the pale contrast of my skin, I looked... ethereal.


    Still, I stepped out to show him without saying a word.


    He was sitting on a leather chair with a tablet in hand, but the second he looked up and saw me, he froze. His gaze dragged slowly over the gown, and I watched as the hesitation in his expression quickly got reced by something unreadable.


    "It¡¯s nice," he said after a beat. "Try another one."


    I didn¡¯t respond. I just turned and went back in.


    The next one was a ck dress. And it was unlike anything I had ever worn. It was sleek, off-shoulder, and fit like a second skin, with a slit running high up one leg and a subtle shimmer that only appeared under certain lights. It was ample amount of my cleavage and the back had a slightly low cut. I felt exposed. Powerful. Dangerous.


    I almost didn¡¯te out.


    But curiosity got the better of me.


    When I stepped back into the room, River was no longer lounging. He was standing.


    And staring.


    I might have mistaken it... but it almost seemed like his eyes darkened as he took me in. His throat worked as he swallowed. "You look..."


    I raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"


    "Stunning," he said to my surprise. "But not for tonight."


    I stared at him in silence.


    "You are wearing the navy one. Formal, elegant, professional. The ck one..." His voice dipped, almost too quietly. "It¡¯s too much."


    Too much for... whom?


    But I didn¡¯t say anything. I didn¡¯t want to know what was behind that look.


    I changed into the navy gown, and my makeup and hair were done in less than thirty minutes. I barely recognized myself by the end of it. The woman in the mirror looked nothing like me.


    When I stepped out of the boutique, River was already waiting in a new suit - a charcoal grey with silver cufflinks. His hair was perfectly styled, and his presence was effortlesslymanding.


    He offered me his arm like this was some fairytale.


    I didn¡¯t take it. But I did follow him into the car.


    We drove in silence as the city lights blurred past us. My hands were resting on myp, clenched tightly as I tried to steady the chaos in my chest.


    I didn¡¯t trust him. Not for a second.


    Even when he said, "I promise I won¡¯t repeat what I did three weeks ago."


    I looked out the window as I whispered loud enough for him to hear. "You shouldn¡¯t have to promise not to humiliate someone."


    The silence that followed was almost deafening.


    When we arrived at the hotel - an elite, five-star monument of wealth and prestige - he turned to me onest time before we exited the car.


    "You don¡¯t owe anyone in that room anything," he said quietly. "But tonight, you are here as my assistant. Act like it."


    I didn¡¯t know if it was meant to empower me... or remind me of the role I had to y.


    Either way, the doors opened... and the night began.<fncea2> Checktest chapters at FindN0vel</fncea2>

 Chapter 134: A Hell of a Night

    <h4>Chapter 134: A Hell of a Night</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Half an hour into the business dinner and not a single soul had even looked in the direction of the dining hall.


    The ballroom was full of warm light andughter, champagne flutes raised in toasts I didn¡¯t understand, and music that yed a rhythm I didn¡¯t feel connected to.


    Men in expensive suits and women in gowns glittered under the chandeliers, dancing, drinking, and talking in low, calcted tones. If there was a point to this gathering beyond social disy and business gossip, I hadn¡¯t found it yet.


    The only good thing? No drama had found me.


    Yet.


    River was whisked away almost immediately, pulled into one conversation after another with humans whose names I didn¡¯t recognize but whose bodynguage was screaming power. I barely got a word in after we arrived, and part of me was d for that. Thest thing I wanted was to be pulled into something I didn¡¯t understand.


    "You¡¯ll learn a lot just by watching," he had told me before disappearing into the sea of suits and silk.


    So that¡¯s what I did.


    But there wasn¡¯t much for me to actually learn - at least not in the way River probably expected. I was from the shifter world, born and raised there. And majority of the people here were human. Their world was structured differently. It was cold and polished, ruled not by physical strength or Alpha blood, but by wealth and maniption dressed in designerbels.


    Werewolves weren¡¯t big on billion-dor corporations. Packs were our priority, not portfolios.


    Still, I was observant. And a fast learner, whether I wanted to admit it or not.


    I picked up on small details - who wasmanding attention when they spoke, who people were deferring to without question, who wasughing too loudly at someone¡¯s joke and who was watching from the sidelines like they were calcting every move on an invisible chessboard.


    I picked up names ofpanies that were dominating the market, and others that were barely holding on. I watched how people were shaking hands - firm, but not too firm - how they were making eye contact, how women were carrying themselves in heels that could kill a man if needed.


    There was something to be learned here. Maybe not something I could use immediately. Maybe not something I even wanted to know. But still, it was knowledge.


    Whether I belonged in this world was another matter altogether.


    Feeling slightly overwhelmed, I made my way to the refreshment area where an almost endless disy of appetizers and drinks were awaiting. I avoided anything suspicious-looking, especially the raw seafood, and instead picked up a few healthy snacks that didn¡¯t scream "fancy poison" and a tall ss of apple and mint juice.


    The couch in the far corner of the room was looking like a safe spot, tucked away but with a perfect view of the floor. I imed it like territory, sinking into its plush cushions and silently observing everything around me.


    Including River.


    He was standing like he belonged there -manding and still. One of the things that I learned tonight was that River Thorne was just as a big name in the human world as he was in the shifter world. Hemanded respect and awe from both worlds.


    He was holding a ss in hand with a small, polite smile that never reached his eyes. He kept nodding along as a man in his fifties talked animatedly beside him.


    And then he nced at me.


    It was brief, half a second at most, but I caught it. That flicker of attention, the quick check-in, as if he was making sure I was still okay.


    I blinked and looked away, focusing on my juice. <i>That didn¡¯t mean anything</i>, I reminded myself. River Thorne didn¡¯t care. He calcted. Everything he did was part of a game I didn¡¯t even know the rules to.


    An hour passed. Maybe two.


    I lost track of time somewhere between my fourth bite-sized snack and my growing urge to leave.


    Eventually, someone clinked a ss loudly and announced that dinner would be served in the adjoining hall. The crowd finally moved. I followed quietly, slipping into one of the seats at a round table mostly filled with assistants like me - young, observant, and mostly ignored.


    River settled at a few tables ahead, still surrounded by the powerful and influential. I knew that he had already drunk quite a lot. But as dinner began, the ss in front of him was not left empty. It wasn¡¯t because he was enjoying himself. No - his shoulders were tenser than usual and his jaw was tight. He was drinking because the night demanded it.


    And that... wax worrying me.


    <fn0d89> Read full story at find~novel</fn0d89>


    Not that I could say anything. What could I say?


    <i>Hey, I know I don¡¯t trust you, but you should really slow down before you pass out in front of half the business world?</i>


    Three hours. That¡¯s how long the dinnersted. Not including the endless introductions, toasts, and calcted banter. I barely tasted the food. I was too distracted by the constant watchfulness of being in an unfamiliar world with unfamiliar people.


    By the time thest round of drinks was served and people began filing out of the hall, I was done. Mentally, emotionally, and physically.


    And River?


    He was worse.


    I found him slumped slightly in his seat with his face a little flushed and his eyes ssy. But somehow, he was still looking handsome. Still intimidating. But definitely drunk.


    "Of course," I muttered under my breath as I crouched beside him. "You just had to drink yourself into this state, didn¡¯t you?"


    His lips twitched like he wanted to smirk, but all he managed was a low, slurred, "Did...good tonight..."


    "Yeah, yeah. You are a regr king of finance." I sighed and tugged on his arm. "Come on. Let¡¯s get you out of here before someone sets their eyes on you."


    I was talking about some particr women I had noticed taking extra interest him throughout the dinner. And right now, some of them were watching me very carefully.


    Fortunately, I had exchanged numbers with his driver earlier, just in case. I fumbled with my phone and called him while trying to hold River up with one arm.


    "Car ready?" I asked.


    "Yes, Miss Evaline. Pulling up now."


    The driver¡¯s voice was calm and efficient, and I nearly wept in relief. I guided River out of the hall, half-carrying, half-dragging him toward the hotel¡¯s front entrance.


    He was leaning on me heavily, mumbling something incoherent that I didn¡¯t bother asking him to repeat.


    And there were definitely eyes following us... unimpressed and angry ones. I was just relieved that no one came to stop me and snatch him away, because I wouldn¡¯t have known what to do then. After all, he gave me no instructions in this regard.


    The driver pulled up just as we reached the curb, and I helped ease River into the back seat before climbing in after him. The door closed behind us with a soft click, sealing us inside.


    I leaned my head back and let out a long, exhausted sigh. "Well... that was a hell of a night."


    Only if I knew...!

 Chapter 135: The Penthouse

    <h4>Chapter 135: The Penthouse</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    If I thought the car ride back would be peaceful, I was VERY, VERY wrong.


    The moment the doors shut and the engine hummed to life, I was expecting River to lean back, close his eyes, and drift off into a blissful, drunken sleep. That¡¯s what normal drunk people did, right?


    But River Thorne was anything <i>but</i> normal.


    Instead of passing out, the Rogue Alpha King became... animated.


    "Evaalineeee," he slurred, stretching out my name like it was the most fascinating sound in the universe. "Why are you so far? C¡¯mere. Sit closer."


    I didn¡¯t move an inch.


    He tried again, leaning across the seat and pointing a clumsy finger at me. "You look like an angel tonight. All glowing and shiny. You are not gonna sprout wings and fly away, are you?"


    I was staring at him with my mouth hanging open in pure shock. "Stars... You are drunk."


    "I might be," he said proudly while slumping back but only for a second. "But not drunk enough to miss how pretty you looked in that ck dress."


    I inhaled sharply, recalling the intensity I noticed in his eyes when he saw me in that dress.


    "That wasn¡¯t even the dress I wore tonight," I said after a moment, trying to pull myself together.


    "And that¡¯s for best," he said in a low voice. "You looked... like temptation in it. You know what temptation does to men, Evaline Greystone?"


    I tried not to react.


    Tried.


    But it was impossible. Seeing him like this... this version of the great River Thorne... was like watching apletely different man. Gone was the cold, calcting Alpha King with his thousand-yard stare and unreadable expressions. This man was unfiltered, dramatic, and - stars help me - ridiculously charming in the worst, most chaotic way.


    He tried to open the small minibar hidden beside the seat but fumbled with thetch. "What¡¯s the point of being filthy rich if the car bar won¡¯t open?" he grumbled.


    "River, don¡¯t you think you have had enough?"


    "I haven¡¯t had enough," he replied far too quickly, then snorted like he had just made the cleverest joke in the world.


    I threw my head back against the seat and let out a groan. "Stars, you are worse drunk than sober."


    "You say that like it¡¯s a bad thing," he said with mock offense.


    The driver, bless his soul, kept silent until I finally leaned forward and said, "Please drop me off at the Academy."


    There was a pause.


    Then he hesitated before saying, "Miss Evaline... I think it would be best if we dropped Alpha Thorne at the hotel first."


    I frowned. "The hotel? Why not the mansion?"


    The driver nced at me through the rearview mirror, choosing his words carefully. "He doesn¡¯t go to the mansion when he¡¯s like this. It... doesn¡¯t happen often, but when it does, he always books the penthouse. Says he doesn¡¯t want anyone from the estate seeing him in such a state, especially... the other Alphas."


    Something twisted in my chest.


    For all his power, his wealth, and his reputation, River had his own walls. Walls even his brothers weren¡¯t allowed to see through.


    I nced at him again. He was now lying t on the seat, with one leg propped up like he owned the whole damn car. And he was actually mumbling a song under his breath. The Rogue Alpha King. He was a drunk mess.


    "Alright," I sighed. "Hotel it is. But I need to be back at the Academy. It¡¯s nearly midnight."


    "Ah, don¡¯t worry about not making it by the curfew time. Since you are out because of work, Alpha Thorne will take care of any such issues with the faculty," the driver informed me and I nodded my head in understanding.


    At least, now I didn¡¯t have to worry about gettingte.


    When we finally reached the hotel ten minutester, I helped the driver get River out of the car. That part was harder than expected since he wasn¡¯t exactly cooperating.


    "Why are we here?" he whined. "Where¡¯s Evaline? I¡¯m not going in unless shees too."


    I let out a frustrated sigh and looped his arm around my shoulders. "You are such a handful."


    "But a handsome handful," he said with a lopsided grin.


    "You really want to be knocked out cold, don¡¯t you?"


    He only chuckled in response.


    The hotel staff, used to this kind ofte-night drama from the rich and powerful, barely batted an eye as we made our way to the elevator. The driver used a special keycard to ess the top floor, and the penthouse opened into an elegant, sprawling suite.


    The n was simple - drag River to bed, let him pass out, and leave.


    Simple in theory. But not so much in practice.


    I helped the driver get him to the bed and then straightened, brushing my hair back from my face. "Okay. He¡¯s settled. Let¡¯s get going."


    Except he wasn¡¯t settled.


    The moment I turned toward the door, his hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist. "Don¡¯t go," he mumbled.


    "River-"


    With surprising strength for someone as drunk as he was, he pulled me down... and I fell straight onto the bed,nding hard against his chest. A startled gasp left my lips as he rolled, trapping me beneath him.


    "River!" I snapped. "Get off me!"


    His eyes were half-lidded but still sharp as they met mine. "Warm..." he murmured. "You are warm."


    I struggled, pushing at his chest, but he caught my hands with a firm grip. "Let go-"


    "Ahem."


    I turned my head sharply and saw the driver standing by the door, looking anywhere but at us.


    "I¡¯ll... wait outside in the hallway," he said awkwardly, then backed out of the room like the ce was on fire.


    The door shut with a soft click.


    <fn28b9> For original chapters go to find¡¤novel</fn28b9>


    And I was left alone.


    Under River Thorne.


    His weight wasn¡¯t heavy, but his presence was. His scent wrapped around me like a second skin. My breath caught, and I hated myself for the way my body was starting to betray me, reacting to the feel of him, the warmth, the tension of his hold.


    "River..." I said, quieter now. "Please. Let go."


    He looked down at me and something strange flickered in those dark emerald eyes of his.


    And then-

 Chapter 136: Drunk Rogue Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 136: Drunk Rogue Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "River..." I said in a much softer voice which was less demanding and more pleading. "Please. Let go."


    His eyes locked with mine. They were dark and unfocused, yet still burning with that maddening intensity he always carried. He didn¡¯t move and his weight above me started feeling too real, too solid. His grip on my wrists, though not painful, was firm, grounding me beneath him.


    Then, just when I thought he might actually start talking or pass out-


    <strong>Thump.</strong>


    "OW!" I gasped as my vision blurred with sudden stars. "What the hell?!"


    He had just... headbutted me.


    Full-on. No warning. He just lowered his damn forehead and mmed it into mine like he was greeting me the way rogue wolves greet each other in battle, painfully and withoutmon sense.


    "River Thorne!" I hissed. My eyes had already started watering. "You. Are. Insane!"


    He groaned like he was the one suffering. "That hurt," he muttered, rolling off me atst and flopping on the mattress like a starfish. "Your head¡¯s hard."


    "My head?! <i>You</i> are the one who decided to m your forehead into mine!" I rubbed my temple, checking for blood, but thankfully, there wasn¡¯t any, just a red patch that would likely turn into a bump by morning.


    He chuckled... actually chuckled."You were talking too much. I wanted you to shut up."


    My mouth fell open. "You tried to knock me out?!"


    He turned his face toward me, his eyes fluttering closed. "I think it didn¡¯t work. I can still hear you."


    I stared at him in disbelief, then grabbed a pillow and smacked him square in the chest. "You-You reckless, irresponsible, ego-inted idiot!"


    "Pretty," he mumbled as he grabbed the pillow and hugged it to his chest, all the while his eyes remained shut. "Even when angry. Actually... especially angry."


    I stared down at him, panting from fury... or exasperation. Or both.


    What was I doing here?


    Why was I still here?


    I should have left. I should have walked out the second he pulled me down. But now I was dizzy from the damn headbutt, while he - the terrifying, infuriating, powerful Rogue Alpha King - was lying in front of me like a drunk, oversized puppy who had no clue what he had just done.


    And somehow, some very messed up part of me was finding all this... ridiculous. Endearing, even.


    I groaned again and pressed my hands to my face. "I need help," I muttered.


    But there was no one here to help me handle this drunk Rogue Alpha King.


    "Get up," I said, nudging his arm. "You are a grown man, not a drunk teenager. At least make it under the covers properly if you are nning to pass out."


    "Are you tucking me in, Evaline?" he asked, cracking one eye open.


    I deadpanned. "Do I look like your nanny?"


    "You could be." His voice dropped slightly and that teasing glint returned to his tone. "A hot nanny."


    "I swear to the moon, River-"


    "Alright, alright," he slurred,zily rolling toward the head of the bed and pulling a corner of the nket over himself. "But if I die from cold exposure, I¡¯m haunting you."


    "You live in a penthouse and wear clothes that cost more than my sry. You¡¯ll survive."


    When he finally stilled, his breathing evening out slightly, I stood up and straightened my dress. My reflection in the tall mirror near the bed was showing a woman with flushed cheeks, a mess of silver hair, and amber eyes filled with irritation and... something softer.


    I turned away.


    Despite the urge to leave him just like that, I forced myself to stay a little longer to tuck him in properly. I took off his shoes and then his socks. Then I pulled him into a sitting position, which was definitely not easy, I took off his suit and his tie.


    "This should be enough for him to sleep peacefully. Right?" I asked to no one in particr.


    Out of all people, why it had to be me stuck in such a situation with him?


    Letting out a sigh, I took off his watch and ced it safely on the bedside table. I also took out his phone from his coat pocket and ced it next to the watch. Then, I even opened the top two buttons of his shirt to make it morefortable for him.


    Lastly, I tucked him in under the nket, ced a ss of water on the bedside table with hangover tablets that the driver brought. And switched off the lights, leaving just one bedside tablemp on.


    "You know you are impossible, right?" I muttered once I was done making everything asfortable for him as possible.


    "Mhm," he actually hummed softly in his sleep. "Still better than Kieran."


    That stopped me cold.


    I stared at him, clearly startled. "What?"


    But his breathing had already deepened, signaling that he was finally asleep this time.


    My heart was thundering as I stood by the bed. Did he mean that? Or was it the alcohol talking?


    I shook my head. There was no point in trying to decipher drunk-River. Not now. Not when everything in me was already in disarray.


    Carefully, I moved out of the bedroom before stepping out of the penthouse.


    Just like the driver promised, he was waiting in the the hallway. He looked up, clearly relieved to see me.


    "He¡¯s passed out," I told him. "And hopefully, he¡¯ll stay that way till morning."


    "Are you alright, Miss Evaline?" he asked, eyeing the faint red mark on my forehead.


    I waved him off. "He headbutted me. I¡¯ll survive."


    The man blinked. "Headbutted-?"


    "Don¡¯t ask. Just... let¡¯s get out of here."


    He nodded and guided me to the elevator, pressing the button as I leaned back against the polished ss-paneled wall, sighing deeply.


    This night had gone from ufortable to ridiculous and now bordered on surreal.


    <fn6da3> Read full story at find?novel</fn6da3>


    And somehow, it still was feeling more real than anything I had experienced in weeks.

 Chapter 137: His Nice, Little Kiddo

    <h4>Chapter 137: His Nice, Little Kiddo</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t get scolded.


    Just like River¡¯s driver had promised, no one from the faculty stopped me when I stepped past the gates of the Academy - nearly an hour past curfew. But that didn¡¯t mean I escaped notice.


    The few faculty members and night duty warriors, who were still out and about, didn¡¯t say a word as I walked past, but their eyes lingered, darting toward the slit on the side of my long navy-blue dress, the sparkling shoes heels, the expensive jewelry still clinging to my neck and wrists, and the messy waves of my silver hair.


    The moment I stepped into the dorm building, I silently prayed not to run into anyone I knew. Thankfully, the corridors were quiet, and the lighting was dim enough to keep my flushed cheeks hidden.


    I slipped through the door to my dorm room like a whisper and made my way into my bedroom, letting out a sigh of relief as I locked the door behind me.


    "Wow," came a familiar voice from the room as the bedside tablemp was switched on in a simr manner from the previous night. "And here I thought I was the only one who made midnight returns."


    I nearly jumped.


    Rowan was sitting on his bed with his legs stretched, wearing one of his oversized hoodies, and holding a half-eaten protein bar. His gaze fell on me, and for a second, his expression froze.


    "Damn," he muttered as his eyes scanned my appearance. "You look like you just stepped off a runway. What - did Alpha River drag you to a werewolf fashion show?"


    I groaned and tossed my bag near the wardrobe before copsing onto the bed face-first. "Worse," I mumbled into the nket. "A business dinner. And humans drink a lot."


    He chuckled, walking over to perch at the edge of my bed. "So you finally caved and picked up my habit of staying outte, huh?"


    I turned my head enough to re at him. "Only because I had to."


    "Sure," he said, the grin on his face not faltering. "I believe you. But just so you know, no matter how pretty you look, you can¡¯t sleep in that dress. It looks like it costs more than the entire dormitory."


    "I¡¯m too tired to move."


    "Too bad." He knelt down and began undoing the straps of my heels. "You are getting changed before you ruin this thing."


    "You are so bossy when I¡¯m exhausted," I groaned.


    "That¡¯s because you get dramatic when you are tired. Come on, show me where you keep your pajamas. I¡¯ll grab them and get out."


    "Second drawer," I said, waving azy hand toward the wardrobe.


    He walked over and pulled out afy set of pajamas before handing them to me.


    <fnfe9b> The source of th?s content is find[f]ovel</fnfe9b>


    "Thanks, Rowan."


    He was already halfway to the door. "Anytime. Oh... do you even have makeup remover?"


    I blinked. "Why would I?"


    He paused. "Because you have makeup on."


    "I don¡¯t use makeup. Just gloss. The stylist did it all."


    He sighed dramatically. "Of course."


    The door closed behind him, and I slowly peeled myself out of the elegant and expensive prison I had been dressed in. The dress dropped to the floor like spilled ink. I didn¡¯t even bother hanging it up. I just slipped into the soft cotton of my sleepwear, threw my hair into azy bun, and fell backward on the bed with a relieved groan.


    Sleep. That¡¯s all I want.


    My eyes had just fluttered shut when a soft knock came from the door.


    "Come in," I mumbled.


    The door opened, and Rowan stepped inside, holding a bottle and some pads. "Got this from Mallory. She¡¯s got a whole drawer full of makeup stuff."


    He sat beside me again, setting the items on the nightstand. "You okay with me helping?"


    Too tired to care, I gave a small nod. "Just don¡¯t poke my eyes."


    He grinned. "No promises."


    His hands were surprisingly gentle as he wiped theyers of foundation and shimmer away. Each sweep of the remover pad was soothing, like being tucked into warmth.


    "It¡¯s bad to sleep with makeup on," he said, brushing a pad under my jawline. "Clogs your pores."


    "Noted."


    When he tilted my chin up to swipe across my forehead, I flinched, and his hand froze. "What was that?"


    "Nothing," I said before adding a lie, "Just hit a wall."


    "You hit a-? Eva. Seriously?"


    I forced a smile. "I¡¯m clumsy, remember?"


    His eyes searched mine, and I was able to see he didn¡¯t believe a word. But to his credit, he didn¡¯t push me. He nodded slowly and cleaned the rest of my makeup, being extra gentle with my forehead.


    Then, he reached over to the drawer and pulled out the little medical kit I had put there.


    "You got this for me, didn¡¯t you?" he asked, unscrewing a jar of balm.


    "Yes. You are always getting injured mysteriously."


    "Well, I¡¯m d you did. Because now I get to use it on you."


    He dabbed his fingers into the balm, then began applying it carefully on my forehead. The touch was cool, tingling slightly, but gentle. It hurt, yes, but nothingpared to how it hurt when I received it.


    "You are really good at this," I whispered.


    He smirked. "I know. I practice on myself a lot."


    "Of course you do."


    When he finished, he ced the balm back in the kit and picked up the gown, folding and cing it aside.


    "You need rest," he said, tucking the nket over my shoulder before switching off the light.


    "You, too," I murmured, eyes already closing. "Thanks, Rowan."


    "For what?"


    I let out a sleepy breath. "For always being here."


    He didn¡¯t respond right away. But I felt his hand giving the top of my head a soft, gentle pat.


    "You are such a nice, little kiddo. I like looking after you." He finally spoke.


    I wanted to argue about him calling me ¡¯little¡¯ and ¡¯kiddo¡¯ in the same sentence, but I was too tired. Maybe another time?

 Chapter 138: Embarrassed

    <h4>Chapter 138: Embarrassed</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When my rm started buzzing at six, I was already awake.


    I sat up and rubbed my temples gently, wincing as my fingers brushed over the sore bump on my forehead. It was throbbing a little but wasn¡¯t as bad as I expected. Thank the moon for Rowan¡¯s balm.


    With a sigh, I got out of bed and started my morning routine. Today, I was nning to leave half an hour early, so I called Mr. Wood and confirmed with him.


    Instead of going straight to the Council Headquarters, I made a quick stop at a dry cleaning store in Lakeshire Town. The boutique dress fromst night, after being folded carefully and stored in a garment bag, was now hanging in my arms like an unwanted secret. I paid the dry cleaning charges and gave the Council headquarters¡¯ address for delivery as I requested they deliver it byte afternoon.


    The heels and jewelry fromst night were neatly packed in a smaller bag, hanging from my shoulder. Once the dress would be delivered, I would return all these things back to River.


    When I finally reached the Headquarters, I was met with the usual scent of fresh linen, brewed coffee, and expensive polish. The grand lobby was gleaming under the sunlight filtering through the tall windows.


    I greeted the receptionists and a few passing employees on my way in.


    "Good morning-"


    Their heads turned, and then... their eyes widened.


    Some halted in their steps, others blinked, obviously caught off guard. Not by my arrival, but by the giant, red, angry bump right in the middle of my forehead.


    The balm might have helped with the pain, but it barely did anything to stop it from bing a very highlighted and obvious bump.


    "Ms. Evaline! Are you-?" the front deskdy, Tania, started to ask.


    <fnb5a7> This text is hosted at find(?)ovel</fnb5a7>


    But I was already walking toward the elevator.


    "Just clumsy," I called over my shoulder with a wave. "Ran into a wall."


    It was a weak excuse. A lie, really. But not far from the truth, if you counted River¡¯s head as a metaphorical wall. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like I could go around telling people that Rogue Alpha King headbutted me in his drunken state.


    Inside the elevator, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Because of my pale skin, the redness of the bump was standing out far too much.


    Rowan had suggested that I not cover it up with makeup, no matter how tempted I was.


    "It¡¯ll just trap the heat and irritate it more," he had said while pressing a coolpress to it. "Let it breathe."


    And he was right. It wasn¡¯t just about hiding it. Why should I be the one trying to conceal it? The one who should feel guilty, embarrassed, or concerned... was the idiot who headbutted me like a rowdy pup. Not me.


    By the time I reached my floor, River still hadn¡¯t arrived. I wasn¡¯t surprised. If he was showing up today, it wouldn¡¯t be until the world stopped spinning around him.


    I got to work quickly - sorting through new reports, highlighting updates on border security issues, and gging a few files that had gone untouched sincest week.


    Despite myself, I found my thoughts drifting to River more than once. Would he remember anything fromst night? Would he recall headbutting me? Would he even acknowledge it if he did?


    I let out a softugh under my breath.


    The image of him with flushed cheeks, unsteady steps, and eyes that were sparkling with mischief instead of malice - that River felt so different from the man who usually sat behind this desk like he owned the world and everyone in it.


    And I hated to admit it, but... I had smiled more in that chaotic car ride than I had in months with him.


    <i>You are hopeless, Eva</i>, I told myself and shook my head to collect myself.


    It wasn¡¯t until close to noon that I finally heard the elevator ding again and the distinct echo of familiar footsteps in the hallway.


    I didn¡¯t have to look up. I was already able to feel his presence.


    He walked in like a storm bottled in a finely pressed ck coat. His dark hair wasbed back, suit tailored, and face as expressionless as ever... or at least, it tried to be.


    His eyes found me in an instant... and froze.


    It was quick, subtle, and maybe no one else would have caught it, but I did. The slight widening of his eyes, the almost imperceptible pause in his steps, and the tight flicker of his jaw.


    His gaze zeroed in on the bump.


    And for the first time since I had met him, the cold, untouchable Rogue Alpha King... looked embarrassed.


    He tried to school his expression into something neutral. But he failed.


    His lips twitched. His gaze flicked toward his desk, then back to me, like he was trying toe up with something to say... anything... that would acknowledge what he did.


    When he didn¡¯t speak, I raised an eyebrow.


    "Morning, Alpha Thorne," I said calmly, as if my forehead wasn¡¯t screaming for attention. "Feeling better?"


    His lips parted, then closed again. He cleared his throat and nodded stiffly, stepping around the desk and pulling out his chair.


    He pretended to adjust his cuffs as he finally broke the silence. "I... trust the driver got you back safely."


    "Eventually," I said, tilting my head.


    A flicker of guilt passed through his eyes again before he forced his usual stoic mask into ce.


    Once again, his gaze drifted to my forehead and lingered this time.


    "I..." He paused, then swallowed. "Apologize."


    That stunned me more than anything else. Not because I didn¡¯t think he was capable, but because hearing it from him was like hearing thunder in a clear sky - jarring and unexpected.


    I blinked. "Excuse me?"


    "I said I apologize. For the injury."


    My lips twitched. "You headbutted me."


    There was a pause before he spoke, "I¡¯m aware."


    I leaned back in my chair as I continued, despite knowing better. "You are lucky I¡¯m not suing you."


    He leaned in his chair and I noticed that usual gleam of pride and power returning to his eyes. "Don¡¯t test me, Evaline."


    Instead of feeling threatened, I just smirked and yed with the pencil with my fingers. "I knew it."


    That got his attention, causing a slight frown to appear on his face. "Knew what?" He asked as I turned my full attention to work.

 Chapter 139: The Bonus She Didn’t Ask For

    <h4>Chapter 139: The Bonus She Didn¡¯t Ask For</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "That you can¡¯t pretend to be anyone but you for more than just a few seconds."


    The second those words left my mouth, the air in the office seemed to tighten.


    From the corner of my eye, I noticed his fingers stilling where they were tapping against the side of his chair. The gleam in his eyes, the one that had begun to return just moments ago, was now narrowed with intensity.


    His voice was quieter when he asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"


    I didn¡¯t look up from my paperwork. "You know exactly what it means."


    "I want to hear it from you," he said in a slightly sharper tone, it was edged with that signature Rogue Alpha demand. "Exin yourself, Evaline."


    I met his gaze only briefly, then calmly returned to my notes. "Not in the mood to y twenty questions today."


    His jaw flexed. He was clearly not used to being dismissed so casually, especially not by someone like me. A month ago, I might have frozen. Even a week ago, I might have tried to hold myself from pushing him too much. But today, I was feeling oddly in control.


    Just as his mouth parted again, probably to press the matter further, my phone started buzzing on the desk between us. I nced at it and saw my lunch reminder shing across the screen.


    Saved by the bell.


    "I have to go," I said, rising to my feet and grabbing my phone. "Lunch hour."


    He didn¡¯t say anything as I walked past him, but I was able to feel the weight of his stare all the way to the door.


    - - -


    The cafeteria wasn¡¯t crowded, thank the stars.


    I grabbed a tray and a simple lunch - roasted vegetables, rice, and soup - before finding a quiet spot near the far windows. My head was still throbbing lightly and I was in no mood to be social.


    While I ate, I thought back to what I had said. I hadn¡¯t nned to poke at him, but something about him pretending to be indifferent when I could see through him... It made my fingers itch.


    He wore his power like armor, butst night, for a flickering moment, the armor had cracked. Beneath the cold confidence, I had seen something <i>human</i>. And now he hated that I had noticed.


    After lunch, I returned to the office expecting more tension or confrontation. But surprisingly, he didn¡¯t bring it up again. Instead, he handed me a file folder with a few reports that needed reviewing and a note on what he wanted highlighted.


    Then he busied himself with calls and paperwork, the way a proper Alpha King should.


    There were no smug remarks. No cryptic insults. Just quiet professionalism.


    It was almost disappointing.


    Byte afternoon, around four, I received a call from an unfamiliar number. The person on the other end introduced herself as one of the delivery staff from the dry cleaning store.


    "I¡¯m here at the lobby to deliver your item, miss," she said politely.


    "Be right down," I replied and hung up.


    When I reached the lobby, the woman handed me the familiar garment bag. The dress was now freshly cleaned and folded with perfect care. I thanked her, signed the delivery note, and carried it upstairs with a sigh. It was finally time to return thest of it.


    Back in the office, I grabbed the bag with the heels and the box containing the jewelry from the cab behind my desk, then walked over to River¡¯s desk.


    He was flipping through some documents, but the second I ced the items on his desk, he looked up with a frown.


    "All of the stuff are here," I said while pointing at the bags.


    He studied the bags, then leaned back in his chair. "They are yours now."


    I blinked. "No, I¡¯m returning them."


    "They are yours," he repeated, now with that exasperating calm of his. "Consider it your bonus for apanying me to the dinner."


    I folded my arms. "You already promised me double sry for that."


    He smirked. "Then consider it... gratitude. For ensuring I reached the hotel and was sleeping in the penthouse safely."


    I gave him a t look. "I still won¡¯t ept them. They are way too expensive."


    That earned me a raised brow, but only for a second. He leaned forward and nudged the bags back toward me.


    "I mean it," he said as his gaze held mine. "I owe you."


    I let out a short breath. "You really don¡¯t."


    "Evaline."


    My name, it was spoken like a warning but sounded almost... tender.


    "I appreciate the gesture," I said, carefully. "But I don¡¯t want things I didn¡¯t earn."


    He narrowed his gaze. "You didearn them."


    "I didn¡¯t do it for rewards," I said firmly. "I just didn¡¯t want you passed out in some hotel with dozens of people eyeing you like you were their prey for the night."


    We locked eyes in a tense silence.


    Then, finally, he sighed and picked up the smaller jewelry box. He held it between us, studied thebel, and said, "The boutique doesn¡¯t take returns."


    I blinked. "Then donate them."


    "Evaline."


    I hated how easily he said my name. Hated how it almost always softened my resolve.


    "If you won¡¯t keep them," he continued, "then throw them away. I don¡¯t need them, and I¡¯m not interested in bartering over a pair of heels."


    "You are seriously going to waste-"


    "They are yours," he cut me off, his tone final.


    And that was the end of it.


    I stared at the bags, still sitting stubbornly on the edge of his desk, and realized he meant it. He really wasn¡¯t going to take them back.


    <fna4e8> Th?s chapter is updated by f?ndnovel</fna4e8>


    I grabbed them slowly and turned to walk back to my desk, muttering under my breath, "You are impossible."


    He didn¡¯t deny it.


    I carefully ced the items in the cab. They were looking more like trophies than gifts.


    I didn¡¯t want them. Not really. Not when they came with a night full of unwanted memories - awkward hotel room chaos, an idental headbutt, and a glimpse into a man I still didn¡¯t fully understand.


    But throwing them away wasn¡¯t an option either.


    So, for now, I was keeping them.

 Chapter 140: A Busy Week

    <h4>Chapter 140: A Busy Week</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time the weekend faded into Monday morning, I was ready to slip back into my routine as a student of Silver Moon Academy.


    Monday passed without incident - smooth lectures, a quick lunch, and quiet evenings filled with finishing touches on the Runes project. Tuesday mirrored it with the same unbothered rhythm.


    I got so absorbed that I almost forgot that just a days ago, I had been pinned to a hotel bed by a drunken Rogue Alpha King with the strength of a boulder and the grace of a toddler.


    By Wednesday morning, the bump on my foreheadpletely disappeared as the balm worked its quiet magic over time. I examined myself in the mirror, tilting my head left and right to make sure the evidence was truly gone. Satisfied, I pulled my hair into a neat braid and headed out.


    Wednesday was also the most silent day at the Academy because of the full moon. More than half the students had taken the days off, not because they all needed it but because they could. And all three Rogue Alpha brothers were also absent just like the month before.


    Unlikest month, I didn¡¯t find myself heading to the library after dinner or stumbling upon a glowing-eyed wolf that turned out to be my mate. No, this time I did what every sane person should do, I locked myself in my bedroom.


    Not out of fear. Not because I didn¡¯t want to see one of my mates again in their wolf form. But because it wasn¡¯t really safe to be found in a simr situation by any of the staff. Not like many would be wondering the halls on a night of full moon, but still.


    <fn7917> Fresh chapters posted on F¦ÉndNovel</fn7917>


    I couldn¡¯t risk being discovered.


    So I stayed in. Note night studying. No creeping through corridors. Just me, my notes, and a mug of warm milk.


    Thursday was a flurry of nerves and paper scraps as we pulled together the final draft of our Runes project. We had been diligently working on it for nearly two weeks now, and while everyone had done their part, the final presentation still had to be polished.


    Freya triple-checked the footnotes while Cedric wrote out the exnations in his neatest handwriting. I went over the diagrams and made sure the glyph alignment matched the historical patterns. Ria and Rowan were tasked with the digital format of the project.


    After all the work, we were as ready on Friday as we ever could. Professor Aldric had booked all three periods before lunch. So as soon as we were done with our breakfast, we all headed to his ss.


    It didn¡¯t take us long to realize that Professor Aldric wasn¡¯t ying around with this project. He was very thorough as he raised questions from each group.


    My group was the sixth to hand in our project and give a presentation on it. Fortunately, we also answered all the questions correctly.


    The moment we were done, it felt like a heavy weight had lifted from our shoulders. Once the remaining groups were done with their turns, Professor Aldric quickly announced the results.


    "Full marks," he announced as he returned our physical projects. "Group Six - A."


    I blinked in surprise. Even if I knew that we had done quite well in the project, I still wasn¡¯t expecting to get an A.


    Ria clutched her heart and let out a little squeal. "Oh my goddess, I thought we were going to get a B at best like the rest of the ss!"


    We were one of only two groups to get full marks. The pride and disbelief in our little group was palpable.


    But our joy was short-lived.


    Right after lunch, Professor Elira dropped the hammer - a new assignment on Werewolf History and Politics. And a written test scheduled for next Wednesday.


    The collective groan from the ss was loud enough to rattle the ceiling.


    "Elira enjoys watching us suffer," Noah muttered as we shuffled out of the ssroom.


    "She¡¯s probably the descendant of some ancient war general," Ria added dryly.


    And with that, another week wrapped up. Quietly. Peacefully. Almost boringly.


    The usual crowd who made it their mission to throw shade at me - Nadine and her girlies - didn¡¯t try anything new. A few dirty looks here, some whispering in the hallway there. But nothing major. After all, they too were pretty upied with the project and considering their group also got an A, they definitely worked hard.


    After the shower incident, Celeste and her group had also left me alone. And while I was grateful for that, I had a feeling that this peace might notst for too long.


    But for once, nothing major happened.


    Throughout the week, I was trying to talk to Kieran about the secret investigation I was going to conduct, but I didn¡¯t get a single chance. Either he was genuinely busy, or he was avoiding me.


    I didn¡¯t know which possibility frustrated me more.


    It was almost frustrating. If he really wanted me to stay far away from these incidents and whatever was behind them, he should have never told me about them in the first ce.


    Even if I wanted, I couldn¡¯t pretend that nothing bad was going on right in the very Academy that was supposed to be my safe haven for next four years.


    But it wasn¡¯t just Kieran who kept his distance.


    Oscar and Draven were busy two. It turned out the second years were going through a physical training test from Monday to Thursday and Oscar was the incharge instructor. Thus, both the brothers were pretty busy throughout the week.


    Still, they made sure to leave me messages and even call me once in a while to ask about how my days were going.


    It wasn¡¯t until I didn¡¯t get to see glimpses of Oscar across the hallways, meet Draven in the library every evening or y the twon building game with him like usual, I didn¡¯t realize just how used I had be of their presence in my life.


    With this busy week finally over, I was actually looking forward to a hance encounter with, at least, one of my mates.

 Chapter 141: A Date Night From Nowhere

    <h4>Chapter 141: A Date Night From Nowhere</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Saturday passed far more peacefully than I was expecting.


    River didn¡¯t show up at the Council headquarters at all, and for once, there wasn¡¯t a mountain of work waiting for me. The silence and calm were... refreshing.


    I managed toplete my assigned tasks by five in the evening. My bag was already slung over my shoulder as I made my way to the elevator, mentally nning a quiet evening with some snacks and research material for History assignment, when my phone started buzzing in my hand.


    It was Draven.


    A small smile tugged at my lips, but I quicklyposed myself before answering.


    "Hey," I said, trying to sound casual.


    "Hey," he replied, and just like that, my heart was doing that strange fluttery thing again. "What time will you be done?"


    "I¡¯m just about to leave," I told him. "Heading back to the Academy now."


    There was a pause on his end, and then his voice dropped slightly. It was softer, more hesitant, like he was treading carefully. "Would you... like to go out for dinner with me tonight?"


    For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.


    Dinner. With Draven.


    Our first date.


    I blinked at the elevator panel, unsure if I had heard him right. "Are you asking me on a date?"


    "I am," he said simply, but confidently. "If you arefortable with it."


    I was. I really was.


    But being seen with him was going to lead to too many questions - ones I wasn¡¯t ready to answer.


    <fn5921> ?????? ???? f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn5921>


    He must have sensed my hesitation because he spoke again quickly. "You don¡¯t have to head back to the Academy first. Meet me at Willowcross, the small town just next to Lakeshire. I¡¯ll pick you up there, and we¡¯ll head to one of the nearby cities. No one from the Academy will see us."


    My heart started pounding harder.


    He had thought this through. He wanted this. He wanted me.


    I looked down at myself. ck trousers. A brown button-down shirt. Low heels. My hair was twisted up in a bun from the morning rush. I wasn¡¯t exactly dressed for a date, definitely not the kind Draven probably had in mind. And going back to the Academy to change would ruin the n.


    But I didn¡¯t want to say no.


    I couldn¡¯t miss this chance.


    "Okay," I said softly. "I¡¯ll meet you there."


    Instead of heading to the lobby, I ducked into the women¡¯s restroom near the office wing. It was empty, thankfully. I pulled my hair out of the bun and fluffed it slightly, frowning at the slight crease on my shirt and the dull look on my face.


    I sshed cold water on my skin and patted it dry, feeling a little bit of lip gloss wouldn¡¯t hurt. I pulled the small bottle from my bag and started applying it when the restroom door swung open.


    Be and Emily walked in the next moment. The two of them were some of nicest assistants I had gotten to know during my weeks here. Be worked under Alpha Caden, and Emily worked under Alpha Reed.


    Both women paused when they spotted me at the mirror.


    "Well, well," Be grinned, arching an eyebrow. "Is that lip gloss I see?"


    Emily¡¯s eyes sparkled with interest. "Someone¡¯s getting ready for something."


    I smiled awkwardly at being caught red-handed. "I, uh... might be going on a date."


    Both of them gasped - dramatically, of course - and suddenly I was surrounded.


    "A date?" Emily practically squealed. "That¡¯s amazing!"


    "With who?" Be asked, arms crossed, pretending to be stern. "Is he a student from Academy?"


    I just nodded my head in s positive response.


    I wasn¡¯t nning to say more than that, and thankfully they didn¡¯t push. Instead, they noticed my outfit and how not so date-coded it was, and immediately switched into helper mode.


    "We can fix this," Be dered.


    "I don¡¯t have much time," I warned, but that didn¡¯t stop them.


    They got to work like they had done this a hundred times.


    Be started with my clothes. She rolled up the sleeves of my shirt and unbuttoned just enough of the top to offer a subtle glimpse of cleavage. She took off her gold pendant and matching earrings and ced them gently into my hands.


    "Wear these. You can give them back tomorrow," she said with a wink.


    Emily unstrapped her sleek golden watch and handed it to me with a yful grin. "To make your wrist look expensive."


    I tried to argue, but they wouldn¡¯t hear it. "You are going on a date, girl," Be insisted. "You deserve to look stunning."


    I sat on the bench while they worked on my hair and makeup.


    Emily used a mini curler to put gentle waves in my silver locks, letting them fall around my shoulders in soft curls. Be applied just enough makeup to enhance my features - coral blush to match the outfit and the vibes of the season, a little highlighter on my cheekbones, a touch of mascara, and a lip tint that brought out the warmth in my amber eyes.


    By the time they were done, I didn¡¯t even recognize myself.


    I looked... confident. Glowing. Like someone who deserved a perfect first date.


    When I looked in the mirror, I could hardly believe how much a little care and effort had transformed me. I didn¡¯t look overdressed, just elegant in a subtle way. My trousers were perfectly fitted, the shirt was now chic with its minor alterations. The essories tied it all together.


    "You are going to make someone very, very breathless tonight," Emily whispered with a grin.


    "And if he doesn¡¯t treat you right, just let us know," Be added with a genuineugh.


    "Thank you both," I said sincerely, hugging them one at a time.


    They walked me to the lobby before heading to their respective rides, and I sent a quick message to Draven that I was on my way to Willowcross.


    With butterflies in my stomach and my heart thudding with excitement, I stepped out into thete evening light, looking nothing like the tired assistant from minutes ago.


    No. Tonight, I was just Evaline.


    And I was going on my first date with my soulmate.

 Chapter 142: The Dinner Date

    <h4>Chapter 142: The Dinner Date</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Even Mr. Wood had to do a double take when I stepped into the parking lot of the Council headquarters.


    He blinked as his eyes scanned me from head to toe. I knew I was looking nothing like I was this morning when he dropped me here. Now, with soft waves in my silver hair, a little bit of makeup, and jewelry lending me a glow I didn¡¯t usually wear, I probably was looking like someone else entirely.


    But, to his credit, he didn¡¯t let his surprise linger. He quickly slipped on his professional expression, cleared his throat, and opened the car door for me.


    "Where to, Miss Evaline?" he asked as if sensing I might not be returning to the Academy


    "Willowcross," I replied, unable to hide the slight tremble in my voice.


    He said nothing, just nodded and started driving.


    It was a calm, silent ride. Thete evening sky outside was slowly deepening into the richer hues of dusk, and my nerves were beginning to catch up with me. I kept fidgeting with the sleeves of my shirt, mentally repeating that it was just dinner. With my mate. A dinner. A date. No big deal.


    Except it was a big deal.


    Mr. Wood dropped me outside a charming little bakery. The town of Willowcross was quaint, warm, and alive even during this hour. I spotted people walking their dogs, kids riding bicycles, and soft music floating out from the stores.


    I moved to a corner and called Draven.


    "I¡¯m outside the Sugar Garden bakery," I told him.


    "I¡¯m a minute away."


    Exactly sixty secondster, a sleek ck car rolled to a smooth stop in front of me.


    The driver¡¯s door opened, and my heart forgot how to beat as Draven stepped out.


    He was dressed for the asion in a ck button-up shirt that was hugging his lean, powerful frame perfectly, paired with a dark coat and cks. A pair of sunsses was shielding his eyes despite the sun already setting, and a ck mask was covering the lower half of his face.


    Of course. We were in public, and this was a town close to the Academy. Any person walking on these streets could recognize him when paid enough attention.


    Still, even with most of his face covered, I was able to feel his eyes on me.


    He walked over, opened the passenger door for me with a slight bow of his head like a perfect gentleman.


    "Mdy," he murmured.


    I smiled despite myself and slid into the seat, clutching my bag on myp to calm my nerves.


    Once he got in, he started the car and pulled away from the curb. For the first few minutes, there was only silence -fortable but charged.


    Then he peeked at me.


    "You really said yes," he said with a soft smile in his voice. "I didn¡¯t think you would."


    "I almost didn¡¯t," I admitted, feeling my cheeks heating up.


    He chuckled, and the sound was low and smooth. "Well, I¡¯m d you did."


    His eyes scanned me quickly, and I noticed appreciation shining behind his shades. "You look beautiful tonight," he said sincerely. "Did you put on makeup just for me?"


    I tried to roll my eyes, but my smile gave me away.


    "I didn¡¯t have time to go back and change," I said. "So... let¡¯s just say, it was a team effort."


    He raised a brow. "Should I be thanking someone else for helping my mate look this stunning?"


    "Maybe," I said with a smile. "But you can thank me for saying yes."


    Heughed again. "Deal."


    We fell into conversation easily after that. We talked about our week, uing sses, and things we had learned. He congratted me on getting an A in mytest trial and called me brilliant. When I learned he had also aced his physicalbat assessment, we both agreed the night called for a double celebration.


    Half an hourter, he pulled into the parking lot of a cozy and warm looking restaurant, with vines trailing up the outside and golden lights glowing through the windows.


    He walked around the car and opened my door again. Every action he made tonight was so gentle, so considerate, it softened something in me I didn¡¯t even realize had gone tense.


    He led me inside, and the hostess guided us not to the main dining area, but toward a private room.


    The door opened to reveal a softly lit space, decorated with candles, a small chandelier overhead, and a single round table set for two. Gentle music was ying from hidden speakers.


    I turned to him as the door shut behind us.


    "You nned all of this?"


    He pulled down his mask and removed his sunsses, revealing his full face for the first time tonight.


    "I wanted to make this night special," he said. "For both of us."


    And it was.


    Dinner was delicious - steamed vegetables, herb-marinated grilled chicken, and a velvety cream pasta that melted in my mouth. Dessert was a decadent chocte mousse with a tart raspberry drizzle.


    But it wasn¡¯t just the food. It was the way he listened so attentively, the way he smiled every time Iughed, the way he kept sliding tinypliments into the conversation like he couldn¡¯t help himself.


    "I think I¡¯m starting to like this date thing," I said between bites.


    He raised his juice ss. "Then here¡¯s to our first of many."


    By the time we finished eating, I thought the night couldn¡¯t get any sweeter. But then, slow music filled the air.


    He stood and offered me his hand.


    "May I have this dance?"


    I stared at him.


    "There¡¯s no one here," I said with a small smile.


    "Exactly," he replied, "so no one can judge my dancing."


    Laughing, I ced my hand in his and he pulled me close. His one hand moved to rest on my waist, while other was holding my hand gently.


    We swayed us to the music, and my heart swayed with us.


    <fnf40a> Fresh chapters posted on FindN()vel</fnf40a>


    It felt... safe. Real. Like something I had been longing for without knowing.


    The music faded, but he didn¡¯t step back right away. He let his hand slide down and reached into his coat pocket.


    "I got you something," he murmured.


    And then he pulled out a small velvet box.

 Chapter 143: After Dinner Fun

    <h4>Chapter 143: After Dinner Fun</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I blinked in surprise, my gaze shifting from the velvet box to the man holding it. "Draven..."


    "It¡¯s not a ring," he teased. "Rx, Love."


    He then opened the box, and inside was a silver charm bracelet, looking delicate and beautiful. There were two charms already on it - a tiny wolf and a moon.


    "Just a little reminder," he said as he sped it on my wrist. "Of what you are, and what you mean to me."


    I looked up at him, feeling my eyes stinging. Ever since my mother left me, no one had ever treated me this gently, until I arrived at Silver Moon and got to know some of the nicest people ever... including my mates.


    "I don¡¯t deserve this," I whispered.


    He reached out and cupped my cheek gently. "You deserve so much more, Evaline."


    I watched him in silence, as my heart felt surrounded with a rare feeling of warmth.


    Though the dinner was over, there were still more than three hours left before curfew. And Draven soon made it obvious that he had more ns in store for the night.


    He brushed a strand of hair from my face as he asked, "Can I take you somewhere else? Somewhere fun?" His voice was hopeful, just like his eyes as they waited for my response.


    I smiled at him before whispering, "Wherever you want."


    That made his smile widened. "Then let¡¯s go to my favorite ce."


    In a blink, we were weaving through the town. I was wondering where we were heading until he pulled in front of a bright neon glow - an arcade. My eyebrows lifted in surprise, delight, and nerves.


    <fn3c79> Th?s chapter is updated by </fn3c79>


    Inside the building, a symphony of lights and sounds greeted us - coin drops, bleeps, cheers. I nced at him as I spoke. "I have never done this before."


    He took out a card from his wallet and showed it to me. "Who cares? Win or lose, it¡¯ll be fun."


    It turned out the card was for ying games. Since he was a usual visitor to this ce, he got a custom card to pay for the games instead of using regr coins.


    Our first stop was an area filled with w machines - some had plushies in them, some had snacks, and then there were ones with DIY sort of things.


    I watched as he scanned his card and guided the w to snag a plush bear. It dropped with a <i>thunk</i> and he lifted it, handing it to me with a boyish grin. He tried again and this time also seeded, getting me a chocte bar.


    He made it look so easy that I was feeling pretty confident... until I tried and failed miserably. Not just once but three times in a row.


    "Here, let me help you."


    I turned to nce at him, and my breath caught when I realized just how close he was. His chest was nearly brushing against my back, and I was able to feel the heat radiating off him like the soft hum of summer sun.


    My hands tightened instinctively around the w machine controls. I was suddenly too aware of everything as he stepped behind me fully and reached around with both arms. His hands closed lightly over mine, guiding my fingers to the buttons.


    "You are moving the w too fast," he murmured, his breath brushing against my temple and sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. "Go slow. See that little blue bunny in the corner? Let¡¯s try for that."


    His fingers were warm as they steadied mine. My pulse was thundering in my ears, louder than the beeping of the machine. I was barely able to concentrate on the w. All I could think about was the feeling of being wrapped in his arms like this, even if it was just for a silly arcade game.


    "Okay, now - press."


    We moved as one. I was holding my breath as the w dipped, caught on the bunny¡¯s head... and lifted it. I watched as the bunny swayed dangerously beforending safely in the prize chute.


    A squeal escaped me. It was part relief, part excitement, part... something else. I heard himughing. It was a soft, happy sound right by my ear, and I turned my head without thinking. As our eyes met, I realized he hadn¡¯t moved away yet.


    "See?" he said, still smiling. "You are a natural. Just needed a little help."


    I nodded, dumbly, feeling my cheeks ming. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was from the win or from how my heart was practically doing cartwheels in my chest.


    With the bunny tucked safely in my arms, we continued with more games. And he was good at everything. Literally. There wasn¡¯t a single game he tried and lost. He was winning like he was a professional.


    But he wasn¡¯t ying only by himself, he was making sure that I too was having a good time. He motivated me whenever I lost and congratted on my small wins.


    When we finally stopped over an hour and halfter, we had earned enough tickets to exchange them for a week¡¯s worth of snacks. Not only that but I had six different plushies and a chocte bar from the wins as well.


    It was... clearly overwhelming. "I-oh my goddess-" I let out a littleugh while shaking my head.


    We loaded everything in the backseat of his car before we finally headed back. I was expecting him to drop me off at the Academy, instead, he drove past the road leading to the main gates and entered the dense woods surrounding the Academy.


    I was confused but I didn¡¯t ask anything, just waited. About ten minutester, we pulled up at the foot of a cliff.


    "Where are we?" I finally asked as I climbed out of the carbwhen he opened the door for me.


    "This is another one of my favorite ces, a ce just for me. I have been wanting to show it to you for a while." He was looking at me with excitement filled eyes, and it made me feel curious to know what else was in store for me tonight.


    "Alright," I said, slipping my hand into his waiting one, "Show me what it is."

 Chapter 144: Alpha’s Safe Place

    <h4>Chapter 144: Alpha¡¯s Safe ce</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Draven held my hand as we made our way along a narrow trail that was wrapped around the base of the cliff. The trees were denser here, their shadows ovepping beneath the faint moonlight.


    My curiosity was bubbling over, but I stayed quiet, letting him lead me.


    Then, without warning, he stopped before what was looking like a wall of vines and thick greenery. I blinked. There was no path, no opening - justyers of tangled ivy and hanging moss. But he pushed a few aside like he knew exactly where to look, and that¡¯s when I saw it.


    A narrow wooden door, nearly invisible unless you were standing right in front of it.


    "You brought me to a secretir?" I whispered with a grin, half teasing, half breathless in awe.


    He chuckled and nced at me. "Something like that."


    The door creaked softly as he unlocked it and pushed it open, pulling me inside. Warmth greeted me first - not from heat, but from the space itself. It was small but charming.


    The entrance opened into a short hallway with smooth stone walls and soft lighting from wall sconces. At the end of it was a cozy living room, neatly connected to apact but beautiful kitchen. A bedroom and a bathroom were branched off to the side.


    The floors were wooden, polished and clean, and the air was carrying the faint scent of wildflowers and something earthier... something like Draven himself.


    But what truly surprised me were the fairy lights. They were strung around the edges of the ceiling, softly glowing with a warm amber hue, wrapping the ce in a dreamlikefort. It felt magical, like something out of a storybook.


    I turned to him, my eyes wide. "You... have fairy lights?"


    He looked sheepish, scratching the back of his neck. "Oscar made fun of me for weeks. Said they were ¡¯unnecessary.¡¯ But I liked how they looked, so I kept them."


    <fnfdcf> Read full story at find?novel</fnfdcf>


    I couldn¡¯t stop smiling. "They are perfect."


    He showed me around, walking me through each room. The ce was tidy, minimal but lived-in, like it was holding memories waiting to be made. By the time we returned to the living room, I was wrapped infort, and something deeper I couldn¡¯t quite name.


    He handed me a ss of water and tugged a nket over my legs as I settled down on the big couch. "It¡¯s getting chilly," he murmured, settling beside me.


    I nodded. Autumn was in its final days, and winter was beginning to nip at the edges of night.


    "This ce is yours?" I asked.


    "Had to beg River for weeks," he said with augh. "He thought I didn¡¯t need it. But I wanted a ce that was mine. A ce where I could just... be. And no one¡¯s stepped in here since it was built. Until now."


    I looked at him in surprise. "Why me?"


    He turned his body slightly, facing me. The warmth in his eyes had changed, it was deeper, heavier, almost stormy. "Because you are not just anyone, Evaline."


    I inhaled sharply. And he noticed it.


    He leaned forward slowly, his voice dropping as he continued, "I have been thinking about this for a while now. About us. About the bond. And I just... I¡¯m ready, Eva. To share everything. This ce, my life... my soul."


    I stared at him, stunned, unable to speak.


    "I want this," he whispered. "You. Us. Completely."


    His hand came up, brushing a stray strand of hair from my cheek, and then he leaned in.


    His lips touched mine softly at first, like a question. And I answered by moving closer, wrapping my fingers in the fabric of his shirt and pulling him to me. The kiss deepened slowly, like a tide pulling us under.


    His hands cupped my face as he kissed me - slow, patient, consuming.


    I gasped softly when he tilted his head and kissed me again, this time with more intensity. My hands found their way around his neck as his fingers slid to my waist, drawing me closer.


    In that moment, the world beyond the cliff and trees vanished. There was only the heat of his mouth, the press of his body, the sound of our breathing bing more urgent.


    We melted into each other and our kisses grew longer, and touches more desperate. I shifted, straddling hisp while the nket slipped to the floor unnoticed.


    His hands started roaming my back, my hips, my thighs. Each touch was setting fire to my skin. His lips trailed to my jaw, to the hollow beneath my ear, and I couldn¡¯t stop the soft sigh that escaped me.


    This was Draven - strong, quiet, loyal - and right now, he¡¯s mine.


    When he finally pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine while both of us struggled to catch our breaths.


    "I have never wanted anything more," he whispered. "I¡¯m ready to ept our bond, Evaline. To make it official. Verbal or not, soul to soul. I¡¯m ready."


    His words were like lightning, beautiful and terrifying all at once. And they made me froze.


    The intensity in his expression shifted into concern as he noticed the immediate shift in me. His arms remained around me, but his voice cracked slightly as he asked, "Do you not want it? Or... are you not ready yet?"


    The vulnerability in his eyes pierced straight through me. "It¡¯s okay if you are not," he added quickly, as if trying to shield himself from the pain already beginning to bloom in his chest.


    "No! Draven, no." I cupped his face in my hands. "I do want it. I want you. More than anything."


    Relief flooded his features, but I saw the question still lingering in his eyes.


    "It¡¯s just..." I took a shaky breath. "There are things about me - truths I haven¡¯t told anyone yet. Things that might change how you see me. And if we seal the bond before you know them, before you truly know me, I¡¯ll always wonder if you would have made a different choice."


    He frowned slightly. "What kind of truths?"


    "I can¡¯t tell you yet," I whispered. "Not tonight. But I promise I will. Just... give me couple of days. Let me tell you everything before we take that final step. And if after that you still want to seal our bond... then I¡¯ll be more than happy to agree."


    He was quiet for a long moment. And I waited, with heart in my throat, feeling extremely terrified that I had just ruined something so perfect.


    But then he nodded, and the gentleness in his expression returned.


    "One week," he said softly. "But no more hiding. I want the real you, Eva. All of it. Even the parts you think I won¡¯t be able to love."


    I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. "Deal."


    He pressed onest kiss to my lips. This one was soft, almost reverent. Then he pulled me into his chest and wrapped his arms around me like he had no intention of letting go.


    And I just hoped that when he would finally learn my secrets, he would still hold me like this, like I was his entire life now.

 Chapter 145: Her True Friends

    <h4>Chapter 145: Her True Friends</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I thought promising Draven a week would buy me some peace.


    But as the time crept forward, I realized I was nowhere near ready to reveal the truth. Not even close.


    It was gnawing at me - this growing fear. Of what I would lose. Of how they would look at me once everything was out in the open. Of what I would destroy with my own words.


    Because somewhere along the way, without even realizing it, I had started falling for Oscar and Draven. Not just because they were my fated mates, but because they were... good. Gentle, loyal, frustrating at times, yes.. but good.


    They both had showed me that I could build a future with them. Oscar with his quiet strength and the way he made space for me to breathe. Draven with his cocky smirks and surprisingly thoughtful gestures that always caught me off guard.


    And now... I was terrified.


    What if the truth shattered everything I had with them?


    I carried that weight into Sunday. My chest was heavy with thoughts that refused to settle. Thankfully, River was absent again. ording to the receptionist, he was handling an important business deal at hispany. I didn¡¯t ask for details, I was just relieved.


    The headquarters felt almost serene without him. No intimidating aura lingering in the office, no silent judgment as I tried not to mess up my tasks.


    I spent the day at my desk, filing reports, reviewing submissions from various rogue packs, drafting responses for River¡¯s review. These were just mundane tasks... but peaceful.


    And I needed that peace. Even if it was fragile.


    By Monday, I tried to fall back into my usual routine as a first-year student at Silver Moon.


    As sses began, I tried to focus on what the professors were teaching during their periods, or working on my ¡¯Werewolf History and Politics¡¯ assignment that was still far frompletion.


    During ¡¯Herbs and Potions¡¯ ss, we got to learn that Kieran wouldn¡¯t be attending the sses for the rest of week as he was away for work. But instead of his sses getting canceled, a senior from final year turned up as our temporary teacher for the entire week.


    I was too lost in my own thoughts and worries that Ipletely overlooked Kieran¡¯s sudden absence from the Academy.


    Fortunately, I was able toplete my assignment on time and submitted it on Tuesday. And despite not doing my best preparation for the test, I was still able to answer all the questions, though not as well as I might have if not for my distracted thoughts.


    I just stepped out of the building when a strong hand curled around my wrist.


    "Hey," Kyros whispered, tugging me away. "Come with us."


    Before I could have collected myself from the shock of his sudden appearance and asked anything, he was already dragging me to somewhere.


    Rowan appeared at my other side, but offered no exnation. He just gave a silent nod and guided me down the east corridor which was rarely used outside ofte evening sses.


    The moment we turned a corner and stepped into one of the small, shaded courtyards tucked between the buildings, I knew something was up.


    "Alright," I sighed while crossing my arms. "What¡¯s going on?"


    Kyros raised an eyebrow. "That¡¯s our line."


    "You have been off," Rowan added. "Quiet. Distant. You have been avoiding the entire group for days now."


    "Not avoiding," I muttered, "just... busy."


    Kyros tilted his head, clearly not convinced. "We have known you long enough to fall for that. Something¡¯s eating you up, and we want to know what. Before the rest of the groupes swarming in with their own questions, especially Mallory."


    The tightness in my chest expanded, then cracked open. I nced between them. These two were the only ones who knew about my mate bonds with Oscar and Draven.


    I sucked in a breath before finally speaking, "I... made a promise. To Draven."


    Kyros folded his arms and leaned against the tree beside him. "Go on."


    "I told him... I would tell him everything. All of my secrets. By the end of the week."


    Rowan¡¯s eyes softened as realization hit him. "That¡¯s a good thing, Eva."


    <fnd070> For original chapters go to FindN()vel</fnd070>


    "No, it¡¯s terrifying," I snapped, then winced. "Sorry. I just-" I dragged a hand through my hair, feeling my voice faltering. "What if they hate me after they find out? What if they can¡¯t look at me the same way? I have built something real with them and now I might destroy it all."


    Neither of them responded immediately, and for a second, I wanted to turn and run. But then Kyros stepped forward and ced a hand on my shoulder.


    "You are doing the right thing," he said firmly. "Hiding it forever isn¡¯t the answer."


    "I know," I whispered.


    "Look," Rowan said gently. "I won¡¯t pretend to know exactly what you are scared of. But I do know this - Draven and Oscar? They are not going to walk away just like that. Not if they know it¡¯s still you. Not if they have already seen your heart."


    I looked down, blinking quickly. The lump in my throat was burning.


    "And if they do?" Kyros added. "Then they are idiots. And they don¡¯t deserve you."


    I didn¡¯t respond, because I couldn¡¯t tell them exactly why I was so worried. This fear wasn¡¯t from the brothers learning that they both were my mates, but about my other secret.


    One moment, I was feeling all alone and cold, and then I felt strong, warm arms surrounding me as Kyros pulled me into a hug.


    "Whatever happens," he said in a softer voice, "you are not alone in this. Not anymore."


    "He¡¯s right. You have us, Eva." Rowan added as he gave my shoulder a light squeeze.


    I pressed my lips together and nodded slowly.


    I wasn¡¯t calm, not entirely. The fear was still there, lingering just beneath the surface. But the panic had quieted. The chaos in my chest had stilled, if only for a moment.


    Because I wasn¡¯t alone.


    I had friends, true friends, who weren¡¯t just there for the good moments. They were here for the fear, the doubt, the vulnerability. They were here for me.

 Chapter 146: Before Everything Changed

    <h4>Chapter 146: Before Everything Changed</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time the sun was starting to dip behind the Academy¡¯s stone walls that Wednesday evening, I found myself staring at my phone like it was a ticking bomb.


    My thumb hovered over Oscar¡¯s contact. I had never called him before. It was always him initiating, always him teasing or coaxing me into replying, always him taking the lead.


    But this time, it had to be me.


    I sucked in a breath and hit the call button before I could second-guess myself.


    It rang once.


    Twice.


    And then his voice came through - bright, warm, a little out of breath.


    "Eva?"


    The sound of my name in his voice made something flutter violently in my chest.


    "I-hi," I managed, finding slightly breathless myself.


    He chuckled in a low and surprised tone. "Wow, okay. I did not expect that. You called me."


    I smiled, even if he couldn¡¯t see it. "Yeah. I hope it¡¯s not a bad time."


    "Bad time?" he scoffed. "You could have called me during an earthquake, and I would have picked up. I¡¯m d you did." Then, after a pause, his tone softened. "I¡¯m sorry, by the way. For not being around more. Training trials for second and third years started previous week and are still ongoing, so I have been a little busy."


    "It¡¯s okay," I murmured. And I meant it. The way he sounded sincere, happy just to hear me, it melted something heavy inside me.


    We talked for a little while. About his week. About mine. And he seeded in making me smile more times within those few minutes than I had in days.


    But then, I had to say it - the reason I called him.


    "Would you... like to go out with me on Friday?"


    The silence on the linested a heartbeat too long. And then-


    "Hell yes."


    I almostughed, at his reaction, not from the fact that he was ready to join me on Friday. A part of me was actually wanting him to deny with work as excuse. But that obviously didn¡¯t happen.


    "I¡¯ll message you ce and time tomorrow. See you then." I ended the call before he could respond.


    - - -


    Next morning, I found myself hunting down Kyros and Rowan after lunch and found them in the Runes ssroom.


    Now that we were entering our fourth month of the term and the weeks were mostly filled with assignments or tests, Rowan was turning up in sses more frequently.


    "Hey," I called out as I took the seat next to Rowan. I kept my voice down to not alert Mallory and Selene who were sitting right in front of us.


    Rowan turned his attention toward me and immediately asked, "You okay?"


    "I called the second one yesterday and asked him to meet me tomorrow. But I still need help figuring out where to take them. It can¡¯t be the Academy or anywhere crowded."


    Kyros nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, you don¡¯t want anyone overhearing what you are about to unload."


    Rowan crossed his arms, looking thoughtful. "What about that base camp where our entrance exam took ce. Now that Academy session has started, that ce is leftpletely abandoned. I have been there once or twice, the ce ispletely... deserted."


    "Not bad," Kyros added. "It¡¯s private. Safe. You won¡¯t get interrupted."


    That sounded like a nice enough ce, so I nodded my head. "Thanks, guys."


    "You have got this, girl," Rowan said as he offered me an encouraging smile.


    And I wanted to believe that. I really did.


    That evening, the library was nearly empty as I packed up my notes. My brain was foggy after hours of working on study notes, but I had made progress and that was something.


    I stepped into the hallway, adjusting the strap of my bag, when I stopped short.


    Oscar.


    He was leaning casually against the wall a few feet ahead, with his arms crossed and eyes gleaming like they had no business being that pretty under the flickering hall light. There were only a couple of students nearby, and every single one of them seemed very aware of his presence.


    I froze. If I stepped closer, it would draw attention. So I did nothing. Just stood there.


    He didn¡¯t say a word.


    Instead, he tilted his phone slightly, subtly, and walked away.


    Frowning, I pulled mine from my pocket.


    <strong>Oscar:</strong><i>Room 21. Sixth floor.</i>


    I blinked. Sixth floor?


    The first four levels of this building were the library. Fifth held quiet study halls. But the sixth and seventh floors? They were rarely used. There were mostly forgotten ssrooms and old administrative offices.


    I waited a beat to make sure no one was watching. Then, as quietly as I could, I climbed the stairwell, keeping to the shadows until I reached the sixth floor.


    Room 21 was at the end of the corridor.


    I stepped in, barely a foot past the door, before I was pulled into a warm, tight embrace.


    He wrapped his arms around me like he was afraid I would vanish. He tucked his face into the crook of my neck, and I heard the shaky sigh he released against my skin.


    "I couldn¡¯t wait," he murmured. "I thought I could. I really did. I told myself I would see you Friday and wrap up my work before then. But afterst night, after you called, I just..."


    He pulled back and cupped my face gently. "I had to see you."


    <fn7723> Discover more novels at f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn7723>


    My heart clenched painfully.


    Because I didn¡¯t know if I would still have this after tomorrow.


    "I¡¯m d you came," I whispered.


    His thumb brushed over my cheek. "You sure? You look like you are about to cry."


    I smiled at him and shook my head. "Just tired after studying for the entire day."


    He smiled and ced a feathery kiss on my forehead. "It¡¯s good that you are focusing on your studies, but don¡¯t overwork yourself."


    I nodded and let myself lean into his chest again, wrapping my arms around his waist. I listened to his heartbeat, steady and real. I memorized the warmth of his skin through his shirt, the scent of his cologne, the low hum in his throat when I shifted closer.


    I wanted to stay in this moment - just a little longer. Before everything changed.


    Before I took the risk of losing him.


    And so I did.


    Even if it made it harder to let go.

 Chapter 147: Back To Cottage 13

    <h4>Chapter 147: Back To Cottage 13</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong><fn8704> Original content can be found at F?ndNovel</fn8704>


    Friday came like a storm.


    The kind that sits on your chest the moment you open your eyes and doesn¡¯t let you breathe.


    I had barely slept as my thoughts spiraled into all the ways things could go wrong - into every reaction I feared from Oscar and Draven. Into every word I didn¡¯t know how to say.


    By the time dawn painted the Academy halls with its pale gold light, my stomach was already churning.


    I still got out of bed. Still dressed. Still tied my hair back with trembling fingers and forced myself to walk into the day.


    But I wasn¡¯t okay.


    And it didn¡¯t take long for my friends to realize it.


    Kyros noticed first. One look at me in the hallway and his usual smile faded into quiet understanding. Rowan joined us momentster, falling into step beside me with a silent nce and a nod. They knew what today was. They knew I was barely holding it together.


    And they stayed close.


    The others, though... they had questions. So many questions. I could feel them building throughout the morning - curious nces during ss, hesitant whispers between breaks.


    By the time lunch arrived, I was running on empty.


    Literally.


    I hadn¡¯t eaten anything since morning except the ss of milk Rowan forced me to drink before dragging me to ss. Even now, as we all sat around the long table in the dining hall, I was unable to stomach the idea of food. I kept picking at my te, pushing the food around with my fork as I tried to ignore the growing pit in my stomach.


    Kyros nudged me quietly. "Eat. Just a little."


    I shook my head while keeping my gaze fixed on the still full te.


    That¡¯s when Mallory lost it.


    "Okay, no," she snapped, mming her fork down. "What is going on with you, Eva? You have been acting like a ghost all week. You barely focus on sses, you barely talk, and now you are not eating? Someone better start exining because I¡¯m done sitting here watching you wither like this."


    I flinched.


    Kyros leaned forward and spoke in a firm but calm voice. "Not today, Mal."


    "Kyros, I swear-"


    "She¡¯s fine. Just give her space."


    "She doesn¡¯t look fine!" Mallory hissed, eyes shining with frustrated worry. "She looks like she¡¯s about to break."


    I did feel like that. But I still couldn¡¯t say anything. Not yet.


    Fortunately, Rowan spoke for me. "Please. Just today. Let it go."


    Mallory¡¯s lips tightened, and after a beat, she stood and stormed off, her half-eaten lunch forgotten. I hated myself for it, for being the reason behind that hurt look in her eyes.


    But I couldn¡¯t reveal anything... at least not at the moment.


    Right after lunch, I excused myself from the table and pulled out my phone. My fingers were shaking as I typed the message.


    <i>Cottage 13. Academy Base Camp. 6 PM.</i>


    I sent it to Oscar and Draven before I could overthink it again.


    It was time.


    sses ended at five. I was feeling like I floated through thest hour, like my body was present but my mind was buried under the weight of the approaching conversation. My notebook was full of scribbles I didn¡¯t even remember writing.


    Outside the lecture hall, Kyros and Rowan were already waiting for me.


    Kyros gave me a soft smile. "Still breathing?"


    "Barely," I muttered.


    Rowan passed me a small bottle of water and a gran bar. "You¡¯ll need strength to face your men."


    I didn¡¯t argue this time. I drank. I ate. And then I hugged them both, holding on tighter than usual.


    "I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen," I whispered, "but thank you. For everything."


    Kyros squeezed my shoulder. "Go do what you need to do."


    Rowan smirked. "And if either of them reacts badly, just say the word. I¡¯ll knock some sense into them."


    I smiled faintly. My heart was pounding as I turned away and left them behind.


    The secret passage was exactly where Rowan had said it would be - along the outer edge of the old herb garden, covered in thick ivy. I peeled it back carefully and slipped through the broken section of the Academy wall. It was just big enough for someone to pass without crouching, hidden so well no one would ever suspect it.


    Beyond the wall, the air was different. Freer. Quieter.


    I reached Base Camp in fifteen minutes on foot. Just like Rowan said, the ce was quiet with not a single soul around.


    Cottage 13 was looking the same as I remembered from my entrance exam. No one bothered to lock the main door, so I easily slipped inside and closed the door behind me.


    Dust was clinging to the air and the furniture after the ce being left unused for months.


    I was early. Good. It gave me time to steady myself.


    But all I did was to pace around themon room and wait. Minutes were ticking by like years, and after what felt like forever, my ears finally registered sound outside the cottage.


    I peeked out through the cracked window and noticed Draven making his way toward the cottage.


    I swallowed hard and moved quickly to the door, opening it just as he reached the porch.


    He raised an eyebrow. "Base Camp? Really dramatic meeting spot."


    I didn¡¯t smile. I couldn¡¯t.


    "Come in," I said softly and stepped aside.


    He walked in, ncing around at the dusty room and the scattered furniture. "You brought me all the way out here to... talk about your important matter?"


    I turned to face him and slowly nodded my head. "Let¡¯s... there¡¯s someone elseing."


    He blinked in surprise. "Someone else?"


    He looked around, clearly puzzled. "Should I be worried? Or ttered?"


    I didn¡¯t answer. I didn¡¯t know how, and the silence stretched between us.


    Then he sighed and walked up to me, slipping an arm around my waist and pressing his hand gently to my back. "You are shaking," he whispered. "Eva, whatever this is, you don¡¯t have to be afraid."


    I leaned into him, just for a moment. "I wish that was true."


    He opened his mouth to say something else, but then... a knock.


    The sound echoed in the quiet room like thunder.


    I pulled away from him and walked to the door. My heart was hammering so loud I was sure both of them would hear it.


    I ced my hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath... and then I opened it.

 Chapter 148: Revealing Her Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 148: Revealing Her Secrets</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I opened the door, and there he was.


    Oscar.


    His dark emerald eyes softened the moment they met mine. His lips parted like he was about to say something, but I didn¡¯t give him the chance.


    I stepped aside without a word.


    He seemed surprised but didn¡¯t question it. Instead, he stepped inside the cottage as his eyes took in the space with a flicker of confusion.


    "You are really into abandoned cabinstely, huh?" he muttered lightly, though I could tell he was only half-joking. "What¡¯s going on, Eva? Why did you-"


    And then he stopped.


    His gaze locked on Draven, who had just straightened from where he had been standing near the window with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. The second their eyes met, everything in the room froze.


    Oscar¡¯s whole body stiffened. "Draven?"


    "Yeah," Draven said, his voice low. "That¡¯s me. And what the hell are you doing here?"


    Neither of them moved.


    They didn¡¯t need to. The weight in the room was heavy enough already.


    I closed the door slowly and locked it behind me, the click of the bolt sounding louder than it should have.


    When I turned, both of them were still staring at each other. They didn¡¯t seem hostile, or angry... but confused. Shocked. A thousand unspoken questions were passing silently between them.


    It was Draven who pulled himself together first.


    He looked at me with a frown decorating his handsome face. And when he spoke, his tone was carefully controlled. "Eva, why... why is my brother here?"


    I swallowed hard as I forced myself to hold his gaze.


    Oscar was looking at me too, silently echoing the same question with his eyes.


    I took a breath. "I asked both of you to meet me here today," I began, "because there are some things about me that you both deserve to know. Before anything... esctes further."


    They nced at each other again, clearly unsure why the other¡¯s presence had anything to do with this conversation.


    "This is about you?" Oscar asked carefully.


    I nodded. "Yes. And it¡¯s about both of you, too."


    He was clearly hesitant, but he still motioned to me with his hand. "Go ahead, say it."


    I was feeling my heartbeat in my throat, heavy and erratic. My palms were cold despite the warmth in the room. There was no turning back now.


    "I... You are both my mates."


    Silence.


    It was like time stopped inside the little cottage.


    Oscar¡¯s mouth parted slightly. And Draven... he just blinked. But neither of them spoke. They just stared at me, then at each other, and then back at me.


    "You mean-" Draven started.


    "Both of us?" Oscar finished.


    I nodded. At this point, I was barely able to breathe. "Yes. I don¡¯t know how or why. But you both are my mates. I just... didn¡¯t know how to tell you."


    They exchanged another long look. Their faces were mirrors of disbelief and stunned confusion.


    "No," Draven whispered, rubbing his hand down his face. "That¡¯s not... I mean, that doesn¡¯t happen. You can¡¯t have two."


    "I didn¡¯t think so either," I said, my voice shaking. "But this is indeed the truth."


    Oscar¡¯s jaw clenched. He turned slowly in a half-circle, trying to process it. "Are you sure?"


    "Yes."


    They were silent again. And every second of that silence was like a dagger to my chest.


    Then, Oscar looked at Draven, and when he spoke, his voice was filled with a hint of possessiveness that almost scared me. Thest thing I wanted was for the brothers to start fighting.


    "She¡¯s my mate, Draven. I can confirm that-"


    "And mine too!" Draven interrupted, sounding just as possessive as his brother. "She¡¯s my mate."


    I was holding my breath, terrified that they were about to start fighting, but instead-


    "So, it¡¯s true," Oscar said as he nced at me, "We both are her fated mates."


    Then, they both fell into silence, one that stretched on for way too long that I started feeling the need to say something to fill it.


    "I never meant to hide it this long," I whispered. "I didn¡¯t know if either of you would even want the bond. Then when it became clear that you might... I didn¡¯t know how to bring it up. How to say it that... I have both of you as my mates."


    "I¡¯m not angry," Draven said softly as he looked at me with unreadable eyes. "Just... surprised. Shocked. Confused as hell."


    "Same," Oscar muttered while crossing his arms. He was now staring at the floor like the answer might appear in the grain of the wood. "But not mad."


    I let out a breath I didn¡¯t even realize I was holding.


    "It¡¯s not your fault," Oscar added as he finally nced up. "You didn¡¯t choose this."


    Draven nodded. "The Moon Goddess must have had a reason. Even if it doesn¡¯t make sense right now."


    They weren¡¯t smiling. They weren¡¯t entirely okay. But they weren¡¯t mad. And that - stars, that was enough to make me want to cry.


    But I wasn¡¯t done yet.


    There was one more truth. The scariest one of all.


    I had already opened the first door. And now, I had to walk through the second before I lost my nerve.


    "There¡¯s... one more thing," I said, almost forced the words out. That part of me, a huge part of me which was scared of ruining everything, was now screaming at me to stop before it became toote.


    I watched as both of them turned toward me again, physically bracing themselves.


    <fn2f91> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find?novel</fn2f91>


    I didn¡¯t soften the words. I couldn¡¯t. The longer I waited, the harder it would get.


    "I¡¯m... pregnant."


    Silence again.


    But this time, it felt different. It was heavier. Thicker. As if the very air in the room had frozen mid-breath.


    Oscar¡¯s lips parted, but no words came out. And Draven was looking at me like he hadn¡¯t heard right.


    I didn¡¯t rify. I didn¡¯t rush to exin. I just stood there - too afraid, exposed, and trembling from head to toe.


    And I waited.

 Chapter 149: Her Broken Mates

    <h4>Chapter 149: Her Broken Mates</h4><subtxt> The silence was... deafening.


    It was thick and cruel and endless.


    Neither of them moved. Neither spoke. They just stared at me, like I had sprouted wings or grown a second head. And with every second that passed, fear wrapped tighter around my ribs until I could hardly breathe.


    Then Oscar blinked, twice, like he was trying to wake himself up from a bad dream. He looked directly at me, and when he spoke, his voice soubded hollow. "What... what do you mean?"


    I swallowed as I barely managed to push out the words again. "I¡¯m pregnant."


    Draven staggered back a step like the air had been punched from his lungs. He gripped the edge of the chair beside him so tight that his knuckles turned white. Saying it once had stunned them, but saying it again confirmed it. This wasn¡¯t a joke. This wasn¡¯t something they had misunderstood.


    And Oscar...


    His shock twisted into something else entirely within seconds. And then he snapped his gaze to Draven, narrowing his eyes with raw fury, and for a second, I genuinely thought he was going to lunge at his brother.


    "Wait-what the hell?" I breathed. "Oscar, why are you-?"


    But Draven beat me to it. "Oh my God," he muttered as horror washed over his face. "You think it¡¯s me? You think I got her-? No! No, Oscar. I didn¡¯t-I would never-"


    Oscar didn¡¯t say anything. His jaw was clenched so tight it looked painful.


    "I swear," Draven said quickly, his voice rising with desperation. "We haven¡¯t even done anything! Not at that level. We have kissed, sure- but that¡¯s it! No heat cycles. No marking. No sleeping together. Nothing like that! I didn¡¯t get her pregnant."


    He looked at me for confirmation, and I nodded mutely but quickly.


    Oscar¡¯s fists slowly uncurled and he exhaled sharply, clearly trying to calm the rage coursing through him.


    But Draven wasn¡¯t done.


    He turned the usation back toward his brother. "Then you did it. Gods, Oscar, she¡¯s barely eighteen, and you got her-"


    "I didn¡¯t!" Oscar snapped. His voice cracked with the force of it. "Don¡¯t you dare throw this on me. I didn¡¯t get her pregnant! I will neverpromise her like this."


    Draven stared at him. And Oscar stared back.


    And then it happened... the realization.


    It swept through them like an invisible wave. First confusion. Then dawning awareness. Then something far more terrible.


    They both turned to look at me.


    This silence... it was worse than any that hade before. Because this one demanded answers, and I owed them. I owed them the truth.


    Even if it broke everything.


    I folded my arms across my chest to still their trembling and forced myself to meet their eyes.


    "I had a mate before I met either of you," I said quietly and watched as they received another shock.


    I went on. "He rejected me the same night River attacked my pack. That¡¯s who the baby belongs to."


    The words burned.


    I saw how Oscar¡¯s face tightened and his jaw went rigid. The storm behind his emerald eyes was churning. Draven was no better. His breathing was sharp, and shoulders taut like he didn¡¯t know what to do with the anger threatening to rip him apart. <fnbffd> Checktest chapters at find~novel</fnbffd>


    "You are carrying the child of the man who rejected you?" Draven said. His voice wasn¡¯t cruel, but it was devastated.


    My heart cracked as I nodded. "Yes."


    "Why?" Oscar asked, his voice too low for me to grab his real emotion. "Why are you keeping his baby if he¡¯s no longer in your life? You are so young. You have just began a new life. Why do this to yourself?"


    I watched him in silence for a few moments, trying to study him. I so badly wanted to know what was going on in his head. While Draven¡¯s emotions of shock, confusion, anger, and denial were written all over his face, Oscar had stopped giving me anything at all, and that was scaring me the most. I would rather have him shouting at me then going this calm.


    "I didn¡¯t know at first," I whispered. "I suspected, but I wasn¡¯t sure."


    They both just stared at me, still not speaking, still trying to wrap their heads around it.


    I went on, my voice shaking harder now. "After I lost my pack... after River brought me to the mansion... I was trapped there. I had no ess to a doctor, no tests, nothing. But I started noticing the signs."


    I paused to take a breath. My throat was tight. "And then I got into the Academy. It was the first time I had freedom again. And while I confirmed that I was pregnant, I still didn¡¯t have any money to get an abortion. Once I received my first sry from the internship. I immediately went to a clinic."


    Tears stung my eyes, but I didn¡¯t let them fall. "I was already three months pregnant by then. I knew I still had time. That I could terminate if I wanted. But when I heard it..." My voice broke. "The heartbeat."


    I clenched my fists at my sides. "It was small. So small. But it was there. Alive. Real. And in that moment, I couldn¡¯t go through with the idea of eliminating it."


    I looked up at them then, at their stunned, horrified faces.


    "I was going to," I admitted. "I didn¡¯t have money. I didn¡¯t have a home. I didn¡¯t have anyone. No family. No friends. No one to turn to. And I knew... I knew I couldn¡¯t do this alone. But when I heard the heartbeat, when I realized this baby was growing inside me despite everything..."


    I closed my eyes. "I didn¡¯t want to give that up."


    The tears finally fell.


    "It was the only thing that made me feel like I still had something worth protecting. Something worth fighting for. I was broken. Alone. Dying inside. But this baby... it reminded me I still had a future. A reason to survive."


    The room was quiet.


    So quiet.


    Oscar had sat down at some point, hands over his mouth, elbows on his knees. He was like his world had been tilted off its axis. Draven was pacing slowly near the window, running his hand through his hair, again and again.


    And I... I was watching their worlds crumble at my hands.</subtxt>

 Chapter 150: Everything’s Gone

    <h4>Chapter 150: Everything¡¯s Gone</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The tears didn¡¯t stop, but kept falling without a single sound.


    I wasn¡¯t sobbing, or even crying loudly, the tears just kept rolling down on their own.


    I didn¡¯t even know why I was crying anymore. Was it because Draven and Oscar hadn¡¯t said a single word in minutes? Because they just stood there, stunned and silent, like statues carved from confusion and disbelief?


    Or was it something else?


    Maybe it was everything - every emotion I had bottled up over the week. The fear, the anxiety, the guilt, the hope, the desperation. All of it was bleeding into a thousand tears that wouldn¡¯t stop, couldn¡¯t stop.


    All I knew was that it felt like my world was crumbling, and I couldn¡¯t hold it together anymore.


    I was jerked out of my misery by the sound of footsteps. When I looked up, Draven was moving sharply and quickly, heading for the door.


    He paused with his hand on the knob. I kept looking at him through tear-blurred vision, hoping, pleading, for something. Anything.


    "I need air," he whispered in a hollow voice. "I need... to clear my head."


    And then he was gone.


    The door clicked shut behind him, and the sound echoed like a punch to the chest.


    I didn¡¯t move.


    Not when silence settled again.


    Not even when Oscar shifted.


    But when I saw him step toward the door too, when I saw that slight movement out of the corner of my eye, my heart gave a painful lurch.


    That was it, then.


    It was over.


    Just like I had feared.


    They could handle the impossible bond between us, just barely. But this? Carrying the child of a man who didn¡¯t even want me? That was beyond what any mate could ept. Even I couldn¡¯t lie to myself about that.


    If I were in their shoes... would I have stayed?


    No.


    I wouldn¡¯t have.


    So how could I me them?


    I bowed my head, bracing myself to be left in this lonely little cottage with nothing but broken memories and truths too heavy for my soul to carry.


    But then... Oscar¡¯s footsteps halted.


    I didn¡¯t look up.


    He spoke in a t and distant voice. "I¡¯ll drive you back."


    <fn6f5d> This content belongs to find¡¤novel</fn6f5d>


    My head jerked up, startled. "You don¡¯t have to-"


    "I¡¯m not asking," he cut in. "I¡¯m telling you."


    His voice wasn¡¯t cold. But it wasn¡¯t warm, either. It was just... numb. Like everything good in it had been drained out, leaving behind a hollow shell.


    I wiped at my face, trying to stem the tears. They didn¡¯t stop, but I tried. "I can go back on my own."


    "You are not walking back in the dark. Not while you are... like this."


    I didn¡¯t fight him after that.


    There was no point.


    We left the cottage without another word. He didn¡¯t reach for my hand. Didn¡¯t brush his arm against mine like he always used to. He just walked to the car, opened the passenger door for me like it was some automatic habit, and then slipped into the driver¡¯s seat.


    The ride was silent. Stifling. Like being trapped in a room where the walls were slowly closing in.


    I stared out the window, curling my fingers tightly in myp. Oscar didn¡¯t even turn on the radio. The only sounds were the hum of the engine and the asional swipe of the windshield wipers.


    I couldn¡¯t look at him. I couldn¡¯t bear to.


    And he... he never looked at me, either. Not even once.


    Even when we reached the gates of the Academy, he didn¡¯t nce my way. Just stopped the car and stared straight ahead.


    My hand was trembling as I reached for the door handle. "Thank you... for bringing me back."


    There was no reply.


    I stepped out slowly. The night air was biting against my skin, but I barely felt it. The door shut behind me with a soft thud, and a momentter, the car pulled away.


    I kept standing there, alone at the gates, watching the red taillights until they disappeared into the darkness.


    Only then I turned.


    And somehow, on legs that barely felt steady, I walked through the huge iron gates and entered the Academy.


    My mind was nk. Empty. Just white noise and echoes of everything I had just lost.


    No one saw me.


    The dorm hallways were eerily quiet as most students were still at dinner. There were no curious stares. No whispers. No judgmental nces.


    Only silence.


    And I was grateful for that.


    Because the moment I stepped into my room and locked the door behind me, the dam finally broke.


    I dropped to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut, my knees hitting the ground hard, but I didn¡¯t care.


    I wrapped my arms around myself, curling inward, and sobbed.


    Shaking.


    Gasping.


    Shattered.


    Everything was hurting.


    My heart, my head, my body.


    I had tried to be brave.


    I had done what I thought was right, what I knew was right. I had told the truth. I had trusted that my mates would see me, really see me, and understand.


    But in the end...


    I was still alone.


    Still unwanted.


    Still... broken.


    My baby - my baby - was the only thing I had now.


    I pressed a trembling hand to my abdomen which was still t and soft, but so impossibly precious.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I whispered to the life growing inside me. "I¡¯m so sorry... I ruined everything."


    The tears didn¡¯t stop.


    I didn¡¯t know for how I stayed like that - lying on the floor and looking like as if my soul had left my body. Maybe it was just few minutes, or several hours, I had no idea.


    After what seemed like forever, the door of the room was pushed open and someone stepped inside, but I didn¡¯t look up. Not until strong arms were wrapping around me and pulling me up before I was pulled into a warm and... almost healing... embrace.


    And just when I thought my tears were all gone, they began falling all over again. And this time, they didn¡¯t stop.

 Chapter 151: An Emotional Mess

    <h4>Chapter 151: An Emotional Mess</h4>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    I ran.


    I didn¡¯t know where I was going. I didn¡¯t care.


    The moment I stepped out of that suffocating little cottage and shifted, I let my wolf take over, at least halfway. I still had just enough control to keep myself from barreling through the towns at the door of the mountain or crashing into the woods blind. But my thoughts... those were beyond my control.


    <i>She¡¯s pregnant.</i>


    The words kept bouncing around in my skull like shattered ss, slicing at every coherent thread I was trying to pull together.


    Not with your pup...


    No.


    No, that was the worst part.


    My mate, our mate, was carrying another male¡¯s child.


    A male who had rejected her.


    A male who didn¡¯t want her.


    And yet, she had kept it. She was still carrying that child inside her, all while looking at me with those tear-filled eyes, hoping I would stay.


    And I left.


    <i>"Coward,"</i> my wolf growled inside me.


    I growled back, loping through the woods, branches snapping beneath my paws as I leapt over stones and tore through underbrush. I needed the burn in my lungs, the cold night air on my fur, the thunderous rhythm of paws against earth.


    Because the chaos in my head? That wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    The moment she told us, me and Oscar, about the pregnancy, something in me had just... broken.


    I thought I had felt pain before. Thought I understood betrayal, shock, fear. But nothingpared to that moment.


    I wasn¡¯t just angry. I wasn¡¯t just hurt. I was devastated.


    And my wolf?


    He was feral with heartbreak.


    <i>"She lied,"</i> he growled again. <i>"She kept this from us. She chose to hide it."</i>


    "She was scared," I snapped back, mentally. "She had a right to be."


    <i>"She should have trusted us. Trusted you. Mates don¡¯t hide things like this."</i>


    My wolf¡¯s bitterness coiled tighter in my chest, wrapping around the fear I was too damn proud to name.


    I wasn¡¯t just scared because Eva had kept secrets.


    I was scared because I didn¡¯t know what this meant for us.


    Was I supposed to look at her every day, knowing that the life she carried wasn¡¯t mine?


    Could I?


    The questions were eating me alive.


    After what felt like hours, I finally stopped. My body was aching, my breath wasing in short pants as I shifted back to my human form behind a thick patch of pine trees. Naked and shivering, I walked barefoot toward the safe house.


    The ce was supposed to be my retreat. My ce of peace when the world got too loud. But tonight, it felt like a prison.


    I stepped into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and let the water cascade over me. First ice-cold. Then boiling hot. Then cold again.


    But neither was working.


    I was still shaking.


    I pressed my forehead against the cold tile and shut my eyes, trying to control my heaving chest.


    Why? Why hadn¡¯t she told us sooner? Why had she let things go so far?


    Because now it was toote.


    I had already fallen for her. Not because of the bond, not because the Moon Goddess had forced our paths to cross... but because of her.


    Because of the way she always looked like she was about to bolt but stayed anyway.


    Because of the way sheughed with her eyes before her lips caught up.


    Because she tried. Even when she was scared. Even when she was clearly falling apart inside.


    I had fallen in love with Evaline Greystone.


    And now I didn¡¯t know what to do with that love.


    Still dripping wet, I stepped out of the shower and threw a robe on. My hand reached automatically for my phone, even before I knew what I was doing.


    Oscar.


    I needed to know if she got home safe.


    <i>"Because you left her,"</i> my wolf sneered. <i>"You left her to cry alone. Pathetic."</i><fn26e4> Chapters first released on findnovel</fn26e4>


    I ignored him and hit dial.


    No answer.


    I tried again.


    And again.


    My pulse was pounding louder with every ring. Why wasn¡¯t he picking up?


    On the fourth call, the line finally connected.


    "What do you want?" Oscar¡¯s voice was slurred, heavy, like he had already downed more alcohol than he could handle.


    "I just..." I hesitated, finding my throat suddenly dry. "I wanted to know if... if she got back safe."


    There was a beat of silence. Then, quietly, he answered, "I dropped her at the Academy."


    His voice was rough, frayed at the edges. "She¡¯s probably safe," he added, then ended the call.


    I stared at the screen for a long time, watching it fade to ck.


    She was safe.


    That should have been a relief.


    But all I felt was... emptier.


    I sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing my hands over my face, trying to breathe through the tangle of thoughts and emotions crashing through me.


    Anger.


    Confusion.


    Fear.


    Guilt.


    Goddess, the guilt.


    I had left her. I saw her falling apart in front of me and I still chose to run. Because I couldn¡¯t be the mate she needed. Not then. Maybe not now either.


    <i>"She¡¯s not who we thought,"</i> my wolf murmured, quieter now. Not cruel. Just... sad.


    I didn¡¯t answer.


    Because he was right.


    But I also knew something else.


    That night, in the arcade, when I held her hands over that w machine... the way she smiled when the bunny dropped... the way she looked at me like I was the best part of her day-


    That was real.


    And when I brought her here to my safe house and watched her eyes light up at the fairy lights - hell, the fairy lights I thought she wouldugh at - that was real too.


    I knew her. Not all of her. But enough of her.


    Enough to know that her pain wasn¡¯t made-up. That she hadn¡¯t kept her secrets to deceive us.


    She had kept them because she was terrified. Because she didn¡¯t think we would stay.


    And maybe she was right.


    Because here I was, in my own safe house... while she was probably curled up alone in her dorm room, thinking I had turned my back on her.


    Had I?


    Iy back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.


    "Tell me what to do," I whispered.


    My wolf didn¡¯t answer.


    He was quiet now, mourning too.


    And suddenly, this cabin wasn¡¯t feeling safe anymore. It was feeling like the loneliest ce in the world.

 Chapter 152: The Good Friend

    <h4>Chapter 152: The Good Friend</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I woke up with a dull ache in my spine and a stiffness that reached from my neck to the soles of my feet. My body was feeling like a block of stone - sore, heavy, andpletely drained.


    My head was throbbing, and my eyes were burning as they adjusted to the muted morning light filtering through the windows.


    For a moment, I was disoriented.


    Then, slowly, like dust settling in an empty room,st night¡¯s memories came crashing in.


    The confession.


    The silence.


    The heartbreak.


    I had cried myself to sleep.


    On the floor.


    But I wasn¡¯t alone.


    I blinked, realizing with a jolt that I had been using someone¡¯s shoulder as a pillow, their arm around me, and their warmth grounding me through the night.


    It was Rowan.


    He was seated awkwardly against the wall. His back was slumped, legs were half-stretched out, and one arm was loosely draped around my shoulders. His other hand had fallen limp over his stomach, and he was definitely not sleepingfortably.


    And I had been treating him like a living mattress all night.


    I slowly and carefully peeled myself away from him, guilt washing over me as he winced and shifted, and a soft groan escaped his lips.


    "Ugh..." he muttered, cracking one eye open. "What the hell did I sleep on? Concrete?"


    I couldn¡¯t help it.


    Despite the ache in my chest, despite everything I had gone through the night before, a tiny smile slipped onto my lips.


    He caught it instantly.


    "Was that a smile?" he asked with mock disbelief, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Goddess, maybe I should start sleeping on the floor more often if that¡¯s what it takes."


    I let out a soft huff and shook my head. "You are such an idiot."


    "True. But I¡¯m your idiot," he said, nudging my knee lightly with his. "Feeling any better?"


    The smile died before I could answer. I stared at my hands which were tangled in myp.


    How was I supposed to feel after losing my mates all over again?


    Ethan¡¯s rejection had felt like a de to the chest. But Oscar and Draven¡¯s silence... their absence... that was something else entirely. They hadn¡¯t rejected me outright. They hadn¡¯t shouted. They hadn¡¯t said cruel words.


    But they had left. They had gone quiet. And somehow, that was worse.


    It was hurting deeper than a rejection.


    It made me feel like I wasn¡¯t even worth their anger.


    I didn¡¯t speak, just shook my head again as the knot in my throat swelled too thick to swallow.


    Rowan didn¡¯t press. He didn¡¯t ask what had happened. He didn¡¯t need to.


    He had seen mest night, shaking and sobbing and barely able to breathe. I vaguely remembered him pulling me in his arms, whispering calming things, and eventually sitting beside me in silent support.


    I also remembered, somewhere in that haze of tears, him muttering something like, "Just say the word and I¡¯ll go punch them both."


    And honestly... that had helped. Even if just a little.


    I nced over at him now as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He was looking like hell himself. His shirt was rumpled, hair was a mess, and his neck was bent at a weird angle that probably made everything hurt.


    "Thank you," I whispered softly, meaning it more than I could ever put into words.


    He smiled at me gently for a heartbeat before letting out a dramatic groan. "But next time, if you are going to use me as a bed, at least let me lie down first. My spine¡¯s probably shaped like a pretzel now."


    A realugh escaped me then. It was short, tired, but real. And that made him grin wide enough to show his canines.


    "Saturday," he said, stretching. "You have got work today, right?"


    I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Yeah."


    He raised a brow. "You sure you should go? Take a day off. Call in sick or something."


    I shook my head firmly. "I have only been working there for two months. I¡¯m just an intern, Rowan. Taking a day off, especially without a valid reason, isn¡¯t a good idea."


    He frowned. "Being emotionally wrecked is a valid reason."


    "Not one I can put on a report," I said with a tired smile. "Besides... maybe being at work will help. Keep my mind busy."


    He didn¡¯t like it, but he nodded slowly. "Alright. But only on two conditions."


    I blinked. "What conditions?"


    "One - you eat a proper breakfast. No arguing. You barely ate anything yesterday, and you need to eat something to function."


    I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off.


    "Two - I¡¯m driving you. No sneaking off on your own."


    "Rowan-"


    "Nope. I¡¯m not budging. You are not in a state to pretend you are fine."


    I groaned softly but relented. "Fine. But we are not making a big deal out of it. Quick, healthy breakfast, then you drop me off. Deal?"


    "Deal," he said, standing up and stretching his arms with a wince. "Now get your ass up and get dressed. I¡¯ll meet you at the gates in half an hour. We will eat in town."


    I did exactly that.


    Showered. Threw on fresh clothes that didn¡¯t look like they had just witnessed my breakdown. And got ready for the day.


    When I stepped out of the Academy gates, the sun had just crested over the edge of the dorm buildings, and Rowan was already waiting with his monstrous bike.


    The drive to the town was quick.


    <fn806c> Official source is Find?Novel</fn806c>


    We stopped at a little caf¨¦ tucked between a bookstore and a flower shop, one that was smelling like cinnamon rolls and toasted oats. Rowan ordered for both of us - smoothies, oatmeal with honey, some fruit on the side - and made sure I finished every bite.


    I hated how my stomach churned with every spoonful.


    But I ate.


    Because he was right. I needed to take care of myself and the baby.


    Even if it felt like the world had fallen apart.


    By the time he pulled up outside the Werewolf Council headquarters, I was feeling a tiny bit more human.


    Still bruised.


    Still fragile.


    But breathing.

 Chapter 153: Peppermint Tea

    <h4>Chapter 153: Peppermint Tea</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The headquarters building stood tall and pristine under the morning sun, its ss walls gleaming with polished perfection, just like everything else in River¡¯s world.


    I walked in, swiped my ID, and stepped into the elevator, watching the floor numbers tick upward with mechanical rhythm.


    With each level I passed, my heart was beating a little faster.


    >Level 10: Council Legal Division.


    >Level 11: Strategy and Operations.


    >Level 12: High Council Memebers offices.


    The moment the doors opened, a strange chill gripped me. The hallway was quiet, lined with clean grey tiles and sterile fluorescent lighting. Familiar. Routine. But my steps grew slower, heavier, more hesitant with every inch I crossed.


    Suddenly, I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to be here at all.


    What if River already knew?


    What if he had heard everything that had happened between me and his brothers?


    What if he knew I was pregnant?


    The thought alone sent a rush of dread through me.


    River wasn¡¯t just my boss. He was Oscar and Draven¡¯s eldest brother. The Rogue Alpha King. Powerful, calcting, emotionally cold... and absolutely terrifying when he wanted to be.


    Even before all of this, I was convinced that he would never ept me as a mate to either of his brothers. Especially not both.


    Now...?


    Now that I came with more secrets than most traitors?


    I stopped in front of the office door and tried to steady my breathing, fighting the wild swarm of anxiety that was stirring in my chest.


    My hand was hovering in midair as I fought internally.


    <i>Maybe I should just turn around. Call in sick. Leave for the day-</i>


    But before I could have acted on that thought, the door was pulled open from the inside and River¡¯s secretary stepped out with a stack of folders.


    "Morning, Evaline," she greeted me with a pleasant smile, totally unaware of the storm churning in my head.


    I managed a weak nod. "Good morning."


    "He¡¯s inside," she said, motioning to the office before heading down the corridor with confident clicks of her heels.


    Damn it.


    I couldn¡¯t run now.


    If River hadn¡¯t already noticed my presence from the sound of my heartbeat alone, he certainly would after that.


    And right on cue-


    "Come in, Ms. Evaline," his deep voice called from inside, smooth andposed like always.


    My pulse stuttered. I forced my fingers to stop trembling as I twisted the knob and stepped inside.


    He didn¡¯t even look up at first. He was standing near the window with a file in one hand, flipping through it with bored disinterest.


    "You are two minuteste," he remarked.


    Normally, that would have irritated me. Normally, I would have snapped back with something snarky or red at him for nitpicking.


    But right now?


    I almost sagged with relief.


    <i>He doesn¡¯t know.</i>


    Because if he did, he would be colder. Crueler. Sharper. But he was behaving like he always did - annoyed, stoic, and just River.


    It was oddly...forting.


    Still, I didn¡¯t move from my spot. I stayed rooted near the door like some lifeless statue. The ache behind my eyes was making everything blur at the edges.


    Then, he finally looked up... and froze.


    I saw the double take he did, the sharp sweep of his gaze that went from my face to my posture to the dull glow in my usually bright eyes.


    I tried to look normal. I really did. But apparently, I had failed.


    He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to solve a riddle. "You look like hell. Are you alright?"


    I swallowed hard and forced my shoulders back. "Just tired, Alpha. Didn¡¯t get much sleep."


    His brows rose sharply, and I immediately realized the reason.


    <i>Alpha.</i>


    I never called him that. I barely even acknowledged his title before, not because I didn¡¯t recognize it... but because I had never respected him enough to use it.


    The smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips said exactly that.


    "Hmm. You calling me Alpha must mean you have been possessed, or you have lost a bet. Which one is it?"


    "I just said I¡¯m tired," I muttered, too drained to fight.


    He let the jab pass. "Then go get some coffee. It¡¯ll help you stay awake while you battle the mountain of paperwork waiting for you."


    <fnf9e5> ?????? ???? Find1Novel</fnf9e5>


    I nodded and turned toward my desk, not nning to actually follow his advice. Caffeine wasn¡¯t out of the options.


    "...I don¡¯t drink coffee," I whispered as I sat down and powered up the tablet issued to me for Council tasks.


    I barely caught the way he paused, just for a split second. Then, without another word, he picked up the telephone on his desk and dialed a number.


    I tried not to pay attention. But it was hard not to listen when you were the only two people in the room.


    "Brian," he said smoothly. "Bring me a cup of peppermint tea. Now."


    I blinked.


    Peppermint tea?


    And then he did the most unexpected thing - when Brian arrived a few minutester with the steaming cup in hand, River didn¡¯t take it.


    Instead, he pointed to me. "She hasn¡¯t slept. Give it to her."


    Brian turned to me with raised eyebrows and a half-smile. "Looks like you have earned tea privileges."


    I blinked again, caughtpletely off guard as I reached for the cup. "Thank you."


    "You are wee," he said before leaving the room.


    I turned slowly in my chair, staring at River, but he was already back to work, eyes on his screen and fingers flying over the keyboard.


    Like nothing had happened.


    Like he hadn¡¯t just quietly acknowledged that I was struggling without calling me out. Like he hadn¡¯t just offered something resembling kindness.


    I took a sip of the tea. It was hot and minty and soothing. Exactly what I needed.


    And for a moment, I felt like maybe... maybe... this day wouldn¡¯t crush me after all.


    River didn¡¯t speak again, and I didn¡¯t press for conversation. We just worked in quiet tandem for the next hour. It was strange... but also oddly peaceful.


    Still, beneath that fragile calm, my mind was constantly spinning.


    Would he find out?


    Would Draven or Oscar tell him?


    Would he look at me the same way they had?


    Would he throw me out? Would I lose my job? Or my ce in the Academy?


    For now, all I could do was breathe. Sip tea. And survive the day.

 Chapter 154: The Sleeping Beauty

    <h4>Chapter 154: The Sleeping Beauty</h4>


    <strong>Rowan:</strong>


    After dropping Eva off at the Council headquarters, I didn¡¯t linger. I didn¡¯t want her to feel watched, even if part of me wanted to stay and make sure she was okay the entire day.


    She said she would be fine. So I let her go.


    But I had somewhere else I needed to be.


    I pulled my hoodie up, mounted my bike, and took the familiar turn out of the wilderness. Familiar viges passed by as I made my way through the route that was nearly etched into my bones now - each tree, curve, and signpost burning into my memory.


    Greenville City.


    It was one of the few cities within shifter territory borders. Nestled just beyond the mountain bend and surrounded by long stretches of pines. Shifters didn¡¯t love the buzz of human cities. Concrete jungles didn¡¯t call to our blood the way nature did.


    Greenville, though, was different.


    It had a hospital. A damn good one. And for someone like me... that made all the difference. It had both high rank healers and doctors, making it best of both worlds.


    Almost an hourter, the city came into view with its bustling streets, towering buildings, and rush that was unlike the peaceful life in our packs.


    I slowed my bike outside a cozy little caf¨¦ across the street from the hospital. The smell of freshly baked croissants hit me even before I stepped in.


    The barista grinned the second she saw me.


    "Same order?" she asked, already reaching for the takeaway trays.


    "You know me too well," I said as I pulled out my wallet.


    She waved it off. "Put that away. This one¡¯s on the house. You missedst Saturday."


    I gave her a sheepish smile. "Was... a bit tied up."


    She handed me the bag, packed with steaming pastries andbeled cups. "Say hi to Nurse Faye and Tan Uncle from me."


    "Will do."


    Next stop was the flower shop. I stepped into the floral haven filled with gentle piano music and the scent of roses, jasmine, and lilies.


    "Rowan," the elderly florist beamed from behind the counter. "They came in fresh this morning. Here, Blue tulips... just for you."


    I took the bouquet with both hands, letting my thumb brush over the petals. "Thanks, Miss Elena. They are perfect."


    Her gaze softened. "She¡¯s lucky to have someone like you."


    I didn¡¯t say anything. Just nodded and left.


    The hospital¡¯s scent of antiseptic hit me instantly as I entered the building. I took the elevator up to the seventh floor where the private wards were located. It was a familiar territory by now.


    The doors opened with a soft ding, and there he was. Uncle Tan. The old janitor with a smile that could light up hallways and a mop he treated like an extension of himself.


    "Morning, Tan Uncle," I greeted.


    He turned and brightened at the sight of me. "Aiyo! The sunshine boy is back!"


    I handed him the croissants. "Still calling me that?"


    "You bring food, flowers, and smiles. What else should I call you?" he said with a wink.


    I chuckled. "You are impossible."


    "And you arete."


    I made my way down the corridor until I reached the room at the far end. The door was slightly ajar.


    Inside, Nurse Faye was standing by the monitors, jotting down notes. She looked up, and her tired face lit up.


    "Finally," she sighed. "Do you know how unbearable this kid gets without his pastry?"


    I grinned and handed her the coffee. "I live to serve."


    She took it with a grateful groan. "Bless you, Rowan."


    My eyes drifted to the bed across from the monitors. A familiar small form was sitting upright under pale green nkets. His wild chestnut curls were a mess, and his nose was buried in aic book.


    "Hey, troublemaker."


    The boy looked up, eyes lighting up like fireworks. "Rowan!"


    <fne19f> ?????? ???? F?nd-Novel</fne19f>


    I crossed the room and handed him the paper bag with his favorite pastry. "Still being a pain to the nurses?"


    "I told Nurse Faye she looked like an angry bird today," he said with a giggle. "She still gave me pudding."


    "Because she¡¯s a saint."


    The boy devoured the pastry like he hadn¡¯t eaten in a week.


    "How¡¯s the heart?" I asked, crouching beside the bed.


    "Beats loud and fast when Nurse Faye yells," he said with augh. "But they said I¡¯m doing good. Mom says I¡¯ll be out soon."


    "Damn right, you will. And when you are, we are going for the biggest ice cream sundae ever."


    "You swear?"


    I held out a pinky. "Swear."


    He linked his with mine solemnly.


    The boy¡¯s mother came around just then with a kind smile. "Rowan. It¡¯s good to see you again."


    "You too, ma¡¯am."


    "Let me take him out for a walk," She said and turned to help him into his wheelchair.


    "I¡¯lle with you." Nurse Faye added.


    I felt warmth filling my heart at their kind gesture of giving me some alone time. I waited until the door clicked shut behind them. And only then did I turn.


    She was still there. Still sleeping. Or pretending to.


    I crossed the room and moved to the other bed.


    The blue tulips had begun to wither. I quietly removed them from the vase, filled it with fresh water from the bathroom sink, and carefully arranged the new ones in their ce.


    Then, I took my seat.


    My eyesnded on her face.


    Even in sleep, she looked peaceful. Her dark hair was spilled across the pillow in soft waves, and her skin was as pale as moonlight. No movement. No flutters. Just stillness.


    My chest ached.


    I reached for her hand, finding it cold.


    Too cold.


    "I miss your warmth," I whispered.


    "Your stupidugh. Your dumb jokes. The way you used to tug my sleeve when you wanted my attention even though you had a perfectly functioning voice." I smiled through the ache. "You were so annoying."


    The smile faded.


    "And I miss all of it."


    My thumb brushed over her knuckles. "I don¡¯t know how to fix this. I have tried... I have tried everything, you know? Magic. Prayers. Begging. I would give anything to hear you call me dumb again."


    Only silence answered me.


    My heart clenched. A tear slid down my cheek, but I didn¡¯t bother wiping it away.


    "So much has changed," I continued, softer now. "I have a new friend. Her name¡¯s Eva."


    I let the words linger in the air, as if her sleeping soul could soak them in.


    "She¡¯s strong, kind... and hurting in ways no one sees. Watching her is like watching someone drown in silence. She keeps smiling, even when she¡¯s breaking. She reminds me of myself. It¡¯s like I¡¯m looking at a mirror when I look at her."


    I swallowed.


    "I think I have started to see her as family. Like a little sister I never had. She reminds me of you, in the way she never gives up - no matter how much the world breaks her."


    I took a breath. "I want to bring her to meet you. I think you would like her, a lot. I think... you would understand each other."


    My voice cracked at the end.


    The room was quiet. Peaceful. But the weight of grief, of love left hanging in the air, was suffocating.


    Still, I sat beside her, hand in hand, like I always did.


    Hoping.


    Praying.


    That one day... she would squeeze my fingers back.

 Chapter 155: The Unexpected Praise

    <h4>Chapter 155: The Unexpected Praise</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Sunday arrived with a pale grey sky and a heart heavier than it had been the night before.


    It should have been a good day considering it was payday.


    I got my sry, more than I had ever held in my hands before. River kept his word about the bonus, letting me earn twice my usual sry.


    I should have been thrilled. Proud. Excited to finally make real money from honest, hard work, especially with no one else to depend on.


    But instead, I was feeling... nothing.


    There was no joy. No pride. Just a hollow ache in my chest that hadn¡¯t eased since Friday evening.


    Forty hours. That¡¯s how long it had been since I stood in that cottage and watched my mates walk away. Since I dropped the truth on them like shattering ss, one shard after another. Since I saw Draven¡¯s back as he stormed out, and Oscar¡¯s detached voice as he told me he would drop me off like I was some stranger.


    It had been forty long hours without a single message from either of them, let alone a call.


    That¡¯s right! A foolish, desperate part of me - one that I thought I had buried long ago - kept checking my phone. Hoping. Praying.


    But there was nothing.


    It was like they hadn¡¯t just walked out of that cottage, but out of my life. And the truth was... I couldn¡¯t me them.


    How could they possibly ept everything I dumped on them? Being mated to both brothers was one thing - unusual, even rare, but it had happened before. But carrying another man¡¯s child? A child from a mate who had already rejected me?


    Even I wouldn¡¯t have epted that if I were in their ce.


    So really, the silence shouldn¡¯t have hurt. But it did. It was hurting more than Ethan¡¯s rejection ever had.


    <fn7447> Get full chapters from Find1Novel</fn7447>


    Maybe because this time, I had let myself hope. And my life had taught me one thing very clearly... hope was a dangerous thing.


    By Sunday afternoon, even River started to notice something wasn¡¯t right.


    I felt his eyes on me as I fumbled over the third set of documents I was supposed to finalize. I was usually ahead of schedule, efficient to the second. But this weekend? I misspelled a major Alpha¡¯s name in an official report, a name I had written dozens of times before. I misced an important report. And failed to respond to three calls that I received from River.


    "I¡¯m starting to think you have been swapped with a body double," River muttered as he leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes on me. "One that¡¯s too stupid to function properly."


    I blinked up at him, startled out of my daze.


    "I-I¡¯m sorry," I mumbled while straightening the papers that were scattered over the desk. "I didn¡¯t mean to-"


    "That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about." He snapped the folder shut and leaned forward on his elbows. "You haven¡¯t made a single damn mistake in two months, and now suddenly you are fumbling over basic tasks?"


    He paused. "What the hell is going on with you?"


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. I couldn¡¯t exactly tell him that the girl he saw as a walking intern manual had her world fall apart two nights ago.


    So I just lowered my head and offered a weak apology again.


    He sighed. For once, it didn¡¯t sound annoyed. It sounded... disappointed. He was looking even confused at my behavior.


    "You are one of the best I have ever had in this position," he said suddenly.


    My eyes shot up, only to catch the look of surprise taking over him in time. He didn¡¯t mean to let the praise slip.


    "I mean, you were," he said quickly, trying to cover his slip. "Before you started screwing things up."


    The corner of my mouth twitched. I hadn¡¯t smiled in days. It was small, barely there, but it was something. And of course, he noticed.


    He frowned. "Don¡¯t smile. You are still on thin ice."


    Then, without giving me a chance to respond, he stood abruptly and grabbed his zer. "I have got a meeting with Alpha Marcus. Try not to burn the ce down while I¡¯m gone."


    And just like that, he was out the door, fleeing like a man who had identally shown a sliver of humanity and hated himself for it.


    For the rest of the day, I forced myself to keep working. I did everything twice, triple-checked my spellings, and read reports out loud until they no longer made sense.


    I made it to 6 PM.


    When the office hours ended, I was barely able to lift my arms. My body was drained. But my mind was worse.


    I declined my friends¡¯ invitation to meet them in Lakeshire. Noah had texted twice. Kyros once. And Mallory had been calling.


    I turned my phone on silent and shoved it in my bag.


    I just wanted quiet. So I told Mr. Wood to take me back to the Academy when he asked about where I wanted to go.


    The dorm was empty when I entered. Everyone still out enjoying the weekend.


    I took a long shower, letting the water run until my fingers wrinkled and my skin turned pink. Still, I wasn¡¯t able to wash away the ache.


    Back in the room, I slipped into bed, pulling the covers over my head and hoping for sleep to take me away from the reality I didn¡¯t want to face.


    But my bed was cold. The room was colder. And everywhere I looked... I saw memories.


    Draven sitting on the edge of my bed, brushing a strand of hair from my face. Him leaning against the windowsill, grinning at something stupid I said. Hisughter. His warmth. It was all gone.


    Just like that.


    I closed my eyes, hoping to escape into nothingness. And at some point, I finally drifted off.


    Until-


    <strong>Knock. Knock. Knock.</strong>


    My eyes shot open as the sound came again. Then there was a pause before-


    <strong>Knock. Knock.</strong>


    I sat up, trying to brush away the heaviness of the sleep.


    Someone was at the door.

 Chapter 156: He’s Getting Engaged

    <h4>Chapter 156: He¡¯s Getting Engaged</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The knocking came again.


    It wasn¡¯t too loud, nor too demanding. Just... patient.


    Dragging myself out of bed felt like moving through msses. My limbs were heavy, sore, and weighed down by more than just sleep.


    When I cracked the door open, the coomon room light spilled into my dark room, and I found myself looking at two very familiar faces - Mallory and Kyros¡¯.


    Mallory¡¯s eyes immediately narrowed on my face. Her gaze scanned over my half-asleep, half-broken expression, taking in the dampness around my eyes, the sag in my shoulders, and the silence in my throat.


    "Oh, babe," she said softly, "Did we wake you? You already went to bed?"


    I gave a faint nod and rubbed the heel of my palm against my eye, trying to rub the weariness away. "Yeah... I was just resting," I murmured.


    She tilted her head as she asked, "Are you okay? Did you eat dinner at least?"


    There was concern in her voice. Genuine, warm concern. I didn¡¯t want to lie to her, especially not tonight. So I gave her the simplest, most honest answer I could.


    "I¡¯m just tired," I said. "Really tired. And I had some fruit sd and yogurt in the afternoon... I didn¡¯t feel like eating again."


    Her frown only deepened at my response, but she didn¡¯t press me. Not yet.


    Kyros was standing beside her silently. He didn¡¯t speak. He didn¡¯t need to. When his eyes met mine, steady and calm - those warm ocean hues were filled with understanding, with patience, with silent support. He knew. He understood the storm behind my eyes without me having to say a single word.


    It was him who gently nudged Mallory. "Let her rest," he said quietly. "She¡¯s had a long week."


    I expected Mallory to follow his cue and leave. And she almost did.


    Almost.


    She turned to go, then froze as if something struck her.


    "Oh, wait!" Her eyes lit up with excitement. She spun back toward me, practically vibrating. "I totally forgot! I have <i>news</i>! And not the boring kind, but the kind that¡¯s gonna shake up the whole Academy!"


    I blinked, surprised by her sudden burst of energy. I couldn¡¯t deny the flicker of curiosity. "What... kind of news?"


    I didn¡¯t fail to notice how Kyros tensed immediately beside her. His jaw ticked as he turned toward her, trying to usher her away with his bodynguage alone. "Mallory, not now," he muttered in a low voice that almost sounded like a warning.


    But Mallory was too caught up in her own excitement. "Oh,e on, Kyros! It might cheer her up!" She turned her eager grin back to me. "And you definitely want to hear this before it spreads through the Academying morning, Eva."


    "No, she doesn¡¯t," Kyros snapped.


    But it was toote.


    Mallory leaned closer, her voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. "Oscar Thorne and Jasmine Bills are getting engaged."


    The world stilled. And I stared at Mallory as if I no longer recognized her or the words she was speaking.


    I felt everything in me go still, like time had stopped. Like someone had punched me straight in the chest, leaving a gaping hole in my ribs where my heart used to be.


    "What?" I asked in barely a whisper, not sure if I even said it aloud.


    Mallory seemed oblivious to the bomb she had just dropped and kept going. "We saw them! Me and the others. We wereing back from Lakeshire and passed that high-end restaurant near Pinehill Street - you know, the fancy one that charges by the second you breathe inside."


    She gave a shortugh, then continued. "Alpha River was there. So was Alpha Bill. They were shaking hands like some major deal had been sealed. Jasmine was practically wrapped around Instructor Oscar like a gift. Her hands were all over him as she keptughing, smiling like she had won the biggest prize of her life. And Instructor Oscar, he didn¡¯t even push her away!"


    I couldn¡¯t hear the rest.


    My mind was already drowning out her words with a sudden, agonizing ringing in my ears.


    Oscar... and Jasmine?


    An engagement?


    Jasmine Bills - she was the perfect daughter of a wealthy Alpha, beautiful and poised and everything I was not.


    Of course. It made sense.


    She wasn¡¯t carrying another man¡¯s child. She didn¡¯t have aplicated past full of pain and secrets. She was perfect.


    And Oscar?


    He was a Thorne. The third of the Rogue Alphas. A respected instructor at Silver Moon. The academy¡¯s golden boy.


    Of course he would want someone like Jasmine. Of course River would want him with someone like her.


    Kyros finally snapped. "Mallory, that¡¯s enough!"


    Mallory paused, blinking in surprise. "What? I¡¯m just telling her what we saw-"


    "That¡¯s enough," he repeated, more firmly this time.


    The sharpness in his voice startled her. Her eyes darted to me, and for the first time, she seemed to notice the way my body had stiffened, the way my hand was trembling where it gripped the doorframe.


    "I-I didn¡¯t mean to upset her," she stammered, confused and suddenly guilty.


    "It¡¯s okay," I said, my voice sounding hoarse and brittle like ss on the edge of a fall. "You don¡¯t know anything."


    Mallory frowned, clearly still unsure, but offered me a soft "Good night, Eva," before turning to leave, throwing a confused look over her shoulder at me and Kyros.


    The silence she left behind was crushing.


    Kyros lingered at the door, watching me with something that looked like sympathy, but he didn¡¯t move closer.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he said.


    I shook my head. "Don¡¯t be. She didn¡¯t do anything wrong. She doesn¡¯t know anything and just wanted to share the new big gossip to cheer me up. You shouldn¡¯t have raised your voice at her. Go and talk to her."


    He nodded in understanding before speaking, "But don¡¯t take her words seriously. What she just said was all based on her spections. Nothings been confirmed yet."


    I lowered my gaze, staring at the floor as I felt the back of my eyes burning and that familiar heaviness clotting my throat. "But it still hurts."


    He was silent for a moment before asking, "Do you want me to stay?"


    "No." I forced a small smile. "But thank you."


    He didn¡¯t argue. "I¡¯ll be around if you need anything. Anything, Eva."


    "I know." My voice cracked again.


    <fnea3d> Get full chapters from Find~Novel</fnea3d>


    He gave me a look - soft, protective - and nodded. Then, finally, he turned and walked away.


    I closed the door behind him.


    And let the sob shatter out of me.

 Chapter 157: Her Best Friends

    <h4>Chapter 157: Her Best Friends</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Everything was a blur from the moment Mallory¡¯s words cut through the night like a de.


    <i>Oscar Thorne and Jasmine Bills are getting engaged.</i>


    I didn¡¯t remember how long I stood frozen by the door after that. Minutes. Maybe an hour. My body moved withoutmand, sliding down against the wooden frame and curling up at the base. This was bing my new favorite ce to fall apart.


    I didn¡¯t remember if I cried again or just sat there, feeling empty. Broken.


    The next thing I was truly aware of was Rowan.


    His scent reached me before his voice did, that warm forest-and-mint blend that always made me feel like I was somewhere safe - even when nothing else in my world was. He didn¡¯t say anything at first. Just walked over and crouched beside me. No questions. No judgments.


    And then he touched me.


    Gentle hands around my shoulders, strong arms easing me up like I weighed nothing at all, like I wasn¡¯t dragging the weight of my entire world with me.


    He helped me to bed and held me in his arms like I was a child. I probably looked like one too, curled up against him, trembling but no longer crying, because I didn¡¯t think there were any tears left in me. I was dry, like a well that had been bled hollow by grief.


    "I have got you," he whispered.


    He always did.


    I didn¡¯t speak, not once. And neither did he, after that. He just let me be, let me exist in silence while he kept me grounded like one steady heartbeat against my back. Iy there like that, staring at the moonless sky through the balcony ss, watching the clouds crawl across a ck sky that looked like it had swallowed the stars.


    There was no light up there.


    None in here, either.


    At some point, probably near dawn, I drifted off - not into peace, not intofort, but into the quiet numbness of sleep.


    I barely stirred when I felt movement beside me. Myshes fluttered as consciousness tried to reach me, but before I could open my eyes fully, Rowan whispered softly, "Sleep, sunshine," his voice was barely more than a breath as it brushed my skin like a luby.


    And I obeyed. Not because I wasforted, but because I had nothing else left to give.


    ---


    <fn9e51> Get full chapters from F?nd-Novel</fn9e51>


    The second time I woke, the room was still filled with darkness.


    No sunlight was filtering through the balcony. Someone, undoubtedly Rowan, had drawn the thick ckout curtains and turned off every light. The room was cloaked in shadows, and the silence was as deep as the emptiness inside me.


    I blinked at the darkness, too exhausted to do anything else, and before I could even think of lifting my head, sleep stole me again.


    ---


    I didn¡¯t know what time it was when I woke next, but the moment I opened my eyes, I felt something different - a sense of urgency.


    My body was aching from lying still for so long, but I forced myself upright, blinking at the pitch-ck room until I reached for my phone on the bedside table. The second I saw the screen, my heart leapt with panic.


    12:41 PM


    I sat up straight - too fast.


    "Ah-!" I gasped as pain shot up my back and into my ribs. My body screamed in protest from the sudden movement, and I clenched the nket against my chest, steadying my breath. But the panic was already there, wing at me.


    I missed sses. I missed the whole morning.


    My chest tightened until I saw the message notifications.


    <strong>Rowan: </strong>I<i> told the Academy you weren¡¯t feeling well and got a leave approved for you. No stress. Get some rest, okay?</i>


    <strong>Kyros:</strong><i>Don¡¯t push yourself today. Sleep. Heal.</i>


    <strong>Mallory (10 minutes ago):</strong><i>Hey sleepyhead! Don¡¯t you daree to the dining hall. We are bringing your lunch! Be ready!</i>


    I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding.


    Warmth trickled into my chest at the words. At the concern. At the effort. These people... they didn¡¯t owe me anything, and yet, here they were, wrapping me in their quiet love without needing a single exnation. I was grateful. So damn grateful.


    But still...


    I opened the notifications tab again, scanning through all my missed calls and unread messages, hoping - stupidly, desperately - that maybe, just maybe...


    But there was none. Nothing.


    No messages from Oscar or Draven. No missed calls either. No attempts to check in. Not even a sign that they still cared.


    My vision blurred.


    Just when I thought I was done cryinb... just when I thought I couldn¡¯t possibly have more pain left to feel.


    A tear slid down my cheek, hot and bitter.


    How could it still hurt this much?


    How could I still hope?


    I swiped the tear away fiercely and exhaled through clenched teeth. "Get up, Eva," I whispered to myself. "Stop acting like your world ended. It didn¡¯t. You are still here. You are still breathing. So get up."


    I didn¡¯t feel strong. But I pushed the nket off anyway, pulled my legs out of bed, and grabbed a change of clothes from the closet.


    ---


    The girls¡¯ showers were quiet at this hour. Most sses were still running and only a few students skipped lessons, so the bathroom was practically empty when I stepped in. The moment the warm water hit my skin, I felt a knot loosen in my chest, just a little.


    I closed my eyes and let the water wash over me, sliding down my back and soaking through my hair like a gentle apology. Like maybe the universe was trying to say - <i>You are still here. You are still alive. Let me clean some of this pain away.</i>


    But water couldn¡¯t fix everything.


    It couldn¡¯t scrub away the memory of the way Oscar had looked at me in that cottage, with his eyes full of silence and doubt.


    It couldn¡¯t erase the image of Draven walking out the door, leaving me behind.


    And it certainly couldn¡¯t take away the ache that lived in the space where my hope used to be.


    Still, I cleaned myself. Dressed slowly. Braided my hair like my mother used to when I was little. I needed thatfort today, even if only in a small, symbolic way.


    By the time I got back to my room, the pain hadn¡¯t left, but I was able to breathe through it again.


    ---


    I returned to the dorm and settled down in themon room. It was already lunch time and all I needed to do was to wait for my friends to grab the meals from the dining hall and turn up here.


    It was actually against the Academy rules to eat outside dining hall, but since Mallory sounded so confident despite knowing this rule well enough, I knew they had nned something or at least asked for permission.


    Ten minutester, I heard movement outside the door before someone entered the code and opened the door.


    Next moment, the entire group entered much to my surprise - Mallory, Kyros, Rowan, Selene, Ria, and Noah. They all were carrying trays full of food, napkins, and juice boxes.


    Mallory¡¯s eyes immediately softened when she saw me. "Hey, sleeping beauty. You are looking better."


    "I showered," I offered softly, managing a faint smile.


    "And you are awake, which is an improvement," Noah added as he lifted a covered dish into the air. "We brought mushroom soup, garlic bread, and fruit sd."


    My stomach let out a growl I wasn¡¯t expecting.


    Ria chuckled. "Guess that means you approve."


    They stepped in and set everything up on the small coffee table, making it look overcrowded. I sat cross-legged on the couch and watched them bustle around me like it was normal, like nothing had broken inside mest night... or two nights ago. And I let them. I let them pretend.


    Because sometimes, pretending was the only way to keep breathing.


    Mallory plopped beside me and handed me a spoon. "Eat first. Existter."


    I smiled. For real this time.


    It still hurt.


    But for the first time in three days... I felt a little less alone.


    I dipped the spoon into the mushroom soup, letting the warm steam wrap around my face like a hug I didn¡¯t know I needed. The first sip was slow, hesitant, but as the taste settled on my tongue, I found myself reaching for another, and another.


    The warmth of the soup was like a gentle balm sliding down my throat, untying knots of grief that had been sitting heavy in my chest.


    "You need to eat like this every day," Selene scolded lightly, watching me with a raised eyebrow. "You are way too thin."


    I gave her a small shrug. "Food¡¯s hard when everything inside feels like a mess."


    "Still, you have got people around you now," Rowan chimed in gently from where he was standing with arms crossed and leaning against the wall. "People who¡¯ll help you eat, even if they have to spoon-feed you."


    That made me smile, faint but real. Kyros let out a chuckle as he added, "And we would do it too. Especially Mallory. She¡¯s not above wrestling you to the ground for your own good."


    "Damn right," Mallory said proudly, popping a piece of garlic bread into her mouth.


    Looking around at this group of people, I almost felt like crying... but from happiness this time.

 Chapter 158: The Brothers’ Arrival

    <h4>Chapter 158: The Brothers¡¯ Arrival</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    Lunch was over, and the weight of my responsibility settled back on my shoulders like a familiar cloak - ufortable but necessary.


    I had been running from her for weeks now.


    Not literally, of course. I was far too dignified for that, or so I liked to believe. But I had avoided meeting her - even when she personally came looking for me on several asions, I arrived on time and left on time from sses, found excuse to avoid the Herbs and Potions ss for the entire previous week.


    Every time I heard her voice in the hallway or caught a whiff of her scent, my stomach twisted in ways I didn¡¯t have names for. And so, I avoided. Avoided her... avoided the truth of what I was feeling.


    But that couldn¡¯t continue, not when it was beginning to impact my students.


    I was not only one of the founders of the Academy, but also a Professor. And with that came expectations. Standards. Duties. So I was back.


    I took a breath deep enough to steady the churning in my chest and pushed open the door to the ssroom.


    The familiar scent of parchment and dried herbs greeted me, as did the chatter of students settling into their seats. My gaze swept over the room on instinct.


    It took me all of two seconds to realize she wasn¡¯t here.


    Evaline¡¯s seat was empty.


    The absence hit me harder than I liked. I blinked, steeling myself. This was fine. She could be runningte. Or perhaps...


    I turned toward the ss, forcing myself to ignore the twist in my chest. "Good afternoon," I greeted them in a calm and measured voice. "Before we begin, I would like to hear how your experience went under your senior¡¯s guidancest week. Anyone brave enough to volunteer a summary?"


    My gaze roamed slowly, naturally, toward the window seat where she usually sat, surrounded by her small but fiercely loyal group of friends. That¡¯s when I noticed Mallory Campbell shifting ufortably in her seat.


    "Miss Campbell," I said with a faint smile, "I don¡¯t see Miss Evaline today. Any idea where our star student might be?"


    The moment her eyes flicked to Kyros Graves, I knew something was off.


    "She has taken the day off, Professor," Miss Campbell finally said.


    I narrowed my eyes slightly. "Is she unwell?"


    Kyros Graves stepped in before Mallory could have spoken. "She¡¯s been overworking herself throughout past week. I think it finally caught up with her. She¡¯s not been to the infirmary, but she¡¯s resting now and feeling a little better now."


    I kept my face neutral, even as something unpleasant stirred inside me. I nodded once. "Very well. Thank you. Please ensure she does visit the infirmary if her condition worsens. Ack of rest and proper nourishment is not something to be taken lightly, especially with the curriculum we follow here."


    They both nodded.


    I was about to begin the lesson when a hushed voice reached my ears. It was low but clear enough for my wolf-enhanced hearing to catch.


    "She¡¯s probably just too weak to handle Academy life. What did you expect? She¡¯s wolfless."


    Nadine Myres.


    I didn¡¯t need to look to know she was smirking, surrounded by her like-minded followers. A low chuckle followed from her group, and I noticed Eva¡¯s friends immediately tensing, ready to defend her.


    "Miss Myres," I said, my voice slicing through the room like a de wrapped in silk.


    The ss went silent and all eyes turned to her.


    "If you have something worth contributing to the lesson, I would be delighted to hear it. But if all you have to offer is yourck of empathy and judgment, I rmend you silence yourself before you embarrass us all further."


    Her mouth dropped open slightly, but I didn¡¯t stop.


    "This Academy was built to honor merit and effort, not privilege or bloodlines. If anyone in this room believes strengthes from what you were born with rather than what you earn, I suggest you reconsider your enrollment."


    She shrank back into her seat, her smug mask reced by pale difort. Then, she softly murmured an apology.


    "Sorry, Professor."


    I let the silence linger, ensuring the messagended. Then I moved on.


    "For today¡¯s lesson, we¡¯ll be diving into a new unit - special herb species with dual elemental properties. Please open your texts to page 142. Let¡¯s begin."


    Forty minutester, I dismissed the ss, offering a final reminder for everyone to revise before next week¡¯s practical exam. I gathered my notes and made my way out.


    I had barely stepped into the hallway when my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a message from River.


    <fn85d8> Updates are released by find?novel</fn85d8>


    <i>Come to the office. Now.</i>


    Great.


    I changed course and headed toward the main tower where our offices were located. When I reached mine and opened the door, I found both River and Oscar waiting for me.


    It wasn¡¯t an everyday thing for River to drop by the Academy. He only did so on special asions. And since there was nothing special about today and not only him but Oscar was here too, things appeared serious.


    And whatever this was, it wasn¡¯t good.


    A dreadful feeling suddenly settled over me as one possibility suddenly hit me. <i>There couldn¡¯t be another case of Soul Death? Could be? </i>


    Just the thought of it was enough to freeze me in my ce at the entrance. For the second time today, I took a deep breath to calm myself down and stop thinking too much.


    Stepping inside the office, I closed the door behind me with a soft click and raised an eyebrow at my brothers.


    "This better be important," I said evenly, "interrupting me during ss hours? You couldn¡¯t wait until evening to call me back to the mansion?"


    River turned slowly, and the tightness in his eyes, so rarely seen, made the hair on my arms rise.


    And Oscar¡¯s silence was heavier than steel.


    Something was very, very wrong.


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 159: Alphas Without Mates

    <h4>Chapter 159: Alphas Without Mates</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    If there was one thing I hated more than walking into chaos, it was being kept in chaos with no exnation.


    Oscar was standing by the window with his arms crossed, scowling at the floor like it had personally offended him. River was sitting behind my desk like a king on his throne, stone-faced but smoldering beneath the surface.


    Neither said a word.


    "Are we doing this in silence now?" I muttered and turned to Oscar, who was looking like he would rather w through the ss than speak. "Alright, little brother. Start talking. What the hell is going on?"


    He finally opened his mouth, but it was River who barked out first in a voice that was sharp with frustration. "What¡¯s going on is that our baby brother has suddenly decided to be stupid."


    I raised a brow at that. "That¡¯s a bit dramatic. Stupid how?"


    Oscar, clearly bristling, turned to face me now. "I refused to get engaged to Jasmine Bills."


    I blinked. "Excuse me?"


    River barked a bitterugh. "See what I mean? Stupid."


    Oscar ignored him and looked at me. "And now he¡¯s throwing a fit because I said no."


    I rubbed my forehead. "Okay, let¡¯s back up. Refusing? That doesn¡¯t sound like you, Oscar."


    "I¡¯m not being stubborn," Oscar cut in, looking both irritated and exhausted. "I just don¡¯t want to get engaged to her, that¡¯s all."


    "You just don¡¯t want to?" River echoed mockingly, standing up now. "Do you even realize what this engagement means for us? The Bills are one of the wealthiest packs across the western territory. Joining with them would seal alliances, open resources, and-"


    Oscar groaned. "And turn me into a political pawn?"


    "You are not a pawn," River growled. "You are one of the heirs to this family. Sometimes, sacrifices are necessary."


    I stood there quietly, letting my brothers go back and forth. I wasn¡¯t surprised. As the Rogue King, River was always looking at therger picture. And while Oscar was passionate and impulsive, he wasn¡¯t foolish. If he was fighting this hard, there had to be more to it.


    "You¡¯ are 21," River continued, exasperated. "We are not asking you to marry her tomorrow. Just get engaged. You two can take your sweet time tying the knot."


    Oscar scoffed. "Then you do it."


    River¡¯s jaw clenched. "Excuse me?"


    Oscar turned and red at him. "You want the alliance so bad, you marry Jasmine."


    I winced, knowing this was going to light the fuse.


    "She likes you, Oscar," River shot back, his anger finally ring. "She¡¯s not throwing herself at me or Kieran or Draven. She wants you. So stop acting like a brat."


    Before Oscar could throw another jab, I stepped between them before the air turned to lightning.


    "Enough," I said, my voice calm but final. "If this was just another of your little brotherly arguments, I would let you bite each other¡¯s heads off. But this? This sounds serious. So let¡¯s treat it like it is."


    I turned to Oscar first. "Let¡¯s be honest here. Is this about the engagement itself? Because if it is, if it¡¯s about timing, you can dy the wedding. You don¡¯t have to marry Jasmine right away."


    He opened his mouth to argue but I stopped him.


    <fnb3f7> Find the newest release on f?ndnovel</fnb3f7>


    "Or is it because you don¡¯t like her?" I continued. "Because sure, she¡¯s a little spoiled - what Alpha¡¯s daughter isn¡¯t - but she¡¯s smart, one of the ss topers, and trained to run a pack. She would make a good wife with the right guidance."


    He still didn¡¯t look convinced.


    "Then let me ask you this," I said softly, watching him carefully. "Is there someone else?"


    The silence that followed was not empty.


    Oscar didn¡¯t move. Didn¡¯t breathe. But I saw it - the faintest flicker of tension in his shoulders, the twitch in his jaw. And I knew.


    River¡¯s brows pulled together, his sharp gaze honing in. "Oscar," he said, the name tight with warning, "you know better than anyone that not just anyone can be a part of this family. If you are-"


    "What if it¡¯s my mate?"


    Oscar¡¯s voice sliced through the tension, it was low but powerful.


    And then everything went still.


    The words hung in the air like frozen thunder, and I couldn¡¯t help the sharp breath I sucked in.


    <i>Mate.</i>


    He said mate.


    River visibly froze, and I... I didn¡¯t even know what to say.


    We had never spoken of it out loud, but we all had same thoughts about our mates... or theck of them.


    Most werewolves found their mates soon after they turned sixteen, or within a few years. If they didn¡¯t, there was always some dy - distance, location, rare exceptions. But River was twenty-five. I was twenty-three. Oscar was twenty-one. And Draven neen.


    And still, none of us had found ours.


    Well... I had once felt the mate bond four months ago, but it vanished before I could track it down. And I had failed to find her no matter how hard I was trying.


    But now... Oscar. My little brother.


    My chest tightened.


    "You are serious," I said, watching him closely.


    He nodded once. "Yes."


    "You have confirmed the bond?"


    He pressed his lips together and nodded. "Yes."


    "Do we know her?" River asked, his voice a little rougher now.


    Oscar hesitated. And his hesitation was all the answer we needed.


    River leaned back against the edge of the desk, folding his arms again. His jaw was clenched, but he didn¡¯t explode - not yet. He was processing.


    And I was still stuck in the storm of my own thoughts.


    If Oscar had found his mate... that changed everything. It exined why he refused the engagement. It exined the sudden distance, the storm in his eyestely.


    "I understand now," I said finally, exhaling slowly. "But that brings us to the next problem."


    Oscar looked at me warily. "What?"


    "River¡¯s right. The Bills alliance is important. If you are turning it down for your mate, then she must be someone worth losing that opportunity over, and I¡¯m not talking about her status or family background. So who is she, Oscar?"


    He opened his mouth, then closed it again.


    But before he could speak, River pushed off the desk. "Who is she, Oscar?" he repeated, and this time, the Alpha in him was starting to show.

 Chapter 160: The Chaos in Corridors

    <h4>Chapter 160: The Chaos in Corridors</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    Oscar¡¯s head was lowered slightly, hands resting inside his jacket pockets, but his stance was firm. Steady.


    He wasn¡¯t going to tell us who his mate was.


    Not yet.


    "I¡¯m not hiding her forever," he spoke after a moment, his voice softer now. "When she¡¯s ready to meet the family, I¡¯ll bring her to you. Until then, I just want to enjoy this... without judgment, pressure, or any sort of interference. I know what I¡¯m asking for. But I also know I have never asked for much from either of you."


    He was right. Oscar had always been the golden boy. Our second youngest. He neverined, never rebelled, always carried his share of the family burden with more grace than anyone his age should be expected to.


    And now he was simply asking to be left alone with the one person who finally made him feel whole.


    I stepped forward first, unable to suppress the smile tugging at my lips. I pulled him into a hug, not the kind of stiff embrace that passed as masculine among most shifters, but a real one, like the big brother I was.


    "I¡¯m happy for you," I said, thumping his back before letting go. "You are lucky, Oscar. Most of us are still waiting to find our mates... Don¡¯t take it for granted. Cherish her."


    He gave me a small, grateful smile, one that barely reached his eyes but still meant something. I turned with him toward River, who had yet to say a word. His jaw was locked, eyes unreadable, and he was tapping his fingers against his folded arms.


    "River," I said, calling his name when he didn¡¯t respond.


    He finally looked up.


    His gaze shifted between me and Oscar, and then slowly, he pushed himself off the desk. His expression was stoic but not cold. "I still think declining the Bills alliance is short-sighted," he said in a firm voice but it was no longer confrontational. "But I respect your decision."


    <fn64b0> Th?s chapter is updated by f?ndnovel</fn64b0>


    Oscar straightened a little more, slightly surprised.


    River held up a hand before Oscar could say anything. "That being said, I won¡¯t investigate who your mate is. I won¡¯t push it. But I expect that when the timees, you¡¯ll tell us. No surprises."


    "Of course," Oscar nodded.


    "Just like Kieran said, you are lucky. Cherish her."


    And then without waiting for a response, he stepped past us, opened the office door, and left, leaving behind a silence that was much lighter than before.


    Oscar exhaled with visible relief. And I smiled at him. "Well. That went better than I thought it would."


    He chuckled. "Speak for yourself. I thought River was going to order me to marry Jasmine right here."


    We walked out of the office together, the tension behind us but still clinging faintly to the edges of our thoughts. I had no more sses to attend, but Oscar still had third-years in his next period. We were walking through the hallway that connected the administrative wing to the east study corridor when I saw her.


    Evaline.


    My steps slowed without conscious thought, my eyes locking onto her slender form walking along the opposite hallway.


    She wasn¡¯t alone, Rowan was with her, but even from this distance, I could see it.


    She didn¡¯t look like herself.


    Her shoulders were sagged as if the weight of the world rested there. Her skin was pale, her steps small and unsure. There was no smile, no spark in her movements. Only... exhaustion. Sadness.


    My heart twisted painfully.


    "Hey," Oscar¡¯s voice pulled me back, and I realized I had stopped walking. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    I didn¡¯t respond immediately, I was still staring at Evaline. His eyes started following mine.


    And then-


    "Oh, Oscar!"


    A sugary voice cut through the air, so high-pitched it nearly made me flinch. We both turned just in time to see Jasmine Bills skipping - yes, <i>skipping</i> - down the hallway toward us.


    And before Oscar could react, sheunched herself into his arms.


    "What the - Miss Bills -?" he tried to say, staggering slightly as her arms locked tightly around his torso like a vine choking a tree.


    I took a slow step back and raised a brow.


    Oscar looked horrified. He turned to me, with wide, pleading eyes, as if begging me to extract him from the mess.


    I smirked and shook my head.


    "I¡¯m not getting in the middle of that," I mouthed the words, already turning back toward the opposite hallway.


    But Evaline was no longer there.


    Rowan and she had disappeared from view.


    Something like panic struck me then. I hadn¡¯t seen her in nearly two weeks. I had spent those days pushing her out of my mind, distancing myself, thinking it was for the best. But now, watching her walk away like that, shattered and barely standing... it left me feeling like the worst coward in the world.


    Behind me, Oscar finally broke free from Jasmine¡¯s death grip and took a step back. "We are not getting engaged," he said bluntly, brushing off his jacket. "My brother will cancel this engagement deal with your father today. And I would appreciate it if you will keep your distance."


    Jasmine¡¯s face crumbled into stunned silence, her mascara-linedshes fluttering as if he had just smacked her across the face.


    Oscar didn¡¯t look back. He turned and walked away down another corridor, vanishing around the bend.


    And I?


    I fled the other way.


    My legs moved on their own, my mind filled with one face - Evaline¡¯s. I didn¡¯t know what I would say when I found her. I just knew I needed to see her again.


    It didn¡¯t take long.


    I spotted them at the entrance of the dormitory wing - Rowan and Evaline. He was holding her up, his arm tightly around her waist. Her legs looked barely functional, her steps stuttering like her limbs were refusing to support her anymore.


    She was crying.


    Even from afar, I could see the tears streaming down her face. And it broke me.


    Then... she crumpled.


    "Evaline!" I called, rushing forward, heart thundering in my chest as her body gave way and she copsed into Rowan¡¯s arms.


    He barely caught her in time, his voice panicked as he called her name again and again. "Eva! Eva, look at me!"

 Chapter 161: Worried Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 161: Worried Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t remember when my legs broke into a run - only that by the time I reached them, Rowan was kneeling on the floor with his arms tightly wrapped around Evaline¡¯s unconscious form.


    I didn¡¯t even have a chance to ask what had happened when he looked up at me. His voice was sharp and urgent as he spoke, "We need to get her to a hospital."


    Not the infirmary. A <i>hospital</i>.


    His words threw me. "What? The Academy¡¯s Healer is more than capable-"


    "No!" He snapped, his eyes wide and frantic. "Not the healer. Please, Professor. Just... please trust me. She needs to go to a hospital."


    There was a desperation in his tone that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. He wasn¡¯t just being dramatic, this wasn¡¯t panic from someone unfamiliar with medical emergencies. No, this was something else. Something deeper.


    And Rowan... he wasn¡¯t just any student. He had always been one of Evaline¡¯s closest friends, someone fiercely protective of her. If <i>he</i> was asking me to take her to a hospital instead of the infirmary, there had to be a good reason.


    My gaze dropped to Evaline. She was looking so pale, so fragile in that moment. Her breathing was shallow, her skin mmy, and I immediately felt the sharp stab of guilt for not noticing how badly she had been spiraling.


    <fn4663> Find the newest release on find[f]ovel</fn4663>


    "Alright," I said. "We¡¯ll go to Lakeshire Hospital."


    I stepped forward to take her from him, but he instinctively pulled back, adjusting her slightly in his arms.


    "I¡¯ll carry her."


    I hesitated only for a second before nodding. He wasn¡¯t wrong. Given my position as a professor, and his closeness with her, this was better. More appropriate. I spun on my heel and took the narrow, unused path that cut through the east side of the Academy grounds, avoiding main routes.


    As we walked, I called one of the warriors stationed near the outer ring.


    "Bring my car to the front gates. Now."


    Rowan followed silently, holding Eva like she was the most precious thing in the world. I noticed how careful he was with every step, shielding her from the wind, adjusting her in his arms whenever her head tilted too far. His jaw was clenched, and I could practically see the storm raging behind his eyes.


    And a part of me wasn¡¯t feeling too happy to see her being held by him like this.


    The warriors at the gate stood to attention when we arrived, but none dared speak a word. I nodded to the one who brought my vehicle and opened the back door while Rowan carefully slid in with Eva still in his arms.


    I got in and drove fast, much faster than I normally would, but with just enough caution not to attract unnecessary attention from the town patrols. The twenty-minute ride to Lakeshire Town felt like it stretched for hours.


    We arrived at the hospital and rushed inside, with Rowan still carrying her. The staff responded immediately, taking Evaline to a private room while I handled the paperwork.


    It didn¡¯t take long before one of the doctors stepped out.


    "She¡¯s stable now," he said. "She passed out due to abination of emotional exhaustion and physical weakness. She¡¯s severely fatigued. Dehydrated. Stressed."


    I exhaled, nodding slowly. That much made sense, given how she had looked.


    "But there¡¯s something else," the doctor continued, flipping through the preliminary test results. "In her condition, it¡¯s critical that she receives proper care. She can¡¯t afford to skip meals, lose rest, or-"


    "Don¡¯t say it," Rowan interrupted sharply, stepping in front of me.


    The doctor blinked, confused.


    Then, as if catching on, his eyes widened a fraction before he gave a small nod. "Right. Of course."


    I frowned, turning to Rowan. "What was that?"


    But he didn¡¯t answer. His shoulders were tense, and his face carefully nk. I could see the effort he was putting into staying calm.


    "She¡¯ll need to stay overnight," the doctor continued. "We¡¯ll monitor her vitals, give her fluids, and make sure she gets proper rest. One of you can stay with her."


    With a polite nod, he left us alone in the small room. Evay on the hospital bed, connected to an IV. Her features were peaceful now, but too pale, too still.


    I sat down beside her, folding my hands together, watching her chest rise and fall slowly.


    Rowan stayed standing, hovering protectively just beside the bed, his eyes locked on her face.


    "You going to tell me why you stopped the doctor?" I asked quietly.


    He looked at me, clenching his jaw. "It¡¯s not my ce to say anything."


    That was answer enough. There <i>was</i> something. Something big. Something she hadn¡¯t told anyone. And Rowan, being who he was, was protecting her.


    I didn¡¯t press.


    Because more than anything, I wanted her to open her eyes.


    She looked so much smaller in that bed than I ever remembered. Gone was the fiery girl who used to argue with others when she knew she was right, who would stand unflinching even when facing someone like River. Gone was the strength she so fiercely held onto.


    And the part that hurt the most?


    I hadn¡¯t even realized she was falling apart until now.


    "Has she... has she been like this long?" I asked, breaking the silence.


    Rowan nced at me. "She¡¯s been pretending she¡¯s okay for days. Maybe longer. Ever since..."


    He trailed off, notpleting that sentrance and leaving me confused and curious about what exactly happened that led her to end up in the hospital.


    My chest tightened.


    While I was running away from her, or trying to, she was going through her own struggles. I left her alone because I was busy thinking about myself.


    Neither of us spoke after that, falling into silence while lost in our own thoughts.


    Minutes passed.


    I kept my eyes on her face, silently praying to Moon Goddess if she still listened to selfish wolves like me.


    <i>Just wake up, Evaline. Please.</i>


    * * *


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    4 Chapters straight in Kieran¡¯s pov, hopefully y¡¯all are enjoying!

 Chapter 162: Alpha’s Desperate Search

    <h4>Chapter 162: Alpha¡¯s Desperate Search</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t look back - not at Jasmine¡¯s stunned face, not at Kieran¡¯s retreating figure, and definitely not at the mess I was leaving behind. My feet carried me across the stone corridor toward the west study wing when it hit me.


    It was a dull ache, right in the middle of my chest.


    I stopped mid-step, feeling startled. The pain wasn¡¯t intense, it wasn¡¯t sharp. But it was sudden, like something inside me had shifted. Bent. Cracked.


    I pressed a hand to my chest and stood there,pletely still, trying to understand what was happening. My brows furrowed as confusion bled into unease.


    Why now?


    The pain wasn¡¯t physical. Not like a cramp or the aftermath of a blow. It was something... deeper. Under the skin. It was like a pressure building inside that didn¡¯t belong.


    <f99> This update is avable on F?nd-Novel</f99>


    I closed my eyes and tried to center myself, tried to reach out to my wolf, but he was already pacing... unsettled.


    "Talk to me," I muttered under my breath.


    But he didn¡¯t answer me with words. Instead, he shared his emotions. Fear. Anxiety. Urgency.


    And one word started echoing over and over again - one name, one truth.


    Mate.


    I went cold. And my eyes flew open while my heart started racing. Was something wrong with her?


    I didn¡¯t stop to think.


    My legs moved on their own,unching me into a sprint back toward the administrative wing. Since first-term didn¡¯t have any physical training sses, I didn¡¯t have their ss schedule. This meant I had no idea about where she was. I hadn¡¯t seen her since-


    No. I couldn¡¯t think about that.


    I skidded into the hallway, heading for the offices. Kieran¡¯s office door was still locked, and I knew he wouldn¡¯t be back anytime soon. I immediately entered the code and unlocked the door.


    Inside the office, I dropped into his seat, waking the screen of hisptop. Fortunately, Kieran never locked it, just password-protected the initial login, and I knew it.


    The moment the desktop blinked to life, I began searching for the ss schedule list.


    Where would she be...?


    First-years had Runes ss this period. I grabbed a screenshot of the list and ran out again, heading straight for the Runes lecture hall.


    Professor Aldric¡¯s voice was echoing through the hallway as I approached. When I peeked inside, I didn¡¯t even have to walk in to know she wasn¡¯t there.


    I stepped in anyway,posing myself.


    "Ah, Instructor Oscar," Aldric greeted, a little startled to see me. "Something I can help you with?"


    "Apologies for the interruption," I said smoothly, forcing a calm tone. "River wanted me to pass on a message to his assistant and if I¡¯m not wrong then she must be attending this ss."


    The professor¡¯s brow furrowed slightly before he shook his head. "She sent word earlier in the morning that she wasn¡¯t feeling well. She¡¯s taking the day off."


    My stomach clenched at the news. What happened to her?


    I thanked him quickly and walked out, my mind racing to figure out what to do next. Since she wasn¡¯t in ss, I could try calling her. So I did.


    But it was off.


    I tried again but in vain.


    My wolf was howling inside me, wing, yanking at my nerves. Not wanting to give up, I tried again. Same thing.


    She always kept her phone on. She always replied. Always answered. But not today.


    Panic settled in my bones like frost.


    Why couldn¡¯t I feel her properly? The ache was there. The bond was there. But it was still faint. We hadn¡¯t officially epted the bond yet. And that only made everything worse. It was like reaching out for someone in a dream but never quite touching.


    She¡¯s in danger, my wolf snarled.


    No, I told him. We don¡¯t know that. But something¡¯s wrong.


    I returned to Kieran¡¯s office and once again opened theptop, this time searching for the lists of the student dorm assignments.


    My fingers stilled as I found her room number.


    And there it was, right beside her name - Roommate: Rowan Bane.


    That guy...


    I remembered him from the trip to Halendor Ruins. He was Quiet. Observant. And one who never left her side.


    I knew the moment I saw him that he was close to her. Not just another ssmate, but a close friend.


    There was a number listed next to his name and without thinking, I copied it down.


    Within next five minutes, I was running through the dormitory halls in search of my mate. Once I arrived outside her dorm, I started pounding my fist against the door without any second thought.


    Though I was trying to be discreet in my search, trying my best to not catch too much attention or raise suspicion, I was almost at the end of my control. I was desperate to see her.


    Good thing was that the hallway was empty and all the students were currently in their Runes ss, or I would have made a spectacle of how ruthlessly I was knocking on the door.


    But no matter how much I knocked, there was nothing. No answer.


    I tried again.


    Still nothing.


    She wouldn¡¯t just ignore this.


    I reached for my phone and dialed Rowan¡¯s number without a second thought, praying that he would pick up and knew where I could find her. If he didn¡¯t answer, I didn¡¯t know what I would do.


    It rang once.


    Twice.


    "Hello?" His voice was low, wary.


    I didn¡¯t waste a second. "Where is she?"


    I was answered with a long pause. And I felt my heartbeat slowing as I waited for him to speak. It was just seconds, but felt like eternity to me, before he finally spoke, "She¡¯s at Lakeshire Hospital."


    The world tilted as my ears registered the words, and I almost dropped the phone.


    "...Why?" I croaked. "Is she okay?"


    "She¡¯s stable now," he said, his voice tight. "She passed out earlier today. We are with her."


    "We?"


    "Professor Kieran brought us here. He¡¯s with me."


    I felt myself swaying slightly as relief battled the overwhelming dread still twisting in my chest.


    "I¡¯m on my way," I muttered and ended the call.

 Chapter 163: Fear of Losing Her

    <h4>Chapter 163: Fear of Losing Her</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    The ride to Lakeshire was a blur of sharp breaths and pounding heartbeats.


    I was gripping the wheel so tightly my knuckles were turning white, but the ache in my chest didn¡¯t let up. No matter how fast I drove, it clung to me like a second skin - reminding me again and again that something had gone wrong.


    And worst, my wolf wouldn¡¯t shut up.


    This is your fault.


    "I know."


    She needed us, and you walked away.


    "I didn¡¯t walk away-"


    You did. After everything. After what she told you, what she trusted you with... and you still walked away.


    I clenched my jaw as shame crawled up my spine.


    She¡¯s our mate. And you chose your pride over her.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. No matter how hard I tried to justify it, the truth stayed ugly and bare - I had distanced myself from Evaline after that night at the cottage. I couldn¡¯t process what she had told us, couldn¡¯t ept it - not right away. And in my silence, I had left her alone in a storm she never should have faced alone.


    And now she was in the hospital.


    A bitter taste filled my mouth as my wolf growled low and unforgiving.


    If she¡¯s hurt... if anything¡¯s wrong with her health, it¡¯s on you.


    My grip on the steering wheel tightened further.


    Minutester, I finally arrived at the hospital. I swerved into a space and threw the gear into park before jumping out, not even bothering to shut the car door properly. I all but stormed through the front doors.


    "Excuse me," I said to the receptionist at the desk, my voice sharper than intended. "There was a patient admitted here by Kieran Thorne about an hour ago. I need the room number."


    The woman blinked at me, recognition dawning in her eyes almost instantly. Of course, she knew who I was. No one in the shifter towns surrounding the Academy didn¡¯t recognize the Rogue Alpha brothers.


    "Alpha Thorne," she said politely, tapping something on her keyboard. "Yes, your brother arrived about an hour ago. The patient was admitted to the second-floor east wing, Room 208."


    <fn45df> Readplete version only at find(?)ovel</fn45df>


    I was already halfway down the hall before she could say anything more.


    My feet carried me faster than my thoughts. I had no idea what condition she was in. Was she awake? Was she in pain? Had she even asked for me?


    I reached the hallway, and the first face I saw was Rowan.


    He was standing leaning against the wall outside her room with folded arms and a paper cup of lukewarm hospital coffee in hand. The moment his eyesnded on me, I could feel how cold and unweing they were. And utterly uninterested in anything I had to say.


    "Where¡¯s Kieran?" I asked, trying to steady my voice.


    "He went to buy some porridge for Eva," he replied coolly. "She just woke up a few minutes ago. Doctor¡¯s still in with her."


    There was no hostility in his tone, no direct usation. But his words still struck like ice. I could read it in his expression - he wasn¡¯t a fan of mine. And I didn¡¯t me him.


    "She fainted?" I asked, trying not to sound as panicked as I felt.


    His jaw clenched, and he gave me a look that cut straight to the bone.


    "You really want to know what happened?" he asked, pushing off the wall and stepping closer. "She cried herself to sleepst night. She hadn¡¯t eaten properly in days. She¡¯s been throwing up more than she¡¯s been keeping anything down. I begged her to rest. She didn¡¯t. She still wanted to head to the library to get some work done."


    There was a pause, one that increase the dread in my chest.


    "And then she saw you," he added quietly, "with Jasmine Bills wrapped around you like a new ything. And not even three days after you broke her heart, her trust, and her hope."


    The words hit me like a physical blow.


    I didn¡¯t respond right away. I couldn¡¯t.


    Because the image of Eva seeing Jasmine clinging to me, her arms looped around my neck, her smile so bright - Goddess.


    My heart dropped.


    She saw that? my wolf whispered.


    Of course she did, I replied bitterly.


    That¡¯s when it hit me - the exact moment I had felt the ache earlier today... it had been moments after when Jasmine had thrown herself at me in the hallway.


    Eva was there and she saw that, and she misunderstood.


    And I had no one to me but myself.


    The doctor stepped out just then, removing his mask and looking mildly surprised to find another Thorne standing in the hallway.


    "Mr. Thorne," he greeted politely.


    I nodded, trying to keep my voice steady. "How is she?"


    "She¡¯s recovering," he said. "The fainting was a result of extreme fatigue and emotional stress,pounded by ack of proper nutrition. She¡¯ll be staying overnight for monitoring, but she should be okay with rest and proper care."


    He looked at Rowan then, gaze lingering for a second too long. Something unspoken passed between them, and I picked up on it instantly.


    "Make sure she eats," the doctor said. "And that she doesn¡¯t exert herself. She shouldn¡¯t be dealing with any further emotional shocks, especially in her condition. You can meet her now."


    I was more than ready to storm inside, but the moment I took a step toward the door, Rowan raised a hand.


    "Don¡¯t," he said quietly, but with unmistakable steel.


    I paused. "She¡¯s my mate."


    "I know."


    "She deserves to know I¡¯m here."


    He didn¡¯t move. "She deserves peace. That¡¯s what I¡¯m giving her right now."


    I bit down on my lip hard, trying to rein in the urge to shove past him. But his next words stopped me cold.


    "Don¡¯t cause her any more harm, Oscar," he said, locking his warning filled eyes on mine. "You weren¡¯t there when she needed you the most. And I¡¯m not letting anyone - anyone - push her over the edge again."


    Something twisted deep in my chest. Not just guilt. Not just regret.


    But fear.


    Because for the first time, I was starting to understand the weight of what I had done. How close I hade to losing her.

 Chapter 164: He Knows

    <h4>Chapter 164: He Knows</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Everything hurt.


    It wasn¡¯t just my head or my limbs, not just my stomach that felt tight and was cramping with dull pain. No - this ache went deeper. Into my bones. Into the very core of who I was.


    When I opened my eyes and realized I was lying on a hospital bed, I was surprised. Everything around me was unfamiliar. Thest thing I could recall was the pain that made me lose consciousness.


    As I recalled that moment, a familiar face shed through my memory.


    Jasmine Bills.


    Herughter. The way she threw herself into Oscar¡¯s arms like she belonged there. Like she had every right to touch him like that. Like I didn¡¯t exist at all.


    And Oscar...


    Just when I started thinking that I had no more tears left, that I had cried enough for past couple of days while my heart quietly fell to pieces, I was proven wrong. The sight of Jasmine Bills wrapped around <i>my mate</i>... it torn open a new wound. A rawer, deeper one.


    "Miss Evaline?"


    I was jerked out of the painful memories at the sound of the doctor calling me. I fixed my gaze on him and tried to give him a polite enough smile to let him know I was listening.


    "You are doing better," he said gently. "Your blood pressure has stabilized. You¡¯ll need to stay under observation for the night, but with rest and food, you¡¯ll be okay."


    I nodded quietly.


    He didn¡¯t ask any questions. Didn¡¯t mention what I suspected he had discovered during his examination. The pregnancy.


    I watched him leave, and finally took in my surroundings. It was a modest private room, neat and quiet. Not overly fancy, but definitely not the infirmary where I should have been.


    <fn1b50> This text is hosted at find?novel</fn1b50>


    That was when confusion set in.


    The Academy never allowed students to seek treatment outside unless the infirmary itself referred them. I wasn¡¯t taken to the infirmary.


    Rowan must have brought me here directly. But how? And more importantly - why?


    No matter how much I thought, there was only one possible reason - <i>he knows about my pregnancy. </i>


    Because if I was taken to the infirmary, the healers would have done their usual tests and checkups and would have discovered the pregnancy. And once word got out...


    I closed my eyes and took a slow breath.


    No rule at Silver Moon Academy said a pregnant student couldn¡¯t continue their studies, but rules weren¡¯t the problem. People were. Whispers. Judgments. The istion. The shame. I didn¡¯t even know if I would have been allowed to continue my internship. My entire future would have been changed overnight.


    But Rowan... he had protected me. Without even asking.


    A soft sound pulled me from my thoughts as the door was pushed open.


    "Rowan?" I called weakly, expecting him.


    But it wasn¡¯t him. It was... Oscar.


    My entire body went still.


    I blinked, thinking for a second that I was imagining him... but no, he was real. Very real. And the second his eyesnded on mine, he rushed forward like gravity itself was pulling him toward me.


    He was by my side in an instant, and wrapped his arms tightly around me before I could even react.


    His scent - so familiar, so intoxicating - surrounded me. And his warmth, it wrapped around me like a cocoon.


    He held me like he was afraid I would disappear. Like I was the most precious thing he had ever touched. His heart was racing against mine, and when I felt his lips brush the top of my head, something inside me cracked.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he whispered. "I¡¯m so, so sorry..." His voice was trembling, and sounded full of desperation.


    I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Was I dreaming?


    "Oscar..." I managed softly, resting my palms against his chest and gently pushing him back so I could see his face.


    He pulled away slowly, just far enough to meet my gaze. And what I saw nearly brought tears to my eyes again.


    His eyes were red-rimmed, glistening with unshed tears. Pain. Guilt. Fear. They were all there.


    "I was a coward," he said in a low and broken voice. "I hurt you. I didn¡¯t listen to my wolf. I didn¡¯t listen to you. I walked away when I should have held on tighter. I should have protected you, not pushed you away."


    I swallowed hard. My chest was aching with every word he spoke.


    "I didn¡¯t-" he broke off, shaking his head. "That night, after you told us everything, I-I couldn¡¯t handle it. I didn¡¯t understand. I was confused, and scared, and selfish. And instead of talking to you, I pulled away. I acted like an idiot."


    I stayed quiet and let him speak. I needed to hear this.


    "And then Jasmine-" he winced at her name, "-she came out of nowhere. I didn¡¯t ask her to. I didn¡¯t want her to. She threw herself at me, and I swear to you, I didn¡¯t touch her. I didn¡¯t hug her back. I didn¡¯t even speak to her before she did that."


    My fingers curled into the nket.


    "I¡¯m not getting engaged to her. Or anyone else. There¡¯s no deal, no arrangement. I told River no. I told Jasmine no. Because I already have someone. I have you, Evaline. My mate. My only mate."


    A sharp breath escaped me, and his hand came up to cradle my cheek.


    "I was stupid," he whispered. "And I don¡¯t expect you to forgive me right away. I just... I need you to give me a chance to prove that I can be better. That I will be better. For you."


    His hand was trembling against my skin. "Let me fix this," he said. "Please."


    There was silence. A heavy, suffocating silence as I processed every word.


    I had longed to hear this. For days, I had wished, cried, prayed for him to say these exact things. And now that he had...


    There was one thing still unsaid.


    One truth he hadn¡¯t acknowledged yet.


    I looked into his eyes, and searched his face. Then, slowly, very slowly, I asked the question.


    "And the child I¡¯m carrying..." I whispered, my voice so quiet it was barely more than a breath. "Are you ready to ept them too?"

 Chapter 165: First Acceptance

    <h4>Chapter 165: First eptance</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment the question left my lips, the entire room stilled.


    I could hear the faint beeping of the heart monitor beside me. I could hear the distant chatter of nurses in the hallway. I could even hear the rhythmic drip of IV fluid sliding down into my veins.


    But Oscar¡¯s silence was louder than all of it.


    "I had to ask," I whispered. "I needed to know before I let you back in... before I risked my heart again."


    "I understand," he finally spoke, shifting a little closer and sitting right beside me on the edge of the bed. His hand brushed mine, tentative and soft. "And I want you to know, I¡¯m not just here for you. I¡¯m here for both of you."


    That made me blink. "Both?"


    "You and the baby."


    Something tightened in my throat as my brain tried to process his words and their meaning.


    "I¡¯m not ready to be a father," he admitted and a slightly nervous chuckle escaped him, "I have never even thought about it. I mean, I¡¯m barely holding myself together most days and the idea of raising a child... it scares me."


    He lifted his eyes to meet mine again, and I saw it there - vulnerability, truth, love. "But I do know this, Eva. You want this child. You have chosen to keep them. And if this baby is a part of you, then they are already a part of me too."


    My eyes welled up. I pressed my lips together, trying to contain the flood that was quickly rising behind them.


    "I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll be perfect," he continued, brushing his thumb softly over the back of my hand, "I¡¯ll probably mess up. I¡¯ll probably say the wrong things or panic more than I should. But I will learn. I¡¯ll read every book there is. I¡¯ll talk to Jasper and learn from him. I¡¯ll even talk to Kieran and even River if I have to. I¡¯ll be there for every appointment, every check-up. And when the baby arrives... I¡¯ll be there to hold them, to protect them, to help you raise them."


    <fn8953> Discover more novels at F?ndNovel</fn8953>


    There was no holding back the tears this time, they escaped... silent and relentless.


    "I¡¯ll carry the weight with you," he whispered. "Because you shouldn¡¯t have to do it alone."


    I was stunned. I didn¡¯t know what I had expected - perhaps hesitation, perhaps a gentle refusal masked in politeness. But I hadn¡¯t expected... this. The sincerity. The unwavering conviction in his voice. The soft glow of determination in his emerald eyes.


    Still, something inside me was still whispering doubts.


    "But it¡¯s not your child," I said quietly, voicing the one thing I had feared most. "It¡¯s not yours, or even your brother¡¯s. It¡¯s Ethan¡¯s. And you barely know me, Oscar. You didn¡¯t even want to speak to me after Friday night, and now you are... saying all this? Why?"


    He didn¡¯t hesitate. Not for even a second.


    "Because it¡¯s yours," he said simply.


    Those words... they hit harder than any vow, harder than any confession of love.


    And the dam inside me brokepletely.


    A choked sob escaped as I looked at him through blurry eyes. "You are not supposed to say things like that. You are not supposed to make it so easy to love you."


    "I mean every word," he whispered, taking both of my hands now and pressing a kiss to my knuckles. "Eva, I don¡¯t care who the father is. I care about you. You are the one who carried the pain. You are the one who made the choice to protect a life that came from heartbreak. You are brave, stronger than anyone I know. And this child... they¡¯ll be a part of you. That¡¯s all I need to know."


    I felt my chest copse with emotion. My heart was thudding in my ears, and the pressure behind my eyes became unbearable.


    "I don¡¯t want you to feel like you have to do this," I said between tears. "Don¡¯t say these things just because you feel guilty or because your wolf is pushing you. You deserve your own path, your own bond, your own family-"


    "My path is with you," he cut in. His voice was firmer now, a warm conviction rising in his tone. "It¡¯s always been with you, even when I didn¡¯t realize it. And you are my family now... both you and the baby."


    His eyes locked onto mine, filled with a rare vulnerability I had never seen in him before. "I have failed you in the past. First, I wasn¡¯t strong enough to ept our bond, and then I walked away when you opened up to me and were at your most vulnerable. And not a single second has passed since that I haven¡¯t regretted it. I will not walk away again. Not from you. Not from the life you are building."


    I reached for him slowly, cupping his cheek with trembling fingers. And he leaned into the touch like he had been starving for it.


    "I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m strong enough for this," I whispered.


    "You don¡¯t have to be," he whispered back as he rested his forehead against mine. "We¡¯ll be strong enough together."


    I let out augh-sob, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him into the softest, most fragile hug I had ever given anyone.


    And he held me like I was made of ss and gold.


    In that moment, there were no secrets. No past. No guilt. No fears.


    Just us.


    "I¡¯ll be by your side," he murmured into my hair. "Through everything. And when the timees... I¡¯ll love that child with all I have got. Because they¡¯ll be part of the woman I love."


    My heart stuttered.


    He pulled back once again and locked his gaze with mine, seriousness clouding his emerald orbs along with something else - love.


    And then, he spoke the words-


    <i>"Evaline Greystone, I, Oscar Thorne, ept you as my mate. I embrace your past, your truths, your bond with Draven, and the child you carry. I ept all that you are,pletely and without condition, to stand beside me as my fated mate and my future Luna."</i>

 Chapter 166: Her Full-time Babysitter

    <h4>Chapter 166: Her Full-time Babysitter</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    All I could do was to stare at him, frozen in my ce.


    The moment he said those words - his voice steady and eyes unwavering - something deep inside me shifted. A warmth surged through my chest, spreading outward like sunlight on frozen skin. It wasn¡¯t like the burning mate mark on the neck, not like the physical seal of teeth that wolves used to finalize their bonds. But I could feel it - the bond between us responding... it wasing to life.


    It started like a breath, subtle and unsure, then quickly bloomed into something real. Tangible. It was like a pulse tethering us together.


    And still, I couldn¡¯t move.


    I couldn¡¯t speak.


    I just stared at him... my mate... who had epted not just me, but the child growing inside me, my messy past, my bond with Draven, and all those pieces of me I had been too afraid to show.


    His hands moved gently to my cheeks and he cupped my face, his thumbs brushing away silent tears I hadn¡¯t realized were falling. "Eva..." he whispered while leaning closer. "Aren¡¯t you going to ept me back?"


    That snapped me out of the trance. "Y-Yes!" I gasped, the words tumbling out. I stared into his eyes, my heart beating wildly, as my mouth spoke the words.


    <i>"Oscar Thorne, I ept you as my mate... with all my heart."</i>


    I barely finished before he pulled me into another embrace - so full, so overwhelming, so warm. His lips found mine without hesitation, and I leaned into him, into us.


    Our kiss wasn¡¯t fast or frantic. It was slow, intentional, full of unspoken words and second chances. His lips moved gently over mine, as if trying to memorize the shape of them, while one of his hands remained on my cheek and the other cradled the back of my head like something precious.


    I gripped the front of his shirt tightly, holding on like he might disappear again if I let go.


    <fn95e6> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? F¦Énd£Îovel</fn95e6>


    Everything else faded - the beeping machines, the sterile hospital room, the ache in my chest - all gone. There was only us. This moment. This bond.


    When we finally pulled apart, he rested his forehead against mine instead ofpletely pulling away. He kept his eyes still, his breathing as uneven as mine. Then he spoke in a serious and stern voice... too stern actually.


    "I¡¯m watching you now. From this moment on, I¡¯ll be paying attention to everything - your sleep, your meals, your stress, your rest. Everything."


    I blinked. "Wha-?"


    "I mean it," he added as he pulled back to meet my gaze, and I saw just how serious he was. "You don¡¯t get to push your health aside anymore, Eva. Not when you are carrying a life inside you. Not when you are mine."


    I stared at him, both touched and mildly rmed. "Oscar... you sound like a full-time babysitter."


    "I sound like your mate," he said without flinching. "And you are in trouble, Greystone. Big trouble."


    I was about to argue, maybeugh a little, but just then someone knocked on the door, and I tensed instinctively, only to rx again when Rowan stepped inside.


    "Rx, it¡¯s just me," he said to Oscar with a slight smirk, before turning to me.


    And that¡¯s when I noticed it - how tense Oscar went after hearing the knock. He was on edge.


    Confused, I nced between the two of them. "Is something wrong?"


    But Rowan was already at my side, ruffling my hair like he always did now - though this time, there was something extra gentle in the gesture. I saw Oscar notice it too, his jaw tightening, but he said nothing.


    "You scared the life out of me today, kiddo," Rowan said, his voice quieter than usual.


    I looked down. "I¡¯m sorry..."


    "And thank you... for bringing me here," I added softly. "For everything."


    He shrugged, brushing it off. "You can always count on me. You know that, right?"


    "Yeah," I whispered. "I know."


    He gave me a small smile. "Just... don¡¯t go fainting on me again, alright? I¡¯m too young to have heart attacks."


    Iughed weakly. "I¡¯ll try not to."


    Rowan straightened then and turned to Oscar. "Kieran should be back any minute."


    That piece of information made me freeze.


    "What?"


    "You don¡¯t know yet?" Rowan looked mildly amused. "He helped bring you here. He drove us, actually."


    Oscar cleared his throat. "Yeah... and I should probably not be here when he gets back." But then he gave me that signature smile of his and teased, "Unless you are ready to reveal our bond to him."


    The idea was... horrifying.


    "I... I don¡¯t think..." I struggled to politely decline. Thest thing I wanted was to hurt Oscar, but the very next moment he made it clear that he was well aware of my unspoken thoughts.


    "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll wait for you to make the choice whenever you arefortable."


    Stars... why did that make me fall harder?


    He leaned down and brushed his lips against my forehead. "I¡¯lle backter," he promised, his voice soft now, protective, affectionate. "Just rest for now. I mean it."


    And just like that, he left.


    When the door shut behind him, Rowan turned to me, and I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.


    "What?" I asked.


    He folded his arms across his chest and raised one eyebrow. "So... you guys have made up? After he made you cry and faint?"


    I groaned. "Don¡¯t start."


    "Oh, I¡¯m not starting," he said with a softugh. "I¡¯m just saying... someone looked veryfortable cuddling his mate in a hospital bed."


    I covered my face with both hands, blushing like a tomato while hisughter filled the room.


    When I peeked at him through my fingers, he was smiling gently again, the teasing gone. "I¡¯m happy for you, Eva. If you think he deserves a second chance, I¡¯ll support that. Just know, if he screws it up again-"


    "You¡¯ll be the first to threaten him?" I asked, smiling faintly.


    "Always," he promised.


    Before I could respond, the door opened again... and in walked Kieran.

 Chapter 167: The Feeling of Betrayal

    <h4>Chapter 167: The Feeling of Betrayal</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment he stepped inside, his eyesnded on me, and his face shifted fromposed to something softer.


    On the other hand, I felt my stomach tensing - not with hunger, but with nerves. Rowan gave him a short nod, then turned to me with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. "I¡¯ll wait outside," he whispered.


    "No-" The word caught in my throat before I could push it out. But it was already toote. He had stepped outside and gently pulled the door closed behind him, leaving me alone with the man who had been avoiding me for past two weeks.


    Kieran didn¡¯t say anything at first. He just quietly sat down on the visitor stool near my bed, and started unboxing the meal he brought. He then ced one portion in front of me.


    The silence was... heavy, but not ufortable. He looked calm, but there was something unreadable in his eyes.


    "You should eat," he said, his voice soft, the same warm baritone I had grown to associate with safety that always came with his presence.


    I nodded and picked up the spoon, letting the familiar scent of warm porridge settle my stomach a little. I took a bite. It was simple,forting.


    "How are you feeling?" he asked gently after a while.


    "Better," I replied quietly. "Tired."


    He gave a small nod. "You scared us. Rowan especially. He seems like a really good friend."


    I smiled faintly at that, but I didn¡¯t look up.


    He was still the same - gentle, supportive, kind... and my professor. Thatst fact clung to my thoughts like a thorn.


    It wasn¡¯t fair. It wasn¡¯t right, either. The way my heart reacted to Kieran sometimes. It was almost like betrayal. I hated myself for it. I was bonded to Oscar and Draven. I had no right to be feeling this way about their elder brother... and my professor.


    And it wasn¡¯t like Kieran had ever given me a reason to think he saw me that way. No. He had always been careful, respectful. He was just... him. The one who gave me a chance when no one else did. The one who saw something in me when I was surrounded by darkness.


    Maybe that¡¯s why it hurt so much when I thought he was avoiding me these past weeks. I had convinced myself I didn¡¯t care... but I had. I still did.


    I waited for the questions. About what happened. About why I fainted. I was also worried that he might have learned about my pregnancy from the doctor. So I waited for his questions. But they never came.


    Instead, he filled my container with more porridge and said, "You need to rest. Let your body recover. And take better care of yourself from now on. There are people who worry about you."


    I blinked at him.


    "I have already approved a leave request on your behalf for tomorrow," he added.


    "What?" I sat up straighter. "No-Professor, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be okay to attend sses."


    He gave me a look. The kind that wasn¡¯t up for debate. "You¡¯ll rest. That¡¯s an order. You are a student, yes. But you are also a person who needs to heal right now."


    I opened my mouth again but he raised a brow, and I shut it.


    He nodded, looking satisfied. "Good."


    He pulled his phone from his coat pocket and typed something quickly before standing. "I have to get back to the Academy, there¡¯s an important matter that needs my attention. But I¡¯lle by in the morning to pick you up."


    I was quick to decline. "You don¡¯t have to, Professor. Really, you have already done so much."


    His lips pressed into a line. "It¡¯s no trouble."


    Rowan chose that moment to step inside again. Kieran looked between the two of us, then gave Rowan a short nod. "She¡¯ll need rest and care. Keep an eye on her."


    "I will," Rowan promised easily.


    I could have sworn something flickered in Kieran¡¯s eyes as he looked back at me, something that looked suspiciously like disappointment or sadness, but he quickly masked it and gave me onest nod.


    <fn3b8d> Original content can be found at </fn3b8d>


    "Get well soon, Evaline," he said.


    "Thank you... for everything."


    Then he turned and left.


    I slumped back against the pillows, feeling... heavier. Like I had just exhaled a storm I didn¡¯t know I was holding in.


    "You okay?" Rowan asked as he took the seat Kieran had vacated.


    I nodded, focusing on my food again. "Yeah. Just tired."


    He watched me for a while as I ate, then said, "The others know."


    I looked up. "What?"


    "About you being in the hospital," he rified. "They are worried. Mallory¡¯s almost lost it."


    Guilt stabbed me.


    "She¡¯s been trying to talk to you all week, Eva. You have been keeping things from her. I¡¯m not saying you have to teel her everything, but at least don¡¯t make her feel left out."


    "I know," I whispered. "I¡¯ll talk to her."


    He smiled. But then his face shifted to something more serious. "Do you want to ask me something too?" he asked, studying my face. "You have been eyeing me like I¡¯m hiding your favorite book."


    I hesitated.


    "I... do," I admitted. "You know, don¡¯t you?"


    "About the pregnancy?" he provided in a low voice.


    I immediately froze.


    He sat down beside me on the bed and sighed. "Yeah, I know."


    I stared at him. "How?"


    "Eva, we share a room. Even if I¡¯m not there all the time, I¡¯m not blind." His voice was soft but firm. "I noticed the nausea. The exhaustion. The way you would avoid certain smells. And then... the night when I helped you get your pajamas, I saw the clinic paperwork tucked in your closet."


    My throat tightened. "You didn¡¯t say anything..."


    "Because it wasn¡¯t my ce. You were already carrying too much. I figured you would tell me when you were ready."


    I looked down at myp, feeling both exposed and strangely relieved. "I was scared. Of what people would say. Of what my mates would think. Of being judged before I even got to prove myself."


    "You don¡¯t need to prove anything," he said gently. "You are already stronger than anyone I know."


    Tears pricked my eyes again and I quickly wiped them away.


    "I¡¯m here, Eva. Always. Whether you are okay or not. Whether things are light or dark. I have got your back."


    I nodded, unable to speak through the lump in my throat.


    He reached over and ruffled my hair again. "Eat. Sleep. Heal. That¡¯s your only job right now, kiddo."


    "Thanks... Rowan."


    We sat in silence after that, with just the hum of machines and the low rhythm of peace after chaos apanying us.


    It felt good to have a friend who was ready to ept me with all the mess I was carrying, but... what he didn¡¯t know was that I was still guarding my darkest secrets.

 Chapter 168: Alpha’s Regret

    <h4>Chapter 168: Alpha¡¯s Regret</h4>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    I hadn¡¯t stepped outside since Friday night.


    Since I walked away from her.


    Since I stood in the middle of the cottage, with her scent still lingering in the air and my heart torn between wanting to pull her close and running away.


    And I had chosen the coward¡¯s path. I ran.


    Now it was Monday evening, and I was still holed up in my safe house like some damned fugitive. Not from enemies, but from myself. From everything I was feeling. And from her.


    I was sitting in the dim living room, the only lighting from the firece that had long turned into a dull ember glow. My phone had buzzed countless times since the weekend started - River, Kieran... my friends, even Professors. But not her.


    There wasn¡¯t a single message, not a single missed call. Nothing.


    Not that she ever reached out first, but some stupid part of me... some desperate, selfish part of me had hoped she might, just this once.


    "Stupid," I muttered, dragging a hand down my face.


    I leaned back on the couch and closed my eyes, but all I saw was her. Her eyes, wide and uncertain. Her lips parting to speak before I cut her off with my silence. Her voice, so soft and brave as she told us she was pregnant.


    I groaned and clenched my jaw.


    I hadn¡¯t stopped thinking about that moment. About her. About everything.


    The bond between us was undeniable. It was burning in my chest like wildfire. Even after I had walked away, it hadn¡¯t faded. If anything, it grew more intense - angrier, more demanding.


    But even more than that, it was hurting.


    A dull ache had taken root in my chest sometime around early afternoon. It wasn¡¯t enough to double me over, but it was... there. Annoying. Haunting. Like a soft cry echoing from the part of my soul where she resided.


    My wolf had been silent since Saturday morning. Just... gone. Not asleep. Not resting. Just silent.


    I tried reaching him a dozen times, calling him back into my mind, into my emotions. But all I got in return was a heavy, suffocating wall of anger and pain.


    He was furious with me. Not for feeling conflicted, but for leaving. For turning my back on our mate when she was finally reaching out.


    And maybe I deserved that silence.


    He was right. I should have stayed. I should have listened. I should have held her hand and told her we would figure it out. But I had choked. When I saw the pain in her eyes, the guilt in her voice, and heard those words - <i>I¡¯m pregnant</i> - my instincts betrayed me.


    I couldn¡¯t deal with it.


    Not then.


    But now...


    Now I couldn¡¯t stop imagining her in pain. Crying. Alone. Hurt. And all because I wasn¡¯t there.


    The ache pulsed again. I pressed a hand against my chest.


    "Stars, what have I done..."


    The sound of my phone buzzing broke through the haze. I almost ignored it, again. But then I saw the caller ID: Oscar.


    He hadn¡¯t called me once ever since Friday either. I didn¡¯t even think. I snatched it up and answered.


    "You finally remembered you have a phone?" His voice crackled on the other end, and it wasn¡¯t amused in the slightest. "How long were you nning to sulk while our mate¡¯s lying in a goddamn hospital bed?"


    I shot up. "What?"


    "You heard me. She fainted. Copsed. Was taken to Lakeshire Hospital this afternoon."


    My blood turned to ice.


    "What happened?" I demanded, already moving, grabbing my keys and jacket. My heart was racing with a fear I hadn¡¯t known I was capable of.


    "They said she passed out from weakness. Emotional stress. The doctor said she¡¯s stable now but has to stay overnight. Rowan¡¯s with her."


    I didn¡¯t wait for more. I ended the call and bolted for the door, throwing it open like I was charging into battle.


    The cold air hit me like a p, but I didn¡¯t care. I jumped into my car that I hadn¡¯t bothered to park in the underground parking area. The tires squealed as I shot down the dirt path leading down the mountain and onto the main road toward Lakeshire.


    My hands were trembling on the wheel as my thoughts spiraled.


    <fnc485> Latest content published on Find[F]ovel</fnc485>


    She fainted. She¡¯s in the hospital. Alone.


    The ache in my chest was burning hotter now, more urgent. I gritted my teeth and pushed the car faster.


    Why the hell didn¡¯t I go to her? Why did I wait?


    Because I was scared. Because I didn¡¯t know if I could love a child that wasn¡¯t mine. Because I was a selfish bastard.


    But stars help me... I missed her. I missed everything about her. Her scent. Herughter. Her frowns when she got annoyed. The way her lips curled when she was trying not to smile.


    I had fallen for my mate.


    I was in love with her.


    And I left her.


    "I¡¯ming, Eva," I whispered. "I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ming."


    By the time the hospital appeared on the horizon, my heart was ready to burst out of my chest.


    I barely parked the car before I was out and sprinting toward the entrance. I mmed through the doors and rushed to the front desk.


    "Evaline," I said breathlessly. "She was admitted earlier this afternoon."


    The nurse blinked and then recognition dawned in her eyes. She looked stunned for a moment but she quickly pulled herself together.


    "Room 208," she said softly. "Second floor, east wing."


    I didn¡¯t thank her. I just ran.


    Each step down the hallway felt longer than thest. My lungs were on fire by the time I turned the corner and came face to face with the room.


    I stopped.


    Rowan was sitting on a bench outside the door, staring down at his phone. He looked up when he sensed my presence, and frowned.


    "She¡¯s sleeping," he said quietly.


    I nodded, barely breathing.


    He stood and came toward me, his expression unreadable. "I didn¡¯t think you woulde."


    "I didn¡¯t think I would be thiste," I said, noticing how hollow my voice sounded. "How is she?"


    "Better. But she¡¯s fragile." He studied me for a second longer, then added, "You hurt her, Draven."


    "I know."


    "She still asked for you."


    Those words hit harder than any punch.


    I looked past him to the closed door. "I want to see her."


    "She¡¯s resting."


    "I¡¯ll sit by her side."


    He hesitated.


    "I won¡¯t upset her," I said. "I just... I need to be there."


    He finally gave a short nod and stepped aside.


    I opened the door slowly and stepped inside. My heart was hammering in my chest as I got my first look at her since Friday evening.


    She was lying on the bed, IV in her hand. Her hair was spilling across the pillow. Her face looked pale, tired, but even in that state... she was beautiful.


    My mate.


    My heart.


    And I had left her.

 Chapter 169: Alpha’s Silent Care

    <h4>Chapter 169: Alpha¡¯s Silent Care</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stirred from sleep slowly, almost unwillingly. The warmth of the bed and the steady rhythm of someone¡¯s hand moving through my hair kept me from leaving behind this rare moment of peace.


    Whoever it was, they had such a gentle touch - so soft, so careful - it made me want to stay in that limbo between sleep and awareness for just a little longer.


    But the hand stilled, and that sudden pause pulled me from myfort. I blinked open my eyes and the hospital room¡¯s dim lighting greeted me first... and then <i>him</i>.


    Draven.


    I almost didn¡¯t believe it. For a long second, I wondered if I was dreaming again - like I had on the other nights since Friday, where my subconscious conjured him just to break me all over again when I woke up alone. But this wasn¡¯t a dream.


    He was here.


    He was sitting beside me with that familiar stoic expression, his eyes shadowed with something deeper. Guilt? Regret? Relief? I didn¡¯t know.


    We stared at each other while locked in a silence that was pressing like a weight on my chest. I wanted to say something. Stars, I <i>needed</i> to say something. But the words got stuck somewhere between my throat and heart.


    What was I supposed to say?


    I was d to see him, but terrified too. My gaze drank him in, finding him as beautiful as I remembered. But unlike Oscar, he didn¡¯t rush to hold me, to kiss my forehead, or tell me everything was going to be alright. No, Draven was not Oscar. I had to stop expecting him to be.


    "I heard from Oscar," he finally said, breaking the silence. His voice was quieter than usual, but still rough, slightly scratchy, as if he hadn¡¯t spoken much in days. "He told me what happened. I came to check on you immediately."


    I nodded, still unsure whether this was a dream or reality.


    "It¡¯s half past nine," he added while ncing toward the window though it was already dark outside. "Oscar has gone to speak with the doctor, and Rowan is in the hallway outside."


    "I see..." I said, my voice raspier than I expected. "Thanks foring."


    His brows pinched slightly at that, like he didn¡¯t know how to respond. "How are you feeling?" he asked finally.


    I hesitated, then answered, "Better... much better."


    He nodded. That was it. We didn¡¯t talk about Friday. We didn¡¯t talk about the cottage or the secrets or the pain that still was lingering between us. We just... sat.


    His presence filled the room, grounding me in a way only mates could. But there was still a distance between us, emotional and fragile. I didn¡¯t want to push him, and maybe he didn¡¯t know what to say either.


    "Take care of yourself, Eva," he said after a few moments of silence. "Don¡¯t scare people like this again."


    His tone was casual, but the weight in it struck deeper. Was he talking about himself? Was he scared to hear about me?


    I didn¡¯t dare ask. Maybe it was just my heart hoping for more than I deserved.


    The door creaked open then, saving me from answering. Oscar stepped in and his eyes immediately lit up as theynded on me.


    "You are awake," he exhaled and crossed the room in three long strides. He then leaned down and kissed my forehead tenderly. "How are you feeling now?"


    I smiled softly. "I think I have fully recovered."


    He smiled back, the warmth in his eyesforting in a way that softened some of the ache still inside me.


    Rowan followed him in, with his arms crossed and eyes scanning me and then my mates.


    "Instructor Oscar¡¯s been trying to convince the nurses to let him stay the night," he informed me. "Unfortunately, hospital policy allows only one person."


    Oscar opened his mouth to protest, but I quickly turned to Rowan. "You should go rest," I told him gently. "You have looked after me for the better half of the day."


    He raised an eyebrow at me, clearly unimpressed with the suggestion. "And you think he¡¯s going to be any less annoying than me?" he asked, nodding toward Oscar. Then he leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "Keep the nightly <i>activities</i> lowkey, okay? You need rest."


    My eyes widened and a wave of heat crawled up my neck as his implication registered... and the fact that both Alphas in the room had clearly heard him loud and clear.


    "Rowan!" I hissed under my breath.


    He chuckled and winked before giving Oscar a mock salute and muttering something like <i>"She¡¯s all yours" </i>before walking out of the room.


    Oscar didn¡¯tment, though the slight flush on my cheeks made his lips twitch. Draven, on the other hand, was looking like he wanted to murder someone.


    Oscar turned back to me and his smile faded into a more serious look.


    "I talked to the doctor," he began. "They are going to run some tests on you within next ten minutes."


    Confused, I asked, "What kind of tests?"


    "Prenatal," he said gently. "You are four months along, and I just want to make sure everything¡¯s alright with the baby."


    "I was at the clinicst month," I protested weakly. "Everything was fine."


    He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear gently as he spoke, "Still, I want you to get checked up here. This is one of the best hospitals around the Academy. And it¡¯s close - just a fifteen-minute drive downhill. Once sses get heavy, you won¡¯t have to worry about traveling too far for checkups."


    I frowned, but before I could argue again, he added, "I promised to take care of this baby with you, didn¡¯t I? That means I get to be worried about both of you."


    My throat tightened, and I looked away before he could see the tears forming.


    This was happening. He meant it.


    <fn7022> This text is hosted at find?novel</fn7022>


    Draven hadn¡¯t moved from his chair, but I was feeling his presence like a storm cloud behind me - silent, tense, and watching.


    "I¡¯m not trying to control anything," Oscar added. "But I want to be involved. I want to be there, from now on. No matter what tests need to be done, what vitamins you need, whatte-night cravings you have... I want to do this right, Eva."


    My fingers curled around the bedsheet as a strange mix of guilt, gratitude, and affection surged through me.


    How did I get so lucky... yet so terrified?


    I nodded slowly. "Okay... we¡¯ll do the tests."


    He smiled and kissed my forehead again. And out of the corner of my eye, I nced toward Draven.


    He was still quiet. But his eyes... they were no longer nk. They were watching me, watching us, with something far moreplicated than just indifference.


    And even though he hadn¡¯t said much... I knew he cared.

 Chapter 170: Her Mate’s Warm Embrace

    <h4>Chapter 170: Her Mate¡¯s Warm Embrace</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The hospital was feeling strangely quiet as the nurse wheeled me through the hallway for my prenatal checkup.


    And I wasn¡¯t alone.


    Oscar was walking right beside me, holding the clipboard the nurse had handed over. But what surprised me most was the presence behind me - silent, steady, and somehow moreforting than I was expecting.


    Draven.


    He hadn¡¯t said a word since we left the room. But he was here.


    He hadn¡¯t walked away.


    And as the nurse led us into a room, I nced over my shoulder. He was watching everything - me, the nurses, the equipment - carefully, silently. And not with detachment.


    He was present.


    They prepped the equipment and applied the cold gel over my stomach, and soon the familiar, fast-paced thudding filled the room. My baby¡¯s heartbeat.


    I was hearing this sound for the second time - so small, yet so powerful. And this time, I wasn¡¯t alone.


    Oscar let out a breath of pure shock, identally squeezing my fingers as he stared at the monitor in a trance.


    I turned my face toward Draven, unsure of what to expect... but he was standing still, with his hands in the pockets of his ck jacket and eyes locked on the monitor with an unreadable expression. He said nothing. No gasps, no smiles. Just... silence. But his eyes. His eyes gave him away.


    There was something in them. Something I couldn¡¯t quite name.


    When the doctor came in with the reportster, he exined everything - how my vitals were a little better, how the baby was developing well, and what I needed to look out for. He listed the foods I should avoid, the exercises I could do, and the schedule for the next checkup.


    Oscar nodded at everything with the seriousness of a soldier in training.


    But Draven didn¡¯t miss a word either. Even in his silence, he was listening. Closely.


    And that, more than anything else, made my chest warm.


    Because if he didn¡¯t care, if he really meant to sever all ties, he wouldn¡¯t still be here. He wouldn¡¯t be listening to a doctor talk about a child that wasn¡¯t his.


    But he was.


    We returned to my ward after that and since it was closing to midnight, Draven decided to take his leave.


    I watched him approach my bedside, feeling uncertain if he would just say goodbye and disappear again. But he didn¡¯t.


    He leaned in slightly. "You should rest properly tonight," he said, his voice low and rough. "Don¡¯t let things get this bad again."


    "I¡¯ll try," I whispered, hoping it meant something that he was here, saying this.


    Then, to my surprise, he reached for my hand, the one that was attached to the IV when he first arrived. His fingers wrapped around mine lightly, almost hesitantly, like he wasn¡¯t sure if he should touch me. Itsted only a few seconds, but those seconds were enough to make something twist in my chest.


    And then... he was gone, leaving me in Oscar¡¯s care.


    Since it had been hours since Ist ate, Oscar got me a bowl of soup and watched as I emptied it. Then I freshened up with the nurse¡¯s help, and got back in bed as the nurse hooked me up to another round of fluids.


    Oscar was preparing to settle onto the couch, already unzipping his jacket, but something in me didn¡¯t want him all the way over there. I was tired, yes. Emotionally frayed and physically exhausted.


    But I didn¡¯t want to be alone.


    I scooted to one side of the hospital bed and gave him a pointed look.


    He blinked. "Are you...?"


    I nodded. "Come here."


    A wide smile broke across his face, and he stood up quickly. He was careful not to disturb the IV tubes as he settled beside me. And the moment he was in bed, his arms slipped around me, pulling me against him gently but securely.


    His warmth wrapped around me immediately.


    We had kissed before, made out even, touched and held each other... but nothing, nothing had ever felt this intimate. This vulnerable. Just lying in his arms, hearing the rhythm of his heartbeat and feeling his steady breaths... it grounded me in a way nothing else ever did.


    "I have made sure no one at the hospital will say a word about your pregnancy," he murmured against my hair. "Not to Kieran, not to River. Not to anyone else."


    I blinked at him. "Thank you."


    "And it¡¯s not just that," he added, brushing his lips over my temple. "No one will know Draven and I were here either. Rowan knows, but he¡¯s not going to say anything. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything getting leaked, your privacy... nothing."


    That simple assurance made my throat tighten.


    How could he be this thoughtful about everything?


    He pulled me a little closer. "You are safe now, Eva."


    I swallowed past the lump in my throat.


    Then he whispered, "I know you have been wondering about Draven."


    My body tensed.


    "I know he hasn¡¯t said much. He¡¯s always been the quiet one. But he loves you, just as much as I do," he said gently.


    "I¡¯m not sure if he-"


    <fnd6b1> Checktest chapters at find?novel</fnd6b1>


    "He does," Oscar interrupted, his voice quiet but firm. "He¡¯s just... struggling. He doesn¡¯t know how to deal with this. With you being pregnant. With the fact that the baby isn¡¯t his or mine. He¡¯s neen, Eva. He¡¯s never had to deal with anything like this before."


    "I know," I whispered. "I don¡¯t me him."


    "And yet, he came," he pointed out. "He stayed. He listened. That¡¯s his way of showing he still cares."


    I closed my eyes and breathed in Oscar¡¯s scent, feelingforted more than I wanted to admit.


    "I just don¡¯t want to be a burden to either of you."


    "You are not," he said without hesitation. "You are our mate."


    My heart stuttered.


    "And the baby?" he added. "Whether Draven¡¯s ready or not, I¡¯ll make sure you and the baby are taken care of. You are not alone in this anymore. I promise."


    I didn¡¯t respond right away. Instead, I just let the silence wrap around us like a nket.


    He tightened his hold slightly and kissed the top of my head. And I closed my eyes, allowing myself to fully rx, to fully let go of all my worries in the first time in a long time.

 Chapter 171: Back To A Familiar Place

    <h4>Chapter 171: Back To A Familiar ce</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Eva... sweetheart, wake up."


    Oscar¡¯s voice drifted into my dreams, soft and low, pulling me gently back to consciousness.


    Myshes fluttered open, and the very first thing I saw was his face - still a little sleepy, his hair tousled adorably, and that warm, heart-stealing smile lighting up his features.


    And just like that, my day began wrapped in something I hadn¡¯t felt in so long - safety.


    It wasn¡¯t just his voice or his smile. It was waking up beside someone who made me feel wanted, cherished. Not like a burden. Not like a problem. But like I mattered.


    I hadn¡¯t felt this way since I lost my mother almost a decade ago. Back then, mornings were warm hugs and her soft hands brushing my hair back. Since her death, mornings had always been cold. Lonely.


    But not today.


    Today, I had my mate by my side. One who pulled me into his arms without a second thought, one who held me through the night and protected me in silence.


    "Morning," I whispered, my voice still raspy from sleep.


    His smile widened, and he brushed a strand of hair from my cheek. "Good morning, my beautiful mate."


    The word mate still made my heart stutter.


    I wasn¡¯t used to being someone¡¯s anything. But I was his. And maybe... slowly, I was starting to believe I could be his, truly.


    Around midnight, the nurse hade in and removed my IV. I was feeling better than I had in days - lighter, stronger, even if just a little.


    Oscar helped me sit up and asked, "Still feeling okay?"


    "Better," I answered honestly.


    Minutester, the doctor stepped in for a quick round of checkups. After examining me, asking a few basic questions, and going through the report fromst night¡¯s scan, he gave us the green g. "You are good to go, Miss Evaline. But take it easy for the next few days, alright?"


    I nodded. "Thank you."


    Oscar squeezed my hand, then excused himself toplete the discharge papers.


    The moment he stepped out, I looked around the room and then toward the attached bathroom. It wasn¡¯t fancy, but it had a shower, and the doctor had said I could clean up if I felt up for it.


    And I did.


    With permission granted and a towel in hand, I slipped into the bathroom, weing the soft warmth of the water. It was soothing, washing away the dull ache of exhaustion clinging to my skin. When I stepped out, I found my clothes from yesterday, neatly folded and fresh - clearly dry cleaned.


    It was undoubtedly Oscar¡¯s doing. This man was going to ruin me with his thoughtfulness.


    By the time I stepped out of the ward dressed and ready, he was already waiting by the nurses¡¯ desk. He signaled me to follow him and we headed out of the building with afortable distance between us.


    But the moment we stepped outside, I shivered.


    <fnadbc> Updates are released by F¦ÉndNovel</fnadbc>


    The morning sun was nowhere to be found. Instead, clouds were hovering low and gray, and the cold wind that brushed against my skin was sharp and biting.


    Without hesitation, he pulled off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. "You should have said something."


    "I¡¯m alright, " I mumbled, sinking into the warmth of his jacket.


    "You are pregnant," he said as he opened the car door and helped me inside, "you are allowed to whine."


    I couldn¡¯t help the smile tugging at my lips. But even as he slid into the driver¡¯s seat, I found myself looking around.


    The lot was... empty.


    Strangely so.


    There wasn¡¯t a single patient. No visitors. Not even a wandering nurse or janitor.


    I turned to Oscar, narrowing my eyes. "It¡¯s your doing, right?"


    He just smirked. "Let¡¯s just say the cold scared everyone from stepping outside of the hospital."


    I just shook my head, mumbling, "You are impossible."


    "I¡¯m protective," he corrected and started the car. "And I¡¯m not ready to let people see what¡¯s mine."


    <i>Mine</i>.


    Another word that made my chest flutter.


    As we drove away, he filled the silence with calm chatter about the Academy and his uing sses.


    "The third-years have their first round of trials today," he exined. "I¡¯ll be on the training grounds most of the day."


    I nced at him. "Don¡¯t feel guilty. You are an Instructor first. You can¡¯t be babysitting me all day."


    He gave me a sideways nce. "I don¡¯t babysit you."


    I raised an eyebrow which made himugh. "Okay, maybe I do. But only because you are terrible at asking for help."


    I bit back a smile. "Maybe."


    I was expecting him to drive straight to the Academy, but instead, the car began winding through roads I was finding familiar. Forest-lined paths reced the smooth academy highway with tangled branches overhead.


    And then we stopped after venturing extremely deep in the mountains.


    We were at the base of a cliff, surrounded by trees and ivy. A thick wall of vines was clinging to a stone facade - one I had seen before. Oscar walked over and gently pushed some of it aside to reveal the door.


    Before I could ask, he turned to me with a soft smile. "Come on."


    He helped me out of the car and walked with me toward the door.


    When he knocked, it only took a few seconds for the door to creak open... and there he was.


    Draven.


    He was looking the same, and yet... not quite. His ck hoodie was hanging loose, and his hair was slightly messy, but his tired eyes brightened ever so slightly when they met mine.


    I blinked in confusion. "What-?"


    "Oscar," Draven greeted simply, stepping aside.


    "I have trials to lead," Oscar said as he truned to me. "I would worry if I left you alone, so I¡¯m leaving you with someone I trust."


    He looked at his brother with quiet meaning and Draven gave a small nod.


    Then, Oscar kissed me softly on the cheek. "I¡¯ll see you after sunset."


    And just like that, I was left standing there... with Draven.

 Chapter 172: Draven’s Love Language

    <h4>Chapter 172: Draven¡¯s Love Language</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I just stood at the entrance,pletely thrown off and trying to wrap my head around the fact that I wasn¡¯t at the Academy but standing in Draven¡¯s secret cabin nestled in the heart of the mountain.


    This wasn¡¯t part of my n.


    I was supposed to return to my dorm, crash on my bed for a few hours, maybe drag myself to lunch with my friends and then spend the afternoon in the library trying to catch up on studies I had missed.


    But Oscar - my sweet, stubborn, protective mate - had flipped that n on its head by dropping me off here... and leaving me alone with his younger brother.


    The same younger brother who hadn¡¯t spoken more than five sentences to me since Friday.


    I nced over at Draven.


    He was standing there quietly, hands in his pockets and still that same unreadable look in his eyes. I realized that the tension between us hadn¡¯t decreased at all, not even after his visit to the hospitalst night. That same invisible wall was standing firm. Stiff. Unspoken.


    Still, for better or worse... we were stuck here. Together. For the entire day.


    He was the first to break the silence once Oscar¡¯s car disappeared from our view. He pushed the door open wider and said, "Come in."


    I followed him inside as he locked the door behind us. The interior of his safe house was just like I remembered from my previous visit - warm, clean, and weing.


    He led me to the living room and gestured for me to sit. I sank down into the couch, the silence stretching awkwardly between us like an invisible barrier neither of us could break through.


    "I¡¯m going to make us some breakfast," he finally said while rubbing the back of his neck and turning toward the kitchen.


    I surprised myself by speaking up, "Do you... want some help?"


    He paused, then turned slightly to nce at me. For a second, I thought he might refuse, but then a soft, brief smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was something.


    "You can keep mepany. That¡¯s help enough."


    I stood and followed him into the kitchen, seating myself on one of the stools along the counter as he rolled up his sleeves and got to work. He had taken off his hoodie, and was now in just a fitted ck T-shirt that clung to his frame in all the right ces.


    I hated how my breath caught for a second. He was ridiculously attractive without even trying. His forearms kept flexing as he whisked eggs, and his jaw tightened in concentration as he chopped vegetables.


    He was moving with such ease, like he had done this a hundred times before.


    "You cook a lot?" I asked, trying to fill the silence.


    "Not really," he replied, flipping the veggies in the pan. "This is the first time I have ever cooked a full breakfast for my mate."


    My heart skipped a beat.


    He didn¡¯t say a girl, or someone he like, or even a friend. He said <i>my mate</i>.


    And suddenly, memories began shing in my head - about how he always brought me snacks. How he always made sure I was eating properly, that I was never running empty stomach.


    <fncd51> The source of th?s content is find?novel</fncd51>


    Werewolves had their own lovenguages, and food was a major one of them. And it turned out to be his as well.


    I stared at him, feeling my heart tightening with unexpected warmth.


    By the time we finished setting the table, I waspletely floored.


    Pancakes, scrambled eggs, toast, sauteed vegetables, cheese omelets, fresh fruit sd, and hot chocte with cinnamon sticks. It was looking like a spread meant for ten people, not two. I gawked at the table and then looked at him.


    He caught my gaze and gave a light shrug. His eyes flickered with just the faintest bit of shyness. "Like I said, it¡¯s my first time cooking for my mate... for you."


    The words didn¡¯t stop echoing in my mind, even as we sat down to eat. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what it meant... how deeply rooted the instinct must be in him to feed and care for the one he was bound to.


    And he was showing it... even while being distant. Even while struggling with things left unspoken.


    "Thank you," I murmured.


    He looked up from his te, as though surprised.


    "For this," I added. "For taking care of me. For cooking all of this. I know I must have disrupted your day."


    He shook his head slowly. "I didn¡¯t have ns."


    That caught my attention. "What about your sses?"


    His fork stilled. "I haven¡¯t been back to the Academy since Friday night."


    I blinked in surprise and it took me a second to absorb that. He hadn¡¯t just walked away from me Friday night, he had walked away from everyone. Everything.


    The rest of breakfast passed in thoughtful silence, and when we finished, I helped him clear the tes, though he quickly shooed me out before I could touch the dishes.


    I returned to the living room and checked my phone, finally catching up on the messages piling in.


    The first message that I opened was from Kieran: <i>Rowan called me to inform that he will be bringing you back to the Academy today. So I¡¯ll not being. Have a good rest today.</i>


    This exined why he didn¡¯t show up this morning like he promised. I quickly typed back a response.


    <i>I¡¯m back at the dorm and will rest today. Thank uounfor everything, Professor. See you tomorrow in Herbs and Potions.</i>


    Then I opened Rowan¡¯s message.


    <i>Oscar told me to lie to Professor. I did it because I knew you will want to stay with Oscar rather than his older brother. Just rest today and message me if you need anything.</i>


    A small smile tugged at my lips.


    <i>I will. And thank you... for everything</i>, I replied.


    My inbox was filled with messages from Mallory, Kyros, Noah, Selene, and Ria - all concerned, all wishing me well. I replied to them quickly, thanking them all, but I saved something special for Mallory:


    <i>Let¡¯s have a girls¡¯ talk tonight. Okay?</i>


    By the time I set my phone down, Draven was walking back into the room, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel.


    And just like that, the awkward silence was back. He stood by the armchair, while I was curled up on the couch. Both of us were trying to avoid the other¡¯s eyes like we were scared one look would unravel everything we had been keeping tightly sealed inside.


    Then, to my surprise, he tilted his head slightly and asked, "Want to y our town-building game?"


    I blinked. "Now?"


    His lips twitched. "Unless you have better ns."


    I let out a small sigh and nodded my head, once again reaching for my phone. "Let¡¯s do it then."


    And just like that, the mood shifted.

 Chapter 173: The Boy Who Walked Away

    <h4>Chapter 173: The Boy Who Walked Away</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Who would have thought?


    Of all the things in the world, it wasn¡¯t a grand apology or an emotional heart-to-heart that thawed the lingering frost between us.


    It was <i>our game</i>.


    Our ridiculous, pixted town-building game with bunch of fields to grow crops, veggies, and fruits, a bunch of quirky vigers, and an endless list of quests - daily tasks, side missions, and reward chests that popped up every now and then with shiny loot.


    That¡¯s what broke the ice.


    At first, we were barely speaking, just the asional word or instruction from Draven while I tapped on my screen and tried not to lose focus.


    <fn7408> Readplete version only at </fn7408>


    He stayed on the other couch for the first few quests, helping from a distance. His voice was calm, his tone matter-of-fact, but there was an ease slowly seeping into the air between us, softening everything like a gentle tide rolling over the sand.


    Eventually, we decided to take on a group quest, one that required both yers to work together in real-time. That¡¯s when he got up and came over, settling beside me on the same couch.


    "I can¡¯t guide you from across the room," he said with a small shrug.


    I just nodded, pretending like my heart wasn¡¯t starting to beat faster at the thought of him being right there. Close enough for me to feel the heat from his body. Close enough that our knees kept brushing now and then.


    The quest was easy enough, but neither of us were really focusing anymore.


    We were talking. Laughing. Bickering over who forgot to nt the magic herbs or missed an opportunity to defeat the tiny invading goblins.


    The longer we yed, the more we spoke.


    And with eachugh that escaped my lips, with each amused nce he threw my way, the tightness in my chest was beginning to loosen. The stiffness from this morning, the tension fromst night, even the heartbreak of Friday... it all was slowly fading into the background.


    At one point, he reached over and poked my screen. "No, you missed the loot chest."


    "Hey!" I red at him, nudging his arm. "I was saving it."


    "For the fairy queen?" He smirked. "You know that thing¡¯s totally bugged, right?"


    "Shut up! She gives extra EXP if you save the final chest."


    "Sure," he said, not sounding convinced in the least. "Let¡¯s test that theory."


    He snatched the phone from my hand.


    "Draven!" I gasped, trying to get it back.


    He held it above his head, looking all smug and teasing.


    "Give it back-!"


    "You are gonna lose-" he sing-songed, taunting me.


    I scrambled to grab it, leaning into him as heughed, blocking me with his arm. And then, with onest sneaky tap, he lost the round for me.


    My jaw dropped. "Draven! That was my streak!"


    "I was just making it fair," he grinned.


    I turned to re at him... only to realize how close we had ended up.


    His arm was still wrapped around me from his yful attack. Our legs were tangled. My chest was rising and falling too fast. And our faces were just inches apart.


    The moment stilled.


    I didn¡¯t hear the game chime in failure. I didn¡¯t care that I lost a quest. I didn¡¯t even notice the phone slipping from my hand andnding on the carpet.


    All I could focus on was him.


    His eyes weren¡¯t teasing anymore. They were locked on mine - serious, intense, and hesitant all at once. That teasing grin slowly faded as something else crept into his expression.


    Something raw.


    Something real.


    And then, with a slow, shaky breath, he leaned forward.


    He moved like a man testing the water - delicate, uncertain, terrified of what he might find on the other side. But he didn¡¯t stop. His lips brushed against mine softly, so softly that it almost wasn¡¯t a kiss.


    Just a touch. A breath. A taste of something we had both been craving.


    Then he pulled back, just an inch, his forehead nearly resting against mine. His eyes searched mine, desperate, pleading, waiting - for rejection... or permission.


    I didn¡¯t even think.


    I just closed the space and kissed him. And this time, there was no hesitation. This time, I needed it.


    His breath hitched in my throat, and then he moved - no longer holding back, no longer tiptoeing around the line we had been too afraid to cross since previous night.


    His lips found mine again, harder now, firmer. He tilted my head with one hand and pulled me closer with the other, and I melted into him like I belonged there.


    Because I <i>did</i> belong there.


    He tasted like caramel and warmth and something purely him, something I had missed so badly it almost ached.


    His hand got tangled in my hair while my fingers curled against his chest. I could feel his heartbeat under my palm, thundering just as wildly as mine.


    We deepened the kiss, his tongue brushing against mine with a slow, sensual confidence that stole every ounce of air from my lungs.


    We weren¡¯t thinking anymore. We weren¡¯t worrying about what we had said, or what hadn¡¯t been said, or what was still hanging between us.


    This was need. Pure and simple.


    He leaned back against the couch and pulled me onto hisp with ease. My legs straddled his, the fabric of my trousers brushing against the rough texture of his. His hands slid to my hips, gripping them tightly, anchoring me against him as our mouths moved in sync - hungry... almost starved.


    I made a bold move and slipped my fingers under the hem of his T-shirt, mapping the ridges of his stomach and feeling the way his muscles tensed under my touch. He let out a quiet groan, one that vibrated against my lips and shot straight through me.


    This was Draven.


    My mate.


    My wolf.


    The boy who walked away... and the one who had just kissed me like I was everything he ever needed.

 Chapter 174: Wanting Him

    <h4>Chapter 174: Wanting Him</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    There was no voice in my head warning me to stop. No whisper of guilt. No lingering hesitation.


    There was just Draven, and the heat of his mouth on mine. There was the way his arms held me, possessive and trembling, like letting go would tear something inside him.


    My body, my soul, and the mate bond that connected us were singing at his touch. Singing. Thriving.


    Every inch of me was feeling more alive than it had... in forever.


    And he must have felt the same, because he kissed me like I was the only thing tethering him to reality. Like he was drowning, and I was the only air he knew.


    His hands were careful as they roamed over me, his each movement lighting fire under my skin. His mouth devoured mine again and again, and I gave myself up to him fully. My body melted against his, and my hand clutched his shoulder, desperate for more of this, more of him.


    We kissed like we were starved. Like we had been dying of thirst and finally found water.


    I barely even realized how long we had been at it... until I gasped, out loud, at the sudden sensation of his hand slipping beneath the hem of my blouse and brushing against the bare skin of my lower back.


    And he froze.


    His lips stopped moving and his body turned still. I heard his breath hitching.


    And just like that, the mood shifted.


    "I-" he started, breathless, his voice was thick with a tangle of emotions. "I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to-shit-I shouldn¡¯t have-"


    He was already starting to move me off hisp. The guilt and panic were flooding his eyes. But before he could have shifted me away, I reached out and cupped his face, stopping him.


    "Wait." My voice was quiet, but steady. Clear.


    His eyes found mine. He was looking stunned, unsure, as though I had said something in a foreignnguage.


    So I repeated it. Slowly this time, because I needed him to hear me.


    "What if... I want this?"


    He blinked.


    Confusion flickered first in his eyes. Then disbelief. He didn¡¯t say a word, just stared like I had knocked all the air out of his lungs. My cheeks turned red, and a part of me screamed to take it back, to soften it. But I didn¡¯t.


    I didn¡¯t want to lie to him, or myself.


    "I mean..." I swallowed, gathering the pieces of my courage and pushing them to the surface. "Not sex. Not... everything. But... more than just kissing. I-I don¡¯t want us to stop yet. I want you."


    The words left my lips before I could filter them. And the moment they did, I wanted to bury my face in his chest and nevere out again. What was I thinking?


    There were so many unspoken things between us still. So many questions unanswered. And here I was, acting like everything was alright.


    But still, even in my embarrassment... I didn¡¯t regret it. At least I had told him the truth.


    He didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t speak, didn¡¯t blink.


    Seconds were passing like hours, and I was beginning to regret my choice as the feeling of dread started wrapping around my spine.


    I was about to climb off him, pretend it never happened, when his hands gripped my waist gently and he tilted my face up with his fingers holding my chin.


    His eyes weren¡¯t angry. Or judgmental. Or even conflicted. Instead, they were... soft. Aching. Deep.


    "I¡¯ll give you whatever you want," he whispered. "Because that¡¯s what mates do, Eva. They give. They care. They... love."


    My heart flipped.


    "But-" his voice cracked slightly. "You need to understand something."


    I nodded slowly, afraid of what he might say.


    "I still don¡¯t know how I feel about the child."


    There. It was out. And it stung... even though I had been expecting it.


    His gaze dropped for a moment. "I¡¯m not saying I won¡¯te around. I¡¯m trying. I want to. But right now, I don¡¯t want to lie to you. I love you. You are my mate. You are my everything. But I¡¯m not ready to ept the baby... not yet."


    His honesty didn¡¯t wound me the way I had been fearing. Because he wasn¡¯t cruel. He wasn¡¯t cold. He was just... normal. Struggling.


    And maybe that was enough for now.


    "I¡¯ll wait," I said softly.


    He looked up sharply.


    "I mean it," I continued. "I know it¡¯s not easy. And I¡¯m not going to push you. You don¡¯t owe me or the baby anything just because you are my mate. You have every right to take your time. To decide what you want."


    He opened his mouth, maybe to argue, but I leaned forward and rested my forehead against his.


    "I¡¯m not asking for a promise you can¡¯t make," I whispered. "I just want... you."


    The sound he made next was more like a groan than a sigh.


    Then he kissed me.


    <fnf130> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on find~novel</fnf130>


    And this time... he didn¡¯t hold back.


    His mouth crashed into mine like a wave - intense, deep, hungry. All the control he had clung to before? It was gone. And in its ce was pure, raw desire.


    He kissed me like I was his entire world.


    His hands started roaming again - this time boldly, possessively. He gripped my hips tighter, pulled me flush against his chest. Our breaths mingled, sharp and uneven.


    He ended the kiss momentster only to trail his lips down my jaw, then to my throat where he kissed, nipped, and left a clear mark that I was going to struggle to hideter.


    I gasped when his teeth grazed that sensitive spot just under my ear.


    "Draven..." I moaned.


    He shuddered at the sound, pressing his lips into the curve of my neck. "You have no idea what you do to me..."


    I clung to him, arching into every touch. His hands slid up beneath my blouse again, and this time, he didn¡¯t stop. He didn¡¯t hesitate. Slowly, his fingers trailed along my waist, my ribcage, and higher until...

 Chapter 175: A Feeling Like Any Other

    <h4>Chapter 175: A Feeling Like Any Other</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    <i>Until...</i>


    I raised my arms.


    He pulled the blouse over my head, tossing it somewhere behind the couch, leaving me in just my ck silk bra.


    His eyes darkened as they roamed over me, slowly, reverently. One hand lifted to brush along the edge of the fabric, then trailed down my bare waist again.


    "You are beautiful," he murmured.


    I blushed, biting my lower lip. I knew I was far from beautiful, at least my body that had been deprived of proper food for years up until recently. Before arriving at the Academy, I was nothing more than a walking skeleton with skin on.


    It was only after I started taking bnced diets,bined with strength training and cardio routines every morning, that I started gaining weight and muscles. But even now I weighed only 99 lbs which was still underweight.


    So, him calling me beautiful barely made much sense. And yet, he was looking at me as if he had never seen a better looking woman ever before.


    As his gaze swept over me, something in me coiled tight. His eyes weren¡¯t just looking at me, they were seeing me. Every curve, every breath, every small tremor in my body as I sat there in nothing but my bra and a thundering heart.


    I had never felt this exposed.


    Never this seen.


    A hot flush crept up my neck and into my cheeks. I turned my face away on instinct, the shyness slithering in despite the heat between us. My fingers clenched softly on the edge of the couch. I wasn¡¯t used to this - being bare under the golden glow of fairy lights, not hidden in shadows.


    Thest, and only, time I had been intimate with someone had been that one night. My eighteenth birthday... with Ethan. But even then, I was drugged before he came to save me, and that suite was shrouded in darkness which barely made me felt seen.


    I barely remembered much of that night, except the power of the mate bond I experienced and how good he made me feel despite the initial pain. But that night¡¯s events were no longer something I wanted to remember.


    So, I was feeling extremely shy and self-aware at the moment. But, at least, I didn¡¯t make a move to cover myself.


    And Draven kept looking at me now like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.


    "Eva," he said, his voice low and hoarse. "Eyes on me, sweetheart."


    My breath caught at the nickname, it was warm and intimate. I lifted my gaze - slow, nervous.


    His lips curved in a soft smile before he lowered his face and brushed a tender kiss to the swell of my breast, just above the fabric. I inhaled sharply as warmth flooded me. Then he lifted one of his hands and gently cupped one of my breasts.


    I gasped again, instinctively tightening my fingers against the cushions.


    His thumb brushed against the peak, slowly, over the fabric, before it began a soft, sensual massage that sent a ripple of heat through my stomach. My lips parted, my breathing in tiny pulls. He didn¡¯t rush. Every movement was deliberate, like he was taking his time to learn me - how I was reacting, where I was trembling, and what was making my breath catch.


    Then, with practiced ease, he leaned back and tugged gently on the waistband of my trousers, pausing just enough to give me time to object.


    I didn¡¯t. Instead, I moved to help him.


    He peeled them off, revealing my flushed skin, and then reached for his own t-shirt. As he pulled it over his head and tossed it aside, my breath caught again.


    Stars.


    He was... breathtaking.


    His chest was all defined lines and ridges, a sculpture of strength and warmth. He had those perfect model abs that made my fingers itch to feel them.


    I shamelessly took my time to drink him in, just like he did with me, and when I finally looked up, I noticed something primal stirring in his eyes. Hunger, yes... but more than that. Reverence. Like he was in awe of me, and maybe even terrified to break the moment.


    We came together again in a tangle of limbs and heat. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back into hisp, our mouths reconnecting like we were made to fit. His hands slid down my sides and around my back, reaching behind me with skilled fingers to unsp the bra.


    I stiffened for a heartbeat, but it melted away the moment his lips left mine and found the sensitive skin at the base of my throat. His hands pulled back the bra straps, slow and careful, like he was unwrapping a gift he had been waiting for. And then...


    I was bare waist up.


    Completely.


    The air kissed my skin, and then he did. His mouth was soft, warm, and open over my breast. His tongue flicked over the hardened bud and I arched, a soft moan escaping me without permission.


    My body was trembling as I drowned in the sensation.


    His other hand found its way to the second peak, circling, teasing, pressing. My hips shifted helplessly on hisp, and I felt the evidence of his arousal pressing against me, hard and hot through his sweats.


    The scent of our bond was thick in the air - spiced, musky, charged.


    And I wanted more. So much more.


    <fn691a> This content belongs to f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn691a>


    His kisses trailed lower, then shifted back up as his hand slid down my waist and over the curve of my hip. I gasped when he found the heat between my legs. My body was already aching, wet, ready.


    He stilled when he felt the wetness through my panty, and lifted his head to look at me. Whatever he saw there must have been answer enough because he leaned in and kissed me again, slow and deep, as if sealing an unspoken promise between us.

 Chapter 176: Game of Pleasure

    <h4>Chapter 176: Game of Pleasure</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    His eyes met mine onest time, asking - no, begging - for silent permission. And when I didn¡¯t stop him, when I just nodded and shifted to give him space, he slowly hooked his fingers into the sides of my panties and pulled them down.


    In that single moment, I was utterly bare to him. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. There was nowhere to hide. Nothing to protect me. And strangely... I didn¡¯t feel afraid. Not with him.


    Not with my mate.


    The air felt thick, charged, and humming with energy. The mate bond between us was ring up like wildfire, curling around me in waves of warmth, tugging at something deep within my soul. I felt like I was glowing, like every nerve ending was alight.


    Once again I watched him taking me in, and I didn¡¯t miss the way his gaze darkened in pure desire, one that he made no effort to hide as he brought his eyes back to mine.


    His fingers grazed the inside of my thighs, slowly, teasingly. And I inhaled sharpy when he came so close to my aching core. But instead of continuing, he stopped and pulled back his hand, leaning forward to once again capture my lips in a searing kiss.


    He then trailed his mouth down my throat to my hardened nipples, giving both buds a fleeting kiss before he continued his exploration south.


    I was inhaling sharply by the time his mouth reached my bellybutton, and just as I was expecting, he didn¡¯t stop there. He lowered himself between my legs with a reverence that made my heart clench. His lips trailed wet kisses all over my inner thighs while I was almost on the edge of losing my sanity because of his teasing.


    He suddenly looked up, and a smirk curved the corners of his lips once he registered the clear desperation in my eyes. He lowered his face again, and this time, his lipsnded right over my wet folds.


    I forgot to breathe when his tongue slipped between my folds and found my aching clit, giving it a hard lick that sent sparks flying throughout my body.


    My hands flew to his hair, and I dug my fingers in his soft strands as pleasure sang through me in sharp, pulsing waves. Every flick of his tongue, every press of his lips, every hum that vibrated against my core... it was too much. It was everything.


    I moaned - his name, maybe, or something close. I wasn¡¯t sure. The bond between us roared, sparking to life in ways I didn¡¯t know were possible. The power it poured into me made my skin feel like fire and silk at once.


    He kept going, giving me no reprieve, no space to think... just feeling of pure pleasure.


    And when the orgasm hit me momentster, it hit like a storm. My back arched, a broken cry escaped my lips, and my entire body pulsed as the pleasure crashed down and shattered me apart. Stars exploded behind my eyes, and I clung to him, breathless and shaking.


    I barely noticed when he kissed my thighs gently, his touch softening. I didn¡¯t even feel embarrassed. Not under his gaze. Not when he looked up at me like I was the center of his world.


    Then he pulled me into his arms and wrapped a soft nket over my naked body, tucking my face against his chest. My ear was pressed to his heartbeat, it was steady and strong, like him. And it lulled me, warmed me, cocooned me.


    I wasn¡¯t even tired... but I still fell asleep in his arms.


    - - -


    When I stirred, it was alreadyte afternoon. Draven¡¯s familiar scent was wrapped around me but he wasn¡¯t there.


    My body was aching in the best way, but I was no longer on the couch. Instead, I found myself in bed. Stillpletely naked.


    I sat up slowly, clutching the nket around myself, confused butforted by the neatness of the space and the soft pillow under my head. Draven had moved me... gently, carefully.


    And yet... he was nowhere in sight.


    I scanned the room, and immediately realized my clothes weren¡¯t there. Feeling awkward and unsure, I tiptoed to the bedroom door and cracked it open just enough to peek out.


    "Draven?" I whispered, my voice stillced with sleep.


    He was there instantly, like he had been waiting. But when his eyesnded on me, peeking out in nothing but a nket, he stopped just outside the door, his brows raising.


    "Clothes," I said, blinking up at him.


    Something in his expression shifted - amusement, maybe, or affection. "Top drawer of my dresser," he said, pointing behind me. "Grab a shirt and some shorts. They¡¯ll be morefortable than your trousers for now."


    I nodded quickly, closed the door, and turned to the dresser.


    Wearing his clothes felt... weirdly intimate. And wonderful.


    I chose a in white shirt that smelled of a really nice detergent and something uniquely <i>him.</i> The shorts were soft cotton and hung low on my hips. The shirt was too big, it covered me to mid-thigh but I didn¡¯t care. I felt safe. Warm.


    Cherished.


    When I stepped out of the room, my heart was fluttering. I followed the smell of fresh-cut fruits to the kitchen and found him there.


    He was barefoot and still shirtless - something I didn¡¯t notice when I called him just now. He was slicing strawberries with practiced ease with his back to me.


    "Hey," I murmured softly.


    He turned, and for a moment - just one long heartbeat - he didn¡¯t say a word. He just... looked.


    At me. In his clothes.


    <fn1e10> Get full chapters from F¦Énd£Îovel</fn1e10>


    Something shed through his gaze. Possessiveness. Heat. Awe.


    The next thing I knew, he was crossing the space between us. In a few strides, I was in his arms, lifted effortlessly, and my legs wrapping around his waist.


    "Draven-" I started, stunned.


    But then his mouth was on mine and I forgot everything else.


    The kiss was different now - still hungry, but slower. Softer. A little sweeter. His hands gripped my thighs as he set me gently on the kitchen ind, never breaking contact. My fingers threaded into his hair as I kissed him back with everything I had.


    I was still breathless when we finally parted and he pressed his forehead against mine.


    "You are dangerous in my clothes," he murmured, his voice low and rough.


    I flushed, but there was no stopping the smile that tugged at my lips. "You told me to wear them."


    "Mistake," he whispered, brushing his nose against mine. "Now I want to take them off."


    I smiled and watched as he finally pulled away. He helped me down before grabbing the fruit ter he had prepared.


    "Let¡¯s go. I got us some really nice fruits to enjoy while we wait for Oscar¡¯s arrival."

 Chapter 177: Her Shameless Mate

    <h4>Chapter 177: Her Shameless Mate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The Academy gates loomed in front of us, their towering iron bars now softly lit by the golden haze of the setting sun.


    Oscar brought the car to a gentle stop, parking beneath the shadow of the old sycamore trees that were lining the outer wall. The silence in the area was almost uncanny. No students, no staff, no movement, just the quiet rustling of leaves and the distant call of an evening bird.


    It was Tuesday, and we all know how weekdays worked here. No one was allowed to leave campus, not without express permission. Most students would be in the dorms, study halls, or grabbing early dinner in the dining hall by now. The path ahead, stretching from the gates to the administrative building, waspletely empty.


    I exhaled quietly and turned to Oscar, unclipping my seatbelt. "Thanks for the ride," I said. "And for... everything else. For taking care of me."


    He didn¡¯t say anything right away, but the way his emerald eyes settled on me with a mixture of warmth and mischief should have warned me.


    I reached for the door handle, ready to slip out quickly and quietly-


    "That was the most insincere thank you I have ever heard," he said tly.


    I blinked. "Excuse me?"


    He tilted his head, smirking as he leaned backzily in his seat. "Don¡¯t ¡¯excuse me¡¯ me. You are brushing me off like I just loaned you a pen, not... carried you through a whole pregnancy check-up and dropped you off after a night full of doting and emotionalbor."


    I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head at the theatrical way he phrased it. "Okay, fine. How do you want me to thank you then?"


    Without missing a beat, he turned his face and tapped his cheek with a finger. "A kiss. Right here."


    I raised a brow, my smile turning sly. "You are serious?"


    "Deadly," he said.


    I leaned toward him, already ying along when-


    "And don¡¯t worry," he added with a devilish grin, "I¡¯m not too heartbroken that you might not want to kiss me now that Draven has satisfied you thoroughly all day."


    I froze halfway, my breath catching in my throat. "W-What?"


    He didn¡¯t look the least bit apologetic. In fact, he looked immensely pleased with himself as he turned to look at me fully.


    "You heard me," he said, his voice casual, teasing. "It¡¯s okay. I get it. You two had your fun. I mean, it was very obvious from the way I felt that emotion spike."


    I felt like my soul left my body.


    "H-How do you know that?" I managed to squeak, my face undoubtedly resembling a tomato.


    "You really forgot?" He chuckled. "We epted our bond, Eva. Verbally. That was enough to open an emotional link between us. Not as strong as being marked or mated, but enough. And emotions, especially intense ones, tend to leak through."


    Pleasure. He felt my pleasure through the bond.


    The realization had my hands flying to my cheeks. I buried my face in them with a soft groan. "This is mortifying."


    Heughed outright now. "Hey, don¡¯t feel bad. Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect to be so... okay with it."


    That had me dropping my hands and looking up. "You are not bothered?"


    He shook his head slowly. "Surprisingly, no. I¡¯m actually... d. d that Draven took good care of you. That you got to feel that close to him. That you both had that time."


    My chest squeezed at the raw honesty in his voice. I hadn¡¯t expected this reaction. Not from a possessive, high-ranking Alpha. Not from a mate.


    He tilted his head again and added with a sly grin, "The only part that made me slightly jealous was knowing it wasn¡¯t me making you feel that good."


    I gawked at him, torn betweenughing and crawling under the seat.


    He leaned in again, turning his cheek to me once more. "Now, are you going to reward me properly this time?"


    I rolled my eyes fondly and leaned in again. But just as I pressed my lips toward his cheek... he turned.


    And our lips met.


    <fnac1a> Checktest chapters at fin?novel</fnac1a>


    It wasn¡¯t deep. It wasn¡¯t urgent. It was sweet, unexpected, and soft. My eyes fluttered shut instinctively, my heart lurching in my chest as our lips moved gently in sync. I felt the warmth of his palm resting against my jaw, cradling me as if I were something fragile.


    I pulled away first, breathless.


    He didn¡¯t chase the kiss. He just smiled - that slow, smug smile of his. "Much better," he whispered.


    "You tricked me," I said, giving him an using look.


    "You loved it."


    I couldn¡¯t argue.


    I looked away. My hand returned to the door again, but this time I paused.


    "I¡¯m really d it was you," I said softly. "That you were the one with me through all of this."


    He didn¡¯t tease this time. "Me too."


    With onest lingering nce, I stepped out of the car with his jacket wrapped around my shoulders and his scent clinging to my skin along with Draven¡¯s.


    And even though I was walking alone toward the Academy gates, I didn¡¯t feel alone at all.


    The cold evening air nipped at my cheeks as I silently slipped inside. There was only one warrior stationed there and he didn¡¯t even blink as he saw me entering. I didn¡¯t have to wonder who was behind all this.


    I nced back once.


    Oscar¡¯s car was still there, headlights off, his silhouette just visible through the windshield. He was watching me, I knew it. I gave him a small wave, and the sh of his hand in return made me smile.


    Pulling the jacket tighter, I headed toward the dorms. The path was empty, the Academy quiet except for the crunch of my shoes on gravel. It felt strangeing back to all this... normal. The dorm rooms, the study halls, the Academy life - so unchanged while so much had changed for me.


    I was tangled in a world of emotions and bonds, and yet, for the first time in days... I didn¡¯t feel lost.

 Chapter 178: Elder Sister, Little Brother

    <h4>Chapter 178: Elder Sister, Little Brother</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had barely stepped into the hallway when the air around me shifted, just enough to send a shiver down my spine.


    I didn¡¯t need to look to know who had just entered the building behind me. The smell of expensive perfume mixed with overconfidence was a dead giveaway.


    "Look who finally decided to show up," Nadine¡¯s voice rang out, smug and sweet with just enough venom to cut skin. "Heard you passed out like a delicate little flower."


    Beside her, Bianca and Violet snickered.


    "Poor thing," Bianca drawled. "Spends one night unconscious and now suddenly too frail to take the stairs like the rest of us."


    "Guess being a genius doesn¡¯t save you from being wolfless," Violet added in her high and mocking voice. "So much for top scores when your body can¡¯t even carry your own weight."


    Theyughed as if it was the funniest thing in the world. I arrived at the elevator and pressed the button, ignoring them. I didn¡¯t have the energy - not for their taunts, not for their attempts to get under my skin.


    "Silent treatment?" Nadine sniffed. "Careful, Evaline. You may think you are special now, but the second term focuses on strength and physical testing. I doubt the professors will care how well you score on paper if you copse halfway through a sparring match."


    The elevator dinged as the door opened, and I stepped in without a word. As the door was closing, I heard one of them scoff behind me, followed by a sarcastic "Princess can¡¯t be bothered."


    I took a breath and exhaled slowly as the elevator took me to my floor. Stepping out, I walked down the hallway.


    Once at my dorm door, I entered the security code and pushed it open, stepping into the warm glow and sudden loud chatter of familiar voices.


    "Eva!"


    The room felt like it shifted, like it breathed, and then all five of them were on their feet.


    Selene got to me first, throwing her arms around me. "You scared the hell out of us!"


    "Are you okay now?" Ria asked, hugging me right after.


    Noah offered a side-hug that came with a quiet, "d to see you upright again."


    And Kyros, he wrapped me up in a warm, bear hug. "We have got <i>so</i> much to talk about," he whispered near my ear, and I followed his gaze as he subtly nodded at the jacket around my shoulders.


    He¡¯s the only one who noticed. And that¡¯s because he was the only one in the room who now knew parts of my secrets.


    Once he stepped aside, I found Mallory standing a step away with her arms tucked close to her chest, looking uncertain. Her eyes were shimmering like she wanted to cry or shout, but she didn¡¯t move.


    So I did.


    I closed the gap between us and wrapped my arms around her. Her hesitation shattered immediately, and she hugged me back just as tightly.


    We hugged for the longest, and when we finally pulled apart, we both had genuine smiles on our faces.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I said quietly to them all. "For making you worry. I promise, I won¡¯t let it happen again."


    "No kidding," Selene muttered, half-scolding, half-relieved.


    Noah opened his mouth, and I could already tell he was about to ask what had actually happened, but before he could speak a word, Kyros said instead, "You were in the infirmary the whole time. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a kind of experience in its own, right?"


    I blinked, staring at him while he keptbhis calm gaze fixed on me. "Yeah... right. It indeed was - one I¡¯m not looking forward to experience anytime soon again."


    The others chuckled while Kyros gave me an almost unnoticeable nod of approval.


    This answered everything I needed to know. It seemed like no one knew I got admitted to a hospital, instead, they all believed that I had been in the infirmary all this time.


    I didn¡¯t have to wonder too much about who might behind all this - Kieran. Only he had such kind of authority over the Academy to involve the infirmary and the healers in such kind of lie.


    I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard Mallory speaking next. "They wouldn¡¯t let us see you. Said you needed total rest and weren¡¯t allowed visitors."


    "I¡¯m really sorry, Mal," I said again. "But you guys didn¡¯t miss out on anything. I was busy sleeping most of the time."


    They all chuckled and we all settled down into thefort of ourmon room. For a moment, I just sat there watching them - my friends, my found family - and felt a warmth bloom in my chest. Despite the chaos, despite everything I was keeping from them, they were here. They cared.


    As dinner time approached, we all bundled up and left for the dining hall together. I let myself blend into the conversation,ughing at Noah¡¯s sarcasm and Ria¡¯sints about assignments.


    On our way down, I turned slightly toward Kyros. "Any idea about where Rowan might be?"


    He shrugged. "Nope. He¡¯s been missing since after sses. Thought he would be with you."


    I pulled out my phone. I hadn¡¯t checked it since entering the dorm, and I was surprised to see an unreadable message waiting for me... from Rowan.


    <i>Heading out of the Academy for the evening. Will be back around midnight. Have a good dinner.</i>


    A smile crept onto my face without permission.


    He had told me. Like a little brother reporting to his big sister.


    I was sure he would hate being called the "little" one. He always acted older than most of us, more reliable. Maybe we should sort it out properly. Birthdays and all. He deserved that much. But I liked the idea of being the elder Sister.


    I slipped my phone away and followed the others inside the dining hall. Mallory caught me smiling and bumped her shoulder lightly into mine.


    "What?" she asked.


    "Nothing," I said, warmth blooming in my chest again.


    Nothing... and everything.


    Because even in the madness, the pain, and the secrets... I had people. I had bonds - the ones I was creating myself and the ones given to me by the Moon Goddess.


    And despite everything that still needed to be faced, tonight... I had peace.<fncd69> Chapters first released on f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fncd69>

 Chapter 179: The Girls Talk

    <h4>Chapter 179: The Girls Talk</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    After dinner, we all parted ways with softughter and tired goodbyes.


    It had been a long day, and though I spent most of it in thefort of Draven¡¯s safe house, returning to the Academy, to the bustle of friendships and familiar ces, had tired me in a different way - emotionally more than physically.


    "Good night, you two," Noah called with a wink before he disappeared inside his dorm. Kyros waved at us before he followed next. Selene had already parted with us on the previous floor.


    The remaining three of us girls entered in our dorm and Ria took her leave first as she had to call her parents.


    "Sleep well, Eva" she said as she unlocked the door to her room.


    "You too," I smiled back.


    As soon as she was gone, I nced at Mallory. "Come with me," I said softly, and without waiting for a reply, I tugged her toward my bedroom.


    "Is this finally going to be the much-awaited girls talk?" she teased as she followed behind.


    Once we were inside, I sat cross-legged on my bed and patted the spot beside me. She plopped down with a pillow hugged to her chest, one brow raised in curiosity.


    "So," she said, drawing the word out. "How are you actually feeling now?"


    "I¡¯m fine," I said honestly as a soft smile tugged at my lips. "No, better than fine. I think... I¡¯m doing better than I have been in a long time."


    My tone must have given something away, because her eyebrows shot up in suspicion. "That was a very loaded answer. Spill. All of it. Don¡¯t you dare hold back."


    Iughed, chewing on my bottom lip as I debated where to even begin. "Alright. So... I found my mates."


    She blinked.


    Then she gasped.


    "Mates? You mean mate - wait. Plural?" Her eyes widened, and she leaned in, staring at me like I had just said the sky was green and gravity stopped working. "Eva. Eva. Did you just say mates as in... more than one?!"


    I nodded, trying to hide my amusement at her reaction. "Yeah. Two."


    She looked like she was about to faint.


    She stared at me, blinking rapidly, opening and closing her mouth like she wanted to say something but just... couldn¡¯t.


    "I... How... Who?" she finally managed, breathless.


    I hesitated for a moment, not because I didn¡¯t want to tell her, but because I knew how big the reveal was going to be. These weren¡¯t just any two guys. They were Oscar and Draven Thorne - names that carried their own weight, fame, and power.


    "You know them both," I started, watching her intently. "Oscar Thorne... and Draven Thorne."


    Dead. Silence.


    Mallory¡¯s entire body froze.


    Her jaw dropped open and stayed that way for a solid ten seconds before she finally blinked, shook her head like she was trying to reboot her brain, and gaped at me.


    "You are joking."


    "I¡¯m really not."


    "You are mated to two of <i>the</i> Thorne brothers? Oscar and Draven? THE Rogue Alphas?!" Her voice was a whisper-shriek, like her brain couldn¡¯t decide whether to shout or be silent for national security reasons.


    I gave her a sheepish smile. "Yes."


    She still couldn¡¯t speak. So, while she sat there, trying to process everything, I took a deep breath and began telling her everything.


    I told her about how I felt the mate bond with Oscar first, then with Draven. How both of them initially reacted poorly - how cold they were, how indifferent and unweing. I exined how I was so unsure of where I stood that I never told either of them that I was bonded to both.


    I told her how, slowly, things shifted. The walls cracked. They saw me and I started seeing them for who they really were.


    "And then things started getting serious," I continued softly. "They were ready to ept me, both of them. And I... I decided toe clean. I told them the truthst Friday."


    She was listening in silence, wide-eyed andpletely absorbed.


    I told her mostly the truth, just kept my pregnancy a secret as I wasn¡¯t ready to reveal that to anyone except for the ones who already knew.


    Fully, her eyes softened and something clicked in her mind. "That¡¯s why..." she trailed off, then suddenly sat straighter. "That¡¯s why you reacted the way you did when I told you about Oscar and Jasmine Bills!"


    I nodded slowly. "Yeah."


    "I¡¯m so sorry," she whispered, guilt clouding her features.


    I shook my head, reaching out and taking her hand. "Don¡¯t be. You didn¡¯t know. I never told you. You weren¡¯t wrong to share something you thought I should know."


    She squeezed my hand, a hint of relief crossing her expression.


    "So... now things are okay?" she asked hesitantly. "Between you and them?"


    I smiled, thinking of Draven¡¯s embrace, of Oscar¡¯s yful jealousy, of the gentle way they both touched me, held me, protected me.


    "They are better," I said. "Not perfect. Draven still hasn¡¯tpletely epted the matter. But he¡¯s trying. And Oscar¡¯s been... incredible. Honestly, I still can¡¯t believe that things are finally settling in. I wanst expecting them to return to me this quickly after they left on Friday."


    Mallory kept looking at me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a grin bloomed across her face. "This is insane. And amazing. And... so hot."


    <fn9d4c> This update is avable on f?ndnovel</fn9d4c>


    I burst outughing. "Only you would say that."


    "Excuse me," she said, flipping her short hair. "You are dating - no, mated to - two of the hottest and most powerful werewolves in existence. And I¡¯m your best friend. I get bragging rights."


    Iughed again, the sound lifting some of the weight from my chest.


    We stayed up for hours after that, talking, whispering secrets, giggling about things that had once made me cry.


    With Mallory¡¯s experience as recently finding her own mate, we had a lot to talk about and share. And we did just that until... we both ended up falling asleep in my bed, snuggled up like besties did.

 Chapter 180: Winter Is Here

    <h4>Chapter 180: Winter Is Here</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Wednesday morning arrived draped in a curtain of icy mist. The chill was sharper than the days before.


    My breath fogged up the balcony door as I stared outside, watching the frost etch delicate patterns onto the ss. Winter was no longer just approaching, it had arrived.


    Silver Moon was also beginning to transform with the changing season. Long gone the colors of autumn, and now, everyone was beginning to appear in thick and warmer clothes.


    Cold drinks had been reced by warm ones, fireces were glowing inmon rooms, and snow was in the air - figuratively for now, but literally any day. Everyone was counting down to three things: the first snowfall, Christmas, and perhaps the most anticipated of them all - the Winter Solstice Ball.


    I heard people talk about it in the hallways, in the dining room, in the study halls, and even in the most peaceful ce - the library. There were whispers of dresses, who was escorting whom, which Alpha¡¯s family would be in attendance, and what connections could be made.


    The Winter Solstice Ball wasn¡¯t just some dance, it was a royal event in our world. Attended by the Council, Alphas from across the globe, their Lunas, their Betas, their heirs, and few selected others who were lucky enough.


    It was a dream for many. A chance to mingle with the elite, to dress like royalty, to be seen.


    But me?


    I didn¡¯t care.


    I was a nobody now, and even when I was a Greystone, I never attended these balls or gatherings where politics mattered more than feelings. A ce where someone like me - a wolfless nobody - would be nothing more than a target for judgmental stares and hushed whispers.


    So instead, I focused on what mattered - catching up on my sses.


    The days passed in a quiet, productive rhythm. I dove headfirst into study materials,piling notes, submitting assignments, and prepping for the uing wave of tests.


    Almost every day, I ended up at the library.


    It had always been my safe space. A ce I could escape to when everything else felt overwhelming. It was the same now... only better.


    Because he was there.


    Draven.


    He had returned to his volunteer duties at the library and, just like before, he always found time to slip away from the front desk and join me at my secluded table on the second floor - one tucked away near therge windows where I liked to study. Sometimes he would only stay for a minute or two, sometimes longer if no one was on the floor. And almost always, he brought me something.


    <fnef53> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n F?nd-Novel</fnef53>


    Fruits. A bottle of milk. Warm herbal tea. asionally juice. They were always paired with a soft word and a brief touch.


    He never said anything dramatic. He didn¡¯t need to. His every little gesture spoke louder than words.


    Each time I saw him enter the library, a part of me rxed. My world felt steadier.


    Oscar, on the other hand, was drowning in work. The trials for the senior sses were in full swing and he barely had any free time. But despite his hectic schedule, he never missed a night.


    He called me without fail - sometimes before dinner, sometimeste in the night when he could barely keep his eyes open. He always asked how I was feeling, how the baby was doing, what I ate, and whether I missed him.


    I always said yes.


    And he promised toe see me on the weekend.


    Everything was back to normal, peaceful in my life. No, actually perfect.


    As the week went on, the weather dipped further. The balcony door remained fogged most mornings, and ourmon room was beginning to smell perpetually like cinnamon and hot cocoa.


    The entire campus buzzed with pre-holiday excitement. ns were being made, gift lists were being exchanged, and all the talk of snowfall had everyone in high spirits.


    That was when I realized something crucial - I didn¡¯t have anything suitable for the cold weather.


    My wardrobe was woefully underprepared for the harsh winter that wasing, and with my pregnancy,fort was bing even more important.


    "I need to go shopping," I muttered to myself friday morning, tugging at my academy zer.


    Saturday would be the perfect day. After my working hours at the Council headquarters, I could drag Mallory along and pick up some warm clothes. And maybe start looking for Christmas gifts for my friends. For Oscar. For Draven.


    The idea made my chest warm.


    I already knew I wanted the gifts to be personal - something handmade or thoughtful, not something expensive or grand. But I¡¯d need time to n and prepare.


    Saturday morning arrived faster than I expected. The dorm was chilly even with the heater on. I was heading out in my simple full-sleeve top and trousers when Mallory caught me and gave me one of her sweaters.


    I thanked her and quickly headed out as I was gettingte. When I arrived at the Academy gates, the familiar car was waiting there.


    "Good morning," Mr. Wood said as he opened the back door of the car for me and I quickly slipped inside.


    "Morning, Mr. Wood. Hopefully, I didn¡¯t make you wait for too long." I said with a smile as he slipped into the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Not at all, Miss Evaline." He replied kindly and started the engine.


    When I arrived at the headquarters, the sun was finally beginning to show itself but the sunlight was too weak to confront the morning chill.


    There was no sign of River in the office, so I just began my work by going through previous week¡¯s reports - the ones I failed miserably to do properly. But even as the lunch hour arrived, River hadn¡¯t shown up and neither I got any message or call from his secretary.


    This was actually a good thing. Who knew if he would have made me do overtime. Then I wouldn¡¯t have been able to continue with my shopping n. But now, as he hadn¡¯t shown up, I didn¡¯t need to worry about my n getting canceled.


    Only if I knew...!

 Chapter 181: Change In Plan

    <h4>Chapter 181: Change In n</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The second the clock on the wall struck two, I reached for my phone and hit the call icon beside Mallory¡¯s name. She picked up on the second ring, her voiceced with surprise.


    "Eva? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be working right now?"


    I smiled at the sound of her voice. "I am... or I was. But River¡¯s nowhere to be seen, and I haven¡¯t been assigned any new files, so I figured I would take the chance to breathe a little. And maybe make ns."


    She gasped dramatically. "Wait - your boss hasn¡¯t shown up at all?"


    "Nope," I replied, popping the ¡¯p.¡¯


    "That exins the sudden free time," she chuckled. "So what¡¯s the n? You sound like you are up to something."


    "Well," I leaned back in my seat, letting my voice grow just a little yful, "I was thinking... I need to go shopping. It¡¯s getting way too cold, and I have exactly zero winter-friendly clothes. But I¡¯m still not super familiar with the towns or where to shop. So, I was wondering... would youe with me this evening? Be my shopping guide?"


    She squealed. "Absolutely! You don¡¯t even have to ask twice."


    I chuckled. "You sure? You might regret it halfway through."


    "Never," she replied, her tone softening. "You and I have never gone out together, just the two of us. After over three months of friendship, I think it¡¯s high time we fix that."


    Warmth bloomed in my chest. She was right. For all the things we had been through - sses, assignments,te-night study sessions, even surviving mate drama - we hadn¡¯t just... hung out. It was long overdue.


    "Then it¡¯s a date," I smiled. "I¡¯ll text you when I¡¯m done here. Let¡¯s meet in Lakeshire."


    <fn1953> This text is hosted at find{n}ovel</fn1953>


    "Yup! Can¡¯t wait!" she chirped before hanging up.


    I was barely five minutes back into reviewing documents when my phone buzzed with a new message.


    <strong>Mallory:</strong><i>Girl, your man is too much TT</i>


    I blinked at the screen, my brows knitting in confusion. My man? What the hell?


    Before I could even formte a response or call her back, another message popped up, this one was from Oscar.


    <strong>Oscar</strong>: <i>I¡¯ll pick you up from the headquarters at six. Your friend is too busy to apany you, so I¡¯ll be the recement.</i>


    I stared at my phone.


    What just happened?


    I quickly dialed Mallory¡¯s number, and she picked up with augh before I could even speak.


    "You are not going to believe what happened," she said, clearly still caught between exasperation and amusement.


    "Try me," I said,pletely dumbfounded.


    "So," she began, dragging the word with dramatic ir, "I was actually walking down the west wing corridor when I picked up your call. Unbeknownst to me, Oscar was just around the corner. He must have heard everything."


    "Really...?"


    "Oh yes," she continued. "And the second our call ended, bam! He showed up. Walked right up to me and - politely, might I add - asked me about your shopping ns. And then, right there, he told me to find something else to do tonight because he would be the one taking you out."


    I groaned. "Did he at least ask nicely?"


    "He was very polite," Mallory admitted, "but you know when someone¡¯s being polite but also very clearly issuing a warning? Like ¡¯step aside, I got this.¡¯ Yeah, it was that vibe."


    I buried my face in my hands. "I¡¯m so sorry-"


    "No, no, don¡¯t even!" Sheughed. "I was about to put up a mock fight when guess what?"


    "What?"


    "Jasper messaged me!" she squealed. "He wants to go on a date tonight. So, I¡¯ll be busy with Dinner. Walk. Cuddles."


    The shift in her voice from yful outrage to pure glee made meugh. "So you are saying you have already moved on from being mad at Oscar?"


    "Girl, I don¡¯t even remember what I was mad about anymore," she giggled. "Go, enjoy your evening with your possessive, overbearing, annoyingly hot mate. I¡¯m going to focus on mine."


    I shook my head, still smiling. I had a feeling that Oscar might have something to do with Jasper¡¯s n. I wasn¡¯t saying that Jasper wouldn¡¯t be making ns to spend the evening with his mate, it¡¯s just the timing of his message was too much to be just a mere coincidence.


    After ending the call, I sent a quick message to Mr. Wood letting him know he didn¡¯t need toe pick me up this evening. Then I dove back into work, determined to finish everything before six.


    Time flew faster than I expected.


    As the clock ticked closer to six, I wrapped up my work and headed to the washroom on the third floor. One of the biggest things I had learned from myst unexpected date night with Draven was to always carry essentials in my bag. Just in case.


    I washed my face and pat it dry before applying a softyer of moisturizer. Then I added a touch of blush, a thin coat of mascara, and a subtleyer of brown lip glosster. And I was finally feeling fresh again.


    My hair had been in a bun all day, but I opened it now,bed through the soft waves with my fingers, and pulled it into a loose side braid. A few strands were fanning across my face, softening the look. I reached into my bag and pulled out the only essories I had on me - Draven¡¯s charm bracelet and a simple pair of gold earrings that used to belong to my mother - and slipped both on.


    I fixed my clothes and took onest look at myself in the mirror before heading out of the washroom.


    My heart was beating a little too fast by the time I stepped out of the building and spotted Oscar¡¯s car waiting at the very back of the parking lot, near the back exit.


    I exhaled slowly, walking up to the car. I was just reaching for the handle of the passenger door when, to my surprise, the back door opened.


    And then... a hand shot out from inside the car and grabbed mine.


    I gasped, startled, but before I could react, I was pulled gently - yet firmly - into the back seat.

 Chapter 182: Going To a Human City

    <h4>Chapter 182: Going To a Human City</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I would have screamed.


    Truly, I would have let out the loudest, most startled scream of my life if not for the sheer shock that struck me dumb as I was pulled into the backseat of the car.


    The door had barely closed when I found myself wrapped in a familiar, solid warmth that sent an electric jolt through me.


    "Draven?" I whispered.


    His arms tightened around me, and when I looked up, I found him beaming like a fool. Mischievous and proud and just a little bit smug. That familiar twinkle was back in his beautiful eyes.


    "What is happening?" I began to ask, still half caught between surprise and amusement, but I barely got the words out before Oscar¡¯s voice rang from the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Do you two think I¡¯m your chauffeur or something?"


    My jaw dropped open as I leaned sideways to peek past the seat. "Wait - you both nned this?"


    <fn093f> This update is avable on FindN()vel</fn093f>


    Draven chuckled lowly and, with no shame at all, pulled me closer to him like I was his favorite pillow.


    "Drive," he addedzily to Oscar, waving a hand like a king on a throne. "Before someone sees us."


    Oscar huffed, but I saw the smile tugging at his lips in the rearview mirror as he restarted the car and pulled out of the lot. We drove in silence for a few minutes, but my brain was a chaotic swirl of questions and confusion.


    Finally, I found my voice.


    "Okay. Seriously. What¡¯s going on?"


    Draven leaned back slightly, angling his face down so he could study mine. "What, you are really not happy to see me?" His tone was yfully hurt. "Were you nning to spend the whole evening alone with my brother, hmm?"


    His bottom lip jutted out just a tiny bit in mock sulk.


    I blinked. "What? No! I mean - of course I¡¯m happy to see you. I was just surprised, that¡¯s all. I didn¡¯t expect both of you. I thought it would just be me and Mallory, then just Oscar, and now... both of you."


    A wide smile tugged at his lips. "Good. Because now it¡¯s all three of us."


    Just then, Oscar slowed the car and steered it to the side of the empty road. I furrowed my brows. "Is something wrong?"


    He didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he unbuckled his seatbelt, twisted in his seat, and leaned over the middle console. Before I could say another word, he reached out, curled a hand around the back of my neck, and pulled me forward.


    And then... he kissed me.


    His lips were soft but demanding, full of teasing warmth and just enough heat to make me forget every coherent thought I had in thest five minutes.


    When he pulled away, I blinked at him, stunned.


    He just smirked before leaning back into his seat and clicking his seatbelt back in ce. "I needed some motivation for the two-hour drive," he said casually, like he hadn¡¯t just stolen my breath and melted my spine.


    And beside me, Draven was looking utterly betrayed.


    His hand was still holding mine, but his expression was now narrowed, and when their eyes met in the rearview mirror, Oscar just gave him azy shrug.


    "Next time, move faster," Oscar said.


    It was the mention of the drive that finally pulled me back into full awareness. "Wait, two hours?!" I stared at them, wide-eyed. "Where are we going?"


    Draven chuckled as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "Oscar had this brilliant idea to take you shopping in a human city. Somewhere far enough from shifter territory that we don¡¯t have to worry about anyone recognizing us."


    "Are you serious?" I asked, blinking between the two of them.


    Oscar nodded. "We wanted it to be... rxed. No hiding. No stress. Just us and you. So we figured a city where we don¡¯t have to look over our shoulders was a better bet."


    I opened my mouth to argue about how long the drive was or how unnecessary this all seemed, but the gentle press of Draven¡¯s thumb against my knuckles and Oscar¡¯s brief nce in the mirror calmed me down.


    "We have enough time," Draven assured me. "We¡¯ll shop, have dinner, and be back before midnight. Promise."


    There was something in the way he said it - steady, certain, and kind - that made me nod. "Okay," I said softly. "Okay. Let¡¯s go."


    The car fell into a quiet rhythm after that, and I allowed myself to finally rx.


    Draven once again wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me against him, letting me lean against his chest as we drove on. The steady thump of his heart wasforting, grounding me more than words ever could.


    Surprisingly, the long drive turned out to be exactly what we needed. Somewhere between the winding roads and flickering sunset, the three of us started to talk.


    "Favorite season?" Oscar asked randomly.


    "Spring," I answered instantly.


    "Figures," he muttered. "You have spring energy."


    Dravenughed. "She does. All softness and warmth."


    I tilted my head. "And yours?"


    "Winter," Draven said. "Everything¡¯s quiet. Peaceful. It feels like the world pauses."


    Oscar nodded. "Autumn for me. Something about the fading heat and the early chill makes me feel... alive."


    We moved on to favorite foods, worst fears, childhood nicknames, guilty pleasures, most embarrassing moments.


    Oscar confessed that he once broke the roof of the training hall while showing off in front of River when he was seventeen.


    Draven admitted he used to secretly sketch in a hidden notebook, but stopped when someone found it and made fun of him.


    I shared how I once climbed a tree just to avoid talking to my stepsiblings, and ended up stuck there for nearly three hours until my father found me. I didn¡¯t share what happened after that. They didn¡¯t need to know that. No one did.


    There wasughter, quiet pauses, teasing jabs, and soft confessions.


    I nced out the window just as the first signboard for the city glowed under the streemps. The skyline was twinkling in the distance, weing us with lights and possibilities.


    I smiled, leaning closer into Draven¡¯s chest, feeling Oscar¡¯s calm presence up front, and whispered a silent promise to myself.


    No matter how twisted fate got, I would hold on to moments like this. Because this rare, perfect feeling was mine.

 Chapter 183: Shopping With Alphas

    <h4>Chapter 183: Shopping With Alphas</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The streets were decked with twinkling lights. Store windows were dressed in gands and festive charm. Holiday spirit was in the air, and I felt like a wide-eyed tourist - excited, overwhelmed, and oddly content.


    Our first stop was a boutique nestled between a bakery and a home decor store. Its window was showcasing mannequins draped in cozy winter outfits: oversized sweaters, long woolen coats, ankle boots, and scarves in every texture imaginable. It was looking exactly like the kind of ce I had been hoping to find.


    The moment we stepped inside, I had no time to speak.


    Both Oscar and Draven switched into their "mate mode."


    "Winter clothes. All styles. Neutral colors and pastels. Show us what you have got," Oscar instructed the boutique attendant in a polite yet firm tone.


    "And nothing too tight," Draven added quickly, ncing at me from the side. "She¡¯s going to needfortable fits. Nothing restrictive. Think breathable, soft, and warm."


    The boutique attendant blinked but nodded. She was looking a little star-struck, probably wondering how two ridiculously attractive men were fussing over me like I was royalty.


    And I... well, I let them. Because for once, it felt nice.


    They kept ncing at me as they spoke with the staff, asking for my input on colors, fabrics, even sleeve lengths. It was adorable, really - how they made sure to include me without overwhelming me. I barely had to lift a finger, and somehow, they still made it feel like I was part of every choice.


    Racks of clothes were rolled toward us. zers, knit sweaters, oversized sweatshirts, flowing dresses, long coats, leggings, and loose-fitting trousers - all in winter-appropriate fabrics.


    And what surprised me the most?


    Every single item they picked was thoughtful.


    They weren¡¯t just pretty or trendy. Not just ¡¯this would look hot on her¡¯ type of picks. They were warm. Comfortable. Practical. The kind of clothes I could wear to the Council HQ or in my daily life without fidgeting. Longline sweaters with soft cors that didn¡¯t choke me. Dresses that were both elegant and forgiving. Trousers with stic bands I hadn¡¯t even considered I would need in a few months.


    I found myself smiling.


    They didn¡¯t just see me as their mate. But they saw me as someone who needed care. Someone who would change and grow, and who deserved clothes that changed and grew with her.


    I tried on the clothes in a surprisingly spacious changing room while the boutique assistants fluttered about like helpful fairies. I woulde out each time to find the two of them sitting like kings - Draven cross-legged and Oscar leaning back, both looking up with full attention like nothing else mattered.


    Draven always offered an opinion first, often with some teasing. "That coat makes you look like a mysterious CEO. I approve."


    Oscar was gentler, a hand to his chin, thoughtful. "You look beautiful... but maybe try the blue one next?"


    They kept the trying-on process easy and light. If I even looked mildly tired, they would tell me to sit and offer me water.


    Once the clothes were decided, they whisked us over to the shoe section. I chose a pair of warm ankle boots, lined ts, sneakers, and a pair of really soft and fluffy house slippers.


    Then came scarves, gloves, fuzzy socks, and even a few beanies. Draven picked a deep plum one, held it up, then just plopped it on my head with a proud smile.


    "There," he said. "Perfect."


    I let out a sigh and shook my head, which only earned me a soft chuckle and a wink.


    By the time we were done, the boutique looked like it had been raided by a winter queen and her two bodyguards. The counters were filled with bags, all bundled and tagged.


    I took out my phone, already calcting the total in my head. It wasn¡¯t astronomical, thankfully. This wasn¡¯t one of those high-end luxury stores that charged a fortune for a scarf. The quality was amazing, but it was still within a budget I could afford.


    Or... it would have been.


    Because before I could even get to the payment screen, Oscar handed his card to the attendant.


    "Wait-Oscar, no," I said, reaching for his wrist. "I got this. Really."


    He just looked at me, calm and unbothered. "No, you don¡¯t."


    "Seriously, this is too much-"


    "I have waited years to find my mate," he said, his voice soft but unyielding. "Years, Eva. Years of saving money with no one to spend it on. Now I do. You are not taking that away from me."


    <fnb07a> Fresh chapters posted on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fnb07a>


    "But these aren¡¯t even expensive-"


    "Exactly. If I ever buy you a luxury gown worth more than my car, then you can argue." He paused, then added with a grin, "Also, if you buy me clothes one day, I¡¯ll wear them and not say a word."


    I blinked.


    He meant it. Every word. And that my protest died in my throat. Instead, I smiled. "Okay. Fine. But I¡¯m paying for dinner. Non-negotiable."


    "Deal."


    As we moved to leave, our arms filled with shopping bags, I realized Draven had disappeared.


    Just as I was about to turn back to look for him, the door opened, and he walked out from the far corner of the store with a ck boutique bag in hand.


    He didn¡¯t say what was inside. Just gave a small, lopsided smile and nodded toward the car.


    "Let¡¯s go," he said.


    We loaded the bags into the trunk. There were so many of them that Oscar had to rearrange them twice, and then we all climbed in. Oscar adjusted the mirrors and started the engine as the streetlights flickered on above us.


    It was then that Draven handed me the ck bag. "I got you something," he said in a low voice as if he was worried I might reject it.


    I looked at him, my eyes wide. "You didn¡¯t have to-"


    "I <i>wanted</i> to."


    And that was that.


    He didn¡¯t borate. Didn¡¯t even look at me as he said it. Just sat back with his arms crossed, pretending to stare out the window while a faint flush colored his cheekbones.


    My fingers curled around the bag¡¯s handles. My heart was fluttering with curiosity as I looked inside the bag.

 Chapter 184: The Starry Sky

    <h4>Chapter 184: The Starry Sky</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I carefully opened the bag and found a sleek ck box inside. It was looking elegant - unassuming at first nce, but the weight and finish told me it was something special. I popped the lid open, and my breath hitched.


    Inside the box was a transparent package that held nearly two dozen pairs of earrings.


    Golden.


    Each pair was unique and breathtaking in its own way.


    There were delicate hoops - small, medium, andrge, each with a slightly different twist in design. A few round gold studs, a couple of heart-shaped ones, and even a pair shaped like tiny butterflies. There were pearls too - soft cream-colored ones in two different sizes. And one pair, a long, elegant drop earring with tiny red gemstones at the end, caught the light as I tilted the box.


    They were all so beautiful.


    "I... Draven..." I breathed, lifting the package to get a closer look at the beautiful pieces.


    He was already watching me with a crooked smile tugging at his lips. "Do you like them?" he asked, his voice low and tender.


    I nodded slowly as my heart swelled with warmth. "I love them."


    His fingers brushed back my hair, and then his palm cupped the side of my face before he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on my temple. My skin tingled instantly, warmth blooming under every inch he touched. His scent enveloped me and I leaned into him instinctively.


    "You look beautiful when you wear earrings," he whispered, grazing his thumb over the little golden studs I was already wearing.


    My body hummed.


    That was the thing about being mates. Every kiss, every touch - no matter how innocent - ignited something deep inside me. The bond didn¡¯t just link our souls. It connected our desires, our hearts, our emotions. Even the smallest caress felt like fire and silk.


    I caught movement in the rearview mirror and nced up to find Oscar smiling. And he wasn¡¯t just smiling... he was smiling <i>at us</i>.


    There was no jealousy or awkwardness in his eyes, but something warm... eptance.


    And I realized... this was really happening. They were truly okay with sharing me. That fear I had been carrying in the corners of my heart, the one that kept whispering it might eventually fall apart any moment, finally started to dissolve.


    A few minutester, we pulled up in front of a charming diner strung with fairy lights and dressed up in full Christmas cheer. A Santa us staue was standing at the entrance, and the ss windows were glowing with red and green ornaments and golden bells.


    Inside, the atmosphere was cozy. The smell of warm food, cinnamon, and coffee hit me immediately. We were shown to a quiet table in the corner, right by the tall ss wall that gave us a full view of the twinkling street outside. Candles were flickering gently on every table, and soft music was ying in the background.


    "Ladies first," Draven said once we were seated, handing me the menu.


    But I wasn¡¯t about to order blindly.


    "What do you guys like?" I asked, looking between the two of them. "I want to make sure everyone¡¯s happy."


    Oscar gave me a warm smile as he answered first. "Anything spicy. And meat. Lots of meat."


    Draven chimed in. "Same. Except maybe tone down the spice. My tongue still hasn¡¯t forgiven you for that chili ramen you made me try two weeks ago." Thest bit was directed at Oscar who just smirked.


    I smiled, flipping through the menu. We ordered three hearty dishes - one spicy beef stew, creamy chicken pasta, and a vegetariansagna just for bnce. Plus garlic bread, hot chocte, and a strawberry cheesecake to finish off.


    Dinner was... perfect.


    We talked andughed like old friends, though I couldn¡¯t help but notice how both of them never let me go too long without brushing my hand, or sneaking a smile.


    It felt normal. It felt like everything was finally clicking into ce.


    By the time we finished dinner, it was only half past nine.


    I reached for my phone before either of them could move. "My treat," I announced proudly.


    Draven was mid-reach but pulled back with a mock sigh. Oscar grumbled under his breath but let it go. He had made a deal. And he knew better than to argue when I was this determined.


    We headed back to the car, stuffed and happy.


    But I noticed something strange as soon as we started driving. Oscar wasn¡¯t heading toward the Academy.


    The lights of the city slowly faded behind us, reced by quiet roads nked with trees. The music in the car turned softer, more atmospheric, and after about fifteen minutes, we turned onto a narrow road that led to a cliff.


    The moment I stepped out of the car, the world fell away.


    The cliff opened into a breathtaking view of the ocean. Waves were crashing softly below. The city was sparkling in the distance like a sea of stars. Above us, the sky was clear, painted with a half moon and stars that were stretched for miles.


    I stood there, stunned.


    Cold wind blew around us, making me wrap my arms around myself. I turned to look at them and said, "This ce is incredible. But seriously... are you two trying to freeze me to death?"


    Oscar just chuckled, stepped behind me, and wrapped his arms around me from the back. He engulfed me in his long ck coat, sealing me against his warmth.


    "You¡¯ll never be cold with me around," he murmured against my ear, his breath making me shiver in all the best ways.


    And damn it, he was right. Being in his arms made me forget the coldpletely.


    Draven opened the trunk and pulled out a nket,ying it t on the ground. He gestured with a grin.


    "Come on, your highness. You can¡¯t see the stars properly while standing."


    We all settled down - me in the middle, the men on either side. The nket was thick, shielding us from the damp chill, and both of them tucked me close like I was their shared heartbeat.


    The waves below sounded like whispers. The wind carried salt and magic. It felt like time had stopped.


    Draven leaned closer, lips near my ear. "Okay... riddle time. What do you call a werewolf who gets cold every full moon?"


    I blinked. "What?"


    <fn61d6> Latest content published on find?novel</fn61d6>


    He grinned. "A chili dog."


    "That¡¯s terrible," Iughed.


    But they both joined in, the sound of ourughter rising into the starry sky.


    Then... silence. It was a warm, soft silence that wrapped around us like another nket.


    I turned to look at Draven, intending to tease him about the joke, but the words caught in my throat.


    He was staring at me. Not with a smirk. Not with teasing. But with something far deeper. Something intimate.


    "What?" I whispered.


    He didn¡¯t answer. At least not by words. He just leaned in and kissed me.


    Slowly.


    Deeply.


    My heart thundered as I kissed him back, melting into him, until I forgot where I was, forgot who I was, forgot everything but the feeling of his lips on mine.

 Chapter 185: Moonlight and Heartbeats

    <h4>Chapter 185: Moonlight and Heartbeats</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t realize just how close I was to both of them until that kiss ended and the weight of the moment settled in around us like the cold night air.


    Draven¡¯s lips left mine slowly, like he was reluctant to part, and before I could gather my breath, I felt Oscar¡¯s strong arm around my waist tighten ever so slightly, pulling me backward until my back met the heat of his chest.


    His warmth surrounded me, but it was the way his breath touched the nape of my neck that made my skin erupt in goosebumps.


    I drew in a sharp breath, suddenly hyperaware of everything - of how close we all were, how Draven¡¯s eyes were still on me, now darker with something intense.


    I felt Oscar¡¯s hand slipping under my sweater, his palm brushing over my blouse-covered stomach with a tenderness that sent sparks dancing along my skin.


    The mate bonds were reacting to their touches. I could feel their emotions humming beneath the surface like two separate chords, both building in pressure and frequency.


    Draven¡¯s deaire for me wasn¡¯t just physical - it was emotional, thick with love, longing, and need. And Oscar¡¯s touch was... grounding and possessive in the most delicious way.


    When Oscar turned my head gently to the side, his lips met mine with a slow, lingering kiss. There was nothing rushed about it, just unspoken emotion poured into the soft brush of his mouth.


    I melted into the kiss, already breathless from Draven, but nowpletely lost in Oscar. Then, Draven leaned in, brushing his lips against my throat, just below my jawline, and kissed me there like I was the center of his entire world.


    A shaky moan escaped me, swallowed by Oscar¡¯s kiss.


    I was feeling surrounded - imed, cherished, adored. My fingers clutched the nket below us for support as I closed my eyes, letting myself feel. Their touches didn¡¯t ovep, theyplemented.


    They were reading each other¡¯s cues like this wasn¡¯t their first time caring for the same person, like they were used to this dance. But I knew better. This wasn¡¯t practiced coordination. This was instinct. Mate bond instinct.


    Oscar¡¯s hand gently stroked my belly again, lingering there, and I swore I felt a ripple of emotion flow through our bond - something between eptance and wonder. It wasn¡¯t the full embrace of my pregnancy, but it was something. A beginning.


    "I can feel your heart racing," Draven whispered against my throat, his hand slipping into mine before he threaded his fingers with mine. "You like this."


    I smiled softly, still breathless and dazed. "Obviously."


    "Good," Oscar murmured from behind. "Because we are not rushing anything. But you should know... we both n to spoil you more than you are ready for."


    I smiled as I turned my head, catching Oscar¡¯s cheek in a kiss, then looked back at Draven who leaned forward and pressed his forehead against mine.


    The three of us stayed like that for a while. No one said anything more. The ocean whispered below us. The stars blinked overhead. And time... well, it paused for us.


    Eventually, the cold seeped through even the thickestyers, and I let out a soft whimper that made both my matesugh.


    "Alright, alright," Oscar said as he stood first. "Let¡¯s get our girl home before she turns into a popsicle."


    "Speak for yourself," Draven added with a grin, helping me to my feet and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "She¡¯s too warm to be frozen."


    I shook my head but didn¡¯t protest when both of them nked me on either side, walking me to the car like two overprotective guards with an arm around me each.


    The drive back was quieter than before,fortably so. This time, Draven got the duty to drive while I sat in the back with Oscar, snuggled into his side.


    The windows were starting to fog slightly from the contrast of cold outside and the heat inside, and I found myself ying with Oscar¡¯s fingers while Draven hummed along softly to the music on the radio.


    It felt... surreal. Not because I didn¡¯t believe in moments like these. But because I never imagined I would get one. Not after everything. Not after my past. Not after Ethan. Not after I had resigned myself to being alone... even with a child on the way.


    But here I was, enjoying this warmth with two men who had slowly and painfully grown to care for me, ept me, and even protect me from my own doubts. I didn¡¯t know what the future was holding for us, but tonight, I didn¡¯t need to.


    When the Academy gates finally appeared in the distance, I sat up straighter. While it took two hours to reach the city, the drive back was only an hour and half long because the Academy was located closer than the Council headquarters.


    I took my time to look around to make sure there wasn¡¯t anyone to notice me climbing out of the car.


    "Stop worrying, we aren¡¯t taking the front gate." Draven informed when he noticed me ncing around with worry-filked eyes.


    "Back gate?" I asked, ncing between my two mates.


    "That¡¯s right."


    Momentster, the car stopped outside the back gate of the Academy and I noticed someone waiting there - Rowan.


    Of course! I was realizing that Oscar and Rowan were slowly bing partners in crime when it came to me.


    When the car stopped outside the gates, both of them got out to help me carry the bags. Oscar passed me a smaller one while the rest were handed to Rowan.


    "Thank you," I said, meaning it deeply. "For everything tonight."


    Oscar smiled and reached forward to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "We¡¯ll always be here, Eva. Remember that."


    Draven kissed my hand softly. "Good night, sweetheart."


    "Good night."


    I then quickly made my way to Rowan and slipped inside through the smaller side gate. "Who¡¯s going to lock it?" I asked when Rowan didn¡¯t bother to lock the gate.


    <fn25d1> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? Find_Novel(.</fn25d1>


    He shrugged his shoulders, not looking bothered at all. "Maybe the same person who opened it."


    And it turned out we both had no idea who this person was.

 Chapter 186: Her Trust Issues

    <h4>Chapter 186: Her Trust Issues</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    There was a certain kind of joy that bloomed in your chest when your life, even if just for a fleeting moment, felt perfectly stitched together.


    That¡¯s what I felt as I walked through the entrance of the Council Headquarters that morning.


    Sunday morning was always quieter than most days, but I was feeling anything but quiet. My heart had a rhythm of its own - light and buoyant, echoing every step I took.


    I was bundled in my newest winter coat - a long white one that made me look extremely elegant. It was making me feel like I actually belonged here among all the powerful shifters who showed up at the headquarters.


    My ck woolen turtleneck was hugging me with gentle warmth. It was paired neatly with loose-fit ck trousers and boots. My outfit was practical yet confident. Sophisticated yet simple.


    I had taken care of myself this morning more than usual. Not because I wanted to impress anyone, but because... I was feeling good. This was the happiest I had felt in years.


    As usual, I didn¡¯t put on any makeup, save for a sweep of mascara and a tint of lip oil. My lips had begun to chap from the increasing cold, so protection was necessary. I also pampered my skin with moisturizer and sunscreen, and my usual high bun was reced with a low ponytail that rested neatly between my shoulder des. Simple. Comfortable. And somehow... elegant.


    I was even wearing the medium-sized golden hoop earrings Draven bought me, as well as his charm bracelet which was nestled on my wrist like a secret touch from him I could carry into my day.


    The charms were jingling gently with each step. And apparently, my happiness was on full disy.


    Rowan was the first to notice. He was the only one awake when I got ready. I was slipping on my boots when he walked into themon room, rubbing sleep from his eyes.


    "You look... glowing," he mumbled, still half-asleep. "Good night?"


    I didn¡¯t need to answer. The smile I shot him had been enough.


    "Tell them to keep spoiling you. It¡¯s working."


    Iughed, whispering a soft, "Get some more sleep," before slipping out the door.


    Mr. Wood was the next. As I made my way to the car, he gave me his usual reserved nod, but this time, there was a gentle smile on his lips.


    "Good morning, Miss Evaline. Lovely day, isn¡¯t it?"


    "It really is," I replied with a grin.


    And now as I walked in the headquarters building, the front deskdy - Theresa Albright - peeked up from her monitor and let out a soft, startled chuckle.


    "Well, if it isn¡¯t sunshine itself walking through these doors," she teased. "What did you eat this morning, Miss Evaline? Happiness cereal?"


    "Just sandwiches and yogurt with fruits," I replied with a smile


    She winked. "You should stick to that breakfast more often. It suits you."


    By the time I reached the lift, I was unable to keep the grin off my face.


    I hummed as I rode it up, brushing my fingers over the metal buttons as if the elevator itself shared my mood. The hallway to River¡¯s office was still dimly lit as most of the other staff hadn¡¯t yet clocked in.


    <fn3430> Find the newest release on f?ndnovel</fn3430>


    I slipped my ess card through the scanner and stepped in, my voice rising in a gentle hum - something melodic I didn¡¯t realize I was doing until I twirled once, just to feel the weight of my coat swirl around my legs.


    And that¡¯s when I saw him.


    River.


    He was perched on the far couch like some cold, ruthless fashion ad, with a file in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.


    My song died mid-note, and I froze mid-twirl. If I had been holding something, I would have dropped it.


    He was looking... perfectly poised. Dressed in a navy blue luxury suit, his long ck coat was tossed casually over the couch arm. He was looking just asposed as he always had... except for one particr drunken night that I was forbidden from ever mentioning.


    He raised an eyebrow. There was no smile. Just that unreadable expression and a slow rise from the couch as he ced his coffee on the table and began walking toward me.


    "Good morning," I finally muttered, trying to sound natural, though my voice betrayed me with a crack at the end.


    "What are you doing here?" I blurted next, and regretted it instantly.


    He tilted his head, and I noticed a flicker of amusement in his eyes... or was it offense? "I¡¯m a Council member... and your boss. Remember?"


    I wanted the floor to swallow me whole.


    "I meant... I thought you wouldn¡¯t be in today," I tried to recover. "You weren¡¯t here yesterday."


    "I hadpany meetings to attend yesterday," he replied coolly.


    I nodded slowly, trying not to look like I wanted to sprint back to the elevator. My confidence from earlier had evaporated like steam on frosted ss.


    "You are... in a good mood," hemented, folding his arms across his chest.


    "I am," I admitted, lifting my chin slightly.


    "What happened?"


    His tone was neutral, but his eyes glinted with curiosity. Since I couldn¡¯t answer that question withouting up with a lie, I was considering dodging the question, but before I could evene up with a witty deflection, he shrugged.


    "Never mind. Whatever the reason, it¡¯s working. You look... stable."


    "Stable?" I echoed with confusion.


    He walked back to the couch and picked up the folder he had been reading. "Your revised documentation fromst week. I read through all of them this morning. You caught almost every mistake, corrected them clearly, and even optimized the format."


    I blinked. "Oh. That."


    "You have done good work over the past few months, but this-" he tapped the folder "-this is the best so far."


    I straightened under thepliment. "Thank you."


    Then he surprised me with his next words.


    "I¡¯m starting a new project this week," he said, looking right at me. "I want you to assist me."


    I blinked again. "Me?"


    "Don¡¯t sound so horrified," he quipped. "You are capable. I wouldn¡¯t ask if you weren¡¯t."


    It wasn¡¯t horror, exactly... it was dread. I liked my current workflow. It was... manageable. Safe. Predictable.


    A project? With him? That sounded like twelve-hour days and unbreathable pressure.


    "I... appreciate the offer," I began carefully, "but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to take on any sort of project considering I only work during weekends and I still have my studies. I think Senior Analyst will be a great choice-"


    "I want someone who¡¯ll question the system, not follow it blindly," he cut in smoothly. "You do that. You observe. You push back when needed. Andtely... you are improving. Rapidly."


    I didn¡¯t know whether to be ttered or terrified.


    "I-"


    "I will double your bonus," he added before I could say anything, "And you will only need to work your usual hours during weekends. No overtime."


    I just stared at him. The more pleasant he was trying to make this project sound, the more skeptical I was feeling. There¡¯s no hiding my trust issues when it came to this man.


    "How about triple of your bonus?"

 Chapter 187: The New Project

    <h4>Chapter 187: The New Project</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    <i>"How about triple of your bonus?" </i>


    The words froze my tongue right at the tip of my refusal.


    I had opened my mouth to firmly, politely, and definitively reject River¡¯s offer to join his mysterious new project, but instead of a sharp ¡¯no,¡¯ my lips parted... and nothing came out.


    I blinked, trying to reboot my brain. "I-what?"


    He didn¡¯t repeat himself. He didn¡¯t have to. His unreadable gaze - half calcting, half indifferent - met mine like he already knew the chaos his words had triggered in my head.


    Triple. Bonus.


    That wasn¡¯t a small increase. That was aplete flip of the table. My sensible self had been ready to walk away, shielding itself from the storm that was River Thorne, but now it was quietly pulling up a chair and weighing the possibilities.


    I needed the money.


    Badly.


    Despite my mates being more than capable of supporting me if I ever needed it, I didn¡¯t want to rely on them for things I could still do on my own. I still had no idea how much the pregnancy would cost me in theing months, let alone the personal shopping, medication, and uing holiday gifts I had been budgeting for.


    I closed my eyes for a second, trying to will my resolve back into ce.


    But when I opened my mouth again, the words that came out were utterly traitorous to what I had nned to say.


    "...Okay."


    I startled myself. And River looked like he had expected this oue from the start.


    "But," I said quickly, raising a hand to stop whatever smug thing he was about to say next. "If I do this, I have conditions."


    His brow rose just slightly in interest, but he said nothing.


    "One," I started, "I won¡¯t do overtime just like you mentioned. Not once. I don¡¯t care how urgent the project is. I have school, and I¡¯m not going to kill myself juggling work and studies."


    "Fair," he said without blinking.


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    I blinked instead. I hadn¡¯t expected him to agree so quickly, believing that he was just trying to make me agree to join the project by putting the ¡¯no overtime¡¯ tag.


    "Two," I continued, "If this project, at any point, starts affecting my academic performance, I¡¯m out. No questions, no guilt trips, and absolutely no drama."


    "Understood," he replied again with the same ease.


    I frowned. "And don¡¯t just say that to trick me into starting-"


    "I¡¯m not," he interrupted. "I have already wired the first half of your bonus. Check your phone."


    "What?" I stared at him, confused, before digging my phone out of my coat pocket. My eyes widened as the banking app pinged with a message. My jaw dropped slightly at the figure.


    "Half now. Half with your next paycheck," he said, already heading to his desk to grab a thick folder. "Consider it a show of trust."


    "Trust," I muttered under my breath, narrowing my eyes suspiciously. "That¡¯s riching from you."


    "You¡¯ll need that trust to get through what¡¯s awaiting us," he said, walking back to me and handing me the folder. It was thick. Heavy. Too heavy.


    I opened it slightly, flipping through the papers. Pack documents, maps, political charts, trade deals... what the hell?


    "What is this?"


    "Our project," he said calmly. "You are to study every line, every detail. Learn it. Memorize it. You¡¯ll need to be fluent with this information before we depart."


    "Depart?" I echoed slowly, lifting my eyes.


    "Yes. We¡¯ll be visiting the Nightshade Pack next weekend. That¡¯s when the project kicks off officially."


    I gaped. "Wait-Nightshade? That Nightshade? As in... the biggest pack by size, known for its strict istion and internal disputes?"


    He simply nodded, not giving me anything else before grabbing his coat. "I have another meeting. Review the file. We¡¯ll discuss more on Saturday morning."


    And then, just like that, he walked out.


    Left alone, I took my seat at my desk and opened the thick folder, flipping through the pages and scanning the dense information with growing confusion.


    The Nightshade Pack was massive. One of the oldest. It was located deep in the snowy pine wilderness, their territory bordered both Council-run domains and roguends. It turned out theirst Alpha had died just a few days ago, and a new one was yet to be chosen.


    Apparently, the ceremony to choose the new Alpha would be held at the end of the month. The council had been invited. Which meant River, being the Rogue Alpha King and the most powerful seat-holder in the council, would be attending. That much made sense.


    But what didn¡¯t?


    Why me?


    Why did I need to study a pack¡¯s hierarchy, territory, political bnce, trade partners, and security protocols?


    This wasn¡¯t just an assistant¡¯s job. This was intelligence work.


    There were full profiles of the potential Alpha candidates - sons and daughters of former betas, even some from neighboring allied packs. Each had their own strengths and agendas. There were also notes on recent attacks near their borders, suspicion of smuggling through the eastern ridgeline, and disputes over rogue refugees being allowed into the Nightshade territory.


    I frowned as I read.


    This wasn¡¯t just about the Alpha choosing ceremony.


    Something deeper was brewing under the surface and River was at the center of it.


    I sat back, exhaling sharply as the reality of it all began to settle in.


    River hadn¡¯t brought me on board because I was capable. He brought me on because I was disposable. A convenient option. Someone no one would suspect. Someone smart enough to do the groundwork, but low enough on the totem pole to be ignored if things went wrong.


    The bonus wasn¡¯t generosity. It was a bribe.


    I leaned back against the back of my chair and stared at the folder like it had grown teeth.


    But even as that bitter realization burned through me... I couldn¡¯t make myself regret agreeing.


    I had demanded fair terms. I had gotten them. And like it or not, I needed this money. If River thought I was just some na?ve intern he could toss into the fire, he was in for a surprise.


    Because if I was going to be part of this mission... I was going to learn everything.


    Every name. Every secret. Every pressure point.


    And when the time came, I would know how to protect myself, and the people I cared about.

 Chapter 188: The Whispers in the Corridor

    <h4>Chapter 188: The Whispers in the Corridor</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The week passed in a blur of lectures, notebooks, and hastily consumed cups of milk.


    Between the two tests I had on Tuesday and Thursday, my days were a well-organized chaos of study sessions, rushed breakfasts, and cramming notes until my fingers started protesting.


    When I wasn¡¯t in ss or scribbling away in the study halls, I was at my usual hidden corner on the second floor of library where Draven would sneak by with his usual knowing smirk and some freshly sliced fruit, or a warm drink.


    We didn¡¯t always talk.


    Sometimes he just sat across from me, flipping pages of some ancient historical tome as his leg brushed mine under the table. Sometimes, he would lean over and whisper some random fact in my ear that had nothing to do with what I was studying, just to make me smile.


    And smile, I did. Stupidly. Helplessly.


    My rtionship with him was growing by the day - like the soft, quiet snowkes that built a mountain without anyone noticing.


    As for Oscar... well, he was never too far away either.


    I caught him watching me all the time. From across the dining hall, from the opposite side of the training yard whenever I was walking through the corridor next to it, even in the hallways. Our eyes would lock for a split second before we would look away. Heat would rise to my cheeks, while my heart thudded ike I had been caught doing something forbidden.


    Because in a way... I had been.


    I was someone¡¯s mate... two someones¡¯ mate... and yet neither of those rtionships could be public. At least, not yet.


    Still, not all my thoughts were consumed by romance and secrecy. A strange awareness had been threading itself through my mindtely. It had a name, or maybe it didn¡¯t, but the feeling was centered around Kieran.


    He had always been kind. Always a little soft-spoken with me. Even when I pushed him away, even when I put a boundary between us, he respected it.


    Buttely... I could feel his eyes on me.


    Not constantly, and never in a way that made me feel ufortable or unsafe, but just present. As if he was always aware of me. Watching. Waiting.


    The few times I did cross paths with him outside of Herbs and Potions sses, there was a flicker of something unreadable in his gaze. Something close to sorrow... or maybe longing.


    And guilt.


    Which made me feel guilty. And confused. And, frankly, terrified.


    Because I couldn¡¯t afford to wonder about Kieran, not now when I was already trying to manage the tangled threads of two growing bonds and a secret pregnancy.


    I was already walking a tightrope. One unexpected gust, and I might fall.


    - - -


    It was Friday morning when the world shifted again.


    I left Professor Elira¡¯s ss mid-lecture to retrieve a specific archive book from the library. She sent me with a quick note and instructions to return fast. I was hurrying down the western corridor when I heard it.


    A single word.


    <i>"Dead."</i>


    It cut through the air like a de, causing me to freeze mid-step.


    The corridor waspletely empty as everyone was in ss. The only reason I was even out here was because of the errand. No one else should be here.


    Which meant... someone wasn¡¯t where they were supposed to be.


    I shifted silently, hugging the wall and peeking around the next corner. Thats when I saw two seniors standing just outside a disused ssroom, half-hidden by the hallway¡¯s shadows.


    I didn¡¯t know their names, but if I wasn¡¯t wrong, they they both were in second year.


    They were speaking in hushed voices, unaware of my presence.


    I strained my ears to catch what they were saying, my heart hammering in my chest.


    "...I don¡¯t think we should go," the girl whispered. "What happened to Carson-Stars! He¡¯s dead."


    "There are rumors that he¡¯s not DEAD dead," the guy whispered back. "They are calling it something like... damn! I can¡¯t recall the term."


    My stomach dropped.


    <fna86b> Read full story at findnovel</fna86b>


    Carson. Though I didn¡¯t recognize the name, I had a feeling that these two were talking about the senior who was found Soul Deadst term.


    This made me wonder about these two second-years. Were they part of that so-called secret student group Kieran mentioned?


    "I¡¯m telling you," the boy continued, "they are regrouping. He¡¯s back. And he¡¯s calling in the old circle."


    "No one even says his name anymore," she muttered. "I thought he disappeared."


    "Well, he didn¡¯t," the guy said. "And if he¡¯s asking for us to show up tonight... we can¡¯t say no."


    A silence followed.


    "Are you going?" she finally asked.


    "...Yeah. I have to. We have to."


    The girl cursed under her breath, low and sharp. "This is a mistake. A big one."


    "I know. But if we ignore it... we might end up like Carson."


    I clutched the corner of the wall, trying to keep my breathing silent as fear and dread pooled in my chest.


    A secondter, the two seniors stepped back into the hallway and started walking in the opposite direction. I didn¡¯t move until I could no longer hear their footsteps.


    When I finally did, my hands were shaking.


    It turned out what happened to Crason wasn¡¯t really a secret, at least not among the people who might be a part of that secret group. Was it the group¡¯s doing then... what happened to Crason?


    Was it a punishment? A curse? A ritual gone wrong?


    And who was the <i>he</i> they were referring to, the one calling the group back?


    My mind was buzzing with questions but there was no one to answer them. My first thought was to look for Kieran, but I had no idea where he might be and I also needed to return to my ss.


    So, I continued on my way to ss while trying to calm myself down. But no matter how hard I tried, I was barely able to focus on anything throughout the day.


    To make things worse, there was no sign of Kieran and his ss was also canceled. This left me at aplete loss about what was I supposed to do with what I overheard earlier.

 Chapter 189: Playing Shadow Tag

    <h4>Chapter 189: ying Shadow Tag</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It had been over an hour.


    I had checked every corridor, every ssroom, every lounge space in the South Wing which was basically an entire building reserved just for final-year students.


    And yet, there was nothing.


    No flicker of light under doors. No whispered voices or hurried footsteps. Not even warriors on night duty. There were just empty halls and eerie silence, the kind that clung to my skin like cold mist.


    The ssrooms I passed still smelled faintly of chalk and old paper, but the rest of the building felt... abandoned. Dead.


    Each door I pushed open creaked just enough to make my skin crawl. The whole ce reminded me more of a forgotten castle than a prestigious academy.


    And now, I was trudging through the North Wing, this was a space typically buzzing with students from the second and third years. I had checked all three floors. Nothing. No signs. No students.


    Just quiet.


    And more darkness.


    I should have turned back by now. It was nearly midnight.


    What was I even doing? Lurking around campus like a poorly-trained spy?


    I rubbed my arms as I wandered the connecting corridor toward the East Wing. My boots tapped against the cold tile floor, the sound echoing eerily around me. The North Wing was better lit than the South, but not by much. Half the lights were flickering dimly, and most were already off.


    The more I walked, the more I felt like aplete idiot.


    What was I even expecting? That I would just stumble upon some shady cult meeting in a ssroom? That they would all be in ck robes, chanting over candles and offering secrets on a silver tter?


    <i>Stupid</i>, I cursed myself. I should have listened to Kieran. He told me to stay out of it. Told me this group was dangerous. Told me to leave the dead alone.


    And I tried. I really did.


    But sleep refused toe tonight. The whispers I had overheard this morning - the fear in that senior girl¡¯s voice, the way she said the word "dead" - they wouldn¡¯t let go.


    So, here I was. ying shadow tag with the night warriors and following a hunch that probably didn¡¯t even matter.


    With a sigh, I stepped onto the outdoor corridor connecting North Wing to the East Wing, hoping that maybe a bit of fresh air would clear my foggy thoughts.


    And that¡¯s when I saw it.


    A movement, just barely, it was a sh of motion at the far end of the building.


    I immediately pressed myself into the shadows beside the outer wall, my breath catching in my throat.


    Someone was there.


    And they weren¡¯t walking casually. They were running.


    A student slipped into the side of a stone tower that was standing wedged between the North Wing and a small garden. I had always assumed it was a storage unit or just a leftover piece of architecture - one of those useless towers that were more for aesthetics than function.


    But then a second figure appeared. This one looked around quickly, like they were making sure they weren¡¯t being watched, before they also slipped inside.


    My pulse started racing as I realized I had found <i>them</i>.


    I waited and saw another student dart inside the tower merely momentster. Then another. And one more after that.


    They were five in total.


    And just like that, the quiet returned.


    I didn¡¯t move for a full minute, counting the seconds and scanning the area to make sure no one else wasing. No patrols. No lights. No more movement.


    It was now or never.


    I carefully crept out of the shadows and made my way across the open path to the tower. I tugged the door open an inch and slipped inside.


    This ce was worse than the rest of the wingsbined.


    It was dark, cold, and dusty. The air was smelling like stone and mildew. Not a single light flickered, and the only illumination came from a slit of moonlight through the high windows.


    There were no traces of the students.


    Only the fading echo of hurried footsteps - downward.


    Instead of heading up the spiral stairs, they had taken a narrow hallway leading to a basement staircase tucked behind an old wooden door.


    My instincts screamed at me to turn back, but my curiosity was louder. And so was my need to understand.


    <i>Stupid! Absolutely stupid!</i>


    But stupid things were exactly what people like me did. Right?


    I carefully descended the stairs, keeping close to the wall. My senses weren¡¯t as sharp as a normal werewolf¡¯s since I was wolfless after all, but I had learned to move silently, to rely on instinct when eyesight or hearing failed me.


    The staircase twisted tightly, and I could barely see past the first few steps. I gripped the railing, moving slowly, counting the turns.


    One. Two. Three.


    Then the basement opened up.


    A long, narrow corridor was stretched before me, with old iron sconces dotting the walls, long rusted over and unusable. There were doors on either side - some sealed shut with locks, others slightly ajar, revealing old shelves and dusty storage supplies.


    The sound of hushed voices drew me forward.


    At the end of the corridor, I noticed those give students slipping inside the final room. The heavy wooden door thudded shut behind them, muffling whatever conversation had started within.


    <i>I can¡¯t follow them in. That¡¯s too risky.</i>


    I nced around, my eyes adjusting to the gloom.


    Then I spotted it.


    <fn0b03> Checktest chapters at find?novel</fn0b03>


    A window. It was small and square, tucked into the wall beside thest room, almost hidden behind stacked wooden crates and supply boxes.


    I quickly made my way over and crouched behind the boxes. With a bit of maneuvering, I was able to position myself behind them without being seen.


    The crates would keep me hidden from anyoneing down the corridor.


    And the window...


    I leaned in and pressed my ear to the wood. At first, all I heard was my own breathing.


    Then I realized the window wasn¡¯ttched.


    I gently, <i>so gently</i>, slid it open a crack. Warm air rushed out, carrying the muffled sound of whispers, someone pacing, and the tension of a dozen breaths waiting to break.

 Chapter 190: Getting Chased

    <h4>Chapter 190: Getting Chased</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I leaned further into the gap of the window. The slit was barely wide enough to breathe through, but the dark night outside and the flickering firelight within worked in my favor.


    Shadows were dancing inside the room - long limbs and shifting bodies, heads bowed, arms folded.


    There were more students than I expected. More than a dozen or even two. Probably more, considering how packed the room was looking. And the sheer number made my stomach drop. If this group was half as dangerous as I feared... Why were so many part of it?


    From my low angle, I could only glimpse the lower halves of their bodies - boots, shoes, nervous tapping feet, the asional glimmer of silver buckles or crest rings. They were all standing, or at least most of them were. Like they were waiting for something... or someone.


    Then, out of nowhere, a figure stepped right in front of the window.


    <fn567a> Fresh chapters posted on </fn567a>


    I flinched, my heart leaping into my throat.


    For a second, I thought they had seen me. My breath caught, body stiffened, and fingers curled so tightly I almost tore the skin on my palms. But they didn¡¯t look down. They were just... there, blocking my viewpletely.


    So I leaned back.


    I couldn¡¯t see anymore, but I could still hear.


    "...This is a mistake," a girl said, her voice quivering. "We shouldn¡¯t be here. After what happened, after Carson-"


    "Do you think we have a choice?" someone else - another girl, bolder - snapped back. "You think I want to be here?"


    "Carson should have been a wake-up call," a third voice added, sounding solemn and heavy. "We should have disbanded after that."


    That name, Carson, fell like a stone in the room. The murmurs stilled. No one spoke for a beat. The weight of it lingered thick in the air.


    The more I was hearing this name, the more sure I was bing that he was the Soul Dead senior.


    Then, a fourth voice, slower and heavier than the rest, broke the silence.


    "Carson didn¡¯t just end up like that because of bad luck," the person said. "He found something. Something he wasn¡¯t supposed to see and that was his mistake. And we all know... <i>he </i>doesn¡¯t like mistakes."


    They paused. I could hear the shift of fabric, like someone leaning in.


    "And if any of us make the same mistake... we¡¯ll end up just like him."


    A few audible inhales echoed in the room. The fear was real... palpable. Thick enough to seep through the wall and infect me too.


    There was that mention again - <i>him</i>.


    The man they seemed to be afraid of. The one mentioned by the second-years earlier that day.


    I didn¡¯t know if he was the leader, the founder, or just some terrifying enforcer, but every time someone mentioned him, it was apied by pure fear.


    Like speaking his name would summon him.


    Suddenly, someone - one of the boys - broke down.


    "I-I can¡¯t do this anymore," he cried, his voice cracking. "I can¡¯t-I can¡¯t end up like Carson. I never even wanted this! He scares me. He scares me. I want out-I want out!"


    His words were desperate. Raw.


    Then...


    A new voice, one I hadn¡¯t heard yet, cut through the chaos like ice on bare skin. It was a girl, but her tone was unlike any of the others - sharp andmanding, cold as the stone walls around us.


    "If you don¡¯t shut your mouth right now," she said calmly, "I will kill you where you stand."


    Silence.


    Complete, terrifying silence.


    There wasn¡¯t even the sound of a breath.


    Her words echoed like a whip crack, and in that moment, I could feel every soul in that room freeze.


    And so did I.


    I was so stunned, so horrified by her words that a small, involuntary gasp escaped me.


    And then... came instant regret.


    I pped a hand over my mouth, but it was toote. Everyone inside that room was a werewolf, and I knew better than to believe they didn¡¯t hear me.


    Inside the room, there was a pause. And then-


    "Someone¡¯s there."


    The girl¡¯s voice was no longer calm. It was sharp, urgent. "Someone¡¯s listening-catch them!"


    Panic mmed into my chest.


    <i>Run</i>, my mind screamed.


    I didn¡¯t need to be told twice.


    I bolted from behind the crates, my heart hammering as I tore down the corridor. My shoes thudded against the stone floor, echoing louder than they should have, too loud, too fast.


    Door flew open behind me and sound filled the hallway.


    They wereing.


    And I was already too slow.


    I hadn¡¯t even made it halfway to the stairs when they almost caught up with me. I pushed harder, trying to recall the way out. Stairs. Then the side corridor. Then up... don¡¯t miss a step... don¡¯t trip... don¡¯t fall...


    I turned the corner and saw the base of the stairwell - thank the stars.. then a hand grabbed my coat.


    I shrieked, yanking away, spinning toward the shadows as I wrestled free.


    Voices behind me barkedmands, and I heard their footsteps gaining again. I couldn¡¯t breathe. Couldn¡¯t think. I was running on pure adrenaline now.


    Up the stairs, two at a time. Through the narrow hallway. My lungs were burning, my legs screaming.


    But they were gaining. Fast.


    I reached the towernding and shoved open the door, but the moment I stepped through... a hand shot out of the shadows and grabbed me.


    I screamed again, but it never left my mouth.


    The hand mped over my mouth, another arm wrapped around my waist, and before I could fight, I was pulled into darkness.


    A door clicked shut softly as I blinked wildly, but there was only pitch ckness.


    My heart was thundering so loud I couldn¡¯t hear a thing for a few seconds. Then, slowly, I realized something.


    I wasn¡¯t in the corridor anymore.


    I was in a room, or maybe a hidden alcove. There was barely any light, just enough to make out the faint outline of the person holding me. I couldn¡¯t see their face. Just the glint of their eyes.


    Their hold on me wasn¡¯t cruel, but it was strong. Secure.


    I wasn¡¯t alone anymore.


    And I didn¡¯t know if that was better or worse.

 Chapter 191: The Reckless Fire

    <h4>Chapter 191: The Reckless Fire</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t move until I was sure the footsteps outside had disappeared.


    Only then did I tighten my hold on her wrist and tug gently. "Come on," I whispered.


    She didn¡¯t protest, didn¡¯t even hesitate... just followed. Her feet was light and careful against the cold stone floor. We passed through the hiddentch and descended into the narrow tunnel that ran beneath the Academy buildings.


    The space was damp and silent, lined with old stone and scattered with faint traces of dust and spiderwebs. Even the smallest sound was echoing like a whisper of ghosts.


    I felt her pulse hammering through the fragile bones of her wrist. It was fast. Wild.


    Was it from the cold or the fear?


    Her fingers were trembling slightly in my grip. She must have been freezing. The temperature in these tunnels was always lower than anywhere else on campus. And she wasn¡¯t even wearing proper clothes to keep her warm, just a sweater and a cloak too thin for the biting wind outside.


    <i>Dammit, Evaline.</i>


    I didn¡¯t say it aloud. Not yet. I kept walking, guiding her through the darkness with the ease of someone who had memorized every turn, every crack. I had used these tunnels too many times to count. But the further we walked, the more the questions inside me burned.


    What was she even thinking?


    Sneaking out thiste. Eavesdropping on that group. She had no wolf. No backup. Not even the sense to call someone for help.


    And she had almost been caught.


    That thought, that image, sent a wave of red-hot fury crawling through my veins.


    She didn¡¯t understand how close she came to something she wouldn¡¯t walk away from.


    <i>Stars above</i>, if I hadn¡¯t seen her slipping into that tower from the window of my quarters and tailed her...


    I clenched my jaw as I felt my anger mixing with relief in a cocktail I didn¡¯t know how to handle.


    We reached the exit behind the west wing, and I pushed open the concealed door that led to the corridor behind the faculty quarters. Soft golden light from the hallwaymps spilled into the shadows as I stepped out first.


    She followed close behind.


    I heard her gasp when the dim light finally revealed my face and she recognized me.


    She didn¡¯t say anything, but I sensed her body rxing, just enough to tell me she knew she was no longer in danger. Not from the people chasing her anyway.


    But she was smart enough to know that I had my own brand of trouble waiting.


    I said nothing as we walked. A few stairs, then two empty hallwayster, we reached the door to my quarters. I entered the passcode, the lock clicked, and I pushed the door open, motioning for her to step inside first. Once we were in, I locked the door behind us and flipped on a singlemp.


    The soft glow painted the living room in warm shadows.


    Only then did I turn to her with my full attention.


    She didn¡¯t speak. Her gaze skittered from wall to floor to bookshelf, anywhere but at me. She was trying to lookposed. Innocent. But the guilt was all over her face.


    And maybe that¡¯s what made me snap. "What the hell were you thinking, Evaline?" My voice cracked like a whip through the room.


    She flinched.


    The sound echoed off the walls and seemed to freeze the air between us. The second I saw her shrink into herself, the rage I was feeling turned to instant regret.


    My wolf thrashed inside me, unhappy, furious... ashamed. He hated that she flinched at my voice. Hated that <i>I</i> made her look like that.


    Her lips trembled, and then, without a word, she turned her face away. Still I noticed the lone tear that slid down her cheek. Silent. Small. But sharp enough to cut me clean through.


    She wiped it away before it could fall, as if pretending it didn¡¯t exist would undo it.


    "Eva-" My voice was softer now, almost desperate. "I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to yell. I just-"


    I exhaled hard and dragged a hand down my face.


    "I was worried. Okay? I was terrified you would get caught. You have no idea how dangerous this matter is. Carson wasn¡¯t a warning to us. He was a message."


    She still didn¡¯t speak. Her arms were folded around herself, shoulders tight. But she wasn¡¯t crying anymore either. She was just... still.


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t have, but I stepped forward and gently pulled her into my arms.


    <fn964e> This update is avable on FindN0vel</fn964e>


    She went rigid for a second, like she didn¡¯t know how to respond. Her hands stayed glued to her sides.


    "It¡¯s okay," I whispered against her hair. "You are safe now. I promise. I have got you."


    For a moment, nothing changed.


    Then slowly, her arms lifted and curled around my torso. She passed her forehead to my chest, and I felt it.


    The shift.


    Her walls breaking down. Her breath shaking. The emotions she had been holding in, all of them, crashing through her like a wave. Fear. Guilt. Anger. Relief.


    She trembled in my hold, and my only instinct was to pull her closer, tighter, like I could absorb all of it into myself and leave her light again.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to be reckless," she murmured into my shirt. "I just... couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what I heard. I couldn¡¯t sleep. I needed to know."


    I closed my eyes. Her voice... it was small. Honest. It hurt to hear her this vulnerable.


    "I know," I said. "But next time, you don¡¯t go alone. Do you understand me?"


    She nodded.


    "And next time," I added, my lips brushing the top of her head, "youe to me. You want to know something, I¡¯ll find the answers. You don¡¯t get to throw yourself in front of danger just because you are curious."


    She looked up, and her eyes met mine. And stars help me, there was something in her gaze that made it hard to breathe.


    She wasn¡¯t just the girl I once helped in the passing.


    She was the center of everything I couldn¡¯t have.


    Everything I <i>shouldn¡¯t</i> want.


    And still...


    I gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.


    "You are going to be the death of me, Evaline Greystone."

 Chapter 192: Playing Detective

    <h4>Chapter 192: ying Detective</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I kept my voice low as I stood in the far corner of Kieran¡¯s living room, my phone pressed against my ear.


    "I¡¯m fine," I whispered softly, my free hand curled into the sleeve of Kieran¡¯s big ck cloak I had been wrapped in. "It was just a nightmare. I¡¯m okay now."


    Oscar wasn¡¯t convinced. I could feel it through the bond, the simmering concern that stirred his emotions and had woken him from sleep. Guilt gnawed at my insides. I hated lying to him. But the truth... the truth would only lead to more chaos. And tonight, I had already tiptoed too close to disaster.


    "Are you sure?" he asked. His voice was still husky with sleep, sounding both warm and rough in my ear. "I felt... your emotions, or at least a part of it. I thought something happened to you."


    "I promise," I murmured, forcing lightness into my voice. "I¡¯m alright. It was just a bad dream, that¡¯s all."


    "Alright," he finally exhaled. "But next time, even if it¡¯s just a nightmare, call me no matter what time it is. Please."


    My chest tightened. "I will. I promise."


    I ended the call and dropped my arm to my side, tucking the phone back into the pocket of my trousers. The living room was dimly lit, but not cold, there was a gentle warmth to it. The softmp light was casting shadows on the hardwood floor. The ce smelled faintly of vani and mint, and something else... something earthy. I realized the faint aroma wasing from the potted nts that were lining the window sills and corners of the room.


    Even though the space was furnished modestly, there was something deeplyforting about it. Kieran¡¯s quarters felt just like him... quiet, reliable, safe.


    I hadn¡¯t even heard hime back in, but when I turned, he was already there, walking toward me with two sses of warm water. One of them had a golden tint.


    He handed thetter to me without a word and motioned toward the couch.


    I settled into the plush cushion, holding the ss in both hands. The warmth seeped into my skin, calming the jittery nerves that had yet to settle from the night¡¯s madness. And as the aroma reached my nose, I realized he had added honey in mine.


    "Who was that?" he asked, lowering himself onto the other end of the couch.


    I sipped the water and looked away. "Rowan. He woke up and saw I wasn¡¯t in bed, so he called to check."


    I hated lying again, but telling him it was Oscar would only spark more questions. And thest thing I needed was Kieran knowing about my mate bonds with his younger brothers.


    He didn¡¯t press.


    For a while, we sat in silence. The only sounds were the soft tick of the wall clock and the quiet hum of the heater kicking in. The air between us was still, not heavy... just waiting.


    He was the first to break it.


    "It¡¯s almost one," he said, ncing at the clock. "You have work in the morning. I¡¯ll walk you back to your dorm."


    I nodded, but made no effort to move. As if he read through my thoughts, he added merely a momentter. "Or, if talking would help... you can tell me what happened."


    That was all the invitation I needed.


    I told him everything.


    How I overheard the conversation between those two second-years in the corridor. How something about it had unsettled me enough to sneak out. How I wandered the entire South and North wings looking for clues. And then how I saw students slipping into that old tower and followed them all the way to that dark basement, how I listened from the window, and what I heard - the mentions, the threats, the fear.


    He didn¡¯t interrupt once. He just sat there, elbows resting on his knees, his fingersced loosely in front of him, and his head tilted slightly as he listened.


    When I finished, he exhaled a long, slow breath.


    "That was insanely dangerous, Evaline."


    I winced. "I know."


    "No, you don¡¯t," he said, firmer this time. "You have no idea how lucky you are that they didn¡¯t catch you."


    <fn09b9> Chapters first released on fin?novel</fn09b9>


    His voice wasn¡¯t angry this uime. It was tight with worry.


    "Whoever¡¯s running this group... they are not just some troublemakers breaking rules in the dark. This group... it¡¯s organized. And it¡¯s scared of someone who can apparently soul kill. That means they are either involved in something they can¡¯t escape from, or they are protecting something far worse."


    I swallowed hard. "You think they knew about Carson?"


    "They didn¡¯t just know." He looked at me then, a storm swirling in his eyes. "They understand what it meant. And they are terrified of it."


    He was right.


    They weren¡¯t speaking about Carson like he was a tragic ident. Instead, they were speaking about him like a warning.


    Like a consequence.


    His gaze dropped briefly, and then moved to something in my hair. A flicker of amusement touched his lips, but there was confusion in his eyes.


    "What did you do to your hair?"


    I blinked, then instinctively touched the strands that were framing my face.


    "Oh... that." I bit my lip. "I thought it might help me stay hidden. The color. It¡¯s just spray. Temporary. It¡¯ll wash off in the shower."


    His eyebrow quirked. "You dyed your hair ck just to y detective?"


    I nodded, then looked away. "I... also had a mask. But I lost it while running. It must have fallen somewhere in the corridor..."


    I trailed off when I saw him reach into his coat pocket.


    He pulled out a small ck mask and ced it on the coffee table between us.


    My mouth dropped open.


    "Wha-how?"


    "I found it on the floor near the stairs," he said casually. "I figured it might be yours."


    I stared at it in disbelief.


    Then, I whispered the words quietly. "Thank you."

 Chapter 193: First Snow

    <h4>Chapter 193: First Snow</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I was reaching out to pick up the mask when I found him smiling, and it wasn¡¯t the usual warm one he gave people.


    This one... was different.


    It was teasing. Amused. Like he was trying hard not tough.


    Amused because of... me?


    I blinked, unsure how to react, when he finally spoke.


    "I never knew you were that talented in cosy," he said, lifting the mask off the table with two fingers and dangling it gently. "But thanks to your ¡¯precautions,¡¯ there are fewer chances any of those students chasing after you would have recognized you."


    My face heated instantly, but I wasn¡¯t sure whether to be proud or embarrassed.


    <fn198c> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on FindN0vel</fn198c>


    "I was just... being careful," I muttered, curling my fingers around the warm ss of water in my hands.


    He chuckled softly and leaned back against the couch, his expression shifting into something gentler.


    "Did any of them see your face?"


    His tone was casual, but I caught the subtle tension in his jaw. The question wasn¡¯t random. It mattered... because if someone had seen me, then things were about to get even moreplicated than they already were.


    I took a moment to think.


    "No," I said, more confidently than I felt. "I kept my hood up the entire time. And I didn¡¯t lose my mask until I was almost out of their reach. I don¡¯t think anyone got a good look at me. Besides, it was dark in there."


    He visibly rxed. His fingers tapped against the arm of the couch as he gave a small nod.


    "Good."


    We sat in silence for a few long moments after that. The kind that wasn¡¯t ufortable, just... thoughtful.


    The warmth from the honey water had begun to spread through my limbs, settling the worst of my tension. And as the adrenaline of the night slowly faded from my veins, I could finally think more clearly.


    "Did you recognize anyone?" He asked suddenly, his voice low but alert.


    I was about to shake my head when something flickered across my mind - a vague memory. A face. Two, actually.


    "I didn¡¯t catch any names," I admitted, "other than Carson¡¯s... but the two students I saw in the corridor this afternoon when I overheard that conversation, they were both second years. I know I have seen them before. And I think... I might recognize one or two of the students who entered the tower."


    His eyes lit up with something sharp... purpose.


    "That¡¯s good. Really good."


    He stood from the couch with renewed energy and began pacing in a tight circle, muttering under his breath before looking at me again.


    "Come to my office tomorrow evening," he said, suddenly all business. "After your shift ends at headquarters. I¡¯ll have the digital files ready - the profile records for all second, third, and final years. We¡¯ll go through them together. You point out anyone you saw. Even one ID could give us a thread to pull."


    I nodded, slowly absorbing that we finally might have a lead to work on.


    He moved closer again, crouching slightly to meet my eyes. "And Evaline..." His voice dropped, almost into a whisper. "You can¡¯t do anything like this again. Not without telling me. Not without backup. You have to promise me."


    I looked at him, really looked, and saw not the professor, not the Alpha... but a protector. The one who had already saved me tonight.


    "I promise," I whispered. "No more solo missions."


    That seemed to satisfy him. He exhaled and gestured for me to stand.


    "Come on," he said. "I¡¯ll walk you back. You need sleep. And you have that internship shift tomorrow."


    Together, we slipped out of the apartment and into the quiet halls of the administrative building. He led me through another hidden tunnel, this one narrower and damper. The walls were cool to the touch and lined with stone. The silence between us wasn¡¯t awkward. It felt almost sacred, like something had shifted tonight between us for the better, something quiet butsting.


    When we finally stepped out into the small garden tucked behind the dormitory building, the world felt still. The clouds had rolled in thick overhead, masking the moon, and the air was bitingly cold.


    Kieran stopped a few steps before the side dorm entrance and turned to face me.


    "I mean it," he said, voice barely above the wind. "You scared me tonight, Evaline."


    I gave him a tight smile as I confessed, "I scared myself too."


    He looked at me, with something unreadable in his expression. Then, softly, he spoke, "But you were brave. And reckless. And thatbination¡¯s going to be the death of me."


    My smile instantly became bigger and I looked down at my shoes.


    "I really do mean it," I said, ncing back up. "Thank you. For saving me."


    He was about to respond when something light and coldnded on my nose. I blinked.


    Then another soft, weightless touch on my cheek.


    I tilted my head up, and my lips parted with a gasp.


    Snow.


    Tiny white kes were floating gently from the sky, swirling around us like feathers.


    "It¡¯s snowing," I breathed, holding my hand out as one ke melted on my palm. "The first snow."


    He looked up as well, his face cast in the soft silver light reflected by the clouds. A few snowkes were dusting his shoulders and the ends of his hair.


    "Guess winter decided to arrive tonight."


    "It¡¯s beautiful," I whispered and looked down at him.


    He gave a small smile and nodded. "It is." But he wasn¡¯t looking at the snow.


    We stood like that for another moment - him in silence, and me grinning like a little kid seeing snow for the first time.


    Then, reluctantly, I took a step back toward the gate. "I should go."


    "Yeah," he said softly. "I¡¯ll wait until you are inside."


    I turned back onest time before stepping into the hallway. The snow was already falling faster now, catching on the edge of his coat, his hair, the tips of hisshes.


    And for a second... I wished I could just stand out there with him. Forget the mystery. Forget the shadows and secrets and dangers in the dark.


    But I had a long day at work awaiting me. So I quickly headed to my dorm.

 Chapter 194: Visiting Nightshade Pack

    <h4>Chapter 194: Visiting Nightshade Pack</h4>


    <strong>Evaline: </strong>


    I kept my eyes glued to the scenery outside the car window, doing everything I could to not fidget.


    The world beyond the ss was looking like it had been dusted with powdered sugar - white snow clinging to rooftops, tree branches, and the empty roads. The forest we passed through was quiet and hauntingly beautiful beneath the soft gray sky. Still, no matter how pretty it was, it did nothing to calm the anxious rhythm pounding in my chest.


    Instead of heading to Council Headquarters like usual, I was picked up directly from the Academy that morning. River was already seated in the sleek ck car when I climbed in, sipping ck coffee and scrolling through his tablet. Now, over half an hour into the journey, we hadn¡¯t spoken a single word... until he finally broke the silence.


    <fn9c93> Th?s chapter is updated by find?novel</fn9c93>


    "Why are you so anxious?"


    I stiffened, dragging my gaze away from the window to nce at him. He hadn¡¯t looked up from his screen, but I could feel his attention shift toward me. Like always, he had this quiet way of making you feel like he knew everything already and was simply testing how well you would lie.


    "I¡¯m not anxious," I replied, perhaps a little too quickly.


    The corner of his mouth tugged upward. "Miss Evaline."


    That was all he said. Just my name. But somehow, it sounded like a warning and a challenge all at once.


    I exhaled slowly, giving up the act. "Maybe I¡¯m nervous," I admitted. "Just... not for the reason you think."


    Finally, he put the tablet down on the leather seat beside him and turned to face me fully. "Then what reason is it?"


    I stared out the window again, watching the frost-covered fields blur past. "Because I don¡¯t trust you."


    There. I said it. No sugarcoating.


    I expected him tough or throw some snide remark my way, but when I turned to look at him, he just blinked... almost like I had pped him. His brows rose ever so slightly, clearly unimpressed.


    "That¡¯s... direct," he muttered finally.


    "Should I apologize?"


    "No." He leaned back in his seat, folding his arms. "I value honesty, even if it¡¯s pointed like a dagger."


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to continue the conversation, so I fell silent. From the rearview mirror, I caught the driver¡¯s eyes. He was trying not to smile. Was it me? Or the fact that we almost sounded like bickering teenagers?


    Either way, I didn¡¯t care. I just wanted the day to end.


    A second car was trailing behind us - carrying Jasper, River¡¯s secretary, and one other warrior I didn¡¯t recognize. It had been nearly over an hour since we left the Academy, and my back ached from sitting stiff for so long. Just when I thought I couldn¡¯t take another mile of awkward silence, the driver finally announced that we were entering Nightshade Pack territory.


    The car slowed as we approached high iron gates that swung open before us. From there, it was a short ride down a long gravel path lined with tall pines dusted in white. At the end stood the Nightshade Pack mansion. It was an old, towering structure of stone and dark wood, looking more like a fortress than a home.


    When we pulled up, a group was already waiting at the entrance.


    The Pack Elders were standing at the front, lined shoulder to shoulder like some council of judgmental ghosts. Beside them were the family of the previous Alpha, Beta and his family, and a few other important-looking figures I recognized from the records.


    Every one of them bowed respectfully when River stepped out of the car. I followed quietly behind, keeping my head low and hands folded in front of me.


    To them, I was a nobody. Just an intern. A temporary assistant. A girl River probably brought along to run errands or carry files. And that was exactly what I needed them to think.


    I stayed behind as River shook hands, exchanged words of greeting, and epted their wee like a king returning to one of his provinces. His presence wasmanding, no matter where he went. The Nightshade wolves treated him with a mix of awe and fear, as expected for the Rogue Alpha King.


    The rest of the day passed in a blur of activity. We were given a tour of the estate, including the training grounds, council chambers, and the sacred grounds where the Alpha selection would soon take ce. I remained silent, nodding and taking mental notes.


    At lunch, I sat at the far end of the table, quietly observing. The discussions ranged from pack alliances to trade negotiations. River took the lead in everything, but I noticed how he would sometimes nce my way before speaking, as if checking that I was paying attention.


    I was. Every word.


    By the time the afternoon sun began to dip and shadows stretched across the snow, I felt like I had been walking on eggshells all day. Everyone was cordial, but the tension was thick as the discussion of uing Alpha selection started.


    Finally, at around four, River signaled to Jasper that it was time to leave. Thank the stars.


    We said our goodbyes. I bowed again, received a nod from one of the Elders, and slipped into the car without a single person speaking to me. That was good. That meant I was forgettable.


    Exactly what I needed to be.


    As the car pulled away from Nightshade Pack territory, I allowed myself a long exhale. The snow had started to fall again, just lightly, as if the sky was breathing out a secret. River said nothing for the first several minutes. But just before I thought he might stay silent for the rest of the ride, he spoke again.


    "You did well today."


    I turned to look at him, my brows lifting in surprise.


    "I didn¡¯t do anything."


    "Exactly," he replied, the corner of his mouth twitching. "You observed. You listened. You didn¡¯t draw attention. They think you are harmless."


    "And you think I¡¯m not?" I asked, half-joking.


    He met my gaze. "I think you are dangerous in a very specific way, Evaline."


    I didn¡¯t ask him what that meant. I didn¡¯t want to know.

 Chapter 195: Back In The Tunnels

    <h4>Chapter 195: Back In The Tunnels</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time River¡¯s car came to a stop outside the Academy gates, it was nearing five-thirty in the evening.


    I was barely out the door when I realized just how many people had decided to be right there at that exact moment.


    It felt like the entire Academy had suddenly remembered they had somewhere to be near the gates. There were nearly two dozen students, maybe more - chatting, walking,ughing - and they all froze when they caught sight of the sleek ck car with its matte finish and familiar emblem.


    Then, their gazes slid toward the backseat. When the door opened and I stepped out, a hush fell over them like someone had just hit mute.


    And then, they saw him.


    River Thorne.


    He was still seated inside the car, half-shadowed by the tinted windows, yet the distinct edge of his jaw and cool indifference was unmistakable. He didn¡¯t even nce at the crowd. Just casually scrolled through something on his phone like a King dropping off a servant who mattered more than she should.


    I didn¡¯t wait for him to say anything. I nodded politely, shut the door behind me, and turned away from the crowd, walking as if the weight of all their burning gazes wasn¡¯t pressing into my spine.


    Some of them looked shocked.


    Others looked... jealous.


    And a few? Downright hostile.


    I caught Celeste standing just inside the gates with her group. It looked like she just returned to the Academy after a day out.


    Of course, she had to be here as well!


    Her expression was unreadable. Her arms were folded, her eyes on the car, and her lips pressed into a line tight enough to slice paper. When her gaze shifted to me, it sharpened.


    I held back a sigh.


    Great.


    Of all things I wanted to avoid, drama was at the top of the list. I didn¡¯t care how many girls at this Academy dreamed of River Thorne. I had no intention of fighting over him. She could have him. All I wanted was for the world to leave me and my mates alone.


    Oscar. Draven.


    They were all that mattered to me. The rest - Celeste, jealous nces, hushed whispers, River Thorne - meant nothing.


    I reached my dorm a few minutester. It was empty, as expected. All my friends were out in town celebrating the first real snowfall of the season. I could have joined them, but I was far too drained.


    Instead, I grabbed some clothes from the closet - trousers and a woolen top - and headed to the girls¡¯mon showers.


    The water was deliciously warm, washing away the tension from the long day. I stood there for a good ten minutes, letting the steam wrap around me like a nket before finally stepping out and drying off.


    Back in the dorm, I went through my evening skincare routine with mechanical ease - body moisturizer, face serum, a light moisturizer, lip balm, and hand and foot cream. I slipped into a pair of winter socks and pulled my hair back in a loose, practical hairstyle.


    By then, my stomach had begun to grumble, reminding me that I hadn¡¯t eaten since lunch. I figured I would grab something small from the dining hall, maybe a hot drink or a muffin, before heading to the study hall to study for next week¡¯s history quiz.


    But just as I stepped out of the dorm, my phone buzzed in my pocket.


    <strong>Oscar: </strong><i>Meet me in the garden behind your dorm building in five.</i>


    My brows lifted and I reread the message.


    What is he up to?


    Without wasting time, I took the elevator down and stepped into the garden through the side door. The sky was dimming rapidly, and soft shadows were stretched across the path. The garden at the back of the dormitory had always been quiet. Forgotten, almost.


    It was just as deserted as always. Not a soul in sight. Snow was resting lightly on the low hedges and benches, untouched and pure. I scanned the area, pulling my coat tighter around. And then I noticed it... movement.


    A slight shift near the stone archway at the far end of the garden, hidden behind tall bushes.


    <fn1e02> ?????? ???? find{n}ovel</fn1e02>


    That ce...


    Recognition dawned in an instant. It was the exact same ce the secret passage to the tunnel was located - the one Kieran used the night before to send me back. The passage was practically invisible unless you already knew it existed.


    I took a cautious step forward, then another. My eyes scanned the dorm windows above to make sure no curious eyes were peeking out.


    And then I saw him.


    Oscar.


    He emerged halfway from the shadows, meeting my gaze for a heartbeat before he reached out and grabbed my wrist, tugging me gently toward the arch.


    "What are you doing?" I whispered curiously.


    He didn¡¯t answer. He just pulled me into the shadows, his body warm against the chill. My heart skipped a beat as we stepped through the hidden stone opening and into the narrow tunnel.


    He led the way through darkness, and I followed, my steps echoing slightly as we passed through the quiet passage.


    "Where are we going?" I asked after a moment as I was unable to hold back.


    "You¡¯ll see."


    His fingers didn¡¯t let go of mine the entire way. After a few turns, corridors, stairs, and narrow halls, we reached a door located in somewhat familiar hallway.


    He punched in a passcode and the lock clicked.


    The moment the door opened, a wave of warmth enveloped me. We stepped inside, and I blinked at the sight before me.


    If I had to take a guess... then it was his private quarters at the Academy.


    It was a small, private apartment just like Kieran¡¯s. It was simple, masculine, but warm. A crackling fire was lightening up the firece across the room, its golden glow bouncing off the soft tan walls. There was a deep gray couch with a nket tossed over it, a shelf lined with books, and even a kettle whistling softly in the corner.


    He closed and locked the door behind us before finally releasing my hand. H3 then walked to the firece, and added another log before turning to face me.

 Chapter 196: Understanding Between Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 196: Understanding Between Brothers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stood there like I was frozen, still by the door of his quarters as the warm scent of burning wood and hot cocoa wrapped around me like an invisible nket. I should have moved. I should have said something. But I didn¡¯t need to.


    Oscar came to me.


    Without a word, he stepped close, slid his arms around my waist, and pulled me into his chest. And just like that, everything else faded.


    The moment my body met his, our mate bond lit up like a warm ember in my soul. It pulsed gently, calmly, as if sighing in relief at finally having us close again. I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding and melted into his arms. With my cheek pressed against the soft fabric of his shirt, I could hear his heartbeat - slow and steady.


    I tilted my chin up and looked at him.


    His emerald eyes met mine, gentle and full of that quiet affection that always took me by surprise.


    "I... I have to be somewhere in a while," I whispered reluctantly.


    One of his eyebrows rose. "Where to?"


    "I was nning to grab a bite from the dining hall, study a bit... just till seven... and then head to Professor Kieran¡¯s office."


    <fn5e8b> Latest content published on F?ndNovel</fn5e8b>


    His expression didn¡¯t shift the way I was expecting it to. No flicker of confusion. No questions about why I was meeting his brother. Instead, he just asked-


    "Are you hungry?"


    I blinked at him. "I mean... yeah. A bit."


    A soft smile curved on his lips. He reached up, cupped my face in both hands like I was something precious, and pressed a warm kiss on my forehead. "Then text Kieran. Tell him you¡¯ll meet him after dinner."


    I opened my mouth to protest. "Oscar-"


    "No," he interrupted gently, cing a finger against my lips. "I haven¡¯t had time to be with you in days. I want to feed you. Talk to you. Be with you. Just for a while. Is that too much?"


    His words were quiet. Sincere. And something in my chest clenched in response.


    How could I say no to him when he was being like this?


    I sighed and pulled my phone from my pocket. Quickly, I typed a message to Kieran.


    <i>Professor, I¡¯m feeling a little tired after the long day at work. Would it be okay if I meet you after dinner instead?</i>


    His reply came almost instantly.


    <strong>Kieran:</strong><i>Okay. Rest well.</i>


    I locked the phone, slipping it back into my pocket.


    Oscar smiled again, clearly pleased. "Good. Nowe."


    He led me to the couch and helped me settle down. The cushions were thick and soft, and the throw nket was warm against the chill. I tucked my legs up on the seat as Oscar walked over to the open kitchen.


    "I¡¯ll make you something," he said, rolling up the sleeves of his dark olive shirt. "Something easy, but healthy. You are eating for two now."


    My heart gave a tiny flutter at his words.


    I didn¡¯t say anything. Just watched him.


    The firelight yed across his face as he moved. He opened the mini fridge and started pulling things out. One by one, he held them up for my approval.


    "Carrot sticks?"


    I nodded.


    "Hummus or Greek yogurt dip?"


    "Greek yogurt."


    "Sliced apples with peanut butter?"


    "Yes, please."


    "Cheese cubes?"


    "Only the soft ones."


    He nodded, tossing the harder cheeses back into the fridge.


    "Whole grain toast or rice cakes?"


    "Rice cakes."


    He nodded again.


    "I won¡¯t be able to eat all that," I said when he showed me two boxes with strawberries in one and blueberries in the other.


    He smiled. "I know. I just want to know your preferences."


    Then he opened a cupboard and took out a small sealed ss container. "These are homemade pumpkin oat cookies. Kieran made them. Want one?"


    "If Professor Kieran made them, then yes."


    It only took him a few minutes to put together a beautifully arranged te - sliced fruit, a small bowl of dip, some rice cakes topped with almond butter, a few cookies, and a handful of roasted almonds.


    He brought it over and sat beside me, cing the te on the coffee table before settling in with our knees touching.


    I stared at the food, then at him.


    "You didn¡¯t have to do all this."


    He leaned his head against the backrest and looked at me sideways. "I wanted to. I always want to do things for you, Little trouble."


    I swallowed, my heart doing something wild in my chest again.


    His gaze lowered to my belly, then back to my face. "How are you feeling? Any pain? Dizziness?"


    "No," I whispered. "Just tired. Today was a long day."


    He nodded. "Good. Eat now."


    So I did. He even fed me a bite or two with his fingers when he thought I was being too slow. He made me felt... taken care of.


    And safe.


    Right then, my phone buzzed with an iing message. As I unlocked the phone and took a look, I realized it was from Draven.


    <i>"Have a great time with Oscar today. I¡¯ll be looking forward to spend time with you tomorrow evening. Your mate!" </i>


    I arched my eyebrows and turned my questioning gaze to the man sitting next to me. I showed him the text and asked, "Don¡¯t tell me you two have nned about who¡¯s going to spend which day with me."


    In response, he gave me an innocent smile that screamed he was guilty. But instead of getting mad, I smiled at him. To know that my mates were having such kind of understanding, where they could discuss such things without any jealousy or awkwardness, made me feel relieved.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Oscar suddenly asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.


    Confused, I asked, "Like what?"


    He inched closer, his warm breath fanning my face. He stared right into my eyes as he spoke, "Like you are falling in love with me all over again."

 Chapter 197: Doctor Said It’s Safe

    <h4>Chapter 197: Doctor Said It¡¯s Safe</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Instead of answering his teasing words, I leaned in and kissed him.


    It was soft... so soft that for a second, I wasn¡¯t sure he even felt it. But I knew he did. His breath hitched. His eyes widened for the briefest moment, then fluttered closed as he responded by kissing me back. The surprise melted into something warmer, something deeper.


    My fingers curled into his shirt and I anchored myself to him as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. His lips were moving against mine slowly, deliberately, coaxing, savoring. Like he had all the time in the world to memorize me. It was unhurried at first - just mouths meeting, lips brushing, breaths shared.


    I sighed into the kiss, and that¡¯s when I felt something shifting.


    Something changed between us, something raw and hungry stirred.


    His hand found my waist and then slipped under the woolen top I was wearing. As I felt the warmth of his palm making contact with the bare skin of my lower back, I gasped into the kiss.


    And this was all it took for him to take charge. His other hand came up to cup the back of my head, tilting me just the way he wanted, and then he kissed me like a man starved.


    And I responded like someone who had waited too long.


    I fisted my fingers into his shirt as he kissed me deeper, harder, and pulled me closer until there was no space left between our bodies. I was able to feel every inch of him - his solid frame, his rapid heartbeat, his desire bleeding into mine through the mate bond.


    His tongue brushed mine, teasing, and I moaned before I could stop myself. And that single sound seemed to ignite something in him.


    He pulled me into hisp, his hands gripping my hips as if anchoring himself, and then his lips trailed from my mouth to my jaw, down to my throat. I tilted my head for him instinctively, offering him more.


    His kisses were open-mouthed, slow but firm. His hot breath against my skin was doing unexinable things to me. And when his tongue brushed over the sensitive spot just under my ear... I shivered. He lingered there, cing a kiss that sent a bolt of heat straight through my spine.


    "Oscar..." I whispered, sliding my hands into his hair and letting my fingers tangle in those soft, dark strands.


    His hands moved along my back, up to my sides, until he was caressing the curve of my waist with feather-light strokes. Then they slid forward, bold but careful, as if asking for permission without words. I didn¡¯t stop him. I didn¡¯t want to.


    His every touch, every breath, every kiss, was making me feel desired, wanted, seen.


    He kissed me on the lips again, and then his mouth started traveling lower - down my throat, then my corbone, across the skin just above the neckline of my top. He nuzzled the space between, then gently sucked at a spot that had me arching against him with a soft gasp.


    My body was burning.


    Everywhere he touched, I felt like I was unraveling. My breath was shallow, my thoughts scattered, and all I could focus on was the way his hands and mouth were exploring and how my body was desperate to be closer... so much closer.


    I rocked slightly in hisp, and he suddenly froze.


    His breathing was ragged, but he pulled back, his hands still cradling my waist as he looked at me with wide, lust-darkened eyes. "Eva..." he said my name like a warning and a prayer at the same time. "We... we should stop."


    I blinked at him, confused, dazed, and still caught in the haze of desire. "What?"


    His fingers brushed the curve of my cheek, tender and hesitant. "I don¡¯t want to do something you are not ready for. And... you are also pregnant."<fnc0de> Checktest chapters at F¦ÉndNovel</fnc0de>


    I stared at him. His words weren¡¯t wrong. He was being considerate, kind, the good mate that he always was.


    But I didn¡¯t want him to stop.


    "I want you," I whispered, surprising even myself with how steady my voice was. "Oscar, I want this. I want you."


    His eyes searched mine, still conflicted. "I just... I don¡¯t want to hurt you. Or the baby."


    My cheeks flushed, and I looked down for a second before forcing myself to meet his gaze again. "At the hospital, the doctor said it¡¯s safe."


    His eyebrows shot up, and I noticed the hint of amusement taking over his eyes. "You asked?"


    I felt mortified for some reason. I knew my cheeks were burning as I quickly shook my head. "Of course, not! She told me on her own."


    His lips twitched as he tried to hold back a grin, but his eyes were still full of amusement. "You are really telling me right now that the doctor said¡ª"


    "She said," I interrupted, fixing my gaze on his and forcing myself to be bolder than I was actually feeling inside, "that I can have sex as long as we are careful andfortable."


    He just stared at me. And I knew exactly what was going through his mind. I wasn¡¯t the type to say things like this. At least, not until now. He wasn¡¯t used to me taking the lead, saying bold things without hesitation.


    But he also looked at me like I had just flipped some invisible switch in him. Like I had surprised him in the best way.


    And when I reached up, ran my fingers along his jaw, and whispered, "I want you, Oscar," this time softer, more sure.


    His gaze darkened, his desire returning and taking over the amusement. I felt one of his hand moving up my arm before it reached my face and grabbed my face between his fingers in a firm but gentle hold.


    "Make no mistake, love. If we began, you¡¯ll not find the chance to stop me before we are done."


    The warning was clear, but I knew what I wanted. "You talk way too much-"


    And his mouth was on mine in a heartbeat.

 Chapter 198: In His Arms

    <h4>Chapter 198: In His Arms</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    His kiss consumed me. It was tender at first, but soon ignited with a hunger that mirrored the fire blooming in my chest.


    I responded without hesitation, threading my fingers through his soft hair and tilting my head to kiss him deeper. There was no room left for shyness or second thoughts. Only us. Only now.


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    Oscar kissed me like I was the only thing in the world he wanted, like nothing else mattered. I wasn¡¯t just receiving his kiss, I was meeting it with every piece of me that ached to belong to him.


    My hands found their way to the front of his shirt, and before I even registered what I was doing, I had begun unbuttoning it, one button at a time. My fingers were trembling from a mix of nerves and need, but I didn¡¯t stop until the fabric parted, revealing the warmth of his bare skin.


    When my fingertips brushed against his toned abdomen, a deep, shuddering breath left his mouth against mine. I felt his muscles tensing slightly under my touch, but his kiss only grew deeper, more insistent.


    Before I knew it, he broke the kiss just long enough to breathe my name - <i>"Evaline..."</i> - and then stood up effortlessly with me in his arms.


    I gasped, both surprised and thrilled, as I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist. Our eyes locked and both of us broke out into smiles, still out of breath from the intense kissing.


    He didn¡¯t say a word as he carried me out of the living room. And then his lips returned to mine halfway down the hall. I could barely focus on our surroundings - his kiss, his presence, his scent had all but taken over my senses.


    I heard a door click open, felt the cool air of the room wash over us as he stepped inside, and then the door shut behind us.


    We were in his bedroom.


    Moonlight was streaming in through a half-drawn curtain, casting a silvery glow across the room. He didn¡¯t stop moving until he reached the edge of the bed. There, he gently set me down on my feet, but our bodies never parted. He stayed close, his hands holding me by the waist as he leaned in, brushing his lips down the side of my neck.


    I let my head tilt, baring more of my throat to him.


    His kisses trailed lower, featherlight at first. Then warmer. Hungrier.


    A soft gasp escaped me as his lips reached the hollow at the base of my neck and he sucked on the skin in response. His hands were now exploring the curve of my back before they slipped beneath the hem of my top.


    "You are so beautiful," he murmured against my skin. The way he said it - reverent, sincere, almost disbelieving - made my heart stutter.


    I responded by reaching for his shirt and pushing it off his shoulders. It slid down his arms and fell to the floor without a sound. I let my fingers glide across his bare skin, tracing every line, every ridge of his sculpted chest. I couldn¡¯t help it. I leaned closer and pressed my lips against his corbone, then down the center of his chest. I felt the way his breath caught when I did.


    He gently pulled back to look at me, his eyes searching mine as if to silently ask again - <i>Are you sure?</i>


    I nodded once, firmly. "I want this. I want you."


    He smiled at me, a smile that almost said he was proud of me.


    That look on his face made me giggle, just a little. "What?" I teased. "You didn¡¯t think I woud say something like that?"


    "I just..." His throat moved as he swallowed. "You keep surprising me."


    "Good," I whispered, leaning in to kiss the corner of his mouth. "Let me surprise you a little more."


    The atmosphere shifted again, from soft amusement to something heavier. Richer. My top slipped over my head and joined his shirt on the floor. His hands moved with reverence, as if memorizing every inch of my skin. Each time his fingers brushed over my stomach, I could feel his emotions through our bond - tenderness, protectiveness, and something even deeper than desire.


    Love.


    He wasn¡¯t just touching me. He was cherishing me.


    He then surprised me as he suddenly kneeled in front of me. Taking one of my hands in his own, he pressed his lips over my knuckles. Then he leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss over the curve of my belly, where my child was growing. My chest ached with so much emotion, I thought I might burst. It wasn¡¯t just passion anymore. It was connection. Wholeness. Something sacred.


    "I never thought I would have this," he murmured, still kneeling before me while looking into my eyes. "You. This bond. A family of my own..."


    My fingers slipped into his hair again, holding him close. "You deserve it all," I whispered.


    He rose slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. Then, his hands were moving to remove the remaining pieces of clothes on me. We helped each other,yer byyer, between kisses, between soft chuckled, between looks that said more than words ever could.


    As I stood bare in front of him, his eyes taking me in with a wildfire zing in them, I felt like the most beautiful woman in that moment.


    "That¡¯s not fair," I said as he pulled me close.


    "What?"


    I pointed at his pants. "You are still wearing them."


    He smiled again, inching closer until her lips were barely breaths apart. "Be patient, Love. You will get your chance to enjoy the view. But for now, it¡¯s my turn."


    He thenid me down on the bed, the sheets cool against my back. He followed and hovered over me like a shield, his hand brushing hair from my face. His kisses returned... slower now. Deeper. More reverent. As if every touch was a promise he meant to keep for the rest of our lives.


    And when our bodies finally pressed close, the world faded around us.


    There was only him.


    Only us.


    Only this moment, suspended in time - two hearts, two souls, and one bond that shimmered like silver fire beneath our skin.

 Chapter 199: Love Confessions

    <h4>Chapter 199: Love Confessions</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong><fn9bb2> Latest content published on F¦Énd£Îovel</fn9bb2>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I scanned his face when he pulled back after cing a soft feathery kiss on my chin, and found his eyes filled with desire that made butterflies flutter in my stomach.


    I opened my mouth but words refused toe out. Instead, my slightly parted lips invited yet another kiss. This one was soft too. His tongue gently traced my lips, making me gasp and gave him the entrance he sought.


    His tongue invaded my mouth as one of his hands trailed down my shoulder, then my arm, before he found my palm and entwined his fingers with mine.


    Our tongues danced together, fueling our building desire further instead of quenching it. He only ended the kiss when I was almost out of breath.


    He pulled away from my mouth only to trail wet kisses down my throat. "Stars, Eva," he groaned into the crook of my neck before lightly nipping on the skin, forcing a gasp out of me.


    I felt like I was floating.


    His touch was both grounding and electrifying. With his one hand supporting his weight, he pulled out his other one from mine and started trailing it down the curve of my waist, causing my skin to erupt in goosebumps. I arched into his touch instinctively, my breath catching when his lips sucked on a spot right on the swell of my left breast.


    Each kiss was leaving a trail of warmth, and when his tongue finally closed around my aching nipple, I lost all control. A soft moan escaped me before I could stop it.


    He groaned softly, as if feeling contended by my response. He gave the bud another lick. Then another.


    "Do you have any idea," he whispered while tilting his head up to look at me, his voice roughened by restraint, "what you are doing to me?"


    I blinked at him as my heart hammered in my chest. "You are not exactly innocent either."


    A low chuckle rumbled in his chest as he stared at me with that intense, emerald gaze. "I¡¯m trying to be good, little mate."


    "Don¡¯t," I whispered as I let my fingers ran through his soft locks. "Just... be with me."


    Something in him shifted. His jaw clenched, and he lowered his head again, and this time... it wasn¡¯t just a lick that I received. This time, there was no patience - only heat. Want. Devotion.


    I moaned as he sucked the nipple, yed with it until my core was clenching with need. And when he stopped, it was only to shift his attention to the twin.


    My hands found his bare back, exploring every line of muscle, every shift of strength beneath his skin. His body moved over mine, pressing me into the mattress, and yet somehow he was still careful - still controlled. Always aware of me. Of the child I carried.


    That care made me ache for him even more.


    When he had yed enough with my nipples, he started his journey south. His mouth left trails of kisses down my abdomen, over my belly where he stayed for a moment. The kisses he ced there weren¡¯t the ones filled with desire... but love.


    I felt the back of my eyes burning when I realized what his gesture meant, and how much it meant to me.


    A lump formed in my throat when he looked up and I found his eyes shining with a simr emotion.


    "I have wanted this for so long," he murmured against my skin. "Even when I told myself I hated you... part of me still wanted you."


    My heart twisted. "I know," I said softly, threading my fingers through his hair. "I felt it. Every time you looked at me, it was like you were fighting yourself."


    "I was." He epted. "I was angry. At you, at myself... at the bond. I didn¡¯t want it. I didn¡¯t want <i>you</i>."


    He moved up and cupped my face gently. "But the truth is... I didn¡¯t know you. I only knew the version of you who was my parents¡¯ murderer¡¯s daughter. And the more I saw the real you, the harder it became to hold onto that hate."


    My throat tightened. I blinked rapidly to fight the tears threatening to spill.


    "You were brave," he continued. "So damn brave. You endured everything we threw at you. And you still held your head high. You still protected others. You still kept your heart open."


    "I didn¡¯t have much choice," I whispered. "It was either fight... or be crushed."


    He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I¡¯m d you chose to fight," he said. "Because if you hadn¡¯t, I would have never known what it felt like to be loved by you."


    He brushed his thumb over my cheek as he continued, "I know I have taken too long to say this, but I¡¯m sorry, Eva. Sorry for how I and my brothers treated you in the past. Sorry for destroying your family and pack. Sorry for destroying your life. You don¡¯t have to forgive me. I just want you to know that I¡¯m aware of my mistakes and genuinely feel regretful."


    I shook my head, trying hard to keep the tears from spilling. "I have long forgiven you. I have had my prejudices against you just because you were one of the Rogue Alphas. But with time, I realized the real is so much more than just that identity. And I love that real you, Oscar."


    His eyes widened the moment he heard me confessing my love, and surprisingly, the one who ended up crying first was him. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he cupped my face.


    "I love you too, Evaline Greystone. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. I love you so damn much..."


    I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. I pulled him down into another kiss, tasting the raw truth in his words, the ache in mine. The air between us grew heavy again, our bodies aligning as if guided by instinct alone.


    His touch was everywhere - my waist, my hips, my thighs - slow and reverent, never rushing. Every kiss he gave me felt like a silent vow. I responded to each one with my own wordless promise, my body arching into his with a kind of desperate need I had never known before.

 Chapter 200: Getting Impatient

    <h4>Chapter 200: Getting Impatient</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter</strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Oscar..."


    I moaned his name as he sucked on my nipple gently. The things his tongue did to me... were unexinable. My breath hitched as I felt his hand gliding down my belly, but instead of finding its way to my aching core, he grazed his fingers along my inner thigh - caressing, teasing, indulging.


    He shifted his mouth to my other peak that was standing erect. At the same time, his fingers moved over my folds. I sucked in a deep breath, waiting for him to finally touch me. But he didn¡¯t.


    Instead, he pulled backpletely, leaving me dazed and confused. But before I could have asked anything, he was shifting lower, between my legs that were spread wide for him in invitation.


    The sudden realization about how bare and open I was to him in that moment, left my cheeks burning. It was on instinct that I started pulling my legs together, but he stopped me, his handsing to rest on my knees.


    He stared into my eyes. "What? Feeling shy now, mate?" He asked, his tone slightly teasing before it grew serious. "You are beautiful, Eva. So let me see you all I want."


    My breath hitched.


    "Then stop teasing me," I breathed the words before I could have stopped myself.


    A smile curved the corners of his lips. "As you demand, my love."


    I watched as he lowered himself down between my legs, pressing a kiss on my knee before trailing a wet line along my inner thigh until he was right in front of my core.


    I held my breath as I watched him take me in from up close, and this time, I didn¡¯t shy away. I waited... until he leaned in and ced a soft feathery kiss right over my folds.


    A gasp forced its way out through my lips and I arched into him when his tongue suddenly slid between my folds and found my aching clit. The contact sent a sudden rush of tingles through my body, leaving me almost breathless.


    One of his hands moved to hold my waist as he continued to y with my bud, while the other moved to my core and I felt his fingers moving over my folds.


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    I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    My skin felt like it was set aze with every stroke of his tongue, every whisper of his fingers. My body writhed under his touch, not from difort, but from a need so intense it left me dizzy. He wasn¡¯t just touching me - he was worshipping me, exploring every inch of my skin as if it held the secrets of the universe.


    And maybe it did. Maybe it held the secret of us.


    He slipped one of his fingers inside my core while his tongue continued ying with my clit. I groaned as he pumped his finger, taking it out then back in, slowly and gently.


    I reached down instinctively, threading my fingers into his hair, holding on to him as if I might otherwise float away. He was taking his time, moving slowly, deliberately, like I was something precious, something fragile. But the look in his eyes held a fierce hunger that told me otherwise. He desired me. Fully. Deeply. Entirely.


    And I... goddess, I wanted him just the same.


    He slipped a second finger in momentster, stretching me further, loosening me for what wasing next.


    My hips moved of their own ord, seeking more as his tongue and fingersbined almost brought me close to my orgasm. But just as I was about to reach that height, he stopped.


    "You are insatiable," he whispered against my thigh, pressing another kiss there. "You are going to undo me."


    "You promised to not tease me." My words were barely above a whisper, but he heard them loud and clear.


    He ced another kiss on my inner thigh before whispering, "I just can¡¯t help it." And then, before I could could grasp his intention, his tongue was back on my clit.


    He didn¡¯t stop this time. Sliding his fingers back in my dripping core, his tongue yed with my clit until I was moaning non-stop.


    It didn¡¯t take long before a powerful orgasm hit me, leaving me shaking while he slowed down but didn¡¯t pull away. He ride me through my release before finally pulling back.


    I reached for him, silently pleading, and he seemed to understand. He rose slowly, kissing a path along my stomach, up my ribs, until he hovered above me again, propped on his arms. His skin brushed mine, warm and firm, and my heart raced with anticipation. But more than that, it was the look in his eyes - pure devotion, desire, love - that undid me.


    "You okay?" he asked gently, his thumb brushing over my cheek. "Tell me when to stop."


    I blinked up at him. "Don¡¯t."


    That one word held everything - my trust, my yearning, my choice. His gaze softened even more, if that was possible, and he dipped his head to kiss me again. This time, the kiss wasn¡¯t wild or needy. It was slow, full of unspoken emotion, and I kissed him back with everything I had.


    His hand trailed down again, drawing gentle patterns across my hip, then curling around the back of my thigh as he pulled me closer. I felt the steady beat of his heart against my chest, matching mine in a rhythm older than time itself.


    I whispered his name again, and he paused, resting his forehead against mine. "Eva, if we go further, there¡¯s no turning back."


    I smiled, threading my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "I don¡¯t want to turn back."


    He groaned, low and deep, and captured my mouth again.


    I let my hands slip from his shoulders and found my way to the waistline of his pants. He pulled back and gave me a knowing smirk. "Getting impatient, aren¡¯t we?"


    I watched as he finally moved away and took care of his remaining clothes, leaving himself bare to my eyes.


    And oh Moon Goddess... what a body he had!

 Chapter 201: Always One

    <h4>Chapter 201: Always One</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I found myself taking my sweet time to gaze at Oscar¡¯s body just like he did with mine. My eyes lingered at several ces but I felt no shame. I took in his well-built physique and marveled at the thought of finally touching it.


    My eyes took in his chest, his abs, before moving down and stopping at his length that was already hard. The sheer sight of it had my throat feeling dry.


    But my sweet time of appreciating his fine body came to an end when he returned to the bed, hovering over me once again. "Like what you are seeing?"


    I reached out and snaked my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "You are beautiful too, mate."


    He smiled before once again seeking my lips. He pushed his tongue deep, engulfing my mouth in a deep, passionate kiss.


    At the same time, I felt his other hand slide between our bodies. My breath caught when I realized what he was doing - he wrapped his fingers around his hard length, and with slow, deliberate movements, he rubbed the crown of it against my aching bud.


    The moment his velvety skin made contact with my swollen clit, sparks of pleasure shot through me like wildfire. I moaned, but he caught the sound in his mouth as he kissed me deeply, thoroughly, not once breaking the contact between us.


    The friction, the anticipation, the heat - it was unbearable and intoxicating.


    When he finally pulled away from the kiss, I barely had time to catch my breath before I felt the thick head of his arousal press firmly against my entrance.


    "Let me know if it hurts. Okay?"


    I nodded.


    He pushed against my entrance, sliding in just a little bit before stopping. He was slow as he kept going, sliding in just a little bit every time. But it was clear how much he was struggling. His jaw was set straight and his biceps were bulging.


    "It¡¯s alright. Go in," I whispered as I felt my inner walls stretching at his invasion.


    He looked at me as if to confirm I was alright, and then, he thrust the rest of the way in, stretching me to my limit and filling mepletely.


    I gasped. My body arched into him, and my arms instinctively wrapped around his broad shoulders. His muscles rippled beneath my fingertips.


    A guttural growl left his throat - a raw, feral sound that made my stomach twist and a fire spark inside me.


    "Stars, Eva. You are so funking tight."


    He slowly pulled out, dragging every inch of himself against my sensitive walls before thrusting back in, deep. At first, he moved slowly, giving us both time to savor every moment. But the restraint didn¡¯tst.


    He groaned and began moving faster, harder, giving in to his need and mine alike.


    Each thrust sent waves of pleasure crashing through me. I held onto him tightly, my nails digging into his back as I struggled to keep myself grounded. The pace, the angle, everything was perfect. As if he knew exactly how to unravel me, piece by piece.


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    "Uhhh..." I gasped, unable to hold it in as the pressure inside me built higher and higher.


    My body trembled beneath him, warmth pooling low in my belly. My breath came in short bursts, and the heady scent of sex filled the air, wrapping around us like a storm cloud. Our bodies met again and again, the sound of skin against skin echoing in the room, joined by my moans and his groans.


    I felt... precious in that moment. Adored. Loved. The way Oscar touched me, kissed me, imed me, it made every nerve ending in my body light up.


    I could feel everything.


    The way he stretched me with every thrust, the friction that hit just right, the deep connection pulsing between us through the bond we shared. It was almost too much.


    My inner walls clenched tightly around him, and he let out a groan that sounded like he was on the edge himself.


    "Ah...!" I cried out as the pleasure took over, sharp and sweet. My body spasmed around him, a dam breaking inside me as I surrendered to the overwhelming ecstasy. I threw my head back, my vision going dark for a second as my climax crashed into me, wave after wave.


    And still, I felt him.


    Oscar plunged deeper, faster, chasing his own release as I trembled beneath him.


    Then I felt it - something warm and thick spilling inside me as he followed me into bliss, his body shuddering with the force of it.


    He stayed inside me for a moment, both of us catching our breath. My back was arched, my chest heaving, and I could feel my inner muscles fluttering around him as aftershocks rippled through me.


    He watched me closely. His eyes were dark, wild, and heated. His chest was rising and falling rapidly. I barely had time to think before he moved again.


    He pulled out slowly, only to seize my thighs and m himself back inside with in one single thrust that had me crying out, but the sound never reached the air. His mouth captured mine, his tongue plunging deep as he swallowed every sound I made.


    I whimpered into the kiss, overwhelmed and buzzing. My body was still twitching from thest climax when he started to move again.


    His lips trailed down to my neck. He kissed, nipped, and licked along the sensitive skin until I was breathless again.


    Each thrust was rhythmic, purposeful, as if he needed more. As if we both did.


    The sparks inside me hadn¡¯t fully settled from the first high, and they were already building again, flickering like a fire ready to ignite. Without meaning to, I clenched around him again.


    He groaned and shuddered, the pleasure hitting him hard. He bit down lightly on my neck, just above the pulsing vein, and I gasped - half startled, half desperate.


    He pulled back just enough to meet my eyes.


    He kept thrusting, his pace growing more erratic as he buried his face against my neck again. His lips brushed over the spot, tongue flicking out, teasing me.


    A gasp tore from my lips as I felt our bond exploding with sensation, humming and glowing like a live current between us.


    Onest, deep thrust... and everything shattered.


    My release hit me again, even more intense than the first two, and I heard Oscar groaning my name into my neck.


    For those brief, blinding moments, there was no world outside of us.


    No noise. No thoughts. Just him and me - soul to soul, body to body. One.


    Always one.

 Chapter 202: Plans for Holidays

    <h4>Chapter 202: ns for Holidays</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Wrapped in Oscar¡¯s arms, I felt the quiet pulse of our shared heartbeat. His fingertips were gently tracing circles on my back as he whispered, "Are you okay, love? Any pain or difort?"


    I shook my head, settling deeper into the warmth of his embrace. "Honestly... I feel... incredible. I¡¯m perfectly fine, so stop worrying."


    Though my body was aching a little, it was in the best way. And somehow, I knew the baby was perfectly fine just like me.


    A soft, relieved exhale of air escaped him at my words. Once I felt him truly convinced, I whispered, "I think I need to freshen up."


    He nodded and pointed toward the bathroom. "Take your time. I can help if-"


    I smiled softly, earning a yful smirk from him. "I¡¯m good."


    No sooner had I closed the door behind me than I heard the faint rustle of sheets being reced. I took my time washing up and cleaning myself. When I emerged momentster, I found hi. back on the newly made bed, d only in pants and still shirtless.


    He smiled up at me and patted the mattress beside him. I stepped forward, pulling on his bathrobe I had found in the bathroom - it smelled faintly of him, and the soft fabric feltforting against my warm, slightly-sore skin.


    "Why did you ruin the bed again?" I teased, sitting beside him. "Shouldn¡¯t we go back out to the living room?"


    He slid an arm around me and pulled me close. "Because when I lie down hereter tonight, I want these sheets... this room... to smell like you. I want every breath to remind me of you." His voice was a hushed promise, filling me with emotion.


    I curled into him as he draped the nket over both of us. Around us, the warmth from the heater was gentle against the biting cold outside. Avender-scented candle was flickering on the small bedside table, casting a soft glow. In the background, I recognized the low, rhythmic patter of rain ¨C a carefully chosen ambient track Oscar had set up to calm our senses. Everything was serene, intimate, perfect.


    Wey there, and for the next forty minutes, time seemed to slow.


    He pressed soft kisses to my hairline. We spoke quietly about nothing and everything ¨C about my sses and his, my day at work, and our ns for uing holidays.


    His schedule for the rest of the month was packed. He had another set of trials foring week, then he had to attend the Winter Solistice Ball, then the Christmas, and finally the Nightshade Pack¡¯s Alpha selection ceremony before he would be returning to the Academy as the holidays woulde to an end.


    Me, on the other hand, barely had much nned. I had my sses before holidays beganing weekend. Winter Solistice Ball was out of the option. Since I had no family to return to during holidays, I would be staying at the Academy. But before the end of holidays, I had to important events to attend - first, Nightshade Pack¡¯s Alpha selection ceremony on the 28th, and second, Mallory¡¯s birthday on the 30th.


    When I revealed my n of staying at the Academy during holidays, I noticed the way his smile disappeared and his eyes darkened. But he quickly schooled his expression and leaned in for a kiss.


    Our lips met, soft at first, then deeper, more certain. There was a sweetness to it that had me moaning into it. I felt every brush of his fingertips across my skin, every brush of his breath. This time together was like a luby, like catching our breath in a chaotic world. With him here, I felt calm, cherished, safe.


    When we finally ended the kiss, we both broke out into big smiles.


    I opened my mouth to ask him about his tattoo that was covering most of his left chest and shoulder, when my phone buzzed suddenly.


    The soft vibration from the bedside table made me realize just how thoughtful my mate was that he grabbed my phone from living room and ced it on the bedside table.


    I reached for the phone and unlocked it, finding a message from Mallory.


    <strong>Mallory: </strong><i>Hey, we are leaving the cafe - arriving at the Academy in 15. Where are you?</i>


    I turned my attention to my mate, suppressing a contented sigh. "My friends are on their way back. I told them I would meet at the dining hall."


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    He brushed a strand of hair from my face. "Take your time getting ready. I¡¯ll guide you through the tunnels."


    A pang of reluctance tugged at me - the urge to stay, to breathe in this moment forever - but I knew I needed to return to my friends.


    "We still have couple of minutes though," I said softly and leaned forward to ce my lips against his. And he weed me eagerly.


    Ten minutester, Oscar climbed out of the bed and held out a hand. I took it and stood too, pressing a final kiss to his shirtless chest.


    I got dressed andbed my hair. Once I was ready, he guided me out of the apartment and down the hallway before we slipped inside the secret passageway.


    "This tunnel opens up in the library building, right behind that big witch portrait up by the far north corner." He exined as he guided me through the darkness.


    Once we arrived there, he immediately pulled me into his arms and pressed a light kiss to my cheek. "Stay safe, Love."


    A smile bloomed across my lips. "Always."


    We shared a lingering kiss before I pushed the portrait open, stepping out of the secret passage and into the dark corner of the library where everything was covered in dust and cobwebs.


    I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and made my way out of the library and toward the dining hall to find my friends to have a nice dinner with them.


    My heart was full with love and warmth, and I had a feeling that I was radiating from head to toe. I just hoped I wouldn¡¯t make my friends suspicious. But I should have known better.

 Chapter 203: Keeping Her Eyes & Ears Open

    <h4>Chapter 203: Keeping Her Eyes & Ears Open</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stepped out of the dining hall and into the gentle hush of snowfall. The entire Academy was glowing softly under a thick nket of crystalline white.


    The night air bit at my cheeks, but I pulled my fur-lined coat tighter and set off toward the administrative building. Despite spending more than three months here, I still got taken aback this ce¡¯s sheer beauty. Every step felt like stepping into a storybook - the corridors, themp-lit paths, the warriors patrolling around the ce.


    But my own breath felt taut, mixed with the anticipation of the evening ahead.


    Halfway through the West Wing, I passed Professor Aldric and another second-year instructor. I offered a polite nod and "Good evening," and received friendly smiles in return as we headed our respective ways.


    Snowkes were falling heavily now, clinging to the hem of my coat as I took a shortcut through a courtyard. A wave of warmth greeted me as I entered the office area. The heaters kept the ce warm - a stark contrast to the cold outside.


    Once I arrived outside Kieran¡¯s office, I rapped gently on the door. Within moments, I heard the soft authority of his voice inviting me in.


    Inside, the room was glowing in golden light as the firece roared softly, spraying sparks across the hearth. The air was thick with warmth and the faint scent of woodsmoke. I looked up to see Kieran not at his desk, but curled on the long couch, an arm draped across a pile of papers, loose strands falling into his face as he looked up. He gestured to the space beside him, and I made my way there.


    "Thank you," I said, holding a paper bag in myp that held his coat from previous night. I sat down as he leaned forward, pushing the hair from his eyes and taking a look at the bag.


    "I sent it for dry-cleaning at the Academyundry, and I... well, I used a light-scented perfume of mine. I hope you don¡¯t mind." I forced a shy smile.


    He froze on his way to take the bag from myp. I realized my mistake and my heart tightened. "It-"


    He inhaled, the air shifting between us.


    "You smell different," he said quietly.


    Panic shed behind me. Oscar¡¯s scent lingered on my skin. My chest tightened. I had feared this... so I had prepared in advance. I just hoped it would work. "It¡¯s Kyros¡¯s coat," I lied smoothly. "Mine got food on it. He gave me this so I wouldn¡¯t freeze."


    His eyes flickered. He opened his mouth and then closed it. Silently, he rose and made his way to the only closet in the room. When he returned momentster, he had a dark fur coat in his hand - heavy, plush, impably tailored, and definitely expensive.


    "Can you please take off the one you are wearing?"


    I stared at him, stunned and confused. "I-Professor-"


    "Miss Evaline," he interrupted, "Please."


    I shouldn¡¯t have done it, but I did. Even before I realized it, I stood and my hands were taking off the coat. He then draped his coat around my shoulders and pulled it tighter around me.


    "This will do a much better job of protecting you from the cold," he said softly.


    It felt like being wrapped in more than just wool - like a shield made of concern and something deeper. Not knowing how to respond, I just whispered, "Thank you."


    His gaze held mine for a moment too long, and then he pulled away. He gestured to the tablet sitting on the coffee table. "Let¡¯s start."


    I nodded and both of us settled down on hhe couch. Switching on the tablet, he pulled up the profiles of second-year students and handed the gadget over to me.


    The snow drifted down outside the frosted window panes while I scrolled. A picture of one of the two faces I remembered from the corridor encounter came into view just momentster.


    "Professor," I said softly, tapping on the screen to get his attention to the profile. He immediately leaned in, taking his first proper look at the student whom I just recognized.


    "This one," I said, pointing to the profiles. "The one from the corridor."


    He nodded and typed something on his phone while I continued to scroll. Merely secondster, I found the other one from second-year and showed her profile to Kieran who once again typed something in his phone.


    Then I immediately shifted my attention to third-years and five minutester, I had two more students identified, these were the ones whom I noticed slipping inside the tower previous night.


    I wasn¡¯t able to recognize anyone else after that, but Kieran looked satisfied with my help.


    He smiled slightly. "Very good." His tone was businesslike, yet something warmed behind his eyes - pride, relief, maybe even affection. "We focus on these four. Discreetly."


    <fn1e44> Find the newest release on find{n}ovel</fn1e44>


    I nodded, setting the tablet back on the tablet. "I can watch them dyring meals, in the library, or study halls. I¡¯ll keep quiet."


    He immediately looked displeased with my idea. But before he could have said anything, I quickly added, "I promise to not do anything dangerous likest night. I¡¯ll just keep my eyes and ears open to make sure I don¡¯t miss anything important. And if I ended up finding anything at all, I¡¯lle to you first."


    He was silent. Though he didn¡¯t approve, he also didn¡¯t reject immediately which meant I had the chance to convince him.


    "Professor, please. Let me do this, and I promise to not give you another chance to feel disappointed in me."


    I gave him my most genuine pleading look. And it worked.


    "I never felt disappointed in you, Miss Evaline. Never!" He corrected before adding, "And I never will."


    I nodded, a warm feeling filling my heart at the trust and pride I saw in his eyes toward me.


    He then let out a small sigh. "Fine. You can do your spy work. But no going out of your way to get any information. And definitely not putting yourself in danger. Are we clear?"


    "Yes." I nodded mh head almost mechanically.


    "Miss Evaline," he said quietly, "stay safe." His voice carried something deeper than caution.


    I managed another nod. "I will."

 Chapter 204: Buying Presents

    <h4>Chapter 204: Buying Presents</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The brass bell above the store door tinkled softly as I stepped into the cozy gift store with Draven. His fingers were twined around mine, and my heart was fluttering with that familiar warmth thates from being with your mate


    We moved down the aisles as bright lights danced off colorful packages. Everyone around us seemed happy, festive... even the shopkeeper, a kindly older woman humming holiday tunes. It struck me how different this was from the world of shifters, packs, politics, and secret tunnels. Right now, it felt like a haven.


    It was Sunday evening and we were back in the human city we visited previous weekend with Oscar.


    When Draven called me earlier this morning to discuss our n for the evening, I told him about my n of buying Christmas presents for my friends.


    <fn33a5> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? FindN()vel</fn33a5>


    Since holidays were starting froming weekend, today was perfect for buying the presents. And fortunately, Draven was more than happy to apany me spend our date night shopping for presents.


    Since River was at the headquarters, we met at Ravenden Town instead of himing to pick me from HQ as we didn¡¯t want his brother to notice him. Also, Ravenden was quite far from the Academy unlike Lakeshire and Willowcross towns, so the probability of using across students from the Academy there was also very low.


    And now, we were finally here - in the bustling human city that was covered in snow, christmas vibes, and festive mood.


    As walking around for a while, I pulled Draven toward the first disy shelf that was overflowing with cute and quirky items. "Let¡¯s start with Mallory," I murmured as my eye caught a pristine white ceramic mug, engraved with a dainty flower wreath and in its centre was etched "I¡¯m My Best Version" in soft rose gold.


    I turned it over, realizing just how well it suited Mallory¡¯s personality. "This."


    Draven smiled and held the mug along with the other present I had already purchased from a store at the starting of the street. "Why two gifts for her though?" He asked, sounding curious.


    "It¡¯s her birthday on the 30th," I said while I weaved through the aisles, "This mug is her Christmas present and the set from earlier is her birthday present."


    I had bought a set of three newlyunched lip tints of Mallory¡¯s favorite makeup brand, knowing that she¡¯s gonna love them.


    Momentster, my eyes caught the sight of a beautiful friend?charms bracelet. It had tiny silver moons and stars dangling from a leather band. But what really made it special was the words carved on the only full moon dangling from it - "Best Brother".


    It immediately reminded me of Rowan. If there was one person who had always watched over me, it was him. I imagined him wearing it and it made me smile, a reaction Draven caught immediately.


    "He does seem like a great big brother," he said while brushing his fingers over the bracelet, "I¡¯m sure he will love it."


    Next, I picked a sleek oil diffuser in soft grey, plus a trio of calming scents -vender, eucalyptus, and forest pine. This one was for Kyros as he once mentioned about his interest into aromatherapy. This could help him rx during stressful days or nights that theing Academy months were about to bring.


    Noah¡¯s gift was practical but thoughtful - a waterproof portable speaker. He always had music ying, but his old one nearly drowned during showerst week. Now he could safely bring his soundtrack everywhere.


    For Selene, whose dorm soaked in herbal scents and tended pots, I picked a rare potted nt - an airy string-of-pearls sulent in a charming white pot inscribed with a beautiful quote. I knew she would adore it.


    Ria¡¯s gift was on the creative side - a personalized notebook, leather-bound. To make it more personal, I got her initials embossed in gold on it at the payment counter. That girl was into DIY stuff and she had a couple of diaries filled with those.


    Each item felt like a piece of me, tied to something I had noticed or learned about them.


    I also grabbed chocte and cookie gift sets for everyone, including Kyros and Noah¡¯s other two dormmates.


    After paying for everything, we returned to Draven¡¯s car and loaded everything in the trunk. Then, I turned to him.


    "Please wait here, I¡¯ll be back in a while," I said, leaning close and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. He gave me a teasing bow and said, "Princess."


    I made my way to a certain store I noticed before. It was a boutique that carried luxurious knits and cool essories. I found an impossibly soft cashmere scarf in dark chocte brown. It felt like silk to the touch, and the rich color made it stand out in the best way possible.


    It smelled faintly of cocoa. Maybe it was from the dye or some hidden ingredient, but I inhaled deeply and knew... this was it. My mind pictured Oscar wearing it and immediately bought it.


    But I wasn¡¯t done. That cocoa smell made mee up with another idea. So, I entered a perfume store next. It took me a while but I finally found that mini perfume bottle - the exact version of my mom¡¯s treasured scent. If there was one scent I was attached to in my whole life, one that made me feel grounded, it was this one.


    I smiled as I got the scarf and the perfume packed together as a gift set.


    Next, I stumbled on pairs of baby-blue couple sweaters embroidered with "My Love." One for me, one for Draven - they fit our shared warmth and gentle teasing. I imagined us lounging together in these.


    At another store, I bought really cute looking soft star-shaped fairy lights, and finally a leather keychain shaped like a wolf¡¯s paw.


    Finally, my gazended on a sleek pen set in the stationer¡¯s corner. It had deep bluecquer with silver ents. This felt just right for Kieran, who brought discipline and calm. I could picture him holding it thoughtfully during council meetings.


    With everything tucked in bags, I made for the door, my heart feeling full. But before I could have stepped out, a sh of something on the side shelf caught my eye and I paused.


    I picked it up to get a proper look and felt thrilled when a certain person¡¯s image shed across my eyes.


    I wasn¡¯t nning to get him anything, but this was too good to be missed. So I grabbed it with a sinister smile ying on my lips and returned to the payment counter.

 Chapter 205: Date Night with Christmas Vibes

    <h4>Chapter 205: Date Night with Christmas Vibes</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Soft snowkes drifted around us as we stepped out of a book store, arm in arm. We were like two lovers lost in our own winter wondend.


    Draven¡¯s hand felt so natural entwined with mine, as if it belonged there forever. The streets of the human city were aglow with festive lights. The air was crisp and cold against our cheeks. Shops were disying twinkling decor, their window counters were lined with gingerbread in family shapes, steaming cider, and soft fleece scarves. Everywhere we looked, Christmas was making its debut.


    Draven paused outside a tiny stall offering free samples of hot chocte. He handed me a cup warmed by steam. "For the chill... and us," he said, smiling. I sipped while smiling back. The rich sweetness instantly filled me with warmth.


    Once we were done, ee wandered further, sampling cinnamon-dusted pastries - tiny puffs that melted on our tongues - and steaming mulled ciderced with cloves. Each bite and sip wrapped us further into the beautiful night.


    He guided me down a street lined with craft-stall vendors, the kind that sold scented candles, knitted mittens, bespoke ornaments - the kind you would find in a film about Christmas. We stopped now and then.


    At one stall, I found a fuzzy ornament shaped like a wolf pup. It looked really cute but I didn¡¯t have a need to buy it, so we continued on our way. Next, we paused at a wooden stand selling miniaturenterns that were glowing with LED lights and smoky pine scent. This time I bought one to ce on my bedside table.


    As we strolled, we snapped a lot of selfies, just us - kissing with snow spiraling around, our breath warm against cold air. One especially perfect pose, with meughing and him kissing my forehead as snow drifted down, I knew would be framed somewhere someday.


    Eventually, we reached a vintage-style photo booth tucked between two caf¨¦s with ss-paneled facades. The queue was short, so we hopped in. Instantly, the air warmed as a string of tiny lights lit the cabin, and the machine whirred. We pressed close on the bench - him behind me with his arms around my waist.


    The booth¡¯s countdown shed - 3... 2... 1...


    "Wait! Is that it?" Draven suddenly shouted which made meugh. And that very moment, he leaned down to kiss my temple - giving a perfect pose for the photo right on time.


    Another - 3... 2... 1...


    This time, he buried his face in my neck and a smile spread across my lips. The sh captured it all, those stolen intimate moments.


    I pressed my palm against his cheek as thest snapshot clicked. The machine spit out our four-lens strip and I held it between us, smiling at the sweet record of us.


    He held my hand as we left the booth and stepped into the cold with both of us holding one set of our photos.


    "That was perfect," I murmured. He nced at the photos and kissed me. "This is us," he whispered. I nodded as my heart fluttered in my chest.


    We walked until the scent of roasted chestnuts led us to another glowing cart. He bought a paper cone of hot and fragrant nuts. We shared them as we continued, nibbling and talking quietly.


    After walking around those streets for another twenty minutes, we finally reached a cozy diner bathing in christmas light and holiday wreaths. It was looking warm, inviting. We entered, breathing out puffs of mist. Inside, the atmosphere enveloped us - muted jazz, hazy fairy lights, and id cushions. We took a booth near the window overlooking snow-dusted cobblestones as a waitress wrapped us in menus and steady warmth.


    We ordered hearty soup - pumpkin bisque for me and root veggie stew for him. We also ordered a cheese board to share, along with hot chocte topped with whipped cream. As we waited, Draven wrapped a nket around my shoulders. I leaned into him, inhaling the spicy-sweet aroma of the diner while the candlelight danced through the windows.


    We chatted easily. He asked how my work went these past two days, how was my time with Oscar the evening before, and finally... how was the baby doing.


    I was taken aback for a moment, but before I could have responded, our soups arrived.


    We thanked the waitress and I picked up my spoon to taste the warm soup that was filling the air around me with its delicious aroma. After a couple of sips, I finally spoke. "The baby is doing great. Thank you."


    He looked up at me, probably hearing how genuine I was in thanking him. He smiled and brought his spoon to my lips to let me taste his soup.


    As the rest of our orders arrived, we fell into our usual funny and easy-going vibe. We looked at our photos from the booth and ended upughing at ourselves.


    "You," he whispered, brushing a snowke off my hair, "are magic."


    "Only because you make me feel safe and loved," I responded.


    He studied me with his gentle green eyes. Then, he leaned in and kissed my forehead. The glow from the lights and the candle made us feel private, the noisy diner a backdrop to our small, perfect world.


    "Time¡¯s flying," I said lightly when my gazended on my phone and I noticed it was already nearing ten.


    He nodded. "Soon we¡¯ll have to head back," he said with a brief shadow in his eyes. I nodded but prayed my heart it could beter.


    We finished dinner slowly and stepped out of the diner after taking care of the bill.


    As we left, he gathered my hand tight. Outside, the snow was still falling lightly. We walked back along the festoon-lit street with our arms linked. At the car, I paused and turned to him. "Tonight was... perfect." And we kissed for the dozenth time this evening, this one slow and warm.


    He settled me into the passenger seat before sliding into the driver¡¯s seat himself. As we drove off into the snowy night, I felt light, loved, and ready for whatever came next - with him and with Oscar by my side.<fn83f6> Official source is Find[F]ovel</fn83f6>

 Chapter 206: Leaving Silver Moon (I)

    <h4>Chapter 206: Leaving Silver Moon (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The next week blurred by in snow-flecked mornings, packed halls, and more tests stacked like frosted cookies. Every afternoon felt like a sprint to Friday, and then suddenly the bell rang on thest ss of the week... and with it, fifteen days of holiday freedom burst open like the academy gates themselves.


    Almost all the students hurried out by Friday afternoon, not waiting for the official departure on Saturday. Instead of lingering by the oak benches to say goodbye, they dashed toward the Academy gates with their luggages.


    My friends were no different. Most of them, especially Mallory and Ria, had their luggage packed the night before. Now, we all were gathered in our dorm¡¯smon room to bid goodbyes to each other.


    Ria was first to leave. She threw quick smiles and hugs before grabbing her suitcase. "Enjoy the break guys! And let¡¯s stay in contact." And then she was gone.


    Selene was the next to follow. She also gave us hugs and warm smiles. "Take care everyone ande back soon!" She then also grabbed her bag and exited themon room. Noah was right behind her once he too quickly bid us goodbyes.


    With these three gone, only four of us were left in the dorm now - me, Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan. And no one was making any move to step out of the door next. They didn¡¯t seem ready to disappear into their own holidays without me.


    Mallory hovered like a bird on a wire, her voice soft but insistent, "Eva, you really shoulde home with me. My parents and my little siblings - they would adore having you. Christmas by the firece, snowball fights, home-cooked dinners..." Her eyes glowed with the dream of it.


    I hesitated, the thought warming me, but... it didn¡¯t feel right to spend the entire holiday at her ce.


    I gave her an apologetic look and she sighed. This wasn¡¯t her first time trying to convince me to join her and her family for celebrations.


    When she failed, Kyros chimed in to try his luck. "My pack will always wee you. Come with me - light the holidays with firelight and family music. I would love yourpany."


    Rowan was looking even more serious as he too shared his n. "If you are staying for the holidays, at least let me stay with you in the dorm. You don¡¯t have to be alone." His voice was quiet but determined.


    They were spoiling me with offers, each more generous than thest. I pinched the corner of my sweater and breathed in the scent of pine-scented cleanliness. I was about to speak when a knock on the dorm door sliced through the softness.


    Almost in unison, mine and Mallory¡¯s head whipped toward the door, while Kyros moved to open it.


    <fn2bf9> Original content can be found at find?novel</fn2bf9>


    When the door opened, a figure stood in the threshold. His sweater¡¯s hood was up, and his face was wrapped behind a scarf. We stared in confusion as they stepped inside.


    "Who-?" Kyros began as he stood by the door, not sure whether to close it yet or not.


    Surprisingly, it was Rowan who spoke first. "It¡¯s alright. One of us."


    My gaze darted from Rowan to that person when a familiar scent reached me. I found the stranger removing their scarf and when their face came into view, I found Draven standing there. His eyes found mine and a big smile immediately bloomed on his lips.


    Mallory gasped. Kyros¡¯ jaw dropped. But Rowan simply shrugged, looking calm as snow filtering through evergreen.


    "You knew?" I hissed at him, my eyes wide from shock and confusion.


    He shrugged again, lifting his eyebrows. "All I knew was that he¡¯sing here."


    I turned my attention back to Draven and asked, "What are you doing here?"


    Much to my mate¡¯s credit, he looked unhappy. "What a cold way to greet your mate. Here, let me teach you the right way."


    I watched in confusion as he stepped forward next, closing the distance between us, and pulled me into his arms. The next thing I knew, he was pressing a kiss to my cheek, long and deliberate. My heart stuttered while my friends glowed with shock and something close to amusement.


    When he pulled back, he had a bright smile ying on his lips. He kept one of his arms wrapped around me as he turned to face my friends. "Sorry for my sudden appearance. If I have guessed it right, you all are worrying about leaving her behind alone at the Academy. You all don¡¯t need to worry any longer about Eva¡¯s holiday ns. She¡¯sing with me - to my family¡¯s mansion. I want her Christmas."


    He looked down at me as he spoke thest sentence. Though it was supposed to romantic, all I felt was shock.


    This was nowhere in my ns - returning to the Rogue Alphas¡¯ mansion and that too to spend my holidays there.


    I wanted to question Draven but a light squeeze of his fingers on my waist stopped me. One look into his eyes and I understood. So instead, I turned my attention to my friends.


    I saw Mallory¡¯s lips parting like she wanted to ask something, but Draven raised a finger to hush her in a yful yet gentle action. "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of her. I promise."


    This made my friend immediately nod her head in approval.


    Rowan ced his hand on my arm softly, getting my attention. "If you need me - text, call, message. I¡¯ll be there."


    I nodded.


    Kyros gave me a hug and a soft pat on my head. "Have fun with the Thornes. And don¡¯t forget us."


    Mallory¡¯s hugsted the longest as she had a lot to whisper in my ear. "Don¡¯t let your mates make you forget about me, okay?" She squeezed me before stepping back with a teasing smile ying on her lips.


    One by one, my friends melted out of the dorm in grins and waves. Their voices trailed faintly until silence took over.

 Chapter 207: Leaving Silver Moon (II)

    <h4>Chapter 207: Leaving Silver Moon (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    With all my friends gone, I locked the dorm¡¯s main entrance before finally turning to face Draven.


    <fn4a63> This update is avable on FindN()vel</fn4a63>


    I cleared my throat. "And you are taking me to your mansion for the holidays...?"


    His expression softened, and he nodded. "That¡¯s exactly it. I¡¯ll drive you there, and then you¡¯ll stay with us during the holidays - with me, Oscar, Kieran, River. I promise you will have a great time there with us,."


    I blinked, not sure where to begin about how many things were wrong with this n. "I-Draven, I¡¯m grateful. I really am, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right. Kieran and River, they don¡¯t even know about my mate bonds with you and Oscar. What it¡¯s gonna look like to them if I turned up at your house like an uninvited guest. We can¡¯t even say that I¡¯m your friend."


    That¡¯s right. There wasn¡¯t a single possible excuse for me to spend the holidays at the Rogue Alphas¡¯ Mansion even if I had a reason and even a right to be there.


    Draven watched me with that soft look in his eyes. "You worry too much, Eva." He then took out his phone from his jacket¡¯s pocket and started dialing a number.


    "Kieran?" he asked softly. His tone pulsed with both respect and ease. "Could you... tell Eva what you said to me earlier about her staying at the mansion for holidays? She might want to hear it from you."


    I took the phone when he handed it over. My fingers curled around the cool edge as if holding onto safety.


    "Professor?"


    I heard soft crackleing. His voice was carrying strength, warmth, and a subtle apology all at once as he spoke. "Miss Evaline. Please ept our offer. Stay with us for the holidays."


    "Professor, it¡¯s so nice of you to consider inviting me. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for me to stay at your mansion." I quickly spoke my thoughts. But I soon found that these men had made up their mind.


    "Miss Evaline, let me apologise first. And I insist that you ept our invitation. After all, we are the reason you no longer have a family, home, or pack to return to."


    My throat tightened, not because I felt sad about not having a home, but because they still believed I ever had a home and a family to begin with.


    "I... I don¡¯t know what to say," I whispered, voice thin as frost.


    "You don¡¯t have to say anything, juste. We want you there," he said.


    Draven nodded at me, his eyes gentle as if he was affirming his brother¡¯s words.


    We ended the call, and for a moment the air was thick - with snow, with hesitance, with possibility.


    Draven took my hand in his. "I¡¯ll help you pack. We have the evening. Most students will be gone, so we¡¯ll be able to slip out without getting noticed."


    I nodded softly before leading him to my room. The moment we stepped through the door, something clicked in my mind and I ended up chuckling which made him arch his eyebrows.


    "What¡¯s so funny?"


    "I just realized this is your first time using the main door instead of the balcony ones to step into my room," I said and watched as realization hit him too.


    "That¡¯s... well... it is what it is." He shrugged and moved to grab my suitcase while I started taking out clothes from my closet.


    Woolen tops, trousers, sweaters, long winter coats, thermal wear, casual clothes, pajamas, a robe, inner wears, socks, a pair of shoes, toiletries, skincare and little bit of makeup, my medicines - Draven kept checking items on some invisible list as he helped me pack.


    It took barely half an hour for us to pack enough for me to survive two weeks at the mansion.


    Once we were done packing, I quickly fixed my bed and double-checked whether the balcony door was locked or not. Then, the two of us moved to themon room along with my suitcase.


    "Have you already taken care of your friends¡¯ Christmas presents? I didn¡¯t see them just now." He asked as the two if us settled down on the big couch in front of the firece.


    "I did yesterday." I replied, letting him pull my head to rest against his chest.


    Fortunately, the Academy provided the courier service for Christmas. So I visited the office previous evening and posted all the presents.


    The fire crackled gently as snow began to swirl against the windowpanes. I nestled into Draven¡¯s chest, allowing the warmth to soak into my bones.


    He stroked my hair softly. "You are a wonderful friend. Your friends are lucky."


    I closed my eyes. "I¡¯m lucky." I leaned up and kissed his jaw. It was a soft, lingering brush of lips that made his breath hitch.


    The two of us fell quiet, wrapped in each other¡¯s presence. There were no more questions, no more talking for a while, only the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat beneath me. Minutes ticked by until he finally whispered, "Are you ready?"


    I nodded. "I feel ready. At least as much as I ever can to face that ce of yours."


    It wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t returned to the mansion at all ever since getting admitted to Silver Moon, but that brief visit barely countedpared to the two weeks I was about to spend there. Not only I didn¡¯t have great memories of that ce, but I was still wondering on how River was going to react to my presence in his house.


    "Stop worrying," Draven whispered as he tightened the nket around us before cing a kiss on the top of my head. "We still have nearly two hours to wait. You can get some sleep in the meantime if you want."


    I rxed fully, letting his steady warmth lull me toward sleep. The crackle of the fire and the soft click of the clock¡¯s pendulum lulled me into that drift between wakefulness and dreams.


    His voice, low and almost reverent, pulled me back. "I¡¯ll wake you up once it¡¯s time."


    I nodded through my sleep-fogged mind. "Mmm."


    He chuckled quietly, and I felt him kissing my hair again.


    And before I even knew it, I was lost in the world of pleasant dreams.

 Chapter 208: Planning to be Friends

    <h4>Chapter 208: nning to be Friends</h4>


    Evaline:


    I gazed through the car window as Draven steered through the towering iron gates of the Thorne estate. Even though night had already swallowed the sky, the world beyond was banished by the glow ofmp-posts lining the winding drive.


    The entire estate was aglow with twinkling Christmas lights that were tracing the edges of hedges and the mansion¡¯s gothic spires. A soft cinematic hush followed us inside the gates, punctuated only by the crunch of fresh snow under tires.


    Draven pulled into the cobblestone courtyard beside the grand fountain, and I did not bother distracting myself with thendscape anymore. I was already holding my breath while my heart fluttered in anticipation.


    He turned the car off before stepping out and opening the passenger door. I climbed out, shivering with more than just cold. There was a mixture of anxiety and wonder crawling through me.


    I watched as Draven propped my suitcase beside the car trunk and shut it.


    Just then I spotted Sera and three familiar staff making their way from th east side of the building. Their expressions froze as soon as their curious gazesnded on me, their eyes widening in surprise.


    I turned abruptly toward the car that just came to a stop behind Draven¡¯s, needing something else to focus on. Less than a secondter, Kieran stepped out with crispposure.


    He handed the car key to one of the servants and made his way toward us. "You two just standing out here is ridiculous. Come inside before you freeze." His tone was filled with amusement as he walked past me and took the lead.


    We followed him through the main entrance into the mansion¡¯s great hall. The grandeur was always there, yet tonight?... the ce looked breathless. Columns wrapped in gands, a huge crystal chandelier lit with pale gold light, and firelight flickering across tapestries of deep reds and greens made it feel like I had stepped into another world.


    But I wasn¡¯t really looking at decorations... I was searching. And it turned out someone was aware of my scanning gaze.


    Kieran teased softly, "Don¡¯t worry, River is not crouching behind a holly bush to scare you." Embarrassment made me flush, the joke wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. Maybe I was afraid of how he would react to me showing up here unannounced.


    Dusty snowfall was pattering faintly against the windows as Draven and Kieran guided me upstairs. We climbed the wide staircase, then down a long hallway before turning toward a door.


    "Here¡¯s your room." Draven announced softly, almost as if he was holding his breath, before shoving the door open.


    I stepped inside... and my breath caught.


    The bedroom was HUGE! It was big enough that one could set up five different bedrooms in it.


    Wide eyed, I took in every little detail of the masterpiece of architectural elegance and modern luxury present before me.


    A massive, arched floor-to-ceiling window was dominating one wall, its ck metal grid dividing the ss into perfect symmetry. It was flooding the room with the soft hues of the dcorative lights outside, casting golden reflections across the gleaming marble floors.


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    The bed was positioned against a paneled feature wall with built-in lighting. The bedding was in soft brown and beige, with plush pillows and a sleek velvet bench at the foot of the bedpleting the picture of indulgentfort.


    Arge photo of a misty forest scene was hanging above the bed. Below, nightstands with elegantmps and bronze details were sitting on either side of the bed.


    To the left of the bed, near the window, was a cozy seating nook with two leather chairs and a low coffee table. There were also tall indoor nts sitting around the room.


    A thick rug was spread across the floor, inviting me to walk on it bare feet.


    But if this wasn¡¯t already breathtaking enough, I waspletely at a loss for words when my gaze followed the spiral staircase next to the bathroom, leading up to what seemed like a private library/study.


    The room was designed as a double-height ceiling with a mezzanine level. A sleek, wrought-iron railing with gold ents enclosed the space, running the length of the upper floor. From below, I was able to see bookshelves filled with leather-bound books and scrolls.


    "River designed this ce. It was a lounge area, a rxing space for us. But we haven¡¯t used this ce in recent years. So, when I was discussing with Oscar and Draven about inviting you here, we decided to renovate it just for you." Kieran filled me in as he watched my stunned expression.


    His words made me turn my shocked gaze to him. Not only he just confirmed that except for River, they all were part of this n, but also that such a room had been renovated within days just for me.


    I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to fathom how much money they poured into transforming it so quickly. They cared that much... enough to give me a private, grand bedroom I didn¡¯t deserve.


    My eyes searched for Draven and I saw him observing me closely, it was almost as if he was waiting for some sort of confirmation.


    Kieran pulled my attention back to him as he spoke. "Take your time. Settle in. We¡¯ll be down for dinner in about an hour." He gave me a warm smile and turned to leave, motioning Draven along.


    But Draven... he was up to something. He stepped beside me and draped one arm around my shoulders. I stiffened slightly, surprised by his action. "I¡¯ll stay here to her unpack, I¡¯m nning to be friends with her since we are almost same age."


    Kieran¡¯s eyes flickered to Draven¡¯s resting hand. He reached out and effortlessly pped it away. "Respectful distance, Draven."


    Draven opened his mouth, as if to protest. He nced at me, his eyebrows raised, then directed his question to me. "Is it okay if I help you unpack?"


    I took a breath and ¡¯considered¡¯ before answering. "Yes-yes, I would like that."


    My lie felt thin. The truth was, I was thrilled at the idea of him staying near me.


    Kieran was silent for a moment but he didn¡¯t object. He gave one more brotherly warning to Draven through onest nce before he left the room.


    <strong>* * *</strong>


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    Hopefully, the details of the bedroom wasn¡¯t too much (though I feel it was).

 Chapter 209: A Temporary Home

    <h4>Chapter 209: A Temporary Home</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Once Kieran exited the room, I turned. I was about to ask Draven about the ¡¯friends¡¯ statement, but I froze when he suddenly pulled me into his arms and kissed me.


    A surge of surprise overwhelmed me for a heartbeat... then desire took over. I wrapped my arms around him, returned the kiss just as passionately, feeling the warmth of his lips, the familiar scent of him, wrapping around me like a nket.


    Our lips moved together in sync and our breaths deepened. My head started spinning as our bond¡¯s feelings overwhelmed me. After a few moments, I tried to pull back, whispering, "The door¡¯s not locked... what if Kieran-" My words trailed off as he pressed into me deeper.


    But then he paused mid-kiss and his eyes flicked to the door. He released me, stepped away and walked over to lock it with careful fingers. I watched him, shaking my head with an amused smile. He returned to me, sliding his arms around me again, and our lips met once more... softly at first, then turning hungry.


    We only broke apart when we were both out of breath. I leaned into him, my chest heaving as I looked up. The firelight was casting soft shadows across his face.


    My pulse was throbbing in my ears. I finally found air and spoke, my voice trembling with a mixture of emotion and nerves. "What was all that... about being friends?"


    His lips curved into a sly smile. "That was part of the n," he said, and then almost made me shriek when he spun me gently in his arms before settling again. "By saying ¡¯friends,¡¯ I get to be near you, enter your room... touch you - like friends do - without raising suspicion from Kieran or River."


    Pride was shining in his eyes as he continued, "As long as I¡¯m your friend, I can be with you... around you, without needing to sneak. That way they will think it¡¯s all innocent."


    Iughed softly, shaking my head... but warmth flooded me. I leaned up and kissed him lightly on the cheek. At seven inches shorter than him, I bobbed up to do so. His grin let me know I had delighted him.


    "Oh!" He suddenly clicked his fingers and the shine in his eyes became brighter if even possible. "I just realized that this n of mine might make someone jealous."


    I didn¡¯t need to ask him who he was talking about. "You are such a mean brother."


    He immediately pulled me closer and stared down in my eyes. "Why? Feeling bad for your other mate?" There was a hint of possessiveness in his voice, but not the bad kind. He wasn¡¯t mad about me caring for Oscar.


    I ran a finger down his temple and stopped at his chin, tilting his face up as I inched closer to whisper against his corbone. "Not as long as I get to enjoy both yourpanies during my stay here."


    The smile he gave me made it clear just how happy he was with my response. We shared another quick kiss before we finally turned our attention to the task at hand - unpacking.


    He led me over to the long wall along the headboard side of the bed. Beside it, he pointed out a nearly invisible sliding panel, cleverly camouged with woodgrain.


    "That¡¯s your walk?in closet and dressing room," he said, sliding it open to reveal racks, shelves, mirrors, and soft lighting built in. I stared at it, once again speechless. I had never had space like this. Scratch that, I hadn¡¯t seen a bedroom like this even on inte. The ce felt like a modern fantasy.


    I sent a look to him, half-amazed, half... well, overwhelmed. He shrugged but with affection. "You needed the space. Oscar and Kieran helped design it... and so did I."


    Over the next ten or so minutes, we unpacked together. I ced a few sweaters and shirts onto shelves, folded scarves in drawers, set down my small selection of skincare and medicines. I lined up my shoes and hung up dresses and coats. Even then, my things upied less than a quarter of the space.


    Draven stepped back and asked, "Do you... like it?"


    I paused at the final drawer, turned to him slowly, nodded... and blinked back tears of gratitude. "It¡¯s... it¡¯s unbelievable." My voice was shaking slightly. "Did you... did you really set it all up for me?"


    He pushed a single silver strand from my face, brushing his thumb across my cheek. "Oscar, Kieran, and I... we discussed how to make this special for you. Kieran personally arranged the library upstairs, and I¡¯m sure more than half of those books are on herbs and potions."


    I chuckled while he smiled, then continued.


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    "Oscar and I worked on the rest. Oscar took care of the furniture, decorations, and nts, while I picked the color palette and designs. We pooled ideas and... this is the final result."


    I let the disbelief melt into awe. "You all made this... for me." My words were breathless.


    He nodded. "You deserve it." He guided me into a gentle hug, and I inhaled his warmth once more.


    We returned to finishing tiny details - cing myptop, tablet, and chargers on the table, put academic books on a small bedside shelf, and lit up a scented candles.


    Once we were done, I walked up to the floor-to-ceiling windows, taking in the snow that was falling heavily now.


    I felt Draven stepping behind me before he slipped his arms around my waist from behind. I stiffened, mu eyes searching the garden down below.


    "Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s one-way ss." He whispered in my ear as if he knew exactly what caused my worry. I rxed immediately, even feeling good about the piece of information.


    "How about we go downstairs now?" he murmured. "Dinner¡¯s waiting."


    I nodded, resting my head against his chest. My own heart was pounding, mind awhirl. As we prepared to leave, I paused for a second. "Thank you," I whispered.


    He kissed my temple. "It¡¯s my pleasure, Love."

 Chapter 210: Alpha’s Fun-spoiler

    <h4>Chapter 210: Alpha¡¯s Fun-spoiler</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I made my way toward the door and unlocked it, ready to step out, but froze when I found someone standing there with their hand raised as if about to knock.


    Before either of us could speak, Draven appeared behind me and drew me close from behind, looping his arm around my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder and turned his head slightly, shing that impish grin of his.


    I felt his amusement, and shook my head before turning my attention back to Oscar who was watching us with one eyebrow arched in yful curiosity.


    "How can we help you, brother?" Draven purred, his tone teasing as he kept me snug against him.


    Oscar¡¯s gaze traveled from Draven to me and back, and quiet amusement danced in his eyes. His tone warm and steady as he asked simply, "What¡¯s going on here?"


    He didn¡¯t seem surprised or jealous, just curious to know how his brother had ended up in my room. He leaned forward, seeking exnation.


    I drew a steadying breath and spoke calmly. "Darven told Professor Kieran that he wants to be friends with me and stayed behind to help me unpack," I exined, trying to soften my tone even as I felt my cheeks warming. "He said this is his n to stay close to me openly for next two weeks without alerting Professor Kieran or River."


    Oscar shifted his gaze back to his brother, almost looking impressed.


    "And he also said it might make you jealous," I blurted, not wanting to miss this chance to tease Draven.


    I felt his body shifting behind me as he whispered in my ear, "My fun-spoiler." His breath was warm against my ear, but it almost made me shiver.


    "What do you say?" Draven asked Oscar.


    Oscar nodded his head, confirming that he was indeed impressed with his brother¡¯s n. "Whatever little brain you have in there, it¡¯s working great for you. Keep up the work."


    Draven groaned while I tried to stop the smile that was threatening to curve the corners of my lips, but failed miserably.


    Oscar then stepped forward and surprised me as he brushed his lips against my forehead in a quick, affectionate gesture. The warmth of that kiss brushed through me.


    He stepped back but not before brushing his fingers over my cheek softly. "I¡¯ll join you guys downstairs shortly." And with that, he turned around and walked away, his warm smile lingering behind.


    I was ready to step out, but before I could have taken a step forward, Draven pulled me back and closed the door. The next thing I knew, my back was pressed firmly against the door and I was held there captive by my mate.


    His eyes were dark, and when he spoke, his voice sounded deep. "You¡¯ll be punished for spoiling my n of making him jealous."


    And before I could have even wrapped my head around that warning, his mouth imed mine in a deep and urgent kiss.


    It was five intense, electrifying minutester that we both finally stepped out of the bedroom and made our way downstairs. I had to even apply a lip oil to hide the redness that resulted from the heat of kissing.


    We finally entered the grand living room and my eyesnded on Kieran who was already there, dressed casually and looking the most rxed I had ever seen him.


    He was busy carefully cing a crystal ball ornament onto the towering Christmas tree. His golden hair was brushed loose over his shoulders, adding a softness to his usually tidy professor look.


    The room was glowing from the lights of the firece and the tree, making it felt cozy, warm, like a sanctuary after the sensual rush backstage.


    <fn41ea> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find¡¤novel</fn41ea>


    Draven settled down in one of the plush couches and signaled for me to do the same. Kieran chose that moment to turn his attention to us and our gazes collided. He smiled and I smiled back in response, feeling slightly nervous.


    "Feeling at home?" he asked gently as he motioned for me toe over to here he was standing. I approached him and he handed me a booklet from some Christmas tree store.


    "It¡¯s really nice here," I said, looking at the booklet in confusion before shifting my attention to him.


    "One of the most fun and important part of celebrating Christmas is to decorate the tree. Unfortunately, ours got almost fully decorated before we came up with the idea of inviting you here," he started exining, "Now, you can pick one of the trees from this booklet to your liking and we will order it. There¡¯s not just different sizes avable but also options for decoration themes and pallets. Of course, if you want to go shopping for one yourself, it can be done as well."


    I stared at him, surprised how considerate he was being. I shook my head. "I really appreciate the offer, but I don¡¯t there¡¯s need to-"


    "Oh c¡¯mon Eva! Stop declining everything."


    Draven suddenly spoke, stopping me mid-sentence. I watched as he stood up, approached me, and grabbed my hand before pulling me to sit on the big couch and took a seat right next to me.


    He was so quick and natural with his move, that it wasn¡¯t just Kieran staring at him surprise, but even my heart was thundering in my chest.


    "It¡¯s Christmas. You are supposed to enjoy it. And just like Kieran said, decorating the Christmas tree is one of the most fun part of it. So, it¡¯s decided. We are getting you a tree to set up in your room, and we all will decorate it together." His tone was final, and his eyes seemed to be saying more than just his words.


    He wanted to do this with me - decorating the tree.


    I smiled softly and nodded my head. "Alright."


    "Well done, Draven."


    Oscar¡¯s voice greeted us as he entered the living room and made his way toward us. Kieran was also looking at his youngest brother with an approving gaze.


    Right at that moment, the sound of a car pulling up in front of the mansion caught my attention. I held my breath, and waited... knowing already who wasing.

 Chapter 211: The Accident

    <h4>Chapter 211: The ident</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The silence settled like a heavy nket in the living room. And I wasn¡¯t the only one staring at the entrance, the brothers too had their eyes fixed on the entrance as we all waited for a certain person to stepped in.


    Seconds ticked by, but in that moment time felt endless. I could feel the tension humming in the air, vibrating against my skin. My each heartbeat was echoing louder than thest. I quickly nced between the men, and found each of them frozen in their own hope and uncertainty.


    And then, after what felt like forever but were merely a couple of moments, River finally stepped inside.


    He paced in with a confident stride, intent on his phone call. He was talking about some important business project. He barely cast a nce our way as he gave his brothers a quick nod, still engrossed in conversation. A servant approached to take his coat and disappeared with it just as quickly and quietly.


    Secondster, he ended the call, pocketed his phone, and looked up.


    His gaze swept across the group and froze when it registered me. Surprise flitted on his face, then doubt, then an inscrutable calm. His eyes darted to his brothers, and I held my breath.


    Though he didn¡¯t voice the question out loud, Kieran still provided the exnation. "River... Miss Evaline is staying with us for the holidays," he announced casually, though each word felt drenched in significance.


    My heart was thundering against my ribs as I anticipated his objection. After all, he had always told me clearly to stay away from his brothers. He made it perfectly known. I knew he wouldn¡¯t be happy about my presence in his house. But, as the seconds stretched, he simply nodded. "Okay."


    Just that single word.


    All I could feel was the slick of shock in my brain. Disbelief. He didn¡¯t push back. He didn¡¯t re. He didn¡¯t ask why. No anger... just eptance, or even approval.


    A hush descended, broken only by the quiet shuffle as Sera materialized from the shadows. River instructed her crisply, "Dinner in five minutes." Then he turned to us. "I¡¯ll be down shortly," he said, before taking that brief, lingering look at me - it was like an acknowledgment, and then he walked away.


    I stared after him in shock, and the brothers were mirroring my bewilderment, their eyes flickering between each other. But then Oscar exhaled and all three of them rxed. The important thing was - River wasn¡¯t against my stay here.


    In the dining hall, we found our ces easily. The table was set grandly - eight chairs, flickering candlelight, the scent of roasting meats and spiced wine draped across the atmosphere. I slipped into the chair between Draven and Oscar, and they both fell into position as though this had been nned forever.


    Kieran sat opposite Draven. River returned in five and settled down on the head seat, as though nothing unusual had happened.


    But everything was unusual.


    At one point, I felt his gaze on me, but when I looked up, I found him talking with Kieran.


    My attention then shifted to the maid who appeared next to me with a bowl of warm chicken soup. But as she lifted it, something went wrong... or so I thought. The bowl tipped and spilled down my thigh and knee, hot liquid soaking through the wool of my trousers.


    A sh of agony seized me. Hot pain bloomed through my leg. I gasped and jerked... suddenly aware of every eye on me.


    Draven reached out as though to steady me, Oscar¡¯s hand locked on the armrest. Kieran stood up so fast the chair screeched back. Only River remained sitting steady as the storm broke.


    <fn04a1> ?????? ???? F?nd-Novel</fn04a1>


    "Get ice-at once!" he barked.


    Within seconds, other servants rushed to obey. Kieran strode to my side, now fully present as his calm demeanor vanished, reced by steel. He took the ice packs and pulled my chair away from the mess on the floor.


    Then he was kneeling in front of me and raising my trouser to ce the ice packs against my burnt skin that had already turned bright red.


    I felt Oscar and Draven¡¯s presence around me and then the former ced his hand on my shoulder. Without thinking, I reached out to grab it, whimpering as pain made the back of my eyes burn.


    "It¡¯s alright. Just breathe." Draven whispered, the worry clear in his voice.


    "Draven,e here and hold these packs. I¡¯ll grab a burn healing ointment from myb." Kieran let Draven rece him and disappeared somewhere, only to appear momentster.


    He handed me a small crystal vial of potion that was for relieving pain, and then once again kneeled to apply the cold and soothing gel balm on my burnt skin.


    "How are you feeling now?" He asked once he was done carefully applying the ointment.


    I nodded my head, already feeling much better than I was moments ago. "I think it¡¯s working. Thank you."


    He released a small sigh and stood up, turning to face River. But before he could have spoken, River spoke. His voice was ice-cold, dripping with his Alpha aura that had me shivering and clutching on Oscar¡¯s hand tightly.


    "Did you spill this by ident?" He asked the maid who had spilled the soup. His tone was quiet but lethal, and there was a clear warning that he wouldn¡¯t ept a lie.


    A hush fell over the dining hall. I would have considered the maid innocent if not for how badly she was trembling while standing next to Sera.


    Sera swallowed. "M-my lord, I¡¯m... I¡¯m sorry. She didn¡¯t mean to-"


    "Are you saying it was an ident?" River¡¯s eyes narrowed on her. "She were steady until this moment. She was handling the bowl... and then, it fell." He took a breath and spoke to the entire staff present. "This is Miss Evaline, our special guest over the holidays." His voice lifted, strong andmanding. "I want every single one of you on your best behavior around her. And if anyone makes her stay ufortable - no slip-ups, no apologies - if I have even the faintest suspicion, you will all regret it."

 Chapter 212: She’s Paranoid

    <h4>Chapter 212: She¡¯s Paranoid</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The room stilled as River¡¯s warning rang in the silence. The servants froze and so did I. Thest thing I expected was to witness him standing up for me... and that too against his own staff.


    "Am I clear enough?" He asked, his gaze drifting over the group of servants who all quickly followed Sera¡¯s lead and echoed ¡¯Yes, Alpha¡¯.


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    But if I thought this was the end, then I was in for a surprise as River next turned his full attention to the maid who had spilled the soup on me.


    "No sry for next three months. Send her to work in the fields for next three months." His voice held no mercy or warmth, just pure coldness and an authority that no one in the room dared to defy.


    The maid was on her knees, her head bowed as she cried silent tears but didn¡¯t dare to ask for leniency. No one did.


    River¡¯s gaze then moved to Sera. "Take her as a lesson and make sure such mistakes aren¡¯t repeated, or you will be the first one to answer."


    "Yes, My Lord." Sera quickly bowed, her fingers trembling slightly as she pulled the maid to her feet and disappeared from the dining hall.


    Within minutes, the floor was cleaned and everyone was back at the table to finally start the dinner.


    "How are you feeling?" Oscar asked as he settled down in his chair once again.


    I nodded. "The pain is almost gone." Now that things were calming down, I was finally able to recall my mistake when I grabbed Oscar¡¯s hand. But neither River or Kieran seemed like they had noticed, or if they did, then they didn¡¯t think too much about.


    "Do you want to get changed first?" Kieran asked when he noticed me fixing my trouser that was still rolled up to keep the burnt skin from getting irritated.


    I quickly shook my head. "It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll get changedter. Please start the meal."


    Kieran nodded and the dinner finally began as the earlier tremor of tension eased into a steady hum of polite conversation. I mostly stayed silent unless Kieran asked me something every now and then to keep me included in the conversation.


    I kept my focus on the food that pretty much made up for the pain that I just experienced moments ago. Knowing that it wasn¡¯t just an ident, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder just how unhappy the servants, or at least few of them, were to see me returning here... as a guest this time.


    I also felt Oscar¡¯s worry for me through our bond, and I passed him a soft smile when I was sure River and Kieran weren¡¯t noticing. On the other hand, while my bond with Draven wasn¡¯t strong enough for us to feel each other¡¯s emotions, I knew he was just as worried as his brother. So I gave him a reassuring smile as well.


    Myst meal was the lunch, so I was really hungry. Hence, I made sure to fill my stomach with the dishes that made me feel like I was eating at a fice-star restaurant.


    I ignored the cold smoked salmon and reached out for the delicious looking sd. It tasted just as good as it looked. Chicken soup no longer looked appetizing so I instead focused my attention to the lemon herb roasted chicken. I also added veggies, a stuffed bell pepper, and a little bit of the creamy mashed potatoes to my te.


    For desert, there were two options - strawberry cheesecake and warm apple tart. I went for thetter and almost moaned the moment it melted in my mouth. My taste buds were on cloud nine at the moment.


    I was about halfway through my apple tart, when I caught River looking at me... and this time, he didn¡¯t bother looking away. And as I looked into his eyes, I realized that he wasn¡¯t simply tolerating my presence... but he had epted it, embraced it.


    My heartbeat stuttered. I was confused by the realization. What did this even mean? What was he up to this time?


    Call me paranoid for all you want, but I had learned my lesson - to not blindly trust River Thorne - in the worst way possible. Even if he was indeed being considerate toward me as a guest, I would rather believe he had something sinister nned in disguise.


    I was the first one to look away and I quickly finished the desert. Still, I didn¡¯t move to leave as it didn¡¯t seem like the right thing to do as a guest.


    Five minutester, the dinner came to an end. Servants appeared to clean up the table while the brothers stood up to head to the living room.


    "I¡¯ll retire to my room now. Thank you for the lovely dinner," I said with a polite smile, ready to disappear.


    Fortunately, no one objected or tried to apany me. But Kieran did add - "I¡¯ll drop byter to check the burn. Okay?"


    I nodded and turned away, making my way out of the dining hall while I felt all four of their gazes fixed on my back.


    Back in my - Huge - bedroom, I locked the door and pressed the switch Draven showed me earlier to cover the windows with curtains. Even though I knew it was one-way ss, I still couldn¡¯t make myself undress until thick, dark curtains were covering them.


    With the room secured, I finally started peeling my clothes away. The inside if the mansion was warm because of the heating system, so there was no need for wearing severalyers of clothes. Even a simple top and bottom was enough to walk around the ce without feeling any cold.


    I wrapped a stic wrapped around the burned area on my leg before I got under the shower. To keep the skin from getting irritated by clothes, I ended up wearing the only pair of shorts pajamas I tossed in my suitcase during packing.


    I just finished getting ready for bed when I heard someone knocking on my door.

 Chapter 213: A Sip of Truth

    <h4>Chapter 213: A Sip of Truth</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The door shut behind me with a soft thud as I entered my room, sealing me off from the rest of the world...or at least for tonight.


    My limbs were aching and my neck was stiff from sitting through endless meetings at thepany. Too many numbers. Too many people. Too many damn eyes watching me, waiting for a single crack in the image I had spent years perfecting.


    Without turning on the main lights, I made my way to the bathroom, tugging off my tie and tossing it somewhere near the chair. My clothes were gone in no time. The shower hissed to life, its warm spray fogging up the ss. I stepped under it, letting the water beat against my skin, hotter than it probably should have been. But I weed the sting. It cut through the stiffness in my muscles and the deeper, darker tension buried beneath my skin.


    I stayed there longer than usual. Long enough for the steam to fog up the mirror and drip down the tiles like sweat. But eventually, I turned the water off and reached for the towel.


    With pajamas on and damp hair brushed back, I stepped into the warmth of my bedroom, drawn immediately to the small wine cab in the corner near the firece.


    This wasn¡¯t a celebration. This wasn¡¯t a moment of joy. Instead, it was one of those nights I needed something stronger than silence.


    I uncorked the bottle and poured myself a ss. The fire had already been lit earlier, and a soft glow was dancing against the ss windows overlooking the east garden. I settled into the couch with ss in hand, watching the quiet flicker of mes.


    I had barely taken my second sip when the knock came.


    Soft. Predictable.


    I didn¡¯t answer. I didn¡¯t have to.


    <fn8bca> This content belongs to Find?Novel</fn8bca>


    The door opened, and in walked Kieran - freshly showered and wearing his usual silk pajamas that made him look far too harmless for someone like him. His eyes swept over the wine bottle and ss in my hand, and one brow lifted in silent question.


    "Long day," I said simply.


    He didn¡¯tment. He walked over and dropped onto the couch opposite mine, his usual ease dulled by something heavier tonight. Without a word, I poured him a ss too and handed it over.


    We drank in silence, the crackling of fire the only sound between us. Minutes passed. Maybe ten. Maybe five. Long enough for the questions in his head to ripen and press against his lips.


    "Why did you agree to let her stay?"


    Ah. So we were doing this now.


    I leaned back, swirling the wine in my ss. "That¡¯s what¡¯s bothering you?"


    His lips tightened. "It¡¯s not like you."


    I chuckled, but it was dry and humorless. "What¡¯s bothering you more? That I didn¡¯t object... or that I approved it?"


    He didn¡¯t even pretend to think. "That you approved it."


    At least he was honest.


    I sipped again, this time letting the silence hang between us. I could feel his eyes on me - curious, cautious, even a bit concerned. But before I gave him what he came for, I decided to turn the table first.


    "Then let me ask you something," I said, shifting slightly to look him in the eye. "Why did you invite Evaline here in the first ce?"


    He didn¡¯t flinch. He set the ss down and met my gaze with something that bordered on fury, but a controlled one, the kind only he could manage.


    "Because you destroyed her world," he said, not bothering to sugarcoat the truth. "You didn¡¯t just kill the Alpha. You razed the entire Shadowfang Pack to ash. Her home. Her family. Her future. She has no one left, River. No ce to go. No family to hold her. We took that from her. You took that from her."


    He paused, exhaling slowly as if trying to release the weight of it. "So offering her a ce to spend her holidays for a few weeks isn¡¯t kindness. It¡¯s the bare minimum. It¡¯s what we owe."


    His voice stayed calm. Gentle, even. He always did have a way of making harsh truths sound like lubies. But I knew the storm behind his restraint. Knew how hard it was for him to say those words out loud.


    I didn¡¯t mind them. Not anymore.


    I tapped my finger against the rim of the ss and pointed at him. "That¡¯s exactly why I said yes."


    He blinked, visibly thrown. "What?"


    "I said yes for the same reason you brought her here. Because we took everything from her. We left her with nothing."


    His suspicion was instant. He sat up straighter, the wine forgotten. "Are you saying you feel guilty?"


    My lips lifted at the corner. "No."


    That wasn¡¯t it. It was never just guilt.


    "Then...?" he asked, searching my face as if trying to see through the cracks I rarely showed anyone.


    I tilted my head, watching the firelight dance in his winess. "She¡¯s still breathing, Kieran. Still standing. After everything we did... I did... she hasn¡¯t begged. She hasn¡¯t broken."


    I looked up at him, my voice quieter. "Don¡¯t you want to know why?"


    He didn¡¯t respond right away. His eyes flicked down, something close to shame settling in the lines of his face. "I thought you had lost it," he said quietly. "The ability to care."


    My heart didn¡¯t sting at his words. It should have, but it didn¡¯t.


    I raised my ss and finished it in a single slow sip. "Maybe I had."


    He looked up, his face unreadable now.


    "But not entirely," I added. "Apparently."


    He gave me a faint smile. "Thank you, River."


    I nodded, barely acknowledging it. "Go to bed brother."


    He stood and left, pausing only at the door to look back at me. Then he was gone.


    And I was alone again.


    Momentster, I stood slowly and walked to the shelf beside my desk. My fingers moved with practiced ease, retrieving the folder hidden behind two thick ledgers. I returned to the couch, flipping it open with a soft breath.


    The familiar pages greeted me - Photos. Reports. Witness statements. Surveince stills.


    Every detail of Evaline Greystone¡¯s life from the day she was born to the day she was captured and thrown into my dungeons.


    The day Jasper handed me this folder, I was expecting anything but what it contained, it carried the story of a girl the world had already broken... long before I ever stepped in.


    I remembered the nausea that had twisted in my gut as I read the summary of eighteen years of her life.


    And I remembered the chill that ran down my spine as I realized -


    She wasn¡¯t fighting me.


    She was surviving me.


    And after learning everything about her, I didn¡¯t start to pity her. No! I started respecting her.


    I closed the folder, cing it gently on the table before me.


    The firelight flickered softly, and for the first time in a long while, I wasn¡¯t sure who the real monster had been in the end.


    Me?


    Or the world that had created her?


    Either way... I knew now... I hadn¡¯t been breaking her.


    She had been broken long before I ever touched her.


    And that knowledge?


    It haunted me more than her silence ever could.

 Chapter 214: First Morning at Thorne Estate

    <h4>Chapter 214: First Morning at Thorne Estate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Crossing<strong></strong>the room, I unlocked the door and opened it.


    Only to freeze in ce.


    Kieran was standing in front of me... but he wasn¡¯t alone. Right behind him were Oscar and Draven.


    I blinked once. Then again.


    My heart gave a wild little jump in my chest as I took them in, all three tall and striking in their own ways, filling the narrow hallway with their sheer presence. Kieran looked like he belonged here - calm, gentle smile and warm eyes meeting mine. Oscar, with his unruly hair and quiet intensity, had his hands buried deep in his pockets. Draven stood with his usual rxed arrogance, one brow raised as he studied me.


    I must have looked like an idiot, just standing there staring.


    "Are you going to let us in," Kieran said lightly, his lips curving into a teasing smile, "or would you rather we camp here all night?"


    Heat rushed to my cheeks as I stepped aside. "Sorry-please,e in."


    They walked in without hesitation with Kieran leading the way with his familiar confident stride. Oscar followed with silent grace, while Draven gave me a wink as he passed. And both my mates made sure to brush their hands against mine as they stepped in.


    I shut the door behind them and followed after them.


    "I hope we are not intruding," Kieran began as he turned to face me. "Oscar and Draven wanted to check in on you. They insisted oning with me, and I figured... well, I figured you wouldn¡¯t mind. But I understand if this is too much."


    I gave him a small smile. He didn¡¯t need to exin. He probably thought it was odd for three men to show up at a woman¡¯s door at night just to ¡¯check¡¯ on her. But I knew the truth - Oscar and Draven weren¡¯t here just as the hosts of this ce.


    They were here because they were my mates.


    "No, of course not," I said, carefully keeping my voice neutral. "You are not intruding. It¡¯s nice of them toe."


    I turned to Oscar and Draven, letting a more genuine smile touch my lips. "I¡¯m feeling much better now. The pain is gone thanks to that potion Professor Kieran gave me, and the ointment is working. The skin¡¯s just red now, but it hasn¡¯t gotten worse."


    I kept my words polite and formal... after all, Kieran didn¡¯t know about the mate bonds, but I let my eyes linger a little longer on the two.


    And they understood what I meant - that they didn¡¯t have to worry anymore.


    "That¡¯s a relief," Oscar said softly, his gaze sweeping over me like he needed to confirm it for himself.


    Draven tilted his head. "d to hear it."


    I caught Kieran ncing between us with a soft smile, but he didn¡¯t appear suspicious about the interaction. Instead, he nodded and gestured toward my leg. "Would you mind if I checked the burn again? Just to be sure."


    "Of course," I said and moved to sit on the edge of the bed.


    The skin was still an angry shade of red, but fortunately, it hadn¡¯t developed any blisters. It looked... manageable now.


    Kieran kneeled before me with practiced ease. His fingers were cool and sure as he applied another thinyer of ointment. His brows furrowed as he examined the area.


    <fnefa2> Get full chapters from Find[F]ovel</fnefa2>


    "This is healing faster than expected," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "By tomorrow morning, or at thetest by noon, it should be almost gone."


    I nodded, grateful. "Thank you, Professor."


    "You are wee," he said with a smile as he got back on his feet.


    I looked up to find all three of them studying me - with concern, relief, and something I hadn¡¯t realized I missed - care.


    Kieran gave me a brief pat on the shoulder before stepping back. "Alright, you should get some rest. That¡¯s the best thing you can do now."


    Oscar gave me a small nod. Draven was thest to move, and his eyes lingered on me for a moment longer than the others. He didn¡¯t say anything, but his gaze spoke volumes - <i>I¡¯m here. You are safe.</i>


    I gave him the tiniest smile.


    With that, they turned to leave.


    "Good night," I said quietly as I walked them to the door.


    "Good night," Kieran and Oscar echoed in unison.


    Draven¡¯s voice was softer, but warmer. "Night, Eva."


    When the door closed behind them, the silence settled back into the room.


    I locked the door and walked back to bed, muscles already starting to rx. I was tired... more than I realized. The emotional toll of the day, the pain, and everything else had worn me down. But the bed was warm, the mattress soft, and I let myself sink into itsfort.


    Sleep imed me quickly.


    * * *


    The beeping of my rm jerked me out of slumber at six on the dot.


    I stretched slowly, my body stiff but refreshed. Eight hours of uninterrupted sleep had me feeling refreshed and ready for another Saturday


    After a quick trip to the bathroom, I returned to the room and drank a full ss of warm water from the thermos sitting on the bedside table.


    I used the rug as the yoga mat and began my morning routine - stretching, breathing exercises, and cardio workout approved by the doctor. My muscles ached a little at first but warmed up quickly. The meditation at the end was the best part. I could almost pretend that I was just an ordinary woman, not someone caught in the middle of powerful alphas, secrets, and wounds deeper than skin.


    By seven-thirty, I was showered, dressed, and ready for the day.


    I wore a fitted ck co-ord suit with sleek trousers and a cropped zer. A long white coatyered over it added elegance and authority. My favorite boots - soft leather and sturdy soles - clicked softly as I moved. I pulled my hair into a loose bun, slicked on lip balm afterpleting my five-step skincare routine.


    I looked... professional.


    And strong.


    The way I needed to look.


    When I descended the stairs, the scent of breakfast greeted me first - coffee, toasted bread, butter, and something sweet.


    I paused at the edge of the living room as I found all four brothers already there.


    River was standing near the window, dressed immactely in his signature ck-on-ck suit. He had his phone pressed to his ear as he gave curt orders. Kieran was sitting on the couch, flipping through what looked like a book on herbology, back in his casual workwear even though there were no sses for him to teach today. Oscar and Draven were lounging on the other couch in pajamas, both of them looking like they would have loved to stay in their beds longer... if not for me.


    I offered them a soft smile. "Good morning."


    All but River returned it. "Morning," Kieran said cheerfully. Oscar and Draven echoed him with their own soft and warm greetings.


    Kieran looked up. "How did you sleep?"


    "Better than I expected," I replied.


    Draven was next. "How¡¯s your leg now?"


    "It¡¯s fine now. The burn looks even better this morning."


    He nodded, satisfied, while Oscar gave me a small, approving smile.


    We moved into the dining room and shared a quiet breakfast. Kieran kept me engaged as he talked about the ingredients of a certain tea. On the other hand, Oscar and Draven were busy arguing half-heartedly about who drank thest of the orange juice.


    River didn¡¯t speak to me directly - not that I expected him to. But I noticed he didn¡¯t leave the table until I finished eating. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence.


    After breakfast, I walked toward the front entrance with my phone in hand and a growing sense of dread. I hadpletely forgotten to tell Mr. Wood that I wasn¡¯t at the Academy and he needed to pick me up from the Thorne Estate instead.


    I was about to call him when a voice beside me said, "Need a ride?"


    I turned to find Draven there, dressed in a ck t-shirt and joggers. His car keys were dangling from his fingers and that cocky smirk was ying on his face.


    "I wouldn¡¯t mind," I admitted with a small smile.


    Before I could say more, a car horn cut through the air.


    We both turned simultaneously.


    A sleek ck car was already parked at the entrance.


    The back window rolled down smoothly, revealing River¡¯s unmistakable side profile. He was staring at a tablet, his brows drawn in concentration. He didn¡¯t even nce in our direction.


    "Get in," he said, his voice clipped. "You will bete if you wait for Mr. Wood toe here from the Academy to pick you up."


    I blinked in surprise. So did Draven.


    And before either of us could argue, River added without looking up, "Now, Miss Evaline."


    I didn¡¯t dare make him repeat himself a third time, I knew better than that. Giving Draven a tight smile, I climbed in the seat next to my boss¡¯.

 Chapter 215: Unexpected Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 215: Unexpected Reunion</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The car ride to the Council headquarters was wrapped inplete silence. Not thefortable kind, not even the awkward kind... just a void silence that seemed to pull at my thoughts like gravity.


    River didn¡¯t nce at me once after I got in. He sat there, angled just so that his sharp profile caught the glimmer of morning light, scrolling through his tablet like I didn¡¯t exist.


    I sat upright, one leg crossed over the other, and hands tightly clutching my office bag on myp like it might anchor me from the whirlwind of tension that hung between us. After a moment, I slowly pulled out my phone and turned the screen brightness down so he couldn¡¯t catch even the smallest glow.


    I quickly texted Mr. Wood.


    <i>Good morning, Mr. Wood.</i>


    <i>I¡¯m so sorry that I failed to inform about change in my ns. I¡¯ll be staying at the Thorne estate during the holidays. I¡¯m heading to the Council now with Alpha River. Please pick me up from the headquarters after my shift ends this evening. Thanks.</i>


    I paused.


    Then typed another message. This time to Draven.


    <i>Sorry about earlier...</i>


    His reply came instantly.


    <i>Why are you apologizing, sweetheart? You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Have a good day at work. And don¡¯t forget to take care of yourself.</i>


    I stared at the message for a second too long. My heart clenched at the term of endearment. "Sweetheart." The word seemed to melt into me, fighting the frosty atmosphere in the car. A soft smile tugged at the corner of my lips, but I forced it down, careful not to draw River¡¯s attention.


    When we finally arrived at the headquarters, he surprised me again when he didn¡¯t get out.


    I blinked. "You are noting in?"


    "No," he said, still not looking at me. "I¡¯m heading to thepany."


    He had driven all this way... just to drop me off? That wasn¡¯t like him. At all.


    Before the car rolled away, he said in that same clipped tone, "Once you are done with the meeting prep, go through the Nightshade Pack updates again. Make sure you are ready before next Sunday."


    "Got it," I replied, even though the car window was already up and his silhouette already fading behind the tinted ss.


    I walked inside, trying not to let the interaction sit too heavily on me. There was work to do.


    Inside the Council building, the mood was brisk and efficient. I joined four other assistants in the main conference room, all of us armed with our individual checklists and agendas. We spent the next few hours checking everything - from the documents for meeting, to the table arrangement, to the updated Alpha Council seat assignments.


    By the time we were done, it was past one, and my stomach growled loud enough to make the woman next to me chuckle.


    Lunch was a brief but pleasant affair. I sat with some of the assistants I had grown familiar with over the past couple of months. The conversation floated between work updates, council politics, and the ridiculous new herbal tea craze that one of the senior members had gotten obsessed with.


    It was easy, grounding. Normal.


    Back at my desk, I pulled up the email from River¡¯s secretary and opened the PDF report on the Nightshade Pack. I dove in with full focus.


    By the time I looked up again, the office was dim, and the digital clock on my screen blinked 5:54 PM.


    Forty minutester, Mr. Wood dropped me back at the Thorne estate.


    As I stepped inside, warmth enveloped me - not just from the carefully controlled interior temperature, but something deeper. Familiar. Inviting.


    But I wasn¡¯t prepared for the next thing I saw.


    Standing near the giant Christmas tree was a small figure in a peach-colored sweater dress, holding a pack of sour candies in one hand and a hopeful smile on her face.


    "Lily?" I breathed out.


    The eight-year-old girl blinked up at me and her eyes widened with recognition.


    "I was waiting for you!" she said, her voice bright with excitement as she ran toward me.


    My heart felt like it had cracked open.


    Last time we met, I was a prisoner here- a filthy, tired, and terrified maid. I still remembered the day she offered me the apple, her tiny hands holding out the fruit like it was a treasure. She didn¡¯t ask questions. She didn¡¯t care that I wasbeled as an enemy.


    She was just kind.


    I knelt and opened my arms. She barreled into them, hugging me tight.


    "You look... different!" she said, pulling back to examine me with her wise little eyes. "You look happier."


    Iughed softly. "Do I?"


    She nodded. "Last time, your eyes were really sad. I remember. But now... they are not."


    I stared at her, surprised by how easily a child could say what most adults couldn¡¯t even guess.


    "Did you really wait just to meet me?" I asked.


    "Mm-hmm. Daddy said you were staying for the holidays. I have been asking the maids since morning if you were back yet."


    I blinked. "Does your father know you are talking to me?"


    She tilted her head. "Why wouldn¡¯t he? He told me himself that you were staying."


    Right. Of course. I wasn¡¯t a maid anymore. I wasn¡¯t a prisoner either. No one could stop her from alking to me now.


    We sat on the edge of the couch in the living room while she told me all about her new painting hobby, her favorite books, and how she wanted to learn how to braid hair. I listened with a full heart, my eyes barely straying from her bright little face.


    Eventually, she paused and looked at me seriously. "Are you going to stay forever?"


    I smiled, but didn¡¯t answer. What could I even say? Forever wasn¡¯t a luxury I could promise...not yet.


    Instead, I touched her cheek gently. "I¡¯ll be around. For a while."


    "That¡¯s good," she whispered. "Because you are my favorite."


    My throat closed up. I swallowed hard and pressed a kiss to her forehead which made her beam at me.


    Somewhere behind us, I heard footsteps approaching, and I stood just as one of the servants came in.


    "Miss Lily, your tutor is ready," he announced.


    She groaned but didn¡¯t argue, and as she left, she waved back at me with both arms like I was some sort of hero she was cheering for.


    For a few seconds after she was gone, I just stood there in the hallway, staring after her.


    Then I turned around and headed upstairs to my room with a smile ying on my lips.<fn4e62> Readplete version only at find?novel</fn4e62>

 Chapter 216: Tempting Her Mate

    <h4>Chapter 216: Tempting Her Mate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It was already my third night at the Thorne mansion. A full three days had passed since I stepped back into this ce that once felt like a gilded cage. And now... it was beginning to feel like something else entirely. Warm, weing, and strangely, a ce where I was able to fall asleep peacefully.


    Time was moving quicker than I thought it would. The dread I had anticipated on my first day never arrived, instead, it was reced by a slow, gentle rhythm of routine and moments that made me smile.


    I had expected to feel awkward here, guarded. But I wasn¡¯t. And most of the credit went to my mates... and to Kieran and Lily.


    Oscar and Draven had mastered the art of sneaking around like lovesick teenagers - brushing their fingers against mine in the hallway when no one was watching, catching my hand just before I disappeared behind a door, leaning in for a quick, forbidden kiss in the privacy of my room when they dropped by "without Kieran" right before I went to sleep.


    Each kiss was different. Oscar¡¯s were slow and lingering, like he wanted to memorize every second. Draven¡¯s? Fast, heated, leaving my heart racing long after he pulled away. It was thrilling. Fun. New.


    And then there was Lily.


    Sweet, thoughtful Lily, with her messy curls and that infectious giggle. Earlier in the evening, she spent nearly two hours with me. She had been waiting for me the moment I returned from the Council headquarters an hour early.


    As soon as I stepped inside the mansion, she came barreling toward me like a little whirlwind and dragged me to the couches. We shared snacks and warm chocte milk, and I helped her with her homework - mostly a colorful mess of crayon and glitter.


    And then the board game began.


    We yed four rounds. And I lost all four.


    The little devil celebrated every win like it was a national holiday. I wasughing so much my cheeks started hurting. I didn¡¯t realize how much I missed this kind of joy... how much I missed living.


    When Jasper and River arrived back at the mansion, Lily reluctantly ended our fun. River didn¡¯t say a word, as usual, but his gaze lingered on me longer than I wasfortable with. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was judgment, confusion, or just observation... but he watched. Quietly. Carefully. Then, Jasper thanked me for spending time with Lily and mentioned it was gettingte.


    River tried to convince Jasper to stay for dinner, buttter¡¯s eyes flicked between me and his Alpha before he declined. "I have ns."


    One look into his eyes and I knew what kind of n he might be talking about.


    The moment I got back to my room, I flopped onto the bed and fished out my phone with a wicked grin. I tapped on Mallory¡¯s contact and hit "call."


    She picked up on the second ring.


    "Well, well, well, look who decided to call me back," she teased.


    "You are going on a date with Jasper tonight, aren¡¯t you?" I used, my tone yful and singsong.


    She groaned dramatically. "Are you spying on me now?"


    Iughed, "He came to pick up Lily just now. He left early and told River he had ns. I just knew it has to do something with you."


    "Okay, fine. Maybe I do have a date with my mate. But let¡¯s talk about you, Eva, not me."


    "Me?"


    "You have been living under the same roof as your mates for three days now. Don¡¯t try to tell me nothing has happened."


    "Nothing¡¯s happened," I said, biting my lower lip even as my mind wandered to all the kisses and the touches and-


    Her gasp was loud enough to make me wince. "What?! Still?! Oh,e on! I expected better from Oscar and Draven. You have been in that big mansion, right in their very own territory, and not one of them has even tried to jump you yet?"


    "They have tried," I said,ughing. "Just... not all the way."


    She groaned again, muttering something about useless mates and wasted opportunities. We talked a bit longer before finally ending the call, her parting advice echoing in my ears - "Don¡¯t overthink it. Let yourself be happy, Eva. You deserve it."


    Dinner was surprisingly peaceful. I didn¡¯t talk much... only when one of the brothers made an effort to include me. Draven asked me about work once, but River shut him down with a stern reminder about the "no work talk at the table" rule. It was oddly charming... or perhaps just authoritative.


    Either way, I didn¡¯t mind the silence.


    After dinner, I returned to my room and went straight for a hot shower. The warm water helped melt the tension from my muscles, and thevender shower gel I was growing fond oftely rxed me more than I expected. It was like washing away every bit of the day¡¯s exhaustion.


    Wrapped in a thick robe, I stood in front of the mirror brushing my hair, already half-lost in thought, when the softest knock pulled me back.


    I didn¡¯t have to ask who it was.


    My heart, or more like the mate bond, had already answered.


    Oscar.


    I padded across the room and opened the door, finding him standing there with that smile that always managed to melt my resolve. He slipped inside quickly, both of us grinning like teenagers sneaking around.


    "I¡¯m starting to think you enjoy the risk," I teased, closing the door behind him and locking it.


    "I like the reward," he said, his voice low and smooth. "And anyway, I¡¯m not worried about the servants catching me."


    "Maybe you should. You could get caught."


    "By the servants? No." He smirked. "They know better than toe near your wing at night."


    That made me pause. "Did you... do something?"


    Oscar shrugged, clearly unbothered. "Let¡¯s just say... I have my ways."


    I narrowed my eyes. "So that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t seen anyone around here in days..."


    "They still clean your room," he pointed out, stepping closer. "They just do it when you are gone."


    He reached out and tucked a damp strand of hair behind my ear, fingers lingering against my cheek. The way he looked at me... like I was something fragile but precious... sent warmth spreading through my chest.


    "You smell likevender," he murmured, stepping even closer. "You always do after your showers."


    "Is that why you time your visits?"


    "No," he chuckled. "That¡¯s just a bonus."


    Iughed softly, leaning into his touch. He pulled me closer until there was barely a whisper of space between us.


    Then, his lips brushed mine - soft at first, testing. Then firmer. Deeper. My hands found the fabric of his shirt, gripping lightly as he kissed me like he was tasting something he had missed for far too long.


    When we pulled apart, we were both breathing a little heavier.


    <fnc70c> The rightful source is f?ndnovel</fnc70c>


    "You make it very hard to leave," he said.


    "Then don¡¯t," I whispered before I could stop myself.


    The words were soft, unsure... but real. And I didn¡¯t regret speaking them out loud.


    He smiled again, this time slower, warmer. "Tempting," he said, resting his forehead against mine.

 Chapter 217: The Angry Whip Marks

    <h4>Chapter 217: The Angry Whip Marks</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I curled my fingers tighter around the front of his shirt, gripping it with silent desperation. I didn¡¯t want him to go. I didn¡¯t want this moment to end.


    My heart was racing, but I didn¡¯t feel nervous. I felt seen, wanted... safe. And for once, I didn¡¯t want to pretend otherwise.


    He must have felt the unspoken plea in my grip because he smiled again, that warm and devilish smile of his. Then he leaned forward to kiss me once more. I melted against him without hesitation, my lips parting for his as if it was the most natural thing in the world.


    <fn98e1> This text is hosted at F¦ÉndNovel</fn98e1>


    He kissed me with slow intensity, like he had all the time in the world to enjoy the taste of me. By the time he pulled away, my knees were weak and my breath hitched in my throat.


    And yet, as he looked at me again, a frown took over his face.


    "You are going to get sick," he muttered as his fingers grazed my damp strands. "Why didn¡¯t you dry your hair? It¡¯s winter. You know that, right?"


    I blinked, a bit dazed. "I was going to-"


    "No excuses." His voice was firm, but yful. He took my hand and tugged me gently toward the walk-in closet. "Sit."


    I obeyed, a little too willingly, and settled in front of the dressing table as he rummaged around for the blow dryer. When he returned, he plugged it in with practiced ease and tested the heat with his fingers. Then he stood behind me and began drying my hair.


    It started as a gentle hum of warm air, but the sensation quickly became something deeper. Somethingforting. His fingers threaded through my wet locks with such care that I found myself leaning into the touch. He moved slowly, methodically, smoothing the strands, his other hand brushing down the length of my hair with a tenderness I didn¡¯t know I needed.


    "You really like taking care of people, don¡¯t you?" I murmured, meeting his gaze through the mirror.


    "I do," he admitted, focused entirely on his task. "But I like taking care of you the most."


    The blow dryer shifted angles as he worked, creating a soft breeze that warmed my skin. Neither of us spoke much after that. The silence between us was filled with something softer than words.


    The asional brush of his fingers against the nape of my neck, the low hum of the dryer, the warmth of his body so close to mine... it was all too easy to forget everything else in that moment.


    Once my hair was dry, he turned off the dryer and put it aside. I stood up just as he stepped away from the vanity, only to feel him stop me gently with a touch to my arm.


    "Not so fast," he said, his voice low again. "Come here."


    I circled the stool, moving closer until I stood beside him. He reached for my wrist, guiding me in front of the mirror again, then stepped behind me and rested his hands on my shoulders.


    "You look like moonlight," he murmured, taking a section of my now dry silver hair and curling it slowly around his index finger. "I swear, when the light hits you just right, you look like a goddess sent straight down from the stars."


    A breath caught in my throat. I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    "And this," he whispered, letting the strand fall and reaching to lightly tap the tip of my nose, "might just be my favorite thing. So perfect. You don¡¯t even know how tempting you are when you wrinkle it while thinking."


    That made meugh, it was a soft surprised sound. "You really think I¡¯m that pretty?"


    "I think you are..." He paused, his tone turning more serious as his hand came to hold my chin gently. He tilted my face up until our eyes met in the mirror. "You are breathtaking, Evaline. These eyes..."


    His thumb traced along the underside of my eye. "Amber. Like fire. I love seeing them glow in sunlight. But even in the shadows, they pull me in."


    My heart started thudding, hard and loud in my chest. The way he was looking at me made me feel like the only person in the world. I was so busy trying not tobust under the weight of his gaze that I didn¡¯t even notice his other hand until I felt it at my waist, fingers deftly tugging at the belt of my robe.


    "Oscar..." I breathed.


    "Rx," he murmured.


    He didn¡¯t pull it openpletely... just enough to let the fabric slide off my left shoulder. My breath hitched as the air hit my newly exposed skin. My shoulder. My corbone. The faint upper curve of my left breast. All of it was now visible in the mirror, but I didn¡¯t feel shy. Not when he was looking at me like <i>that</i>.


    "Your skin..." he whispered, bending down to press a slow, lingering kiss on my shoulder. "So smooth. Like a baby."


    His lips left a trail of wet kisses down the length of my shoulder, and I watched it all happen through the mirror...watched the way his eyes softened, the way his expression turned reverent, like he was worshipping me.


    And then...everything shattered.


    His voice. Those exact words.


    <i>So smooth. Like a baby.</i>


    Suddenly, I couldn¡¯t hear Oscar anymore. The room blurred. The soft glow of the vanity lights turned harsh and cold. My heart was now pounding not with affection but with terror. And my hands started trembling.


    And then the memory struck me like a whip.


    ---


    <i>I was huddled in the corner of a dark room, knees pulled to my chest. My hair was dirty, my skin bruised. A figure loomed in front of me - young, but cruel. His eyes held no warmth.</i>


    <i>"Did you forget how much I liked your fair, baby-smooth skin?" he yelled.</i>


    <i>I shook my head frantically, whispering a soft, "No... I didn¡¯t forget."</i>


    <i>His hand pped across my cheek with brutal force and my head jerked back.</i>


    <i>"Then why the hell are there still whip marks on you?!" he screamed, grabbing my arm and pulling it roughly to reveal angry redshes. "Why haven¡¯t you used the ointment I gave you?"</i>


    <i>"I-I will," I cried. "I just... forgot."</i>


    <i>"You forgot?" His voice dropped into something cold and poisonous. "If I see another scar on you, Eva, I swear... I¡¯ll make a new one myself."</i>


    ---


    "Eva." Oscar¡¯s voice was sharp, panicked. "Eva!"


    I gasped.


    The image faded. The room around me shifted back into ce - the warm lights, the soft rug under my feet, the mirror, and Oscar¡¯s arms around me... holding me tight.


    "You are safe," he whispered fiercely. "You are safe with me."


    I clung to him, burying my face into his chest as my whole body shook. I couldn¡¯t speak. Couldn¡¯t find the words. But he didn¡¯t ask. He didn¡¯t push.


    He simply held me, one hand cradling the back of my head, the other gently rubbing my back.


    And for now, that was all I needed.

 Chapter 218: Oscar’s Lullaby

    <h4>Chapter 218: Oscar¡¯s Luby</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My eyes fluttered open slowly. The darkness around me felt unfamiliar at first, though a faint golden glow was flickering nearby - a lone candle burning on the nightstand. The me barely chased away the shadows in the massive room, but it was enough to cast soft silhouettes across the walls.


    The room was filled with warmth, but the warmth surrounding me was different.


    And I soon realized why.


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    Strong arms were wrapped around me from behind, cocooning me in a nket of safety andfort. The familiar scent was wrapped around my senses. His heartbeat was thrumming against my back, steady and grounding, and the bond between us was gently pulsing like a second heartbeat inside my chest.


    Oscar.


    He was awake. I could feel it, not just from the way his thumb was brushing softly against my arm in slow, absent circles, but through the silent awareness humming between us.


    I vaguely remembered him carrying me to the bed, and it seemed like I ended up falling asleep while wrapped in his protective embrace.


    I shifted slightly under the nket, just enough for my hand to find his resting on my waist.


    "You are awake," he whispered. His voice was low and deep, rumbling behind me like distant thunder on a quiet night.


    I turned in his arms, blinking up at him as my eyes adjusted to the dim light. His face came into view, half-cast in candlelight, the other in shadow - yet every inch familiar, every angle painfully beautiful. A soft smile touched his lips.


    "It¡¯s not even midnight," he said, brushing a strand of hair away from my cheek. "You have only been asleep for half an hour."


    "Oh," I murmured, my voiceing out as a whisper of breath. I didn¡¯t know why I woke up. Maybe it was the echo of fear lingering from earlier. Or maybe... I just wanted to look at him.


    His fingers gently traced over my wrist. "Are you still feeling troubled?"


    I paused. My throat tightened with the words I didn¡¯t know how to form. But then, seeing the worry swimming in his eyes, I forced a small smile - not forced because I had to fake it, but because I wanted to reassure him.


    "I don¡¯t want to talk about it yet," I whispered, lowering my gaze. "Not because I don¡¯t trust you... I do. More than I ever trusted anyone. I¡¯m just... not strong enough yet to face that part of my life."


    I looked up slowly, waiting for his expression to twist in disappointment, or frustration, or worse... pity.


    But all he did was nod.


    And then he pulled me close again, tucking my head under his chin and pressing a soft kiss to the crown of my head.


    "I¡¯ll wait," he whispered. "For as long as you need."


    Tears pricked my eyes, but I didn¡¯t let them fall.


    "Do you want to go back to sleep?" he asked, his voice still warm with the gentleness only he and Draven ever showed me. "I¡¯ll stay with you until dawn. Promise."


    I nodded and buried my face in his chest, trying to find thatfort again, the one that held me so tenderly earlier.


    But instead of silence, something else happened.


    He began to sing.


    Softly. Barely above a hum at first, but with a voice that melted like caramel against my ear. I blinked in surprise and a breathyugh slipped from my lips as he sang the first couple lines of a luby. His voice was deep and soulful, holding more emotion than I could have imagined.


    "What are you doing?" I asked, peeking up at him through half-lidded eyes, unable to stop the warmth blooming in my chest.


    He smiled, eyes twinkling. "Practicing."


    "For what? A singingpetition?"


    "No." He leaned down, brushing his nose against mine in the softest nuzzle. "I¡¯m practicing to sing lubies... to our child."


    My breath caught.


    <i>Our child</i>.


    Those words hung in the air, soft but heavy... and the world seemed to tilt slightly under their weight. Tears stung at the back of my eyes, blurring the golden light around his face. It was the first time he had ever called the baby <i>his</i>... ours.


    He knew the truth. That the baby wasn¡¯t his. That it was never supposed to be his responsibility, or burden, or joy. And yet... here he was. iming them as his without a flicker of hesitation.


    "I..." I whispered, blinking through the tears I couldn¡¯t stop now. "You really mean that?"


    His hand moved to rest on my belly. It was the gentlest, softest touch... like he was afraid to break me.


    "There¡¯s no his or yours when ites to you and me," he said softly. "If the baby is part of you, then it¡¯s part of me too."


    The tears slipped free then, hot and quiet. I didn¡¯t even try to wipe them away.


    He just kissed my forehead again, then continued singing.


    His voice filled the quiet, every note tender and full of love I hadn¡¯t realized he carried in such depth.


    <i>Hush now, little light in the dark,</i>


    <i>Safe in the arms that shield your spark.</i>


    <i>The night may whisper, the wind may cry,</i>


    <i>But I¡¯ll be near until stars say goodbye.</i>


    <i>Dream of a world where the skies never fall,</i>


    <i>Where love builds bridges, strong and tall.</i>


    <i>Your heartbeat¡¯s music, your breath a song,</i>


    <i>In this world of mine, you always belong.</i>


    <i>Sleep, my moonbeam, under silver skies,</i>


    <i>Mama¡¯s love in your soul, in your father¡¯s eyes.</i>


    <i>And when the morninges bright and near,</i>


    <i>You¡¯ll wake to a world where you are held so dear</i>.


    By the end of the luby, my tears had dried, and something else had taken root inside me. It felt like a strange kind of peace. Not the kind that says everything is fine... but the kind that says, I¡¯m not alone anymore.


    I pressed a soft kiss to his corbone, feeling the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest as he gently held me.


    And as I drifted off to sleep once again, I came to a realization.


    Sometimes, family wasn¡¯t about blood or fate.


    Sometimes, it was about the people who stayed.

 Chapter 219: Awkward Morning

    <h4>Chapter 219: Awkward Morning</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong><fn953f> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find~novel</fn953f>


    It was the faint sound of my rm that pulled me out of the warm cocoon of sleep. My eyes fluttered open, only to be greeted by a soft morning light sneaking in through the heavy velvet curtains. Instinctively, I reached out to the other side of the bed... only to find it empty.


    But it wasn¡¯t cold.


    The sheets were still warm. Oscar had left... but not long ago. My lips curled into a soft smile as I buried my face into the pillow he used. His scent was still lingering - fresh pinewood, quiet strength, and somethingforting I couldn¡¯t name. For a moment, I let myself be greedy and held onto that warmth.


    And then it hit me.


    For the first time in nearly four months, I had no sses, no long day of work waiting for me, no responsibilities wing at my heels. I was... free. Completely and utterly free to spend the day however I wanted.


    I silenced the rm, as it started ringing again, with a satisfied sigh and curled back under the nket. My fingers rested lightly over the ce Oscar had just upied, and I let myself fall back asleep, feeling more peaceful than I had in weeks.


    When I woke next, the digital clock on the side table blinked <i>9:02 AM</i>. I stretchedzily before pulling myself out of bed, making it neatly out of habit. A little hum left my lips as I padded to the bathroom.


    I didn¡¯t bother with my full morning workout today, but a few stretches made my muscles sigh in relief. After a refreshing shower, I slipped into a soft blue-colored turtleneck and loose ck trousers. It wasfy, cozy, and decent enough for being around the mansion.


    My stomach rumbled as I made my way downstairs. The long hallways were quiet, echoing with the distant footsteps of servants or warriors walking around and their asional muffled voices. I wasn¡¯t sure if any of the brothers were still home. Honestly, I didn¡¯t even know what the n for the day was.


    But I definitely wasn¡¯t expecting to walk into a room full of strangers.


    The moment I stepped into the main living area, a dozen or so heads turned toward me.


    I froze.


    And so did they.


    The air grew thick in an instant, and for several seconds, no one said anything.


    I stared at them - men and women, all dressed sharply, standing in small clusters like they were in the middle of an important meeting. A few were holding folders, others were discussing fabrics and essories lined across the massive ce.


    They were stunned. Not just by the fact that I walked in on them... but because I was here. In <i>this</i> house. In <i>these</i> clothes. And clearly... I didn¡¯t look like a staff.


    I opened my mouth but no words came out.


    Then someone stepped forward.


    "Miss Evaline?"


    It was a familiar voice. I blinked as I recognized the woman in her mid-thirties who was now moving toward me. I realized that she had a new haircut... her previously long hair was now cropped short. She was wearing a crisp grey suit, and holding an iPad in her hand. She was none other than River¡¯s secretary.


    "I-It¡¯s good to see you, Ms. Emma," I stammered awkwardly.


    She smiled - the usual polite, professional, but I didn¡¯t miss the surprise flickering in her eyes. "You too. I didn¡¯t realize you were... here."


    Neither did I. Not like this.


    The others still hadn¡¯t said anything, but I could feel their minds racing behind thoseposed expressions. Who was I? Why was Iing from the hallway leading to the staircases that led to the upper floors - the private rooms? Why was I dressed casually instead of a uniform? Why did River¡¯s secretary seem to know me?


    I was two seconds from awkwardly excusing myself when thest person I expected, or maybe the exact person I <i>should</i> have expected, appeared behind me.


    "Rx, all of you."


    I turned at the sound of River¡¯s voice.


    He was dressed in a ck shirt. The sleeves were rolled up, and a silver watch was glinting on his wrist. His hair was slightly tousled, like he had juste back from outside. He gave me a sideways nce, then stepped beside me without missing a beat.


    "These people are here to help us get ready for the Winter Solstice Ball tonight," he announced to me, not even bothering to address the group. "Don¡¯t mind them."


    I blinked. <i>Right</i>. The ball. How could I have forgotten that?


    He didn¡¯t introduce me. Didn¡¯t offer them any exnation. And that, more than anything, sent a silent message to the room - <i>She doesn¡¯t owe you answers.</i>


    Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was grateful for his help for pulling me out of the awkward situation.


    "Come," he said next, surprising me as well as the dozen people who were still closely watching me... and now River too. "You haven¡¯t eaten, have you?"


    I shook my head, and he led the way.


    The moment we entered the dining room, I felt my nerves settle just a little... but not by much. River was quiet as he gestured for the staff to serve breakfast. I contemted a little before moving to sit on my usual seat, but stopped when I felt his eyes on me.


    I chewed on my lower lip as I pulled my hands back from where they were resting on the top of the backrest of my chair. Slowly, I moved toward Draven¡¯s chair, on River¡¯s right, and sat down.


    Sitting this close to him, the long dining table fstarted feeling too formal with just the two of us. And while the silence between us wasn¡¯t awkward... it sure was heavy.


    Breakfast arrived immediately - a tray of freshly cut fruits, warm bread, avacado toast, spiced omelets, a ss of milk for me and a cup of ck coffee for River.


    But I realized my appetite had vanished.


    I nibbled at the bread, sipped the warm milk, and tried not to squirm under River¡¯s unreadable gaze.


    And then... just when I thoughts things couldn¡¯t go any worse... he dropped the bomb.


    "You¡¯ll be attending the Ball with me tonight."

 Chapter 220: The Heated Moment

    <h4>Chapter 220: The Heated Moment</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The fork froze halfway to my mouth and the omelet slipped back onto the te as my hand fell limp. I blinked at River, his words still echoing through my head like they had been spoken in anothernguage.


    <i>You will be attending the Ball with me tonight.</i>


    I stared at him, unmoving, unbreathing, the silence stretching between us like a tight wire threatening to snap. Then it hit me.


    "What?" I said. Or maybe I choked. I couldn¡¯t tell. It was hard to think when my heart was punching against my ribs.


    He just sat there, looking asposed as always, calmly sipping his ck coffee like he hadn¡¯t just dropped a bomb in the middle of breakfast. My body went rigid. Confusion warred with disbelief, then gradually twisted into irritation... and then anger.


    "You have got to be kidding me," I muttered, mming my fork down way harder than I intended.


    His gaze slidzily from his coffee to my face, one brow raised. "I¡¯m not."


    I stood up so suddenly that the chair behind me screeched. "Why?"


    The word came out sharp,ced with all the frustration I had bottled up for months. I wasn¡¯t just asking about tonight. I was asking about <i>everything</i>.


    Why <i>me</i>?


    Why <i>always</i> me?


    And as always, he gave me that same rehearsed answer. "Because you are good at blending in. You observe quietly. You absorb things without being obvious. This Ball is full of people you need to understand if you ever want to truly seed in the world you are nning to build for yourself."


    Iughed.


    It was a sharp, emptyugh that didn¡¯t reach my eyes.


    "Seriously?" I said, my voice rising. "You are pulling that card <i>again</i>? That same crap about how everything you throw at me is supposed to <i>help me grow</i>?"


    His expression didn¡¯t change, but I swore I saw something flicker in his eyes. Pity? Amusement? Irritation? It was gone before I could figure it out.


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    "You act like you are doing me a favor," I continued, my voice tight, "but all you ever do is push me into things I didn¡¯t ask for. And you don¡¯t even give me a choice. You didn¡¯t ask me if I <i>wanted</i> to go to the Ball. You <i>told</i> me. Like I¡¯m your puppet."


    "Evaline," he began, but I cut him off.


    "No!" I snapped. "Why does it always have to be me, River? Why not someone else? Why not one of your other assistants? Or one of the thousands of employees working under you? Or literally any of the hundred people more qualified than I am?"


    His jaw tensed.


    "You think I¡¯m some eager little girl who¡¯ll just keep doing what you say because you use pretty words like ¡¯career¡¯ and ¡¯potential.¡¯ But I¡¯m not that girl anymore."


    My chest was heaving as I red at him, not caring that we weren¡¯t really alone. The quiet kitchen behind me was now deathly silent. I didn¡¯t need to look over my shoulder to know the staff was staring. I was standing in the heart of the Thorne mansion, yelling at the Rogue Alpha King himself. And I didn¡¯t care.


    I could tell what they might be thinking about me - either I was too foolish, or too brave. But I didn¡¯t care.


    He stood up, slow and measured, his tall form casting a long shadow over the table. "I¡¯m not ying games with you."


    "Then what <i>are</i> you doing?" I snapped. "Because from where I¡¯m standing, it looks like you enjoy pulling my strings. What is it about me that you hate so much, huh? Is it our past? Why can¡¯t you just leave me alone?"


    His face remained nk, but something behind those cold emerald eyes shifted. I didn¡¯t give him time to answer.


    I took a step forward. "I know you hate me. I have known it since the first time we met. And it¡¯s fine, really. Hate me all you want. But don¡¯t pretend like you are doing me some favor every time you toss me into a pit full of wolves and tell me to ¡¯learn and grow.¡¯"


    He looked down at me for a long moment before he finally spoke, voice calm... too calm. "You want to survive in this world, Evaline Greystone? You need to learn how to walk in it. That Ball is filled with powerful people, future allies, enemies, and maniptors. You want to be more than someone¡¯s little pet project? Start acting like it."


    I barked out another bitterugh and shook my head.


    "You are so damn good at this," I said, stepping back. "So good at acting like everything you do is for someone else¡¯s good. But you and I both know the truth. You don¡¯t care about me learning or growing. You care about control. And you are not going to get it."


    I turned to walk away.


    But I didn¡¯t make it more than three steps.


    A firm hand suddenly grabbed the back of my neck. It was not hard, but firm enough to stop me mid-step. I gasped as I was pulled back, spun around like a doll, until I was facing him again.


    His eyes were still unreadable, his expression still emotionless. But the grip on me told a different story.


    My breath hitched.


    We were close now... too close. His fingers were still at the back of my neck, not hurting, not threatening. But grounding.


    "I don¡¯t hate you," he said softly, his voice low enough that only I could hear.


    "Really? You want me to believe that?" For some weird, twisted, and stupid reason, I wasn¡¯t feeling like backing down.


    "Yes."


    "Why?" I pressed. "Why should I believe that you have suddenly forgotten about all your hatred toward me and you genuinely want to help me?"


    He inched closer, leaving merely few breaths of space between us. I forgot how to breathe.


    His voice was barely a whisper as he spoke, "Because-"


    "What¡¯s going on here?"

 Chapter 221: Blame The Hormones

    <h4>Chapter 221: me The Hormones</h4>


    Evaline:


    "What¡¯s going on here?"


    We both turned toward the voice, and while my heart stumbled with something close to panic, River showed not even a flicker of surprise.


    He didn¡¯t move away in haste, didn¡¯t pretend to be caught red-handed. Instead, he stepped back slowly... like he had all the time in the world and not a care for who had seen us standing so close.


    It was Kieran.


    River spared him only a brief nce as he stepped aside from me and said in a low voice that was only meant for my ears, "If you are so against it, Miss Evaline, then forget it. Consider the matter closed."


    His voice was as smooth and unaffected as always. Then, with no further exnation and no apology, he turned and walked away. His tall form disappeared beyond the heavy dining hall doors, leaving a lingering silence in his wake.


    Kieran watched him leave and then turned to me, his brows furrowed in concern. "Evaline... what just happened?"


    His voice was low, worried.


    I opened my mouth to answer but couldn¡¯t find the words. I didn¡¯t want to talk about it... not now, not when everything was still burning under my skin.


    He stepped closer, gently resting his hand on my elbow in aforting gesture. But my body reacted before my brain could catch up. I jerked my arm away, recoiling from his touch like it burned. And then I turned away, walking a few steps toward the exit.


    But the realization of what I just did hit me hard... apanied with guilt.


    I stopped.


    Damn it.


    I turned back around quickly. And my heart dropped at the stunned, almost hurt look on Kieran¡¯s face before he quickly masked it. He looked away, his lips parting like he was about to say something, but held back.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I said softly, taking a step toward him. "I-Ididn¡¯t mean to... react that way."


    He looked at me for a long second before nodding. "It¡¯s okay."


    But it wasn¡¯t. We both knew that.


    Still, I didn¡¯t know how to fix it, not right now. So, I walked out without another word and hurried up the stairs, not even caring if anyone else had witnessed that mess of a scene.


    My bedroom door shut behind me with a soft click, and only then did I finally take a deep breath.


    It was quiet. Safe.


    I leaned against the door and closed my eyes as I tried to make sense of everything. What the hell had just happened? I hadpletely lost my cool. In front of River.


    In his mansion.


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    Not to mention, I shouted at the damn Rogue Alpha King like he was a misbehaving child. What was wrong with me?


    I let out a long breath and shook my head. Pregnancy hormones. It had to be that. The only logical exnation. I had been managing just fine until this evening. Now suddenly I was all rage and fire and flinging usations.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t regret it. At least I didn¡¯t have to attend that sted ball tonight.


    With that one silver lining in my thoughts, I moved toward my bed and picked up my phone. I had left it here before heading downstairs, and now the screen showed two missed calls from Oscar.


    Ten minutes ago.


    My pulse jumped. Had he felt something? Had I sent waves of emotion down the bond?


    I quickly tapped to call him back, pacing the room as the phone rang. He picked up on the second ring.


    "Finally," he said in his smooth and familiar voice, instantly easing the storm in my chest. "You really know how to ignore someone, huh?"


    "Sorry," I muttered. "I left my phone in the room."


    "It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m in Ravenden. Just wanted to know if you needed anything. Snacks? Cravings? Murder weapon?"


    I chuckled softly. "Nothing, thank you. I¡¯m good."


    "You sure?" he teased, then added, "You sound off. Are you okay?"


    I paused.


    Thest thing I wanted was to create strain in the brothers¡¯ bonds. I needed to learn to live with River... peacefully.


    "I¡¯m fine. Just a weird mood," I said.


    "Mood swings. Cute. I¡¯m writing it off as pregnancy madness."


    "Can¡¯t even deny that," I muttered with a small smile.


    His voice then turned more yful. "You are missing me already, aren¡¯t you?"


    "I am," I said without hesitation, because I didn¡¯t need to pretend around him.


    Heughed, clearly pleased. "I¡¯ll be back in two hours. Maybe less, if I get the work done quickly."


    "You better focus on your work then. I don¡¯t want youing home all grumpy."


    "Grumpy?" he snorted. "I¡¯m never grumpy. Ask Draven."


    "Speaking of, where is he?"


    "He went out for something important. But he should be back by now... if not already, then very soon. Go bug him until I return."


    "I will."


    After a few more minutes of light teasing, we hung up.


    I ced my phone on the bedside table and stood up, smiling to myself. Oscar always made things feel simpler. Softer.


    I straightened my clothes. Crossing the room, I opened the door and stepped into the hallway... and instantly stopped in my tracks.


    Several servants were approaching from the other end of the corridor, each carryingrge cartons in their arms. Their eyes widened slightly upon spotting me, but none of them stopped walking. They moved efficiently, heading straight toward my room.


    "What...?" I blinked, stepping aside as one passed me.


    Before I could ask anything, I saw him.


    Draven.


    Trailing behind the servants with a single small carton in his arms.


    He was wearing his usual ck-on-ck outfit. His hair was slightly tousled from the wind. His eyes found mine instantly, and he stopped walking.


    His expression was unreadable for a second... but then, a huge smile pulled at the corners of his lips.


    He shifted the box in his arms and looked at me, eyes glinting with something that made my heart skip a beat.


    "Surprise."

 Chapter 222: The Wrong Feelings

    <h4>Chapter 222: The Wrong Feelings</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "What¡¯s going on?" I asked, watching as the final few cartons were brought inside.


    He walked up to me. His expression was innocent but eyes were glinting with amusement. "Since you failed toplete the simplest task of picking a Christmas tree to decorate your room, I took the liberty to do it for you."


    I blinked. "You... what?"


    "All of those-" he gestured grandly to the now box-filled space behind me, "-are for your room¡¯s Christmas makeover."


    I turned my head slowly toward the mountain of boxes now upying the corner of my bedroom. "All of those?"


    "There¡¯s no rule about decorating small, Eva. You should have known better." He grinned.


    My jaw dropped slightly. "Oscar said you went out for something important-"


    "And this is important," he interrupted, walking into the room. "Besides, Oscar would have done it if he wasn¡¯t busy with pack business."


    I followed him in, still processing the sheer number of boxes. The servants exited one by one, leaving the door open behind them until thest one shut it gently.


    "I thought we could call the others and make a thing out of it. You know, decorating together like a family-" Draven paused, shooting me a sideways nce. "Except River, of course. Let¡¯s not even pretend he would lift a finger for tinsel. The only thing he contributes to the main tree every year is judging the symmetry."


    Iughed despite myself. "What about Professor Kieran?"


    He shrugged. "I was going to call him, but if you want to invite him personally-"


    "I do," I cut in a little too quickly.


    He looked at me, curiosity flickering in his dark eyes just for second, but he didn¡¯t pry. "Alright then. The tree will be standing tall by the time you return."


    "Thanks," I whispered and left.


    Climbing the stairs to the Master Floor felt heavier than usual. My mind was still a whirl of regret over how I treated Kieran earlier in the dining hall. He didn¡¯t deserve that. And even if I med pregnancy hormones or my own frazzled nerves, it wasn¡¯t an excuse.


    I paused outside his door, gathering my thoughts. The hallway was quiet, and the air felt heavier up here. I hesitated for a moment, then raised my hand and knocked softly.


    To my surprise, the door creaked open with the lightest push.


    I stepped in, blinking at the dim light spilling from a sidemp. The room was massive - though not asrge as mine, it carried the same air of authority and quiet opulence. Everything was clean, minimal, but carefully ced. Kieran¡¯s usual personality was reflecting clearly in the space.


    "Professor?" I called out, softly closing the door behind me.


    I didn¡¯t expect a reply. Not immediately.


    I almost thought he wasn¡¯t here, but then my gaze fell to the figure on the floor. His back was leaned against the side of the bed and the pale light was carving soft shadows on his face, making his features appear more tired, more human, more vulnerable.


    His head was bent low, fingers loosely holding a cigarette that had almost burned down to the filter. He wasn¡¯t moving. He was just... sitting. Still. Quiet.


    And my heart clenched at the sight.


    "Kieran?" I called again, this time more softly and using his name for some twisted reason even I didn¡¯t know.


    And this time, he looked up slowly, as though waking from a dream. His eyes widened slightly when they met mine, a sh of emotion I couldn¡¯t ce dancing behind them before vanishing. He blinked once and the expression was gone.


    "Evaline." His voice was hoarse. "Didn¡¯t expect you."


    "I didn¡¯t expect to find you like this either," I said truthfully.


    He looked away, taking a breath and stubbing the cigarette out on a nearby tray. "Is there something you need?"


    "No," I said quietly, stepping closer. "I mean, yes. I came to talk to you. To apologize."


    That got his attention.


    He looked up again, brow furrowed.


    "I shouldn¡¯t have reacted like that earlier," I said. "You were only trying to be kind... and I just-" I exhaled, feeling the guilt burn in my throat. "I was a mess. And I took it out on you. I¡¯m sorry."


    Silence stretched between us.


    He didn¡¯t speak right away. Instead, he slowly got to his feet, brushing nonexistent dust off his pants, still not meeting my eyes.


    "I shouldn¡¯t have touched you without asking," he finally said. "I startled you."


    "That¡¯s not-" I paused. "That¡¯s not why I pulled away."


    His jaw tensed slightly, but he didn¡¯t speak.


    "I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening to me," I admitted, stepping closer. "I feel things more deeply now. Anger, panic, confusion. Sometimes I cry for no reason. Sometimes I want to scream. And sometimes-" I stopped myself.


    He finally looked at me. "Sometimes?"


    "Sometimes I just want someone to hold me and not ask why I¡¯m feeling the way I¡¯m feeling," I whispered. "And maybe I was afraid you would see how messed up I really am."


    "You are not messed up," he said immediately, with more force than I expected.


    I looked up at his face and our eyes locked. And for a moment, it felt like the world stopped.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was the dim lighting or the aching silence between us, but something about this moment felt different. Heavy. Charged.


    He stepped closer, slowly, as if afraid any sudden movement would send me running again.


    "You are allowed to feel overwhelmed. You are allowed to have moments where you don¡¯t know what you want," he said, his voice low. "But don¡¯t shut people out. Don¡¯t shut <i>me</i> out."


    His words were like a balm. A painful one. Because I didn¡¯t know how to stop.


    "I¡¯m scared," I whispered.


    <fn92a5> Original content can be found at F¦Énd£Îovel</fn92a5>


    He reached out... slowly, hesitantly... but stopped just inches from my cheek.


    "You don¡¯t have to be," he said. "Not with me."


    And then his handnded softly on my cheek. His touch was warm, grounding, like a gentle tether in a storm I couldn¡¯t name.


    We stood there in silence, eyes searching, breaths shallow, caught in that undefined space we always seemed to linger in.


    Neither of us mentioned the strange way our skin seemed to hum when it touched. Neither of us acknowledged how drawn we felt toward each other, like invisible threads were pulling us together despite everything.


    Finally, he stepped back.


    "You came to invite me to something, didn¡¯t you?" he asked, his voice softer now.


    I nodded. "Draven brought home enough decorations to fill a warehouse. We are decorating my room¡¯s tree. I thought... maybe you would like to help?"


    Something flickered in his eyes. Amusement. Fondness. Maybe even relief.


    "I¡¯ll be down in five," he said.


    I smiled.


    And this time, when I turned to leave, my steps felt lighter.

 Chapter 223: The Disastrous Decoration

    <h4>Chapter 223: The Disastrous Decoration</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I returned to my room, feeling much better when I left to invite Kieran just minutes ago.


    A couple of empty cartons were sitting neatly in the hallway outside my room, indicating Draven had already begun clearing things out. And the moment I stepped inside, I froze.


    Right by the windows, beside the marble firece and the cushy couches, was standing a stunning Christmas tree. It was towering majestically, and its thick green branches were dusted in artificial snow. It wasn¡¯t decorated yet, but even bare, it was perfect. Regal. Warm. Beautiful.


    My eyes softened.


    There were some wreaths ced around the room.


    My eyes searched for Draven and I found him upstairs. He was in the middle of fixing a lush green gand, wrapped with red ribbons and pinecones, over the railing.


    "You work fast," I called out with a teasing lilt in my voice as I closed the door behind me.


    He nced down at me with a smirk. "Efficiency is a lovenguage, sweetheart."


    I smiled and climbed the spiral staircase, heading up to the cozy upper level of my bedroom where he was working. I hadn¡¯t had a proper chance to rx in this part of the room since I arrived on Friday. The snug reading nook with leather armchairs, the floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves filled with hardcovers and ancient scrolls, the arched ss window that framed the snowy sky - it all looked like something straight out of a winter fairy tale.


    I had nned to spend some quiet time here today... but now that the tree and decorations were happening, maybe I would have to move that n to tomorrow.


    I walked to the nearby bookshelf, running my fingers over the spines.


    "So?" Draven asked casually. "What did Kieran say?"


    I didn¡¯t turn around. "He said he¡¯ll join us shortly."


    I barely finished speaking when I felt his presence behind me before I even saw him. His arms circled my waist from behind, pulling me gently away from the shelf and turning me toward him.


    My heart skipped.


    I didn¡¯t resist, but I nced toward the top of the stairs. "Draven," I whispered, my voice barely holding back a nervousugh. "The door is unlocked... Kieran might walk in any moment."


    "And I¡¯ll know when he does," he said in a low and dangerous voice, just before he kissed me.


    It wasn¡¯t a soft kiss.


    He kissed me like he was starving. Like this might be hisst moment with me. His hands gripped my waist tighter, and when I pushed gently at his chest, it wasn¡¯t to stop him... it was because I couldn¡¯t breathe. My head was spinning, my heart roaring in my chest.


    "Draven..." I tried again between breaths, lips brushing against his, "we shouldn¡¯t..."


    But he shook his head. "I missed you," he said, his forehead resting against mine. "Fuck-I don¡¯t even care if we get caught."


    And honestly, I might not care either... at least, not in that moment. I was aching for him too.


    Thest time we were this close was Saturday night, when he had snuck into my room just to say goodnight. Since then, there had been no private moments, no stolen kisses or hugs. More than a day had passed and nothing.


    So, I gave in.


    My arms curled around his neck, and the moment my lips met his again, everything else melted away. He deepened the kiss, his fingers tangling in my hair, and I felt my knees go weak. My back bumped gently against the bookshelf behind me, and still, we continued kissing.


    If he hadn¡¯t pulled away when he did, I wasn¡¯t sure I would have stopped. His breathing was ragged as he stepped back. His jaw was clenched tight as he returned to fix the gand on the railing like nothing had happened.


    I stared at him, my lips tingling and mind fogged. And then I heard it - the sound of the door opening downstairs.


    I moved closer to the stairs and looked down just in time to see Kieran stepping inside.


    Of course.


    That¡¯s why Draven pulled away.


    I cleared my throat and descended the staircase like it hadn¡¯t taken everything in me to act normal.


    "Hey," I greeted Kieran with a gentle smile.


    He nodded, looking around the room. "Wow. You have made some progress."


    Draven walked down the stairs behind me. "Of course I did. You think I woud wait for your slow ass?"


    Kieran rolled his eyes and smirked. "Please, like you know how to decorate a tree beautifully."


    The three of us ended up spending the next hour and a half decorating the tree... and honestly, it was the most fun I had in days.


    Kieran brought up a ylist of soft jazz and ssic carols. Dravenined about how glittery everything was. I may or may not have thrown a handful of fake snow at both of them when they started bickering.


    Draven held up two ornaments. "Which one for the front? Reindeer or this ridiculously sparkly snowke?"


    "Reindeer," Kieran and I said at the same time, then exchanged a soft smile.


    By the time we were halfway through, snow started falling outside. Not the soft, romantic kind... but heavy, blinding flurries.


    I moved closer to the window, worry filling my heart. "Oscar..."


    I barely said the name when the door opened again.


    And there he was.


    Wearing a thick ck coat, his hair damp with snowkes, he stepped in like the snowfall was merely an afterthought.


    He smiled, and I smiled back, holding myself still. If Kieran hadn¡¯t been standing right there, I might have already run into Oscar¡¯s arms. But I didn¡¯t. I just smiled - soft and warm - and he returned it before his eyes started scanning the room.


    "Looks like a snowstorm threw up in here," he said dryly, ncing at the glitter-covered floor and ornament boxes.


    Draven snorted. "Then wait till we hang the lights."


    We allughed.


    By the time the clock hit one, we were heading downstairs for lunch. River joined us as well. He said nothing to me, and I said nothing to him, not like we were talking before this anyway. I didn¡¯t even look at him. Not because I was angry anymore, but because I didn¡¯t know how to.


    <fn070f> For original chapters go to ?ovelFind</fn070f>


    As soon as lunch ended, River stood up. "Kieran, I need you in the study. It¡¯s urgent."


    Kieran gave me an apologetic look and followed him.


    And just like that, it was only me and my two mates again.


    Back in my room, Draven walked in first... and turned the key in the door behind us with a solid click.


    I raised a brow. "You locked the door?"


    He turned to face me with that slow, wicked grin of his. "You didn¡¯t think I was going to let anyone interrupt us again, did you?"

 Chapter 224: Tangled in Light and Fire

    <h4>Chapter 224: Tangled in Light and Fire</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    They did try to decorate. Honestly, they did.


    For a whole ten minutes, ribbons were fluffed, ornaments were gently unpacked, and Oscar was calmly setting the big star aside for the tree topper while Draven adjusted the lights on the lower branches.


    I had just started cing a few of the crystal ornaments on the side of the tree when I felt the familiar presence behind me... again.


    Ten minutes. That was his limit.


    He wrapped one arm around my waist before pressing a soft kiss on my neck. I tilted my head slightly, half amused and half exasperated.


    "Draven," I warned,ughing under my breath. "We are supposed to be decorating."


    He hummed against my skin, that deep, rich sound that always sent a ripple of heat through my core. "We are. Just... decorating you instead."


    I turned around to give him a pointed look, only to have him lean in and kiss me.


    And I... I didn¡¯t resist.


    His kiss was slow at first - teasing, warm, a gentle press of lips that melted far too quickly into something more. The world slipped sideways again as I kissed him back.


    I clutched the front of his sweater as his arms pulled me closer, one hand sliding up to cup the back of my neck. Hus familiar scent wrapped around me like a nket I never wanted to shed.


    It was the kind of kiss that made you forget everything else. Made you forget snowstorms, tree ornaments, time itself.


    And then I felt it... Oscar.


    Not with a touch, not with a sound, but with a shift in energy that only came when he was near. It was something maic. My senses had started recognizing it, even when my back was to him.


    Draven must have sensed him too, because he slowly broke the kiss, though his hand lingered on my waist, and his lips brushed my cheek as he whispered, "You are not off the hook yet."


    Then he stepped back just a few inches, and I turned slightly... and there he was.


    Oscar.


    Leaning casually against the arm of the couch, with arms crossed, eyes dark and unreadable. But the smirk tugging at the corner of his lips said everything.


    "Well," he murmured. "d I didn¡¯t miss the fun this time."


    My heart skipped. I knew that look.


    I didn¡¯t even get a chance to speak. One moment, we were standing near the tree, and the next, I was on the couch, breathless, with Oscar¡¯s lips on mine.


    His kiss was firepared to Draven¡¯s storm. Where Draven kissed like he was trying to memorize me, Oscar kissed like he already had and was trying to make me forget everything else.


    My hands curled into his shirt as he deepened the kiss, slow and confident, coaxing me into matching his rhythm. There was somethingmanding in the way he kissed me, like he wasn¡¯t asking... he was iming. And yet it never felt like too much. It felt right. It always did with him.


    Just as the air between us started to thin, I felt a shift again.


    Hands - Draven¡¯s - on my waist, and then his breath near my ear as he murmured, "Told you, not off the hook."


    Oscar smiled against my lips and then pulled back just enough for Draven to lean in and kiss me again.


    Being caught between the two of them like that... I wasn¡¯t sure I could think straight anymore.


    They didn¡¯t push, didn¡¯t demand... but they surrounded me, nked me, each one taking turns and giving space when needed. Oscar¡¯s fingertips brushed against my thigh as Draven¡¯s lips trailed down my neck. The intensity was dizzying, every sensation heightened by the way they worked in sync without needing to speak.


    A breathless moan left me before


    My body was sinking deeper into the couch cushions as they each took a side, caging me in, but never making me feel trapped. Only... adored.


    That was the word.


    It wasn¡¯t just hunger, it was adoration.


    The way Oscar kissed the corner of my lips before resting his forehead against mine. The way Draven pulled back just enough to search my eyes before leaning in again.


    It was overwhelming in the most breathtaking way.


    I knew, with all certainty, that if either of them went even an inch further, I wouldn¡¯t stop them. But they didn¡¯t. They knew where to pause, how far to lean in without crossing into something more. Their restraint wasn¡¯t cold... it was intentional. It was love, cloaked in heat.


    My heart was racing, my skin was flushed, and my lips were tingling, when Draven finally sat back with a deep breath, running a hand through his hair like he needed air.


    Oscar exhaled beside me and leaned back against the cushions, draping his arm across the back of the couch behind me, his fingers brushing my shoulder.


    "Well," he said, voice husky and amused, "that exins why no one gets any decorating done when the two of us are together."


    Iughed softly, my cheeks still warm as I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and looked at the mess of gands and lights on the floor.


    "We barely got through the first box," I muttered.


    Draven chuckled. "That¡¯s still better thanst year."


    I turned to him, eyebrows raised. "You have done this before?"


    "Let¡¯s just say thest time the four of us tried to decorate a tree together, Oscar and I ended up wrestling on the floor and knocked the whole thing down. River was... unimpressed."


    I burst intoughter at the image. "I can only imagine."


    But before any of us could say more, a gust of wind howled outside the window, and I turned toward it, eyes widening.


    Snow.


    Heavy, thick snow was falling fast... so fast that the distant hills were already vanishing behind a curtain of white.


    "Oh no," I whispered, standing quickly and walking toward the window. "Oscar... you were out earlier. Did it look this bad when you came back?"


    He was already behind me, but kept enough distance as Draven had unlocked the door. "Not even close. It started picking up about ten minutes ago."


    <fn65fe> Fresh chapters posted on Find?Novel</fn65fe>


    I was about to say something else when the door creaked open and Kieran walked in, with snowkes clinging to his dark coat as if he had taken a walk outside.


    My breath caught.


    He looked... striking, as always. Tall,posed, a soft flush on his cheeks from the cold. But what caught me most was his gaze - warm and unwavering, as itnded on me.


    Oscar took a step back, and I smiled at Kieran as he made his way into the room.


    "Good timing," I said lightly, trying to act casual. "We have made almost no progress."


    He nced around the room, at the half-lit tree, the open boxes, and then at me.


    His lips curved. "I can see that."


    But instead of teasing or saying something sharp, he walked closer and picked up a ribbon from the box near the firece.


    "We still got some time."

 Chapter 225: The Winter Solstice Ball

    <h4>Chapter 225: The Winter Solstice Ball</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I let out a deep sigh, the kind that wed up my throat with weight and hesitation.


    My hand hovered on the door handle of the ck luxury car, hesitant to leave the safety of its leather-lined interior. But River had been standing outside for a while now, holding the door open, his tall frame casting a long shadow into the vehicle. His presence was a silentmand I could never resist for too long. So I pushed aside the knot of nerves and stepped out.


    The moment I did, chaos erupted.


    Camera shes hit me from all angles. They were blinding, relentless. The sudden burst of lights made my vision blur, and I reflexively turned my face. My eyes even started watering as the sound of frenzied shouting and screaming tore through the cool evening air.


    "Miss! Over here!"


    "Who is she?"


    "Alpha Thorne! Alpha Thorne, look this way!"


    "River! Alpha River, over here!"


    Fangirls were screaming his name like it was a battle cry, some even pushing past the red velvet ropes as if their lives depended on getting a closer glimpse of him. And the fanboys... oh, they were worse, holding cards, phones, even gifts.


    River reacted immediately.


    In one fluid motion, he stepped closer and his body shielded mine from the blinding lights and intrusive camera lenses. His arm circled around me protectively, and I felt the strength of it, the calm power he carried like a second skin.


    "Come," he said in a low and smooth voice, as if the chaos around us didn¡¯t even exist.


    I let him lead me forward. My heart was thudding with both anxiety and a strange, fluttering thrill. Once inside the towering ss doors of the hotel, the world muffled to a hush. The shes stopped. The screaming faded behind the thick soundproofed walls. The air, warm and fragrant with winter spices, weed us.


    I released a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I had been holding and turned slightly toward River.


    "Thanks," I muttered, trying not to sound breathless.


    He was already looking at me.


    Even with the mask covering half his face, he looked unfairly good... better than good. The dark formal suit hugged his lean, tall frame like it had been made just for him, his silver cufflinks catching the chandelier lights. His ck-and-gold embroidered half-mask added an air of mystery, but it did nothing to hide the way he watched me.


    A smile tugged at his lips, just for a second, before he schooled his expression back to its usual calm.


    I rolled my eyes, slightly flustered, and looked away.


    Yes, I was here. At the Winter Solstice Ball. With River.


    After all the dramatic protests I had thrown this morning. After swearing I would lock myself in my room and read until sunrise. After dering I didn¡¯t care if the Ball was the event of the year.


    But... here I was.


    Let¡¯s not even get into how that happened. My mates knew how to get their way, especially when they teamed up like overgrown puppies... grumpy ones. With Draven¡¯s endless texts and Oscar¡¯s quiet guilt-tripping...bined? I was doomed. Even Kieran was on their team.


    To be fair, what tipped the scale in their favor was the one saving grace of the evening - it was a masquerade.


    Which meant I could hide. Hide everything - my identity, my nerves, and the anxious weight sitting on my chest.


    And the stylists who helped me get ready for the night, they did their job well.


    My hair was a masterpiece - long ck extensions blending in with my natural silver locks to create an oreo-like pattern that was elegant and dramatic. My amber eyes were covered with brown contact lenses that shifted my entire appearance.


    My gown was luxury, pure yet sexy - dark blue with shimmering ents. Its soft fabric was clinging at the right ces, had flowing sleeves and a train that moved like whispers behind me. My mask was made of delicatece and gemstones, and it hid the upper half of my face entirely.


    I was... unrecognizable.


    The staff guided us toward a private elevator, and in mere seconds, we were on the floor where the Grand Ballroom awaited.


    When we entered the ce, I stilled.


    The ballroom was nothing short of a dream.


    Crystal chandeliers were hanging from an impossibly high ceiling like frozen raindrops. Gold ents, velvet drapes, walls adorned with enchanted snowkes that drifted slowly down before fading into the air. Everything was sparkling - tables, lights, even the floor had a faint shimmer, like it had been dusted with stardust.


    A giant ice sculpture was standing in the center of the room, shaped like a crescent moon wrapped in roses. Music was ying softly, ssical and haunting, the kind that soaked into your skin.


    <fncbf2> Readplete version only at find¡¤novel</fncbf2>


    The crowd was a blur of luxury - dresses and tuxedos, masks and perfumes. But it wasn¡¯t until we stepped inside that the energy shifted.


    The entire ballroom hushed.


    Heads turned. Conversations halted mid-sentence. Every single pair of eyes locked onto us.


    Correction... on <i>him</i>.


    Despite the mask and the elegant pretense of anonymity, River was impossible to miss. He had that kind of presence, the kind that drew people in and warned them to stay away. Like thunder wrapped in silk.


    He stood tall beside me, spine straight, his aura washing through the room like a wave. Not demanding attention...manding it.


    He was the Rogue Alpha King.


    Even his silence was loud.


    And suddenly, I regretted stepping in with him. With my hand on his arm, no less. Maybe I should have waited twenty seconds and walked in alone. Or pretended to be a random guest who just happened to walk through the same door.


    I nced up at him, trying to pull my hand back discreetly, but his grip tightened ever so slightly. He looked down, his eyes gleaming beneath the mask, and he offered a calm, unreadable smile before guiding me deeper into the ballroom.


    "Rx," he murmured.


    Easy for him to say. He thrived in attention.


    I did not.


    Still, I took a breath and followed, weaving through the thick tension of the room, every step echoing on the glistening floor. I could feel people whispering, their masked faces turned in our direction, their curiosity wrapping around us like smoke.


    But River didn¡¯t flinch.


    And slowly, I let myself stop flinching too.


    The long night was just beginning.

 Chapter 226: The Masquerade Heat

    <h4>Chapter 226: The Masquerade Heat</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had never felt more trapped by shimmering silk, polite smiles, and the weight of a thousand eyes pretending not to stare.


    Ten minutes after River and I entered, the air shifted again, like thunder rolling in before a storm. And there he was.


    Kieran.


    He was the first of the brothers to make an appearance after River. The murmurs started from the far end of the ballroom and rippled forward, parting the crowd like they had rehearsed it for years.


    Kieran stepped in dressed in all white. His blonde hair was pulled into a perfect manbun, and he was wearing a simple but elegant half-mask that only made his sharp jawline more striking. He wasn¡¯t looking at anyone. Not yet. His gaze moved slowly over the room like a silent predator getting a read on the battlefield.


    My breath hitched as our eyes met across the room.


    I offered a smile, timid but genuine. He didn¡¯t smile back, but his gaze softened just enough to let me know he saw me.


    <fn28d1> This text is hosted at Find¡ïNovel</fn28d1>


    A few minutester, Oscar strolled in with his usual swagger, and the mood in the room changed once again - lighter, flirtier. Gasps and giggles followed his every step as he adjusted the cuffs of his dark red-colored suit jacket.


    His mask was gold and ck, and the confidence in his walk said he wasn¡¯t hiding. Not really. Like Kieran, he also looked right at me, winked, and then blended into a group of high-ranking officials, probably already charming the Luna daughters standing nearby.


    I sighed. I knew the look in their eyes. The soft usation. The silent plea. Why River? Why not him or Draven?


    Because River felt safe. Because his fans would pass me as his secretary or one of his assistants unless they saw me hanging on his arm after this night as well.


    Just when I thought things couldn¡¯t get more intense, Draven arrived.


    The ballroom went silent... for the fourth time.


    He didn¡¯t walk in. He entered. Dressed all in ck with a silver-trimmed mask and not even the hint of a smile. His presence was overwhelming, dangerous even. Women visibly stepped aside as he passed, some clutching their wine sses like the very ss might melt if they stared too hard at him.


    He didn¡¯t spare a nce at anyone... until he spotted me.


    His gaze pinned me to the spot like a mark waiting for judgment. And for a second, I forgot to breathe.


    I turned my head quickly, pretending to sip the apple juice I had picked up earlier. I could already feel the weight of their gazes following me from across the room.


    "Careful," River murmured beside me, his voice low, amused. "You looked like you were about to choke."


    I didn¡¯t respond. I was too busy trying to calm my racing heart. But then my gaze drifted past River¡¯s shoulder, and I stilled.


    Celeste.


    The very image of elegance and venom in a deep green gown, standing with her usual entourage. And her beautiful violet eyes were locked... not on River... but me.


    And the second our eyes met, I looked away while my heart started pounding in my chest. Of all people... her? When I was considering River¡¯s fan girls, Ipletely forgot about her.


    "Something wrong?" River¡¯s voice pulled me back to the moment.


    "Your future wife is drilling holes into my skull," I whispered back dryly.


    His brow arched over the edge of his mask. "Future wife?"


    I resisted the urge to sigh. "Celeste Renwyn," I said, trying to gesture subtly with my ss.


    He nced over my shoulder, his expression unreadable. "Green dress?"


    "Yeah."


    He turned his attention back to me, lookingpletely unbothered. "Never seen her before."


    I blinked. "What?"


    "Don¡¯t recognize her."


    "You don¡¯t-" I almost choked again. "She¡¯s been obsessed with you for years. Rumors say she¡¯s already picked her wedding dress."


    He chuckled under his breath. "And what about you?"


    "What about me?"


    "Have you picked your dress?"


    I just stared at him for two long seconds in disbelief. "Not funny."


    He only shrugged. "If she¡¯s so set on marrying me, maybe I should be warned about women like her trying to leap into my arms during the waltz."


    "She looks like she would do it."


    He nodded sagely. "I¡¯ll stay close, then. You¡¯ll protect me."


    I looked away, unable to keep up with his shift in behavior. These days, his behavior toward me was beyond my understanding. Either he would ignore my very existence even if I was standing right next to him, or this... whatever this was to begin with.


    I caught sight of Kieran standing near the orchestra, while Oscar speaking to some influential dignitaries, and Draven was standing in the far corner talking to absolutely no one, drink untouched in his hand. But their eyes... their eyes kept drifting back to me.


    I told myself this was the smartest move. That ying River¡¯s assistant, or secretary, or whoever the public decided I was, gave me enough cover to exist at this event without bing tabloid bait. No one would question River bringing a woman around. They already suspected every beautiful girl he was seen with was "just another assistant."


    "I¡¯m getting something to eat," I muttered, taking a step back, trying to shake the heaviness in my chest.


    He turned to me. "Wha-"


    "I¡¯ll be back in a minute."


    I barely made it three steps when I felt it... his hand around my waist, pulling me back.


    I stilled, my breath caught. The touch was light, not demanding, but firm. Comforting.


    And it made my pulse race.


    * * *


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    A special "Thank you" to all of you for the immense love and support you guys showed to this story throughout the month. The milestones we achieved together were not even imaginable for me when I started this story.


    I will try my best to keep the story entertaining as we enter a new month. Hopefully, you all will keep showering the story with your love and support too.


    And the promised 5 Chapters Mass Release will be up in next few hours. I won¡¯t rob you all from it :)

 Chapter 227: The First Dance

    <h4>Chapter 227: The First Dance</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It wasn¡¯t just my heart that skipped a beat.


    The entire ballroom seemed to freeze with me. Conversations faltered. Music dimmed into the background. It felt like someone had snatched the air from the room. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was my imagination or if I actually heard someone¡¯s wine ss clink against the marble floor nearby.


    But my gaze remained locked on River.


    He didn¡¯t look the least bit bothered by the eyes now shamelessly staring at us. He simply stared down at me as if this room full of nobles, alphas, and their heirs didn¡¯t exist... like he hadn¡¯t just single-handedly caused the most attention-grabbing moment of the entire evening.


    "River," I breathed, finally finding my voice. "What... what are you doing?"


    It wasn¡¯t panic in my voice. Not really. But it was definitely confusion. I wasn¡¯t expecting this, not from him. River wasn¡¯t the type to cause a scene, and he certainly wasn¡¯t the type to touch me in public unless necessary. Yet here he was, holding me like we were much more than just friends, or a boss and assistant.


    To my relief, his hand loosened almost instantly, and he took a small step back, allowing me to do the same. The warmth of his palm lingered on my waist, and I could still feel his fingers like phantom heat through the silky fabric of my dress. The space between us returned, but the attention didn¡¯t fade.


    I quickly nced around the room and noticed something else - the Crescent Pack¡¯s Alpha and Luna, who were speaking with River just moments ago, had tactfully excused themselves. How convenient. Or maybe how intentional. They were probably smart enough to pick up on the shift in tension... or whatever this strange, quiet pull between me and River was.


    He let out a small exhale, brushing a hand through his dark hair before meeting my gaze again.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he said softly.


    My heart stopped. Again.


    Had I heard that right?


    I blinked at him, wide-eyed. "What did you say?"


    He tilted his head slightly and gave me a look, like I was overreacting. But I wasn¡¯t. Absolutely not. That word - sorry - it just didn¡¯t belong in River¡¯s usual vocabry. I had known this man for nearly half a year now, and I could count on one hand the number of times I had seen him show vulnerability. And yet... this was the second time he had apologized to me.


    That alone was enough to leave me breathless.


    He looked at me with unreadable eyes and added, "I didn¡¯t mean to startle you. I just... wanted to remind you to be cautious tonight. With your food and drinks."


    I frowned. "Why would I need to be cautious? It¡¯s not like anyone¡¯s trying to drug me."


    His expression didn¡¯t change, but the pause before his response said enough. That unreadable look sharpened slightly, and he nced around the ballroom once, like he could see every potential danger tucked behind the glittering smiles and graceful gowns.


    I followed his gaze, still confused. "I mean... nobody here would have a reason to-" I stopped mid-sentence.


    <fn1400> Fresh chapters posted on find?novel</fn1400>


    He didn¡¯t say a word. He just looked at me.


    And then it clicked.


    Celeste.


    The venom in the girl¡¯s re had felt sharp enough to slice through my spine. I could still feel it tingling at the back of my neck, like a ghost refusing to let go. I had brushed it off earlier, but now that River had pointed it out, I realized how careless I had almost been.


    "I... see your point," I muttered, lowering my gaze.


    He didn¡¯t look smug about it. He simply nodded, as if he had said what needed to be said. Nothing more.


    I ced my untouched ss of apple juice on the nearest table and added under my breath, "I suddenly don¡¯t feel like eating or drinking anything anymore."


    River gave a soft sound of agreement and was about to respond, but the music shifted at that moment. A change in tempo swept across the hall, slowing everything to a delicate rhythm. It was enough to draw every head toward the ballroom¡¯s open center, where the first official dance of the evening was about to begin.


    I turned toward the sound, only to catch River already speaking to someone behind me.


    The Luna of Blue Moon Pack, dressed in an elegant sapphire gown that matched her house¡¯s sigil, was standing gracefully beside us. I had heard of her - Lady Alina, one of the few respected women in the northern territories. She was known for her diplomacy and her strong pack alliances.


    "My Lord," the Luna said, smiling warmly. "Would you do me the honor of a dance?"


    I took a step back out of instinct, preparing to excuse myself. River had more important people to entertain than me. But his answer stopped me in my tracks.


    "I¡¯m ttered, Lady Alina," he replied with a respectful nod. "But I came here with a partner tonight. My first dance belongs to her."


    It wasn¡¯t just what he said... it was how he said it.


    No hesitation. No doubt. No second nce toward me.


    Just... truth.


    Lady Alina raised an elegant brow and thenughed softly, clearly impressed. "A gentleman, I see. Don¡¯t forget to save me er then, Lord Alpha."


    "I¡¯ll look forward to it," he answered.


    And with that, she vanished back into the crowd.


    As for me, I was frozen in ce.


    I didn¡¯t know how to describe the feeling blooming in my chest. It wasn¡¯t giddiness. It wasn¡¯t desire. It wasn¡¯t even the fluttery nervousness I often associated with Draven¡¯s or Oscar¡¯s flirting or touches.


    No, this was something else.


    Warmth.


    That was the only word for it.


    I didn¡¯t think River was capable of making me feel something as soft as warmth. But he had. Just now. With nothing more than words and a small act of consideration that no one else would have noticed... except me.


    He turned to face me then, taking a slow step closer.


    And in front of all the powerful wolves of the continent, he extended his hand to me, eyes steady and voice low.


    "May I have this dance?"

 Chapter 228: The Forbidden Dance

    <h4>Chapter 228: The Forbidden Dance</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    For a moment, I just stared at the hand he had extended toward me, unsure if I should really take it.


    The golden ballroom was still lit up in sparkle and grandeur, filled with the finest people of the werewolf elite. And here I was... standing like a statue, questioning a simple invitation to dance.


    I hadn¡¯t expected him to ask me. Sure, he brought me here, held my arm when we entered, stayed close through the chaos of whispers and res... but dancing?


    My hesitation must have been obvious, because his brows lifted just a little under the elegant mask. "You don¡¯t know how to dance?" he asked, his voice low but still audible over the music.


    "No, it¡¯s not that," I admitted quickly, tugging at my gloves. "I have learned. Years ago. But... I¡¯m not sure I can keep up with you now." I wasn¡¯t lying. From what I had seen of River¡¯s public appearances, mostly through clips or mentions online, he wasn¡¯t just graceful, he was wless. Everything about him was precision, power, and control.


    To my surprise, he smiled.


    Not the smirk he used on others. Not the cold, knowing twist of his lips I had gotten used to. This was... soft. Almost tender. "Don¡¯t worry," he said, gently taking my hand in his. "Just follow my lead, I¡¯ll take care of the rest."


    Then, in one swift movement, he leaned in - so close that his breath fanned the curve of my ear. "Trust me, Evaline."


    My breath caught. My heart mmed against my ribs once, twice, before skipping altogether.


    Then he was pulling me toward the center of the grand ballroom, our joined hands slicing through the sea of eyes and whispers like we were parting it onmand.


    I didn¡¯t even have to look up to know people were watching. The silence that fell across the room was enough.


    And then something strange happened - couples started stepping aside, parting around us until River and I were the only two left in the center of the dance floor.


    My mouth felt dry.


    His hand gently settled at the curve of my waist. My other hand remained in his as he slowly guided me into position. The music began again - a lively, upbeat piece that demanded rhythm and ir.


    And River delivered.


    He spun, dipped, guided, and pulled me through the steps like we were born to dance together. Every move was fluid, seamless. He didn¡¯t rush, didn¡¯t dominate. He simply led, and I... I followed. Effortlessly.


    For the first few seconds, I was too focused on not stepping on his foot. But when I realized I was moving in perfect sync with him, without thinking, I let go of the panic. I let the music sink into my bones. I let the energy of the room fuel my limbs.


    We earned a round of apuse before the song faded and melted into a slow, romantic melody.


    The crowd returned to the dance floor, blending into pairs, but I barely noticed.


    Because he hadn¡¯t let go of me.


    His movements softened, slowed. His hand at my waist remained, holding me with the gentleness of someone who knew how fragile I was, even when I wore masks and fake confidence. His other hand held mine securely.


    And suddenly... I wasn¡¯t dancing anymore.


    I was feeling.


    I could feel the warmth of his touch through the fabric. The way his thumb lightly brushed over my knuckles. The way his body leaned ever so slightly closer than necessary. And when I finally dared to look up at him... I almost gasped.


    He wasn¡¯t looking around.


    He wasn¡¯t aware of the crowd anymore.


    He was looking at me. Entirely. Like I was the only person that existed.


    My throat tightened.


    This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.


    Not with him.


    Not when it was him.


    My thoughts began to blur, sinking into something heavier, deeper than confusion. Attraction. Admiration. Something so dangerous that I didn¡¯t even dare to name it.


    What made it worse was that he looked like he belonged in every fairytale I ever read. The sharpness of his jaw was softened only by the shadows from the chandeliers. His mask covered the top half of his face, but nothing could hide the intensity in his eyes. They were glowing ever so faintly, something only I seemed to notice.


    "You are staring," he murmured, his voice low and quiet.


    "I¡¯m not," I whispered, tearing my eyes away.


    "You are," he insisted, and I could feel the smirk even if I couldn¡¯t see it fully. "Not that I mind."


    My cheeks burned. And then I realized - he wasn¡¯t letting go either. We were still swaying slowly to the music, the world a blur of gold and white light, and this man, this forbidden man, was holding me like I meant something to him.


    I shouldn¡¯t feel anything for River.


    He was the Rogue Alpha King. Dangerous. Elusive. Calcted. And most importantly, he wasn¡¯t supposed to be the one who made me feel... safe. Yet here I was - melting under his gaze, aching for his touch, wanting this moment to never end.


    And it wasn¡¯t like he was unaffected either. He hadn¡¯t looked away once. Not even to acknowledge the people around us. Not even when Celeste passed nearby with another Alpha on her arm, shooting daggers in my direction.


    He only had eyes for me.


    My mind was screaming. I didn¡¯t know if it was to run or to stay. To protect myself... or to fall.


    Because somewhere deep down, I knew. Something was changing between us.


    And maybe... just maybe... a small, forbidden part of me didn¡¯t hate the idea of this change.


    But that part didn¡¯t get to linger for long.


    A sudden presence approached from our side, and River finally broke his gaze from mine to nce toward the interruption. I turned slightly, following his eyes...


    And found Kieran standing there.


    "Mind if I cut in?" Kieran asked, his voice light and charming. He offered a smile as he extended a hand toward me.


    My stomach did a full flip.


    Not because I didn¡¯t want to dance with Kieran. But because of the way River¡¯s body went tense beside me.


    Still, I stepped back. more out of instinct than decision. River let go. His jaw was set tight, and eyes unreadable now.


    "Sure," I said, taking Kieran¡¯s hand.


    Kieran shot his brother a pointed look, then turned back to me with a smile.


    River stepped away, his gaze lingering just a second longer before he turned and disappeared into the crowd.


    <fnf99a> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find?novel</fnf99a>


    And just like that, the spell was broken.

 Chapter 229: Forbidden Currents

    <h4>Chapter 229: Forbidden Currents</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I hadn¡¯t expected Kieran to ask me to dance. But when he extended his hand with a small, sincere smile, I found myself epting.


    Stepping forward with him felt both safe and dangerously illicit. My thoughts were throbbing with confusion. Oscar, Draven... they were my anchors, my mates - but with Kieran, there was an undeniable pull that always left me feeling confused, guilty, and needy.


    As soon as the music changed, he drew me into a soft waltz. He held me carefully yet possessively, guiding me into the rhythm. I felt the crowd¡¯s eyes on us as we moved, but I only noticed his firm, warm grip on my waist and his careful hand atop mine.


    He twirled me elegantly, careful not to let slip the storm of intensity his gaze held - those deep emerald orbs never left my face. He brought me back into his arms, my back pressed nearly against his chest. His breath brushed my temple in subtle warmth. His hand moved along my spine with confident ease, and I suddenly realized he wanted me to dance with him tonight. He wanted this closeness, and I... I wanted it too.


    A tidal wave of emotion crashed through me. I had mates. And still... I was feeling this forbidden pull toward their elder brothers. I felt torn, confused in a way I had never before. My pulse thudded not just in my ears but through every nerve ending.


    This wasn¡¯t physical attraction alone. This was adoration and longing wrapped in graceful movement. And I was drowning... while knowing that I shouldn¡¯t.


    Thankfully, the song ended. I pulled away softly, but immediately, desperate for some distance, and he bowed politely, disappearing into the crowd with a courteous nod. I exhaled shakily.


    Looking for refuge, I wandered through the edge of the ballroom. There, standing like a silent thundercloud guarding his corner, was Draven. He wasn¡¯t locked in conversation, he was motionless except for the asional lift of his hand as he greeted his friends - ones I had seen him with back at the Academy.


    Just as I was about to look away, he lifted his head and our eyes locked.


    Instantly, he excused himself from his group and headed my way.


    He handed me a chocte cupcake - small, with creamy frosting, topped by a dusting of edible silver. I held it like a relic while suspicion shadowed my features. I didn¡¯t doubt him, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about the cupcake.


    "Completely safe," he chuckled softly as he read my thoughts loud and clear. "I bought the box myself."


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile and took a bite. It was rich, moist, perfect. He signaled to a friend, who delivered the said box with five more cupcakes in it. My heart melted at his consideration.


    "You look like you haven¡¯t eaten all evening," he said, half teasing, half worried.


    I nodded and epted only two more. I was too overwhelmed to eat more, but it helped greatly.


    His friend started to ask my name, clearly intrigued to see almost every Thorne brother acquainted with me. But Dravenid a gentle hand on the man¡¯s arm, shaking his head with a whisper. The friend bowed out quickly.


    I noticed Oscar dancing with ady who appeared to be in her forties and the way she was smiling, I could tell he had already charmed her. But I felt no jealousy, maybe because I could tell thedy had no bad intentions toward my mate.


    On the other hand, River was fulfilling his promise to the Luna of the Blue Moon Pack. I noticed them dancing on the other side of the floor.


    Just then, Draven offered me his hand and guided me into a circle of slower dance that was lighthearted and warm. Our bodies moved close, but we kept it respectful. No kisses, no touches beyond polite rhythm and reassuring brushes of our fingertips. Still, I felt cherished.


    I could taste chocte on my lips, feel the faint perfume of cinnamon and fir needles in the air. In that moment, I desperately wanted to pause time.


    <fna76f> ?????? ???? find?novel</fna76f>


    But after only a handful of measures, I excused myself to find River again.


    This time, I found him near the balcony, arms crossed and discreetly observing guests.


    He was looking impable, holding a ss of red wine to his lips... but paused before drinking it.


    He lowered the ss slightly, and his gaze Sharpened.


    My throat tightened as I immediately realized something was off.


    "Alpha..." I said softly.


    He didn¡¯t put away the ss, instead, he pretended to sip.


    "I¡¯m leaving my safety in your hands from now on." He surprised me with his words that were spoken just for my ears.


    "Your talk about this being good for me... it¡¯s just talk, isn¡¯t it?" I blurted in a low voice as we stepped to the edge of the hall.


    He didn¡¯t respond at once, not tried to defend himself as I continued to use him. "Is this just so you don¡¯t have to rely on someone else - like Jasper - to protect you?"


    Finally, he answered.


    "Trust me, in situation like these, Jasper always has his hands full with much more important matters to y my babysitter."


    "What about Ms. Emma?" I pressed.


    "My secretary is married, busy with her kids. I can¡¯t afford losing her if she¡¯s overworked."


    Letting out a sigh, I nodded my head. I wanted to know how many more excuses he had up his sleeve. "Then why not find someone for this specific job?"


    His voice was steady but softer than I had ever heard as he answered, "There¡¯s no one else I trust enough."


    How could he-


    I just stared at him in silence while my heart thudded. I was absolutely hating whatever y he was performing tonight. It was like his every word, every action... was meant to touch my heart.


    I quickly averted my gaze, afraid he might see something in my eyes that shouldn¡¯t be even there to begin with. When I spoke, my voice was as cold as the weather outside.


    "You shouldn¡¯t trust me either. Don¡¯t forget I have more than enough reasons to leave you in the hands of your enemies."

 Chapter 230: Elixirs and Whispers

    <h4>Chapter 230: Elixirs and Whispers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The ballroom was glimmering under crystal chandeliers, the soft golden light creating an illusion of warmth over polished smiles and poised bodies.


    I stood beside River, like his silent shadow, my senses sharper than ever. He carried himself like he always did - graceful, sharp, intimidating - but tonight, I saw just how much effort it took to wear that armor. He hadn¡¯t eaten a bite, nor touched anything unless it came from a tray Jasper had vetted earlier. But Jasper was nowhere in sight now.


    I remained close, watching the way people gravitated toward him. Alphas, Betas, and their elegantly dressed Lunas constantly approached with false politeness and predatory eyes.


    He offered them his usual detached courtesy - no more, no less. But it was the younger women, the daughters of power-hungry families, who caught my attention. Dozens of them were floating around the ballroom like moths, every gaze flickering toward him. They wanted him. But none dared to walk up on their own. It was always their parents initiating introductions, which River dodged with silent nces and cold nods.


    Still, the tension among them was palpable. And the res I received from across the room didn¡¯t go unnoticed. After all, I had danced with River. And with Kieran. And Draven. I wasn¡¯t naive enough to think people hadn¡¯t noticed. Especially not the girls who hade here dressed to seduce the infamous Thorne Brothers.


    When I finally excused myself for a bathroom break, I weed the moment of solitude. The bathroom was asvish as the ballroom - marble counters, golden ents, and soft white towels stacked neatly by the sink. I closed myself in a cubicle, letting my body rest for a second.


    But then, the click of heels echoed in the space, and a pair of giggling voices followed. I would have ignored them... until I heard one of them say River¡¯s name.


    I froze.


    <i>"You saw that too, right? That girl dancing with River, and with Kieran? Who the hell does she think she is?"</i>


    <i>"She danced with Draven too. I saw them together. I don¡¯t care how pretty she is, she clearly doesn¡¯t know the rules here. You don¡¯t touch all of them like that."</i>


    <i>"God, the nerve of her. Whoever she is, she¡¯s going to regret showing off like that."</i>


    My stomach tightened. They were talking about me, clearly. But I stayed quiet, my hand clenched tightly into my dress.


    Another voice joined them, more hushed and secretive, yetced with venom. <i>"Forget her. I have bigger news. My mother overheard Alpha Renwyn talking to his Luna and beta - he¡¯s nning to propose a marriage between Celeste and River. Probably in next couple of days."</i>


    My breath caught in my throat. A marriage?


    The girl went on, <i>"But I¡¯m not giving up that easily. My parents already made ns. They even got me the elixir."</i>


    <i>"Elixir?"</i> another girl whispered. <i>"What elixir?"</i>


    <i>"Something rare. A powerful stimnt and emotional enhancer. If River drinks it, he¡¯ll feel... euphoric, responsive. If I y my cards right, I can get him alone, and then..."</i> She giggled. <i>"Well, the rest will fall into ce."</i>


    <i>"That¡¯s risky. He doesn¡¯t drink anything not vetted by his beta."</i>


    <i>"He has to drink. He¡¯s the Rogue Alpha King. If he refuses a toast from another Alpha, he risks starting tensions. All we need to do is get the right Alpha to initiate it. And that¡¯s already handled. My father knows what to do."</i>


    They all giggled again before footsteps echoed, their voices fading as they exited the bathroom.


    I remained frozen for a long moment, every cell in my body burning with disbelief.


    River¡¯s going to be drugged.


    The girls didn¡¯t know who I was - thank the goddess - but that didn¡¯t lessen the threat. My n of staying low-key had failed spectacrly. They were after me already. But River... this was worse. Far worse.


    I burst out of the cubicle, quickly washed my hands, dried them, and stepped out into the ballroom once again, my eyes sweeping the crowd frantically.


    River was standing near the center now, surrounded by a circle of Alphas, all of themughing and toasting. In his hand was a ss of golden liquid. His smile looked real. Hisposure, solid. But now I knew better.


    I scanned the room. There were too many people. Too many unfamiliar faces. I had no way of knowing which of those women had the elixir or which Alpha had passed it to River.


    I couldn¡¯t just walk up to him and blurt out what I heard. He wasn¡¯t alone for a single second. He was ying politics. He couldn¡¯t afford to show vulnerability. And yet I couldn¡¯t just watch him drink it either.


    Worst of all, there was no sign of Kieran or Oscar, and Draven was surrounded by his group of friends and some other young Alpha heirs.


    I made my way to River, staying close enough to intervene if needed, but helplessly unsure of what to do. Fifteen minutes passed. Twenty. I watched him take asional sips, but never finished any drink. I thought maybe, just maybe, he was still safe.


    <fndbad> Newest update provided by Find_Novel(.</fndbad>


    But then, around the thirty-minute mark, something shifted.


    He turned slightly, speaking to the Alpha beside him, when his hand suddenly jerked. It was so subtle that I had missed itpletely if not for how closely I was observing him. The ss trembled in his grip. Then, with barely a nce toward the people around him, he stepped forward and grabbed my wrist.


    His hand was cold and trembling.


    "Evaline," he said in a low voice. "We need to go."


    I looked into his eyes... and my heart dropped.


    The sharp awareness in them had dulled. His pupils were slightly dted, his breathing shallow. Hisposure was beginning to crack.


    "Come with me," he murmured, almost pleading.


    I nodded, panic coursing through me as I quickly adjusted his grip so I could steady him. His fingers clung to mine like I was his anchor in a storm.


    He had been drugged.


    No one else noticed. They were too busyughing, drinking, dancing. And River still lookedposed to everyone but me.


    But I could feel it - the slight unsteadiness in his steps, the way he blinked just a second too long. He was fighting it, whatever was in that drink. But it was getting to him.


    I guided him away from the crowd, weaving carefully between dancers and servers, aiming for the quieter hallway that led to the terrace.


    His grip tightened on mine.


    "Don¡¯t let go," he whispered. "I can¡¯t think straight."


    "I won¡¯t," I promised as my heart raced.


    And as we disappeared behind the tall velvet curtains, I knew one thing for certain...


    Whoever had dared to drug him was going to regret ever stepping into this ballroom.


    And I... I was going to make sure he didn¡¯t fall into anyone¡¯s trap tonight.

 Chapter 231: Alpha Who Doesn’t Want to Hurt Her

    <h4>Chapter 231: Alpha Who Doesn¡¯t Want to Hurt Her</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River¡¯s grip on my wrist trembled as I guided him out of the ballroom, each step growing heavier beneath his feet.


    The moment we crossed into the empty hallway, the warmth and music of the ballroom disappeared, swallowed by the hushed darkness. Only our hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor. The hotel¡¯s lights were dimmer here, flickering once or twice as I supported his weight.


    His skin felt far too warm, and a faint sheen of sweat was glistening on his brow. The drug was working fast, faster than I expected, and I had no idea how much time we had before he lostplete control.


    I stopped at the far end of the corridor and pressed him gently against the wall, trying to steady my own breath as I kept him upright. We were out of the direct sight from the ballroom, but still close enough to get caught.


    "We got out of there, but it won¡¯t be long before someone notices. You have been the center of attention all night," I whispered, more to myself than him. "If they are watching you, they¡¯ll notice your absence... if they haven¡¯t already."


    River¡¯s head tilted toward mine, his eyes hazy but still burning with that familiar intensity. "Eva..." His voice was rough, strained. "This hotel... it¡¯s mine."


    I blinked. "What?"


    His hand slipped down to my waist as he slumped slightly, the weight of the drug pulling him down, and I had to brace him again. "It¡¯s mine. I own it."


    That changed everything.


    I straightened quickly, my mind racing. "Okay. Okay, that¡¯s good. Then we have got options."


    Without wasting another second, I reached for his phone. "Give it to me."


    He handed it over with no questions, unlocking it with a quick swipe. I searched his contacts and quickly dialed Jasper.


    The call barely rang once before Jasper¡¯s calm, clipped voice came through. "Alpha-"


    "It¡¯s not River," I said quickly. "This is Eva. He¡¯s been drugged. I need help. Now."


    There was a pause for merely a second. Then Jasper¡¯s voice sharpened with concern. "Where are you?"


    <fn8373> The rightful source is Find~Novel</fn8373>


    I gave him our exact location, then nced up and down the hallway. "Is there anywhere we can hide until you get here? Somewhere out of sight?"


    "Yes. There¡¯s a storage room one floor up. End of the east wing corridor. Use the stairs. I¡¯ll send someone now. Keep him out of sight."


    "Got it."


    He gave me a few more instructions before we ended the call. I wrapped an arm around River and began leading him toward the stairwell. He stumbled more than once, and I had to practically drag him up the steps, whispering reassurances the whole way.


    When we reached the storage room, I opened the door with relief and ushered him inside. I locked it behind us and turned both our phones to silent. The corridor outside was already showing signs of movement. Distant voices. Shadows. They were looking for him.


    River leaned against the wall, his breathsing quicker now, his fingers trembling as he started pulling at the cor of his shirt. I moved to help him, just to loosen the tightness around his neck, but stopped when his hands slid down and he began unfastening more than necessary.


    "Hey," I whispered, gripping his hands gently. "You need to stay focused. Help ising."


    His eyes were fogged with something deeper now as they met mine. "It¡¯s burning," he murmured. "Inside me."


    I swallowed hard, unable to think of a response. I just gave his hand a squeeze and he pressed his head against the wall, closing his eyes.


    Seconds passed as they were hours, and finally, there was a soft knock on the door. My heart raced until I heard the whispered code Jasper had given me before ending the call. I opened the door to find two hotel staff members - a man and a woman - waiting silently.


    Without a word, they led us through a discreet hallway and into a private ellivator restricted for only staff use. We went up to the penthouse level. And the moment we stepped inside the luxurious suite, River¡¯s hand clutched mine tightly.


    "Send them away," he murmured.


    I nodded and dismissed the staff quickly, locking the door behind them.


    But before I could turn, he was already there.


    His body pressed against mine, his hands caging me between himself and the door. My heart thundered. "River-"


    His head dropped into the crook of my neck, his hot breath brushing across my skin. "I can¡¯t control it," he growled softly. "Get away from me."


    I pressed my hands to his chest. "You need to stop. You know who I am, right?"


    He let out a guttural sound that didn¡¯t quite reach his lips. His nose grazed along my jaw, and I froze as his lips hovered just above my throat. "I know," he whispered hoarsely. "And that¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to hurt you, Evaline."


    "Then please," I whispered, "try to fight it."


    His hands twitched against the doorframe. His whole body was trembling as though caught in the grip of something much stronger than himself. For a long, terrifying second, I thought he might lose the fight. That the River I knew might disappear under the influence of the drug.


    But then... he shoved himself back.


    A groan escaped him as he stumbled away from me, his fingers digging into his scalp. "I need... to get away from you."


    "River-"


    He ran, straight into the nearby bedroom and mmed the bathroom door behind him. I heard water running, his harsh breathing echoing even through the door. My knees nearly buckled from the weight of the tension as I tried to steady myself.


    My hands were trembling as I reached for my phone and dialed Kieran¡¯s number with shaking fingers. My breath hitched when it rang once... twice...


    Suddenly, the penthouse doorbell rang.


    Startled, I walked over to the monitor and blinked at the screen.


    Kieran.


    Without hesitation, I unlocked the door and flung it open. His hair was tousled, concern etched in every sharp line of his face.


    He looked at me once, just once, and I felt the tears prick the corners of my eyes from sheer relief.


    "He¡¯s inside," I whispered. "He needs help."


    Kieran stepped in immediately, holding my arms and grounding me as his eyes searched my entire body as if looking for any sort of injury.


    And just like that... relief crashed through me.

 Chapter 232: Morning in His Arms

    <h4>Chapter 232: Morning in His Arms</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The first thing I felt was a soft kiss brushing against my cheek.


    Then another... this one on the bridge of my nose.


    A thirdnded just at the corner of my mouth.


    A giggle slipped from my lips before I could help it, but I kept my eyes shut, choosing to enjoy the moment. I knew who it was. I didn¡¯t need to see him to recognize the way his lips moved with yful devotion, or how hisrge hand was resting protectively at my waist.


    "Draven," I murmured, still not opening my eyes. I buried my face deeper into the crook of his neck and his scent wrapped around me. I felt warm, safe, and cherished.


    When he chuckled, it was low and quiet, like the sound was meant only for me. "I was starting to wonder how many kisses it would take to wake you."


    "Apparently more than five," I whispered sleepily as a smile formed on my lips.


    "Might have to try ten next time," he said, and his mouth found mine.


    The kiss started sweet, but with him, sweetness rarely stayed innocent for long. His fingers skimmed up my spine through the oversized shirt I was wearing - his shirt, I realized with a sudden, drowsy flush.


    His lips moved over mine with slow, devastating confidence, and soon, my breath was stolen entirely. He kissed like he had nowhere else to be, like the world outside didn¡¯t exist, and for a few minutes, I let myself believe that.


    But then, reality started to return.


    I opened my eyes.


    The light filtering through the curtains was dim, the sky outside still carrying the early hue of morning. A soft golden glow was bathing the room, but it wasn¡¯t familiar. The scent in the air wasn¡¯t mine. And neither was the bed. This wasn¡¯t Thorne Mansion.


    I blinked, slowly sitting up just a little.


    Dark walls. Expensive furniture. The velvet curtains and skyline view. It was the penthouse.


    <fn0b2e> Fresh chapters posted on findnovel</fn0b2e>


    And then, the memories rushed in like a crashing wave.


    River. The ballroom. The drug. Sneaking him out. The panic. The penthouse. And finally... Kieran showing up.


    After that, Kieran and Oscar took River to the hospital while Draven stayed behind to look after me.


    "Hey," Draven said softly, brushing his fingers over my cheek. He had been watching me, waiting for the realization to dawn.


    "You remember?" he asked, and I nodded slowly.


    He leaned forward and pressed another kiss to the center of my forehead. "Good morning, Eva."


    I opened my mouth to return the greeting, but the moment was stolen again by his lips. This time, his hand cradled the back of my neck, and the kiss was deeper, hungrier,ced with everything he didn¡¯t say.


    He pressed his bare chest against me, warm and solid, and I was able to feel the rapid thrum of his heartbeat as if it mirrored my own.


    He tasted like cinnamon and the remnants of dreams, and when he finally pulled back, my lungs were aching and my cheeks were flushed.


    "Morning," I whispered breathlessly.


    He smirked, brushing a thumb over my swollen lower lip. "That was much better than coffee."


    "You are unbelievable," I muttered, burying my face in the crook of his neck again. But this time, I wasn¡¯t hiding sleep, I was hiding the fact that my heart was doing cartwheels in my chest.


    Wey like that for a while. Wrapped in warmth. Tangled in limbs. My fingers curled around the hem of the shirt I was wearing. It still smelled like him. Scratch that, I smelled like him.


    He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "You were amazingst night," he said, his voice quieter now. "Thank you for helping River."


    I pulled back enough to meet his eyes. "He would have done the same for me." Surprisingly, I believed what I just said and it left me confused.


    Did I trust River?


    Draven nodded, his eyes shadowing for a moment before he spoke again. "I got an update from Kieran about half an hour ago," he said. "The drug... it wasn¡¯t just strong. It was something new. Almost ten times the normal strength. They are calling in a specialist to identify the source."


    My breath hitched.


    "He¡¯s awake now," he added quickly, catching my expression. "River woke up around five. His wolf kicked back into control, and he¡¯s already healing. If everything goes well, he might be discharged by noon."


    Relief bloomed in my chest so fast it nearly made my head spin.


    I leaned against him again, holding onto the moment. "Whoever did this..."


    "There won¡¯t be a ce in this world safe enough for them to hide," he said, his voice low and terrifyingly calm. "They crossed a line."


    We fell silent again, letting the weight of it hang in the air.


    After a while, he pressed a kiss to the top of my head and said, "Let¡¯s get ready. We have got to head back soon."


    I groaned. "Five more minutes."


    "Ten," he bargained.


    "Twenty," I whispered, and heughed as he pulled me even closer.


    We stayed in bed for another twenty minutes, whispering, asionally kissing, and sharing the kind of peace that felt stolen from the chaos around us.


    Eventually, I dragged myself into the bathroom for a quick shower. The hot water felt like heaven, washing away the tension in my muscles. By the time I stepped out, warm sets of clothes had been deliveredfor both of us.


    Breakfast was set out on the table - fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns, toast, fresh fruit, and hot tea.


    We ate in apanionable silence, the events of the past night still hanging heavily in the air, but not suffocating.


    Once we were done, Draven stood and held out his hand. "Ready to go home?"


    Home.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I considered Throne Mansion anywhere near <i>home... </i>but I surely considered him and Oscar my new home.


    I slipped my fingers into his, nodded once, and let him lead me toward the door.

 Chapter 233: A Christmas Like No Other

    <h4>Chapter 233: A Christmas Like No Other</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The next few days blurred past me like kes of snow against a foggy window.


    Just as Draven had said, River returned to the mansion that very afternoon. His expression was unreadable but his steps steady. He looked better - less pale, more himself. I had half-expected him to avoid me or downy the whole thing, but he surprised me.


    When I passed him in the hallway outside the grand staircase, he slowed to a stop and looked at me. The moment held weight. Jasper stopped just a few paces behind him.


    "Thank you," River said, his tone low but clear. "For staying. For helping. For proving me right."


    I nodded, my voice lost somewhere between relief and awkwardness. "I¡¯m just d... you are okay."


    He nodded once, and the moment ended as swiftly as it came. They moved on, and I was left standing there, watching his retreating form like I always did - trying not to think too hard about what I felt and why I shouldn¡¯t feel it.


    - - -


    The next three days were spent tucked inside a bubble of warmth I hadn¡¯t known I needed.


    While the mansion¡¯s halls glittered with lights and gands, my room slowly transformed into a cozy winter haven. Oscar insisted we go "all out" with the decorations. He brought even more crates of ornaments, warm lights, a fake snow machine - yes, seriously - and even a velvet red tree skirt.


    Draven showed up with hot chocte, a smug smile, and an armful of pine-scented candles. Kieran somehow had the most practical ideas -mand strips,dder handling, and knowing how many bulbs a string could support before fizzling out.


    Weughed a lot and I enjoyed theirpany much more than the alone time I used to prefer in the past.


    But the biggest surprise came on the evening of the 24th, when we were adding final touches to the tree.


    Kieran was adjusting the ribbon, Draven was untangling yet another strand of lights, Oscar was and I were on the floor, sorting through a box of leftover ornaments, when the door creaked open.


    And River walked in.


    None of us had expected him. He was dressed in ck as always, but without a coat, his hair slightly tousled. He didn¡¯t say a word. Just walked past us, reached for the golden star resting on the small coffee desk, and... without ceremony... ced it at the top of the tree.


    The moment froze.


    He stepped back, gave the star onest nce, then turned and walked out.


    No exnation. No nod. Noment.


    We all stared after him, wide-eyed and silent.


    Oscar was the first to speak. "Okay, that... just happened."


    Draven hummed. "Did he even blink?"


    "At least now the tree has his approval." Kieran added with a shake of his head.


    As for me, I had a smile ying on my lips that threatened way more than I was ready to admit.


    That night, while the brothers hosted the Roguemunity¡¯s Christmas Eve party, I opted for a quieter evening.


    I curled up in my favorite knit sweater with my tablet and a te of cookies, Face-Timing Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan.


    <fn62d4> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find?novel</fn62d4>


    Mallory was wearing a glittery red dress and had obviously already downed one too many candy cane martinis. "Girl, you are glowing. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice."


    I shook my head. "It¡¯s the lighting."


    "It¡¯s the Rogue boys," Rowan chimed in with a teasing smirk. "She¡¯s in the middle of her own winter romance novel."


    Kyros just smiled knowingly, sipping from a ss of spiked eggnog. "You deserve peace, Eva. Especially this kind."


    Despite their teasing, it was good to see them. To hear themugh. To feel grounded.


    - - -


    When Christmas morning finally arrived, I woke up slowly, buried underyers of soft nkets and the faint scent of pine and cinnamon.


    A faint glow from my Christmas tree was filling the room in gold and green hues. But what really caught my attention were the gifts - over a dozen of them - neatly arranged under the tree.


    My heart skipped.


    I didn¡¯t dare touch them yet. Instead, I slid out of bed and padded into the bathroom to freshen up.


    Just as I stepped out after getting dressed, a knock sounded at the door.


    I opened it to find Oscar and Draven standing there, both grinning like boys who knew they were up to no good.


    "Merry Christmas," Oscar said as he stepped inside and pulled me into his arms, kissing me squarely on the lips.


    Iughed, feeling slightly breathless as Draven literally snatched me away from his brother. His kiss was slower, deeper, and he whispered his greeting against my lips.


    They didn¡¯t even give me time to wish them back. But I didn¡¯t mind. Being wrapped in their warmth was the best start to this special day.


    After getting dressed in cozy matching Christmas sweaters - thanks to Draven¡¯s coordination - the five of us gathered in the living room near the roaring firece and the giant Christmas tree.


    River sat with a book in one corner, pretending not to be part of the group while clearly listening to everything. Kieran handed out steaming mugs of cider and spiced hot cocoa, while Draven yed soft instrumental Christmas music in the background.


    Oscar was in his element, of course. He passed out gifts with a dramatic ir, announcing each recipient like an award presenter.


    Most of their gifts came from the Alphas and high-ranking people from around the shifter world, or their fangirls. And honestly, none of them looked excited to even spare another nce at those presents.


    After a while, Oscar got tired and turned to face me.


    "Just give me a hint on what kind of present wrap you have used, or the size of the box, or any other information that can help me find your presents. I can¡¯t keep going like this."


    I noticed how the other three immediately shifted their attention to me, even River.


    I stood up and walked toward the cluster of gifts, easily finding the boxes I secretly ced theretest night.


    "Great. Let¡¯s bring all these to your room and open our presents together."

 Chapter 234: A Big Mistake

    <h4>Chapter 234: A Big Mistake</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The soft glow of the tree lights greeted us as we all made our way into my bedroom. I hadn¡¯t realized how warm and cozy this ce had be, with the tree twinkling in the corner, the fire crackling gently in the hearth, and the room filled with the presence of the brothers.


    It was supposed to be a calm, quiet Christmas Day. But the moment all four of them followed me here - uninvited, but wee - I knew things wouldn¡¯t stay quiet for long.


    My room was spacious, but not enough for fourrge, muscled Alphas to loungefortably. The couch near the firece could seat two at best, and the armchair beside it held another. River imed the armchair without a word, lounging with a quiet sort of elegance only he seemed to possess.


    "I¡¯ll take the floor," I said and settled down on the thick, soft rug between the firece and the tree.


    Kieran surprised me as he joined me there without a word. He lowered himself beside me, folding one leg beneath the other, his body warmth brushing against mine.


    This left the couch for Draven and Oscar.


    The gifts they had brought were sitting before them. All four were wrapped neatly in the same in, cream-colored paper with a silver bow - my doing. I had spent nearly an hour choosing the right paper, the right words for the note cards... and now, I was regretting every second of it.


    They hadn¡¯t brought any other gifts with them, just mine.


    "You guys aren¡¯t opening the presents you gave each other?" I asked.


    Draven was the one who answered. "We have been giving each other gifts for years. Same styles. Same brands. It¡¯s all very predictable by now. Not much of a surprise left." He shrugged, then added with a knowing smirk, "I¡¯m actually looking forward to seeing what you got me."


    My stomach did a nervous little flip.


    I wasn¡¯t looking forward to that at all.


    The gifts I got for Draven and Oscar were personal. Intimate. Because they were my mates. But if they opened their presents right here, in front of River and Kieran... there¡¯s no chance the two wouldn¡¯t notice.


    And then there was River.


    God. The box I wrapped for him now felt like a ticking bomb. I had not expected to be in the room when he opened it.


    "You start," Oscar said suddenly, gesturing at the pile of gifts beside me. "Let¡¯s see what your friends got you."


    Grateful for the change in focus, I nodded and reached out for the nearest box. It had Mallory¡¯s handwriting on it. I opened it to find a set of my favorite skincare products sitting inside. Along with it were handmade Christmas choctes and cookies. I grinned, my heart warming at the thoughtfulness.


    Kyros had sent me a small pocket-sized book of motivational quotes and an expensive fountain pen set. It was simple, but meaningful. <i>"For all your notes and secrets</i>," he had written on the tag.


    Rowan¡¯s gift made me pause. It was a personalized leather journal with my initials embossed in rose-gold. The pages were creamy and nk, waiting to be filled. I smiled, running my fingers over the cover.


    Noah had sent a beautiful set of scented candles, each onebeled for a mood - "Focus," "Rx," "Dream."


    Selene¡¯s gift was a framed photograph of our whole group taken on Halloween. I blinked hard at the sudden rush of memories it brought.


    And Ria, sweet as always, had sent a spa gift box - bath bombs, oils, scrubs, and a fluffy robe with my name embroidered on the cor.


    I had never felt so seen. So cared for.


    But as thest of my friends¡¯ presents was opened, the weight returned to my chest. There were only four left now.


    I didn¡¯t want to open them. Not with River and Kieran present in the room.


    "I¡¯m tired," I said suddenly, shifting my position and reaching for the one person I hoped would understand me without question. "Draven, why don¡¯t you go next?"


    I looked right at him, pouring all the silent pleading I could into my gaze.


    Please. Understand. Don¡¯t open it here.


    There was a pause and I held my breath.


    His eyes twinkled as he turned the box over in his hands. "Hmm... I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to share what I got," he said dramatically. Then, with a grin, he stood. "I¡¯m taking this somewhere private."


    Before anyone could react, he was already halfway out the door, the box tucked under his arm.


    Oscar let out a soft snort. "Drama king. Let me go and see what he¡¯s up to."


    With that, he stood too and raced after Draven. But I didn¡¯t miss how he too had taken his present away.


    And then it was just me, Kieran, and River.


    The tension returned like a cold breeze. Kieran picked up his gift and sat a little straighter.


    "I¡¯ll go next then," he said, unwrapping the cream paper with casual ease.


    Inside was the custom pen I had gotten him - a sleek, matte-ck writing instrument with his initials engraved in gold on the cap. It was elegant and powerful, just like him. A symbol of intelligence and authority.


    <fn227b> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find(?)ovel</fn227b>


    He held it between his fingers, testing the weight, before looking at me with a slow, warm smile. "This is perfect. Thank you, Evaline."


    I nodded, feeling oddly shy. "I thought it matched your style."


    "It does." He leaned closer and whispered, "I¡¯ll treasure it."


    But then he turned his attention to his brother. "River? Your turn."


    No.


    I could have screamed it out loud.


    My stomach sank. My heart stuttered. But I couldn¡¯t stop him now.


    River¡¯s eyes flicked from Kieran to me. He leaned forward, long fingers picking up the gift box I had wrapped for him with so much care. The same silver ribbon. The same paper. But inside...


    I swallowed hard as he began to pull at the bow.


    I knew... it was a big mistake.

 Chapter 235: The Gift of Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 235: The Gift of Trouble</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t even realize I was moving until I felt the soft fibers of Kieran¡¯s sweater against my fingertips.


    My gaze was fixed on River, who was now nearly done peeling the gift wrap off the small rectangr box in his hands. Panic crept into my chest as if everyyer of that wrap was a protective shield, and with each one being stripped away, I was being exposed.


    Why did I even buy that book?


    The wrapping fell awaypletely, revealing the smooth ck box. Kieran shifted beside me, ncing at my hand now clutched at his side, his brow quirking slightly in confusion.


    I quickly shook my head, pleading silently for him not to say anything. To his credit, he didn¡¯t, though one of his hands came down and gently covered mine. Normally, that small gesture would have distracted me... but right now, I was too focused on the time bomb in River¡¯s hands.


    River lifted the lid and looked inside.


    And just like that, his entire face froze.


    Gone was the calm,posed Rogue Alpha King. Gone was the mildly amused, mildly curious man watching me open gifts just moments ago. In his ce was cold, unforgiving silence. A wall of ice formed in his gaze as it immediately lifted to meet mine.


    That re. It was sharp enough to slice through my confidence like paper.


    I instinctively curled further behind Kieran, gripping his sweater tighter.


    He stiffened. "What did she get you?" he asked, his voiceced with curiosity and amusement,pletely unaware of the war I was having with my soul at the moment.


    River pulled out the book with slow deliberation, as if showing evidence of a crime.


    "Learn How To Be a Better Boss," he read aloud, the sarcasm practically dripping from each word.


    There was a beat of silence.


    Then Kieran snorted.


    And in the next breath, he burst outughing. Hard.


    "Oh my god," he wheezed. "You actually gave him that? You gave him a book on how to be a better boss?"


    I didn¡¯t answer. Couldn¡¯t. My head was bowed low, my cheeks hot enough to melt the North. I was cursing every impulse, every ounce of mischief that had once made me think this gift would be perfect to irritate the life out of my boss.


    River¡¯s aura felt lethal.


    "I thought it was funny in the store," I muttered in my defense, barely audible.


    "Don¡¯t be mad at her," Kieran said through moreughter. "It¡¯s a very thoughtful gift. I mean,e on, you do need the motivation, brother. Like, desperately."


    I closed my eyes.


    Kieran. Stop talking. Please.


    I felt River¡¯s mood go from icy to cial. Even Kieran¡¯s presence wasn¡¯t enough to protect me now. Not when he was fanning the mes like that. I peeked up only when I heard movement - River was rising to his feet, holding the book up for me to see.


    His jaw was tight. His voice calm. Too calm.


    "You¡¯ll definitely see a better version of your boss in the near future," he said with a clipped smile that did not reach his eyes. "Consider this a promise, Miss Greystone."


    With that, he walked out.


    I let out a long groan and copsed back onto the rug, burying my face in my palms.


    "I¡¯m going to die," I whispered.


    Kieran chuckled again, and I felt his hand ruffle my hair gently. "You¡¯ll be fine. He won¡¯t make things hard for you."


    I lifted my head just enough to squint at him. "You clearly don¡¯t know your brother as well as you think you do."


    "Maybe," he shrugged, still smiling, "but I do know he respects you, even when you test him like this."


    I grumbled again, refusing to believe him, but let myself be soothed by his calm energy. It was nice, being with Kieran. He was like that one grounding element in a storm of chaos. Even now, when I felt like burying myself in a snowbank out of embarrassment, he had a way of making things feel a little less tragic.


    To change the subject, and probably give me a reason to breathe again, he reached over and picked up one of the four remaining boxes near the tree. And then handed it to me. "Here. Open this one."


    I nced at the tag. From Kieran.


    Feeling my nerves settle slightly, I unwrapped it carefully. Inside, I found several scrolls bound with deep green ribbon, a cluster of small sample vials nestled in cushioned lining, and a leather-bound notebook.


    I picked up one of the scrolls and unrolled it gently - potion recipes. Detailed, well-written, and clearly categorized. I turned to the notebook next. It was old, slightly worn at the edges, and filled with Kieran¡¯s familiar handwriting.


    "I wrote that notebook when I was in my final year," he said softly, watching me with a quiet pride. "It¡¯s mostly about herbs and potion crafting. Some of the rarerbinations are near the end."


    I stared at him.


    "This... this is amazing," I said, stunned. "You are giving me your notes?"


    He nodded with a smile. "You have a natural curiosity for herbs and potions. I thought maybe this would help."


    "It¡¯s more than help," I breathed, flipping through the pages. "This is... this is years of work."


    "And now it¡¯s yours."


    My heart swelled. This wasn¡¯t just a present. It was a gift from someone who saw me and believed in the work I had been putting in for months now.


    He didn¡¯t say anything else. He didn¡¯t need to. His presence alone wasfort enough. After the chaos of River¡¯s re and the adrenaline of that awkward moment, this - his soft gaze and his thoughtful gift - felt like a warm nket.


    I hugged the notebook to my chest. "Thank you," I said softly.


    He simply nodded.


    <fnf028> Original content can be found at F?ndNovel</fnf028>


    And for a few moments, we just sat there, beneath the warm glow of the lights strung across my tree, surrounded by the scattered bits of wrapping paper and lingering scent of pine.


    Minutester, he stood up too. "I shouldn¡¯t get going too. Get some rest. I¡¯ll see at dinner."

 Chapter 236: The Black Dress

    <h4>Chapter 236: The ck Dress</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The soft click of the door echoed behind me as I twisted the lock and leaned against the polished wood, finally alone.


    I turned away and walked toward the couches, brushing my fingers over the torn wraps from earlier. I gathered the mess into a bag, smiling to myself at the memory of the beautiful and thoughtful presents I had received from my friends.


    With the room tidied and the chaos of wrapping paper cleared, I turned back to the remaining three boxes sitting atop the low table. My hand hovered over them before settling on the biggest one to the left. It had sleek, matte ck paper with a red velvet ribbon tied in a clean bow. No tag. No name.


    But I didn¡¯t need one.


    As I lifted the extremely heavy box into myp, the faintest trace of spicy sandalwood and ck amber met my nose. It was Draven¡¯s favorite perfume - rich, subtle, grounding. I could recognize it in my sleep.


    My lips curved into a smile, and I carefully untied the ribbon, peeling back the wrapping to reveal a pristine white box beneath. Lifting the lid, I let out a soft gasp.


    Inside was sitting the most elegant ss tea set I had ever seen. Crystal-clear cups with gold detailing at the rim and base, a sleek teapot with delicate patterns etched in silver, and a matching tray.


    Nestled beside the set was arge velvet pouch filled with my favorite herbal tea - raspberry leaf, blended with hints of lemon balm and rose petals. It was safe for my pregnancy, calming for the nerves, and sweet on the tongue.


    He was so thoughtful.


    My chest warmed with affection, my fingers lightly brushing the rim of the teacup. The present was thoughtful, useful, elegant. Just like him.


    I set the tea set aside carefully and turned to the next gift. This one was smaller, wrapped in forest green paper and tied with twine. There was no scent this time. No name. Just a box and a mystery.


    The moment I opened it, my breath hitched.


    Inside, nestled on a velvet cushion, was a pendant. A simple chain, but the charm caught the light like starlight on snow. A delicate crescent moon intertwined with a single rose made of deep crimson stone, glowing faintly against the silver. My heart skipped.


    Oscar.


    There was no mistaking it. This pendant... it felt like a piece of him. Like the way he looked at me when he thought I wasn¡¯t watching. Quiet reverence. Protective pride. That deep, endless tenderness he never spoke but always showed.


    I traced the crescent moon, resisting the urge to sp it around my neck. No, I wanted him to do that. His fingers brushing my skin. His warmth so close. I set the box aside with a reverence I didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Only one box was left.


    My hands moved more slowly as I reached for the final package. It had sleek silver wrapping - minimalistic, pristine. No ribbon. No card. No scent. But my gut already whispered the answer. River.


    I peeled the paper away with care, and when the box opened, the breath was knocked from my lungs.


    There it was.


    <fn0281> Content originallyes from find?novel</fn0281>


    The ck dress.


    The same sleek, off-shoulder one with the high slit and the dangerously low back. I hadn¡¯t seen it since that evening - when I apanied River to a business party.


    I thought I would never see this dress again, let alone receive it as a present from <i>him</i>.


    I sat there frozen for a moment, my fingers trembling slightly on the fabric. The shimmer was subtle, the fabric soft and luxurious. Elegant. Seductive. Dangerous.


    Before I could talk myself out of it, I stood and tugged off my sweater, unzipping myfortable trousers. My skin shivered against the air, and then... I slipped the dress on.


    The fabric hugged me like silk and moonlight. I made my way inside the walk-in closet and stood in front of the full-length mirror and... stopped.


    Stars.


    My silver hair was spilling over my bare shoulders like liquid starlight. The ck dress hugged my frame perfectly - curves that hadn¡¯t been there months ago were now filling out the fabric just right. My amber eyes caught the glow of the warmmp, and for a moment, I didn¡¯t recognize the woman in the mirror.


    I looked... beautiful.


    Powerful.


    Desired.


    I remembered the way River¡¯s eyes had darkened that evening when I stepped out to show him this dress, how his jaw had tightened, how his hands had curled slightly as if restraining something. And now... he had given it to me.


    Why?


    What did it mean?


    I shook my head, snapping myself from the spiral. Stop it, Eva. I was overthinking. Again.


    I quickly slipped out of the dress and changed back into my soft, warm clothes. I folded the dress carefully, my hands lingering for a second too long, before I ced it back in its box.


    I carried it to the walk-in closet and slid it into the bottompartment, covering it with a throw nket. Out of sight, out of mind.


    Sort of.


    I sat on the bed for a moment, breathing deeply, before grabbing my phone. I texted Draven and Oscar, thanking them for their thoughtful gifts. Both replied quickly - Oscar with a voice note that made me smile, and Draven with a short message:


    <i>I¡¯m d you liked it. I¡¯ll make tea with you next time</i>.


    My heart fluttered.


    I stayed in my room until it was dinner time. When I entered the dining hall, the soft glow of Christmas lights and theforting aroma of roasted vegetables greeted me. Jasper and Lily were already there, the little girl beaming when she saw me.


    "Eva!" she chirped, running up with her tiny arms.


    "Merry Christmas, Lily," Iughed, crouching to hug her and handing her a neatly wrapped gift.


    She squealed when she saw the set of colors and markers. "Thank you! I¡¯m gonna draw you!"


    "That¡¯s a high honor," I said with mock seriousness.


    Dinner passed with warmughter and delicious food. Everyone was in good spirits. Draven and Oscar nked me at the table, each stealing quiet moments with me when they knew no one was watching.


    Draven gently rested his hand against mine beneath the table, while Oscar sneaked me an extra slice of dessert when no one was looking.


    Once dinner was over, everyone moved to the living room. River immediately got engaged in low, serious conversation with Jasper and Kieran on the far side of the room.


    I stayed back with Lily, Draven, and Oscar for board games. Lily dominated the game, giggling every time she beat one of us. After two hours and seven rounds of game, Jasper scooped the sleepy girl into his arms, and I pressed a kiss to her forehead as I wished her goodnight.


    She mumbled, "Eva and I win everything," before curling into her father¡¯s chest.


    I grinned as they left, then turned to the brothers. River was deep in conversation again. Kieran met my gaze across the room and nodded slightly, as if silently checking on me. I gave him a soft smile.


    Then I stood, yawning. "I think I¡¯m going to head to bed."


    Oscar opened his mouth, then stopped. Draven just gave me a small nod, his gaze unreadable.


    I walked out of the living room and headed toward the stairs. My heart was thudding softly as I sensed the presence of the person following me.


    I reached my door and stepped inside, ncing back just once.


    No one was there.


    But just as I was about to push the door closed, a hand caught it.


    My heart jumped... not from fear but from sheer thrill. It made me realize just how much these men were spoiling me to make me enjoy these sneak-ins.


    A tall frame slipped inside the room before I could react, and the door clicked shut behind him. Then he turned the lock.


    I looked up, and met the eyes of the man who was looking me with so much intensity in his eyes that I almost forgot to breathe for a second.


    "What if River or Kieran noticed your absence from... wherever you lied about going?" I asked, my hand reaching out to grab the front of his sweater.


    "Well... that¡¯s why I have asked for your other mate¡¯s help. Now it¡¯s his duty to make sure those two don¡¯te looking before me before morning." He replied while taking a step closer.


    I arched my eyebrows at him. "What makes you think I¡¯ll allow you to stay the night here?"


    His lips curved and his gaze darkened ever so slightly as he took another step closer, removing almost all the space between us. When he spoke, his voice was just above a whisper.


    "And what makes you think I can¡¯t smell that thick arousal of yours that¡¯s begging me to spend the night right here... with you?"

 Chapter 237: Game of Desire (I)

    <h4>Chapter 237: Game of Desire (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I sucked in a sharp breath, my face instantly heating at his words.


    The way he looked at me... like I was something forbidden he wanted to ruin... set my entire body on fire. I swung my hand up to lightly punch his chest, hoping to diffuse the tension, but he caught me faster than I anticipated. His fingers wrapped around my wrist, and with one smooth motion, he twisted my arm behind my back.


    I gasped as it brought me flush against him, our bodiespletely aligned. Chest to chest. Heat to heat.


    I could feel everything.


    "You are impossible," I muttered, trying to re up at him even as my voice trembled.


    "Is there any lie in what I said?" he asked, his voice low and silk-wrapped danger. His eyes searched mine, challenging me.


    There wasn¡¯t. That was the problem.


    My lips parted, but no answer came out. My heartbeat was a frenzied mess in my chest, thudding loud enough that I was sure he could hear it. He didn¡¯t move. Didn¡¯t blink. Just waited, like he knew I had two choices - melt in embarrassment or y the damn game he had started.


    And for once, I didn¡¯t want to retreat.


    I tilted my chin up. Boldness flickered through my veins as I inched closer, makinh the tip of my nose graze his jaw. My lips were barely a breath away from his skin, and his intoxicating scent filled my lungs.


    "Is there anything wrong in wanting my mate?" I whispered against his skin, my voice steadier than I expected.


    Thst made his grip falter... just for a second.


    My lips curled into a sly smile as I leaned even closer, my cheek brushing his. "Because you are no different... are you?"


    Before he could answer, I did something that stunned even me.


    I moved my free hand between us and pressed my palm against the thick, hard ridge of his arousal.


    <fn36ff> Original content can be found at find?novel</fn36ff>


    He hissed in a breath, his jaw tightening as if he was holding onto thest shreds of control. "Eva..."


    But I wasn¡¯t stopping.


    Not now.


    He suddenly caught both my wrists in one of his hands and mmed them above my head, pinning me against the nearest wall. The cool surface was a shocking contrast to the inferno rising between us.


    His body pressed into mine, the hard length of him unmistakable now as it nudged insistently against my lower belly. "You are being very naughty," he rasped, his breath fanning over my cheek. "You shouldn¡¯t test me."


    His voice was rough, strained. I knew he was trying to be the one in control, but he didn¡¯t realize I had him exactly where I wanted him.


    "Maybe I want to test you," I murmured.


    I tipped my head forward and kissed the hollow of his throat, right where his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed with a hard swallow. He stiffened. His hand tightened around my wrists but he didn¡¯t pull away.


    Feeling bold, I kissed down his neck. His scent, his heat, his taste - it was addictive. I tugged at the neckline of his sweater with my teeth, then used my fingers to pull it down enough to expose his corbone.


    I trailed soft, slow kisses over the exposed skin, then opened my mouth and bit him lightly.


    He groaned.


    I felt the tremble that went through him. He let me do it. Let me tease. Let me y with fire.


    But then came the warning... again.


    "If you keep going," he growled, his forehead resting against mine, "you better be ready for the consequences."


    I looked up into his eyes. Those intense, beautiful emerald orbs. And I didn¡¯t flinch. Didn¡¯t blink. Instead, I rose on my toes and kissed him.


    It started soft.


    Our lips met like a sigh, like a question.


    But the moment he responded, when his lips moved against mine and his hand slid down from my wrists to cup the back of my neck, it turned into something else entirely.


    I wasn¡¯t just ying anymore.


    I needed him.


    This wasn¡¯t just desire, it was hunger. Starvation. And he matched it with every inch of his soul.


    He groaned into my mouth as his hands finally released minepletely, one cupping my cheek, the other roaming down my waist, gripping my hip like he needed something to anchor him.


    I barely had a second to register the change before he gripped my thighs and lifted me off the ground.


    My legs wrapped around his waist automatically, my arms around his shoulders as he carried me deeper into the room.


    His mouth devoured mine, his kisses growing deeper, wilder. His tongue traced the seam of my lips, demanding entry. And I gave it to him without hesitation.


    Our mouths moved like they had done this a thousand times - perfect rhythm, perfect heat, no hesitation.


    He backed me against another wall, one hand gripping my thigh, the other pressed to the back of my neck as he kissed me like he had been waiting years for it.


    I moaned into his mouth, grinding against him instinctively. The friction made him curse, a guttural sound that vibrated through my entire body.


    He broke the kiss only to trail hot, open-mouthed kisses down my jaw, my throat, the ce behind my ear that made my toes curl. I arched against him, needing more.


    His lips returned to mine, iming me all over again, fiercer than before. My fingers tangled in his hair, tugging, pulling, needing him closer... like we weren¡¯t already one body pressed so tightly together.


    "You are driving me insane," he muttered against my mouth.


    "Good," I panted, nipping at his lower lip.


    He groaned and pressed me harder into the wall, rocking his hips against mine in slow, deliberate movements. My head fell back as a sharp wave of pleasure surged through me.


    The fabric of our clothes felt like a cruel barrier. I could feel every inch of him through them - hot, hard, desperate - but I wanted skin.


    I slipped my hand beneath his sweater, feeling the heat of his stomach, the taut muscle under my fingers. He sucked in a sharp breath as I trailed my nails lightly up his torso.


    His mouth returned to mine in a hungry kiss that left no room for hesitation.


    No more teasing.


    No more games.


    He wanted me. I wanted him.


    And tonight, we stopped pretending otherwise.


    But then, he suddenly ended the kiss and put me down.


    The warmth of his body vanished so fast it made my skin feel cold. I blinked, stunned, as he lowered me on the floor and stepped back just far enough to create a space between us, enough to feel the ache of separation.


    My heart was racing, my breath uneven, and my lips tingled from the intensity of his kiss. I stared at him through the fog of desire still clouding my brain, searching his face for an exnation.


    That¡¯s when he said it.


    "Strip."

 Chapter 238: Game of Desire (II)

    <h4>Chapter 238: Game of Desire (II)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My heart stopped.


    For a second, I wasn¡¯t even sure I had heard him correctly. The word echoed in my head, bouncing around like a bell with no rhythm. Strip?


    I blinked again, my brain stuttering as it tried to catch up. Heat red in my cheeks and all the blood in my body started rushing in too many directions at once.


    He said what?


    I stood frozen, staring at him, wide-eyed and unmoving.


    He tilted his head slightly, and a crooked smirk teased his lips. He looked smug and amused. "Are you done ying the game now?" he asked, his voice calm, almost bored.


    There was a glint in his eyes though. A challenge.


    He didn¡¯t think I would do it.


    He thought I would blush, maybe stammer orugh it off. That I would back down.


    And maybe, just maybe, that¡¯s exactly what I would have done a couple of months ago. Or maybe even a month ago.


    But that¡¯s not who I was anymore.


    I dropped my gaze to the hem of my red Christmas sweater, the one with little snowkes along the edge, the one that looked so innocent but now suddenly felt like a barrier between me and something far more dangerous.


    I grabbed it with both hands and in one swift, fluid motion, pulled it over my head and tossed it aside.


    The air kissed my newly exposed skin, and I caught the sh of unmistakable shock in Draven¡¯s eyes.


    Victory.


    I smirked, my chest rising and falling in anticipation.


    But I wasn¡¯t done.


    Not yet.


    My fingers dipped into the waistband of my trousers. And slowly, deliberately, I pushed them down my hips, letting them fall in a quiet rustle to the floor. I stepped out of them, barefoot on the warm rug, standing in nothing but my matching red silk bra and panty set.


    They hugged my curves perfectly, both small pieces adorned with little bows that somehow made them feel even more revealing than they already were.


    I felt the shift in the air as his gaze swept over me. His eyes burned across every inch of my skin, slow and possessive. And the longer he stared, the more beautiful I felt. Not just because of the way I looked, but because of the way he looked at me... like I was his entire damn universe.


    I had always known I was pretty. People told me since I was a child. But for a long time, that beauty had been my biggest trauma and Itter lost it to malnourishment. It wasn¡¯t until recently - after I started eating better, after I started healing - that I felt truly at home in my body.


    Tonight, I wasn¡¯t just showing off for him.


    I was iming my space. My power. My right to be desired.


    When he still didn¡¯t move, I lifted an eyebrow at him in challenge. "Well?" I asked, my voice low andced with false innocence.


    Draven¡¯s lips curved into a slow, wolfish grin.


    He reached for the hem of his own sweater and pulled it off in one motion, tossing it carelessly onto the growing pile of clothes on the floor.


    Then came the ck jeans. He unbuttoned slowly, with just enough deliberation to make my breath catch. He slid them down, stepping out of them like he had all the time in the world.


    And then... his boxers.


    Gone.


    He stood there,pletely bare, without a hint of shame or hesitation.


    And god.


    He was breathtaking.


    It wasn¡¯t my first time seeing him like this, but every time felt like the first. Like the universe had sculpted him just for me.


    Broad shoulders, toned chest, lean hips, and thighs strong enough to cage me in any way he wanted. His length stood proudly between us, thick and hard, already glistening slightly at the tip. A sharp contrast to his otherwiseposed expression.


    My mouth went dry.


    He took a single step toward me.


    Then another.


    Until he was close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him again, wrapping around me like an invisible touch.


    "Kneel," he said, his voice dark and velvet-smooth, but there was steel beneath it.


    My breath hitched.


    It wasn¡¯t a request.


    It was amand.


    And gods, I hadn¡¯t realized how much I needed to hear that side of him until now. The side that didn¡¯t just tease or smirk or y - this side that took.


    I wasn¡¯t afraid, or hesitation. I was actually excited.


    The air left my lungs in a slow exhale as I dropped to my knees on the soft rug beneath us.


    My heart was pounding like a drum in my chest, loud and chaotic, and the rush of warmth between my legs made me tremble.


    <fnd331> Follow current nov?ls on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fnd331>


    Draven stepped closer, the head of his length just inches from my face.


    He reached out and gently ran his fingers through my hair, caressing my head with a surprising tenderness.


    His voice was low when he spoke again. "Go on, mate. Show me just how much you want me."


    The sentence burned through me. Every word sank into my skin like me, lighting something feral inside me.


    And without hesitation, I lifted my eyes to meet his... and obeyed.


    I didn¡¯t break eye contact with him as I inched closer, but instead of reaching where he clearly expected me to, my lips found the softer skin of his thigh.


    He inhaled sharply, the sound barely audible, but enough for me to feel the effect I had on him. His eyes fluttered shut.


    "Keep them open," I whispered against his skin. "Watch me, Draven."


    There was a pause, just a heartbeat, and then hisshes lifted. And when our eyes locked again, the look he gave me nearly undid every ounce of control I had.


    Desire was burning in those depths, mixed with reverence, as if I were something sacred. Something untouchable. And yet, here I was, touching him like he was my most cherished person in the world.


    And he was.

 Chapter 239: Game of Desire (III)

    <h4>Chapter 239: Game of Desire (III)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I ran my fingertips over the lean muscle of his thigh, my nails barely grazing the skin. It was a teasing touch. A promise. He clenched his jaw, his breath catching. That small reaction gave me confidence I didn¡¯t know I possessed.


    I had never done anything like this before with anyone. But the way he responded, like every inch of him was attuned to me, told me I wasn¡¯t fumbling. I was learning, and he was willing to let me explore every part of him.


    I pressed a kiss to his other thigh, softer this time, and felt the tension in his body deepen. His fingers curled into tight fists, turning his knuckles pale.


    "Eva," he breathed. My name, nothing more. But the way he said it - hoarse, low, needy - it was enough to make my heart race.


    I looked up at him, taking in the way his chest was rising and falling rapidly, while he struggled to keep the hunger in his gaze barely in check. And still, he didn¡¯t move. He didn¡¯t rush me. He let me lead, let me take my time. There was something beautiful about that trust. Powerful.


    So, I finally stopped torturing him. My fingers wrapped around his length, and I felt the shudder that rippled through his body. His breath hitched again, and his eyes - stars, those eyes - never left mine.


    "You are driving me mad," he whispered, his voice strained.


    I smiled, my confidence growing as I watched his every reaction. "Good," I said, barely above a murmur. "Maybe now you¡¯ll understand what you do to me."


    He let out a low, almost growling sound, halfugh, half-moan, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly. And then, I leaned in and took the crown of his length into my mouth.


    His gasp was immediate, sharp and unguarded, and it made something flutter wildly in my chest. I felt the tremor that ran through him as I explored him with slow, deliberate care - unhurried, curious, reverent.


    There was power in this, not the kind that demanded submission, but the kind that bloomed from mutual trust, from the way he allowed himself to unravel beneath my hands, beneath my lips.


    I used my tongue to trace the veins of his length, wrapped it over the crown before taking him in again and giving him a hard suck while my fingers moved over the length I wasn¡¯t able to take in.


    <fn0980> Fresh chapters posted on F?nd-Novel</fn0980>


    His fingers remained curled tightly as he forced himself to stay still. I knew he could have taken control at any second, he was more than strong enough, but he didn¡¯t. He let me have this moment. Let me be the one who made him lose control piece by piece.


    When I nced up, his eyes were still locked on me, burning with so much emotion it made my breath catch. Lust, yes. But also awe. Devotion. Need.


    "You don¡¯t know what you are doing to me," he said, his voice low and wrecked.


    I smiled and continued to y with his length while my other hand moved to find his balls. I felt him getting harder under my touch, if that was even possible considering he was already hard as a rod.


    I continued with my sloppy moves, moving up and down on his length for few more minutes before his hand finally grabbed my arm and I was pulled up to stand.


    Then his mouth was on mine, kissing me like he was dying of hunger. I weed the kiss, allowing entrance to his tongue and kissed him back just as passionately.


    His mouth devoured mine. The hunger in his kiss sent sparks down my spine, awakening something raw and trembling in me. My hands clung to his shoulders, holding on as if letting go would unravel mepletely.


    He started backing me up until the back of my knees hit the edge of my bed. He then lowered me onto the mattress with gentle but unyielding insistence, our lips still locked, our breaths mingling in the heated space between us.


    His hands moved with reverence, tracing the curve of my waist, the line of my ribs, until they moved to my back and found the sp of my bra.


    He paused then, breaking the kiss just long enough to meet my eyes. "Can I?" he whispered.


    I nodded, unable to form words.


    He unhooked the sp with a flick of his fingers, but removed the silk as if it was the most delicate thing he had ever touched. He looked at me as though he was seeing something sacred, something precious. It made my breath hitch.


    "You look fucking delicious, love," heplimented.


    I chuckled at his choice of words but the sound turned into a moan when he bent his head and pressed a kiss just above my heart. Then another. And another.


    His lips moved slowly, exploring me in a way that made every nerve in my body stand to attention. He kissed the swell of my breasts, the valley between them, the sensitive skin just below. Each kiss was soft, deliberate, filled with a quiet kind of worship.


    I arched under him when he finally took one sensitive peak into his mouth. A moan escaped me before I could hold it back. His tongue moved with slow circles, sending pleasure rippling through me. One of his hands cupped my other breast, teasing it gently, making my skin feel too tight for my bones.


    I buried my fingers in his hair, holding him there, and he let me guide him, let me show him where I needed more. When he moved to the other side, I bit my lip to stifle another sound, only for him to nce up and say, "Don¡¯t hide your sounds from me, Eva. I want to hear all of them."


    My breath starteding in short, shallow bursts as he continued his path downward, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses down my stomach. My muscles trembled under his mouth, my hips shifting restlessly.


    When he reached the waistband of my panties, he paused again, his eyes on mine.


    I nodded once more, this time more eagerly, and lifted my hips slightly to help him.


    He peeled the fabric down slowly, kissing each newly revealed inch of skin like it was the most precious discovery. By the time he dropped the garment on the floor, I was trembling.

 Chapter 240: Game of Desire (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 240: Game of Desire (IV)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - - </strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    His eyes darkened as he took in the sight of me fully bare beneath him. "You are glistening for me," he murmured, and even though his voice was low, it sent a full-body shiver through me.


    His hand slid between my thighs, parting them gently. My breath caught again as his fingers traced the slick folds of my core, tender and unhurried. His touch wasn¡¯t rushed - no, it was exploratory, reverent, like he was memorizing how my body responded under his fingers.


    He dipped a finger into me, then another, curling slightly as he began to move them in a slow rhythm. I let out a soft cry, my hands fisting the sheets. Every motion was precise, teasing the ces that made me feel like I was unraveling.


    "You are so soft and tight down here," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the inside of my thigh. "So warm... so perfect."


    His fingers continued their slow dance, building the pressure inside me until I was squirming, my legs tensing around him. And yet he didn¡¯t rush. He kissed the insides of both thighs, the dip of my hip, even my belly, until I was dizzy with want.


    My fingers clutched at his shoulders as he crawled back up my body, lightly pressing his weight over me, kissing my mouth like he needed the taste of me to breathe.


    I felt him at my entrance, the thick heat of him nudging against me.


    But again, he paused. His forehead rested against mine, his breath mingling with mine.


    "Evaline," he said, his voice hoarse, almost broken. "Tell me. Do you want this? Do you want me?"


    My chest rose and fell rapidly beneath him. My heart felt so full, so open it almost hurt.


    "I do," I whispered. "I want you."


    The moment I gave him my answer, his restraint finally unraveled.


    He kissed me again - deep, slow, and utterly consuming. I felt the crown of his length noving over my aching clit, building my need until I felt I was about to shatter. Then, he positioned himself at my entrance and slipped in with careful, deliberate ease.


    I gasped into his mouth, my fingers digging into his shoulders as I stretched around him, feeling every inch of him filling me, iming me in a way that left me breathless.


    My heart pounded in rhythm with the soft groan he released, like he just found something he had been searching for forever.


    "You feel..." he began, but the words trailed off into a choked breath as he settled fully inside me. "Stars, Eva. You feel like home."


    <fnc55b> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? findnovel</fnc55b>


    Tears burned the corners of my eyes, not from pain, but from the overwhelming swell of emotion crashing through me. His body was pressed flush against mine, his chest heaving as he stilled inside me, allowing me time to adjust, to breathe.


    I wrapped my arms around his back, drawing him closer, and whispered against his neck, "Don¡¯t hold back."


    His lips brushed the edge of my jaw. "Never with you."


    And then he began to move.


    Slowly at first - measured, reverent thrusts that allowed us both to feel everything. The way our bodies molded together, the heat that built between us, the soft sounds of skin against skin and breathless moans that filled the room. He moved like he wanted to memorize the shape of me from the inside out, and every motion made my toes curl and my back arch to meet him.


    My first release came quicker than I expected, a warm rush that tore through me with a quiet cry. He swallowed my moan with a kiss, slowing slightly to let me ride it out while his touch kept me grounded through the storm.


    "You are incredible," he whispered against my lips. "Watching you fall apart... feeling you clench around me... I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be the same again."


    He didn¡¯t give me time to recover fully before picking up his rhythm again, this time more urgent, more hungry.


    His hand slid beneath my thigh, lifting it higher so he could thrust deeper, hitting that spot inside me that made me tremble and whimper his name. I clung to him, my nails dragging down his back and breath catching with each powerful stroke.


    "You were made for me," he rasped, kissing the side of my throat. "My sweet, little mate."


    His words undid me almost as much as his body did.


    "Say it again," I whispered, desperate to hear it.


    He raised his head and looked down at me, his eyes burning like twin stars, fierce and tender all at once.


    <i>"Evaline Greystone, I, Draven Thorne, ept you as my mate. I ept your past, your present, and your future that has yet toe. I ept all that you are,pletely and without condition, to stand beside me as my fated mate and my future Luna."</i>


    The world seemed to stop for a heartbeat. The room fell away, and all I could see, all I could feel, was him.


    Then he thrust deep - so deep I cried out - and something inside me shattered.


    Pleasure exploded in my veins, white-hot and endless. My vision blurred, my back arched off the bed, and a sob tore from my lips as I convulsed around him. My second release was so strong, soplete, it stole the breath from my lungs. I didn¡¯t just fall apart... I unraveled.


    "Eva," he groaned, his voice breaking as he pushed deeper one final time and followed me into bliss. I felt him shudder above me, felt the tension snap from his muscles as he spilled his release inside me, his hands trembling where they gripped my hips.


    He buried his face in the crook of my neck, holding me close as his body stilled. Our heartbeats thundered together, our chests rising and falling in sync. Wey there, tangled in each other, caught between exhaustion and the lingering echo of something profound.


    Something unbreakable.


    His arms wrapped tighter around me as if he would never let go.


    And I knew, in that moment... he wouldn¡¯t.


    Not now. Not ever.

 Chapter 241: Accepting The Bond

    <h4>Chapter 241: epting The Bond</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    As thest of the aftershocks rolled through me, leaving my limbs trembling and my breaths shallow, I finally began to return to myself.


    My chest was rising and falling in sync with his, and I was able to feel it - the steady, unwavering warmth of our mate bond swarming through me. It was alive now, stronger than ever before, pulsing with his eptance.


    Draven still had his face buried in the crook of my neck, his breath hot against my skin as he rode out his own release. His body was heavy over mine, but instead of feeling trapped, I felt cocooned... safe. Cherished.


    When he finally pulled back, his eyes met mine for only a moment before his lips found mine again. This kiss was different - less hungry than before but still deep enough to make my toes curl. It was the kind of kiss that made me forget the world outside the bed, forget the unspoken fears, forget everything but him.


    When he drew back, his gaze roamed over my face, searching for something. But then his expression shifted, and I saw it... worry.


    His eyes scanned me as though searching every inch of my body, looking for any sign of difort or pain. "Are you alright?" His voice was low but tight with concern. "Is the baby alright?"


    My brows furrowed in surprise, but before I could answer, he added quickly, "I¡¯m sorry... I didn¡¯t control myself."


    I shook my head, smiling at his sudden panic. "Draven... I¡¯m fine. Perfectly fine." My hand came up to cup his cheek. "Though you did go a little rough," I teased softly, "I don¡¯t feel any difort. And I can tell the baby¡¯s fine."


    Relief washed over his features, though his jaw still held a hint of tension. Finally, he exhaled, as if letting go of the fear that had been holding him.


    He slowly pulled out of me, the movement gentle, but it didn¡¯t stop me from feeling the emptiness he left behind.


    He shifted his weight to lie beside me, but still hovered just enough that his presence surrounded me. Then, without warning, his palm came to rest over my still-t belly. His fingers grazed softly over the ce where my child was growing.


    It was the first time he had touched me there like that. It wasn¡¯t by ident. Not in passing. But intentionally... as if he was acknowledging the life growing inside me.


    I watched his eyes soften in a way I hadn¡¯t seen before. That guarded hardness of his melted, reced by something warm and unguarded. My throat tightened, and my eyes stung as I swallowed back the sudden rush of emotion.


    <fndd5a> Fresh chapters posted on find?novel</fndd5a>


    "I have a gift for the baby," he said suddenly.


    "What?" I blinked at him in surprise, but before I could ask again, he was already pushing himself up.


    "Stay in bed," he said firmly, giving me a look that brooked no argument.


    Confused, I watched him disappear into the bathroom. A few minutester, he returned - not with a gift in hand, but moving straight toward me. Without a word, he slid one arm beneath my knees, the other behind my back, and lifted me effortlessly into his arms.


    "Draven!" I gasped, instinctively clutching his shoulders. "What are you doing?"


    "I prepared a bath for you," he announced simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.


    He carried me into the bathroom and set me down gently beside therge tub. The water was warm, steam curling into the air, and the surface was scattered withvender petals. The soft scent of essential oil filled the space, calming and sweet.


    Before I couldment, he was already gathering my hair, twisting it into a bun, and pinning it in ce with a clutcher. His touch was careful, almost reverent, as he helped me into the tub.


    I expected him to join me, but instead he took a seat behind me on the bath¡¯s edge. His strong hands found my shoulders, kneading them in slow, steady motions.


    "Mmm," I sighed, letting my head fall forward as the tension melted from my body under his touch.


    But then, something tugged at my mind. I turned my head slightly, forcing him to pause mid-stroke.


    "Draven," I said softly, meeting his eyes.


    His brows lifted, waiting.


    "I ept you," I told him. "As my mate."


    I didn¡¯tplicate the eptance and kept it simple. Still, it held all the power of an official eptance.


    The bond between us red instantly, sealing fully for the first time. I felt his eptance from earlier intertwining with mine, creating a depth of connection that made my breath hitch.


    He bent forward and kissed me. It was slow, deep, lingering... until I felt all his love and care pouring into me through that bond. When we pulled apart, I couldn¡¯t stop the small smile that curved my lips.


    When the bath ended, he helped me into a soft bathrobe. Before I could protest, he scooped me up again, ignoring my yfulints about being perfectly capable of walking.


    Back in the walk-in closet, he picked a blue pajama set for me, handing it over before stepping out to give me privacy. While I dressed and went through my skincare, I heard faint movement from the bedroom.


    When I walked out, I found a freshly made bed awaiting me.


    "Draven," I murmured, warmth flooding my chest.


    He didn¡¯t answer, just guided me under the covers and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Rest," he said quietly, before heading into the bathroom.


    He returned minutester with only a towel slung low around his hips.


    Sliding into bed beside me, he tugged the towel away and tossed it aside without hesitation.


    I raised a brow at him. "No clothes?"


    He gave me a slow, almost boyish grin. "Didn¡¯t have anything appropriate for sleeping."


    I rolled my eyes, but my heart was still fluttering at the sight of him - at the realization that tonight wasn¡¯t just about passion. It was about him finally letting me inpletely.


    And I knew, without a doubt, that I had done the same.

 Chapter 242: Sweetest Present

    <h4>Chapter 242: Sweetest Present</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Surrounded by his warmth, his arm draped securely around me, I felt like I was lying in the safest ce in the world. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat under my ear and the heat of his skin against mine made it all feel like a dream I didn¡¯t want to wake up from.


    I snuggled closer without thinking, letting my fingers rest against the firm ne of his chest. The fact that he waspletely naked under the covers didn¡¯t bother me in the slightest. If anything, it made the moment feel more intimate, more real.


    But then his voice rumbled low above me, a warning wrapped in that deep, husky tone that sent shivers down my spine.


    "Eva," he murmured, "stop moving... unless you want another round."


    I froze instantly, though a huge smile fought to break across my lips. I didn¡¯t dare look at him because I knew my expression would give me away.


    He let out a faint chuckle, the sound warm and rich in the quiet room. Then he shifted slightly, reaching over to the bedside table on his side. I hadn¡¯t even noticed there was anything there before, but when he returned his hand to me, he was holding a small box wrapped neatly in ck paper, tied with a delicate blue ribbon.


    He held it out to me without a word.


    My smile softened as I slowly pushed myself into a sitting position, my back against the headboard. My fingers trembled faintly as I reached for the box, the thought hitting me hard - this was a gift for my unborn child.


    I untied the ribbon with care and peeled away the wrapping, almost hesitant to rush. The lid came off, and the breath caught in my throat.


    Inside, nestled in soft tissue, was the smallest pair of knitted socks I had ever seen. They were a beautiful shade of soft blue, the kind that reminded me of spring skies, with tiny pearls tied into the knots of the delicate strings.


    A huge smile bloomed across my lips as I picked them up, running my fingers over the smoothness of the yarn. They were so small, so perfect, I could almost imagine tiny feet filling them.


    Before I could say anything, Draven¡¯s voice came softly, almost shyly, from beside me.


    "I made them," he said.


    My head snapped toward him. "You... what?"


    His eyes dropped for a moment, as if he wasn¡¯t sure how I would react. "I knitted them myself," he admitted. "I... I wanted my first gift to the baby to be something personal. Something I made with my own hands. I didn¡¯t want it to be just another thing I bought. So, I... searched the inte for hours before I found the idea."


    "You... knit?" I repeated, still stunned at the confession.


    The corner of his mouth lifted faintly. "I used to. Back in middle school. It was... a hobby I didn¡¯t tell many people about."


    I stared at him, the socks clutched in my hands, and felt my chest swell with so many emotions I couldn¡¯t put into words.


    Before he could say anything else, I leaned in and kissed him. Not a quick, fleeting touch, but a deep, lingering kiss filled with everything I couldn¡¯t say aloud - love, gratitude, the overwhelming ache in my heart at this quiet, vulnerable side of him.


    Through the bond, I let him feel it all. And he returned it instantly, his armsing around me again, holding me like he never wanted to let go.


    When we finally broke apart, I let my forehead rest against his. My lips still tingling from the kiss.


    "I love this," I whispered, my fingers brushing over the socks again. "And the baby will love it too. So much."


    A single tear slipped free before I could stop it. He caught it with his thumb, brushing it gently from my cheek.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he murmured, his voice thick. "That it took me so long to ept the baby. I... I wasn¡¯t strong like Oscar, I couldn¡¯t just cope instantly."


    I shook my head firmly. "No, Draven. Don¡¯t apologize. You are not at fault, and you are notte. I can¡¯t even put into words how happy I am that you and Oscar have epted..." I swallowed, my voice softening, "my baby."


    The moment the words left my lips, his eyes sharpened.


    "Our baby," he corrected, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Not only yours, Eva. Ours."


    My breath caught, my heart stuttering in my chest.


    And in that moment, I knew - no matter whose blood ran in my child¡¯s veins - Draven and Oscar had imed them as their own.


    My throat tightened, and I had to blink fast to keep the tears from spilling over. But the bond between us carried my emotions to him anyway - every flicker of relief, every thread of gratitude, every quiet, aching joy.


    His hand slid over mine, curling my fingers around the tiny socks again, as if to anchor both of us in this moment. "I¡¯m going to protect you both," he said softly, his gaze steady on mine. "No matter what happens, I¡¯ll always be there for both of you... as your mate and as our child¡¯s father."


    The promise sank deep into me, steadying something I hadn¡¯t even realized was still trembling. I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.


    "I know you will," I whispered.


    We stayed like that for a while - me holding the socks against my heart, him holding me like I was the only thing keeping him grounded. His warmth seeped into my skin, into my bones, until it was hard to tell where his presence ended and mine began.


    And for the first time since I had learned I was pregnant, I truly felt... my child was going to have a proper, loving family.


    <fnfe88> Checktest chapters at find[f]ovel</fnfe88>


    This wasn¡¯t just my fight anymore. It was ours.


    And our baby... our child... would never be alone

 Chapter 243: Man From Her Past

    <h4>Chapter 243: Man From Her Past</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I let out a long, silent sigh as I stood near the back of the grand hall, letting my gaze drift across the crowded room. Every corner of the majestic space was buzzing with movement and murmured conversations.


    Clusters of Alphas and their entourages were moving with careful ease, cloaked in power and political poise, exchanging calcted smiles and shallow words.


    It was Saturday afternoon, and I found myself in the heart of the Nightshade Pack¡¯s territory, surrounded by some of the most powerful and politically influential wolves in the region.


    Tonight was the Alpha selection ceremony. It was no ordinary gathering, but a battlefield made of polished floors, custom suits, and veiled intentions.


    I was here as part of River¡¯s team - his eyes, his ghost in in sight. I knew what I had to do... but no idea why I had to do it.


    The hall was breathtaking - massive crystal chandeliers were hanging from vaulted ceilings, shimmering with the kind of quiet grandeur only old money could afford. Velvet-lined banners bearing the Nightshade crest were draped along the walls. The entire space had been transformed into a show of power, wealth, and tradition.


    But even with all the glittering detail, my attention was elsewhere. I wasn¡¯t looking at the gold-ted grandeur or the borate table spreads. I was watching the people.


    After months of working with River, I had already met most of the Alphas from the major and medium packs, their Betas and Lunas included. And even those I hadn¡¯t spoken to directly - I had learned their names, territories, alliances, and, more importantly, their games.


    I was now almost an expert in using my eyes to see through masks, to read bodynguage and subtle exchanges


    River often pointed my observation skills. He said I could watch a room for ten minutes ande back with a political map more urate than his advisors. I never knew if he was exaggerating, but I knew one thing for certain - I had always been good at noticing things others missed.


    Even as a child, I could watch someone walk by and tell you who they were mad at that morning or if they were hiding something. Back then, I had used it asionally to mess with my bullies, though it never ended nicely for me. Now, I was using it for River.


    I had started identifying which packs were close allies - through blood, marriage, trade, or fear. Who bowed out of necessity and who out of true respect. Who leaned in when River spoke, and who clenched their jaws behind polite smiles.


    And it didn¡¯t surprise me anymore to realize that none of them were loyal to him. They feared him. They respected him, yes. But loyalty? That was a luxury none of them could afford, not when everyone had their own empire to protect.


    Another sigh escaped me before I could stop it. And this one caught River¡¯s attention. He was mid-conversation with the Nightshade Pack¡¯s Beta - a man with ambition carved into every line of his body.


    <fn73d3> Find the newest release on Find_Novel(.</fn73d3>


    His head turned slightly, his sharp eyes locking with mine for just a moment. There was a clear warning in them. A reminder. I immediately straightened my posture andposed my face into a nk mask of professionalism.


    He returned to his conversation, and a secondter, Jasper appeared at my side. His voice was quiet, but his words lingered. "Keep your eyes and ears open."


    That was it. No further context. But I knew better than to dismiss his cryptic advice. Especially today. I still believed River was nning something. Something important. And I still had no clue what.


    So I remained close, but not too close - watching, listening, blending into the background like a shadow dressed in formal navy blue. I didn¡¯t speak. I didn¡¯t move unnecessarily. But I missed nothing.


    After nearly twenty minutes, River finally leaned slightly in my direction. "Go take a break if you want."


    Thank the Moon Goddess.


    I slipped out of the hall, the tension in my shoulders slowly easing the farther I walked from the thrumming nerve of power inside that room. The restroom was down a side corridor, and I took my time, enjoying the silence.


    By the time I was making my way back, my mind had begun drifting again. I was halfway down the corridor, adjusting the fabric of my sleeve, when I came to a slow halt.


    River was there. Standing in the corridor with his back resting against the wall. Alone.


    I frowned and made my way to him. "What are you doing here?"


    He looked at me then, and I knew he was about to answer - but his words never reached my ears.


    Because everything around me stopped.


    The air in the corridor shifted, thickening like smoke in my lungs. And my gaze, entirely on instinct, was pulled behind River - to the other end of the hallway where soft footsteps echoed against marble floors.


    And that¡¯s when I saw him.


    The world dropped out from under me.


    No. No, it couldn¡¯t be.


    But it was.


    A tall figure was walking down the corridor, unhurried and assured. Familiar. Too familiar. That stride. That presence. That face etched into my memory like a scar that never faded. Even before I fully saw his features, I knew who it was.


    My breath hitched. My chest seized. And the hallway started feeling too narrow, too cold.


    My fingers curled into fists at my sides, nails biting into my palms. My heart thundered so loudly I could hear it in my ears, but the rest of the world? Silent. As if time itself had stopped just to mock me.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    I couldn¡¯t think.


    I could only watch as the man I had mourned - the man I thought I had buried in the ruins of what could have been - closed the distance between us.


    And in that moment, my world fractured. Not with grief. Not with rage. But with a fear so vast it drowned every other emotion.


    Because there he was.


    Ethan.


    Alive.


    And walking straight toward me.

 Chapter 244: River’s Protection

    <h4>Chapter 244: River¡¯s Protection</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stopped breathing.


    The world didn¡¯t slow - it copsed. Time folded in on itself, pulling me back to a memory I never wanted to revisit. But the famikiar and haunting face walking toward us dragged me there anyway.


    He was looking just the same and yet somehow worse. Time had sharpened his features, but to me, he was nothing more than a storm I thought I had outlived.


    My chest tightened as memories surged to the surface, pounding into my ribs with every step he took closer.


    The boy I had once looked at like he hung the moon. The one I trusted blindly. The one I was ready to spend the rest of my life with.


    And the man who told me I was never enough.


    The mate who humiliated me in front of the entire pack while my stepsister clung to his arm like she already owned him. Because she did, didn¡¯t she?


    He chose her.


    All the affection, thefort, the illusion that he was my safe ce - it had all been a lie. A carefully constructed y orchestrated by Damian, my stepbrother. I had fallen for Ethan¡¯s every word, every touch, every promise. I had believed he saw me, needed me, loved me.


    But all he did was to shatter that illusion in the cruelest way possible.


    I thought I would never see him again. I hoped our paths would never cross after I left my past behind. But here he was.


    Unashamed.


    And walking toward me like we didn¡¯t share a graveyard full of pain.


    My vision blurred. I couldn¡¯t breathe. My fingers were twitching uselessly by my sides. Panic tightened around my throat, and every instinct inside me screamed to run, to vanish.


    I started trembling - violently, uncontrobly.


    I reached out, desperate for something to ground me, and my hand found River.


    His arm was solid beneath my palm, and the moment I touched him, his head turned sharply. His eyes narrowed as he registered the fear I was radiating, like a dam breaking inside me.


    "Evaline?" His voice was quiet, cautious. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    I couldn¡¯t answer.


    Ethan was too close now.


    Too real.


    I couldn¡¯t look away. I couldn¡¯t move. I felt frozen, like a deer staring down a hunter, but this hunter had already pulled the trigger once.


    My lips parted, but only one word slipped through.


    "Help."


    If I hadn¡¯t been unraveling, I might have noticed the change in River. The way his entire body tensed, like my whisper had pierced something far deeper than the surface. His eyes widened briefly as if my request had struck some cord he didn¡¯t even know he had.


    He didn¡¯t ask again. He followed my gaze.


    He turned his head just enough to nce over his shoulder... and saw Ethan.


    And that¡¯s when he moved.


    So fast it felt like a gust of wind, he stepped into me, pulling me tight against his chest in a smooth, protective motion. The world spun, and suddenly I was enveloped in his coat, my face pressed to his warm chest,pletely hidden from view.


    He wrapped his arms around me - firm, immovable. They felt like a barrier between me and my past.


    Right at that moment, the footsteps halted beside us.


    "Alpha Thorne," Ethan¡¯s voice rang out - far too familiar, far too cheerful. "It¡¯s such an honor to meet you in person. I¡¯m Ethan ckwood from ckwood Pack."


    River didn¡¯t respond.


    I felt the shift before I sensed it - the weight of his power rippling outward, silent and suffocating. Like a tidal wave crashing against the edges of the corridor. His aura flooded the space with such quiet menace that I felt Ethan flinch even though I couldn¡¯t see it.


    The silence dragged.


    And then Ethan¡¯s voice came again, weaker this time. "I didn¡¯t realize you were with someone. My apologies, I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt your... moment."


    There was a pause. River¡¯s arms stayed locked around me like a shield, his body unmoving. His power pressed harder.


    Ethan swallowed. I heard it.


    "I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll be on my way. Sorry again."


    <fnb15e> Th?s chapter is updated by F?ndNovel</fnb15e>


    His footsteps retreated quickly - almost too quickly. He was running from River¡¯s presence, not from guilt. He didn¡¯t even realize who I was. Of course he didn¡¯t.


    I waited.


    Even after the sound of his steps vanished down the corridor, I couldn¡¯t move. My fingers were clutching the fabric of River¡¯s suit coat like a lifeline. The terror hadn¡¯t ebbed. It was still coiled in my chest, strangling me.


    River¡¯s hands were gentle when they shifted, one moving to my lower back, the other brushing softly along my arm.


    Then he said, quietly, "Come with me."


    Still in a haze, I let him take my hand. His grip was firm, unyielding as he led me away from the hallway, away from the grand hall, away from all of it. I followed blindly, my mind still spinning in a fog of disbelief.


    We ended up in a side room - some office or meeting chamber, empty and dimly lit. He closed the door behind us, then turned the lock with a click.


    The sound grounded me more than anything else had. My heart thudded against my ribs, but I was no longer gasping.


    I stood still, trying to catch my breath. The silence between us stretched, thick and heavy.


    "I thought he was dead," I finally whispered. And I meant that. Since he was with Lilian that evening, I had assumed that he might have be a victim of the annihtion.


    River said nothing. He just waited.


    I met his eyes. "I just... thought I would never have to see him again. I built a life without ever expecting to cross paths with him again."


    I was babbling at this point. River didn¡¯t even know who Ethan was or how I was rted to him. Most importantly, why would he care about my reaction-


    "I might not know anything, but I <i>do </i>care, Evaline."


    His sharp words had me staring at him in confusion for a moment until I realized that I just spoke my thoughts out loud.


    He closed the space and came to stand right in front of me. "Ethan ckwood... what¡¯s your rtion with him?"

 Chapter 245: He’s The Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 245: He¡¯s The Beginning</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River¡¯s question cut through the haze in my mind like a de. My panic didn¡¯t vanish, but it dulled - reced by sharp awareness. I was suddenly hyper-conscious of every tremor in my body, every breath that still came too fast, every ounce of vulnerability I had just exposed.


    He had seen too much.


    More than anyone ever had.


    And I needed to fix that... fast.


    Swallowing hard, I pulled my shoulders back, straightened up, and forced the emotion from my voice. "It¡¯s nothing," I said, too quickly, too tly. "Let¡¯s get back to the main hall. We have been gone too long."


    I turned toward the door, needing the distance more than anything. But before I could reach it, River moved.


    Fast.


    He stepped in front of me and blocked the door with his body, one hand braced against the wood behind him. "No."


    I blinked. "Excuse me?"


    "What¡¯s going on with you and Ethan?" he repeated, quieter this time, but there was steel beneath the calm.


    "I told you," I said, forcing my tone into something dismissive. "It¡¯s not-"


    "No." He cut me off.


    I reached for the door handle behind him, but his hand shot out and caught mine.


    Before I could react, everything shifted.


    One second I was trying to push past him. The next, I was pinned.


    My back hit the wall beside the door, not hard - but firm enough that it knocked the breath from my lungs. River¡¯s hands had captured mine, both of them held high above my head. His grip wasn¡¯t painful, but it was unyielding. His body was close... too close... and his eyes were locked on mine with an intensity I had never seen from him before.


    I froze, stunned.


    "River-what the hell-"


    "You reacted like he was someone you are terrified of," he said quietly, cutting me off again. "You grabbed me like I was the only thing keeping you from breaking downpletely. And now you are pretending it was nothing?"


    I opened my mouth, but he didn¡¯t give me a chance.


    "Ethan ckwood," he went on, his voice low, "only son of Alpha ckwood of Bloodmoon Pack. A small pack, neighboring Shadowfang. The two have been allies for decades. Strong alliance. Trade routes. Warrior aid. Mutual celebrations. Even some marriage talk in the past."


    My breath caught.


    His eyes narrowed. "He was rumored to be your only friend. The one who pulled you out of istion. Always at your side, even when the rest of the pack ignored you." His voice dropped lower. "So why did you look like you had seen a ghost when he appeared? What happened between you two?"


    My stomach turned to stone.


    He had done his research. Into me.


    He knew.


    He knew more than he was saying.


    "You investigated me," I said, the usation slipping from my lips like venom. "You actually looked into my past."


    He didn¡¯t deny it. Didn¡¯t even look guilty.


    His expression was unreadable. "Of course I did."


    Of course.


    Why wouldn¡¯t he?


    Considering our rtion, he had every reason to dig into my past.


    I wasn¡¯t just his enemy¡¯s daughter anymore, I had be his assistant - someone he brought into his inner circle, someone he was entrusting with secrets, business, alliances. He needed to know who he was dealing with. And now I knew - he had looked into the life I had been trying so hard to bury.


    The years that nearly broke me.


    The lies. The betrayals. The rejection.


    And Ethan...


    Ethan had been at the center of it all.


    But considering his question, he didn¡¯t seem to know that Ethan was my mate.


    Still, a deep tremor passed through me and I felt my legs weaken. My knees almost buckled.


    River noticed.


    His grip tightened slightly, still careful, but I could feel his control - his strength. He could hold me there for as long as he wanted, and we both knew it.


    <fn2f49> This text is hosted at ?ovelFind</fn2f49>


    But I wasn¡¯t going to fall apart. Not again. Not in front of him.


    I forced myself to take a slow, steadying breath.


    "Let go of me," I said, sounding calm... too calm.


    My voice sounded like someone else¡¯s, cool and controlled, not the voice of a woman still unraveling inside.


    For a moment, he didn¡¯t move. His eyes searched mine like he was looking for something - truth, weakness, maybe even guilt. But I held his gaze without flinching.


    Then, finally, he stepped back.


    Released my wrists.


    The sudden absence of his touch left a strange emptiness behind, but I shoved the feeling away.


    He took a few paces back, his expression unreadable once again. Watching. Waiting. But saying nothing.


    Just like always.


    I smoothed my sleeves down with trembling hands and cleared my throat. "Thank you. For earlier."


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    "You don¡¯t need to know anything about Ethan and me," I added, tilting my chin up. "It doesn¡¯t concern you."


    His jaw clenched just slightly, but he didn¡¯t argue.


    I didn¡¯t wait for a response this time.


    I turned, opened the door, and walked out. And fortunately, he didn¡¯t try to stop me this time.


    The hallway was quieter now, but I still felt the echo of that encounter pulsing in my bones. My hands were still tingling where he had held them. My chest waa still aching from the panic. But more than anything... my heart felt bruised. Not from seeing Ethan. But from realizing how much River knew.


    And how much more he could know if I wasn¡¯t careful.


    I returned to the main hall, straightening my back, forcing every emotion into the steel vault I had perfected over the years. Theughter, the hum of conversations, the clinking of sses - it all swept over me in waves. I blended in like I always did. Just a shadow in the background. River didn¡¯t follow immediately, and I was d for the space.


    I needed to breathe.


    I needed to think.


    Unfortunately, if I thought the surprises were over with Ethan¡¯s return... I was so, so wrong.


    He wasn¡¯t the end.


    He was the beginning.


    And the night hadn¡¯t even started yet.

 Chapter 246: Ghosts That Shouldn’t Exist

    <h4>Chapter 246: Ghosts That Shouldn¡¯t Exist</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    No matter how hard I tried to keep a straight face, I was failing. Miserably.


    I stood by one of therge windows in the main hall with a flute of untouched sparkling cider in my hand, while my eyes supposedly scanned the elegant crowd gathering for the Alpha Selection Ceremony.


    But I wasn¡¯t paying attention to the glittering dresses, the too-loudughter, or the whispers of alliances forming in real time.


    I was searching.


    <fnca1d> This text is hosted at ?ovelFind</fnca1d>


    Not for someone I wanted to find, but for someone I desperately wanted to avoid.


    Ethan.


    Every few minutes, my eyes flicked to the crowd, sweeping over the tall men in dark suits, hoping I wouldn¡¯t see his face again. But the damage was already done. He was here. Alive. Walking and breathing and behaving as if nothing had happened... as if he wasn¡¯t the man who had shattered me into pieces.


    I pressed my free hand to my abdomen for a second before lowering it.


    The biggest reason behind my fear of meeting Ethan wasn¡¯t just our past... but my child.


    And he was the father.


    He didn¡¯t know. And I prayed for it to stay that way.


    Because if Ethan ever found out I was carrying his child...


    My stomach twisted violently.


    What if he decided he wanted the baby... not me... but my child? What if he tried to take it away, to twist the situation into something I couldn¡¯t control? Or worse - what if he didn¡¯t want the child and saw it as a threat? What if he-


    No. I couldn¡¯t even let myself think it. The horror of that possibility was enough to make my heart stutter.


    I couldn¡¯t let him find out. I couldn¡¯t let him know I was still alive.


    I nced to my side, half-expecting River to be standing nearby, as he usually was. He had been staying within reach ever since what happened earlier.


    But now... he was gone.


    I blinked, turning slowly on the spot.


    Gone.


    That had never happened before. Not once.


    I hadn¡¯t even noticed him leave.


    The anxiety already wing at my chest spiked. I searched the crowd again, more frantically this time. No sign of River. No sign of Jasper either. However, Emma was still across the hall, speaking to a Luna I didn¡¯t recognize.


    I needed to move. Standing here was doing nothing but fraying my nerves further.


    I slipped out of the hall and into one of the quieter corridors. The silence hit me like a balm, but it didn¡¯t ease the worry churning in my gut.


    I wasn¡¯t just running from Ethan anymore.


    I was searching for River.


    And I hated how much I needed to find him.


    I moved quickly through the corridors, climbing the elegant staircase to the upper level. The map of Nightshade Pack House was etched into my mind from weeks of preparation. I knew which halls led to which wings, which rooms were locked and which were private... but what I didn¡¯t know was where River might have disappeared to.


    Still... something told me he wouldn¡¯t be in the middle of the chaos. Not when he had a n brewing for tonight¡¯s ceremony. Knowing him, he would tuck himself away in a quieter corner, somewhere hidden, somewhere secret.


    And he wouldn¡¯t be alone.


    I walked faster, following the upper-level corridor that led toward the administrative wing. Most of these rooms would be locked or empty, but as I passed a set of double doors with ornate handles, I heard something.


    Voices.


    Muffled, but distinct.


    I paused, my heart thumping.


    One of the doors was slightly ajar, the light inside dim and warm. I moved silently, keeping to the wall as I inched closer.


    River¡¯s voice reached me first.


    "...how the hell did you miss something this significant?"


    He didn¡¯t sound angry, not exactly. But there was heat beneath his words. Frustration, maybe even disbelief.


    Jasper¡¯s voice came next. "I didn¡¯t miss anything. All the information we gathered about her came directly from Shadowfang and Bloodmoon pack members. And most of it lined up. You know how many stories there are about her - it wasn¡¯t easy to filter what was real."


    "I don¡¯t need stories," River snapped. "I need the truth. She saw him and froze. That wasn¡¯t grief. That was terror. You think that reactiones from reuniting with a friend?"


    Jasper hesitated. "No. But-"


    "Then go deeper," River ordered. "You said Shadowfang Pack members gave you intel. Fine. But if the report was iplete, we need answers from another source."


    There was a brief pause.


    And while I struggled to make sense how could there be any Shadowfang Pack members left, I heard Jasper speak again.


    "Do you want me to contact her family?"


    My heart stopped.


    Family?


    What family?


    My knees nearly buckled.


    They were dead. All of them. Everyst one of them. My father, my step-mother, and her children - they were all gone. Killed and then burned in that fire. The fire that destroyed everyst trace of Shadowfang.


    Or so I had been believing in for nearly half a year... and now... Jasper was talking about them like they were reachable. Like they were alive.


    River¡¯s response came next.


    "Do it," he said. Cold. Commanding. "By tomorrow evening. I want to know exactly what happened between her and Ethan. I don¡¯t care what it takes - get me the truth."


    The world spun.


    I stepped forward before I could stop myself.


    The door creaked open under my touch and the warm light of the room spilled onto my face.


    Both men turned toward me.


    River¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much, but Jasper looked like he had seen a ghost.


    Maybe he had.


    Because I wasn¡¯t sure I was standing on solid ground anymore.


    "What... what family are you talking about?" I managed to whisper. My voice trembled despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "The Greystones are dead. All of them."


    Neither of them answered right away.


    My entire body was shaking now. The world tilted beneath my feet.


    River stepped toward me, slowly, his brows drawing together. "Eva-"


    "What family, River?" I said louder, my voice rising in panic. "Who are you contacting? Who are you talking about?"


    Jasper shifted ufortably, avoiding my gaze.


    But River¡¯s eyes never left mine. They were unflinching. Unreadable.


    "Evaline," he said again, gentler this time. "There¡¯s something you should know-"


    "No." I took a step back, arms wrapping protectively around my middle. "Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t say it unless you are sure. Because if you are wrong, if this is some twisted way to get information from me-"


    "I¡¯m not wrong."


    His voice was final. Solid. And it broke something in me.


    My breath caught.


    The silence pressed down like a weight.


    And for the first time since the night of annihtion, since Shadowfang fell, since I left my past behind...


    A thought crept into my mind that shattered every belief I had clung to these past couple of months.


    What if they were not dead?

 Chapter 247: The Truth I Didn’t Want

    <h4>Chapter 247: The Truth I Didn¡¯t Want</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The mere thought of my family still being alive sent cold, bone-deep fear ripping through me.


    It wasn¡¯t relief. It wasn¡¯t joy. It was sheer, suffocating dread.


    I stared at River like I didn¡¯t recognize him. My breath had turned shallow, my chest was rising and falling too fast. But he didn¡¯t speak. He just watched me - silent, steady, as if my reaction was some kind of puzzle he was trying to solve.


    It was Jasper who finally broke the heavy quiet.


    "You should know," he began carefully, "the rumors you have heard... about Alpha River killing everyst person in Shadowfang Pack... they were just that. Rumors."


    My fingers curled into my palms. "Rumors?" I repeated, my voice cracking. "I saw what you did to Shadowfang Pack with my very own eyes."


    His gaze flicked briefly to River before settling back on me. "Alpha never nned to kill your entire family, let alone the entire Shadowfang Pack. That night... his n was to kill Alpha Greystone and those directly responsible for what happened to his parents and his Pack decades ago."


    I flinched at the name, my stomach knotting.


    "And that¡¯s exactly what he did," Jasper continued. "He killed Alpha Greystone. He killed every Shadowfang member who had a hand in your father¡¯s crimes. He burned down the Packnds... but no innocent life was ughtered. Instead, we relocated them to other packs, scattered them so no one could rebuild what we destroyed. As for your family - your stepmother, your stepsister, and your stepbrother - they weren¡¯t killed either. They were exiled to a small, weak pack in the western region."


    The words hit like stones.


    My Stepmother. Liliana. And... Damian.


    I heard the names without him saying them. My mind filled them in.


    Jasper kept talking, exining more details, but my thoughts had already spiraled into a ck hole.


    Anyone else might have been grateful - maybe thrilled even, if they had good rtions with their step family - to hear that their family still lived. But I wasn¡¯t anyone else.


    If it had just been my stepmother and Liliana, maybe I could have ignored it, buried the knowledge. But Damian?


    The name alone made my skin crawl.


    Damian wasn¡¯t just my stepbrother. He was my shadow, my constant tormentor. My biggest bully. He had broken things in me that would never fully heal. And worse - he had promised that he would always find me.


    <i>"No matter how much fate tries to separate us,"</i> he had whispered once, after pinning me to the cold stone wall of Shadowfang¡¯s old corridors,<i> "I¡¯ll always find you, sweet sister."</i>


    I had believed him then. And I still believed him... even now.


    He might be exiled. He might be suffering. He might even be rotting somewhere. But the fact remained... he was alive.


    Alive meant dangerous.


    <fn3ef7> Content originallyes from Find~Novel</fn3ef7>


    Jasper¡¯s voice started to fade in again, just as he was about to say something else. But I finally found my voice.


    I looked straight at River. My tone was soft. Too soft.


    "Why didn¡¯t you kill them?"


    Both men froze.


    Jasper¡¯s brows shot up, like I had just spoken in anothernguage. River¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but something sharpened in his gaze.


    When neither spoke, I repeated the question, each word clearer than thest. "Why. Didn¡¯t. You. Kill. Them?"


    "Miss Eva-" Jasper started.


    River didn¡¯t even look at him. Just lifted one hand, a silentmand for him to leave.


    Jasper hesitated, then slipped past me and out the door, shutting it behind him.


    The moment we were alone, River stepped forward, closing the space between us. His presence filled the room, a quiet, heavy force that pressed against my skin.


    "Say it again," he said evenly.


    I lifted my chin. "If you were going to kill, why not kill all of them?" My voice trembled, but not from fear of him... fear of what his answer might be. "Why did you have to leave them alive? Why did you have to ruin things for me every single time something good starts to happen in my life? Why can¡¯t you just leave me alone?"


    My voice had risen without me meaning it to, each sentence cutting sharper than thest.


    His jaw tightened.


    And then it cracked - hisposure breaking just enough for him to bite out, "Because I can¡¯t leave you alone."


    The words mmed into me, stealing my breath.


    Before I could process them, my hand moved on instinct.


    <strong>Smack.</strong>


    The p echoed in the dim room. His head turned slightly from the force, and a faint red mark immediately bloomed across his cheek.


    "How," I asked coldly, "could you let those monsters go free, but be hell-bent on ruining my life just because I carry the Greystone blood?"


    For a second, he just stared at me, silent.


    Then, in one smooth motion, his hand shot out and closed around my arm, pulling me in until there was barely a breath between us. His eyes were like shards of ice, unflinching, unyielding.


    "If all this drama," he said slowly, each wordced with danger, "is because I left your bullying stepfamily alive... I can fix that."


    The low, deadly certainty in his voice made the air feel heavier. It was the kind of tone that didn¡¯t invite argument, but one that promised action.


    I gave a humorless chuckle. "And you expect me to believe you? That you would kill anyone for me?"


    His grip didn¡¯t loosen. If anything, it tightened.


    "I could kill anyone for you, Evaline, " he said without hesitation. "Let alone the people you hate."


    I blinked at him, startled by the sheer bluntness of it. I would have loved to believe he was lying, but I knew he wasn¡¯t.


    "Why?" I demanded, my anger rising again because I felt tired of whatever game he was ying. "Why pretend to care?"


    The faintest curve touched his lips... it wasn¡¯t a smile, but something darker, more dangerous.


    "Because," he said, his voice dropping lower, "I have fallen for you, Evaline Greystone."

 Chapter 248: An Impossible Fate

    <h4>Chapter 248: An Impossible Fate</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    He... what?


    I wasn¡¯t expecting a confession from him.


    In fact, it might have been thest thing I could have ever imagined hearing from the River Thorne. And yet... here we were.


    For a heartbeat, I just stared at him. The silence in the room suddenly started feeling too loud, while my own heartbeat was drumming against my ribs. My lips parted but no words came out.


    Once the initial shock loosened enough for me to breathe, I shook my head in small, sharp movements, as if the physical act could somehow erase what he had just said. The look I gave him must have made my feelings in - I didn¡¯t trust him. Not with this. Not with me.


    But before I could speak, his voice cut in again.


    "When I first saw you," he began, his tone low and steady, "I hated you."


    The bluntness of the words made my chest tighten.


    "You¡¯re not wrong when you used me of hating you just because you carried your father¡¯s blood," he went on, his eyes locked on mine without a shred of hesitation. "For some reason, I thought you would be no different from your garbage father... or from your equally garbage step family. I didn¡¯t want to know you. I didn¡¯t even want to give you the chance to prove me wrong."


    I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry.


    "But then..." His gaze softened, though his voice still carried weight. "I started to see the real you. The one who kept fighting for herself despite everything going wrong in her life. The one who didn¡¯t crumble, even when the world seemed determined to break her... when I seemed determined to break you. And I realized-" He let out a slow breath, almost like the words cost him something. "-I was wrong."


    My nails bit into my palms as he continued.


    "At first, I just started to admire you. To respect you. But then... it changed. I can¡¯t tell you the exact moment I fell for you, Evaline Greystone. But I know I did. And I have known for a while now."


    The sincerity in his tone wasn¡¯t something I had ever heard from him before. This wasn¡¯t a game or a ploy. It was... raw. Honest.


    It wasn¡¯t just a confession - it was the kind of deep, deliberate truth that made me wonder if anyone could even make up something like this.


    Then he added, almost casually but with a dangerous edge, "And if you want someone gone, anyone out there... I can take care of it."


    The way he said it... he wasn¡¯t bluffing. Every word carried the weight of a promise I knew he could keep.


    And just like that, Damian and Ethan faded from my thoughts. The anger I had been holding, the usations I had been throwing... none of it mattered in that moment.


    All I could think about was River. And his confession.


    I started stepping back, fumbling for words, because this - whatever this was - was too much, too sudden... and most importantly, wrong. I had my mates... and he was their brother. I couldn¡¯t even began to ponder how twisted all this was.


    "Alpha... I-this is impossible. We can¡¯t-"


    I didn¡¯t get to finish.


    Before I could take more than a single step, he closed the space between us in one swift movement, his hand curling around my arm once again. The next thing I knew, I was colliding with him. His chest was solid against mine, his arms anchoring me like he wasn¡¯t about to let go.


    And then it happened.


    The air between us seemed to shatter, reced by something... electric. Something ancient. Something I had felt before... three times, and each time with a different person.


    It mmed into me - into us - like a tidal wave. My breath caught as warmth and light rushed through my veins, curling deep into my chest, my soul. My heart gave a wild, unsteady lurch, and in the depths of my mind, an undeniable truth pulsed into existence.


    <strong>Mate.</strong>


    The bond didn¡¯t just hum... it roared, wrapping around us both like a maic pull that was impossible to fight. My pulse matched his, the beat syncing until I could barely tell which one was mine.


    <fn3a63> Fresh chapters posted on FindN()vel</fn3a63>


    River froze and his eyes widened, the same shock I felt mirrored in his expression.


    We stood there, locked together, both too stunned to speak - two people who had been enemies, who had doubted each other, now bound by the most unbreakable connection in our world.


    And neither of us had seen iting.


    And even though we both were shocked, there was still miles of difference between our reaction.


    His shock came from disbelief, the good kind. His shock was one of happiness and I saw it right through his eyes that started gleaming once the initial shock of the bond started dissipating.


    But me, I could hardly make myself believe what just happened. Not only I just found another mate, but it was none other than River. What were the odds?


    If having both Oscar and Draven as my fated mates wasn¡¯t confusing and shocking enough, then feeling the mate bond with River just made everything even more surreal and impossible.


    It¡¯s not a everyday story of someone finding more than just one fated mate. Though such things had been mentioned in myths, I had never known anyone my entire life who had more than one mate.


    So exactly what was going on with me? And what was I supposed to do now?


    I watched as River¡¯s lips moved, as if he¡¯s about to say something. But I was quicker this time.


    With one strong pull, I stepped away from him. Though his features twisted with a confused frown, I kept my expression cold. "Nothing happened."


    His frown deepened, and I continued.


    "Like I said, it¡¯s impossible between us. So let¡¯s not talk about this ever again. As for the... bond... I can release you from it."

 Chapter 249: Three Sentences

    <h4>Chapter 249: Three Sentences</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    My heart dropped.


    The moment her words left her lips - soft, hesitant, but firm enough to carry their meaning - I knew exactly what she meant.


    <i>"Release you from the bond."</i>


    She wasn¡¯t talking about setting me free in some poetic way. She meant rejecting me. As her mate.


    And the worst part? I had just found out that she was mine. My fated mate.


    The sheer happiness that had swelled in me - Stars, it had been just seconds ago - was still sitting in my chest, raw and alive, when her words tore it open. I had been ready to revel in the truth, to thank the Moon Goddess and every force in existence for bringing her to me. But instead... she was already pulling away.


    There wasn¡¯t even a word to describe exactly what I felt in that moment. Pain, yes. Panic, absolutely. Hurt - sharp enough to cut bone. My wolf whimpered in my head, the sound low and broken.


    She must have seen it. My reaction, my silence... because her eyes widened, her expression shifting from guarded determination to something that looked almost like guilt.


    "River, I-" She stopped, swallowing hard, fumbling for the right words. "I didn¡¯t... mean to hurt you." Her voice shook. "I just... I¡¯m sorry, I-"


    Her gaze darted to the ground, but I caught the glisten in her eyes. She was tearing up. And that did something strange to me. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was relief, that she wasn¡¯tpletely unmoved, or if it only made the ache worse knowing she still wanted to push me away despite feeling this way.


    "Then don¡¯t," I said before I could stop myself.


    She blinked at me.


    Slowly - so damn slowly - brgI reached out, my hand hovering before it touched hers. I didn¡¯t want to spook her, didn¡¯t want her to jerk away before I even got close. When my fingers finally wrapped around hers, her body went still. Not cold, not pulling away... just still.


    The bond surged instantly. It was like my whole being recognized her on every level - mind, body, soul. The pull was maic, dizzying. My wolf howled in satisfaction at the simple contact, and it took everything in me not to close the distancepletely, to not pull her against me and im her lips until she couldn¡¯t breathe without me.


    But I couldn¡¯t. Not like this. Not when her eyes still held that wariness, that distance.


    So I kept my voice soft, careful. "I know you don¡¯t like me," I said. The words were bitter on my tongue, but it was the truth. "And I¡¯m not asking you to suddenly change that. But don¡¯t... reject me."


    Her lips parted slightly, but she didn¡¯t speak, so I went on.


    "Give me a chance. Give us a chance." My thumb brushed over her knuckles, the small movement grounding me. "I¡¯m not asking you to feel the same today, or tomorrow, or even next month. But... Moon Goddess gave us this bond for a reason. I want to prove to you that I can be the one for you."


    Shock flickered over her face. Her eyes went wide, and her lips trembled slightly. I could tell she wasn¡¯t expecting this from me. Hell, I wasn¡¯t expecting it from me either. I had never been the man to speak softly, to ask instead of take. But something about her... she brought it out in me.


    Even my wolf, usually wild and restless, was calm now, urging me forward. <i>She¡¯s listening. Don¡¯t let her go.</i>


    I was about to tell her she could take all the time she needed, that I would wait as long as it took - when she cut in. Her voice was steady but her eyes... stars, her eyes looked lost.


    "It¡¯s not about how I feel toward you," she said quietly.


    <fn0656> Th?s chapter is updated by find?novel</fn0656>


    I froze.


    "What is it about, then?" My voice came out sharper than I intended,ced with an edge of desperation.


    She looked at me then - really looked at me - and for a moment, I thought I saw something break inside her.


    "You wanted to know my rtion with Ethan," she murmured, each word deliberate. "I¡¯ll tell you."


    My chest tightened.


    And her next words mmed into me like a blow I never sawing.


    "He was my mate."


    My head went nk for a second. Ethan - her mate. As I repeated her words over and over in my mind for a few times, a sudden realization hit me.


    <i>Was.</i>


    She said it so casually, but it hit me like a punch to the chest.


    "Was," she repeated, meeting my gaze without flinching. "He rejected me just hours before you attacked Shadowfang Pack."


    For a split second - before I could stop myself - relief bloomed in my chest. I hated myself for it, but it was there, sharp and selfish. I kept my face nk, unwilling to let her see.


    But she wasn¡¯t finished.


    "Now, I¡¯m mated to two of your brothers," she said, steady but quiet. "Oscar and Draven."


    The air thickened as the weight of her words sank into me. My brothers. My blood. I could feel my pulse in my jaw, in my temples, pounding harder with every second.


    I barely had time to process that when she spoke again - words soft, but heavy enough to split the ground beneath me.


    "And I¡¯m pregnant... with Ethan¡¯s child."


    The world stilled. My thoughts scattered like leaves in a storm. I stared at her, but I wasn¡¯t really seeing her - I was seeing every implication, every tangled knot these revtions created.


    I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.


    She looked away first, and that alone told me how much she dreaded my reaction. I could feel my heart hammering, the mate bond thrumming with emotions I couldn¡¯t untangle - shock, disbelief, a strange, bitter kind of hope, and something dangerously close to jealousy.


    Three sentences. That¡¯s all it took for her to dismantle everything I thought I knew.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure if I hated her for it... or if I hated myself more for still wanting her.

 Chapter 250: River’s Decision

    <h4>Chapter 250: River¡¯s Decision</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t even know why... or how... I ended up telling him all my secrets just like that.


    It was reckless. Foolish. Absolutely out of character for me.


    And yet... I did.


    The words had just spilled out - raw and unfiltered - before I even had the chance to weigh their consequences. I told him everything. That Ethan was my ex-mate. That I was now pregnant with my ex-mate¡¯s child. That I was already mated to Draven. That I was already mated to Oscar.


    I didn¡¯t try to sugarcoat it. I didn¡¯t try to soften the truth.


    Because if he really meant what he said earlier - that he liked me and was ready to ept me as his mate - then he deserved to know who I really was, every tangled, messy part of me.


    I waited for the sharp sting of rejection. I braced myself for his eyes to harden, for his voice to turn cold. But none of that came.


    He was silent.


    And I... I wasn¡¯t sure if I was disappointed by that silence or grateful for it.


    <fnf3aa> Discover more novels at find(?)ovel</fnf3aa>


    On one hand, he didn¡¯t reject me - not right away, at least. On the other, his face had turned unreadable again, his gaze giving nothing away. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was thinking of walking away from me forever or finding a reason to stay.


    And the worst part? I wasn¡¯t sure what I really wanted - for him to walk away, or... to ept me despite the mess I was.


    Slowly, I pulled my hand from his. Not in a rush, not abruptly - just enough to show him I wasn¡¯t pushing him away, but giving him the space to think. After seeing how hurt he was from my initial reaction to our bond, I didn¡¯t want to hurt him again.


    When I finally spoke, my voice was soft, almost careful, carrying the faintest hint of a smile I didn¡¯t quite feel.


    "Take your time," I told him. "When you have decided... let me know."


    I turned, ready to walk out before the weight of the moment crushed mepletely...


    "I ept."


    I froze mid-step.


    I could hardly believe the words my ears just registered. There¡¯s no way he would have said it. Right?


    Slowly, I turned to face him, my eyes searching his expression for the joke that had to be there. "You are not... going to take time to think it through?"


    His answer came without hesitation, his voice certain. "I don¡¯t need more time to decide. I ept you as my mate."


    The words hit me like a current, rushing through my veins, settling deep into my bones. His official eptance - spoken out loud - sealed our mate bond from his side, even if only on a basic level. And I felt it, every inch of it, in the way my chest warmed and my heart stumbled over its own rhythm. And most importantly, in the way the bond got swarmed with a warmth that only came from a mate¡¯s love and care.


    I was almost overwhelmed by these sweet feelings, and yet, when I opened my mouth, it was to argue. "You are being too-"


    "I¡¯m not someone who makes hasty decisions." He cut me off, his eyes locking onto mine with a force that made me forget how to breathe.


    And then he said the one thing I never expected to hear from him, the one thing that almost melted my heart in a way I didn¡¯t think he was capable of.


    "My feelings for you didn¡¯t appear because you are my mate, Evaline Greystone. They were there before Moon Goddess blessed us with this bond. So they are not going to disappear just because you told me you are mated to my brothers... or that you are pregnant."


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t even speak. I could only watch him as his gaze shifted, deliberately, to my stomach. My very t stomach.


    "How far along are you?" he asked quietly.


    I swallowed, feeling a strange lump in my throat. "I just entered my twenty-third week."


    He nodded once, like he was filing that away in some private part of his mind, and then - almost out of habit - nced at his expensive wristwatch.


    That¡¯s when it hit me. We had been here for far too long. The ceremony must be about to start, maybe even moments away. I was about to tell him we needed to head back, that there were more pressing things to handle right now, but he spoke first.


    "I have one more question before we go."


    I hesitated for a heartbeat, then gave him a small nod. "Okay."


    He didn¡¯t waste time. "Do Oscar and Draven know about your pregnancy? And... when did you find out they were your mates?"


    Two questions. Both sharp, deliberate. I knew better than to try dodging them.


    I took a breath. "I felt my bond with Oscar on my very first day at Thorne Mansion."


    It took him a second, just a second, to realize I wasn¡¯t talking about my recent visit. I was talking about five months ago, when I had imprisoned in Thorne mansion and was made to work there as a servant.


    "As for Draven..." I looked down for a moment, remembering that day. "We felt our bond a littleter. After I joined the Academy."


    I didn¡¯t give him details - some moments were too personal, too tangled with pain and confusion to revisit right now. But I told him the truth that mattered.


    "I eventually told them," I continued. "About being mates with both of them. About the pregnancy. About... everything." My throat tightened, but I pushed through it. "And they... they epted me. They epted the child, too."


    He didn¡¯t interrupt. He just listened, his gaze steady, his expression unreadable again, but not cold. Never cold.


    I didn¡¯t know what would happen next. I didn¡¯t know if this eptance would hold when the reality of our situation truly set in. But right now, I wanted to be as genuine and transparent with him as possible.

 Chapter 251: Mallory’s Birthday

    <h4>Chapter 251: Mallory¡¯s Birthday</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I sang along with everyone else, our voices blending into a slightly off-key but cheerful version of the birthday song.


    Mallory closed her eyes for a brief moment, made a wish, and blew out the candles with a bright smile. Everyone pped and cheered, while Noah was still hunched over his phone, snapping pictures of every possible angle like a professional photographer on a mission.


    We were all seated around a long wooden table in one of Lakeshire¡¯s most popr caf¨¦s, the kind that always had a waiting list no matter the day. The warm yellow lights overhead made the chocte frosting on Mallory¡¯s cake look even richer, and the sweet scent of vani and coffee lingered in the air.


    Rowan and Kyros immediately took charge of the cake-cutting, their usual banter surfacing as they argued over whether the slices should be perfectly equal or just "roughly" equal. Seleneughed at them while Ria sipped hertte like this was her weekend entertainment.


    I reached for the gift bag I had kept under my chair and slid it toward Mallory.


    "This is for you," I said with a small smile.


    Her eyes widened when she opened the box and looked at the gift. "No way... you got me the newunch set?" She pulled out the lip oil collection box, cradling it like it was something sacred. "Eva, these are sold out everywhere."


    "I know," I shrugged lightly. "Was lucky to get them on time."


    She grinned and leaned over to hug me tightly. "This is such a wonderful gift. Thank you so mucg."


    I smiled back, but there was a faint heaviness tucked somewhere in my chest that I couldn¡¯t quite shake.


    <fn51f0> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? find{n}ovel</fn51f0>


    It had been three days since the Alpha Selection Ceremony in the Nightshade Pack. Three days since River confessed he liked me... since we discovered we were mates. And three days since I told him... everything.


    The memory of that evening still made my stomach twist. I had bared myself to himpletely - my past, my secrets, the parts of me I didn¡¯t like showing anyone. And after all of that, he didn¡¯t push or question me further. He simply looked at me for a long moment, then told me I should return to the mansion.


    At first, I tried to argue - my work at the ceremony wasn¡¯t done, and I didn¡¯t like leaving things unfinished. But he had been firm, saying it would be easier for him to focus on the rest of the ceremony once I was somewhere safe and away from Ethan¡¯s eyes.


    And... I hadn¡¯t exactly fought him on it. The truth was, I was really terrified ofing across Ethan again.


    The next morning, I learned from Draven that the one who had won the championship and imed the title of Nightshade Pack¡¯s new Alpha was one of River¡¯s men. The way Draven described it, the battleground had been a bloodbath. And with one night¡¯s work, he had gained control over one of the biggest and richest packs in the region.


    He had yed his cards perfectly.


    Since then, River had been buried in work - managing his new Alpha, establishing control over Nightshade Pack, securing alliances. I had only seen him in passing, catching glimpses of him eithering into the mansionte at night or leaving early in the morning. He wasn¡¯t there for meals, nor for the so-called "bonding time" Draven insisted we all have every evening.


    And I hadn¡¯t told Oscar or Draven about the mate bond yet. I kept telling myself I would do it before the holidays ended - four days from now - but every time I thought about saying the words, my chest tightened. As for what was going to happen between River and me... I didn¡¯t know. And I couldn¡¯t bring myself to think about it too much.


    "...Earth to Eva?"


    Mallory¡¯s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. She was grinning, already halfway through her cake slice. "You spaced out. Were you daydreaming about something, or should I say someone?" She wiggled her eyebrows.


    I rolled my eyes. "No."


    She smirked but didn¡¯t push further. "Well, anyway... I¡¯m spending the evening with Jasper. And Lily."


    I blinked. "Lily?"


    She lowered her voice just a bit, though our friends were busyughing at something Noah had said. "It¡¯s my first time meeting her."


    She leaned in, whispering like it was some top-secret mission. "You have toe with me. Please. I¡¯m begging you."


    "Why?"


    "Because I¡¯m nervous, okay? I have met grumpy, battle-hardened warriors and scary Alphas, but an eight-year-old with a sharp mind? Terrifying." She made a pleading face. "I don¡¯t want to mess this up. And Lily already knows Jasper¡¯s dating me, so if she hates me, I¡¯ll know instantly."


    I bit back a smile. "You are worrying for nothing. Lily is the sweetest and kindest person I have ever met in my life. And I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to love you. Besides, do you think my presence will make her like you?"


    "I think your presence will make me less awkward," she admitted. "And maybe keep Jasper from fussing over every little thing I do."


    I pretended to think about it. "So, you want me to be your emotional support human?"


    "Yes!" She brightened. "Exactly."


    Iughed softly. "Fine. I¡¯lle."


    She let out a dramatic sigh of relief. "You are the best."


    By the time the cake was gone and the tes cleared, the caf¨¦ was filling up with the evening crowd. We lingered for a while, chatting and sipping thest of our drinks before finally stepping out into the chilly evening air.


    We split up outside - Rowan and Kyros heading toward former¡¯s bike, Ria and Selene deciding to take a walk, and Noah was still clicking pictures of everything from the caf¨¦ sign to thempposts.


    Mallory and I made our way to the car Jasper had sent for her. She seemed unusually quiet, fiddling with the strap of her bag.


    "You¡¯ll be fine," I told her as we slid into the backseat.


    Her lips curved into a faint smile. "You think so?"


    "I know so. And for the record, you are way scarier than an eight-year-old."


    Sheughed at that, tension easing just a bit.


    Still, I could see the nerves in the way she smoothed her dress and nced at her reflection in the window every few minutes.


    But I knew that she and Lily were going to be best friends in no time.

 Chapter 252: Mate’s Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 252: Mate¡¯s Daughter</h4>


    <strong>Mallory:</strong>


    The moment the car rolled past the towering, wrought-iron gates of the Thorne Estate, I had to bite my tongue to stop the gasp trying to escape my mouth.


    I had been here once before with Eva, but apparently, the awe factor didn¡¯t fade with familiarity. The ce looked like something pulled straight out of a fairytale... if that fairytale had been dipped in snow, wrapped in pure aesthetic vibrs, and sprinkled with just the right amount of Christmas magic.


    Through the frost-speckled window, I took in the mansion as it came into view, standing proudly beyond the sweeping front gardens. Twinkling lights were lining the edges of the massive windows, wreaths were hanging like emerald crowns, and a towering pine - decorated to perfection - was standing in the center of thewn. The whole scene looked like it belonged on the cover of a holiday magazine.


    Leaning closer to Eva, I murmured, "How does it even feel living in a ce like this? I would get lost just trying to find the kitchen."


    She gave me a sideways smile, that knowing little look she always had when she thought I was overreacting. "You get used to it. Mostly. Just... don¡¯t wander off without telling someone. This ce has more hallways thanmon sense."


    I chuckled softly, shaking my head. Easy for her to say - she actually belonged here now.


    Instead of turning toward the mansion, the car took a side road lined with bare-limbed trees wrapped in fairy lights. The glow followed us like a trail, guiding us to a smaller but equally picturesque home. The vehicle slowed before a charming vi with warm light spilling from its windows, snow nketing its roof, and smoke curlingzily from the chimney.


    We had barelye to a full stop before my door swung open from the outside, and there he was.


    Jasper.


    My mate.


    His weing brown eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as his lips curved into that smile - the one that made my knees threaten to give out. "Evening, birthday girl," he greeted, offering me his hand like some old-fashioned gentleman.


    I took it without hesitation, warmth blooming in my chest as I stepped out of the car. The moment my palm touched his, my pulse jumped. The cold air nipped at my cheeks, but he didn¡¯t let go until I was standing close enough to catch the faint scent of pine and something unmistakably him.


    Over his shoulder, I spotted Eva already out of the car, smirking at me in a way that made my face heat. She breezed past us and greeted Jasper. "Sorry for dropping in unannounced," she said, offering Jasper a polite smile.


    He brushed it off immediately. "You are always wee. The more, the merrier. Lily¡¯s been missing you anyway, she¡¯ll be thrilled to see you."


    I smiled softly at the mention of the little girl. I had heard about her so much from both Jasper and Eva, and despite anxiety, a part of me was really thrilled at the idea of our first meeting.


    Jasper still hadn¡¯t released my hand as he led us toward the entrance. I tried subtly pulling away, thinking it might be better to keep some distance in front of Lily, but his grip only tightened, bringing me closer until our arms brushed.


    I opened my mouth to tell him that maybe we should keep it low-key, but before I could say anything, a high, cheerful voice rang out from inside.


    "Eva!"


    The front door had been left slightly ajar, and a small blur of movement came hurtling toward us. A little girlunched herself into Eva¡¯s legs with the kind of fearless affection only a child could manage. She had Jasper¡¯s eyes and the same golden-brown hair, though hers was curly and tied with a red ribbon.


    "Lily," Evaughed, bending down to hug her back. "You have gotten cuter!"


    I hung back a little, unsure if I should interrupt. Meeting a mate¡¯s family, even just one member, was intimidating enough, but meeting his daughter? That was a whole different kind of pressure.


    Eva must have sensed my hesitation because she gently took Lily¡¯s hand and guided her toward me. "Lily, this is Mallory. She¡¯s a very good friend of mine... and Jasper¡¯s mate."


    Lily blinked up at me, studying me like she was deciding if I passed some invisible test. "You are pretty," she finally dered.


    Thepliment caught me off guard, and I smiled, crouching down to her level. "Thank you. You are really pretty too. I love your ribbon."


    That earned me a shy little grin, and in the next moment, she was showing me her sparkly shoes and telling me about the gingerbread house she had been working on all afternoon.


    The awkwardness melted away like frost in sunlight, and before long, we were sitting at the kitchen table with Eva, helping Lily add gumdrops to her sugary masterpiece.


    <fna250> Official source is Find_Novel(.</fna250>


    Dinner was warm, cozy, and full ofughter. Jasper kept slipping little nces my way, his expression soft but tinged with something deeper. Whenever our eyes met, his lips would quirk just slightly, like he was thinking something he wasn¡¯t going to say out loud in front of his daughter.


    At one point, he passed me the breadbasket, letting his fingers brush mine for just a second too long. Later, when he refilled my ss, he leaned in enough that his breath grazed my ear as he murmured, "Hope you are hungry... because dessert isn¡¯t just cake tonight."


    The heat that rushed to my cheeks had nothing to do with the food.


    By the time dinner was over, Lily had gone back to her gingerbread house, and Eva was helping her find more candy decorations. Jasper stood close beside me, his hand brushing the small of my back.


    It was dangerous... how good it felt.


    When Eva finally straightened and turned toward us, her brows rose slightly. One look at Jasper¡¯s arm curling around my waist and my flushed face, and her lips curved into a sly smile.


    "I can take Lily to the mansion for the night," she offered casually. "Give you two... privacy."


    I immediately waved my hands. "Oh, no, that¡¯s not necessary-"


    "Yes," Jasper cut in without a second of hesitation, his voice low and sure. "Thanks, Miss Evaline."


    I whipped my head toward him, eyes wide, but he only looked back at me with that slow, wicked grin that told me exactly what he had nned.


    And suddenly, I was very aware of how fast my heart was beating.

 Chapter 253: One Brother Left

    <h4>Chapter 253: One Brother Left</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I knew Mallory well enough to expect a dramatic reaction, but even so, her shriek nearly made me spill the tea in my hand.


    "You are what?" she half-whispered, half-yelled, her eyes going impossibly wide as if I had just told her I was moving to the moon.


    I winced, quickly setting my mug down on the bedside table and reaching over to press my hand over her mouth. "Sshhh! Do you want the entire estate to know?" I hissed.


    She mumbled something against my palm, still looking at me like I had sprouted a second head. I narrowed my eyes before slowly pulling my hand away. "Mallory, lower your voice. The door¡¯s locked and the room¡¯s soundproof, but still... you are loud enough to make my ears ring."


    "Sorry," she said automatically, though her tone suggested she was anything but sorry. "But you can¡¯t just drop a bomb like that and expect me to stay calm. River? Out of all people, River is your mate too?"


    Her disbelief was so palpable that I almostughed. Almost. "Yes," I admitted, running a hand through my long silver locks.


    We were perched cross-legged on my bed, with pillows scattered around us and azy afternoon sunlight spilling in from the window. Jasper had picked up Lily earlier, and Mallory hade with him but stayed behind while he left with his daughter. I had been holding this in for days now, and she was one of those few people I could trust to hear it without the situation spiraling.


    At least... that¡¯s what I thought.


    "Have you told Oscar and Draven?" she asked finally, all traces of yfulness gone from her voice.


    I exhaled heavily, shaking my head. "No. But I¡¯m nning to tell them after dinner tonight."


    "Eva..."


    "I know," I interrupted, holding up a hand. "I know. I just... I¡¯m scared, Mal. Things have only just started getting better between us, and now this happens. What if it ruins everything? What if they think I have been keeping secrets from them again?"


    <fn4> Read full story at Find_Novel(.</fn4>


    Her hand came to rest on my shoulder, and she gave me a warm squeeze that grounded me. "Eva, you have to trust them. Mate bonds are gifts from the Moon Goddess. We don¡¯t control who they are with. If the Moon Goddess tied you to more than one person, it¡¯s because she decided that¡¯s your fate. No one should hold you responsible for that."


    I looked at her skeptically, but she continued firmly. "If I can understand this, they can too. And besides... River is their brother. That might actually make it easier for them to ept him as your mate. Think about it - there¡¯s no stranger here. They know him. They trust him. Just like they did with each other."


    I sat in silence for a moment, mulling over her words. Maybe she was right... or maybe she was being overly optimistic for my sake.


    She broke the quiet with the one question I had been hoping she wouldn¡¯t ask. "So... how do you feel about River?"


    I opened my mouth, but she immediately raised a hand. "And be honest. Think before you answer."


    Her tone was light but serious enough to make me pause. I dropped my gaze to the patterned quilt beneath us, my fingers tracing an absent line. "Our rtionship started on a bad note," I admitted slowly. "I didn¡¯t hate him, but I disliked him for a long time. Even after bing his assistant, I kept my distance."


    I hesitated before continuing. "But... I havee to know him better these past couple of months. He¡¯s rich, powerful, strong, and a businessman through and through. The cold, intimidating side everyone sees... that¡¯s because his identity and position demands it. I have seen other sides too. Sides you wouldn¡¯t expect. He can be... cute, in his own strange way. Out of control sometimes. And... kind, when he wants to be."


    I took a deep breath. "And yes, he¡¯s... attractive. But then, which of the brothers isn¡¯t?"


    Mallory¡¯s grin had been growing the entire time I spoke. "Oh my god, you have already fallen for him, haven¡¯t you?"


    "What? No!" I said quickly, my head snapping up. "Whatever I feel for River is... it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s respect. And maybe a little fear. But romantic? No."


    She tilted her head, unconvinced.


    "I mean it," I insisted. "Even if I do find him attractive, I have never let myself think about him that way. I already had mates. It would have been wrong. So I kept a wall up between us."


    Mallory leaned back, resting her elbows on a pillow. "That wall," she said knowingly, "is exactly why you have never considered him that way. But now? He¡¯s your mate too. There¡¯s no reason to keep that guard up anymore. You can... explore whatever this is."


    I rolled my eyes, not wanting to admit she might have a point.


    "And honestly," she added with a wicked grin, "at this rate, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if one day Kieran turned out to be your mate too. Can you imagine? Three out of four brothers already, and the poor fourth left out? That would be a cruel joke from the Moon Goddess."


    I groaned, grabbing a pillow and smacking her lightly with it. "Don¡¯t even joke about that!"


    Sheughed, falling back dramatically onto the bed. "Oh,e on, you would secretly love it. After all, it¡¯s <i>the</i> Professor Kieran we are talking about."


    I snorted, though my lips twitched in amusement. "You are impossible."


    "And you are in deep," she teased again, earning another pillow smack.


    We both ended upughing, the tension easing between us. But even as we joked, a knot of anxiety remained in my stomach. Tonight, I would have to tell Oscar and Draven. And no matter what Mallory said, there was no guarantee how they would react.


    Still, I kept faith in the bond we had been building... and their love for me.

 Chapter 254: Feeling the Presence

    <h4>Chapter 254: Feeling the Presence</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The warmth of the fire flickered across the room, but it was nothingpared to the heat blooming in my chest when Oscar¡¯s lips met mine.


    I moaned into his mouth before I even realized it, the sound swallowed up by his slow, consuming kiss. My off-shoulder woolen top left my skin bare for Draven¡¯s feathery touch, and I shivered when his lips ghosted over my exposed shoulder, brushing so lightly that it felt like silk gliding across my skin.


    By the time Oscar pulled away, I was gasping for air, my pulse drumming against my ears. His gaze lingered on me, dark and molten, as if he was memorizing every flush and every breath I took.


    Dinner had been a blur this evening. I couldn¡¯t even remember what I had eaten - only the way both my mates¡¯ eyes had followed me like shadows, their touches lingering longer than necessary, their teasing almost unbearable.


    <fnfa66> Get full chapters from f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fnfa66>


    I had nned to talk to them - about River, about the fact that he was also my mate. I needed to tell them before it became a bigger problem. But the moment we left the dining room and made our way upstairs, it felt less like I was leading them to my room and more like they were silently herding me there.


    Now, here we were - me, seated in the middle of the big couch in front of the firece, Oscar to my left and Draven to my right. The glow of the fire painted their faces in amber and gold, shadows moving over their sharp features like they had been carved for moments like this.


    I was still catching my breath when Draven finally spoke. "River and Kieran are away for the night. Perfect for me and Oscar to spend it with you without worries." His lips curled into a smirk. "Besides, it¡¯s thest day of the year. Barely two hours left before midnight."


    "Considering it¡¯s council¡¯s New Year party," Oscar added. "They won¡¯t be back before morning."


    This was my chance to speak. I straightened a little, inhaling, ready to tell them exactly what I had been holding back for days...


    But the only sound that escaped my mouth was a sharp, startled gasp when Oscar leaned in without warning and pressed an open-mouthed kiss against the side of my neck.


    My fingers clutched the couch cushions as his warm lips trailed downward, mapping the curve of my skin until he reached the crook of my neck. He lingered there, the press of his mouth deepening, making heat and tingles explode down my spine.


    I arched toward him helplessly, my head tilting back. For a few seconds, I forgot everything - River, my ns, even the fact that Draven was sitting right there. All I could focus on was the way Oscar¡¯s mouth pulled sweet, shivery sensations from every nerve in my body.


    "That again," Draven¡¯s voice cut in, low and filled with something far heavier than amusement. "Do that again. I want to capture her."


    My head turned toward him, brows drawn in confusion, but before I could even ask what he meant, Oscar was already repeating his path... soft kisses down the side of my neck, a slow pause at the crook, and then the deliberate pull of his lips against my skin.


    Another wave of those sweet tingles rushed over me, my hands instinctively clutching at his shirt.


    When I opened my eyes again, Draven was holding out his phone to Oscar, his expression unreadable but his eyes glinting with heat. Oscar took it, nced down at the screen... and I caught the shift in his gaze, the way it darkened in a way that made my pulse trip.


    "What?" I breathed.


    Without a word, he moved the phone so I could see, while he spoke to Draven, "Share that with me."


    The picture on the screen made me go still.


    It was me... but not the me I was used to seeing in mirrors. My head was tilted back, lips parted, eyes fluttered shut, with Oscar¡¯s mouth at my neck. My skin was glowing in the firelight, and the expression on my face... it was raw, vulnerable, almost dream-soft. I looked... ethereal.


    I barely had time to process it before Draven took the phone from my hand, setting it aside. The next moment, his lips were at the other side of my neck, his touch firmer than Oscar¡¯s. And his mouth drew a gasp from me all over again.


    By the time he trailed his kisses down to my shoulder, my breaths were uneven, the air in my lungs refusing to stay steady. But then... I froze.


    Not because of them, but because of the sudden, faint, strange sensation low in my abdomen. My palm pressed over my belly without thought.


    Both Oscar and Draven went still instantly, straightening. "What happened?" Draven asked, his tone sharp with concern.


    "I... I just felt something," I whispered, still stunned.


    Oscar¡¯s gaze dropped to where my hand was resting, and his eyes widened slightly. "You mean... the baby?"


    I nodded slowly. "It wasn¡¯t... movement, exactly. But there was something. Just for a second."


    He exchanged a look with Draven, and without asking, both of them moved their hands to my belly, pushing mine gently aside.


    We waited in silence, the only sound the crackle of the fire.


    Then, both of them stiffened. Their eyes met, widening with something almost reverent.


    "You feel that?" Oscar murmured.


    Draven nodded once. "Presence."


    My brows drew together. "Presence?"


    Oscar looked up at me. "You know that werewolves can sense their pup¡¯s presence in their mate¡¯s womb. Right? We are sensing it too. It¡¯s... like a bond that¡¯s pulsing back."


    For a moment, none of us spoke. I just sat there, watching them both touch my stomach like they were afraid I would vanish if they looked away.


    Then Draven¡¯s lips quirked in a teasing smirk. "Maybe the pup¡¯s just reacting to their mom¡¯s... reactions." His tone held unmistakable amusement.


    I felt heat rush to my cheeks instantly.


    He leaned toward me again, eyes glinting with that yful danger he wore so well, but this time I pressed a hand to his chest, stopping him before he could kiss me.


    "No," I said, shaking my head even as my heart pounded. "I need to talk to you both."


    It didn¡¯t matter that the fire was warm, or that their touches had my body betraying me at every turn. I couldn¡¯t keep avoiding this conversation, not with everything hanging over us like a de waiting to fall.


    They needed to know before it¡¯s toote!

 Chapter 255: Alphas’ Reaction

    <h4>Chapter 255: Alphas¡¯ Reaction</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment they realized I wasn¡¯t joking about the "we need to talk" thing, both of them straightened on the couch.


    "Alright," Draven said, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his knees. "Say whatever it is you need to say."


    "Yeah," Oscar added while tilting his head at me. "You have had that look on your face all evening. Just spit it out."


    Easy for them to say. Now that it was my turn to actually reveal the secret, my throat felt like it had sealed shut. I could feel the weight of my own heartbeat in my ears. My fingers twisted together in myp, and the anxiety swelled so high it was impossible to hide.


    Of course, they noticed.


    Without a word, Draven¡¯s hand slid over mine, warm and steady. On the other side, Oscar¡¯s fingers wrapped around my other hand, squeezing gently as if to say - <i>You have got us.</i>


    The gesture should have made it easier. It didn¡¯t. My voice still trembled when I finally closed my eyes and took in a deep breath.


    <i>You can do this.</i>


    "When I... when I visited Nightshade Pack with River for the Alpha selection ceremonyst weekend..." I started, then hesitated, the words almost sticking to my tongue again. I forced them out anyway. "...I felt a mate bond with him."


    The silence that followed was awful.


    Both of them went still. Too still.


    The only thing keeping me frompletely falling apart was that neither of them let go of my hands. Their touch stayed firm, anchoring me even though my mind was running wild with worst-case scenarios.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long itsted - five seconds, ten, a full minute, or even longer than that before? - before I dared to look up. They were both staring at me, not with anger exactly, but with an unreadable mix of emotions that made my stomach twist tighter.


    Draven was the one to break it. His voice was low, careful, but there was no mistaking the sharp edge of disbelief.


    "So... River is your mate too?"


    I nodded slowly, my mouth suddenly dry. "Yeah. He is."


    And then, as if my anxiety wasn¡¯t already making me ramble, the words just spilled out of me like someone had opened a dam.


    "It happened so suddenly-I didn¡¯t even see iting. We were arguing-obviously-and then the mate bond just... flickered to life out of nowhere. I waspletely stunned, confused, even mad? I mean I already have you two, but the Moon Goddess had to pick another? And that too him? I still don¡¯t understand why or how..."


    I stopped to take in a deep breath. "I wanted to tell you both about it immediately... but... but I got too scared. I¡¯m worried that you two will be mad at me. But... trust me-I didn¡¯t ask for it... I just-"


    Oscar¡¯s hand moved before my brain caught up.


    He pressed a finger lightly against my lips. "Shhh."


    The sound was soft but it worked like a switch, and my babbling cut off immediately.


    <fn9842> This text is hosted at f?ndnovel</fn9842>


    And then I noticed the tiniest curve on his lips. Not mocking, not forced - just a faint, real smile. Something in my chest loosened. Maybe... maybe this wasn¡¯t going to go as badly as I had feared.


    Draven leaned back slightly, his head tilting in thought before he spoke again.


    "You know," he said, his tone so casual it made me blink in confusion, "it would have been better if it was Kieran instead of River."


    I frowned. "What?"


    "It¡¯s just hypothetical," he continued, almost like he was discussing the weather. "Kieran would have been a better option. I mean, imagine River as part of this family." He motioned at the three of us. "You two are constantly at each other¡¯s throats - I can only picture a lifetime of you both trying to outstubborn each other."


    My jaw dropped. Out of all the reactions I had prepared myself for - anger, jealousy, cold silence, or even eptance - this was not one of them.


    "You are... seriously not mad?" I asked, still half expecting him to suddenly change his tune.


    He just gave me a look like I had asked him if the sky was blue. "Why should I be? A mate bond isn¡¯t something you can control. It¡¯s a gift from the Moon Goddess. The most scared thing in a werewolf¡¯s life."


    The way he spoke, it was with so much understanding and rity that I was having a hard time believe that he was indeed not mad at me.


    He saw me staring at him in stunned silence and it made a smile - a genuine one - bloom on his lips. He leaned closer and looked straight into my eyes.


    "Besides, you are... unique." His voice softened as he reached out to brush the back of his fingers down my cheek. "If the Moon Goddess wants to surround you with loyal protectors, I¡¯m not going to argue with her logic."


    Oscar chuckled at that, the warm sound making my chest ache. He shifted closer, sliding an arm around my shoulders and pulling me back against him, his chest solid and warm against my back.


    Draven¡¯s lips quirked up faintly as his gaze moved between us. "Though I¡¯m still not betting on you and Riversting a full week without a fight."


    That earned anotherugh from Oscar, who pressed his chin lightly to my shoulder. "I give it three days."


    I tried to re at both of them, but my vision was blurring too much. I blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears from spilling over.


    What did I ever do to deserve them? How could they be so... understanding? Supporting?


    Oscar¡¯s arm tightened around me like he already knew what I was thinking. He then ced a kiss to my temple - a soft, feathery one that melted mepletely.


    "Hey," Draven said quietly. "We are not going anywhere."


    And for the first time since that mate bond with River snapped into ce, I believed it.

 Chapter 256: Lost A Game

    <h4>Chapter 256: Lost A Game</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I slept better that night than I had in days.


    The knot in my chest from keeping the ¡¯River¡¯ secret was gone, and with Oscar¡¯s arm heavy across my waist and Draven¡¯s steady breath warming the back of my neck, I felt... safe. Anchored.


    I didn¡¯t wake until sunlight was already spilling across my bed. Both of them were still there, like they had no intention of letting me start the new year without them. I might have let them stay all morning if I didn¡¯t know how stubborn they could be, but at nine, I gave them each a firm shove.


    "Go," I ordered, trying not tough at their groggy protests. "Shower. Dress. I want breakfast before noon."


    They finally left, dragging their feet like children told to clean their rooms.


    It was the first day of the new year, which meant the countdown to reality had begun. I only had three more days before the Academy reopened on Monday. Friday, Saturday, Sunday - and thest two were already spoken for with my internship at the Council headquarters. That didn¡¯t leave much time to just... be with my mates.


    Which was exactly why all three of us were determined to make the most of it.


    Once I was dressed, I found Oscar and Draven downstairs waiting for me. Kieran and River were absent just like I assumed - still out from the partyst night. Knowing how these parties worked, they had either stayed at a hotel or found some pack member¡¯s guest rooms to crash in.


    Breakfast was warm, filling, and full of teasing remarks that had me rolling my eyes more than once.


    Afterward, the boys drove me to Lakeshire Hospital for my prenatal checkup. We parked in the private underground garage, took the ¡¯only staff¡¯ elevator, and met with my gynecologist.


    The appointment was smooth - baby¡¯s heartbeat was strong, growth was perfect - and though neither of my mates said much, the way they both hovered told me everything I needed to know.


    Despite my still t belly, the doctor said everything was progressing normally and there was no need to worry. And truth be told, I was more than happy with my t belly. Even though I knew it wasn¡¯t going tost for long, I wanted toplete my first term at the Academy in peace.


    As for after that... I didn¡¯t want to think about it for the time being.


    By the time we got back to the mansion, it was close to lunch. None of us were really hungry, so Oscar suggested a movie.


    Without River and Kieran around, both of them had dropped even the pretense of keeping a "safe" amount of space between us. No kissing, sure, but Oscar¡¯s arm resting across the back of the couch and Draven¡¯s knee pressed to mine made enough of a statement. The staff at the mansion noticed... they definitely noticed... but no one said a word.


    I didn¡¯t ask them to stop. Not anymore.


    River already knew, which meant the only real risk of scandal had passed. I wasn¡¯t about to hold back thefort of my mates for the sake of whispers.


    It didn¡¯t mean I was ready to scream my rtionship status out loud for people to hear, but I was also no longer feeling the urge to hide my mate bonds.


    We were maybe thirty minutes into the movie when the front doors opened and Jasper walked in, his one arm slung tightly around a very drunk River.


    My back was half against Draven¡¯s chest, and I immediately tried to sit up straight, but his hand on my hip kept me firmly in ce. Oscar, who was lookingpletely unbothered, raised an eyebrow.


    "Why¡¯s he still drunk? It¡¯s already past noon and the party has been over for hours."


    If Jasper noticed the closeness between us, he didn¡¯t react. His tone stayed casual. "There was a Council members gathering during lunch. He drank again. A lot. Add that to whatever he hadst night and... well, here we are."


    River¡¯s head lolled slightly, but his eyes - heavy-lidded and ssy - locked on mine. And for a second, it was like he wasn¡¯t drunk at all, like he was seeing me clearly.


    Jasper shifted his grip. "I¡¯ll get him to his room."


    Oscar and Draven nodded but neither moved to help him. They probably were used to seeing their brother like this considering how many such gathering River attended on usual basis. But then, I also recalled learning that he never returned to the mansion whenever he¡¯s this drunk. Which made me wonder why he returned today.


    A few minutester, Jasper reappeared, nodded to us, and left.


    Two hourster, the movie ended, and we had tea and snacks in the sunlit living room. Then, predictably, my shadows followed me back to my bedroom. With Kieran still not back because he¡¯s busy with some pack business, they seemed intent on using every moment of their newfound freedom.


    It had been bright all day, but as evening approached, snow began to fall. The three of us were sitting cross-legged on the rug by the firece, assembling an borate 3D fantasy pce. Draven was in the middle of fussing over a tower wall when he suddenly looked up.


    "We haven¡¯t checked on River in hours."


    Oscar was halfway to standing when he stopped, turned his head toward me, and smirked. "Actually... you should go check."


    I blinked. "Why me? He¡¯s your brother."


    "Exactly," Draven said, already siding with Oscar. "Which is why you should show him some care considering we will be a family in future."


    I gave them both a t look. "Not happening."


    Oscar¡¯s eyes glinted. "Rock, paper, scissors for it."


    "No," I said instantly.


    "Scared you¡¯ll lose?" Draven taunted.


    <fn3027> This update is avable on find?novel</fn3027>


    I narrowed my eyes, but they were relentless. Teasing, nudging, even putting their hands right in front of me until my stubbornness cracked.


    Five secondster, I was ring at them over my losing hand sign.


    Draven grinned like the cat who had caught the canary. "Looks like it¡¯s you."


    I groaned, already regretting giving in.

 Chapter 257: In The Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 257: In The Darkness</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stood outside River¡¯s room, staring at the dark wood of his door like it might bite me. My inner voice was screaming for me to just turn back and leave, pretend I never came here. This wasn¡¯t my problem.


    And yet... here I was.


    I let out a slow, reluctant sigh and lifted my hand, rapping my knuckles against the door. The sound was soft, almost hesitant. I waited, but instead of footsteps or a gruff e in," the door creaked open slightly, as if it had been left utched.


    Through the narrow gap, I could barely make out anything. The inside was dim as a single flicker of amber light danced in the darkness.


    "Alpha?" I called, my voice steady enough, though my chest felt oddly tight.


    Nothing.


    I frowned, pushing the door open wider.


    The room was hushed, shadows stretching over everything. My gaze caught on the lone candle burning on the bedside table, its soft light barely chasing away the gloom. The bed was neatly made... empty.


    My brows drew together.


    Where was he?


    I walked slowly, my eyes sweeping over the corners, until I stopped near the closed bathroom door. Maybe he was in there. I listened, straining for the sound of running water. Nothing.


    I knocked lightly. "River?"


    Still no answer.


    Another sigh left me, this one heavier. I turned to leave... only for my gaze to snag on a shape in the shadows near the bed. My breath caught sharply.


    There was a figure... on the floor, with his back against the side of the bed.


    My heart jumped hard against my ribs.


    "What the hell-" I started, stepping closer.


    It was River.


    He was slouched against the bedframe, one armx over his bent knee. An almost empty bottle of wine was sitting beside him, while he was holding a half-filled ss in his other hand, the liquid catching faint light as he tilted itzily.


    The shock that hit me burned into anger before I could even think. I dropped to my knees in front of him and snatched the ss from his hand, the words spilling before I had time to soften them.


    "What do you think you are doing?" I demanded. "You drankst night, you drank at lunch, and now you are sitting here, trying to see how much more your body can take? Are you trying to kill yourself with alcohol?"


    Not a flicker of surprise crossed his face. He just watched me, silent.


    That¡¯s when I noticed it.


    His eyes.


    They were... soft. Warm.


    And the faintest ghost of a smile was tugging at his lips.


    It stunned me so much I faltered mid-re. I was used to River being sharp,manding, a lot bit infuriating... but not this man who was looking at me like I was singing him a luby instead of scolding him.


    I didn¡¯t like it.


    Well... that wasn¡¯t true. I didn¡¯t know what I liked about it, but it left me feeling unsteady.


    I took a deep breath, trying to gather my footing. "Listen, it were your brothers who asked... forced me to check on you," I said finally, crossing my arms. "I only came because I lost a stupid game, so don¡¯t read too much into this."


    He nodded once. Just... nodded.


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    I stared at him, more thrown than I cared to admit. Who was thispliant version of River? Where was the fire, the bite in his tone?


    The sensible thing would have been to leave. Let Oscar and Draven deal with him. But my legs refused to listen to the perfect suggestion of my brain.


    "Why are you still drinking instead of resting?" I asked.


    His answer was maddeningly casual. "Felt like it."


    I blinked at him. "You need to get your head checked then."


    That faint smile curved his lips again, and I frowned. "And stop smiling."


    To my surprise, he actually did. His mouth straightened, but the softness in his eyes didn¡¯t fade.


    I sighed again. I was going to wear my lungs out at this rate. "Come on. Get on the bed."


    When he didn¡¯t move right away, I reached out, taking his arm and urging him up. He let me, his body warm and steady despite the alcohol. Once he was sitting on the edge of the bed, I grabbed the wine bottle and ss, setting them on the far side of the room where he couldn¡¯t reach them.


    "You are going to drink this instead," I said as I picked up the ss and filled it with lemon water from the jug sitting on the bedside table and handing it to him.


    He took it without a word, drinking while I pulled the nket over his legs.


    "Do you have any scented candles?" I asked, ncing at him.


    He nodded toward the drawer.


    I found avender one and swapped it with the in candle. Almost instantly, the room got filled with a soothing scent and a subtle calm settled over the air.


    Turning back to him, I crossed my arms again. "I¡¯ll ask the staff to bring you hangover soup. Drink it and sleep. Let your body recover."


    Another obedient nod.


    It should have ended there. But instead of leaving, I found myself lingering, watching the way the candlelight brushed across his face.


    He was still looking at me - not like I was a nuisance, but like I was the only thing in the room worth noticing.


    It made my chest feel strange.


    Finally, he spoke, his voice quiet. "You are different when you are angry at me."


    I blinked, unsure how to respond. "That¡¯s because you make me lose my calm just with your sheer presence."


    He tilted his head slightly, almost amused, though he didn¡¯t smile. "And yet you stayed."


    I hated that he was right.


    I turned toward the door before I could think too much about it, telling myself I had done my part. But as my hand touched the handle, his voice reached me again... softer this time, almost vulnerable.


    "Thank you, Miss Evaline."


    It stopped me in my tracks.


    For a moment, I didn¡¯t move. Then, without turning around, I said, "Just drink the soup," and left before I could lose the will to.


    But the image of him on the floor, looking at me like that... it followed me long after I closed his door.

 Chapter 258: Missed Silver Moon

    <h4>Chapter 258: Missed Silver Moon</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It was half past six when Mr. Wood pulled the sleek ck car to a stop in front of the Academy¡¯s main gates. The familiar stone archway loomed ahead, its edges dusted with fresh snow, and a warmth I hadn¡¯t expected bloomed in my chest.


    Two weeks. Just two weeks away, and yet stepping out into the crisp winter air felt like returning home.


    I tugged my scarf a little higher, offering Mr. Wood a quick wave of thanks before I turned toward the gate. My boots crunched over the snow-covered path as I passed through, and for the second time since I joined Silver Moon, I allowed myself to slow down and take it all in.


    The sprawlingwnsy buried under soft nkets of white, the ss windows of the main building glowing faintly against the dusky sky. As I took the familiar path wounding its way toward the first-years dormitory, I realized just how much I had missed this ce - the steady rhythm of Academy life, the banter in the dining hall, and, most of all, my friends.


    The campus was alive again. Students were moving in groups,ughter was spilling into the cold air, their breath visible like little clouds. Warriors in their dark uniforms were already standing stationed at their posts, their eyes scanning the crowd with practiced focus.


    I caught glimpses of some of my ssmates and a few upper-years, some looking at me with genuine smiles, others offering me looks that could have cut through steel.


    Some things never changed.


    By the time I reached the dorm building, the hum of voices and warmth spilling from inside chased away the winter chill clinging to my coat. I made my way to my dorm and stepped into themon room, my gaze instantlynding on the cluster of familiar faces around the coffee table - Mallory, Kyros, Rowan, Noah, Selene, and Ria.


    "Eva!" Mallory¡¯s voice rang out, and before I could even shut the door behind me, they had pulled me into their little circle.


    I could see it in Mallory¡¯s eyes - that spark of curiosity she always got when she¡¯s looking forward to gossip. Kyros and Rowan too looked like they were dying to ask about my stay at the Thorne mansion. But with others around, they kept their expressions neutral, steering the conversation toward safer territory.


    The talk quickly turned to what was awaiting us theing weeks. Kyros leaned back in his couch, running a hand through his hair. "The new schedule¡¯s out," he announced grimly. "Brace yourselves - assignments, projects, and tests, all packed in before exams."


    Rowan groaned. "When are exams again?"


    "Between January twenty-fifth and February tenth," Kyros recited like it was a death sentence. "Mid-term break starts right after - February eleventh through twenty-eighth. New term starts first of March as usual."


    The collective groans that followed was almostical. Even Selene, who thrived on academic pressure, muttered something about professors being sadists.


    I stayed quiet, chewing on my bottom lip. Almost forty days of non-stop study pressure. My internship would eat up big chunks of that time. I would need to be strategic, maybe apply for holiday leave during the exam weeks, or at least ask them to lighten my workload.


    Dinner at the Academy dining hall was a wee distraction. The warm scent of baked bread and spiced stew made me realize how long it had been since I had eaten here. We lingered longer than usual, catching up between bites.


    When we finally headed back to the dorms, Ria surprised us by announcing, "I need to stop by my friend¡¯s dorm for a bit."


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    That left our dorm blissfully free of extra ears. The moment we stepped inside, Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan exchanged a look that made my instincts prickle.


    They didn¡¯t even try to be subtle. Mallory practically dragged me to the couch near the firece while Rowan locked the door. Both boys dropped into seats opposite us, their expressions varying degrees of expectant.


    Kyros opened his mouth. "So-"


    "Did something happen with River?" Mallory cut in, eyes narrowing with suspicion.


    I blinked, momentarily thrown.


    Kyros and Rowan¡¯s reactions were instant. They had identical looks of shock and confusion that would have been hrious if the air hadn¡¯t suddenly felt heavier.


    "Wait-River?" Rowan¡¯s tone was all disbelief. "What about him?"


    I sighed. No point in dodging it now. "He¡¯s... also my mate."


    The silencested all of two seconds before Kyros made a choking sound, leaning back so quickly he nearly tipped over. Rowan just stared like I had grown a second head.


    Mallory¡¯s smirk said she had been waiting for this moment.


    I told them everything - how I had felt the bond, the conversation I had with him about Oscar and Draven being my mates, how I told Oscar and Draven about River. I had already told Mallory before, but Kyros and Rowan listened with wide eyes, asionally ncing at each other like they were checking if this was actually happening.


    By the time I finished, Kyros let out a low whistle. "The River Thorne," he said, shaking his head. "Unbelievable."


    "Almost impossible," Rowan corrected, but his lips were curving into the beginnings of a smile.


    Mallory just looked smug. "Called it."


    And then, in that way they had of catching me off guard, both boys softened. Rowan¡¯s voice was warm when he finally said, "We are happy for you, Eva. You deserve the best."


    Kyros nodded. "Yeah. And those three? They might actually be worthy of you."


    I didn¡¯t trust my voice enough to respond, so I smiled instead, the tension in my chest loosening a little.


    Of course, Mallory wasn¡¯t done. "So... back to my original question. Did something happen with River? You worked with him all weekend, right?"


    I shook my head. "Not really. He was busy at the Nightshade Pack and thepany. Didn¡¯t drop by the Council headquarters at all."


    Her face fell in dramatic disappointment. "You are no fun."


    "I¡¯m telling you, nothing¡¯s going to happen," I said firmly.


    Kyros started grinning suddenly. "Oh, I¡¯m now actually looking forward to your future with the Rogue Alpha King. Sounds exciting already."


    I groaned, sinking back into the couch, but I couldn¡¯t quite hide the tiny, reluctant smile trying to tug at my lips.

 Chapter 259: A Busy Week

    <h4>Chapter 259: A Busy Week</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    As soon as Monday rolled around, the rhythm of my days changed.


    The quiet mornings andzy evenings from the past weeks were gone. Now, everything was a blur of books, lectures, and the sharp scratch of my pen against paper or my fingers over keyboard.


    The teachers had officially dropped the "gentle reminders" and reced them with piles of assignments, extra practice sessions, and pointed mentions of the uing exams.


    It felt like they were suddenly in a hurry to cram every piece of knowledge possible into our already crowded brains.


    My rm went off at six every morning without mercy. I would drag myself out of bed, rub the sleep from my eyes, and spend the first two hours doing my morning stretches and exercises before getting ready. Breakfast was quick but filling. And by nine, sses began, and from then until three-thirty in the afternoon, we barely had time to breathe.


    After sses, we didn¡¯t even think about going back to my dorm. Every free hour before dinner was spent in the study hall or the library, either buried in notes or working on projects. It wasn¡¯t easy keeping my focus, especially when my brain liked to wander to certain people far too often, but I forced myself to stay on track.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one living in this whirlwind of busyness.


    Draven, being a second-year student, was just as swamped with preparations for his own exams. And yet... he still made time for me. Every single evening, like clockwork, he would find me during his evening shift at the library. He would join me in our secluded little corner on the second floor - our quiet spot away from prying eyes.


    We didn¡¯t talk much. Sometimes, not at all. But there was something oddlyforting about his silent presence. Just knowing he was there, sitting across from me, was enough. And without fail, he kept sneaking in healthy evening snacks, making sure that I, and the baby, didn¡¯t go hungry. I didn¡¯t say it out loud, but it meant more to me than he probably realized.


    Oscar was another story entirely.


    As an Instructor, his workload had doubled - no, tripled -tely. Not only did he have to conduct trials for the second and third years students at Silver Moon, but he and Senior Instructor Mara were preparing for joint trials of final years students of Silver Moon with Nevermore Academy and Crescent Peak Academy. It meant long hours, endless nning, and little time for us to actually meet in person.


    Most of our connection now was through messages and phone calls. Still, without fail, his good morning text was the first thing I saw when I woke up, and his good night message was thest thing before I closed my eyes. Every other day, we would speak on the phone, even if just for a few minutes.


    And then there was River. Or rather, there wasn¡¯t River.


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    No messages. No calls. No unexpected appearances. And honestly? I was grateful for that. Thest thing I needed was the distraction of a new mate when my brain was already drowning in deadlines and exams.


    But my thoughts didn¡¯t stop with these three.


    Because Kieran...


    He had been on my mind for reasons I couldn¡¯t ignore, no matter how much I tried to push it aside.


    He was absent during our Monday ss, which wasn¡¯t unusual in itself. He was busy, after all, especiallytely - handling Rogue pack business while River was tied up with the Nightshade Pack.


    But when he showed up on Tuesday, I noticed it immediately. He was paler than usual, like the color had been drained from his skin.


    At first, I chalked it up to exhaustion. He had been working non-stop for days, and the kind of pressure he handled wasn¡¯t light. But as the week went on, I kept catching that slightest falter in his otherwise perfect facade - on Wednesday, on Thursday - and that faint weakness never seemed to fade.


    It wasn¡¯t something most people would notice. But I did.


    Because I had seen him like that before. The faint loss of control, the subtle edge to his movements... it usually came when the full moon was near. Only, this time, the full moon was more than a week away.


    That left me with an ufortable, gnawing feeling in my chest. Something wasn¡¯t right.


    I told myself it wasn¡¯t my business. I told myself I had enough on my te and that I shouldn¡¯t stick my nose where it didn¡¯t belong. But those arguments didn¡¯t work for long.


    By Friday evening, I was sitting in the study hall, staring down a particrly difficult Chapter on potion-making, and realizing I had read the same sentence at least five times. My concentration was gone.


    I closed the book with a snap and exhaled slowly.


    Before I could change my mind, or talk myself out of it, I gathered my notes,ptop, and books, stuffed them into my bag, and walked over to the row of lockers in the study hall. I stored everything safely inside, slung my coat over my shoulders, and made my way toward the administrative wing.


    The closer I got to Kieran¡¯s office, the more I questioned my decision.


    When I reached his door, I paused. My hand hovered over the wood for a few seconds before I finally knocked.


    "Come in," his voice called from inside.


    I pushed the door open, stepped in, and closed it behind me.


    He was sitting behind his desk, though he wasn¡¯t facing me. His chair was turned toward therge window, where snow was clinging to the ss in thick, swirling patterns. His back was to me, broad shoulders silhouetted against the pale winter light.


    The room was dim, the only real lighting from the firece crackling quietly on the far wall, and the air smelled faintly of burning cedarwood.


    Now that I was here... I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    He didn¡¯t turn around. Didn¡¯t even nce over his shoulder to see who had entered. The silence stretched on until I started feeling almost... unwee.


    Finally, I cleared my throat. "Good evening, Professor."


    He didn¡¯t respond, so I continued, my voice a little hesitant. "I... came to check on you. You haven¡¯t been looking well these past few days."


    Silence again.


    I felt my fingers twitch at my sides. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe I should just leave before-


    "How do you know that?"

 Chapter 260: Cracks in His Perfection

    <h4>Chapter 260: Cracks in His Perfection</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    It was the flicker in his voice that caught me.


    Not his words. Just... the faintest drop in his tone, like a perfectlyposed melody missing a single note.


    I faltered. Confused, I asked, "How did I know... what?"


    He was silent again for next couple of seconds, making me wonder if he was going to answer or not. But then...


    "That something was wrong with me," he finally said, but still didn¡¯t turn around. "No one else noticed anything. Not even my brothers. And yet you are here, asking me about it with such surety."


    The fire popped softly in the firece. It was the only sound breaking the long stretch of silence that followed.


    I stared at him, unsure what to say. "I-" My words stalled before I could form them. "Maybe... I just noticed the slightest miss in your usual... perfect persona."


    It sounded ridiculous out loud, but it was the truth. Even now, despite how bad his state might have been, his posture was wless, his voice level, his movements deliberate - he was every bit the untouchable, immacte Professor I hade to know. And yet... there had been something clearly not right with him these days.


    The signs were barely there, but enough for me to see it.


    Why? I had no idea myself.


    He was silent for a while, the firelight throwing gold against his hair that was left loose today.


    Then, finally, his voice returned.


    "You must be paying very close attention to me, then."


    My mouth opened automatically to deny it... but nothing came out. I couldn¡¯t think of a proper answer. Instead, I stood there awkwardly, feeling the weight of his words more than I expected.


    And then he moved.


    He stood up, slow and unhurried, and finally turned to face me. The light shifted over his face until the pale tinge to his skin was softened by the glow of the mes. He walked around the desk and closed the distance between us in a few steps before stopping right in front of me. He was suddenly close, so close that I was able to feel the heat of him against my skin.


    My breath caught.


    Not because of the proximity - well, not entirely because of it - but because of his eyes.


    There was... so much in those beautiful emerald orbs.


    A tide of emotions I couldn¡¯t ce. A faint shimmer, as if he were holding back something he didn¡¯t want me to see. For a heartbeat, I thought his eyes were getting watery. But before I could confirm it, he did something that stunned me entirely.


    He dropped his head against my shoulder.


    It was sudden... so sudden I froze, unsure if my body had forgotten how to move. The weight of him was warm, solid, unfamiliar in its vulnerability.


    My first instinct was to step back - this was my Professor, after all. He, who carried himself like nothing could touch him. He, who was never less than perfectlyposed. He, who wasn¡¯t supposed to need... this.


    But then...


    Something cold touched the side of my neck.


    I stilled... and realized.


    He was crying.


    The thought of pulling away vanished like smoke. My arms moved on their own, wrapping around him, holding him as carefully as if he might break under the wrong touch. "Professor ..." I whispered, leaning my head slightly against his. "What¡¯s wrong?"


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    He only shook his head. No words. No exnations. Just the quiet sound of his breathing against me, uneven but not too loud.


    My chest ached. I wasn¡¯t looking at him as just my benefactor anymore. Not even as just my Professor. Somewhere along the way, he had be something else - a friend, a quiet constant, maybe even family considering my mate bonds with the rest of the brothers.


    And no, I wasn¡¯t thinking about the confusing pull I always felt toward him. Not right now. Not when he was like this.


    Without wasting another second, I tightened my hold on him. My one hand moved to rest on his back, while the other was gently stroking along the line of his shoulder. I murmured small, calming words that I wasn¡¯t even sure he heard.


    And then, slowly, I felt his arms circle my waist.


    Not tentative - no. Firm. Certain. As if he had decided, in that moment, that he could allow himself this one thing. And then he pulled mepletely into his embrace.


    The fire crackled softly behind us, painting the walls in amber shadows.


    Before I could ask again what had happened, he finally spoke. His voice was low, almost a whisper.


    "I¡¯m tired."


    There was no dramatics in his tone. No heavy sigh, no bitterness. Just those two words, spoken like a truth he couldn¡¯t keep inside anymore.


    I held him tighter, grounding him as best I could. "Then take a break," I murmured. "From... whatever it is that¡¯s taking this much out of you."


    My fingers moved in gentle circles at his back, feeling the tension in his muscles, the way he seemed to be holding himself together even now. I could feel his heartbeat against my own, steady but faintly strained.


    "You don¡¯t have to..." I trailed off, realizing there was no point finishing that sentence. He wouldn¡¯t stop being who he was just because I told him to. But maybe he didn¡¯t need someone telling him what not to do. Maybe he just needed someone to stand here and hold him until the weight wasn¡¯t so heavy.


    So that¡¯s what I did.


    I wasn¡¯t sure for how long we stood there - a minute, two, maybe five minutes?


    But then he finally pulled back to look at me. His eyes were still holding so much in them, but they no longer looked overwhelmed.


    "I don¡¯t know what¡¯s making you feel this tired," I started, feeling the need to say something. "But I hope that whatever it is, you will soon find a way to deal with it. I don¡¯t like seeing you like this. But I¡¯m here if you need me... like a good friend."


    The trace of a faint smile finally touched his lips. "But what if I don¡¯t want you as a friend?"

 Chapter 261: What If My Heart Wants You?

    <h4>Chapter 261: What If My Heart Wants You?</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I watched as her eyes widened instantly, that flicker of shock shing across her delicate features like a ripple over still water. Confusion followed just as quickly, softening her brows, making her look like she was trying to fit together puzzle pieces that didn¡¯t belong to the same set.


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    Her lips parted... just slightly... as though she wanted to ask something, but no words came out. The silence stretched between us, and I let myself take it in.


    A genuine smile broke across my lips before I could stop it. And the moment she caught it, her confusion shifted to suspicion.


    "You are making fun of me, aren¡¯t you?" she demanded, tilting her head the slightest bit while narrowing her beautiful amber eyes at me.


    I didn¡¯t deny it... but I didn¡¯t confirm it either. Truth was, I wasn¡¯t making fun of her. Not entirely.


    Instead, I nodded toward the chair across from my desk. "Sit."


    She hesitated, clearly unsure where this was going, but she moved, settling into the seat. I didn¡¯t take my usual ce behind the desk. Instead, I pulled out the second chair and sat beside her, turning fully so I could face her.


    I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted her to know the pieces of me I rarely gave away. But the risk of saying the wrong thing - something that might make her withdraw from me - was a leash I couldn¡¯t quite slip.


    Silence returned as both of just sat there, seemingly lost in our own thoughts. I didn¡¯t even dare to look at her more than just a few seconds now that we weren¡¯t speaking.


    She was so close to me, that if I raised my hand, I would have been able to touch her. The need to do it was right there... almost making me breathless. But I held myself back from making that mistake.


    I curled my fingers, letting my nails dig into the flesh of my palm and feel that sting to pull myself together.


    Then she spoke. Her voice was soft, warm, and impossibly steady. "If you trust me enough, you can tell me what¡¯s bothering you, Professor. I... might not be able to fix it, but I can at least listen."


    That was my undoing.


    How could I hold back when she looked at me like that? Like I actually mattered to her?


    I drew a slow breath, weighing each word before I let it out. "Duringst summer break... I found my mate."


    I caught the flicker in her eyes - surprise, and maybe something else - but I pressed on.


    "It¡¯s been seven years since I turned sixteen. Seven years without even a hint. Then, that one summer night... I finally found her." I swallowed hard, the memory like a ghost that both haunted and warmed me. "But I lost her just as quickly. I was... too intoxicated. The ce was too dark. I didn¡¯t see her face, not clearly... or I just couldn¡¯t recall it. By the time I woke in the morning, she was gone."


    Eva stayed still, but I could feel her listening. Every ounce of her attention was locked on me.


    "I searched for her," I continued. "The hotel¡¯s CCTV had been damaged by someone. The surrounding area cameras... my men found nothing helpful in them. There was no one who fit. The registration desk didn¡¯t have anything useful either. It was like she had never existed at all." Iughed softly, but it was hollow. "Six months of searching. Nothing. And now... the hope is just... slipping away."


    She blinked at me, visibly taken aback by the rawness in my tone. Then... hesitantly... her hand lifted. She hovered for a moment, almost pulling back, but finally rested it over mine on the desk.


    She then gave me a soft pat. Just enough for me to feel the warmth of her skin before she withdrew.


    "Since the Moon Goddess chose her for you," she said carefully, "then you¡¯ll meet her again. Maybe not right away, but... I think it¡¯s just a matter of time."


    Her certainty should have felt naive, but somehow... it didn¡¯t.


    A smile pulled at my mouth before I could stop it, even as the ache in my chest remained. My wolf had been distant for days now - silent, withdrawn. And still, just hearing her say those words loosened something in me.


    She studied me for a moment, then asked, "Is this why you have been downtely? Did another search fail?"


    I should have nodded. I should have said yes. That would have been the safe answer.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    I shook my head, and before I could second-guess it, the words slipped out. "No. It¡¯s... because I think I have developed feelings for someone else."


    Her lips parted again, and her eyes went wide in shock as she stared at me as if I had started speaking in anothernguage.


    "Now you see what¡¯s killing me from the inside," I continued, "Not only I¡¯m constantly failing to find my mate... but I have already betrayed her by falling for someone else."


    She cleared her throat, looking as if she was struggling to wrap her head around my confession. But when she spoke, she didn¡¯t call me out for my betrayal. Instead...


    "Have you confessed your feelings to... this girl?"


    I shook my head. "I can¡¯t... she only sees me as... a friend?" Saying it out loud, it hurt more than just knowing it in my heart.


    Her eyes darted to the firece for a moment. She was clearly choosing her next words carefully. Then, she looked back at me. "I¡¯m sorry, Professor. I really... don¡¯t know what to say. I can¡¯t possibly tell you to leave your mate, neither I can tell you to give up on your feelings for that other girl. I... I don¡¯t know what-"


    "It¡¯s okay, Evaline." I cut her off when I noticed how badly she was struggling to say the right thing. "I just wanted someone to hear me. As for how to deal with this... situation of mine... I seemed to have found a way."

 Chapter 262: The Missing Friend

    <h4>Chapter 262: The Missing Friend</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Fifteen minutester, I finally stepped out of Kieran¡¯s office.


    The moment the door clicked shut behind me, my phone buzzed again in my pocket, almost angrily, like it was scolding me for ignoring it for so long. A dozen unread messages lit the screen - Mallory, Kyros, even from Ria. All of them were asking where I had disappeared to.


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    I replied with a quick ¡¯On my way¡¯ and slipped it back into my coat.


    But as I made my way toward the dining hall, my thoughts were still tangled up in what I had just learned from Kieran.


    All this time, I had thought my mate... love life... was messy. Messy enough to keep me lying awake at night, questioning my own sanity. But after tonight, I realized I had been looking at chaos through a keyhole. Kieran had opened the door, and the storm on the other side made mine look tame.


    I couldn¡¯t decide whether to feel sorry for him... or worry about how he¡¯s going toe out of this situation without hurting anyone.


    The warm, savory smell of roasted herbs and bread hit me the moment I stepped into the dining hall. The ce was buzzing with chatter, clinking utensils, and bursts ofughter that almost made it feel like a safe, normal evening.


    My friends had already imed a table near the center, and they waved when they spotted me.


    "Finally!" Mallory called as I slid into the seat beside her. "Where were you? We thought you had been kidnapped."


    I forced a small smile. "Went to discuss something with Professor Kieran," I said vaguely.


    Dinner was... hearty. Warm bread rolls, thick stew, roasted vegetables, and sweet cider that left my cheeks tingling. The only one missing was Rowan. He had disappeared earlier in the evening, same as always. No exnation. No hint of where he went.


    It reminded me of the first couple of weeks at the start of the term, when he would vanish almost daily and only return around midnight... sometimester. Months had passed, and I was still in the dark. And maybe I had stopped asking because I was busy dealing with my own life.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t shake the small pinch of worry in my chest.


    Across the room, my gaze caught on Draven. He was surrounded by his friends,ughing at something one of them said, but every so often, his eyes would flick to mine. Our smiles were small, brief, but they lingered in a way that made my heart feel a little too warm.


    Oscar was easier to spot. He was seated at the staffs¡¯ table, looking perfectly at ease among them. And yet, even from across the hall, I felt the weight of his gaze on me more than once.


    Kieran, however, was nowhere in sight.


    When we finally stepped out of the dining hall almost an hourter, my legs felt heavy with exhaustion. The day had been long, and my head was still clouded from Kieran¡¯s revtions.


    Before heading to the dorms, Mallory apanied me as we headed to the study hall to grab my bag from my locker. The halls were quiet, save for the faint scratching of pens from a handful of students still workingte.


    By the time we reached the dorm, I was really tired. I mumbled goodnight to Mallory and Ria, closed my door, changed into my pajamas, and let myself copse onto the bed.


    I don¡¯t even remember pulling the nket over me before sleep took me.


    Hourster... a sound woke me.


    At first, it was faint - just a small, almost muffled noise that blended with the wind outside. My eyes fluttered open to darkness, the shapes of the room barely forming as they adjusted.


    "Rowan?" I called softly, my voice still heavy with sleep.


    Silence.


    I frowned, reaching for my phone on the bedside table. The screen¡¯s glow lit up the dark - 12:40 a.m. I darted a nce at Rowan¡¯s bed and found it empty with the sheets still untouched.


    A knot formed in my stomach.


    He still hadn¡¯te back.


    I sat up, hesitating for only a second before slipping out of bed. The sound came again - closer this time. And I immediately realized where it wasing from.


    I crossed to the balcony door, pulled the curtains aside... and froze.


    Snow was falling in thick sheets, swirling in the wind, and there, sitting hunched against the railing, was Rowan.


    My heart stuttered.


    I shoved the door open without thinking, the icy air hitting me like a wall. "Rowan!"


    He didn¡¯t answer. Just... groaned. A low, pained sound that sent my pulse into overdrive.


    I rushed to him, crouching in the snow. My breath caught as my eyes adjusted to his face.


    He was injured. Badly.


    A gash split across his cheekbone, his lip was cut, and his skin was pale under streaks of blood. The heavy, metallic scent of the blood hit me like a second wave of cold.


    "Stars, Rowan-" My voice cracked. "What happened to you?"


    He didn¡¯t answer, only shook his head slightly, wincing at the movement.


    Panic wed at my chest, but I forced myself to pull it together. "Come on. We need to get you inside."


    It took all my strength to help him up, his weight heavy against me. We staggered through the balcony door, the warmth of the room a stark contrast to the freezing bite outside. I shut the door quickly, locking out the wind, then guided him to his bed.


    When I flicked on the bedsidemp, the sight made my stomach twist harder.


    Though he hade back with bruises before, it was never like this. His shirt was torn, the fabric at his side was stained dark red. His hands were scraped raw. There was even dried blood at his temple.


    "Rowan," I whispered, my hands hovering uncertainly before I forced them to work, checking his face for deeper cuts. "You are bleeding everywhere..."


    His eyes, shadowed and unfocused, met mine for just a moment before drifting away again.


    I swallowed hard, realizing this was far worse than anything I had seen him return with before.


    And I didn¡¯t know if I was more terrified of the injuries... or the reason behind them.

 Chapter 263: What Am I?

    <h4>Chapter 263: What Am I?</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had patched Rowan up more times than I could count since the term began. Every time he slipped back into our dormte at night, bruised and cut from whatever it was he did when he disappeared, I took care of his wounds.


    I never asked him questions. I told myself it wasn¡¯t my business. I told myself he didn¡¯t owe me an exnation. But tonight... tonight was different.


    The moment I saw his injuries, I knew this wasn¡¯t one of his usual nights. His body was trembling - not just from the cold, but from the sheer weight of pain he was trying to swallow.


    "We need to get you to the infirmary. Now," I blurted, jumping to my feet before I could think twice.


    But before I could take a step, his hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist. His grip was weak but firm enough to stop me.


    I turned to him, startled. "Rowan, what are you-?"


    And then it hit me.


    If I took him to the infirmary, if anyone saw him like this... they would know. They would find out he had been sneaking out almost every other night, breaking one of the strictest rules of the Academy. They would demand exnations he couldn¡¯t give. And even if by some miracle he managed to lie his way through, the teachers weren¡¯t fools. They would punish him, maybe even expel him.


    And deep down, a part of me knew... whatever Rowan was involved in, it wasn¡¯t something the Academy could know about.


    I exhaled shakily and gently pulled my wrist free from his grasp. "Fine. No infirmary," I muttered, my voice heavy with reluctant eptance.


    His eyes softened slightly, though he said nothing.


    Suppressing the tremor in my hands, I walked over to the small cupboard by the closet and retrieved the first aid kit I had assembled just for him months ago when I noticed how often he returned with injuries - a cut here, a bruise there.


    I sat beside him on the bed and opened the box. I didn¡¯t even realize my hands were trembling until Rowan reached out and his cold hand curled lightly over mine, steadying me.


    I froze, meeting his icy-blue eyes in the dim glow of themp. There was no teasing in them tonight, no usual air of mystery. Just exhaustion. And something else I couldn¡¯t quite ce.


    I drew in a deep breath, forcing myself to focus. "Alright. Let¡¯s do this," I whispered more to myself than him.


    The room was silent except for the sound of my breathing and the faint hiss of wind against the balcony ss as I cleaned his wounds one by one. I started with the smaller cuts before moving to the gash on his side. The sight of it made my heart clench painfully - it was deep, angry, and bleeding far too much.


    <i>Please be okay, Rowan. Please, please, please.</i>


    The words kept repeating in my head like a mantra. I couldn¡¯t speak them aloud, but I willed them into the universe with everything in me.


    I pressed a cotton pad soaked in medicine against the gash, while my other hand fumbled through the box for arge bandage. My eyes blurred for a second - whether from panic or the sting of tears, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    And then I heard him sucking in a sharp breath.


    I froze. My head snapped up while my panic spiked again. "What is it? Did I hurt you?"


    But he just shook his head faintly. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. "No... it¡¯s just... your hand. It feels... warm. Different."


    I blinked at him in confusion, then nced down at my hand. The one pressing the cotton against his wound.


    <fn86b4> Official source is ?ovelFind</fn86b4>


    Warm?


    Slowly, I lifted it away.


    And the world seemed to tilt sideways.


    The gash... his horrible, bleeding wound... was gone.


    Itpletely vanished as if it was never there to begin with. Not stitched. Not scarred. Just... gone. The skin on his side was smooth, pale, and unbroken, as though it had never been cut open in the first ce. The blood that had soaked his shirt was still there, the medicine still staining his skin, but the wound itself... had vanished.


    My breath hitched loudly. "W-what... just happened?"


    Rowan followed my gaze downward, and when he saw it for himself, his entire body stilled. His expression, usually unreadable, cracked with shock. He gingerly touched his own side, running his fingers over the wless skin.


    "Impossible..." he whispered.


    But I wasn¡¯t listening. My heart was hammering in my chest, my mind reeling. My hands started shaking violently now, and I had to clutch them together to keep from falling apart.


    I healed him.


    I healed him.


    No, no, that wasn¡¯t possible. I wasn¡¯t a healer. I wasn¡¯t anything special. I didn¡¯t even have a wolf. My family made sure I never forgot how... ordinary I was. How weak.


    So how in the world had I just erased a wound that should have taken hours, if not days, to recover from?


    I stared at my trembling hands as though they belonged to someone else.


    Rowan¡¯s voice pulled me back. "Eva," he said quietly, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made me shiver. "What did you do?"


    "I-I don¡¯t know!" The words spilled out, breathless. "I didn¡¯t do anything - I just - I was holding the cotton, and then-" My voice cracked, panic swelling inside me. "Rowan, this... this shouldn¡¯t be happening. I¡¯m not-"


    But I couldn¡¯t finish the sentence.


    Because what was I supposed to say? I¡¯m not special? That had always been my truth. My curse. But now... maybe it wasn¡¯t.


    He reached out to grab my trembling hands and gave them a light squeeze. But he didn¡¯t speak.


    We sat in silence, the air between us thick with confusion and unspoken questions.


    I wanted to run, to deny what I had just witnessed. But I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from his side - smooth, wless, whole.


    And the only thing I could think was...


    What am I?

 Chapter 264: The Power I Shouldn’t Have

    <h4>Chapter 264: The Power I Shouldn¡¯t Have</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t realize I had been holding my breath until the silence between us became unbearable. Rowan¡¯s piercing gaze didn¡¯t waver, waiting for me to speak. My lips parted, and the words slipped out before I could stop them.


    "Maybe... maybe it was just a coincidence."


    Even as I said it, the lie burned on my tongue. A coincidence? How could such a big wound simply vanish because of one? What kind of coincidence could erase gashes like that?


    Rowan¡¯s jaw tightened. He inched closer, gently cupping my chin to make me face him fully. His eyes searched mine, sharp but not unkind. "You don¡¯t believe that any more than I do," he said firmly. "Eva, you should try again. We need to know for sure."


    I shook my head instantly, panic rising like a storm inside me. "No-I... I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t even know what I did. What if it was nothing? What if it doesn¡¯t happen again?"


    But he didn¡¯t let me hide. He caught my hand in his again, squeezing gently, grounding me. His touch was warm, steady - so unlike the chaos in my chest. "Listen to me," he said, softer this time. "If this is real, you deserve to know. We both do. Try again... please."


    His words settled something inside me. The desperation in his tone wasn¡¯t for himself, but for me. Slowly, my frantic breaths evened out. Maybe he was right. Maybe I couldn¡¯t just run from this.


    <fnc691> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? f¦É¦Ídn¦Ïvel</fnc691>


    "All right," I whispered, nodding faintly. "I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll try."


    His gaze softened, approval flickering in those icy eyes.


    I forced myself to look at him properly. The gash on his side, the worst one, was already gone. What looked back at me was his smooth skin with traces of medicine left behind. My stomach flipped again at the impossibility of it. But his right hand... that one still looked raw, scraped and angry.


    I raised my trembling hand, hovering it just above his injury. I didn¡¯t touch him, but I knew he could feel the faint heat radiating from my palm. My eyes lifted to his face, nerves twisting my insides.


    "I... I don¡¯t know what to do," I admitted, my voice breaking.


    For the first time that night, his lips twitched into the ghost of a smile. It startled me, and before I could help it, my own lips curved into a faint smile. "That makes two of us," he said quietly. "I have never known a healer personally. But maybe..." His thumb brushed over my knuckles, coaxing me forward. "Maybe just repeat what you were thinking before. When it worked the first time."


    I swallowed hard, trying to recall that exact moment. And then I remembered - I had been desperate. All I wanted was for him to be all right. To stop bleeding. To heal.


    Nodding slowly, I drew in a shaky breath. "Okay. I¡¯ll try."


    I focused my gaze on his wounded hand, my palm hovering close. <i>Heal. Please heal. Just... get better. Please</i>. My mind reyed those wishes again and again, clinging to them with all I had.


    Seconds ticked by. But nothing happened.


    I didn¡¯t even realize that I was holding my breath as I continued to try, even when I wasn¡¯t even sure what I was supposed to do.


    Still nothing.


    I finally tore my gaze away, meeting Rowan¡¯s eyes with defeat heavy in mine, but also feeling lighter in my heart. "Maybe it really was just... some kind of miracle," I said, voice barely above a whisper.


    He didn¡¯t respond right away. He studied me, his brows pulled together, his expression a mix of confusion and unwillingness to ept my words. He didn¡¯t look convinced, even though I was trying to be.


    I turned back to his injury, frustrated and desperate to help in some way if not with this strange, terrifying power. Carefully, I slid my hand beneath his injured one to support it.


    My other hand reached for the vial of wound-healing potion sitting in the first aid box. I dipped the cotton swab into the liquid, focusing only on being practical, on doing something that made sense.


    But just as the soaked cotton was about to touch his skin...


    I froze.


    Right before my eyes, the angry scrapes began to mend. The traces of blood vanished, the redness faded, and the torn flesh smoothed over as if invisible fingers were stitching him back together.


    I dropped his hand instantly, the cotton swab falling from my trembling fingers. My breath hitched sharply.


    Rowan sucked in a deep breath too, his chest rising and falling with disbelief.


    Ignoring the panic hammering through me, I moved closer. My hand lifted on its own, brushing the air just above his temple where a small but stubborn cut remained.


    This time, I didn¡¯t hesitate. I focused every ounce of myself, every frantic thought, every desperate beat of my heart into one need - Heal. Please, just heal.


    Warmth surged through me, moving through my hand and spilling into him. And as if obeying my will, the wound started healing before itpletely vanished within seconds, leaving smooth skin behind.


    I pulled back, clutching my own hand like it wasn¡¯t even mine anymore.


    The silence was deafening. My heart was pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it.


    Before either of us could speak, a sharp sound broke through the silence. It sounded like a scrape, a faint tter. Both of us snapped our heads toward the balcony.


    And my stomach dropped. Rowan was already sitting beside me. So who was on the balcony now?


    Before I could have pondered on the question any further, the ss door slid open and two figures stepped inside.


    Oscar and Draven.


    Their faces were pale, worry etched deep into their features. The moment they were inside the room, their eyes searched the room andnded directly on me.


    I didn¡¯t even realize that Rowan was clutching one of my hands until Oscar¡¯s gazended on our joined hands.


    "What¡¯s going on here?"

 Chapter 265: Caught In Lies & Truths

    <h4>Chapter 265: Caught In Lies & Truths</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stared at them - my mates. Shock and confusion mmed into me like a wave.


    Of course it was them. If there was anyone in this Academy besides Rowan who thought the balcony was a personal doorway into this room, it was Draven. And this time, he wasn¡¯t alone. Oscar was right behind him, both of them standing tall in the faint light, their eyes sharp and searching.


    Rowan stiffened beside me, but then I felt his hand, the one holding mine, slowly loosened and slipped away. I turned to look at him and he leaned in just enough to whisper, his voice barely above a whisper.


    "They must have felt it... through the bonds. Your sudden rise in emotions."


    My lips parted as realization dawned. That exined the worry etched into their faces, the way they barged into my room in the dead of night. I swallowed hard as guilt curled in my stomach.


    I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but Draven moved before my words could form. He crossed the room in three long strides, his expression thunderous. His hand wrapped around my arm, tugging me firmly to my feet, pulling me away from Rowan¡¯s side.


    "What happened?" His voice was low but sharp, leaving no room for evasion. His eyes bored into mine. "We both felt it. Worry. Panic. Fear. What made you feel that way, Eva?"


    Oscar¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t as fiery as Draven¡¯s, but it was cutting nheless. His eyes darted between me and Rowan with confusion... and something dangerously close to suspicion.


    My heart raced. My mind was a battlefield. Where was I supposed to start?


    I couldn¡¯t tell them the truth - not all of it. Not that Rowan had been sneaking out. Not that he hade back with wounds so bad I had nearly dragged him to the infirmary. If they found out, Rowan would be finished. And I couldn¡¯t - wouldn¡¯t - do that to him.


    <fn5914> The source of th?s content is Find1Novel</fn5914>


    But if I didn¡¯t say anything at all, how was I supposed to exin the panic that had rattled through our bond so strongly it dragged them out of their rooms?


    I was caught in the middle of lies and truths, and I hated it.


    Oscar broke the silence first. His sharp eyes pinned Rowan like a hawk sighting its prey.


    "What happened to you?" His tone wasn¡¯t curious, it was demanding.


    Panic surged in me again, stronger than before. I couldn¡¯t let him press Rowan like that. The words tumbled out before I could stop them.


    "I panicked because... because I found him slightly injured-."


    "Slightly?" Oscar¡¯s voice cut through mine like a de.


    My brows furrowed at his tone, and I followed his gaze. Rowan wasn¡¯t looking at Oscar. He was looking at me. Then, wordlessly, he tilted his chin toward his bloodstained <strong>white</strong> shirt.


    The realization hit me like a bucket of ice water. The blood.


    Even though I had healed the wound... had somehow, impossibly, erased most of thempletely... the blood hadn¡¯t disappeared. The shirt was soaked through, damning evidence of how severe it had been. And no matter what excuse I tried to make, there was no way that amount of blood could havee from a "slight" injury.


    Oscar stepped closer to me, his tall frame casting a shadow that swallowed me whole. His expression wasn¡¯t furious, but there was steel in his voice when he spoke.


    "Don¡¯t y with me, Eva. Don¡¯t lie to us."


    My chest tightened. His words weren¡¯t cruel, but the weight of them pressed on me harder than if he had yelled.


    Rowan finally stood, his voice quiet but firm. "If you want answers, ask me. Don¡¯t overwhelm her with your questions."


    Draven shifted, his hold on my arm tightening just slightly as if to keep me from moving back toward Rowan. The tension between the three of them sparked like a storm waiting to break.


    And I couldn¡¯t let it.


    "Stop." My voice cut through their brewing sh. "All of you."


    They froze, the room falling into silence heavy enough to crush me.


    "Keep your voices down unless you want to wake Mallory and Ria," I hissed, ring at each of them in turn. "Do you really want them barging in here asking questions you can¡¯t answer?"


    That seemed to snap them out of it. Draven¡¯s hand fell away from my arm reluctantly, while Oscar¡¯s jaw unclenched. Rowan exhaled, some of the fight draining from his posture.


    I let out a shaky breath and gestured toward the beds. "Sit. All three of you. Please."


    They obeyed, though not without a little friction. Rowan sank back onto his bed, looking pale but calm, while Draven and Oscar moved to mine, the two of them side by side. Their presence on my mattress made the bed look ridiculously small, their shoulders nearly brushing the wall on either side. The sight would have beenical under any other circumstance, but right now it only made me feel suffocated.


    I sat on the edge of Rowan¡¯s bed again, gathering the courage I desperately needed.


    "Listen to me," I began softly, my eyes flicking to Rowan. He met my gaze, and I gave him the smallest nod - the promise that I would take care of this. That I wouldn¡¯t let them turn on him for what happened. He gave the faintest of nods back, his trust heavy on my shoulders.


    I turned back to Draven and Oscar. "Here¡¯s the truth. I woke up tonight and heard something on the balcony. It was Rowan. He was injured. Badly." My voice faltered, and I forced myself to continue. "That¡¯s why I panicked... initially. That¡¯s what you felt. The fear of seeing him like that."


    Oscar leaned forward, his elbows braced on his knees, his gaze never leaving mine. "And the injury?"


    I drew in a shaky breath, my throat dry. This was the part that terrified me more than anything. I could have lied again. But the truth of what happened - the warm feeling of magic rushing through me, the sudden disappearance of blood and wounds - it still burned in me. Hiding it felt impossible.


    So I took the plunge.


    "When I was tending to him, something... happened. I don¡¯t know how or why. I just know that when I touched his wound, it disappeared." My words tumbled out fast, desperate. "They were just... gone. Completely gone. As if they were never there."


    Silence followed, thick and unyielding.


    Draven¡¯s brows furrowed, suspicion and concern warring in his expression. Oscar stared at me as though weighing every syble, his sharp mind no doubt running through a hundred possibilities. Rowan stayed quiet, though his eyes never left my face - steady, unwavering, trusting.


    Finally, Oscar broke the silence, his voice quiet... even softer now.


    "Eva... do you understand what you are saying?"


    I shook my head. "No. I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t understand it at all. But you saw the blood. And you can see there¡¯s just one small cut left on his body now. Whatever happened... it came from me."


    Draven leaned forward, his gaze fixed on me. "You are saying you healed him."


    The word healed made me flinch, as if saying it aloud made it real.


    "Yes," I whispered. "That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying."

 Chapter 266: Healing Power

    <h4>Chapter 266: Healing Power</h4>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    I had never seen her like this.


    My mate was sitting there, torn between disbelief and fear, as though she wasn¡¯t sure if what just happened was real.


    Her hands were trembling slightly, her breaths were uneven. She opened her mouth once, twice, like she wanted to speak but couldn¡¯t find the right words. And that alone was enough to tear something inside me apart.


    Through the mate bond, I felt her distress like it was my own. My wolf whined in my chest, restless, demanding me to close the distance, to pull her into my arms and never let her go. But before I could move, she was already speaking - her voice soft, shaken, yet determined.


    "Watch," she whispered and her hand moved toward Rowan.


    Her palm pressed against the only injury left on him - a deep cut on his right cheek. My wolf stilled, and my instincts became sharper as the bond red alive inside me. In the next heartbeat, I sensed it - her power. It rushed through her, through the link of our bond, like the air before a storm. And then... before my eyes, the cut on Rowan¡¯s cheek closed. The torn flesh knitted together seamlessly, leaving behind smooth skin, as though it had never been there at all.


    I froze.


    <fn6e33> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find?novel</fn6e33>


    I didn¡¯t even know what to feel, let alone say. My chest tightened, my wolf growled, but not out of anger... out of sheer shock. My mate... healed him.


    Healed.


    Oscar was silent beside me, but I knew, through the understanding we shared as brothers, that he was no less stunned. His silence carried the same disbelief, the same pause of breath.


    Our mate... seemed to have healing power.


    Eva pulled her hand away as though it had burned her. Her wide eyes lingered on Rowan¡¯s healed face, and then she turned to us. She lifted her hand slowly, pointing at Rowan, her lips trembling.


    "You see?" she said in her breaking voice. "Do you... do you understand what I have been trying to say?"


    For a long moment, I couldn¡¯t move. My mind was still caught in that image - her hand on Rowan, the sudden surge of power, the wound disappearing as if the Moon Goddess herself had touched him.


    Finally, I exchanged a quick look with Oscar. He was just as stunned, but the seriousness in his eyes was clear. We couldn¡¯t let her spiral into fear. Not now. Not when she needed us the most.


    I rose from the bed without another second of hesitation. Crossing the space in two small strides, I reached her. She looked so small, so lost. I didn¡¯t wait for her permission - I pulled her up onto her feet and wrapped my arms tightly around her, pressing her against my chest.


    "Eva," I murmured into her hair, my voice rougher than I intended. "Listen to me. You are not alone. I¡¯m here. Oscar is here. We¡¯ll take care of everything, do you understand? You have us."


    For a heartbeat, she resisted and her body went stiff. But then... finally... she let go. The tension bled out of her frame, and her trembling slowed as she melted into my hold.


    My wolf sighed in relief, curling protectively around her presence in my chest. I tightened my embrace, promising silently that nothing in this world would harm her as long as I was breathing.


    For the first time since stepping into her room, I felt her let go.


    She pulled back a few momentster, though she didn¡¯t leave my arms. She stayed there, close, as though she couldn¡¯t bring herself to create distance. And I didn¡¯tin.


    Oscar shifted on the bed, scooting closer until he was sitting near us. And as he looked at our mate, his eyes held gentleness that only belonged to her. He reached for her hand, his fingers curling around hers carefully, as though she might break. His voice came soft, warm - the kind of tone he used only for her.


    "You do seem to have healing powers, Love," he said. "But to confirm it... we¡¯ll need someone who knows healers, someone with experience. Still..." his thumb brushed her knuckles in reassurance, "this isn¡¯t something to fear. I know it¡¯s shocking, but it¡¯s not bad. Healers are one of the most beautiful blessings the Moon Goddess has given our kind. This power... it¡¯s rare. And powerful."


    Eva¡¯s brows furrowed, her eyes flicking from Oscar to me. Her lips parted, but the next words she spoke carried the weight of confusion, not relief.


    "But... how?" she asked. "How could it even be possible? Healers are born with their mark. That¡¯s how it¡¯s always been, right?"


    She lifted her left wrist to show us. Her skin was smooth, unmarked. "Every healer has a mark here," she said, her voice trembling with both fear and certainty. "A circle entwined with a crescent... it¡¯s what determines their identity as a healer from the moment of birth. But me? I don¡¯t have it. I never did."


    Silence.


    Neither Oscar nor I had an answer.


    I lifted a hand, cupping her face gently, forcing her to meet my eyes. "Then we¡¯ll find out what this means," I told her firmly. "We¡¯ll figure it out. But right now, you need to trust me... and trust Oscar. Whatever this is, whatever it bes, we¡¯ll handle it together."


    Her amber eyes flickered with uncertainty, then softened. She nodded slowly, her breath shaky. "I trust you," she whispered.


    My wolf swelled with pride at her words. I pressed my forehead briefly against hers before pulling back.


    But the moment of fragile calm didn¡¯tst.


    Because when I looked past her shoulder, Rowan was still there. He was sitting stiffly on the other bed, his expression unreadable but sharp. His gaze flicking between the three of us as if he was feeling like a third... no, a fourth wheel.


    It was Oscar who broke the silence first. His voice held curiosity, but also a bite of challenge.


    "Rowan," he said slowly, his eyes narrowing, "how exactly did you end up with such injuries in the first ce?"


    The air in the room shifted.


    And for the first time since Eva¡¯s powers revealed themselves, my attention snapped away from my mate... and onto her roommate.

 Chapter 267: A Secret Between Us

    <h4>Chapter 267: A Secret Between Us</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Oscar asked the question, I froze. My entire body stiffened before I even realized it, and I knew Draven had felt it.


    He turned his questioning gaze toward me, but I couldn¡¯t bear to meet his eyes. Instead, I stepped out of his hold. My feet moved on their own, and once again, I sat down beside Rowan.


    Without hesitation, I ced a protective hand in front of him, as though my small move could shield him from the storm gathering in this room. My gaze locked firmly on Oscar, daring him to push further.


    I saw the surprise sh in both of my mates¡¯ eyes, their expressions hardening with disbelief. To them, I must have looked as though I was choosing Rowan over them, protecting him from their judgment.


    Oscar opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Draven¡¯s voice broke through the heavy silence.


    "Are you... trying to protect him from us?" he asked, his voice low, carrying an edge I couldn¡¯t mistake. Shock... or maybe jealousy... was burning in his tone.


    I didn¡¯t flinch. I didn¡¯t falter. Instead, I lifted my chin and answered with a firm nod.


    Both men looked stunned.


    Rowan shifted slightly, trying to ease the tension. His voice was gentle as he whispered, "Eva, it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to-"


    But I cut him off immediately. "No. Rowan, listen to me. If I don¡¯t stand up for you now, you are going to be in deep trouble. Please, go. Get out of here. Shower, get changed, and let me handle this."


    He stared at me, worry etched across his face, and then nced toward Oscar and Draven. Neither of the brothers made a move to stop him. Their silence felt like a trap snapping shut.


    Rowan hesitated only a moment longer before he stood up to grab his pajamas and a towel from his closet. With quiet, almost hesitant movements, he slipped out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.


    The moment he was gone, I heard the click of the lock. Draven had moved, securing the door with an air of finality. His eyes then turned back to me, sharp and unreadable.


    Before I could speak, Oscar suddenly stood up. His tall frame loomed as he began pacing the small room. The space was far too cramped for someone like him, and each step felt like thunder shaking the walls. My chest tightened as I watched him stop abruptly, spinning on his heel to face me.


    "Do you have any idea how serious this is, Eva?" His voice was calm, but I could see the storm he was barely holding back.


    "Yes," I said without hesitation, keeping my voice steady. Now that it was Rowan who¡¯s in trouble, I felt like all my energy was back in my body to defend and protect him. "I do. And still... I¡¯m on Rowan¡¯s side."


    The fire in his eyes red.


    He ran a hand through his dark hair, clearly struggling to keep hisposure. "How long have you even known him? How long for you to trust him this much?"


    I didn¡¯t even know what made me say it... but I did.


    "As long as I have known you."


    The silence that followed was heavy enough to choke me.


    The shock on Oscar¡¯s face was unmistakable, as if I had pped him. Even Draven¡¯s carefully guarded expression faltered, his lips parting in surprise.


    I stood from Rowan¡¯s bed, the creak of the mattress loud in the quiet room. Slowly, deliberately, I walked toward Oscar. He didn¡¯t move, but I could feel his emotions radiating like heat from a fire. Reaching out, I caught the sleeve of his long ck coat, clutching it lightly.


    "I¡¯ll tell you everything," I said, my voice softer now. "And you can ask Rowan all the questions you need to. But... please... tonight¡¯s matter must stay a secret. No one else needs to know. Not Kieran. Not the Academy faculty. No one."


    His jaw tightened, his expression hardening even more. He clearly wasn¡¯t happy with what I was asking of him. In fact, he looked furious.


    But I was prepared for this. If I had to, I would use the only card I had - the one thing I knew neither of them could easily fight against.


    Letting go of his sleeve, I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around his waist. His body stiffened instantly at the sudden closeness. Resting my chin against his chest, I tilted my head back to look up at him. My eyes searched his emerald ones, pleading but unyielding.


    "I wouldn¡¯t lie to you, Oscar," I whispered. "But I need you to trust me when I say Rowan is a good person. Please... believe me."


    For a moment, I thought he would push me away. His hands twitched at his sides, as though he didn¡¯t know what to do. But this was a battle he couldn¡¯t win... not against me, not when I had thrown my heart into the plea.


    I saw the fight leave his eyes, piece by piece, until finally, he let out a heavy sigh.


    "Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "You have one chance. Tell us everything."


    Relief washed over me, though I didn¡¯t let it show. Loosening my arms around him, I stepped back and nodded.


    And so I told them.


    I told them about the very first day of the entrance exams, when I had met Rowan. How, even then, he used to sneak out at night. How he had continued the habit even after the Academy term began. At first, he disappeared almost every other night, but as the sses became harder and the workload grew, his nightly escapades slowed. Eventually, he stopped... until tonight.


    "Tonight was his first time sneaking out in a long while," I exined. "And when he came back... he was injured. That¡¯s how I found him."


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    Draven¡¯s eyes narrowed, he looked thoughtful and intense. Oscar remained silent, but I could see his hands curling into fists at his sides.


    "I never asked him where he went," I admitted, my voice soft but unwavering. "I never pushed him for details. But he never returned like this before. Hurt this badly. Exhausted. Something happened out there tonight. I know sneaking out breaks the Academy¡¯s rules. I know it puts him at risk. But I also know he has his reasons. And whatever those reasons are... I trust him."


    I looked between both of them, my chest tight. "All I¡¯m asking is that you hear him out before making any decisions. Don¡¯t be rash. Don¡¯t expose him. Please."


    Oscar¡¯s expression was unreadable, though I could still see the simmering anger beneath the surface. He didn¡¯t like this, he didn¡¯t like any of it. But I also knew that, for now at least, he had agreed to my request.


    And for Rowan¡¯s sake, that would have to be enough.

 Chapter 268: Between Fire and Storm

    <h4>Chapter 268: Between Fire and Storm</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had said everything I needed to say. Every thought, every exnation, every plea that had been burning inside me spilled out like water from a broken jar.


    When silence followed, I dared to lift my head, my eyes moving between Oscar and Draven. Both of them wore unreadable expressions - shadows in their eyes, their jaws tense, their shoulders rigid.


    That was when it hit me.


    Two angry mates. At the same time.


    A lump rose in my throat. How was I supposed to handle this? Whom was I supposed to pacify first?


    My gaze shifted from Draven¡¯s clenched fists to Oscar¡¯s tightened jaw. I knew them well enough by now - Draven could be stubborn and sharp when angered, but he was also quicker to soften if I reached him in the right way. Oscar, though... Oscar was the kind of storm that didn¡¯t easily pass once it started.


    After a moment of internal debate, I decided to start with the one who was harder to deal with if left unattended - Oscar.


    I took a deep breath and stepped closer to him again, closing the small gap I had created earlier. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I pressed myself against him and tilted my face up to meet his eyes.


    "Are you mad at me?" I asked softly, almost afraid of the answer.


    His eyes met mine - emerald, sharp, filled with emotions he wasn¡¯t even trying to hide. There was no sugarcoating in Oscar¡¯s expression, and his voice was exactly the same.


    "Mad? Eva, I don¡¯t even know if that¡¯s the right word." His lips twisted as he exhaled, his tone clipped. "I was... surprised. Shocked, even. And yes, unhappy. Angry." His hand moved slightly as though he was tempted to grip my shoulders but then stopped midway. "Do you even realize how it looked? You didn¡¯t just defend Rowan - you pleaded for him, you sided with him against us. Against me."


    The jealousy was there - clear in the edge of his words, in the flicker of his gaze - but it wasn¡¯t just jealousy. It was something deeper.


    I could have tried to downy it, could have reassured him with soft words and little lies to ease his heart. But that wasn¡¯t fair. Not to him, not to me.


    So instead, I didn¡¯t hide anything.


    "You don¡¯t understand," I said firmly, shaking my head.


    Both Oscar and Draven turned their eyes toward me, the same look of confusion crossing their features. It would have beenical in another situation, but right now it only made my chest ache.


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    "No," I repeated more softly, "you don¡¯t understand. Rowan isn¡¯t just a friend to me. He isn¡¯t like family to me."


    I looked at Oscar, then at Draven, and finally back again, my throat tightening.


    "He <i>is</i> family. A family I chose. A family I trust."


    The words came out raw, unpolished, but true.


    "Rowan was the first one who found out about my mate bonds with you both," I continued, my voice trembling. "He is the only one who knew about the pregnancy before anyone else. He¡¯s the one who stood by me when I didn¡¯t even know I needed someone. When I was breaking down because of you two-" I swallowed hard, my eyes stinging- "he¡¯s the one whoforted me. Who held me together."


    The tears I had been trying so hard to keep inside slipped free, escaping down my cheek before I even realized. "He¡¯s the one who made me believe in family again."


    I hadn¡¯t even noticed Oscar¡¯s hand moving until his thumb brushed across my cheek, wiping away the tear. My breath caught at the gentleness in his touch. His gaze, once sharp and restless, had softened now, the fire dimming as he looked down at me. His other arm moved and he finally wrapped it fully around me, pulling me closer.


    I leaned into him, my forehead pressing briefly against his chest as I whispered, "So... Rowan is important to me. Important enough that I¡¯ll defend him, even from you. Important enough that I¡¯ll risk upsetting you if it means protecting him."


    Oscar exhaled heavily, a sound that felt like both surrender and understanding. Then, without warning, he cupped the back of my head and pulled me tightly against him, his embrace firm and grounding.


    "I get it," he said quietly, his breath warm against my hair. "I understand now."


    His hand stroked lightly along my head before stilling. "I¡¯ll do as you want. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll question Rowan myself. I¡¯ll hear his side before I make any judgment." He pulled back slightly, enough to meet my eyes again. "And if it turns out he¡¯s doing anything dangerous or against the Academy¡¯s rules - other than sneaking out obviously- I¡¯ll handle it myself. On my level. I won¡¯t take it to Kieran."


    My breath caught in my chest. Gratitude swelled so strongly inside me that I could hardly put it into words. My lips trembled as I looked up at him, all of it - my relief, my love, my thanks - was reflecting in my eyes.


    He seemed to read it, because his lips curved into the faintest smile. Then he leaned in, brushing his lips against mine in a soft, lingering kiss.


    When he pulled back, he whispered against my lips, "You should have known I would side with you. No matter what."


    Before I could say anything, before I could let the words of thanks tumble out of me, he gently pressed his forehead to mine for a moment, then pulled back. His gaze flickered behind me, to where Draven stood, and he gave the slightest nod.


    "Go," he murmured. "Take care of him. Before it¡¯s toote."


    I blinked, pulling back slightly to look at him properly, but he only gave me that knowing half-smile of his, urging me silently.


    And so I turned.


    My eyes met Draven¡¯s... and my stomach dropped.


    Maybe I had been wrong. Maybe Oscar wasn¡¯t the harder one after all.


    Because the storm in Draven¡¯s eyes told me that the real challenge was still ahead of me.


    And now... now I had to face him.

 Chapter 269: The Mad Wolf and the Gentle Tempter

    <h4>Chapter 269: The Mad Wolf and the Gentle Tempter</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Draven still wouldn¡¯t look at me.


    No matter how I shifted, moved, or leaned closer, he kept his gaze fixed stubbornly away, as if the walls of my room were suddenly more fascinating than me. My patience was thinning, my heart thumping with worry and guilt, but his coldness was sharper than any de.


    I nced over my shoulder at Oscar, who had made himself far toofortable. He was sitting on my bed like he owned the ce, his arms folded and lips curved in that infuriating smirk that said he was enjoying every second of this. His legs were crossed, his back leaningzily against my pillows as if he had settled down to watch a private show.


    One look at him and I knew. No help. No support. No rescue. He was content to let me drown in Draven¡¯s sulking storm.


    Turning back to Draven, I reached out and caught his arm. I gave it a small swing, almost childlike, tugging gently as I tilted my face up at him with the most guilty, pitiful look I could muster. "Draven..." my voice came out soft, pleading. "Why are you still mad? I already exined everything."


    Finally... finally... his intense eyes flickered down to me. His jaw was clenched, but his voice was steady when he said, "I¡¯m not mad anymore."


    Relief bloomed in my chest, but it shattered the next instant when his next words cut through the air.


    "But I¡¯m jealous, Eva. More jealous than I have ever been in my entire life."


    Before I could even form a response, his hand shot up, cupping the back of my head with sudden, fierce possession. And then... he kissed me.


    Not just any kiss. A consuming, punishing, hungry kiss that stole the breath from my lungs and left my thoughts scattering like leaves in the wind. His lips crashed against mine, deep and forceful, and I was too stunned to do anything but drown in it. My knees weakened instantly, my hands trembling where they were clutching his arms, not sure if I should push him back or hold on tighter.


    By the time he finally pulled away, I was gasping. He was still ring at me, still not over his mood, his chest rising and falling quickly. His expression was fierce, but his eyes - oh, his eyes - were looking like those of a furious, wounded, jealous wolf.


    I blinked, gathering myself, until the shock ebbed enough for me to breathe again. My heart was still racing, but I raised my arms slowly, looping them around his neck and pulling him down toward me again. My voice was quiet but firm.


    "Rowan is my brother, Draven," I whispered against his lips. "But you... you are my mate."


    And before he could argue, before he could throw any more doubts or usations, I kissed him.


    This time, I took the lead.


    I pressed my lips against his with determination, pouring all my guilt, my reassurance, my stubborn love into that kiss. His sharp inhale vibrated against my mouth, and his grip on me faltered just long enough for me to deepen it. My hands slid up into his hair, tangling through the soft strands as I tilted my head to fit perfectly against him. The taste of him, the warmth, the intensity... it all hit me at once.


    He groaned low in his throat, and the sound sent shivers down my spine. His arms tightened around me like steel bands, dragging me closer until there was absolutely no space left between us. The kiss grew hotter, deeper, more desperate, our bond tugging at both of us, filling the room with that almost electric need.


    Every brush of our lips, every sh, every stolen breath left me dizzy. I wanted more. I wanted all of him. My heart felt like it was on fire.


    But just when the kiss was about to tip into something we couldn¡¯t pull back from, Draven tore himself away. His lips were swollen, his breath uneven, his eyes dark and wild.


    "Not that easy, Eva," he growled, his voice thick with lingering hunger but edged with frustration. "You don¡¯t get to make up for your mistakes this quickly."


    I blinked, stunned. "What do you mean?"


    His smirk was dangerous, almost wicked. "You need punishment."


    My eyes widened. "Punishment?"


    "Yes." His gaze burned into mine. "Meet me and Oscar at my house after work on Saturday. And... be ready." He leaned down, his lips brushing mine once more. "Because you are not getting away that easily."


    My mind was still reeling when he kissed me again, a quick, fierce press of his mouth against mine that made my knees buckle once more. Then, without another word, he pulled back.


    "Get some sleep, Love," he said quietly, though his voice still carried that dangerous edge.


    And with that, he walked toward the balcony.


    I stood frozen, staring at him as he stepped out into the night air, the cold wind rushing in through the crack of the door. Instinct had me moving, about to follow him into the freezing night... but before I could, a hand caught mine.


    Oscar.


    He tugged me back gently but firmly, stopping me. Then, without a word, he wrapped his coat around me from behind, shielding me from the icy air that had seeped into the room.


    The warmth of his body, the scent of him, the unexpected tenderness made my chest ache in apletely different way.


    I turned in his arms, facing him. His smirk was gone, reced with a softness I hadn¡¯t seen the entire night today.


    "Don¡¯t worry," he murmured. "It¡¯ste. You should rest." His hand brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear with surprising care. "But you should better be ready to deal with a jealous Draven."


    I groaned, leaning my forehead against his chest in frustration. "Don¡¯t tease me."


    His chuckle vibrated through me, warm and teasing, and when I looked up again, he was already leaning down.


    His lips brushed mine in a kiss so different from Draven¡¯s that it nearly broke me. Where Draven¡¯s had been all fire and demand, Oscar¡¯s was water - gentle, steady, coaxing. His kiss was lingering, soft but deep, unhurried, like he wanted me to feel every second of it.


    My toes curled at the sweetness of it, my body melting under the tenderness he poured into me. His hand was resting lightly on my waist, not pushing, not demanding, just anchoring me as his lips moved against mine in a slow rhythm that made the world fall away.


    When he finally pulled back, my lips were tingling, my heart still racing, but in an entirely different way than before.


    He smiled, brushing his thumb lightly across my lower lip. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow,e find me, with Rowan, after your sses."


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    And just like that, he stepped back, gave me onest lingering look, and left.


    I stood there in the middle of my room, Draven¡¯s fire still burning on my lips, Oscar¡¯s sweetness still clinging to me, my heart caught between the two storms.


    And I couldn¡¯t help but wonder - how in the world was I going to survive them both?

 Chapter 270: Rowan’s Story

    <h4>Chapter 270: Rowan¡¯s Story</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Rowan¡¯s silence was deafening. He was sitting stiffly in the chair beside me, his hands gripping the armrests as though they were the only things keeping him grounded. His shoulders were tense, the lines of his jaw tight, and though he didn¡¯t say anything, I could feel the storm raging inside him.


    It was Friday afternoon, and Oscar¡¯s office was carrying a particr calm heaviness, as though the walls themselves knew that secrets were meant to be shared here. Oscar was outside in the hallway, still talking with Instructor Corey. That left just Rowan and me inside, waiting.


    I stole a nce at him. His hair was a little messy, strands falling over his forehead, and his skin was slightly palerpared to usual, but it had nothing to do with the injuries from previous night or the cold.


    He was tense, and just seeing him like this was making something tighten inside me.


    I still hadn¡¯t asked him where he wentst night, how he got hurt so badly, or why he was pushing himself to this extent. He was already wound tight as a bowstring, I didn¡¯t want to add another weight to his chest.


    So instead, I whispered softly, "Trust Oscar. Tell him everything truthfully, Rowan."


    For a moment, his throat bobbed as if he wanted to protest, but he said nothing.


    I reached over and gave his hand a light squeeze, hoping he could feel the silent promise in it - that he wasn¡¯t alone, that I was right here.


    To my relief, he gave me a small, genuine smile. It was faint, but it was real, and that was enough to make my own chest loosen just a little.


    The door opened then, and Oscar finally stepped inside. He closed it carefully, locked it with a soft click, and moved across the room. His presence alone was grounding - steady, calm, unshaken.


    He gave me one of those warm smiles he always reserved just for me, one that made me feel like everything would be okay, before he turned his attention fully to Rowan as he settled in his chair.


    Rowan shifted in his seat, his posture tense all over again.


    "Rowan," Oscar said, his tone even, yet there was an unmistakable weight in his words. "Why have you been sneaking out of the Academy?"


    The questionnded like a stone in the silence. Rowan froze. His lips parted but no words came out.


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    Oscar didn¡¯t let the silence stretch too long. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over the desk. "And why did you end up injured like that? Not just a scrape or bruise, but serious injuries. What exactly have you been doing out there?"


    Rowan¡¯s gaze flickered immediately to me, searching my face. I met his eyes and gave him the smallest of nods. I could see the fear in him - the fear of judgment, of rejection, of consequences - but I wanted him to see my trust. My encouragement.


    Finally, he exhaled a shaky breath and started speaking.


    "I... don¡¯t have a family," he said quietly. His voice carried the weight of old wounds. "My parents died when I was seven. I have no siblings. I grew up in the Roguemunity."


    I stared at his side profile, my eyes widening in shock. This was the first time I was hearing any of this. He never talked about himself, never opened up about his past.


    "I had a close friend," he continued, his fists curling in hisp. "She was everything to me. But... she got into an ident. She¡¯s been in aa for almost a year now." His throat worked as he swallowed hard. "The hospital bills keep piling up. I couldn¡¯t just watch her waste away. So... I started fighting."


    My breath hitched. "Fighting?"


    "In the underground fights," he admitted, his eyes dropping. "I have been sneaking out to take part. The money¡¯s fast, but the fights are brutal. Last night¡¯s injuries..." He gave a humorlessugh. "I won all three fights. That¡¯s why I¡¯m still in one piece."


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. Underground fights? Risking his life night after night just to pay hospital bills? My chest ached. I lifted my hand and gently touched his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. I wanted him to know he wasn¡¯t alone in this.


    I turned my gaze to Oscar then. He had been silent through all of this, listening carefully, while keeping his expression unreadable. But when he finally spoke, his voice was calm - steady, like a judge who had already weighed every side.


    "Rowan," Oscar began, "sneaking out is against Academy rules. And the underground fights you have been participating in..." He paused, his gaze firm. "They are not only illegal, but they go against the werewolfmunity¡¯sws. You are fighting in human cities, against humans, while you are a werewolf. Do you understand how serious that is?"


    Rowan flinched, his fists tightening. "I don¡¯t care about rules. I need the money. If I stop, she dies. I can give up my ce here at the Academy, but I can¡¯t give up the fights. I can¡¯t give up on her."


    His voice cracked at the end, filled with raw desperation.


    But Oscar didn¡¯t waver. He leaned forward, his tone sharper, though still not unkind. "If you continue these fights, you won¡¯t just lose your ce here. You¡¯ll be branded a criminal in the eyes of the werewolfmunity. You¡¯ll lose your future entirely, Rowan. And as a criminal, you won¡¯t be able to support her either. Do you want that?"


    Rowan clenched his jaw, breathing harshly. I could see the conflict in his eyes - his worry for his friend shing with the danger of everything Oscar was saying.


    Before he could speak again, Oscar held up a hand to stop him.


    "I have another option for you," he said.


    Rowan blinked. "What?"


    Oscar¡¯s gaze softened slightly. "A legal job. One that will pay you enough to cover her bills, without breaking rules, without risking your life, and without endangering your future."


    Both Rowan and I stared at him in shock.


    "You would... do that?" Rowan asked, his voice almost disbelieving.


    Oscar nodded firmly. "Yes. Because you are a good student. You have potential that shouldn¡¯t be wasted in underground fights. It would be the Academy¡¯s loss to let you go."


    Rowan blinked rapidly, clearly overwhelmed. "But... you would really help me like that?"


    "How much are the hospital bills?" Oscar asked, straightforward.


    Rowan hesitated, then gave him the figure.


    Oscar leaned back, thoughtful, before nodding to himself. "I might have the perfect job for you."


    The silence that followed was thick, but it wasn¡¯t heavy. It was full of possibility. I squeezed Rowan¡¯s shoulder again, smiling softly at him. And for the first time sincest night, I saw hope flicker in his eyes.

 Chapter 271: Blessed With a Brother

    <h4>Chapter 271: Blessed With a Brother</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The room started feeling quieter after Rowan took his leave first while I stayed behind. And with him gone, I noticed that Oscar¡¯s presence was different now - more muted, like the snowkes still clinging to the window panes.


    I stayed near the tall ss, my eyes following the way thete afternoon light softened as it spilled across the snow-covered grounds of the Academy. The reflection was almost too bright to look at directly, so I let my gaze blur, losing myself in the stillness of it.


    I didn¡¯t even realize Oscar had finished locking his office door until I heard the soft tread of his boots approaching. My heartbeats picked up their pace just a little, but I didn¡¯t move. The silence stretched until I found myself whispering, "Thank you... for helping Rowan."


    He stopped beside me, close enough that I could feel the faint warmth radiating from his body even though the office was already warm enough. Slowly, he raised his hand, and his touch was feather-light as he cupped my face.


    I looked up at him, my gaze locking on his emerald orbs that now held only love and gentleness.


    "You don¡¯t need to thank me," he said, his voice low and steady, though there was something unspoken threading beneath the words. His thumb brushed against my cheek as he shook his head slightly. "At first, my reason was selfish. I only stepped in because of you."


    I wasn¡¯t surprised. After all, I literally pushed him to handle this matter and help Rowan out.


    "Since you have taken Rowan as your brother, your family," he continued, his eyes dark and unreadable. "And pleaded for him with your whole heart... I couldn¡¯t turn away. But that¡¯s not the only reason."


    He drew back just enough to look me directly in the eyes. "Rowan has a sharp mind. More potential than half the students in this Academy. Losing him would have been our loss as much as his."


    I swallowed hard, warmth spreading through me - not just because of what he had done for Rowan, but because he too had recognized the potential in Rowan that I had noticed a long time ago.


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    Before I could respond, Oscar¡¯s hand moved again, tucking a loose strand of my silver hair behind my ear with unhurried care. His fingers trailed down the side of my neck in a barely-there touch that made every nerve under my skin spark alive. They stopped at the stiff cor of my uniform before he withdrew, tucking his hand into the pocket of his coat as if to anchor himself.


    The sudden distance between us felt sharper than the cold air sneaking through the window cracks. My eyes darted to his face, searching for some sign of what he was thinking.


    "Leave," he said atst. His voice was firm, though softer than usual. "Before I change my mind... and keep you here for the next couple of hours."


    Heat red across my cheeks at his meaning, and my heart thudded against my ribs. I was more than ready to bolt, yet some part of me clung to the moment.


    Still, I forced myself to meet his gaze and said softly, "Whatever your reason was, you helped Rowan. That means everything to me. I¡¯ll always be grateful."


    And before I could talk myself out of it, I leaned in quickly, rose to my tiptoes, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. It was fleeting, but the warmth of his skin lingered on my lips.


    "That¡¯s so you don¡¯t think I brushed you off with just a thank you," I whispered with a smile before retreating.


    His face shifted. There was just a flicker of surprise before a crooked smirk tugged at his lips. I caught the glint in his eyes as if he hadn¡¯t expected me to do that, especially after his warning.


    My smile widened, then I panicked at myself and turned on my heel, practically sprinting to the door.


    "Be careful," his voice followed after me, low and deliberate.


    I didn¡¯t stop, didn¡¯t dare look back. The moment I stepped into the hallway, I forced the smile off my face. No one needed to see me grinning like a fool in the administrative wing. Professors and instructors were already strict enough, I didn¡¯t want to invite suspicion by looking like I had just stolen something - because in a way, maybe I had.


    There was still time before dinner, so I made my way back to the first-year dorm. The moment I stepped inside the dorm room, I noticed Rowan sitting stiffly on one of the couches near the fire, his eyes flicking to me as if he had been waiting all this time.


    The moment he noticed me stepping inside, he stood abruptly and made his way to me even before I finished getting out of my coat that was covered in snow. His arms wrapped around me tightly before I could say anything.


    "Eva," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you. For everything. I¡¯ll never forget what you did for me today."


    I patted his back, smiling into the fabric of his coat. "You don¡¯t need to thank me. I only did what a sister should do for her brother. That¡¯s all there is to it."


    He pulled back just enough to look at me, and I found his icy-blue eyes glistening as if he was struggling to hold back tears. That look - so raw and vulnerable - twisted something deep in my chest.


    "Then let me say this," he said firmly and hugged me again, tighter this time, his voice resolute near my ear. "Your brother will never disappoint your trust or your love. I promise you that, Eva."


    I closed my eyes, letting myself melt into the warmth of his words, the sincerity of his vow. For so long, I had fought my battles alone, shoulders weighed down by burdens no one else could see. But now... Rowan was here.


    The Moon Goddess... finally blessed me with a real brother, one who would protect me and love me just like I had longed for my entire life.

 Chapter 272: Blame The Bond

    <h4>Chapter 272: me The Bond</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong><fna366> Checktest chapters at f?ndnovel</fna366>


    Another Saturday. Another day at the Council headquarters.


    By now, I thought I would be used to this routine - waking up early on weekend while the rest of the dorm was still sleeping, stepping out in early morning¡¯s biting cold, mentally checking off to-do list before the day even began. But this morning felt different, and I knew exactly why.


    River.


    The entire time - from doing my morning exercises to walking through the grand ss doors of HQ - I had been mentally preparing myself to face him again after what felt like forever. Rehearsing how I would keep my expression neutral, how I would sit at my desk and pretend his presence didn¡¯t matter to me, how I would survive the weight of his eyes on me if he decided to look.


    But what I didn¡¯t prepare for... was not seeing him at all.


    "River¡¯s not in yet," the front deskdy had casually mentioned when I arrived. And when I asked, she said he wouldn¡¯t being at all today.


    I swallowed back the disappointment that rose like a stubborn lump in my throat. Ever since the Alpha selection ceremony at Nightshade Pack, also the night our mate bond came to life, we hadn¡¯t spent real time together. Just brief, unavoidable encounters. The only exception was that one evening of the new year when I got to see his drunken side for the second time.


    Since then, he had buried himself in Nightshade Pack affairs. And when that was done, he buried himself inpany work. Today was supposed to be different. Today, I thought, maybe we would finally cross paths properly. But no.


    He wasn¡¯t here.


    Of course, there was a huge possibility that he really was busy. River wasn¡¯t the kind to shirk responsibilities. But no matter how much I tried to reason with myself, I couldn¡¯t push away the nagging thought - he was avoiding me.


    Avoiding me, when it was him who had confessed first. Avoiding me, when it was him who looked on the brink of breaking down the moment our bond sparked to life. Avoiding me, when it should have been me running the other way.


    The thought soured my mood so much that I didn¡¯t realize how hard I was pressing my pencil into the desk until the tip cracked with a sharp snap. My hand jerked, losing bnce, and just like that... I was dragged out of my miserable spiral.


    Great. One pencil down. One heart... no, mind... still restless.


    Realizing just how much his absence was affecting me when I had been preparing for his presence made me even more frustrated. Contradictory emotions - wasn¡¯t that my new specialty ever since this bond tied me to him? I buried the thoughts, shoved the broken pencil aside, and forced myself to focus on the file in front of me.


    Somehow, painfully, I survived half the day.


    After lunch, I dragged myself back into the office, clutching my water bottle like it was the only thing tethering me to sanity. My mind was a mess - equal parts irritation, disappointment, and sarcasm that I didn¡¯t dare let spill out loud.


    I pushed the door open, stepped inside, and was halfway to my desk when a voice stopped me cold.


    "Good afternoon, Miss Evaline."


    That voice.


    I froze mid-step, as if my body had short-circuited. My gaze snapped toward the boss¡¯ desk... and there he was.


    Sitting in his chair, attention fixed on a file in his hands, like his presence wasn¡¯t the single most noticeable thing in this entire room.


    I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. "G-Good afternoon," I managed, though it came out softer than intended.


    My heart was pounding against my ribs as though it wanted to leap right out and announce, <i>Yes, I¡¯m ridiculously aware of you. Thank you for finally showing up.</i>


    When I didn¡¯t move and stayed glued to my spot like an idiot, he finally looked up. His dark green eyes locked onto mine, steady and unreadable. Slowly, he closed the file in his hand, set it down, and rose to his feet.


    The distance between us shrank with each step he took. He stopped in front of me, not close enough to step into my personal space, but close enough that I felt the brush of his presence curling around me.


    He cleared his throat, surprising me as he looked slightly lost for words. And when he finally spoke, it was to surprise me even further. "I have been busy with work at Nightshade Pack and thepany. And there have been... activities in the Roguemunity as well."


    I blinked, taken aback. His tone was calm, factual, but the exnation - it was almost too precise. Like he wanted to make sure I understood.


    All I could manage was a single nod. My voice refused to cooperate, and honestly, I didn¡¯t trust it not to betray the storm of emotions inside me.


    His gaze lingered on me a moment longer, then shifted slightly, softening in a way I rarely saw. "Do you need days off for your exams?"


    The question startled me. But I quickly nodded, grateful for the safer topic. "Yes. My exams are between 25th January and 10th February. There are two weekends in between - 30th and 31st January, and 6th and 7th February. I wanted to request those four days off. And... if possible, maybe less workload during the weekends before my exams start."


    I braced myself for him to agree only halfway, or maybe even frown at my request. He wasn¡¯t exactly the most lenient boss.


    But instead, he nodded without hesitation. "You can take those days off."


    My eyes widened slightly. Relief washed over me, but before I could thank him, he added, "And starting tomorrow, you¡¯ll only work half-day shifts until your exams are over."


    "What?" The word slipped out before I could stop it.


    I had expected the bare minimum. Maybe approval for the leave days. Not this.


    He must have seen the disbelief on my face, because a flicker of amusement ghosted over his features. "Do well in your exams, Miss Evaline," he said, his voice dropping into that firm,manding tone again. "Don¡¯t ruin my reputation at the Academy or at Council headquarters. As your boss, I expect nothing less."


    I stared at him, caught between gratitude and exasperation. Before I could form a proper reply, he turned and walked out of the office, his strides smooth and unhurried.


    The moment the door clicked shut behind him, I spoke out a little too loud, "If I had known better, I should have given you a book on how to be a good mate instead of how to be a good boss."


    What I didn¡¯t know was that he was still standing right outside.


    And when my words reached him loud and clear, a small smile broke across his lips.

 Chapter 273: Between Two Flames

    <h4>Chapter 273: Between Two mes</h4>


    Evaline:


    <fn11e8> Checktest chapters at find(?)ovel</fn11e8>


    The clock at the Council headquarters had just struck four when I finally wrapped up the day¡¯s reports. My pen scraped across thest sheet, the ink blotting a little at the end from my rushed hand, but I didn¡¯t care. My mind was already racing ahead, not with pack reports, patrol assignments, or Council updates, but with the one thing that had been looming over me since morning - Draven.


    By the time I reached the Academy, the winter sun had already dipped low, painting the snow with an orange glow. My pulse quickened with every step I took toward my dormitory. I didn¡¯t even bother with tea or snacks, and went straight to the showers.


    The hot water felt divine on my skin, melting the cold that had seeped into my bones from the walk back. I washed my hair carefully, massaging my scalp until the tension in my head loosened, then lingered under the spray longer than I should have, bracing myself for whatever ¡¯punishment¡¯ Draven had in store for me.


    When I finally stepped out, steam was clinging to my skin, and the sight of my flushed cheeks in the mirror made me smile nervously. I headed back to my dorm and locked myself in my room, preparing to get ready.


    The cold outside had painted my cheeks pink already, so I skipped the blush I usually wore for such special meetings with my mates. I did my skincare, applied my favorite lip oil, and finished with body moisturizer.


    Blow-drying my hair, I let the strands fall down freely. Draven liked it that way. Too much? Maybe. But my mates had a way of seeing through my efforts no matter how small they were.


    Once I was satisfied with my reflection, I picked up my phone and sent a quick message to Oscar.


    <i>Finished getting ready.</i>


    His reply came almost instantly: <i>Meet me outside the gates in 10.</i>


    I had just enough time. I tapped open the group chat with Rowan, Mallory, and Kyros, typing a short message: <i>Heading out with my mates. Don¡¯t wait up.</i>


    Kyros was the first to reply, as usual, with a mischievous sticker of a wolf smirking.


    Rowan¡¯s response was more thoughtful: <i>Enjoy the evening</i>.


    But Mallory - oh, Mallory - her voice message had me pressing the phone against my ear in disbelief, my face heating so quickly I thought steam might rise again. I couldn¡¯t even listen to it twice.


    <i>No need toe back tonight. Just make sure the brothers are the ones crying out your name in pleasure.</i>


    "Mallory, you are impossible," I muttered under my breath, my ears burning.


    Grabbing my coat from the closet near the door, I slipped it on, wrapped a scarf around my neck, and stepped out. Snowkes swirled gently in the air, catching in my hair andshes as I crossed the courtyard and headed toward the Academy gates.


    The stationed warriors were standing stiff and unbothered by the cold. Outside, I spotted Oscar¡¯s car parked a little ways down the road.


    I hurried across the path, my boots crunching on the snow, and slipped into the passenger seat.


    "Hi," I greeted softly, brushing snowkes from my hair.


    His smile was warm enough to rival the car¡¯s heater. "Hey, little mate." His voice carried thatzy ease that always made my chest tighten. He reached over to fasten my seatbelt before pulling the car into motion, the tires crunching against the icy road.


    We drove in silence for a while, the Academy vanishing behind us as he steered onto a narrow, snow-covered dirt road that twisted deeper into the forest. The woods here were quiet, undisturbed, their branches heavy with snow.


    We were probably more than halfway to Draven¡¯s secret house, when Oscar slowed the car to a stop. My brow furrowed as I turned to him. "Why are we-"


    Before I could finish, he unbuckled his belt, leaned across, and did the same for mine. His hands were firm but careful as he tugged me across the console, settling me on hisp with such ease it stole my breath.


    "Oscar!" I gasped, my hands flying to his shoulders. "What are you doing?"


    His smirk curved and his eyes gleamed like frost beneath moonlight. "Stealing some time with you before I hand you over to Draven." His words sent a shiver down my spine. "He doesn¡¯t get to keep you all to himself."


    I barely had time to speak before his lips were on mine. The kiss was demanding, fierce, every stroke of his mouth against mine pulling me deeper. He sucked, teased, coaxed, until I was clutching his jacket for bnce, my lungs burning for air.


    When he finally let me breathe, it was only to trail his lips down my jaw, to my neck. His fingers sweeped my hair aside before tugging at the neckline of my sweater. His touch was everywhere - one moment holding me firmly, the next brushing so lightly it sent sparks skittering across my skin.


    "Oscar..." My voice was a whisper, half-protest, half-plea.


    He only chuckled against my throat, the sound vibrating through me. "You taste too sweet to stop."


    I was lost in his warmth, in the sheer intensity of the moment, when the sharp sound of a phone vibrating cut through the haze. Oscar pulled backand fished his phone from his pocket.


    "Draven," he said, his lips quirking as he showed me the caller ID. He pressed ¡¯ept¡¯ and put it on speaker.


    "Where are you?" Draven¡¯s deep voice filled the car, a hint of impatience in his tone. "You should have been here already."


    Oscar¡¯s hand slid back into my hair, tilting my head so his lips brushed my ear. "Caught up," he answered smoothly, his free hand tracing down my spine. "We¡¯ll be there soon."


    Caught up? My eyes widened as he kissed me again, deliberately messy, the sound of it impossible to miss through the line.


    Draven was silent for a heartbeat. Then his voice lowered, dark and edged with something primal. "I can feel her, Oscar. Don¡¯t y games. I can sense her emotions rising through the bond, and if you don¡¯t bring her to me soon..." His words trailed off, heavy with promise.


    Oscar¡¯s smirk deepened against my lips. "Rx, brother. I¡¯m only warming her up for you."


    My heart pounded at the exchange, my face burning hotter than the car¡¯s heater could ever manage. Between Oscar¡¯s touch and Draven¡¯s voice rumbling through the speaker, I felt caught... pulled tight between two mes, each consuming me in their own way.

 Chapter 274: At The Secret House

    <h4>Chapter 274: At The Secret House</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The car slowed to a halt, tires crunching against the thick nket of snow until we stoppedpletely. My eyes flickered toward the windshield, and my heart gave a squeeze when I realized where we were.


    The cliff.


    Even though the world was painted white with snow and the familiar terrain lookedpletely transformed, I knew exactly where I was. The sharp jagged rock face, the slope leading down into the dense trees, and the faint trail that snaked upward - it all told me we had reached Draven¡¯s secret house.


    I had been here only twice before today, yet somehow, the ce had carved itself into my memory. Maybe because of who it belonged to. Maybe because every time I stepped into this house, I felt the weight of what it meant - being pulled deeper into Draven¡¯s world.


    My pulse was racing so fast it was a miracle Oscar couldn¡¯t hear it. No matter how much I tried to steady myself, my palms were slick with sweat even though the air outside the car was freezing. And of course, Oscar noticed. He always noticed.


    "Eva," his voice came low and calm, like he was trying to cut through my racing thoughts.


    I turned toward him slowly, my eyes betraying just how much my nerves were getting to me. He reached over without hesitation, capturing my hands in his warm ones. The simple contact made my chest loosen a little, though it didn¡¯t erase the anxious butterflies tearing through me.


    "You are trembling," he whispered, his eyes soft but steady, pulling me into their safety.


    I pressed my lips together, not trusting my voice.


    He gently turned me more toward him, and then his hand came up to cup my face. His thumb brushed against my cheek, grounding me. "Listen to me, little mate," he said, his tone firm but carrying a strange tenderness. "You don¡¯t have to be afraid. Draven and I... we¡¯ll never do anything you don¡¯t want. Ever. That¡¯s not what this is. You just have to trust us."


    Trust.


    That was the thing - I did trust them. Completely. It wasn¡¯t fear that made my stomach tighten... it was the unknown. I had an idea of what Draven meant when he promised to punish me, but I couldn¡¯t predict how he would carry it out. And that mystery was enough to have me on edge.


    Still, Oscar was right. No matter what happened, they wouldn¡¯t push me past what I could handle. That thought anchored me, and I let out a long breath before giving him a small, certain nod.


    A smile tugged at the corner of my lips, and before I even realized what I was doing, I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his in a quick, daring kiss.


    The effect on him was immediate. His eyes widened just a fraction, and then narrowed with something far more dangerous. For a moment, he looked like he couldn¡¯t believe I had done it.


    "Eva..." he warned, his voice hoarse, strained with control. "Don¡¯t test me. I might not stop this time."


    I held his gaze, feeling the boldness inside me re to life, chasing away some of my nerves. "Who said I want you to stop?" I whispered back.


    The air between us ignited in an instant. His emerald eyes darkened, burning with an intensity that had me pinned in ce. I could see it in him - the struggle to keep himself restrained, the way his hands twitched as if wanting to pull me closer, to im me right here and now. My own breath came shorter, faster, because part of me wanted that too.


    But before anything else could happen, a firm knock on my side window shattered the spell.


    I jolted, whipping my head toward the sound.


    And there he was.


    Draven.


    The snowy dusk framed him like a figure cut out of shadows and steel. His eyes swept over us, lingering long enough for me to realize he had seen exactly what state Oscar and I had been in. There was no missing the look in his gaze - a mixture of knowing and dangerous amusement.


    He opened my door without a word and held out his hand. My heart skipped, but I ced mine in his without hesitation. His grip was strong, steady, and he pulled me out of the car with ease. The moment my boots hit the snow, I felt the shift in the atmosphere.


    "Park the car in the garage," Draven said over his shoulder to Oscar.


    <fn67d0> Follow current nov?ls on f?ndnovel</fn67d0>


    Oscar gave a small nod, still watching me as though reluctant to let go even though it was just for a few minutes.


    Meanwhile, Draven tugged me gently along, his hand warm around mine as he led me toward the house. The snowfall had thickened, the kes wereing faster, stinging lightly against my cheeks as the wind picked up. Twilight had already begun to descend, and with it, the world seemed quieter, lonelier.


    But then we were at the door of his safeky hidden house.


    The moment we stepped inside, warmth enveloped me, chasing away the chill that had clung to my skin. The scent of an aromatic candle and faint spices was filling the air, familiar andforting.


    Draven carefully slipped my coat off my shoulders, followed by my scarf, and hung them on the rack near the door. His fingers brushed against my skin in the process, a fleeting touch that still sent shivers down my spine.


    "Sit," he instructed softly, guiding me toward the couch closest to the heater. I found myself getting wrapped in a cocoon of heat as I sank onto the cushions.


    Draven stood for a moment, his eyes fixed on me in a way that made my stomach flip. He was calm... too calm. And that calmness was its own kind of tension. Because I knew beneath it, he was nning, deciding exactly how this night was going to unfold.


    And for the first time since we left the Academy, my nerves didn¡¯t feel like a weight.


    They were feeling like anticipation.

 Chapter 275: Stealing The Cookie

    <h4>Chapter 275: Stealing The Cookie</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I watched as Draven knelt in front of me, hisrge hands dwarfing mine as he rubbed my chilled palms between his, coaxing life and warmth back into them.


    "Why are you trembling, love?" he asked quietly.


    "I¡¯m just... nervous," I admitted, unable to hide the quiver in my voice.


    His eyes lifted to mine, steady and unreadable, and yet they seemed to pierce right through me. "Good. You should be nervous. You know why you are here."


    His words weren¡¯t cruel - they carried weight, yes, but not danger. Still, the reminder made my stomach flip. I nodded faintly. "I know."


    The edges of his mouth curved into something that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, but close enough to make my breath catch again. "Then you also know that running isn¡¯t an option."


    "I¡¯m not running," I whispered.


    His hand cupped my chin, tilting my face up so that I couldn¡¯t look anywhere but into his eyes. "No," he agreed, his voice lower now like silk wrapping around steel. "You came willingly. That matters."


    Before I could form a response, the muffled sound of a door opening and then closing reached us, followed by the crunch of boots on the wooden floor. I didn¡¯t need to turn my head to know it was Oscar. A flicker of relief passed through me at his arrival, though it was quickly tangled with fresh nerves.


    Oscar entered with his usual casual ease, snow still dusting his shoulders and hair. His eyes swept the room, lingering a moment longer on me before flicking toward Draven. The faintest smirk tugged at his lips.


    "I see you have already started without me," he drawled, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it over a chair.


    "Not yet," Draven replied smoothly, his hand still on my chin. "I was just reminding her why she¡¯s here."


    Oscar¡¯s gaze slid back to me, heat glimmering there, though it was tempered by the steady patience I hade to know. "And does she need reminding?"


    "I don¡¯t think so," I said quickly, surprising myself with the firmness in my voice. Both of them looked at me, and my cheeks warmed. I shifted slightly under the weight of their eyes, but I didn¡¯t look away. "I came because I trust you both. I know what this is about... I¡¯m just..."


    "Nervous," Oscar finished for me, his tone gentler than Draven¡¯s, though no less charged. He crossed the room, stopping beside the couch. His hand brushed over the back of it, close enough that I could feel the warmth of him at my side. "That¡¯s natural. But remember what I told you in the car - no matter what happens, it¡¯ll never be something you don¡¯t want."


    The sincerity in his words steadied me more than I expected. My heartbeat was still wild, but my breathing evened out a little.


    Draven¡¯s thumb brushed against my lower lip, shifting my entire attention back to him with the small gesture. "And yet, not a single part of your nerves is from fear at all, right?"


    My face burned. I couldn¡¯t deny it - not when both of them were watching me so closely, as if every flicker of emotion I had was written clearly on my skin. I swallowed hard, whispering, "No. It¡¯s not fear."


    Oscar chuckled under his breath, low and knowing. "That¡¯s what I thought."


    Draven finally released my chin, but not before trailing his fingers slowly down the column of my throat, leaving a path of fire in their wake. His touch stopped at the edge of my cor before retreating altogether, as though he too was restraining himself.


    The air between us thickened, heavy with anticipation. I sat there frozen, my body caught between the warmth of the fire and the simmering heat of their presence.


    Oscar leaned in slightly, close enough that his shoulder brushed mine. "Do you want this, Eva?" he asked softly, his eyes searching mine.


    The question was simple, but the weight of it pressed against my chest. My lips parted before I even realized I was speaking. "Yes."


    Draven¡¯s gaze darkened at the sound of my answer, and Oscar¡¯s hand finally came to rest against the small of my back, grounding me in the middle of the storm building around us.


    The fire crackled, snow continued to fall outside, and yet here, in this hidden house deep in the mountains, everything narrowed down to just the three of us.


    <fn4b25> This content belongs to Find¡ïNovel</fn4b25>


    "Are you hungry? Have you even anything after lunch?" Draven asked suddenly, brushing away some of the tension that was starting to suffocate me.


    I was slightly surprised by his question, but I shouldn¡¯t have. After all, he always made sure that me and the baby were full. "I haven¡¯t eaten." I answered honestly.


    "I knew it. I have baked some cookies. Try them."


    He made his way to the kitchen and took out a tray from the oven. The mouth-watering aroma of chocte cookies immediately filled the air, overtaking the scent of herbs and the rose scented candle.


    Oscar settled down on the couch next to mine, his gaze following Draven as well while thetter made his way back to us with a te full of freshly baked chocte cookies.


    "How about a ss of milk?" He asked as he handed me the te,pletely ignoring Oscar¡¯s expectation filled eyes that had been fixed on the te of cookies.


    I immediately shook my head. "Honestly, I¡¯m not that hungry. These cookies will be enough."


    He didn¡¯t press and took a seat on the rug at my feet instead of sitting on the couch.


    I picked up a cookies and took a small bite, and almost moaned as the rich taste of chocte coated my taste buds. When I opened my eyes, which I might have closed at some point, I found both men staring at me.


    I quickly moved the te toward Oscar and he picked up a cookie. But when I moved the te toward Darven, he shifted to his knees and reached out to grab the back of my head, pulling me closer before he was stealing the cookie that I was holding between my lips.

 Chapter 276: About Three of Us

    <h4>Chapter 276: About Three of Us</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I almost choked on the cookie.


    My eyes flew wide at Draven, surprise pounding through me as thest trace of sweetness dissolved on my tongue. I hadn¡¯t expected him to lean in like that, to close the space between us with such daring swiftness, stealing the cookie straight from my lips as though it was the most natural thing in the world.


    And the worst - or maybe the best - part? He was looking utterly innocent when he pulled back. As if he hadn¡¯t just left my pulse tripping over itself and my mind tangled in thoughts I didn¡¯t dare put words to.


    I swallowed hard, clearing my throat, pretending it hadn¡¯t shaken me, and quickly grabbed another cookie from the te.


    This time I shoved the whole thing into my mouth before he could try any funny business again. My teeth crunched against it, my jaw working quicker than usual, as if chewing faster could drown out the pounding in my chest.


    By the time I reached the fourth cookie, the shock had dulled enough for me to remember something really important.


    "These are... so delicious," I blurted between bites, finally forcing myself to look at him.


    For a moment, Draven simply watched me with an unreadable gaze, as if he was weighing the sincerity of my words. Then, slowly, his lips curved into a proud smile, one that softened the sharp edges of his usual expressions.


    "I¡¯m d you think so." He leaned back against the wooden coffee table, his eyes still fixed on me. "Truth is, I didn¡¯t know much more than the basics before. But I have been taking online cooking ssestely."


    My chewing paused. "Cooking sses?"


    He nodded once, the corner of his mouth lifting higher. "Figured if I¡¯m going to keep you and the pup fed, I might as well learn how to do it properly."


    My chest warmed at that, the sweetness of his words overpowering the sweetness of the cookie. I couldn¡¯t help but smile - soft and unguarded. Who would have thought he had been sitting through cooking tutorials just for us?


    It was a side of him few would ever imagine, and the thought filled me with an odd sense of tenderness.


    I picked onest cookie from the te, savoring it slowly this time before setting the dish aside. Oscar immediately handed me a ss of water without a word, as if he could sense my sudden thirst. Our eyes met briefly as I epted it, and a silent exchange passed between us.


    "Thank you," I murmured, taking a sip.


    But as soon as the ss left my lips and I ced it on the table, reality came crashing back. I was no longer busy eating, no longer distracted by cookies or water. It was just me now - me, and the two men sitting far too close, their gazes heavy with unspoken things.


    The nerves began to creep back in, threading into my chest like fine, invisible wires pulling tighter with each passing second.


    "Come. Sit here with me." Draven said as he patted the space beside him on the thick rug.


    My bodyplied faster than my mind, and I found myself taking a ce beside him. From my current position, I was facing Oscar who had rxed in his couch as if he was preparing to watch something really interesting.


    And then it happened... it was subtle at first, so natural that I almost didn¡¯t notice it.


    Draven shifted closer, his presence enveloping me like a shadow, deliberate but unhurried. His hand slid over mine, fingers brushing so lightly it sent a shiver racing up my arm. His eyes held mine for a lingering beat, wordless, before he leaned in and dipped his head toward my shoulder.


    The faintest touch of his lips ghosted over my skin.


    I inhaled sharply, my body stiffening before melting under the warmth of his mouth. He kissed the curve where my neck met my shoulder, slow and deliberate, his breath feathering over the sensitive spot as though he knew exactly what he was doing to me.


    "D-Draven..." My voice came out softer than I intended, almost breathless.


    He hummed low in his chest, a sound both dangerous and tender, and pressed another kiss higher this time, just beneath my ear. My pulse stuttered.


    From the corner of my eye, I caught Oscar watching. He wasn¡¯t intervening, wasn¡¯t teasing... he simply watched with an unreadable expression, though his emerald eyes were shining with an intensity that matched the rising heat in the room.


    And maybe that was what made this feel so much more overwhelming - knowing that Oscar was there, silent witness to every kiss Draven was trailing along my neck.


    His hand found my waist, firm but not forceful, guiding me closer until I was practically in hisp. The world narrowed to the sound of the heater humming nearby.


    He lifted his head, his lips brushing against my cheek before hovering mere inches from mine.


    "You still haven¡¯t apologized properly," he murmured, his voice low, dark, teasing.


    My breath caught, heat blooming across my face. "I-"


    But before I could find words, his mouth captured mine.


    The kiss was not rushed, not wild - it was slow, deliberate, a punishment in its own right. Each brush of his lips against mine was measured, controlled, as though he intended to unravel me piece by piece.


    His hand cradled the back of my head, holding me steady as his lips coaxed mine open, deepening the kiss by fractions, never giving too much at once. It was maddening, intoxicating, the kind of kiss that pulled me under without ever letting me fully drown.


    Butterflies churned in my stomach, restless and wild, fluttering against the walls of my chest.


    I clutched at his sweater, my fingers curling into the fabric as though it was the only anchor I had left. My mind was a blur, senses sharpened to nothing but the taste of him, the warmth of him, the way his lips moved with such unrelenting patience.


    When he finally pulled back, my breath came in short, uneven gasps, my lips tingling and swollen.


    He studied me, satisfaction flickering in the depths of his emerald orbs. "Better," he murmured, as though he had won some silent battle I hadn¡¯t realized I was fighting.


    My heart hammered so loudly I was sure Oscar could hear it from the couch.


    And when I dared to nce at him, I found his gaze still locked on me, his jaw tight, his eyes darker than before. He hadn¡¯t moved, hadn¡¯t spoken... but the way he was looking at me sent a fresh wave of shivers down my spine.


    For the first time, I realized this wasn¡¯t just about Draven¡¯s punishment.


    It was about the three of us.


    <fndd7a> Readplete version only at Find¡ïNovel</fndd7a>


    And the night was only just beginning.

 Chapter 277: Bound in Silk

    <h4>Chapter 277: Bound in Silk</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I inhaled sharply.


    Oscar¡¯s steady gaze was still locked on mine, pinning me where I sat on the couch, but the voice in my ear made my blood run hot.


    "It¡¯s time for you to take off your top."


    Draven¡¯s words slithered down my spine, low andmanding, yet there was something in his tone that both startled and thrilled me. My lips parted, my breath catching as though the air itself had thickened.


    Slowly, I turned my head while my heart pounded against my ribs, and found him there - slightly behind me, so close I could feel the warmth of his breath grazing my cheek. My pulse stumbled when his arm circled around my waist, tugging me flush against him.


    And then his fingers slipped beneath the hem of my dark blue woolen top.


    A shiver cascaded through me as his fingertips brushed against my bare skin, tracingnguidly along the curve of my waist and across my belly. My breath hitched, and without pause, he kept sliding the fabric upward, coaxing it higher and higher until he pulled it clean over my head.


    The soft wool fell away, leaving me in just the blue silk bra I had carefully chosen this evening - two shades lighter than my top.


    Exposed, my skin prickled, but before my nerves could take over, his hand cupped my right breast.


    A sigh slipped from my lips, and my eyes fluttered shut. His other hand trailed teasingly over the waistband of my white trousers, dipping close but never quite low enough. His grip alternated between squeezing and caressing my breasts, switching sides with infuriating patience. My head tilted as he pressed kisses over my now bare shoulder, his lips hot and wet, his teeth tugging yfully at the thin strap of my bra.


    I drew in sharp breaths as he trailed back to my neck, each kiss anchoring me in a haze of sensation.


    "Time for these to go too," he murmured, his voice felt like velvet, as his fingers slipped under my waistband.


    <fn7d1e> Newest update provided by Find~Novel</fn7d1e>


    I didn¡¯t resist. I couldn¡¯t.


    With one deliberate tug, he drew the trousers down over my hips, dragging them along my thighs before pulling thempletely off my legs.


    A rush of awareness swept through me. I had been smart as I anticipated... something. Maybe not this, but something. That¡¯s why I had chosen a matching set - silk bra and panties in the same soft shade of blue. Yet even with the warmth of the house surrounding me, a tremor ran through me. Not from the cold. But from everything else.


    I expected his next touch. Instead, he surprised me again.


    "Sit," he ordered gently, guiding me onto the big couch.


    Confused butpliant, I settled into the cushions. My nerves were buzzing as I watched him walk toward the side table nearby, open a drawer, and retrieve something. When he returned, my brows furrowed.


    He was holding silk scarves. Two of them.


    My lips parted in question, but no words left me.


    He approached slowly, purpose clear in his eyes, and then raised one of the scarves toward my face.


    I froze.


    The soft fabric brushed against my temples, over myshes, and then tied securely at the back of my head. The world dissolved into darkness.


    My heart jumped in my chest, every nerve on edge.


    "Draven-" I started, feeling uncertain about the shift I definitely wasn¡¯t expecting.


    "Shh." His voice was calm, soothing, threaded with the quiet dominance that made my stomach twist with heat. "Rx, love. Trust me."


    And then I felt it.


    His reassurance pouring into me through our bond, steady and unyielding, and a warm promise of safety wrapped around me like a cloak. My body loosened, my pulse steadying, though anticipation still burned beneath my skin.


    My breath stuttered when he took my hands next, gently pulling them together. And then, I felt the second scarf wrapping around my wrists, the silk smooth and deceptively soft. It wasn¡¯t too tight. Secure, but not harsh.


    "Hold them here," he murmured, guiding my bound hands up until they rested against the backrest above my head.


    I obeyed. My breathing was turning shallow, and my body was beginning to thrum.


    The couch dipped beside me as he took a seat next to me. Then... warm lips grazed my neck, my shoulder, the line of my jaw. Each kiss left fire in its wake.


    When he finally reached my lips, I weed his kiss, feeling the need starting to settle in my bones. His tongue eased past my parted lips and deepening the kiss until I was feeling weak all across my body.


    He ended the kiss earlier than I expected, his lips finding its way to kiss my earlobe


    I gasped softly when his hand returned to my breasts. He tugged at the cups of my bra until they slid down, baring me to the open air. His fingers pinched, rolled, and teased at my hardened nipples, coaxing soft sounds from me no matter how hard I tried to swallow them.


    But then...


    I gasped, louder this time, when something hot and wet flicked against me. His tongue.


    A moan broke free as he sucked and licked, and just when I thought I could sink into it, the same sensation came on my other nipple.


    My heart lurched.


    Wait... two at once?


    And then it hit me in a rush.


    Oscar.


    The realization stole thest of myposure. A cry slipped past my lips. My body arched instinctively, trapped between both sensations - Draven¡¯s tongue at one peak, Oscar¡¯s at the other.


    The blindfold only intensified everything, every nerve on fire, every sound louder, every touch magnified.


    I tugged faintly against the silk binding my wrists, but it held me secure, leaving me open to them. My breaths came fast, uneven, as I tried to ground myself, but their mouths moved in tandem, relentless and devastating.


    My world narrowed to heat, silk, and sensation.


    And I waspletely at their mercy.

 Chapter 278: The Silk Scarves (I)

    <h4>Chapter 278: The Silk Scarves (I)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t know how much more I could take.


    The heat, the shivers, the maddening pull of my bonds - everything blended into one hazy, dizzying storm that kept dragging me deeper and deeper into helplessness.


    Both their mouths were at my chest, relentless and wicked, teasing me until my mind spun. Their tongues were almost in sync, circling, grazing, and flicking over my swollen buds before closing around them with wet, sucking pulls that sent sharp jolts of pleasure rushing through my veins.


    I arched against them, my back bowing and a strangled sound breaking from my lips as the twin sensations tore through me.


    My nipples had never felt so sensitive, so unbearably alive under the dual assault of their mouths. Every swirl of their tongues left my chest aching for more, every light graze of teeth left me shuddering and tugging at my restraints. My wrists strained above me, but the silk only bit deeper into my skin, a reminder of my powerlessness.


    I couldn¡¯t even tell which of them was where anymore.


    Was it Draven¡¯s mouth tugging on my right peak while Oscar licked the left, or had they switched? I swore I felt them switch ces once, maybe twice... but maybe it was only a trick, another way of keeping me from knowing who did what.


    The bond wasn¡¯t helping either. Their energy, their scents, their heat - it all was melting together, leaving me breathless and disoriented. I couldn¡¯t separate them. Couldn¡¯t distinguish which hand belonged to whom, which mouth drove me closer to the edge.


    And the worst part? I didn¡¯t care.


    Every graze, every pull, every hot drag of tongue had me whimpering and twisting. I had be a ve to the fire licking up my nerves.


    Then, I felt a hand slipping behind my back, fumbling with the sp of my bra. My heart leapt into my throat. Maybe it was Draven, or maybe Oscar - I couldn¡¯t tell, not anymore. All I knew was the soft <i>snap</i> of the sp giving way, the sudden looseness of the fabric against my chest. The bra was pulled down my arms, but with my hands bound, the straps snagged at my wrists and left it dangling uselessly.


    Not that either of them cared.


    Their mouths only grew hungrier with the fresh ess. Their lips closed over bare skin, tongues ttening over the stiff peaks as if iming what had just been unveiled. I gasped sharply, my head falling back and my body straining to meet every wet, relentless drag they gave me. Fire spread beneath my skin, while my pulse hammered so hard I swore they could feel it.


    Then it happened... one of them moved lower.


    I felt a hand on my thigh, fingers pressing down, forcing my knee to part. My breath caught as a second hand slipped between my closed thighs, moving deliberately, almost teasingly slow. My legs started trembling, my instinct fighting to stay closed, but that firm grip kept me spread, vulnerable.


    The hand brushed up my inner thigh, closer, closer... until it stopped just at the edge of my panty-covered core.


    I sucked in a sharp breath.


    My body arched instinctively, anticipating the touch, begging for it. But instead of giving me what I so desperately wanted, the hand slipped upward again, gliding over my belly, then higher, until it cupped my breast firmly and gave it a delicious squeeze.


    A moan slipped from me. Half frustration. Half need.


    But before the sound could even fade, the hand began its journey south again. This time, slower. Crueler. My chest was rising and falling in shallow gasps as fingers dragged over my navel, lower, lower still. When they finally brushed over my covered folds, the touch was so light, so fleeting, that it made me jerk against them. My thighs were trembling with the effort to push forward and hold them there.


    The fingers grazed me again, not pulling away this time, and then slipped under the waistband of my panties.


    I froze, only for a heartbeat, before the heat of skin on skin consumed me.


    Those fingers found my folds, slick and already aching. They parted me with sinful ease, spreading the wetness before seeking out the swollen bundle of nerves throbbing with need. The moment they pressed against my clit, I cried out, the sound raw and desperate, my body jerking against the sensation.


    A chuckle answered me. Low. Dark. Taunting.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was Draven or Oscar. I couldn¡¯t focus enough to care. My entire world narrowed to the wicked fingers stroking me.


    Slow. Lazy. Drawing tight circles over my clit before dipping lower, sliding two fingers inside me.


    The sudden stretch made my knees tremble while another broken moan spilled out as my head fell forward. They pumped into me at a slow, steady rhythm, the heel of the hand pressing down while the thumb teased my clit again. My chest heaved, my nipples still caught between their mouths.


    The dual assault was too much.


    The wet suction of lips at my peaks, the hot swirl of tongues tugging me tighter, the steady rhythm of fingers plunging into me while the thumb teased my clit... it was a storm, pulling me under. My body clenched and tightened, my cries growing louder, breath breaking into gasps.


    It barely took more than a couple of minutes before I shattered.


    The orgasm ripped through me, sharp and merciless, leaving me crying out as the world went white behind my closed eyes. My body trembled violently against them, legs shaking, wrists pulling desperately at their bonds as I rode the overwhelming wave. Pleasure coursed through me in hot, shaking bursts until I sagged against the cushions behind me, breathless and chest heaving.


    I barely registered the mouths finally pulling away from my swollen nipples, the fingers slipping from inside me.


    But I did hear the whisper.


    Hot breath against my ear, the voice deep and rough.


    "I¡¯m dying to taste you, love," Draven murmured.


    The words sent a fresh shiver rolling down my spine, goosebumps prickling over my heated skin. My breath caught again, and a weak sound broke from my lips.


    <fn3f7e> Newest update provided by f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn3f7e>


    But before I could even answer, before I could even prepare myself, I felt the shift of weight, the brush of movement between my legs.


    Someone was there, slipping lower.


    Maybe it was Oscar. Maybe it was Draven. I couldn¡¯t tell.


    Maybe I was tripping. Maybe they wanted me lost like this.


    But all I knew was that whatever came next... I was powerless to stop it.

 Chapter 279: The Silk Scarves (II)

    <h4>Chapter 279: The Silk Scarves (II)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My body was still trembling from the first climax, the aftershocks shuddering through me when I felt fingers slipping under the waistband of my panty on either sides of m,y hips and pulling the fabric down.


    My bodyplied immediately, maybe even before my brain gave the signal. And just like that, I waspletely naked.


    I felt the person settling between my thighs, the brush of his shoulder, the warmth of his breath ghosting over my already sensitive core.


    I sucked in a breath, my bound hands twitching above me as I tried to lean up on instinct even though I was blindfolded, but a palm pressed against my sternum and pushed me firmly back against the cushions. I stayed pinned, breathless, with no choice but to feel.


    And oh Moon Goddess, I felt everything.


    A slow exhale washed over my folds, hot and teasing, raising goosebumps across my damp skin. My hips jerked forward instinctively, chasing it, but a hand mped down on my thigh, keeping me still. The grip was iron, leaving no room for disobedience.


    Then... finally... lips.


    The first kissnded just at the crease of my thigh, far from where I wanted them. A slow, deliberate press of mouth to skin, followed by another just beside it. My head fell back while frustration curled in my belly, every nerve ending burning in anticipation.


    They were drawing it out.


    Another kiss, higher. Another, lower. Soft, iming, almost reverent - each one dragging me higher, tighter, without even touching where I needed them most. My breath hitched, a broken sound catching in my throat.


    And then... finally... the first wet stroke of tongue over my folds.


    I nearly cried out.


    The touch was slow, a long,nguid drag that parted me easily, the heat of their mouth pressing in close. My legs started trembling violently, knees straining against the grip that were holding them apart. My hips tried to arch forward, but the hand pinning me kept me down, forcing me to take whatever rhythm they chose to give.


    The tongue circledzily once, twice, before dipping lower, stroking through my slick folds, teasing at my entrance before gliding back up. When it finally brushed over my clit, the jolt made me gasp aloud, a shudder wracking my body.


    I couldn¡¯t tell who it was.


    Draven had always carried a certain wickedness in his touch, a yful cruelty that made me ache. Oscar, though, was darker, more deliberate, like he wanted to consume me whole. But here, now... tongue swirling over me, lips closing to suck gently on my clit before pulling back to lick again... I couldn¡¯t separate them.


    Maybe they wanted me confused.


    Maybe that was the point.


    While the mouth worked between my thighs, the other hand - whose hand, I couldn¡¯t say - returned to my chest. Fingers pinched and rolled my swollen nipple, tugging lightly before soothing it with a soft rub. My whole body twisted at the dual sensation, torn between the wet heat below and the sharp flickers above.


    I moaned helplessly, the broken sound filling the air.


    The tongue moved faster now, flicking over my clit in quick, merciless strokes before ttening against me and dragging slowly up through my folds again. The rhythm was maddening - fast and slow, relentless and teasing all at once. My thighs trembled harder, my wrists tugging desperately at the bonds, wanting... needing... to sink my fingers into someone¡¯s hair, to anchor myself to something solid.


    But I couldn¡¯t. I was bound, spread, open and helpless under them.


    The thought only made the heat spiral tighter.


    Then came the fingers.


    Two of them slid inside me again without warning, filling me, stretching me, pumping in a rhythm that matched the tongue working over my clit. I cried out loudly this time, my back arching clean off the surface.


    My body was a mess of sensations - the wet suction at my clit, the pumping fingers curling deep inside me, the sharp tug at my nipple. It was too much, too sharp, too good.


    "Please-" I gasped, not even knowing what I was begging for. Release? More? To know who was breaking me apart like this? My voice dissolved into another moan as the tongue pressed harder against my clit, circling, sucking, teasing me right to the edge.


    The chuckle came again - dark, low, vibrating against my skin where his mouth was buried between my thighs.


    It wrecked me.


    Pleasure coiled hotter, tighter, my body clenching helplessly around the fingers driving into me. Every stroke, every lick, every flick of tongue sent me higher until I couldn¡¯t breathe, couldn¡¯t think, couldn¡¯t do anything but fall apart.


    The orgasm ripped through me violently.


    Stronger than the first.


    It tore a cry from my throat. My body convulsed as the pleasure burst sharp and overwhelming. My thighs shook uncontrobly, my hips jerking against the mouth that didn¡¯t stop, that kept licking, sucking, teasing even as I shattered. I was clenching so hard around the fingers inside me that I thought I might break. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes from the sheer force of the orgasm, dampening the silk covering them.


    <fn4aa9> For original chapters go to find[f]ovel</fn4aa9>


    The wave kept rolling, over and over, leaving me trembling, gasping, utterly undone.


    I copsed back, with my chest heaving and every nerve ending alight. My body was still twitching with aftershocks as the mouth finally pulled away from my thoroughly devoured core.


    But even then, even as Iy there wrecked and panting, I couldn¡¯t tell who it had been.


    Draven? Oscar?


    The bonds between us swirled, tangled, making the heat and energy indistinguishable. Maybe they were both in on it. Maybe the one who had whispered wasn¡¯t the one who went down on me at all.


    I didn¡¯t know.


    And I was slowlying to the realization that this was my punishment that Draven had prepared -pletely at loss to tell them apart, not being able to see them pleasure me or to be able to touch them.


    He surely was cruel.

 Chapter 280: The Silk Scarves (III)

    <h4>Chapter 280: The Silk Scarves (III)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong><fncd09> Original content can be found at Find1Novel</fncd09>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The aftershocks were still rippling through me, leaving my chest heaving, my skin flushed, and my body twitching with the echoes of the second orgasm. My arms ached where they were bound, but the ache was drowned under the heavy, molten heat still pooling low in my belly.


    And then... warmth.


    A mouth brushed over mine, soft but unyielding, iming me before I had the chance to even take another breath. My heart pounded as I tried to recognize who it was. But when lips parted mine and a tongue slid between them, my heart lurched.


    I tasted myself.


    Not the sharp tang of Draven¡¯s darker, spiced essence, nor the subtle sweetness that always clung to Oscar. No, this was me. My own taste smeared across his lips, spread on his tongue, making it impossible to tell who it was.


    A groan broke from my throat, muffled into the kiss - half frustration, half surrender.


    The man chuckled lowly into my mouth, the vibration passing into me as he cupped the back of my head, holding me firmly in ce. His grip was strong, steady,manding. I could do nothing but melt into it, my body arching weakly as the kiss deepened, tongues tangling, his taste and mine mixing into something that stole my breath.


    When the kiss finally broke, my head was spinning, lips swollen, chest still heaving as if I hadn¡¯t been given air. Before I could even gather my bearings, strong arms slid beneath me.


    I gasped as I was lifted off the couch, my bound wrists brushing against his chest.


    The sound of footsteps followed, firm and unhurried. Then the creak of a hinge. A door opened, closed. My ears strained, my heart racing.


    Then... softness.


    The sheets beneath me were cool, making me shiver as my overheated skin met them. A low sigh left me as I shifted, the faint chill was a shocking contrast to the heat radiating through my body.


    I didn¡¯t have time to savor it.


    Because they were both there.


    Mouths, hot and insistent, trailing over my body again, stealing any sense of space or time. Lips grazed my belly, my sides, my breasts, my throat - greedy, iming, tasting every inch of me.


    Then a mouth found mine again. I recognized it instantly... the same one from before. The same faint taste of myself lingering on the tongue as it slid against mine, deepening the kiss until I was gasping, moaning into him, giving up all hope of separating one man from the other.


    My body arched helplessly into the kiss, and that was when I felt movement between my legs.


    The sheets dipped as someone settled lower, spreading my thighs gently but firmly. My breath caught when I felt his skin brushing mine, hot and bare. At some point, while I had been lost in the dizzying kiss, the other one had shed his clothes.


    My mind spun at the realization.


    And then I felt him.


    The thick length of him pressed against my folds, hard and unyielding, sliding slowly over my slick heat. He rubbed deliberately over my swollen clit, teasing, sending sharp sparks racing through my already overstimted body. My hips jerked involuntarily, chasing the sensation.


    Being pregnant made my body more sensitive than ever. Every brush, every touch, every press of his length over my folds had me gasping, thighs trembling, belly tightening faintly with the strain of pleasure.


    The head of his length nudged against me again, sliding easily through the wetness coating my folds. My body clenched in anticipation, knowing what wasing, helpless against the instinctive need to be filled.


    And then... he pressed forward.


    The blunt tip slipped inside me with sinful ease as my body yielded without resistance. A strangled moan tore from me as I felt him stretch me, fill me, sink deeper, inch by inch. My head fell back against the sheets, lips parting in a wordless cry as my body adjusted around the thick intrusion.


    It was almost too much - pregnancy had made me tighter, more sensitive, every nerve ending sharper. The sensation was overwhelming, drawing a helpless whimper from my throat.


    A mouth swallowed that sound.


    The same mouth, the same taste, pressing hard against mine as if to silence me, as if to im me entirely. His tongue tangled with mine, rough and demanding, while below, the other man¡¯s hardness seated fully inside me with one final thrust.


    I was filledpletely, stretched around him, my body fluttering helplessly in response.


    He didn¡¯t linger.


    The moment I adjusted, he pulled back only to drive into me again - slow at first, deliberate, making me feel every thick inch of him. My thighs started trembling violently as the rhythm built, each thrust pushing deeper, dragging against every sensitive ce inside me.


    My bound wrists tugged desperately above my head, my chest heaving, breasts bouncing with each roll of his hips. My belly shifted faintly with the force of it, a reminder of the child inside me, but even that only heightened the sensation, made me more aware of how utterly consumed I was by the two men around me.


    The one kissing me groaned into my mouth, cupping the side of my head, keeping me pressed against him as if he couldn¡¯t bear to let me go.


    The one inside me was moving faster now, hips snapping against mine, his length sliding through my slick heat, every thrust rubbing against the swollen bundle of nerves inside that made stars burst behind my eyes.


    I broke the kiss with a cry, my head thrashing against the pillows.


    I couldn¡¯t tell who it was.


    Was it Oscar¡¯s yful cruelty that had him pounding into me this way, or Draven¡¯s dark hunger that made him im my mouth so mercilessly? My bonds blurred it all, the taste, the heat, the rhythm, leaving me lost, floating, drowning in pleasure.


    Another thrust hit deep, and I shattered again.


    My body mped around him hard, the orgasm tearing through me with brutal force. I cried out, raw and breathless, my back arching high as I clenched around him while trembling uncontrobly. My belly tightened faintly again, heat spilling through me in wave after wave until I copsed back against the sheets, boneless, gasping.


    But he didn¡¯t stop.


    Even as I trembled and broke beneath him, he kept moving, relentless, each thrust drawing out the pleasure, keeping me trapped in the spiral of sensation.


    And above me, that same mouth descended again, swallowing my moans, iming me with every heated stroke of tongue.


    I couldn¡¯t tell who was who.


    And maybe... I didn¡¯t want to.

 Chapter 281: The Silk Scarves (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 281: The Silk Scarves (IV)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t know how long I had been lost to them.


    Time didn¡¯t exist anymore. Only sensation. Only heat. Only the steady rhythm of his hips mming into mine, stretching me, filling me, taking me.


    My chest heaved as air tore in and out of my lungs, and my blindfold pressed against my skin, turning my world into darkness. Every sense was stolen, narrowed until there was nothing but the sound of my moans, their low groans, and the slick, obscene sounds of our bodies colliding.


    The man inside me was relentless, his thrusts hard, deep, angled just so that every stroke rubbed against the ce inside me that made me cry out. I could feel my body shift faintly under the force, a reminder of how vulnerable I was, how close to the edge of breakingpletely.


    My body was already wrung out from the first three orgasms, trembling, oversensitive... but he gave me no escape. His length drove into me again and again, stretching me tighter, pushing me higher.


    And I shattered.


    Another orgasm ripped through me like lightning, raw and merciless. I screamed, my body bowing sharply against the binds as the pleasure tore through my core. My walls mped down on him hard, pulsing, fluttering around his length. I felt him groan against my skin, his pace faltering for the first time.


    Then, suddenly, he was gone - slipping almost fully out before he drove in onest time with a guttural sound.


    Heat flooded me, filling me deep, pulsing hot and thick inside until I gasped at the sheer intensity of it. My body clenched around him instinctively, milking him, holding him as if I didn¡¯t want to let him go.


    I copsed back, boneless, trembling from head to toe, my chest rising and falling in ragged gasps. My mind spun, barely tethered to my body, bliss still pulsing through me in violent aftershocks.


    But I wasn¡¯t given time to recover.


    The moment his weight shifted away, strong hands grabbed me, rolling me onto my side. My blindfold kept the world ck, but I could feel everything - the cool sheets against my cheek, the binds tugging against my wrists. A hand curled under my thigh and lifted it, spreading me open even as I whimpered from overstimtion.


    And then, I felt him.


    The second one.


    Thicker, hotter, pressing against my soaked entrance with no hesitation. My body, already drenched and stretched from the first, offered no resistance. He slid in with one deep, sure thrust, burying himself inside me until I gasped aloud, arching into the sheets.


    The sudden fullness stole the air from my lungs, a sharp cry breaking from me as my body clenched violently around him. I was still pulsing, still trembling from thest orgasm, and now he was there, filling me anew, stretching me all over again.


    I couldn¡¯t think. Couldn¡¯t breathe. Couldn¡¯tprehend anything but him.


    He didn¡¯t start slow.


    No teasing. No testing.


    He drove into me with a hunger that bordered on savage, hips snapping hard, the sound of flesh meeting flesh filling the air. My bound wrists jerked where he was holding them above my head, while I clung desperately to the sheets, blind and helpless, every nerve lit on fire.


    The new angle had me moaning uncontrobly. Each thrust pushed him deeper, hitting ces inside me that had me crying out, begging though I didn¡¯t even know what for. My belly was pressed into the sheets, my swollen breasts were brushing against the fabric, the binds biting harder into my wrists as my body twisted and strained under him.


    A mouth found mine again.


    Hot. Demanding. Familiar.


    <fn7cb6> Discover more novels at Find[F]ovel</fn7cb6>


    I didn¡¯t taste myself on his tongue. But I still couldn¡¯t tell who he was. He swallowed my cries, my gasps, his hand cupping the back of my head as he kissed me with brutal possession.


    My mind was spinning.


    Who was inside me now? Oscar? Draven? Did it matter? The bonds made their energies blur together, left me drowning in heat and confusion. All I knew was the ruthless pace of his thrusts, the slick slide of his length, the way my body pulsed and fluttered helplessly around him.


    I broke the kiss with a sob, my blindfold turning damp as I cried out again.


    The overstimtion was unbearable.


    Every thrust rubbed against my clit, every deep stroke pressed against the ache inside me, every kiss stole my breath. My body, already pushed past its limit, spiraled toward another climax I couldn¡¯t stop even if I had wanted to.


    "Please-" The word broke from my lips, weak and raw, swallowed again by the kiss.


    He didn¡¯t stop.


    If anything, he moved harder, faster, his hips mming against mine with relentless force. The hand on my thigh tightened, holding me wide open, forcing me to take every brutal stroke. My bound wrists ached, my throat burned from the moans spilling out of me, and my body clenched faintly with the strain.


    The orgasm tore through me with violent force.


    The fifth one.


    I screamed into the kiss, my body convulsing, walls mping down so tight around him that I felt his rhythm falter. My legs trembled violently. My hips jerked helplessly as the climax ripped me apart, wave after wave crashing through me until I thought I might break.


    And still he moved.


    Through my shuddering release, he thrust into me, chasing his own. My body fluttered around him, pulling him deeper, milking him until finally, with a guttural growl, he mmed into me onest time and spilled himself deep inside.


    Hot. Thick. Filling mepletely until I whimpered at the sensation of being so utterly imed again.


    The world spun around me.


    I copsed against the sheets, trembling, my chest heaving as thest aftershocks faded. I could feel them both - one¡¯s weight still pressing into me, the other¡¯s lips brushing faintly over my damp cheek.


    I still didn¡¯t know who was who.


    And I was too tired to care anymore.

 Chapter 282: In Their Arms

    <h4>Chapter 282: In Their Arms</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Iy there, trembling, every muscle in my body aching from the intensity of what they had put me through. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath.


    Someone finally freed my wrists, but they felt heavy, useless, like they belonged to someone else. The blindfold was gone too secondster, but my eyes remained closed, refusing to meet theirs.


    I could still feel them on me - warm hands smoothing over my belly, fingers ghosting over my hips, lips pressing kisses over the marks they had left on my skin. My body was humming with aftershocks, my thighs felt weak, and my core was still pulsing faintly from thest wave they had dragged me into. Yet I didn¡¯t give them a word. Not even a sigh in response.


    I was mad.


    Or at least I wanted to be.


    They had pushed me, yed me, left me confused, lost, floating in a sea where I couldn¡¯t tell whose touch belonged to whom. I had begged in ways I never thought I would, broken apart in their hands... and instead of giving me rity, they drowned me in mystery.


    So I stayed silent.


    If they wanted my words, they would have to earn them.


    The bed dipped as one of them moved, and then a warm, damp cloth brushed against my skin. I startled at the touch, myshes fluttering open only for me to quickly avert my gaze, staring at the wall instead of at them. The cloth moved carefully over my chest, down my belly, between my thighs - gentle now, tender, so unlike the ruthless way they had imed me just moments ago.


    "You are still shaking, love" Draven murmured, his voice low and coaxing. "Don¡¯t hold it in, Eva. Let us take care of you."


    I pressed my lips tighter, refusing to answer.


    I felt him shifting closer before his arm slid beneath my shoulders and he pulled me against his chest. His familiar scent wrapped around me, and I was finally able to tell him apart from Oscar. He brushed his fingers through my hair, slow and unhurried, as if untangling the chaos they had left me in.


    "Mad at us, hm?" he whispered against my temple. There was a smile in his tone. A knowing one. "I can feel it... you want to re at us, don¡¯t you? But you can¡¯t even keep your eyes open."


    I exhaled sharply through my nose, trying to push against his chest, but it was half-hearted at best. My strength was gone, and he knew it.


    Oscar returned with a fresh cloth, this one warm instead of damp, and he pressed it against my inner thighs, cleaning me with patience. Every stroke was careful, reverent almost, like he was afraid I would break apartpletely if he wasn¡¯t gentle enough.


    "Easy, sweetheart," he murmured when my hips twitched from the sensitivity. "We have got you."


    I wanted to tell him to stop calling me that, but the word wrapped itself around me, softening the edges of my anger.


    When he finished, the cloth was taken away, and then I felt the brush of a nket being pulled over me. Thick, soft, smelling faintly ofvender. Draven adjusted both of us, tucking the nket around my shoulders, his hand smoothing down my arm as though sealing me inside the warmth.


    "You are too quiet," he teased gently, his lips brushing my hairline. "Usually by now, you would have started arguing. Telling me exactly what you think of my punishment."


    I turned my face into his chest, hiding my expression.


    <fn4140> Read full story at find~novel</fn4140>


    Maybe I wanted to argue. Maybe I wanted to scold them for pushing me that far when this was my first time with both of them together, for not letting me catch my breath, for making me fall apart so helplessly. But the truth was... I didn¡¯t regret it. Not the way they touched me, not the way they made me feel alive, even when my body ached and my heart burned with frustration.


    I hated that they knew me too well. That they knew silence was never my weapon... it was my shield.


    "Don¡¯t be mad, little mate," Oscar said, his voice softer now. He had settled on the other side of me, his fingers trailing over the barely there swell of my belly. He caressed it with such care that my chest squeezed. "You are everything to us. You know that, don¡¯t you?"


    My throat tightened, but I didn¡¯t answer.


    He pressed a kiss against my belly, right where our pup shifted faintly under his palm. "You have every right to be mad... but let me remind you, not once you asked us to stop."


    That was right. I couldn¡¯t argue about that. I didn¡¯t ask them to stop because I didn¡¯t want them to stop.


    Draven shifted his hold on me, pulling me even closer, until I had no choice but to melt against him. His hand slid up my back, rubbing slow, soothing circles. "It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll spoil you until you forgive us," he whispered, his lips brushing my ear. "Stroke that stubbornness away until you are soft again."


    A tiny sound escaped me before I could hold it back - a half-groan, half-whimper of frustration. He chuckled, the sound vibrating against me.


    "There it is," he said softly. "The sound I was waiting for."


    I wanted to re at him, but my eyelids were too heavy. My body was exhausted, sinking deeper into the mattress with each passing moment. Their warmth surrounded me, one pressed against my front, the other against my back, their bodies creating a cocoon I couldn¡¯t escape.


    And maybe... I didn¡¯t want to.


    Because for all my stubbornness, all my silence, the truth was that my heart was already melting under their touch.


    The kisses to my temple, the hand in my hair, the tender strokes over my belly... it was too much. Too much to keep holding onto the anger when every inch of me was wrapped in their love.


    "Sleep, mate," Draven whispered as he kissed my forehead.


    Oscar moved closer, his bare chest pressed against my bare back. Then, I felt the soft brush of his lips on the back of my neck.


    I let out a shaky breath, my resistance slipping away. Myshes fluttered closed, and this time, I didn¡¯t fight it.


    Thest thing I felt was their arms tightening around me, their breaths syncing with mine, their warmth seeping into my bones. And then, finally, I let go - falling asleep in the only ce I couldn¡¯t pretend to be angry.


    In their arms.

 Chapter 283: They Planned Everything

    <h4>Chapter 283: They nned Everything</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The shrill buzz of my rm sliced through the stillness of the room, dragging me unwillingly out of sleep. For a moment, Iy there confused, blinking against the soft glow that wasing from a dimmp nearby.


    I found myself cocooned in warmth, familiar andforting, and I buried my face deeper into the pillow with a faint groan.


    But then it hit me.


    This wasn¡¯t my room at the Academy. This wasn¡¯t my bed. The steady rhythm of a heartbeat beneath my ear reminded me I wasn¡¯t even alone.


    I froze. Slowly, I tilted my head upward and met thezy half-awake eyes of Oscar, his arm still draped possessively over my waist. On my other side, Draven stirred, muttering something under his breath as if he was annoyed at the rm for disturbing his peace.


    Heat rushed to my face instantly. Memories fromst night - every whispered word, every searing kiss, every moment they had unraveled me - came crashing back like a tidal wave. My entire body flushed hot, my skin prickling with the ghost of their touch. I swallowed hard, wishing I could somehow sink into the mattress and disappear.


    Four times. They had pushed me to the brink four times until I was trembling and boneless in their arms. And now, lying between them in the quiet aftermath, I didn¡¯t know if I wanted to scream, run, or hide.


    Oscar¡¯s lips curved into a faint smile as his eyes roamed over my burning face. "Morning, little mate," he murmured, his voice husky with sleep.


    I didn¡¯t answer. I couldn¡¯t. My heart was pounding so fast I thought they could hear it echo in the room.


    Instead, I scrambled upright, clutching the nket to my chest like a shield. "It¡¯s Sunday," I blurted, more to myself than them. "The internship. I-I need to get to headquarters-"


    Panic surged through me. My schedule shed in my mind, the half day I was supposed to spend working on the Nightshade Pack¡¯s report. And me? I was here, away from the academy and tangled in bed with two mates who seemed far too calm about it.


    Draven finally opened his eyes. He sat up, stretching with azy elegance, and then said simply, "Rx. You¡¯ll be there on time."


    "Rx?" I asked, my voice carrying my inner turmoil. "I don¡¯t even have clothes, Draven! I can¡¯t show up in-" I nced down at the nket that was the only thing keeping me covered.


    Draven¡¯s lips twitched, but he didn¡¯t smile. He reached to the nightstand, picked up my phone, and handed it to me. "I already thought of that. You don¡¯t need to worry about clothes. Everything you¡¯ll need is here."


    I blinked at him. "Everything?"


    He nodded once, matter-of-fact. "Fresh clothes, toiletries, whatever you would need. I made sure of it."


    That only made my blush deepen. My mates had nned all of this - like they knew I would end up staying the night. Like they had expected me to break.


    "You should text Mr. Wood," he added calmly. "Tell him not toe pick you up. Oscar and I will drop you at headquarters."


    Oscar hummed in agreement, still sprawled on the bed like he had no intention of moving. "Unless you would rather show up with bed hair and wearing our clothes," he teased.


    My re shot to him immediately, but it only earned me a low chuckle. My face felt like it was on fire. Without answering either of them, I pulled the nket off them. Clutching it tightly around me, I climbed out of bed and padded toward the bathroom.


    I could feel their eyes on me as I walked, the heavy weight of their attention like invisible fingers brushing over my skin. My legs wobbled slightly, still sore fromst night, and I hated how much it reminded me of everything.


    Inside the bathroom, I paused. My breath caught.


    They really had prepared everything. A toothbrush, still sealed in its package. My favorite shower gel and the shampoo brand I used were neatly ced on the counter. Even a light green bathrobe and a soft towel were sitting folded on the rack.


    Standing in front of the mirror, I pressed the heels of my palms against my burning cheeks. "What am I doing," I whispered to myself.


    I should have been furious. Embarrassed. Determined to keep distance. But instead, my heart felt like it was unraveling thread by thread, pulled by their quiet care, their maddening calmness. Even when they had taken me apartst night, they had been careful with me. Even now, they were making sure I didn¡¯t have to worry about the small things.


    I hated how much that meant to me.


    Shaking my head, I quickly freshen up before heading out. Oscar was still in bed while Draven was on his phone. Thetter looked up even he heard my movement.


    Even before I could have said anything, he made his way toward me and handed me a short that looked just my size, and... a shirt that undoubtedly belonged to him.


    "Thank you," I said as I took the clothes and headed back to the bathroom to get dressed.


    <fn3304> Find the newest release on fin?novel</fn3304>


    I was too sore to do my morning stretching and exercises, so I decided to return to the bed and go through my history presentation on my phone.


    By the time I finished revising all thirty slides, I heard the shower running in the bathroom. Oscar was still in the bed, which meant it was Draven who slipped inside while I was focused. Of course, he would be up and moving before anyone else. That was just like him.


    I put aside my phone, and pulled my hair into a messy bun as I listened to the faint ssh of water behind the door. For a second, a dangerous thought crossed my mind - how it would feel to join him, the heat of his body under the spray - but I quickly shook it off. Absolutely not.


    Instead, I sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling through my phone as I drafted a message to Mr. Wood.


    <i>Good morning, Mr. Wood. You can have the day off today. My friend will be dropping and picking me up today.</i>


    When Draven emerged, towel slung around his waist and droplets of water still clinging to his skin, I snapped my eyes away instantly, pretending to be very invested in my phone screen. My face felt like it mightbust.


    "Bathroom¡¯s free," he said, his tone carrying a teasing undertone. But he didn¡¯t say anything further and stepped out of the bedroom without another word.


    I exhaled shakily, then stood and gathered the courage to head for the shower myself.


    But just as I stepped inside and reached for the door to close it... a hand caught it from the other side, and in the next second Oscar slipped in, shutting it firmly behind him.

 Chapter 284: Already Hers

    <h4>Chapter 284: Already Hers</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    I kept my gaze fixed on her wide, startled eyes as the bathroom door clicked shut. She had been about to close the door on me, but I slipped in before she could. For once, I couldn¡¯t help it.


    I wasn¡¯t supposed to want this much. I wasn¡¯t supposed to need this badly. And yet... here I was, my chest tight, my heartbeat unsteady, my gaze locked on the one person who could shatter me with a single word.


    Her lips parted, just the smallest bit. "Oscar..."


    That sound alone nearly undid me.


    I had built my whole life on restraint, on keeping myself controlled and unshakable. River led, Kieranforted, Draven fought - but me? I had been the silent shadow, the calcting one, the cold and untouchable one. And everyone believed it. Everyone thought nothing could touch me.


    But she did. My mate did.


    Every time her amber eyes found mine, I felt it... the unraveling. Every time her hand touched me, I burned. Every time she breathed my name, I broke a little more inside.


    And here, in the silence of the bathroom, she was staring at me with questions swarming her beautiful eyes.


    I reached for her before I could think. My fingers brushed her arm, then slid down until they caught her wrist. I wasn¡¯t rough. I wouldn¡¯t dare after previous night.


    Letting go of her wrist, I started unbuttoning Draven¡¯s shirt she had put on earlier. I removed it and put it aside on the counter. Then I crouched to pull down the shorts, and sheplied without a single word.


    Thest piece of fabric to go was my own pajama. The moment we both were naked, I pulled her into the shower and turned on the warm water.


    The sound of rushing water filled the space between us, but it wasn¡¯t enough to drown out the pounding of my heart.


    "Don¡¯t run from me," I said quietly, the words almost breaking against my tongue.


    She blinked, surprised. And then, she smiled.


    Her body softened, leaning into mine, and in that moment I knew... I wasn¡¯t going to be able to keep myself restrained for too long.


    The heat of the shower sprayed against us, soaking both of us as I bent down and pressed my lips to her forehead. It was such a simple kiss, such a small thing, and yet I felt the weight of it in my chest. She stilled against me, her breath hitching, her hands moving to my waist before she finally touched me back.


    Her fingers came in contact with my bare skin, clinging. And I - Moon Goddess help me - I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding.


    <fndea8> Th?s chapter is updated by F?ndNovel</fndea8>


    I cupped her face in my hands, tilting her head up, and when our eyes met, there was no thought, no restraint left in me. Just her. Always her.


    When my lips brushed hers, I swore my entire world shifted. The first kiss was soft, testing. But when she sighed against my mouth, the dam inside me broke.


    I deepened it, desperate and aching, my tongue brushing hers, swallowing her small sounds. She rose on her toes to meet me halfway, pressing herself against me with a need that echoed my own. And suddenly, there was no space left. No distance.


    I pressed her back against the tiled wall, my palms braced on either side of her head as I kissed her like she was the only thing that mattered. Because she was.


    "Eva," I murmured against her lips, my voice rougher than I had intended. "You have no idea..."


    Hershes fluttered. "Then show me."


    I wasn¡¯t expecting her to say that, not after knowing fully well how sore she was afterst night.


    The water streamed over her shoulders, over the curve of her neck, and I bent to taste it, to taste her. My lips moved along the line of her throat, down to the hollow of her corbone. She shivered, and when I felt it, my chest constricted painfully.


    I wanted to mark every inch of her, to memorize her skin beneath my mouth. My wolf kept telling me that we should mark her, im her as ours for the rest of her life.


    But I couldn¡¯t do it. Not now. Before marking her, all four of us needed to sit down and talk. And right now, her rtion with River was too fragile for such an important talk.


    I was pulled out of my thoughts when she lightly nipped at my lower lip, taking me aback for a second before I was consumed by her kiss.


    She arched into me, her fingers threading into my hair, holding me closer as if she couldn¡¯t stand the thought of letting go. And stars, the sound that tore from me then... it wasn¡¯t something I would ever let another person hear. A low, broken groan.


    She had no idea what she was doing to me. Or maybe she did.


    Her softest touches were enough to undo everything I thought I was. Every drag of her nails along my neck. Every sigh against my ear. Every quiet gasp when I pushed closer.


    I wasn¡¯t just kissing her anymore... I was worshipping her.


    When I finally entered her, it wasn¡¯t with the roughness she experiencedst night. No, there was only reverence. My hands shook as I held her hips, guiding her slowly, carefully, until she gasped against my shoulder.


    I buried my face in her neck, my breaths uneven, my chest pressing to hers as though I needed her heartbeat to keep me steady.


    "Eva," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Mine."


    She clung to me tighter, her nails biting into my back, and I knew she had heard me.


    Every thrust was measured, tender despite the desperation burning through me.


    Her cries filled the bathroom, her body trembling against mine, and I kissed away every sound, every shiver, every tear of pleasure that escaped her. I wanted to take it all, wanted to give her more, wanted to be the reason she forgot everything else.


    And when her body clenched around me, when she shattered with my name on her lips, I lost myselfpletely.


    The release tore through me, but even then, I couldn¡¯t stop holding her. Couldn¡¯t stop murmuring her name like it was the only word I would ever need.


    Afterward, I didn¡¯t let go. Not even when she sagged against me, breathless and weak. I held her in my arms under the warm spray of water, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other tracing slow circles down her spine.


    Her cheek pressed against my chest, and I swore I could feel her heartbeat syncing with mine.


    And in that fragile silence, I realized that I had long lost this battle.


    I was already hers. Entirely, hopelessly, and irrevocably hers.

 Chapter 285: Clash of Scents

    <h4>Chapter 285: sh of Scents</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My body was sore in ces I hadn¡¯t known could ache, and my cheeks burned when my mind betrayed me with shes of the night... and the shower earlier that had nearly stolen every ounce of strength from me.


    The two men had finally left me alone to get ready, and I was grateful because otherwise I would be runningte.


    It turned out Draven had bought a couple of pairs of clothes for me in case of such... emergencies. There were options for formal, casual, and even pajamas. Every color, every style, every print was ording to my preference. And the realization of how thoughtful and attentive he was, made my heart fill with warmth.


    I chose dark blue trousers, a white woolen turtleneck top, a beige long coat, and my white boots toplete the look.


    There was even skincare and makeup products, but I only used the former. I pulled my freshly blown out hair in a low ponytail and put on my charm bracelet and the pendant - both gifts from my mates.


    Once I was ready, I pulled my phone out of charging and headed out of the room. Draven was still in the kitchen while Oscar was busy setting up the dining table.


    As I made my way to the dining table, he pulled out a chair for me to sit. But the moment I did, my body protested, making me wince a little.


    "You are sore," he stated simply, as if he could feel the ache in my bones himself.


    I turned my head to look at him, my eyebrows arched high.


    His mouth curved just slightly. It was barely a smile, but enough to undo me. "Don¡¯t be mad, little mate. I¡¯ll give you a massageter. An hour, at least. So you can sit through your studying tonight without wincing every time you shift."


    My heart gave a stupid flutter. He always said things like that, as if his way of loving was in the quiet promises, the unshakable care hidden beneath steel.


    Before I could answer, Draven¡¯s voice carried back from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready!"


    The warmth of the food pulled me in despite myself. Draven had prepared a hearty meal - thick vegetable stew, warm bread fresh from the oven, and spiced tea that filled the little house with a fragrantfort.


    "Sorry about the soreness, sweetheart." Draven said as he took his seat at the table.


    I narrowed my eyes at him, but he only winked and slid a steaming bowl in front of me. "Here, drink this." He set down a small vial filled with shimmering liquid. "Potion to ease the aches. Won¡¯t erase everything, but it¡¯ll help."


    Oscar leaned back in his chair, watching me with that unreadable stare of his. "Take it," he said. "Don¡¯t argue."


    I sighed, but obeyed, the warmth of the potion spreading through me slowly, numbing the sharp edges of soreness. When I finally lifted my gaze from the meal, both men were watching me with quiet satisfaction, as if mypliance was enough to make their morning whole.


    "Don¡¯t look at me like that," I muttered, tearing a piece of bread.


    "Like what?" Draven smirked.


    "Like I¡¯m... yours."


    Oscar¡¯s voice cut in, firm and certain. "That¡¯s because you are."


    Heat flushed up my neck, but I busied myself with food instead of replying.


    Later, Draven drove me to the Council HQ, the forest path winding down the mountain nketed in snow. His hand kept slipping over to my thigh, his thumb brushingzily against my skin even as he kept his eyes on the road.


    "You¡¯ll be back before evening, right?" he asked.


    "Half day," I nodded.


    "Good. Don¡¯t overwork yourself. One of us wille to pick you up."


    When the car rolled to a stop outside the HQ, he didn¡¯t let me leave right away. His hand caught my wrist, tugging me back into a long, lingering kiss that left my lips tingling and my cheeks warm. By the time he let me go, I was flustered and nearlyte.


    "Go," he said with a grin, voice low. "Or I¡¯ll keep you here all day."


    I shoved him lightly before stepping out into the cold.


    The moment I stepped into River¡¯s office, my smile abandoned me.


    He was there.


    Seated behind his desk. His presence was filling the entire room, heavy and suffocating like the weight of the storm outside. His deep green eyes lifted the second I entered, and my steps faltered.


    "River..." I whispered.


    His gaze sharpened, darkening as it swept over me. And then, before I could even breathe, his nostrils red.


    My heart skipped.


    His jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing with something dangerous. "Oscar. Draven." His voice was low, sharp enough to cut through air. "You are covered in their scents."


    My entire face went up in mes.


    <fndc6b> Find the newest release on find[f]ovel</fndc6b>


    I stammered, "I-I..." but words failed me.


    He rose from his chair with the kind of controlled grace that made my stomach knot, his height and presence overwhelming as he stepped around the desk.


    The scent between us grew heavier - his own, thick and demanding, shing against the lingering traces of my other mates. I wanted to disappear, but my body betrayed me, frozen under the intensity of his gaze.


    "You came to work like this," he murmured, each word edged in ice. "Parading their marks, their scent."


    I flinched, my ears burning so hot I swore they might melt the snow outside. "I didn¡¯t mean-"


    "Didn¡¯t mean?" His steps closed the space between us until I had to tilt my chin up to meet his eyes. "Or didn¡¯t care?"


    My throat tightened. There was always this between us these days, or maybe it had always been here but I didn¡¯t dare notice - this unbearable tension, this pull that made me dizzy. He was ruthless, untouchable, yet every nce, every word wrapped around me like a chain.


    "I came here to work," I managed, forcing the words past the lump in my throat.


    His eyes softened for a fraction of a second, but then his hand braced against the wall behind me, caging me in. His scent wrapped around me, far more intoxicating than it had any right to be.


    "You think I don¡¯t notice?" he whispered, voice dangerously low. "The way you look at me. The way you burn when I¡¯m near."


    My breath caught. "I don¡¯t-"


    He leaned closer, his lips brushing just near my ear without touching. "Do you know how hard it is for me? To see them on you? To smell them on you? When all I want is to-" He cut himself off sharply, his jaw tightening, as though his own words threatened to betray too much.


    The office was spinning, my pulse hammering so loudly it drowned everything else out.


    This wasn¡¯t how I thought my day would start.


    Not with River¡¯s voice in my ear, not with his body close enough to ignite every nerve in mine, not with his truth pressing so dangerously close to mine.


    And yet, even as I stood there trembling, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to step away.

 Chapter 286: He Knows Her Weakness

    <h4>Chapter 286: He Knows Her Weakness</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The silence stretched between us like a taut string ready to snap. My back was pressed lightly against the wall, my hands fisting my coat on my sides, and yet it wasn¡¯t the cold wall behind me that sent shivers spiraling through my body. It was him. The sheer weight of his presence - his towering frame, the storm in his stunning deep green eyes.


    I held his gaze, searching, trying to decipher what exactly was going through his mind. But River was a fortress, as always. His expression gave nothing away save for the faint tension around his jaw, the faint re of his nostrils as though every ounce of his control was being tested.


    Then, without warning, he closed his eyes. His chest expanded with a slow, deep inhale, and I naively thought that he was trying to calm himself down. That perhaps he was reminding himself to be civil with me, his assistant, his mate, the one who seemed to always push his boundaries without meaning to.


    But the illusion shattered a heartbeatter. His lips curled into a curse, guttural and low, followed by a deep growl that rolled from his chest like thunder.


    I flinched.


    It took me only a second to realize what had happened. He had inhaled me. He had pulled my scent into his lungs... except not just my scent. Their scent. Oscar¡¯s and Draven¡¯s.


    His eyes snapped open, and the re he leveled at me was sharp enough to slice me in half. As if all of this - my existence, my arrival, my very nerve to stand in his office smelling like his brothers - was my fault.


    I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. I hadn¡¯t even thought about it. I hadn¡¯t imagined, not for one moment, that he would notice this easily. That the second I stepped into his office, he would smell Oscar and Draven clinging to me, woven into my skin like a secondyer. And even if I had considered it - how was I supposed to predict this reaction?


    I opened my mouth, ready to speak, but he beat me to it.


    "Do you know," he said suddenly, his voice sharp but controlled, "that your mates¡¯ scent on you is... special?"


    I blinked. My lips parted, but nothing came out. Special? What was he even talking about?


    He took a step closer, his eyes never leaving mine. "Oscar and Draven didn¡¯t just mark you with their scents carelessly. The way you are carrying them... only your mates would notice. No one else in this building smelled them on you. Only me."


    My confusion must have been in on my face, because he tilted his head slightly, studying me like he was dissecting every flicker of thought across my expression.


    "You didn¡¯t know," he said tly.


    I shook my head slowly, still trying to wrap my mind around his words. Scent-marking in such a way that only mates could pick it up? I didn¡¯t even know that was possible.


    But before I could ask, his next words stole the ground from beneath my feet.


    "Do you know why they marked you like this?" His voice was lower now, almost taunting.


    I shook my head again, my chest tightening with unease.


    His lips curved, but it wasn¡¯t a smile. It was sharper than that. "Because they wanted me to notice. They wanted me to smell them on you. They marked you like this to tease me."


    I stared at him, my mind whirling. For a moment, I was ready to dismiss it, to argue that he was reading too much into things. That Oscar and Draven, for all their yful torment and secretive ways, wouldn¡¯t stoop to such pettiness. But then the thought lodged deeper, and I froze.


    They would.


    They absolutely would.


    Oscar with his cold, calcting subtlety. Draven with his mischievous smirks and relentless need to push buttons. Together, they were perfectly capable of crafting such a deliberate torment just to rile their eldest brother.


    Heat flushed across my cheeks, but not from embarrassment this time. If I could have stomped into the mountain cabin at that moment, I would have given them both a piece of my mind. Sweet, heartwarming as their scent-marking felt to me, it hadnded me straight into River¡¯s radar. A battlefield I had no defenses against.


    I was still lost in those thoughts when River stunned me all over again.


    "Let me mark you with my scent."


    The words hit me like a physical blow.


    My breath caught. My eyes widened. My heart stuttered so violently in my chest that I was sure he could hear it.


    I stared at him, speechless, my mind nk as snow. Had I heard him right? Surely, I hadn¡¯t. Surely, River - the ruthless, controlled, untouchable Rogue Alpha King - hadn¡¯t just asked me if he could scent-mark me.


    But his eyes, those deep green eyes, held me in ce, sharp and unyielding. He had said it.


    When I failed to form a single syble, he spoke again, his voice deliberate and steady.


    "I don¡¯t want to give them the satisfaction. Letting them believe their little trick seeded..." His gaze hardened. "No. I¡¯ll answer them the only way they won¡¯t expect. By marking you with my scent instead."


    I blinked rapidly, my lips parting. Words finally tumbled out, shaky and incredulous. "Why... why should I let you?"


    Something shifted in his eyes at that. He stepped closer, so close I could feel the faint warmth of his body, so close the steady rise and fall of his chest brushed against mine. My heart started racing wildly, my breath sharp and unsteady.


    He leaned down, his lips hovering just near my ear, and his voice dropped into a whisper that coiled around my spine like smoke.


    "Because you don¡¯t need to pretend."


    <fn4b1b> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on F?nd-Novel</fn4b1b>


    My body stiffened.


    "It¡¯s not like your body isn¡¯t about to melt at the thought of my lips grazing your skin."


    The air rushed out of me, and my knees nearly buckled.


    I wanted to protest, to push him away, to say no. It should have been the easiest thing in the world to refuse him. I was supposed to dislike him. I was supposed to keep my distance, to draw a line in the sand and never cross it.


    And yet...


    My body betrayed me. My breath came faster, harsher. My heart thundered. And the image - his lips on my skin, his scent wrapping around me - did things to me I couldn¡¯t begin to admit.


    He was right. He was so painfully right.


    I should have said no. I should have resisted. But the word refused to form. My lips moved uselessly, and my body leaned into him instead of away.


    And just when I thought I couldn¡¯t possibly be any weaker against him, as if I wasn¡¯t already struggling enough to refuse him, he tipped the scalespletely.


    His breath brushed against my ear again, deliberate, dangerous. "I¡¯ll even offer you your bonus for the month."


    My eyes widened.


    Oh, no.


    Not that.


    He knew. He knew exactly what my weakness was.

 Chapter 287: Utterly Undone

    <h4>Chapter 287: Utterly Undone</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My brain was still struggling to process his sudden and outrageous offer of a bonus when his deep voice cut through the haze again.


    "I¡¯ll double it."


    My head jerked up. My mouth fell open. He couldn¡¯t be serious. "Wh-what?"


    His eyes gleamed with an intensity that made my stomach flutter in knots. "Double. Your bonus."


    <fn6803> Newest update provided by F¦Énd£Îovel</fn6803>


    Shock burned through me, snapping me out of my trance. "If you think," I blurted, my voice pitching higher than I intended, "that I would give in because of money, then you are-"


    "Triple."


    The wordnded on me like a hammer, cutting my protest in half.


    I froze, staring at him like he hadpletely lost his mind. Three times my entire monthly sry... as a bonus? Just for allowing him to mark me with his scent?


    The air in the office suddenly started feeling thinner. I couldn¡¯t breathe. My chest was rising and falling rapidly as the temptation slithered inside me, warm and undeniable.


    I wanted to scoff, tough, to toss the offer right back at him, but the truth was clear in the flutter of my chest. That was too much money to pretend I wasn¡¯t tempted.


    And River knew it.


    He didn¡¯t speak again, didn¡¯t push further. He just stood there, those green eyes of his fixed on me, sharp and merciless, studying me in silence. Waiting. Waiting for me to finally give in.


    I pressed my lips together, biting back a groan of frustration. My heart hammered as I looked up at him, thinking that maybe, just maybe, I would try onest time to refuse. To salvage what little dignity I had left. But when I opened my mouth, the words that slipped past my lips weren¡¯t refusal at all.


    They shocked me as much as him.


    "Are you going to continue?" I whispered breathlessly. "And offer me... four times?"


    The instant the audacious question left me, I pped a hand over my mouth, my eyes going wide. Oh Goddess. Did I really just say that?


    But River...


    He didn¡¯tugh. He didn¡¯t mock me. He didn¡¯t hesitate. Instead... he sealed the deal.


    "Done. Four times," he said with brutal finality. "Plus your usual sry."


    My hand slid down from my lips. I sat frozen, staring at him, my heart pounding so hard it drowned out every other sound.


    Four times my sry. Plus the regr paycheck.


    If I refused that, I would be the biggest idiot to walk the earth. I was sure even my unborn little one would be disappointed in me for letting such an opportunity slip through my fingers.


    And anyway, the main point wasn¡¯t even the money. River was my mate too. My stubborn, ruthless, cold-as-stone mate. Letting him mark me with his scent wasn¡¯t something I should feel guilty about. If anything, it was only fair.


    Besides... I also wanted to see the look on Oscar and Draven¡¯s faces when they would smell their eldest brother on me.


    A tiny, wicked spark of satisfaction red in my chest.


    I was pulled out of my self-exnatory, self-justifying spiral when River¡¯s voice broke through again.


    "Stop overthinking," he said quietly, almost amused.


    My head snapped up, only to see the faintest smile tugging at his lips. He knew. He knew I was done resisting. He knew I was already caught.


    "Now that we have reached a conclusion," he murmured, turning toward the office door.


    I blinked in confusion... until he twisted the lock with a sharp click.


    My pulse spiked.


    Then he turned back toward me and reached for my hand. His fingers curled around mine, firm andmanding, and I didn¡¯t even think to resist. I just followed him like an obedient child, my legs shaky as he guided me toward his massive desk.


    Without another word, he cleared the files stacked neatly on its surface, pushing them to the side. Then, with terrifying ease, he caught me by the waist.


    I gasped in pure shock when he lifted me as if I weighed nothing and set me down atop the desk.


    "River-" I tried to find my voice, but it was lost the moment he stepped between my thighs like... like he belonged there.


    Heat surged through my veins. My racing heart was back, louder than ever, almost deafening.


    One of his hands was still resting on my waist, but now... now his fingers had slipped beneath my coat. The only barrier left between his palm and my bare skin was the thick fabric of my woolen top. And yet, I was burning. I was vividly aware of every inch of his hand there, searing me even through the cloth.


    My breath caught when his other hand moved, brushing gently against my hair. He tucked the strands that had fallen over my shoulder to the front back behind me before his fingers grazed my skin right above the cor of the turtleneck.


    Shivers raced down my spine.


    "What are you-" My voice cracked. "What are you doing?"


    He gave me a look then, one so sharp, so piercing, that it rendered me speechless all over again. It was a look that asked if I really didn¡¯t know.


    And then...


    His lips were there.


    Not on mine, not iming my mouth, but lower - at the curve of my neck. The ce where my pulse pounded, frantic and helpless. He had pulled down my turtleneck and coat almost down my shoulder.


    I shuddered, my entire body jolting as his mouth brushed against my sensitive skin. His lips lingered, soft but firm, his breath hot against my skin.


    "River..." My voice was barely more than a whimper.


    His response was a low sound, more exhale than word, as his lips trailed along the column of my throat. Slowly, deliberately, he kissed my skin, over and over, each press deeper, more consuming. His teeth grazed lightly at one point, sending sparks of electricity through me, and I nearly doubled over.


    I couldn¡¯t think. I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Every brush of his lips, every graze of his teeth, was marking me... iming me in a way words could never manage. His scent enveloped me, seeping into my skin, into my bones, until it was a part of me.


    My hands clenched uselessly at the edge of the desk. My thighs trembled around his hips.


    The tension between us was unbearable. I was unraveling, burning alive, every nerve alight beneath his mouth.


    And then, atst, he stilled.


    He drew back, just enough to press his forehead against mine. Our breaths mingled, shallow and ragged, fire still crackling in every inch of me.


    I stared into those deep green orbs, dazed and trembling. His gaze dropped lower, lower, until itnded on my parted lips.


    His voice was gravel when he spoke, low and devastating.


    "If I requested... would you allow me to kiss you?"


    I froze, unable to form a word. I didn¡¯t answer. But deep down, I knew the truth. If he asked, if he leaned in, if his mouth imed mine... there was no way I would be able to refuse.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    Instead, he abruptly pulled away, the loss of his warmth hitting me like ice.


    I blinked, startled, my body screaming in protest.


    And without another word, without even a nce back, he turned and walked out of the office.


    Leaving me burning. Breathless. And utterly undone.

 Chapter 288: Guilty Mates

    <h4>Chapter 288: Guilty Mates</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River never came back to the office that morning.


    Not once.


    And yet, he never really left me either. His scent clung stubbornly to my skin, burning with every breath I took. My neck still tingled where his lips had pressed, and I found myself absentmindedly brushing at the spot as if I could erase it.


    Except I couldn¡¯t.


    For the next couple of hours, I barely survived. Every passing second felt like a battle to pretend nothing had happened. Papers blurred before my eyes, words on the screen made no sense, and every time I walked out of the office and met someone, I felt like they might look at me and know.


    It was maddening.


    By the time noon finally arrived, I let out the breath I didn¡¯t realize I had been holding. Freedom. At least for the rest of the day.


    I gathered my things quickly, tugged on my coat, and headed downstairs. As I stepped out of the building and made my way to the parking lot, I spotted a familiar ck car. Sleek, polished, perfectly noticeable.


    It was Oscar¡¯s car.


    My steps faltered and my chest tightened a little, before I forced myself to keep walking. I could do this. I could act normal.


    Reaching the passenger side, I tugged the door open and climbed in without a word.


    Oscar turned his head toward me, clearly ready to greet me... but the moment his sharp senses caught River¡¯s scent on me, his expression froze. Whatever words he was about to say died in his throat.


    His face was unreadable, but his jaw tightened, and his nostrils red ever so slightly as he inhaled again, confirming what had stunned him in the first ce.


    I, of course, pretended to be perfectly normal.


    Fixing my hair in the reflection of the side mirror. Smoothing down my coat. Pulling my phone from my bag as if I had the busiest schedule in the world.


    The silence stretched, thick and suffocating, until he finally found his voice.


    "You are covered in..." His voice was low, rough, but he didn¡¯t finish.


    I didn¡¯t give him the chance.


    "River," I supplied bluntly, speaking his name as casually as if we were discussing the weather.


    Oscar¡¯s head snapped toward me fully this time, his deep green eyes widening just a fraction. My confirmation only seemed to confuse him more. His lips parted but no words came out for a long beat.


    Finally, he managed, "How... how did he end up marking you with his scent? You and River aren¡¯t close enough for-"


    "He offered me bonus."


    I cut him off without hesitation, my tone almost too matter-of-fact.


    The way Oscar¡¯s face froze again, you would think I had just told him I agreed to sell my soul.


    The silence that followed was deafening. His throat worked as he struggled to process my confession.


    Just like River had predicted, Oscar clearly hadn¡¯t expected to smell his brother¡¯s scent on me. And what he expected even less was to hear me say that I let it happen... for money.


    When he finally spoke again, his voice was tight, heavy with disbelief.


    "The bonus was that tempting?"


    I turned then, finally giving him my full attention. Meeting his gaze, I didn¡¯t flinch.


    "Yes."


    His eyes widened slightly at my bluntness, but I didn¡¯t let him interrupt.


    "The offer was beyond tempting. And money wasn¡¯t the only reason."


    I lifted my hand and began pointing with my fingers, one by one.


    "First, River is handsome."


    His jaw flexed.


    "Second, he¡¯s attractive."


    I noticed as his grip on the steering wheel grew visibly tighter.


    "Third, he¡¯s my mate... despite all our differences."


    I ticked the third finger, my voice sharper now.


    "And fourth... he was honest with me. He told me exactly what he wanted, exactly what the marking would mean. He didn¡¯t go behind my back to use me as some tool to tease his brothers."


    My eyes narrowed deliberately, locking on his, sharp as a de. And the unspoken usation hung in the air, heavy and clear.


    Then, without giving him time to react, I leaned over and plucked his phone from the console where it rested. My thumb brushed the screen, and I saw the active call.


    My brows arched.


    "Well, isn¡¯t this interesting," I muttered.


    Oscar followed my gaze and his expression made me realize that he hadpletely forgotten.


    He was on call with Draven.


    Oh, this was perfect.


    I pressed the button to switch it to speaker, setting the phone down between us. Then, leaning closer, my voice dripping with false sweetness, I asked into the open line, "Tell me, Draven. Am I right?"


    The car filled with silence again. A different kind this time - heavy, loaded, dangerous.


    Oscar¡¯s jaw was locked, his chest rising and falling with controlled breaths as he kept his eyes straight ahead.


    I, on the other hand, smirked faintly, though inside my pulse was thundering at the thought of what Draven might say.


    And Draven... oh, he didn¡¯t stay silent for long.


    His voice came soft as a whisper, filled with guilt. "I¡¯m sorry, love. It was my idea... marking you with our scents to get under River¡¯s skin. But we never meant to put you in a hard spot."


    Oscar quickly nodded his head, reaching out to hold my hand... and I didn¡¯t pull away. Yes, I was mad at them for what they had done, but not to the point where I would try to push them away.


    "Little mate, forgive us this time. It won¡¯t happen again... not without your knowledge."


    I shook my head and let out a small sigh, rxing in my seat and reaching for my seat belt. "Well... I might forgive you if you kept that promise if giving me massage-"


    Before I could have finished, Oscar was cing a kiss on my knuckles. "Don¡¯t worry. I know how to satisfy you."


    My cheeks started burning, and then I heard Draven speaking from other side of the call.


    "You have already experienced our services. You can have high expectations."


    <fn4ac9> The rightful source is </fn4ac9>


    Oh Moon Goddess... did I just push myself into a trap?

 Chapter 289: That Time of the Term

    <h4>Chapter 289: That Time of the Term</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The weekend slipped by far too quickly.


    It had been warm, full ofughter and touches, stolen kisses and lingering embraces. Time spent with my mates always seemed to bend around me, disappearing before I could cling to it. And this time was no different.


    By Sunday afternoon, after the promised massage therapy session that left me so rxed I nearly fell asleep in Oscar¡¯s arms, I found myself being dropped back at the Academy gates.


    Draven leaned over from the driver¡¯s seat, a teasing smile ying at his lips as his fingers brushed over mine before I climbed out.


    "Don¡¯t stress yourself too much about the exams. You have got this."


    His voice carried the kind of steady reassurance I hade to rely on. I smiled, nodded, and waved him goodbye before heading inside. And just like that, the real world came crashing back in.


    From the moment I stepped into my dorm room, I forced myself to set aside all thoughts of Oscar, Draven... even Kieran. My textbooks sprawled open on the coffee table, notes scattered everywhere, my mind already buzzing with runes, history, potions, and forms.


    The days blurred together after that.


    Morning sses bled into afternoons of project deadlines. Evenings were a haze of study groups with Mallory, Kyros, Rowan, Noah, Selene, and Ria.


    I had to admit - despite the looming pressure of exams, there was something oddlyforting about our little circle. We would huddle together in the library, heads bent over notebooks and ink-stained fingers, exchanging notes and helping each other memorizeplicated rune patterns or potion recipes.


    Of course, between all that, my mind kept drifting.


    Too often.


    To them.


    The Thorne brothers.


    River didn¡¯t speak to me during the week. He never did. He was the one who existed on the periphery of my life, looming like a shadow I couldn¡¯t quite shake. But ever since that afternoon in his office - the way he had pressed his lips to my neck, the way his scent clung to me, the way he pulled back just when I thought I would fall - I found myself thinking of him more than I should.


    His restraint unsettled me. His intensity lingered in my bones. And every time I reyed that moment, heat pooled low in my belly, shame quickly chasing it away.


    Oscar and Draven, on the other hand, were too busy to keep me distracted from River¡¯s ghost.


    Oscar had his duties as an instructor. I would sometimes catch a glimpse of him in the dining hall, his sharp profile tilted down at his tablet even while sipping coffee, too focused to notice me staring.


    Other times, I passed him in the hallways, and our eyes would meet for a brief second - enough to make my heart stutter before we both carried on as though nothing happened.


    Draven was no better. As a second-year, he was just as consumed by exam preparations. His break from library duty only meant we couldn¡¯t meet. And while we exchanged quick messages or the asional short call, his presence felt fleeting at best. I missed his teasing smiles and warmth.


    And then there was Kieran.


    The man I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about.


    He looked much better now, healthier, sharper, but I still found my gaze drifting to him during Herbs and Potion sses. The way his hands moved over delicate nts, the calm authority in his voice, the steadiness of his posture. He was maic, and every time I caught myself staring too long, I snapped my attention back to my notes, my cheeks burning.


    It didn¡¯t matter that he had told me he already had a mate. That he harbored feelings for another girl. It should have been enough to stop these stray thoughts from wing into me. But no matter how much I scolded myself, I would lose control, again and again.


    Each time it happened, guilt gnawed at me.


    Mallory¡¯s words haunted me.


    Her crazy theory... that since I was already mated to three out of the four brothers, maybe fate intended me to be mated to the fourth as well.


    I told myself she was wrong. That Kieran¡¯s confession about his mate and the girl he had feelings for should have closed that door forever.


    <fndcf5> ?????? ???? </fndcf5>


    And yet...


    I hated myself for even letting the thought linger.


    Another weekend rolled by.


    But unlike thest, this one was empty.


    Oscar and Draven were buried in preparations for the uing exams, and I didn¡¯t have time for romance either. River didn¡¯t show up at the HQ at all. And just like that, I was left with nothing but my books, my friends, and the gnawing ache of loneliness I couldn¡¯t admit out loud.


    The week blurred, one day folding into the next. And then, almost without warning, the exams arrived.


    January 25th.


    The date loomed like a thundercloud, and when I woke up that morning, the first thing that hit me was the weight of it. My first exam - Runes.


    I sat on the edge of my bed, rubbing my temples, inhaling deeply as I tried to steady my nerves.


    Fifteen days of battle stretched ahead of me.


    Fifteen days of exams that would test everything I had learned, everything I had memorized over the past couple of months.


    And so it began.


    My life shrank to nothing butptop, pen, parchment, and whispered study sessions.


    Days and nights spent in thepany of my friends.


    They kept me sane.


    Together, we transformed the library into our battlefield. The long oak tables became our fortress, lined with stacks of books and ink-stained fingers. Sleep became a luxury, meals were eaten hurriedly, conversations strayed only to exam questions and whispered jokes to ease the pressure.


    Every now and then, I caught myself drifting again. Thinking of the brothers. But then Rowan would ask me to check a rune sequence, or Mallory would swat my arm and tell me to focus, and I would snap back into the present.


    And slowly, painfully, the days ticked by.


    One exam. Then another. And another.


    Each one leaving me drained, but also oddly exhrated... because I was surviving it, or more like acing it.


    And with each passing day, the finish line drew closer.

 Chapter 290: Promises in the Dark

    <h4>Chapter 290: Promises in the Dark</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The heavy wooden doors of the exam hall creaked open, releasing us into the chilly night. I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding as Rowan, Kyros, Mallory, and I stepped into the open corridor together.


    The wall clock above the entrance struck five past ten, its echo bouncing faintly in the vast Academy halls.


    Three hours. Three long, excruciating hours of scratching pens, glowing runes, shifting moon diagrams, and practical demonstrations under the ever-watchful eyes of Professor Triss. "Lunar Energy and Moon Cycles" was as demanding as it sounded, and thebination of theory and practical work had drained every bit of energy from us.


    But despite the exhaustion weighing on our limbs, a wave of relief washed over the group.


    "It¡¯s done," Mallory whispered, her face breaking into a grin. "Finally done."


    Her words made us all smile. Even Rowan, who rarely showed much expression during exams, allowed himself a small chuckle. The air around us seemed lighter, despite the shadows cast by the moonlight flooding in through the tall windows.


    No more exams. No morete-night cramming or waking up early, no more groaning about how tough the exams were. Now, eighteen days of freedom were stretched before us - eighteen whole days until the new term began on March 1st.


    Eighteen days of holidays.


    My stomach growled softly, a sharp reminder that relief didn¡¯t fill hunger. Thest thing any of us had eaten was a hurried snack hours before the exam started. Now, at the end of it, hunger gnawed at us like restless wolves.


    "Dining hall?" Noah asked as he, Selene, and Ria finally joined us.


    We all nodded in unison.


    The dining hall was nearly deserted by the time we entered, save for a few kitchen staff members clearing tables. The usual chatter of students was reced with the soft clink of dishes and the muffled crackle of the firece.


    Our footsteps echoed faintly in the silent space as we slipped into a corner table.


    Warm bowls of soup, fresh bread, roasted vegetables, and a simple rice dish were ced before us within minutes. Nothing extravagant - justte-night fare - but it felt like a feast.


    We ate in hushed whispers, too tired to talk much, though Mallory asionally mumbled about how she nned to spend her break, her voice fading as she fought sleep.


    By the time the tes were cleared, the clock was edging near eleven. The exhaustion from exams and a full stomach weighed heavily on us.


    "Tomorrow," Kyros said softly as we walked back toward the dorms. "We¡¯ll talk about holiday ns tomorrow. I can¡¯t feel my brain anymore."


    "Same," Mallory muttered, dragging her feet as if gravity had doubled just for her.


    We all agreed silently. Tomorrow would be forughter and nning. Tonight was for sleep.


    When I slipped into my room, the familiarfort of weed me. I quickly peeled off my Academy uniform and changed into my nightclothes, savoring the warmth of the thick winter nkets as I opened the door to let Rowan.


    Then I slipped under the nket and turned my back to him as he changed. Once he was done, he too climbed on his bed. With a soft click, we switched off the bedsidemps, plunging the room intoforting darkness.


    The silence was almostplete, broken only by the faint whistling of the wind against the windows. My body melted into the mattress, exhaustion tugging at me with every blink.


    "Eva," Rowan¡¯s voice came softly through the darkness.


    I hummed in response, too drowsy to form a full word.


    "Are you... going back to the Thorne mansion for the holidays?"


    I opened my eyes, staring into the ckness above me. "Yes," I answered quietly. "The brothers insisted. I don¡¯t really have anywhere else to go... and honestly, I don¡¯t have a reason to refuse."


    The word "insisted" was politepared to the way Oscar and Draven had practically demanded it. But beneath their stubbornness, there had been a fierce protectiveness I couldn¡¯t ignore. And Kieran had also told me to stay at the mansion.


    Rowan let out a small sigh, one that carried a note of relief. "Good. That¡¯s where you should be. With them. It¡¯s... the right thing. Especially now."


    His hesitation told me exactly what he meant, even without him saying it aloud.


    I rested my hand gently against my stomach beneath the nkets. Thirty-one weeks. The thought sent a shiver of disbelief through me. Time had slipped by so quickly.


    My belly had finally begun to show a little just before the exams started. Nothing dramatic yet, just a subtle curve, but enough to remind me daily of the life growing inside me.


    The thick winteryers helped conceal it for now, but my body was changing. The backaches came more often. And the most magical, overwhelming change of all - the baby had started kicking.


    It happened for the first time during first exam week. I wasn¡¯t able to share it with Draven or Oscar, too consumed by revision and the pressure of tests. But Rowan was there, sitting beside mete one evening when the gentle flutter startled me. I just grabbed his hand without thinking and pressed it against my side.


    The way his eyes widened, the raw emotion on his face... it was one of the most precious moments of my life.


    "I can¡¯t wait to let Draven and Oscar feel it," I murmured, more to myself than to him.


    Rowan didn¡¯t reply, but I could feel his quiet agreement in the silence.


    "You shoulde visit me often," I added softly, turning my head toward his bed even though I couldn¡¯t see him in the dark. "You are the only one who knows. About... all this. I want you there."


    "I will," he promised without hesitation. Then, after a pause, he asked, "When are you going to tell the others?"


    The question hung in the air like a weight.


    I closed my eyes. "I don¡¯t know," I admitted honestly. "I haven¡¯t thought that far ahead. But once the holidays are over, there¡¯ll be no way to hide it. March will bring summer back... and by then, I¡¯ll be showing too much to conceal. I¡¯ll have to tell them, especially Kyros and Mallory..." I trailed off, sighing. "Maybe I¡¯ll invite them to the mansion during the holidays. Tell them then."


    Rowan hummed in agreement, though there was an edge of concern in his tone. "It¡¯ll be better that way. Secrets... only get heavier with time."


    I knew he was right.


    The silence settled again, warm andpanionable, until he spoke once more... his voice hesitant, as though he was unsure if he should share what was on his mind.


    <fn9ee3> For original chapters go to Find_Novel(.</fn9ee3>


    "Eva?"


    "Yes?"


    "There¡¯s something I want," he began, then stopped. After a breath, he continued more firmly. "I want to take you to meet someone. My friend in the hospital."


    My eyes softened in the darkness. The vulnerability in his tone was unmistakable.


    "Of course," I whispered without hesitation. "I would be more than happy to go."


    I couldn¡¯t see him, but I could imagine the faint smile tugging at his lips.


    "Thank you," he murmured.


    And with that, we both let the silence im us once more, drifting slowly into sleep... relieved the exams were over, uncertain about what the holidays might bring, butforted by the quiet promises exchanged in the dark.

 Chapter 291: Not Caring Anymore

    <h4>Chapter 291: Not Caring Anymore</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The morning came too soon. My body was still heavy fromst night, but I didn¡¯t have the luxury of staying curled up in the warmth. By the time the rm rang at six-thirty, I dragged myself out of bed, washed up, and pulled on a cozy sweater.


    The dormmon room was already half lit with the glow of firece that was burning with life. The air was crisp and quiet until the sound of footsteps filled the hallways.


    By seven sharp, we were all gathered in themon room. Everyone looked drowsy but excited, faces bright despite the lingering shadows of exams. The relief was palpable - holidays were here, and for the first time in weeks, we didn¡¯t have to think about tests, projects, or sleepless nights of studying.


    "Finally," Selene groaned, curling into a chair and tugging her nket tighter around her shoulders. "I swear if I had to look at one more potion form, I would have set the whole book on fire."


    Noah chuckled, his eyes still half-lidded with sleep. "You say that after every exam, Selene."


    "And every time I mean it," she shot back, narrowing her eyes.


    Iughed quietly with the rest of them, but my smile faltered when Selene suddenly turned her gaze toward me. "So, Eva," she asked, tilting her head, "where will you be staying for the holidays?"


    My breath hitched, but before I could fumble for an excuse, Rowan¡¯s calm voice filled the silence. "She¡¯ll be with me." He leaned back against the arm of the couch with casual ease, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.


    Selene¡¯s brows rose. "With you?"


    "Yes," Rowan said smoothly. "My house is more than open for her. She¡¯ll be fine with me."


    I quickly nodded, grateful beyond words for his cover. "Yeah. Rowan offered, and I... I didn¡¯t want to bother anyone else."


    That seemed to ease their worries. Ria smiled warmly. "That¡¯s good. We were just worried you would spend the holidays alone."


    My chest squeezed a little at that. Their concern was genuine, and I hated keeping secrets, but this was the only way.


    Once the conversation shifted, we began making ns for the break. Selene insisted we shouldn¡¯t let distancee between us, and soon we agreed on a simple arrangement - meet every Friday, no matter what.


    The n was to visit each other¡¯s towns instead of sticking around the Academy region like always. I could already picture Selene dragging us all through every market stall in her pack¡¯s territory, Noah showing off his favorite coffee shops, and Ria taking us to theke she always spoke about.


    The warmth of belonging spread through me at the thought. I wasn¡¯t used to this - people nning things around me, including me without hesitation. It was something so simple, yet it meant everything.


    When we finally wrapped up our nning, everyone scattered to get ready for the day. I showered, got ready, and then headed to the dining hall with the group.


    The Academy was buzzing more than it had in weeks. Laughter, chatter, and the tter of dishes filled the hall, and the smell of fresh bread and hot cocoa drifted in the air.


    Outside, the snow was gleaming like crushed diamonds under the sun, a perfect morning after a heavy night of snowfall.


    It almost felt like life had returned to its normal rhythm. Exams were behind us. Holidays were ahead. For once, the world seemed... light.


    After breakfast, we returned to our dorms to pack. Within two hours, Noah, Selene, and Ria were gone, their hugs and promises of phone calls lingering with me as their bags rolled out the doors. Half of the Academy emptied just as quickly, and the dorms grew quieter.


    Mallory was next. She pulled me into a tight hug, her voice warm with a smile. "I¡¯ll visit often, okay?"


    I nodded. She would definitely be dropping by at Jasper¡¯s house, so I knew I would be seeing her around at the mansion.


    Her grin softened. "Good. Then don¡¯t forget me when you are off with your... big ns."


    I didn¡¯t reply to that, just hugged her tighter before she left. Minutester, Rowan and Kyros carried our bags to the Academy gates with me trailing behind, my boots crunching in the snow.


    And then... my heart stuttered.


    Draven was waiting.


    His tall figure leaned casually against a sleek ck car, but the moment his eyes found me, hisposure broke. He pushed off the car, striding forward with long, confident steps. And then, without a care for who was watching, he pulled me into his arms.


    The hug was warm, steady, grounding. His scent wrapped around me, making my knees weaken, and before I could even process it, he pressed a kiss against my cheek.


    Heat flooded my face. I could feel eyes on us, whispers curling in the cold morning air. But Draven didn¡¯t care. He pulled back only to nce at Rowan and Kyros, his expression shifting into something softer. "Thanks for helping her."


    <fn4efe> For original chapters go to F¦ÉndNovel</fn4efe>


    "Anytime," Rowan replied smoothly. Kyros only gave a short nod.


    Draven¡¯s gaze lingered on them a moment longer before he added, "Do you need a ride home? I can drop you both off."


    They declined politely, though I caught the flicker of surprise on their faces at his civility. "We¡¯ll manage," Rowan said, giving me a small smile before stepping back.


    Kyros leaned in just enough to murmur, "Call if you need anything."


    I nodded quickly, my throat too tight to speak. With final hugs and promises to keep in touch, they turned away, leaving me standing between the two worlds I belonged to - the friends who saw me as Eva, and the bond that tied me to Draven and his brothers.


    Draven opened the passenger door for me, his eyes lingering on mine with a silent reassurance. I slipped inside, my heart pounding. He closed the door gently before moving to the driver¡¯s side.


    Through the window, I caught sight of a few students whispering and pointing in our direction. My mind spun. Word of this would either spread like wildfire across the Academy, or die without a single mention, depending entirely on Draven.


    But he looked unconcerned, his face calm as he started the engine. If he wasn¡¯t worried, I decided I wouldn¡¯t be either.


    So I leaned back in my seat, watching the Academy fade behind us as snow-covered roads stretched ahead.


    For the first time in a long time, I didn¡¯t feel like I was leaving something behind.


    I felt like I was heading exactly where I was supposed to be.

 Chapter 292: Is She Ready?

    <h4>Chapter 292: Is She Ready?</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Surprisingly, returning to the Thorne mansion almost felt like... returning home.


    I hadn¡¯t expected it, hadn¡¯t thought I would feel anything but nervousness the moment the car rolled past the grand gates and stopped before the wide stone steps.


    But as I stepped out, the crisp winter air brushing against my skin, what I felt wasn¡¯t intimidation. It wasn¡¯t dread. It was something warmer, softer.


    Familiarity.


    Memories.


    Belonging.


    The towering structure that once looked so cold and unweing during Christmas now carried a different air. It didn¡¯t feel like a cage anymore. Instead, it was... safe. A ce I could return to. A ce that held my mates.


    For the first time, the mansion didn¡¯t seem like a fortress built to keep me imprisoned, but like a home waiting for me to walk in.


    Draven walked ahead of me, carrying my bag over his shoulder as though it weighed nothing. His other hand was curled around my suitcase handle, dragging it behind him.


    A servant had rushed forward the moment I stepped through the entrance, nearly tripping in his hurry to relieve Draven of the load. But Draven dismissed him without even sparing him a nce, his jaw tight and eyes unreadable.


    "I¡¯ll take care of it," he said tly, leaving no room for argument.


    The servant bowed and stepped back instantly, though I could still feel his gaze on us as we made our way upstairs. None of the staff or even the patrolling warriors looked surprised to see me here. They bowed politely to Draven... and then to me. Respectfully. As if I belonged here. As if I wasn¡¯t an outsider anymore.


    That small gesture filled my chest with an odd ache.


    Thest time I was here, their stares had been different - shocked, suspicious, even a little wary. But now? Now, it was almost as if my presence had been expected.


    Once we reached my bedroom, Draven shut the door behind us. I hadn¡¯t even turned to face him before I was swept up in his arms, my back pressing against the door.


    His lips crashed against mine.


    The kiss was rough, hungry, overwhelming. His grip on me was desperate, his chest heaving like he hadn¡¯t breathed until this moment. My head spun from the sheer force of it, and my fingers curled into his coat to steady myself.


    When he finally pulled away, he didn¡¯t let go. He crushed me against him, burying his face into the crook of my neck.


    "Do you have any idea how much I missed you?" His voice was muffled but raw. "Every night, Eva. Every single night."


    The sincerity in his tone stole my breath.


    He tilted his head back just enough to look at me, his eyes dark with something I couldn¡¯t name. "I almost came to your dorm," he confessed, lips quirking with a bitter smile. "More than once. I even stood down your balcony one night. I thought... just for a second... that I didn¡¯t care. But then I reminded myself that you needed to focus on the exams... and I walked away."


    My heart ached at the thought of him, alone in the shadows outside my room, fighting with himself just for me. I reached up and cupped his cheek, pressing a soft kiss to his lips in return.


    "I missed you too," I whispered.


    That seemed to be enough for him. He released a shaky exhale, his arms tightening around me before finally pulling away. Together, we unpacked my things - well, he unpacked while I half-heartedly tried to help, only to be swatted away with a re.


    By the time we were done, it was well past lunch hour. My stomach growled, making him chuckle as heced his fingers through mine and tugged me downstairs.


    The dining hall was warm, the fire crackling in the hearth, filling the space with a cozy glow. He pulled out a chair for me and sat beside me as usual, his arm casually draped across the back of my chair.


    We had only just begun eating when the heavy oak doors swung open and Oscar stepped in.


    He walked in with his usual careless confidence, dark hair falling into his eyes as his lips curved into a grin the moment he spotted me. Without hesitation, he crossed the room, bent down, and wrapped me in a hug before pressing a kiss to my temple.


    "Missed me?" he teased, the sparkle in his eyes daring me to deny it.


    I shook my head, but my smile betrayed me.


    At that moment, I became acutely aware of the servants lingering in the corners, quietly setting dishes or pouring drinks. My stomach tightened when I realized they had seen everything.


    Not just Oscar kissing me. But Draven, sitting close enough to touch me, looking perfectlyfortable with it.


    The shock radiating from the staff was almost palpable, their movements faltering, their gazes darting between the three of us. But none of them said a word. They couldn¡¯t. Not about their Alphas. Not about their private lives.


    Still, the weight of their curiosity burned against my skin, and I found myself staring hard at my te to avoid their eyes.


    Draven, however, didn¡¯t so much as flinch. Oscar either. To them, there was nothing to hide anymore.


    And maybe... maybe they were right.


    Before I could sink too deep into my thoughts, the staff quietly vanished, leaving us in privacy.


    Oscar grabbed a te and sat across from me, digging into his food with a sigh. "I¡¯m d you are here," he said, his tone a little more serious now. "I¡¯m going to be busy for a few days - the Academy still has us tied up with the exam results. Kieran too. But unlike him, I¡¯m not staying there. I¡¯lle back every night."


    I paused mid-bite. "So Kieran won¡¯t be here?"


    Oscar nodded. "At least for next five or so days. He¡¯s up to his neck with work. But once it¡¯s done, he¡¯ll be back for the holidays."


    He leaned back in his chair, his gaze sharpening on me. "Which is why we need to talk about something."


    Something in his voice made my fork freeze against the te.


    He nced at Draven, then back at me. "When Kieranes home, are you ready to tell him?"


    I blinked. "Tell him what?"


    "You know what," he said gently. "About me. About Draven. About River. About... the baby."


    The fork slipped from my fingers, ttering against porcin.


    My throat tightened, clogged with an emotion I couldn¡¯t quite name. There was no reason to hesitate. No reason to deny the truth. Kieran deserved to know... he was their brother.


    And yet... something in me recoiled. Something deep, unrecognizable, wed at my chest, whispering against the idea of revealing everything.


    I forced a smile anyway, even though my lips felt stiff. "Yes," I said softly. "Let¡¯s tell him."


    <fn49c3> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on find?novel</fn49c3>


    Oscar¡¯s face lit up with relief, while Draven¡¯s expression eased beside me. Both of them looked... happy. Reassured.


    I swallowed hard, pressing my palm against my stomach as if the baby inside me could ground me.


    But that strange, choking unease refused to fade.


    <i>Why did the thought of telling Kieran feel so... wrong?</i>

 Chapter 293: The Special Birthday (I)

    <h4>Chapter 293: The Special Birthday (I)</h4>


    <strong>7 Months ago...</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I almost couldn¡¯t breathe from how fast my heart was racing. My eighteenth birthday. The day I had been waiting for, dreaming about, counting down to. And not just because it marked the day I was finally considered an adult... but because this evening I was going to meet Ethan at our usual secret spot.


    He had promised.


    The moment I had turned eighteen, I would finally be able to feel the mate bond - the magical, unbreakable thread between destined mates. And since Ethan had already told me he had felt it the moment he turned eighteen months ago, I would feel it too. I just had to.


    I reached the small forest clearing near the border of the pack, tugging my hoodie tighter around my shoulders as the evening breeze rustled the trees. My palms were sweaty, my stomach twisting with nerves and excitement.


    I kept running through how it would happen - maybe a spark the second he touched me, maybe a warmth spreading through my chest when I looked into his eyes.


    And then, he arrived.


    "Eva." Ethan¡¯s voice carried through the clearing, and in the next heartbeat, he was right in front of me, grinning the way he always did when he saw me.


    He didn¡¯t waste a second. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close as he lifted me slightly off my feet and spun me around. I squealed,ughing, clinging to his shoulders. The sound of my giggles echoed softly in the quiet woods.


    But... nothing.


    No spark. No magical pull. No sudden burst of warmth in my chest.


    I tried not to let disappointment sink in. Maybe it wasn¡¯t always instant. Maybe I was overthinking. He felt the bond, he told me so... then I would too, eventually.


    When he finally set me down, I nced up at him with a shy smile. My cheeks flushed pink when he leaned in and pressed a soft peck against my cheek. I held my breath when his eyes flickered down to my lips. I noticed him leaning closer... only for my legs to betray me.


    I took a small step back.


    It shocked us both. His lips froze an inch from mine. My heart plummeted, panic rising like a tide.


    "I-I didn¡¯t mean-" I blurted out, hands twisting nervously. "You are my mate, Ethan. I want this, I do. I¡¯m finally eighteen, there¡¯s no reason for me to..." My words stumbled out uselessly. I bit my lip, feeling the sting of embarrassment. My chest felt too tight. "I¡¯m just... nervous."


    For a second, his eyes darkened. Something sharp flickered there, a shadow I wasn¡¯t used to seeing. My breath hitched... but then, it was gone. He smiled warmly, the Ethan I knew again, brushing off the moment like it didn¡¯t matter.


    "It¡¯s alright," he said, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I understand."


    Relief crashed into me so strongly I almost sagged in ce. He wasn¡¯t angry. He wasn¡¯t upset.


    "In fact," he added, his grin widening, "I have nned something for you. A little party. Come on, birthday girl."


    "A party?" My smile faltered.


    I knew exactly what that meant - his friends. His group. The same people who whispered cruel things about me when they thought I couldn¡¯t hear. Who called me a wolf without a wolf. An embarrassment to the pack.


    But when I hesitated, Ethan gave me that look - the one that made me feel like if I said no, I would be hurting him.


    So I nodded. "Okay."


    He looked satisfied, taking my hand and leading me out of the clearing. We crossed into the back alley of a small inn in the nearest town. The streets were dimly lit, the sky already a nket of dark navy with scattered stars. My hood stayed firmly up to keep my silver strands hidden away. I kept my head down. I didn¡¯t want anyone to recognize me.


    Ethan knew the way well. He slipped through the inn¡¯s back door into the kitchen and pulled me along with him. From there, he guided me down to the basement - a ce he called his territory, where only his closest friends were allowed. Not even the staff entered.


    <fn65f3> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? f?ndnovel</fn65f3>


    The moment we stepped inside, I instantly hated it.


    The basement pulsed with loud music, shing lights, and the strong stench of alcohol. Laughter and shouting echoed off the walls. People were crammed together, cups in their hands, dancing and swaying. They weren¡¯t even legal to drink, and yet the bottles on the tables told another story.


    I shrank into myself.


    Almost immediately, Ethan was swept away by his friends. I took the chance to slip into a corner seat, out of the way, invisible. That was always easier.


    Minutes passed before Ethan returned, holding out a ss with a charming smile.


    "Green apple juice. For you."


    I frowned. "Ethan, I don¡¯t-"


    "Eva." He gave me a pitiful look, tilting his head the way he always did when he wanted me to give in. "It¡¯s your birthday. Just this once. For me?"


    He always knew how to bend me with words. My chest tightened, guilt pressing in. I didn¡¯t want to seem ungrateful.


    So I took the ss. And I drank. All of it.


    The sweet taste lingered only for a moment before my head began to feel heavy, my thoughts foggy. The music seemed louder now, the lights too bright, everything spinning slightly around me.


    He was pulled away again before I could say anything.


    I stood, clutching the edge of the table to steady myself. Maybe I just needed some air. Maybe the bathroom.


    But before I could make it far, a hand caught my arm. A girl¡¯s voice, soft but firm, said, "Come on, I¡¯ll help you."


    Ethan¡¯s friend, maybe.


    "No," I muttered, tugging my arm free. Something deep inside me didn¡¯t trust her. I stumbled toward the door instead, ignoring her protests.


    Thest thing I heard before I stepped out was her voice calling behind me, "I¡¯ll tell Ethan!"


    The hallway outside was dim, narrow. My vision blurred at the edges, but I forced my legs to move. I didn¡¯t know where I was heading, only that I had to get away from that suffocating basement.


    Up a few stairs.


    Past doors, most locked when I tried them. My hands shook as I fumbled with the handles, searching for something, anything, away from the music and the noise and the eyes watching me.


    And then...


    One door gave way beneath my touch.


    I stumbled forward, nearly tripping, only to be caught by strong arms before I hit the ground.


    My breath caught.


    The second his touch steadied me, something crashed through me like lightning - warmth, fire, magic. A pull so strong it knocked the air from my lungs. My knees went weak, my entire body trembling as a strange, powerful energy overwhelmed my senses.


    I gasped and my eyes went wide, my heart hammering in my chest.


    Because in that instant, I knew.


    <strong>Mate.</strong>

 Chapter 294: The Special Birthday (II)

    <h4>Chapter 294: The Special Birthday (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The room was swallowed in absolute darkness. Not even a crack of light slipped through the heavy curtains, and for a moment, I wondered if I had lost my sight entirely. My dizzy head wasn¡¯t helping either - everything was hazy, muffled, and blurred.


    My chest constricted.


    <i>Ethan...</i>


    The name didn¡¯t leave my lips, but it rang in my mind as certainty crashed over me. Who else could this be? Who else would make my very blood hum and my bones ache with awareness? He was my mate. It was finally confirmed.


    The realization struck harder than any blow I had ever taken in my life. For a heartbeat, I felt weightless. Then his arms tightened around me, strong and steady, and suddenly I wasn¡¯t falling anymore.


    The mate bond burned between us like fire and frost all at once - every nerve alight, every sense screaming. My breath caught as my body was pressed against his chest, hard and unyielding, and then his face lowered into the crook of my neck. The deep rumble that left his chest wasn¡¯t just a growl... it was a im, a sound that sent shivers racing down my spine.


    He didn¡¯t say anything, but I didn¡¯t need words to understand. He was just as lost in this as I was.


    And then, after what felt like forever yet was only seconds, his lips brushed my neck, and he whispered one single word - his voice low, deep, raw... almost unrecognizable.


    <fn582d> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? FindN0vel</fn582d>


    "Mate."


    I swore the world stopped.


    The way he spoke it, ignited something I had never known existed inside me. That one word made me feel whole and fractured at the same time, made my lungs seize and my heart pound so violently I was certain he could hear it.


    My skin turned hypersensitive, tingling where his lips had touched, as if he had branded me.


    I hadn¡¯t even recovered when I felt the slow trail of feathery kisses along the side of my neck. My body tensed, but not from fear... from something else, something I couldn¡¯t name. Each kiss was like a spark, each touch a reminder that I wasn¡¯t imagining this.


    When his mouth finally reached mine, I froze.


    It was a hesitant kiss. Barely there, just a brush, a taste... almost as though he thought I would run. His lips lingered but didn¡¯t im. He waited, testing the line.


    Memories of the clearing shed in my mind - of me stepping back, of the uncertainty that had twisted in my chest. I had run then, too afraid to let him close, too afraid to feel.


    But this time was different.


    This time, I didn¡¯t want to run.


    I wanted him to kiss me.


    I wanted to know if the whispers I had heard in the packhouse, the giggles of the girls after stolen kisses, the descriptions in romance books about lips meeting lips - was it really that crazy? That dizzying? That unforgettable?


    Before I could second-guess myself, my body betrayed me. My lips moved against his.


    And I kissed him back.


    The second I did, the kiss changed. His hesitation shattered. The bond surged alive, wrapping us both in heat, pulling tighter and tighter. His lips grew surer, firmer, moving against mine with a hunger that made me gasp. He tasted like warmth, like fire after a storm, like everything I never dared to hope I would deserve.


    My hands fisted in the front of his shirt, clinging as though I would copse without the anchor of him. My mind was a mess, scattered between panic and exhration. My heart screamed yes, while fear whispered too much.


    But the mate bond drowned out everything else.


    Every time his lips pressed deeper into mine, I felt myself unraveling. His kiss wasn¡¯t just a kiss - it was a promise, a brand, a tether pulling us together so tightly I couldn¡¯t tell where he ended and I began.


    And it wasn¡¯t just the kiss. It was the way his hand cupped the back of my head, gentle but unyielding, holding me in ce as though he couldn¡¯t bear to let me go. The way his other arm circled my waist, crushing me against him, making me feel small and safe and wanted all at once.


    The world beyond that dark room ceased to exist.


    It was just us.


    Just this.


    When I broke away for air, I was trembling. My lips felt swollen, tingling, and I knew his were no different. His forehead pressed to mine, his breath ragged, his chest rising and falling like he had just fought a war.


    "Mate..." he groaned, sounding desperate, reverent, starved.


    I didn¡¯t speak. I couldn¡¯t. My throat was tight, my voice gone. Instead, I leaned back in, greedy, needing more. His mouth crashed back to mine as though he had been waiting for that very invitation.


    This kiss was wilder. He devoured me, and I let him. My lips parted without thought, without hesitation, weing him, needing to feel him closer. My heart raced, my stomach twisted, and yet... there was no fear. Not anymore.


    Only want.


    Only need.


    Only him.


    My mind spun as if I had drunk too much, but my body knew exactly what it wanted. When his hands began to roam, I gasped, every nerve firing under his touch. His fingers brushed the curve of my waist, and my body betrayed me again - arching closer, demanding more.


    The touch was tentative at first, almost questioning. But when I didn¡¯t push him away, when I didn¡¯t flinch... he grew bolder.


    His hand slipped beneath the hem of my oversized hoodie, his palm resting on my waist. The sensation was electric. I thought I would scream from the sheer intensity of it. My breath stuttered and my pulse thundered in my ears.


    I should have stopped him.


    I should have pushed his hand away.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Instead, I let him.


    I let him explore the curve of my waist, my body trembling as his touch burned into me. And then - before I realized what was happening - he gripped the fabric of my hoodie and pulled it upward in one swift motion.


    The oversized hoodie slipped over my head and was tossed carelessly aside.


    I stood before him in nothing but a thin tank top and jeans, my chest rising and falling rapidly, my skin flushed.


    And my world tilted, because I wasn¡¯t afraid.


    Not anymore.

 Chapter 295: The Special Birthday (III)

    <h4>Chapter 295: The Special Birthday (III)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The air between us grew heavy, the silence broken only by the sound of my own uneven breathing. My arms instinctively crossed over my chest, as though that thin barrier of fabric could hide the way my heart was pounding against my ribs.


    The man before me - my mate, my Ethan - hadn¡¯t said a word since slipping the hoodie off my shoulders, but I could feel him watching me, even in the darkness of the room. His presence wrapped around me like fire and shadows all at once, a mixture of danger andfort that made my knees weak.


    I licked my lips nervously, and that was when I noticed the taste still lingering on my tongue. Wine. Rich, heady, unmistakable. He had kissed me just moments ago, and now I knew for certain he wasn¡¯t sober.


    My pulse skipped. If he was drunk, was I? The world tilted faintly when I tried to step back, dizziness fluttering through my head. Something was wrong. My drink earlier - it must have beenced with something, because no matter how much I tried to steady myself, the room felt unbnced. My instincts screamed that this wasn¡¯t normal, but at the same time, the mate bond thrummed in my veins, drowning reason in its tide.


    When I stumbled, his hands were there instantly, strong and sure, catching me by the waist before I could fall. My breath hitched. His touch was searing, and the sparks that ignited where his fingers met my skin left no doubt - this was real. This was my mate.


    "Careful," his voice rumbled low, husky, and strained. I shivered at the sound, clutching at his shirt for bnce.


    A small part of my brain noticed how different he was feeling. His body, his scent, his voice... he was different.


    "I-sorry," I whispered, though it came out more like a shaky exhale.


    He didn¡¯t let me go. Instead, he pulled me closer, his chest brushing mine, and even through theyers of fabric I felt his heat. My mind screamed at me to think, to question, to demand answers. But my body, my very soul, moved to the rhythm of something older and stronger than reason.


    I tilted my head up, and his mouth was already there waiting. His lips imed mine in a kiss that sent shivers down my spine. This one was hungry, desperate, as though he had been waiting for me his whole life.


    And maybe he had.


    The bond red so intensely it nearly knocked me off my feet. I gasped into his mouth, trembling, while his hands slid up my arms and framed my face. He kissed me deeper, coaxing me to open up to him, and when I did, a small sound escaped me - half whimper, half surrender.


    The taste of wine on his tongue mingled with something darker, something undeniably him, and I couldn¡¯t pull away even if I tried. He devoured me like I was the only source of air, and my own hunger rose to meet his.


    <fnc643> The source of th?s content is find[f]ovel</fnc643>


    When we finally broke apart, we were both breathless. His forehead rested against mine, and though I couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, I could feel the heat of his gaze burning into me.


    "You are mine," he whispered, voice ragged and low. The words vibrated against my lips.


    I should have been afraid. Instead, the im settled deep into my chest, sparking warmth where there should have been fear. My throat was dry, but somehow, I managed a soft, "Yes."


    That single word seemed to snap thest of his restraint.


    In one fluid motion, he bent and scooped me into his arms. I gasped, instinctively wrapping my arms around his neck as he carried me toward the bed. His steps were steady, deliberate, and every nerve in my body lit up in anticipation.


    The mattress dipped as heid me down gently, almost reverently, as though I were made of ss. For a moment, he just hovered over me, his breath hot against my cheek, his body a tense line of control barely held together.


    I reached up blindly, fingers brushing along his jaw, finding smooth skin.


    "Look at me," I whispered without thinking.


    A harsh breath escaped him, and though the darkness hid his features, I felt the weight of his eyes as he obeyed. The intensity there made my stomach flip. I had never been looked at like this before... like I was both a salvation and a storm.


    Then his lips found the hollow of my throat, and I arched helplessly beneath him. His kisses trailed down, slow and deliberate, leaving a path of heat that made me forget the dizziness, the confusion, everything but him.


    His hands moved with the same aching patience, tracing my sides, brushing over the thin fabric of my tank top. When his fingers slipped beneath the hem, brushing against bare skin, I shivered violently.


    "Too fast?" he murmured against my corbone, his muffled voice almost breaking with restraint.


    I shook my head, words failing me. All I could do was tug at him, desperate to keep him close.


    His answering groan vibrated against my skin, raw and unguarded. He kissed me again, slower this time, as though he was trying to savor every second. His tongue brushed mine, and the connection deepened until I thought I would melt into himpletely.


    Piece by piece, the world around us fell away - the cold outside, the shadows in the corners of the room, even the questions wing at the back of my mind. All that remained was him. My mate.


    The way he touched me was both careful and iming. His hands worshipped every inch, yet his kisses grew hungrier, rougher, as though his control was unraveling with every heartbeat.


    When he finally pulled back enough to whisper, "Tell me to stop, and I will," my chest tightened painfully.


    I swallowed hard, my voice trembling but certain as I said, "Don¡¯t stop."


    And just like that, thest thread snapped.

 Chapter 296: The Special Birthday (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 296: The Special Birthday (IV)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The mattress dipped beneath his weight as his body came down over mine, shielding me from the lingering chill of the dark room. My breath caught when his lips brushed the curve of my jaw, soft but unsteady, as though even he was fighting the wine that burned in his veins.


    His hands - broad, warm, trembling - slid over my bare arms before pausing at my waist. For a long moment he hovered there, his forehead resting against mine, and I could hear his uneven breaths, ragged, hungry, restrained.


    I could feel him. The bond pulsed between us like a living thing, warm and insistent, each throb syncing with the frantic beat of my heart. It terrified me. It thrilled me.


    His fingers moved on my waist, grazing the skin of my stomach, and I arched into his touch. A soft gasp escaped me, and I felt his lips curve faintly against my cheek at the sound... as if he was memorizing it.


    My top was gone in the next breath. I barely realized how quickly he pulled it over my head before his mouth covered mine again, deeper, hungrier. His taste was sharp with wine, yet beneath it lingered something wholly him... warm, dark, intoxicating. I drowned in it, let it anchor me when the room kept spinning.


    His hand cupped my cheek while the other traced down my side, steadying me as I trembled beneath him. Every brush of his fingers against my skin made me burn hotter, needier, and yet he moved with aching patience, as though afraid to break me.


    When his lips left mine, they traveled down - over my throat, to the hollow at its base, and lower still. I gasped again, fingers clutching the sheets when his mouth closed around the swell of my breast through the fabric of my bra. My back arched helplessly, pressing myself into him. His groan was low, muffled, vibrating against my skin, but it made heat pool deep inside me.


    I couldn¡¯t think. Couldn¡¯t question. Couldn¡¯t stop.


    His hands moved with surety, unsping the barrier between us, letting the fabric fall away. Cool air brushed my bare skin for only a second before his mouth imed one of the nipples. His tongue teased, his lips sucked gently, while his hand kneaded the other breast as though desperate to worship every inch.


    My breath came in shallow pants. "Please..." I whispered, not even sure what I was begging for, but I knew I needed more... needed him.


    He lifted his head at that, and though my vision failed me in the darkness, I felt warm all over because I was able to feel the intensity of his gaze. His breathing was alsoing uneven... just like mine.


    In the silence, our bond pulsed stronger, weaving around me, through me, until it felt like I couldn¡¯t exist without his touch.


    His hands trailed lower, over my ribs, my hips, stopping at the button of my jeans. For a heartbeat he hesitated, his thumb brushing over the metal as though asking silently. My body gave the answer before my mind could. I arched toward him, my thighs parting slightly in surrender.


    The sound he made then was primal, a growl choked with need, but still he was careful. He unfastened my jeans slowly, dragging the zipper down inch by inch, before sliding the denim over my hips and legs. The rough fabric left goosebumps on my skin, leaving me bare in only a scrap of cotton underwear.


    He hovered above me again, but lower now, his lips brushing my stomach, trailing fire as they dipped lower. I squirmed beneath him, my fingers tangling in his hair when his breath ghosted over the thin fabric barrier.


    My body was trembling while heat pooled deep within me so fiercely I thought I would shatter. And when his mouth finally pressed against my aching core, even through the fabric, I gasped out loud.


    He froze. Just for a moment. But then his hands tightened on my thighs, pulling me closer, and his mouth returned with a hunger that stole every thought from me.


    And then... thest piece of fabric on my body was gone in seconds, tugged away by impatient hands, and then there was nothing between us.


    Before I could even process the fact that I waspletely naked under him, another gasp left my lips as his mouth found my clit. His tongue slipped between my folds, grazing the hidden sensitive bud that had sweet tingles of pure pleasure running through my entire body.


    He wasted no time as he began worshipping me - slow, reverent, yet unrelenting. His tongue was relentless, and he didn¡¯t slow down until I was writhing beneath him. The sheets twisted in my fists and tears stung the corners of my eyes from the sheer intensity.


    Every flick of his tongue, every suck, every gentle scrape of his teeth sent me spiraling higher. He held me firmly when I tried to twist away from the overwhelming pleasure, his low growl vibrating against me.


    Every touch, every kiss, every lick... was new for me. No one had ever touched me like this ever.


    Just when I thought I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, it came... crashing over me like fire and lightning, my first release, raw and blinding. I cried out, my voice breaking, my back arching as the world tilted and shattered.


    He didn¡¯t stop until I slumped back against the pillows, trembling, breathless, my body too sensitive to bear another touch. Only then did he lift his head.


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    His eyes met mine in the darkness, and though I couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, I knew. I felt it in the bond, in the way my heart clenched. This was my mate.


    He kissed me again, tasting of wine and me, desperate and consuming. And when I felt his body press against mine fully for the first time - hard, hot, straining beneath theyers of his clothes - I knew this night was only beginning.

 Chapter 297: The Special Birthday (V)

    <h4>Chapter 297: The Special Birthday (V)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The world blurred around me, lost between shadows and the heat of his body. My back sank deeper into the mattress as his weight settled above me, careful, controlled, yet trembling with restraint.


    As his bare skin came in contact with mine, I shivered. He just undressed, but the room was too dark for me to see his fine body. And even though I felt my fingers twitching to touch him, feel him... I kept them by my sides.


    The mate bond was pulsing between us like a living thing, humming louder with every breath. My heart was racing, drowning out the faint creak of the bed as he aligned himself closer.


    I gasped when I felt him, hard and burning against me, pressing insistently against the my inner thighs. My legs trembled, instinct making them part and inviting him without words.


    His lips brushed my cheek, then moved lower, ghosting over my jaw as if he couldn¡¯t decide whether to kiss me or simply breathe me in.


    His hand slid down, fingers trembling as they trailed over my skin. My body arched into him, helpless, as if I had been waiting my entire life for this single moment. My chest was rising and falling rapidly, my skin alive under his touch, my entire being screaming for him.


    His mouth found one of my nipples again and he gave it a long luck before sucking it in, forcing a groan past my lips. His hand massaged the other nipple before it got reced by his mouth.


    Then, his hand moved south. His fingers trailed a burning path down my belly and slipped between my thighs without hesitation this time, his fingers slipping past my wet folds and finding my entrance.


    And then I felt one of his fingers slipping inside me, stretching me and causing a moan to escape me. Once he started pumping his finger in-and-out, I was moaning non-stop. And just as I started feeling like I was getting closer to the edge of some cliff, he pulled his finger out and his mouth stopped switching between my nipples.


    He shifted, and I once again felt his hard length... this time right against my entrance. But instead of moving forward...


    He paused.


    Even in the dark, I felt the hesitation ripple through him. His forehead rested against mine, breaths ragged, body shaking with the need he fought to contain.


    I whimpered, the sound soft, broken, desperate... and his control snapped.


    Slowly, achingly, he pressed forward.


    The stretch burned at first, unfamiliar and overwhelming, but my body weed him, instinctively molding to his shape. My nails dug into his back as a low cry escaped me, muffled against his shoulder.


    He froze, groaning deep in his chest, every muscle in his body drawn tight as a bowstring. His hands cupped my face, lips brushing mine as if to soothe, to ask without words if I could bear it.


    And then... I melted.


    The pain dulled just a bit, but the warmth that bloomed deep inside me and expanded with my every shallow breath, pulled my attention away from the pain. I clung to him, pulling him closer, silently telling him not to stop.


    His hips moved, tentative at first - small, careful thrusts that made my breath hitch. Each movement sent sparks racing up my spine, each shift of his body inside mine binding me tighter to him.


    The room spun, but I didn¡¯t care. All I felt was him... surrounding me, iming me, filling the hollow ces I never knew existed.


    My legs wrapped around his waist without thought, urging him deeper. His answering growl rumbled against my throat, and this time, he obeyed.


    He slid deeper, filling mepletely. My mouth parted in a soundless cry as my body arched helplessly beneath him, overwhelmed by the sudden fullness.


    <fn05bf> Readplete version only at F¦ÉndNovel</fn05bf>


    His lips captured mine, muffling the sound, kissing me as though I were air and he was starved.


    The world outside ceased to exist. There was no inn room, no past, no future... only the dark, the heat, the bond tying us together as his movements grew stronger, surer, hungrier.


    Every thrust sent waves of pleasure coursing through me, scattering my thoughts until all that remained was instinct. My fingers tangled in his hair, my body rising to meet his.


    He whispered something - words I couldn¡¯t hear clearly, slurred by wine and need - but the way his low voice broke against my ear made my chest tighten. Whether it was my name or nothing at all, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Because I already knew.


    He was mine.


    And I was his.


    The mate bond zed inside me, fierce and unrelenting, until I felt as though my very soul was entwined with his.


    The rhythm built, feeling as if a storm was gathering. Each movement faster, deeper, harder, until I was gasping, trembling, clutching him as though letting go would tear me apart.


    "Please-" I breathed, though I didn¡¯t know what I was begging for.


    He answered with his body, his thrusts growing desperate, wild, yet never cruel. Even in hunger, he was gentle, guiding me through the storm instead of drowning me in it.


    And then the world shattered.


    Heat exploded inside me, white and blinding, every nerve alight as I cried out, my body clenching around him. His groan followed, raw and broken, as he buried himself deeper, holding me through the storm of release.


    Time stilled.


    He copsed against me, his chest heaving, our sweat-slicked skin clinging together. My hands ran weakly down his back, nails leaving faint trails as I held him close.


    I could still feel him inside me, twitching faintly, as if reluctant to leave. The bond pulsed gently now, soothing, humming like a luby.


    Tears burned in my eyes, but they weren¡¯t from pain. They were from the overwhelming truth that nothing would ever be the same again.


    I had given myself to my mate.


    And even if the world crumbled, even if the night was only a haze of wine and shadows... this moment was mine. Ours. Forever.


    Only if I knew...!!

 Chapter 298: Late Night Cold Shower

    <h4>Chapter 298: Late Night Cold Shower</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - - </strong>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    The dream felt so real I could almost taste her.


    Her lips were soft beneath mine, pliant yet urgent, as though she craved me just as much as I craved her.


    I kissed her like a starving man, my hands syed across the smooth warmth of her bare back, my body pressing into hers until not even the air dared to slip between us.


    When her breathy little moan slipped free, I swallowed it greedily, desperate to hear more.


    The world beyond the bed ceased to exist. There was only her... my mate.


    Her throat arched beneath my mouth, the delicate curve calling to me. I trailed fevered kisses down her skin, tasting every inch as though I could imprint myself onto her. My lips grazed her corbone before I sank lower, finding the soft mound of her breast. She gasped, shuddering beneath me, when I took her nipple between my lips and sucked.


    "Kieran..."


    That soft whisper - breathless, needy, achingly familiar - mmed into me with more force than any de or blow ever could. My head jerked up, breath ragged, and my gaze collided with a pair of amber eyes I knew better than my own reflection.


    Amber. Glowing. Haunted. Hers.


    Her long, silver hair was spilled across the pillow in wild disarray, catching the faint light of the room like strands of moonlight. And there she was - Evaline Greystone. <i>My mate</i>.


    The realization crashed into me so violently it stole the air from my lungs. My chest clenched, my pulse raced, and then...


    I woke.


    My eyes snapped open to darkness. And despite the darkness filling the space, my enhanced sight recognized the familiar ceiling, bed, and surrounding of my solitary quarters at the Academy.


    "Damn it..." I whispered into the stillness, dragging a hand down my face as the fragments of the dream clung to me like cobwebs. My chest heaved, my heart refusing to calm as her voice... my name in her voice... echoed inside my head again and again.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time I had a dream like this. For months now, my nights had been haunted by the faceless silhouette of my mate. Her touch, her warmth, her moans - it was always there, just out of reach, taunting me with what I didn¡¯t have.


    But recently... recently, the dream had changed. The faceless blur had sharpened into someone real. <i>Her</i>. Evaline.


    And I didn¡¯t know if it was a gift from the Moon Goddess or the cruelest torture imaginable.


    A nce at the clock on my bedside table showed me the time. Two in the damn morning.


    Sleep was out of the question now. Even if I tried, there was no way I would escape the problem pressing against me. A certain part of my body was throbbing painfully, straining for release.


    I groaned low in my throat, rubbing my temples in frustration. This wasn¡¯t new, either. Waking hard from dreams of her had be its own kind of curse.


    But tonight... tonight was worse. Because now, every time I closed my eyes, it wasn¡¯t some nameless fantasy. It was her face, her eyes, her lips parting for me, her voice moaning my name.


    And I wanted her. Stars, how I wanted her.


    Grinding my teeth, I shoved off the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed. The cool air hit my overheated skin, but it did little to help. I stalked toward the bathroom, stripping as I went, until I stood naked in front of the mirror.


    My body was aching with need, my length heavy and flushed, throbbing in time with my heartbeat.


    I turned on the shower, twisting the knob until the water gushed out ice cold.


    That¡¯s what I needed. Something sharp, punishing, enough to remind me of reality.


    Stepping beneath the spray, I hissed as the frigid water mmed into me, but I forced myself to stay there, my muscles tensing beneath the onught. Droplets ran down my chest, my stomach, my thighs. My breathing turned hard, ragged, but I didn¡¯t move away.


    Instead, I closed my eyes, seeking the numbness the cold should have brought.


    But all I saw was her.


    <i>Evaline.</i>


    She was haunting me tonight more than usual.


    Her beautiful face appeared behind my eyelids with merciless rity. Those amber eyes, staring up at me with a mix of hesitation and trust. Her lips, flushed and trembling as though she had just been kissed raw. That silver hair fanning out like a halo.


    And the moment I let myself picture her, it was over.


    I wrapped my hand around myself with a guttural groan, my body jerking at the contact. My length pulsed in my grip, desperate, and I pumped slowly at first, trying to fight the rush of heat that surged through me even under the icy spray.


    <fn89a2> Get full chapters from Find[F]ovel</fn89a2>


    My mind betrayed me, painting images I couldn¡¯t resist.


    Her pressed up against me in this very shower, the water soaking her silver hair, making it cling to her pale skin. Her lips parting as I kissed her senseless against the tiles, her hands clutching at my shoulders.


    "Kieran..." she would moan, her voice breaking as I touched her.


    I tightened my grip, stroking harder, faster, chasing that image of her. My breaths turned ragged, my chest heaving with every desperate movement of my hand.


    In my mind, she touched me back. I pictured her small hand sliding down my stomach, curling around me, tentative at first and then bolder as I guided her. I imagined the way her eyes would widen at my size, the way her lip would catch between her teeth as she stroked me the way I was stroking myself now.


    Stars, I would lose my mind if that day ever came.


    My hips bucked into my fist as a growl tore from my throat. The shower¡¯s icy spray was forgotten, eclipsed by the heat building in my veins. I imagined pinning her against the wall, lifting her with ease, sliding into her inch by inch until I was buried inside the one person who had haunted every waking and sleeping moment of my life for months now.


    She would gasp and clutch me tightly, her nails digging into my skin.


    She would moan my name, over and over, as I drove into her.


    And I would worship her with my body until she knew... knew she was mine.


    A shudder wracked me as the fantasy consumed me whole. My strokes grew frantic, every nerve in my body straining toward release. My balls tightened, my breath caught, and I surrendered. My climax tore through me with a guttural growl that echoed in the small bathroom.


    My seed spilled into the spray, mixing with the cold water as I sagged forward, bracing my free hand against the tiles.


    My chest heaved. My body trembled.


    And still... still all I saw was her.


    Evaline.


    The girl who shouldn¡¯t have mattered from the very beginning. The girl I should have despised, or at the very least ignored. The girl who wanst my mate.


    But instead, she was in my dreams. My fantasies. My very bones.


    I closed my eyes again, the water cascading down my face, trying to wash her away.


    It didn¡¯t work.


    Because no matter how much I fought it... she was mine.


    And some part of me knew... she always would be.


    I turned the shower off and walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist. My body had turned cold, but it wouldn¡¯t take more than just a couple of minutes before I would be warm all over again.


    I put on pajamas and grabbed a wine bottle and a ss from the cab next to the closet. I rarely drank within Academy grounds, but tonight was an exception. I needed this drink more than I needed my next breath.


    I poured myself a ss and walked toward the balcony, sliding the ss door open, I stepped out in the cold of the dark night. It wasn¡¯t snowing tonight, but the sky was dark with no sign of the moon or the stars.


    I sipped the wine, but barely tasted it. Instead, all my attention was on <i>her</i>. While I was here dreaming about her, she was back at the mansion. If not for my duties as the a professor, as well as the headmaster, of the Academy, I would have returned to the mansion to spend time with her.


    As I took another sip, I made up my mind to finally end my torture. Once I would be done with the exam results, I would head straight to her, and... I would confess my feelings to her.


    As long as she would allow it, I was ready to court her and win her heart. And I knew I would seed.


    A smile immediately made its way to my lips and picked up my phone from the beside table to send a message to Mark.


    <i>Stop the search.</i>

 Chapter 299: A Day in Halewick

    <h4>Chapter 299: A Day in Halewick</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My first night in the Thorne mansion was... peaceful. Almost unnervingly so.


    After dinner, I returned to my room. Yet, when Oscar and Draven both insisted on staying with me, hovering around my room like stubborn shadows, I surprised them, and myself, by saying no.


    "No, I want to be alone tonight," I had told them quietly. My voice hadn¡¯t wavered, though my heart had thumped hard in my chest.


    The look on their faces was almostical. Oscar¡¯s sharp jaw had clenched as if I had just denied him air itself, while Draven¡¯s eyes darkened with something that was neither unhappiness nor disappointment, but a mix of both. Still, they respected my decision, even if they walked away grumpy and muttering under their breaths like sulking children.


    And after making their nights lonely and quite miserable, I slept peacefully.


    Really slept.


    When I blinked awake the next morning, the soft golden light nting through the curtains told me I had overslept badly. My body felt like it had been submerged in some healingke, all fatigue drained from me. A nce at the clock confirmed it - I had slept nearly eleven hours. Eleven! It was the longest I had slept in... forever probably.


    I stretchedzily, almost catlike, before rolling out of bed. I was filled with energy after such a good and long sleep.


    After a long shower, I pulled on a soft sweater and jeans. I brushed my hair quickly before tying it into a messy ponytail. My stomach growled the moment I stepped out of my room. Following the faint sound of voices downstairs, I padded toward the living room.


    That was where I found him.


    Draven was lounging on the couch, one long leg crossed over the other, and a phone pressed against his ear. He was smiling faintly, speaking in a low tone to whoever was on the other end. Probably one of his friends. His ck hair caught the light, causing the blue hue in them to stand out. Strands were falling across his forehead in that perfectly careless way he always seemed to manage.


    The moment his eyes lifted and met mine, his smile widened. And just like that, the call ended. He slipped the phone into his pocket and rose to his feet.


    "Good morning," I greeted softly.


    He crossed the space between us in three easy strides and bent down, brushing a kiss against my forehead. The touch was feather-light, yet it left warmth blooming through my skin. "Good morning, Eva," he murmured.


    "You must be hungry," he added, his voice carrying the certainty of someone who knew me better than I knew myself. Before I could even answer, he was already summoning Sera, instructing her to set the breakfast table. But instead of sending her toward the dining hall as usual, he nced back at me with a mischievous spark in his eyes.


    "Not inside. Set the table in the front garden."


    I blinked, my brow furrowing. "The... garden?"


    He chuckled when he saw my puzzled look. "It¡¯s a rare sunny morning," he exined, his hand brushing lightly against the small of my back as he guided me toward the door. "Perfect for sitting outside, don¡¯t you think? You¡¯ll see."


    When we stepped outside, I did see.


    The winter air was crisp, but the sunlight was pouring down generously, painting the grass and bare trees in warm hues. My lips parted in a small, unbidden smile as I tilted my face up to the sky. In these freezing months, such mornings were nothing short of a blessing.


    "I love it," I admitted softly.


    Within minutes, the servants set up a small round table,ying it with steaming tes of fresh food. Two chairs faced each other, and Draven pulled one out for me before taking his own.


    He didn¡¯t eat much himself, only sipped on his coffee, but he made sure I ate properly, nudging dishes closer. The food was delicious as usual.


    As we talked, I learned that Oscar left early for the Academy, while River had gone to the office. "He came backtest night," Draven exined when I mentioned not seeing River at all yesterday. "He was visiting one of the packs."


    I nodded, though part of me felt a little guilty. I had gone to bed so early, without even waiting to see him. But before guilt could take root, Draven changed the subject.


    "Do you have any ns for today?" he asked, his emerald eyes holding mine.


    I shook my head. "No. None."


    "Good." His lips curved in satisfaction. "Then, would you like to join me and some of my close friends? We are going to spend the day in a neighboring town."


    I blinked, caught off guard. "Your... friends?"


    The idea startled me. I knew of them vaguely, having seen him surrounded by people at the Academy sometimes, but I had never spoken to them, never even caught their names. My stomach twisted nervously. How was he going to introduce me? As his mate? As... what?


    He must have read the uncertainty on my face because he reached across the table, his hand covering mine. The warmth of his palm was grounding.


    "Don¡¯t worry," he said firmly. "I would never let you get close to people who weren¡¯t worthy of you. My friends are good people. You¡¯ll like them." His thumb brushed over my knuckles gently, coaxing me to rx. "Besides... they have been pestering me nonstop ever since they noticed I was with someone. I think it¡¯s time I introduce you."


    His eagerness softened the edge of my hesitation. He truly wanted me to meet them. And if he, with all his sharp instincts, trusted them... then maybe I could, too.


    I let out a slow breath and nodded. "Alright."


    His answering smile was radiant. "You won¡¯t regret it."


    Once breakfast was done, we headed back inside, and soon after, slipped into Draven¡¯s sleek ck car. The engine purred to life, and before long, we were on the road, the mansion fading behind us.


    The drive was smooth, the world outside shifting from the snowy outskirts of the rogue packnds to the bustling edges of another town. The name rolled off Draven¡¯s tongue casually as we neared it - Halewick.


    Halewick town was different from the Academy¡¯s polished grounds and even from the nearby towns. It had a vibrant, slightly chaotic energy. Lively shops lined the streets,ughter spilling out of caf¨¦s, while the faint scent of roasted chestnuts hung in the air.


    Draven parked the car in a lot near the center of town, then reached across to unbuckle my seatbelt for me before I could do it myself. His hand lingered a moment longer than necessary, his eyes locking with mine. "Ready?"


    I swallowed hard but managed a small nod.


    Together, we walked down the busy street until we reached arge building with colorful signs and shing lights - an Arcade.


    <fn4f7d> Newest update provided by F¦Énd£Îovel</fn4f7d>


    Inside, the cheerful hum ofughter, clinking tokens, and game machines buzzed around us. And there, near the back, four people were waiting for us.

 Chapter 300: The Unexpected Visit

    <h4>Chapter 300: The Unexpected Visit</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Draven¡¯s friends caught sight of him walking into the lounge, their voices rose with cheer,ughter, and easy banter that filled the air. But then... their gazes shifted, sliding past him andnding on me.


    It was subtle at first, the way their smiles faltered, but I noticed it instantly. Surprise flickered across their faces. Confusion too. Four pairs of eyes moved between me and Draven, as if silently asking - <i>Who is she, and why is she with you?</i>


    Before I could shrink under their scrutiny, Draven did something that made my chest tighten - he reached for my hand, entangling his long fingers with mine, and led me confidently toward them. His grip was firm, grounding, like he wasn¡¯t ashamed or hesitant, like he wanted me there with him.


    "All right," he said with a grin, tugging me closer. "Don¡¯t look so shocked, idiots. I want you to meet someone important."


    The four of them rose from the couches almost in unison. Draven¡¯s presence wasmanding, but I realized he was about to ce me right in the center of their focus, and it made my palms feel mmy.


    He gestured toward the first couple. "This is Mario, and that¡¯s his mate Ang."


    My gazended on the only girl in the group. She was pretty with short brown hair and a beautiful smile. She gave me a little wave, her smile warming up as her gaze shifted to me. Standing next to her was a tall and broad-shouldered man - Mario - who gave me a nod of acknowledgment, his expression friendly.


    "And these two troublemakers," Draven continued, pointing at the other pair, "are Cristian and Ronan. They are twins."


    Both boys smirked, giving me matching waves that made me blink. They looked so different that I would have never guessed them being rted, let alone being twins.


    "Everyone," Draven said then, and I felt his arm suddenly curl around my waist, tugging me flush to his side, "this is Evaline. First year. And... my mate."


    Thest word echoed in my ears. Mate.


    For a second, there was only silence. My heart pounded like a drum, waiting for their reactions, waiting for any sign of disapproval or judgment. But instead...


    "You are kidding me!" Cristian burst out, grinning. "You actually found your mate? Damn, Draven, about time!"


    Marioughed, pping him on the back. "I knew something was different about youtely. No wonder."


    Ang sped her hands together, her eyes sparkling as she turned toward me. "Oh, she¡¯s beautiful. And undoubtedly smart. You are lucky, Draven."


    Heat rushed to my cheeks at her words. I wasn¡¯t used to beingplimented so openly, especially not in front of others.


    "Lucky?" Cristian scoffed. "More like blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. We are all gonna have to keep an eye on him now for Evaline. Don¡¯t let him mess up."


    Theirughter bubbled up, light and teasing, and I felt the tightness in my chest ease. They weren¡¯t cold or harsh like I had feared. They were... weing. Genuine.


    But then Cristian leaned forward a little, his grin widening. "Wait, I know you. You are that Evaline, aren¡¯t you? The one who topped the entrance exams?"


    I blinked, startled. "Uh... maybe?"


    Ang gasped softly, eyes wide. "Oh! You are her. No wonder your name sounded familiar. The professors keep talking about you - how disciplined you are, how sharp you are with your studies."


    "And we all have heard stories of how you wiped the floor with Instructor Oscar duringbat trial," Ronan added with a mischievous grin.


    I felt my eyes widen. "Wait... people know about that?"


    "Know?" Mario chuckled. "It¡¯s practically Academy legend now. First-year student with no wolf takes down one of the rogue alphas in hand-to-handbat? Everyone in Silver Moon knows your name, Evaline."


    My stomach dropped. I wasn¡¯t used to attention. For someone like me - an introvert who had spent years trying to make myself invisible - it felt like someone had just pulled a rug from under my feet.


    "I... uh... I didn¡¯t realize," I mumbled, flustered.


    Beside me, Draven smirked, his pride practically radiating off him. His arm tightened around me, a clear sign that he wasn¡¯t embarrassed by what they were saying. If anything, he was glowing with pride.


    "Of course she¡¯s famous," he said. "She¡¯s my mate."


    The teasing rolled on after that. Mario and Ang congratted us with sincerity, Ang even squeezing my hand gently, as if to wee me. Cristian and Ronan cracked jokes about how Draven better treat me right or they would step in.


    By the time the introductions were over, I found myself breathing easier. Their warmth chipped away at my walls, and slowly, I loosened up.


    When the games began, Ang pulled me to her side immediately. "Partners?"


    <fn81da> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn81da>


    I nodded eagerly, thankful to have her nearby. We ended up against our mates, and the two of usughed the hardest when Draven groaned about betrayal.


    "You are supposed to have my back, Ang!" heined as she purposely sabotaged his turn.


    "I have Evaline¡¯s back now," she shot back with a wink.


    Iughed so hard my cheeks started hurting. They made it so easy for me to feel... included.


    Three hours passed in a blur ofughter, teasing, and yfulpetition. And then, aste afternoon arrived and the sunlight stared disappearing, it was them for good byes.


    Cristian leaned down slightly as he sped my shoulder. "If Draven ever gives you trouble, you tell us. We¡¯ll straighten him out."


    Ronan nodded solemnly, though the mischief in his eyes gave him away. "Seriously. Don¡¯t let him get away with being a grump."


    Ang hugged me before we parted, slipping my phone into my hand with her number already saved. "Call me anytime. We¡¯ll go out for meals."


    "Thank you," I whispered, touched by her kindness.


    Draven and I finally left, heading back to the mansion. The car ride was quiet, my head still spinning with everything that had happened. But when we pulled up outside the mansion, Draven¡¯s phone buzzed.


    He frowned at the screen before answering. "Yeah?" He shifted his gaze to me. "Now? Fine. I¡¯ll be there."


    When he hung up, he answered my silent question. "It¡¯s Kieran. He needs me at the Academy."


    "Of course," I said with a nod.


    He leaned over, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. "I¡¯ll see you soon."


    And then he was gone, the car pulling away, leaving me all alone in the giant mansion... except the dozens of servants and warriors, of course.


    Inside, the house was quiet. I climbed the stairs to my room, and headed to freshen up. Returning to the room, I picked up my phone and sat down on the bed. The group chat with Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan was buzzing.


    <strong>Mallory: </strong><i>How you guys doing? I¡¯m already bored over here. Never though I will miss Academy so much. I think I¡¯m addicted to that ce already. </i>


    <strong>Rowan: </strong><i>Nothing special going on here. I¡¯m kind of bored as well. Looking forward to my first day at work tomorrow though.</i>


    <strong>Kyros: </strong><i>I¡¯m babysitting my cousin.</i>


    <strong>Mallory: </strong><i>Where are you, Eva? Don¡¯t ignore is because of your threesome. </i>


    <strong>Kyros: </strong><i>For Goodness sake, Mallory!!</i>


    I groaned as I read Mallory¡¯s message. She really didn¡¯t have a filter. I quickly typed a reply.


    <strong>Evaline: </strong><i>Stop talking nonsense. I went out with Draven to meet his friends. Just returned.</i>


    I just hit ¡¯send¡¯ when someone knocked on my door.


    The sound made me look up. Slowly, I slid off the bed and padded toward the door. When I opened it... River was standing there.

 Chapter 301: The Unexpected Acceptance

    <h4>Chapter 301: The Unexpected eptance</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The room was quiet except for the faint ticking of the wall clock. I stood frozen, my hand still on the knob, staring at River as though he had grown a second head.


    He stared back at me, his unreadable green eyes holding mine with unnerving steadiness. I wanted to speak, ask him why he was here, and why he was looking at me like that... but my lips refused to form words. My heart hammered against my ribcage, echoing in my ears louder than anything else.


    Finally, it was him who broke the silence.


    "Are you going to let me in, Miss Evaline," he asked quietly, his voice carrying that low intensity only he could pull off, "or should I stand here all night?"


    The words startled me into action. Quickly, I stepped aside, pulling the door wider. He brushed past me, and the air around me shifted as if the entire room shrank in size just from his presence.


    Among the brothers, he had rarelye into my room before - except for once or twice during Christmas but that too in his brothers¡¯ presence - and now, seeing him step inside alone felt... different. Intimate. Too intimate.


    I hesitated for a moment before following him in, leaving the door open behind me. My feet carried me a step behind him, my senses alert, as though I needed to prepare for whatever mood he was in tonight.


    He stopped abruptly, turning around to face me. His sharp gaze flicked toward the open door, and then back to me. His eyebrows arched ever so slightly, the kind of look that said without words - <i>You are really going to leave it open? </i>


    The silent judgment burned hotter than if he had spoken it out loud. I swallowed and said nothing.


    And in the next instant, he took a step closer.


    My breath caught, and instinctively, I took one back.


    He followed with another step.


    Again, I retreated, my pulse quickening.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" his voice was calm, almost probing. "Worried I might do something to you?"


    The question caught me off-guard. My lips parted, but no words came out. What could I say? That maybe, deep down, I was afraid of him? That my instincts screamed to never be cornered by him, and yet... here I was, cornered willingly?


    He didn¡¯t give me time to sort through my scrambled thoughts. He took another step forward.


    And another.


    My back brushed against the wall, cold against my spine. I stiffened, realizing toote that I had let myself be trapped.


    He nted both hands against the wall, one on each side of me, caging me in. His presence was suffocating, his scent filling my senses. He leaned forward, closing the distance until just a few breaths of space separated us.


    "Not running anymore?" he asked, his voice dropping into a low murmur that curled through my chest like smoke.


    I finally lifted my eyes to his, ready to throw some retort at him, something sharp enough to slice through the tension. But the words never left me. Instead, a sharp cry escaped my lips,pletely unbidden.


    He immediately straightened, rm shing across his usuallyposed face. "What is it?" he demanded.


    I looked down... automatically, instinctively... at my belly. His eyes followed mine, and for once, I had the upper hand in startling him.


    "It¡¯s not me," I whispered through a shaky breath. "It¡¯s... the baby. It just kicked."


    The silence that followed was heavy. For two heartbeats, he only stared, his expression stunned. His lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. Then, as though something inside him shifted, he dropped to one knee in front of me.


    I froze, my heart climbing into my throat as his hand hovered uncertainly just above my stomach. His eyes lifted to mine, silently asking for permission.


    My throat worked as I swallowed, nodding slowly.


    He ced his palm gently over my small bump.


    We both waited, suspended in that fragile moment. And then... there it was. A soft movement beneath my skin.


    My eyes darted to him instantly, but his face didn¡¯t change. He only shook his head slightly, as if disappointed. My brows knit in confusion, but before I could question him, instinct took over.


    I reached down, took his hand, and slipped it beneath the hem of my sweater. His skin touched mine, hot against my belly, and we both inhaled sharply at the contact. His hand was broad, slightly calloused, and strangely grounding.


    And then... the baby kicked again.


    This time, River felt it.


    I didn¡¯t expect the way his eyes widened, didn¡¯t expect the slow, breathtaking smile that curved his lips. For a second, the icy, unreadable River was gone, reced by a man whose green eyes shimmered with awe and emotion so raw it stunned me into silence.


    He looked at me, then back down at my belly, his thumb unconsciously brushing over the curve of my skin as if trying to memorize the moment. His lips parted, but he didn¡¯t speak. He didn¡¯t need to. His expression said enough.


    It was eptance.


    It was wonder.


    It was... warmth.


    I had thought that Oscar or Draven would be the ones to show such open affection toward the baby first. But River? I hadn¡¯t expected this from him.


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    Before I could gather my thoughts, before emotions could overtake me, he pulled back, standing fluidly, his face sliding back into its usual guarded calm. He slipped his hands into his pockets and tilted his head slightly.


    "What do you want for dinner?" he asked, his tone so casual I almost choked.


    "What?" I blinked, dumbfounded.


    "Dinner," he repeated, watching me with a neutral expression. "What do you want to eat?"


    I stared at him as though he had spoken in anothernguage. A second ago, he was kneeling at my stomach, touching my skin, smiling at my baby¡¯s kick... and now he was asking about food?


    "Are... are you going to cook?" I asked hesitantly.


    To my shock, he nodded.


    I blinked. "You... cook?"


    One of his brows lifted in challenge. "Surprised?"


    "Well, yes," I admitted honestly. "I mean... maybe not."


    That earned me the faintest twitch of his lips. "I can cook."


    I bit my lower lip, hesitant. "I¡¯m not picky. Anything¡¯s fine."


    He gave a single nod, as if that was all he needed. Then, without waiting, he turned and walked toward the door. Over his shoulder, he added, "Come with me. I want somepany while cooking."


    And for reasons I couldn¡¯t fully exin, my feet moved after him without hesitation.

 Chapter 302: Alpha’s Seduction

    <h4>Chapter 302: Alpha¡¯s Seduction</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The mansion¡¯s kitchen wasrge and bustling, the air warm with heat and spice. Pots nged, knives chopped against cutting boards, and the staff moved with quick efficiency, all immersed in their rhythm of preparing dinner.


    But the instant River stepped in with me trailing behind him, the entire kitchen froze.


    It was like someone had pressed pause.


    Every pair of eyes darted toward us, then immediately lowered in respect as the air shifted with awareness. The cooks and maids bowed their heads, their movements stilling, even the sound of bubbling broth seemed quieter.


    "Alpha," several voices murmured together.


    I wasn¡¯t used to being the center of attention, but in that moment, I knew it wasn¡¯t me they were staring at... it was River, and then, briefly, me. Confusion passed through their faces, but none of them dared to speak it aloud.


    "You may all leave," River¡¯s voice cut through the silence, low and firm. "Take a break. I¡¯ll prepare dinner for my brothers, and..." his gaze flicked to me for a brief second, making my breath catch, "...for Miss Evaline."


    The kitchen staff blinked, stunned. I caught the tiny flicker of disbelief in their gazes, some darting quickly toward me before returning to the floor. River cooking? That had to be unheard of. He was their Alpha, not someone who ever had to set foot near stoves and knives.


    Still, none of them dared to question him.


    "Yes, Alpha," the head chef murmured, bowing slightly.


    River added, "Return in an hour to prepare dinner for the rest of the staff."


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    "Yes, Alpha."


    Within moments, the kitchen cleared. The maids and cooks slipped out quietly, leaving behind only the lingering scent of herbs, sizzling oil, and River¡¯s presence filling the space.


    My palms pressed against the side of my jeans. The silence was heavy now, almost intimate, as if the entire mansion had vanished, leaving just the two of us in this cavernous kitchen.


    River moved with the same unhurried confidence he always carried. He slid his suit coat off his broad shoulders, his fingers working the fabric with precise care. For a second, I thought he was going to ce it on one of the chairs.


    Instead, his eyes lifted... directly to me.


    I froze.


    Before I could process, he crossed the short distance between us, and in one fluid motion, draped his coat over my shoulders.


    My breath hitched.


    The fabric was warm, carrying his clean, familiar scent that seemed to seep straight into me. It was overwhelming in the best, most terrifying way.


    "Sit," he instructed in a calm voice, as if nothing unusual had just happened. As if lending me his coat was something he had done countless times before.


    With my heart hammering in my chest, I obeyed, sliding onto one of the high chairs at the counter. My legs swung slightly from the height, a nervous habit I didn¡¯t manage to control.


    He turned back to the counter, rolling the sleeves of his crisp white shirt with practiced ease. The fabric stretched against his forearms, and my eyes betrayed me... they stayed glued to the ridges of his veins, the strength beneath his skin.


    I swallowed hard.


    Then, almostzily, he loosened his tie, pulling it from his cor and without ncing, handed it toward me.


    For a second, I blinked at it, not understanding. Then, hesitantly, I reached out, my fingers brushing the soft silk. It felt like an exchange far too intimate for words.


    He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt next, exposing the faint line of his corbone, the barest glimpse of skin. My cheeks were burning at this point.


    It almost felt like he was... teasing me.


    Seducing me.


    And Moon Goddess help me, it was working.


    My eyes refused to leave him. I watched every move as he pulled out pots and pans with sure, confident hands, as if he had spent his whole life in kitchens rather than boardrooms or packhouses. He moved gracefully, slicing vegetables with precision, stirring oils and spices into pans, the air filling quickly with rich aromas that made my stomach tighten with hunger.


    He didn¡¯t look at me once, but I somehow knew that he was very aware of my gaze burning into him.


    The silence wasn¡¯t ufortable. It was thick with something else, something that made my pulse quicken and my chest tighten.


    Minutes slipped by, and twenty minutester, the kitchen was rich with the scent of seared meat, garlic, onions, herbs blending together. My mouth watered just breathing it in.


    Then, his voice broke the quiet.


    "Call Oscar and Draven," he said simply, as he dropped diced vegetables into the pan. "Ask how long before they arrive."


    "Oh," I blinked, scrambling. "I... I left my phone in my room."


    I slid off the chair, ready to dart upstairs. But before I could take more than a step, he finally lifted his head and looked at me.


    "Where are you going?"


    His voice stopped me mid-motion. I turned, chewing my lip. "To get my phone."


    He surprised me again.


    Instead of saying anything, he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. With one hand, he extended it toward me. "Use mine."


    I froze.


    "Uh..." My hand hesitated before taking the device. His phone was sleek, expensive, and heavy in my palm. Something about holding it felt... personal, almost more so than using my own. "It¡¯s locked."


    "1227," he said smoothly, without hesitation.


    My fingers tapped in the digits one by one. 1. 2. 2... and then 7.


    The password sounded nothing special at first, but by the time my finger tapped on 7, realization struck me like lightning.


    My chest stuttered, breath catching.


    December 27th.


    The day our mate bond ignited.


    I looked up, wide-eyed, only to find him watching me. He wasn¡¯t smirking, not really. But there was a shift in his expression, something satisfied, something darkly pleased that I had figured it out. Like he had been waiting for me to notice.


    Heat bloomed through me, twisting low in my stomach.


    I didn¡¯t dare say anything, though the air between us hummed with the unspoken weight of it.


    My fingers trembled slightly as I scrolled to the contacts and tapped Draven¡¯s name.


    The phone rang once, twice, and then connected.


    "River?" Draven¡¯s familiar voice answered on the other end.


    "Uh... it¡¯s me," I said softly before I could stop myself.


    There was silence. A sharp inhale.


    "Eva?" His voice shifted instantly, stunned.


    "Yes," I murmured, gripping the phone tighter.


    "Why are you calling from River¡¯s phone?" He sounded confused, and clearly surprised.


    I licked my lips, my gaze darting to River, who was calmly stirring his pan like he wasn¡¯t listening to every word. "He... he asked me to. He wants to know how long it¡¯ll be before you and Oscar are back at the mansion."


    There was another pause. I could almost hear the wheels turning in Draven¡¯s head on the other end.


    Finally, his voice came through again. "We are already on the way. Ten minutes, maybe less."


    I nodded to myself. "Okay... I¡¯ll tell him."


    I hung up, my heart pounding with River¡¯s phone still warm in my hand.


    And when I looked up, he was watching me again.

 Chapter 303: Carved As a Memory

    <h4>Chapter 303: Carved As a Memory</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The soft fabric of River¡¯s coat still smelled faintly like him - draped over my shoulders as I sat on the kitchen stool. His tie was wrapped loosely around my fingers, his phone resting on the counter beside me. A strange sense of belonging buzzed through me at the thought that he had left all three things in my possession so casually, as if he trusted me to guard them.


    He moved with practiced ease in front of the oven, the light glinting off his sharp jawline as he leaned down to check on the food. He wasn¡¯t saying much, but for the first time since I had met him, his silence didn¡¯t feel distant. It felt heavy. Focused.


    And then, his voice broke through, low and smooth. "What did you do today?"


    I blinked, startled. He never asked questions like that. He wasn¡¯t one for small talk. Clearing my throat, I shifted the tie from one hand to the other, suddenly too aware of his eyes flicking to me before returning to the tray he pulled out.


    "I went out with Draven," I said. "He... wanted me to meet some of his friends."


    River didn¡¯t even look surprised. He just gave a quiet hum, almost approving, and set the steaming tray down. The chicken glistened, perfectly browned, herbs spilling their fragrance into the air. My stomach tightened with hunger so sharp I nearly forgot my words.


    He worked silently for a moment, ting and dressing with precision that made even the simple roasted chicken look like art. My mouth watered just watching him drizzle a thin sauce across the edges of the te.


    But then, footsteps andughter echoed down the hall. I turned toward the door just as Oscar and Draven appeared.


    "Well, would you look at that," Oscar whistled, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. "River¡¯s actually cooking. Rare sight. Someone write this down before the world ends."


    I couldn¡¯t help it... aIughed.


    Oscar didn¡¯t waste time. He came straight to me, leaned in, and stole a kiss without hesitation. His lips were quick, teasing, but warm, and it made my chest flutter. I smiled back at him despite myself, though I could feel River¡¯s gaze burn like fire from across the counter.


    Oscar winked before moving toward his older brother.


    Then Draven was beside me, a slow grin on his lips. His kiss lingered a fraction longer than Oscar¡¯s, more deliberate, his hand brushing against my arm as if to ground me. The kitchen suddenly felt hotter than it should have.


    With the two of them in the room, everything shifted. The air filled with voices, warmth, and yful bickering.


    "Eva," Draven said, dropping into the chair next to mine with exaggerated ease. "You have no idea how lucky you are tonight. River¡¯s the best cook among us. He could put Michelin star chefs to shame."


    I blinked, ncing at River, who just continued slicing onion as if he hadn¡¯t heard.


    "It¡¯s true," Oscar chimed in, snatching a piece of lettuce off the counter before River swatted his hand away. "Guy¡¯s wasted running businesses and whatever broody things he does all day. Should have opened a restaurant. Too bad he hasn¡¯t cooked for us in... what, years?"


    "Busy," River said simply, shaking his head as if already tired of their chatter.


    I stared at the spread on the counter - roast chicken, soup, sds, bread, side dishes so vibrant and fragrant they made my stomach ache with anticipation. Could River really be that good?


    Oscarughed. "Poor Kieran. He¡¯s missing out on the miracle."


    River ignored him, methodically sliding perfectly sliced chicken pieces into a box. His movements were precise, almost ritualistic.


    "What are you doing?" Oscar finally asked.


    River didn¡¯t even pause. "Packing for Kieran."


    And just like that, the teasing quieted. River sealed the boxes in a big bag, wiped his hands, and called in a calm voice, "Sera."


    The kitchen door opened almost immediately, and Sera stepped inside as if she had been waiting just outside. River handed her the dinner bag without a word.


    "Deliver it to Kieran."


    Sera nodded once before vanishing back into the hall.


    Then it was dinner time.


    I helped Draven and Oscar set the table, though River was already ahead of us, carrying dishes with that same quiet efficiency. Soon the table was full, warm light glinting off polished cutlery, steam rising from the food.


    The moment I sat down, my stomach tightened with hunger again. I picked up my fork and took the first bite of chicken... and nearly moaned aloud. The vor burst across my tongue, tender and perfectly seasoned, bnced in a way I had never experienced.


    I froze when I realized no one else had started eating yet.


    Three pairs of eyes were fixed on me.


    River¡¯s jaw was tight, his gaze so intense it made me squirm. Draven leaned back in his chair, his lips curled in amusement, and Oscar smirked knowingly.


    "It¡¯s... amazing," I admitted, my voice soft, almost reverent.


    River¡¯s shoulders rxed the slightest fraction.


    "See?" Draven grinned, kicking Oscar under the table. "Told you."


    Before I could take another bite, Draven suddenly stood and switched ces with River, nudging him toward the chair beside me.


    River didn¡¯t protest. He moved quickly, almost too eagerly, and took the seat next to mine. The air shifted again, heavier, charged, as though his presence alone filled the space between us.


    Without a word, he picked up thedle, poured soup into a bowl, and set it in front of me. His movements were quiet, careful, as if the act itself meant something he couldn¡¯t put into words.


    "Try it," he murmured.


    I lifted the spoon and tasted the soup. Heat spread through me, not just from the broth, but from how good it was. "It¡¯s delicious."


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    The corner of his mouth twitched, almost a smile.


    And then, the strangest thing happened. For the next few minutes, he picked out one dish after another, setting portions onto my te, waiting for me to taste them. The others didn¡¯t interrupt, only watched as I ate and described how each bite melted on my tongue.


    I had never eaten food like this. Not in my pack, not in the Academy, not in the neighboring human city, not anywhere. It wasn¡¯t just good... it felt likefort, like safety, like someone had poured care into every detail of each dish.


    When I finally looked up, cheeks warm, I met River¡¯s eyes.


    "You are incredible," I said softly.


    For a second, I thought he might actually blush.


    But instead, he just picked up his fork, as calm and unreadable as ever, though the faintest warmth lingered in his gaze.


    And in that moment, with Oscar and Draven there, the table full of food, and River quietly watching me, I realized something... this dinner wasn¡¯t just a meal. It was a memory being carved into me.


    Something I knew I would never forget.

 Chapter 304: Running From Butterflies

    <h4>Chapter 304: Running From Butterflies</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Dinner finally ended, and I couldn¡¯t have fled the room faster if someone had chased me with a pack of raging rogues.


    My heart was still hammering against my ribs, my cheeks were burning, and every step I took down the hall felt like running from something... or maybe running from someone.


    Before slipping away, I made sure to hand River his coat, his tie, and his phone. I practically shoved them into his hands before I escaped, mumbling a quick thanks that sounded more like a squeak than actual words.


    Only when I reached the safety of my bedroom did I let out a deep, heavy sigh, copsing onto the bed.


    How was I supposed to process all of this?


    Did I love the food? Absolutely. Every dish had been perfect - vors that danced across my tongue in ways I didn¡¯t think food could. Did River make me nervous? Every single second. His sharp gaze, his calm presence, his way of focusing entirely on me... it was enough to make my pulse trip over itself.


    And... did I enjoy hispany, his attention, the subtle ways he made me feel like I mattered?


    Yes.


    The word slipped unbidden into my mind. I buried my face deeper into the sheets as if I could smother it, as if pretending hard enough could make those ridiculous butterflies in my stomach vanish. But no matter how much I tried to deny it, they were there, fluttering furiously like they had found a permanent home.


    Barely a few minutes passed before a soft knock pulled me from my thoughts. The door creaked open a momentter, and in came Oscar and Draven.


    "Little mate," Draven greeted warmly, his voice carrying that steady calm that always made me feel grounded. Oscar, however, wasted no time. He strode across the room, hopped onto the bed, and within seconds, had his head resting against myp.


    I blinked at him.


    His face was turned toward my bump, his breath tickling through the fabric of my sweater as he snuggled closer. "I missed you," he murmured, his tone unusually soft, almost vulnerable.


    My heart warmed, and just as I was about to reply, he pressed a quick kiss against my bump.


    "Did you miss me too, pup?" he whispered.


    My jaw almost dropped. My eyes went wide, and I stared at him as though he just got caught cheating. Wait... what? That "I missed you" hadn¡¯t been for me? It was for the pup?


    Draven must have noticed my scandalized expression because he burst intoughter, the deep, rich sound filling the room. He draped his arm casually around my shoulders, tugging me against his solid warmth. He pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek and said, "Don¡¯t worry, Eva. I missed you."


    I blinked between the two brothers, not sure whether tough, pout, or just shove Oscar off the bed. He clearly knew exactly what he had done because the moment he looked up, he winked and blew me a flying kiss.


    I smacked his shoulder lightly, but I could feel the heat creeping into my cheeks.


    Before I could retort, another knock echoed through the room. This time, when the door opened, it was River.


    The air seemed to change instantly. My spine straightened, and without thinking, I pushed Oscar off myp and shifted away from Draven. Both of them shot me questioning looks, but I ignored them, my eyes fixed on River as he stepped inside.


    He was carrying a paper bag in one hand, his presence asmanding as ever despite the casualness of the moment. Closing the door behind him, he made his way toward the bed and set the bag on the bedside table.


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    Without a word, he began unpacking. Bottles and small boxes soon lined the table - massage oils, stretch mark oils, creams with soft pastelbels that looked strangely delicate in hisrge hands.


    "I spoke to your gyno," River said matter-of-factly, his deep voice cutting through the silence. "These are the best brands to use during pregnancy."


    My mouth opened, then closed. I didn¡¯t even know how to respond. The thought of him going out of his way to not only buy these but also confirm with my doctor... it tugged something deep inside me that I wasn¡¯t ready to acknowledge.


    He turned toward me. "Do you want to bathe before bed?"


    For a second, all I could do was blink. Then, wordlessly, I nodded.


    "Good," he said simply, and without waiting for more, he disappeared into my bathroom.


    I whipped my head toward Oscar and Draven. Both of them looked as lost and wide-eyed as I felt. We exchanged silent expressions of <i>is this really happening? and what on earth is he doing?</i>


    He returned a few minutester and informed me the bath was ready. Without wasting any time, I slipped inside the bathroom and locked the door behind me.


    When I finally stepped out after the long, soothing bath, dressed infortable pajamas, I felt lighter, more rxed. But the moment I walked back into the bedroom and found all three men still there, waiting for me, that rxation evaporated instantly.


    "Lay down," River instructed calmly.


    I hesitated, ncing at Oscar and Draven, but neither moved to stop me. With my heart beating far too fast, I settled onto the bed. River picked up one of the massage oils, unscrewed the cap, and rubbed some into his palms.


    Then he took my foot in his hand.


    The first touch sent a shiver racing through me. His fingers were warm, strong, and impossibly gentle as he began to massage my foot. I gasped softly, the sound slipping out before I could stop it.


    He kneaded carefully, his thumbs pressing into the arch with just enough pressure to melt the tension I didn¡¯t even realize I had been carrying all day.


    "Oh..." The sound was barely audible, but I couldn¡¯t help it. My toes curled, my head tipping back against the pillows.


    He didn¡¯tment. His expression remained unreadable, focused entirely on myfort as his hands worked over my foot, then up to my ankle. He slid the hem of my pajama bottoms upward, baring my shin and calf as his fingers trailed higher. Every movement was precise, deliberate, as if he had memorized exactly where to press, where to soothe.


    I couldn¡¯t stop watching him. And yet, every time his fingers pressed into my skin, a strange flutter stirred inside me. Not justfort... something else. Something warmer, softer, far more dangerous.


    Oscar and Draven exchanged looks, though neither interrupted. They seemed just as surprised, just as caught off guard, as I was.


    River¡¯s voice broke the silence. "I have booked a masseur for you. She¡¯s trained in prenatal massage. She¡¯lle tomorrow evening after you return from work."


    My heart skipped a beat.


    He said it so simply, as though it wasn¡¯t one of the most thoughtful things anyone had ever done for me. As though he didn¡¯t just turn my carefully guarded emotions upside down.


    I swallowed, not trusting my voice, not trusting myself to speak when his hands were still gliding over my skin, soothing and awakening me all at once.


    And as Iy there, caught between rxation and butterflies, between disbelief and something dangerously close to yearning, one thing became painfully clear... River had no idea what he was doing to me.


    Or maybe... he did.

 Chapter 305: Gasps and Murmurs

    <h4>Chapter 305: Gasps and Murmurs</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Warmth. That was the first thing I felt when consciousness brushed against me, heavier than sleep yet soft like a nket wrapping me up. I snuggled deeper into it, pressing my cheek against the pillow, until the faintest movement made me stir.


    Myshes fluttered open, adjusting slowly to the quiet darkness of the room. The curtains had been drawn shut, and the room was filled with darkness, but I didn¡¯t need much to see the tall figure moving carefully beside me.


    Recently, I had realized that my eyesight had improved quite a bit over the past couple of months.


    "...Oscar?" My voice was still thick with sleep, but he froze instantly, his head turning to me.


    He must have thought I was still asleep because guilt flickered over his face before he softened, a sheepish smile curling his lips. Instead of continuing to climb out of bed, he came back, lowering himself to sit on the edge beside me. His hand was gentle as it slid over my hair, patting it softly.


    "Sorry," he murmured, his voice low and hushed as though afraid to disturb the peace of the room. "Didn¡¯t mean to wake you."


    I blinked up at him, still fighting the heavy pull of slumber. Behind me, Draven¡¯s warmth was a weight at my back, steady and grounding, his breath fanning softly against my nape. If it weren¡¯t for Oscar moving, I might have slipped back under.


    "You are leaving for the Academy, aren¡¯t you?" I asked, my voice slow, slurred by drowsiness.


    He hummed in affirmation, leaning down just a little. "Yes. I¡¯ll be back soon, little star. I¡¯ll wrap everything up quickly and return to you." He bent to press a kiss against my temple, his hand still stroking my hair in that soothing way he always did. "Now go back to sleep."


    I almost obeyed him... almost. My eyes fluttered shut, but then, a sudden ache bloomed in my chest, fierce and stubborn. The thought of him walking out without something more... without me giving something back... was unbearable.


    Before he could pull away, I reached up and caught the back of his head, surprising even myself. His hair slid like silk through my fingers as I tugged him down, my lips finding his in a kiss.


    At first, it was supposed to be quick. Just a fleeting brush, a whisper of good-bye. But he didn¡¯t let it stay that way.


    The moment my mouth touched his, he stilled, and then I felt it... that hum beneath my skin, the mate bond vibrating with satisfaction, with happiness. It was like pouring my soul into him, into the connection that tied us together, showing him my love without words.


    But when I began to pull back, thinking I had given enough, his mouth chased mine. A soft sound escaped me when his lips captured mine again, firmer this time, his hand slipping to cradle the side of my face.


    I gasped, and he swallowed the sound, deepening the kiss. My heart raced wildly in my chest, heat coiling in my stomach as he tilted his head to better mold his mouth over mine. I clutched at his night shirt, torn between pulling him closer and reminding him he needed to leave.


    But when he kissed me like that, slow and yet consuming, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. The bond thrummed, alive, sparking through every nerve until I moaned softly into his mouth.


    That sound changed something in him. He growled low in his throat, not with anger but with something primal, protective, and it sent shivers racing through me. He kissed me like he didn¡¯t want to let me go, like this was thest breath he would ever take and he wanted it to be mine.


    By the time he pulled away, I was breathless, my lips tingling, my chest heaving. His forehead leaned against mine for a moment, his breath mingling with mine. The bond thrived so strongly I thought my heart might burst.


    Behind me, Draven shifted. His arm tightened over my hip as though iming me all over again, and then I felt his lips press against the side of my neck in azy, possessive kiss.


    "Good morning, brother," he rumbled, voice still thick with sleep.


    Oscar chuckled, though his gaze lingered on me for another moment. He bent down to nt onest kiss on my lips - gentle this time, lingering - and whispered, "Rest, little star. I¡¯ll be back before you miss me."


    And then, reluctantly, he slipped away, his footsteps silent as he finally left the room.


    I turned immediately in Draven¡¯s arms, burying myself against his chest. His warmth was intoxicating, the steady beat of his heart lulling me. I had maybe one more hour before six. One more hour before I would have to rise.


    <fn8bf1> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on f?ndnovel</fn8bf1>


    It took less than five minutes for sleep to im me again.


    * * *


    The shrill ring of my rm clock dragged me back to consciousness. My eyes shot open, and I quickly fumbled to silence it before it disturbed Draven. He grumbled faintly behind me, but didn¡¯t stir.


    Smiling faintly, I leaned down to press a soft kiss to his cheek before slipping out of bed. The bathroom light was too bright, but it helped chase the sleep from my body as I sshed my face with warm water.


    The next hour passed in the rhythm I had built for myself. Warm water to wake my body, gentle stretches to loosen stiff muscles, then meditation and yoga to center my mind. My body still remembered the old days when I had nothing, when I couldn¡¯t trust even my own home to keep me safe. But this... this routine grounded me.


    By the time I stepped into the shower, steam curling around me, I already felt lighter. Fresh clothes clung softly to my skin when I stepped out, toweling my hair.


    "Sit."


    I nced up at Draven, who was already awake and showered, a towel around his shoulders. He held the hair dryer in one hand, motioning to the stool near the mirror.


    "You don¡¯t have to-"


    "Sit." His tone brooked no argument, so I obeyed. And, as always, I was d I did. My arms grew tired when I tried to blow-dry my hair myself, but Draven¡¯srge, steady hands worked through the long strands with ease, his patience unmatched.


    By the time he finished, my hair was soft and dry, and he was dressed as well. Together, we descended the stairs.


    River was already there in the living room, sipping his ck coffee. Jasper was there too and he greeted me politely with a nod. They seemed to be talking about Rogue activity near the borders of Nightshade Pack.


    Breakfast followed, though River merely sat with us, sipping his dark brew. The meal was simple but warm, and the quiet domesticity of it all still startled me sometimes.


    With the meal over, Jasper left first, duty pulling him away. Then River rose, and so did I.


    We walked out of the mansion and the familiar ck car was waiting there. River stepped into the car first, his long coat brushing against the door, while I lingered for just a moment.


    Because Draven caught my wrist.


    Before I could blink, he leaned down and kissed me on the porch - right in front of at least a dozen servants and warriors who pretended not to stare. My face med as gasps and murmurs filled the air, though quickly smothered into silence.


    When he pulled back, his eyes gleamed with quiet amusement.


    "Have a good day," he murmured.


    I could only nod, still blushing furiously, before slipping into the car after River.


    The door shut. The engine purred to life. And just like that, we were off to the Council headquarters.

 Chapter 306: Too Many Raised Eyebrows

    <h4>Chapter 306: Too Many Raised Eyebrows</h4>


    <strong>Rowan:</strong>


    The slim silver hands of my watch ticked with a rhythm far too slow for my restless heart. I had just moved my wrist again, about to check the time, when a familiar voice cut into my thoughts.


    "That¡¯s the dozenth time you have looked at it in the past five minutes," the barista said as she ced a steaming cup of coffee on my table, her voiceced with quiet amusement.


    I looked up, and there she was - Amara, the woman who had been serving coffee here longer than I had beening to this ce. Her arched brow dared me to deny it, but all I could do was smile.


    "You caught me," I admitted, leaning back in my chair.


    Her gaze softened with curiosity as she wiped her hands on her apron. "Who are you waiting for anyway? Can¡¯t be a date - you don¡¯t look nervous enough for that."


    I chuckled under my breath, shaking my head. "Not a date. My little sis."


    Her mouth fell open, and for the first time since I had known her, she was actually speechless. "You... have a sister?"


    I didn¡¯t get to exin because my phone buzzed on the table. My eyes darted to the screen, and my chest eased at the name shing across it. <strong>Eva</strong>.


    I picked up instantly. "Where are you?"


    "Outside," her voice came through, sweet and familiar. "At the caf¨¦ you told me toe to. Are you inside already?"


    My gaze swept beyond the ss windows, and there she was... standing near the curb, wrapped in a pastel blue sweater under a beige coat, slim beige pants softening her figure. The morning light caught in her silver hair, and even in the crowd, she stood out.


    My wolf stirred, recognition and warmth spreading through me as if the world had shifted just by her being here.


    Before I could move, Amara followed my gaze. Her lips curved knowingly as she wiped her hands once more. "That must be your sister, then. I¡¯ll get her."


    I blinked, almostughing. "Amara-"


    But she was already striding away, her ponytail swishing.


    Through the ss, I saw Amara approach Eva, say something that made herugh softly, and then gesture toward the caf¨¦. My chest tightened at that sound - Eva¡¯sugh. Pure, unguarded. The kind of sound that felt rare. Precious.


    Secondster, the bell above the door chimed, and they both stepped in.


    I was already on my feet.


    "Eva," I said, my voice warm, as I wrapped her in a hug. She melted into it easily, her smile brushing against my shoulder. My wolf hummed in contentment.


    When she pulled back, her amber eyes were glowing.


    "You look happy," I said, meaning it.


    Her cheeks flushed pink. "I am happy. And I¡¯m so looking forward to meet this special person finally,"


    I smiled and gestured to the seat across. She sat down, folding her coat neatly over herp.


    "Want anything to drink?" I asked, sliding her the menu.


    She shook her head. "No, thank you. I¡¯m still stuffed from breakfast. Draven made sure I was full."


    I shook my head while my smile only became bigger, happy that her mates were taking care of her.


    <fn79ad> This update is avable on F¦ÉndNovel</fn79ad>


    We talked while I sipped my coffee. I asked her about how thest four days had been, if she was enjoying her time at the Thorne mansion.


    When my cup was empty, we rose to leave.


    Amara wasn¡¯t done, though. She fussed over Eva, scolding me lightly that she hadn¡¯t tried anything in the caf¨¦, thenplimenting Eva¡¯s beauty in the way older sisters did. Eva¡¯s cheeks colored again, but she smiled with that gracious warmth that seemed to disarm everyone she met.


    Once outside, I opened my mouth to tell her we needed to stop by the florist shop before heading to the hospital... but she beat me to it.


    "Rowan," she said, pointing toward the shop. "Let¡¯s stop there first. I want to buy flowers for your friend."


    I stopped in my tracks, staring at her. Sometimes I wondered if she could read my thoughts. But no... this was just her. Thoughtful. Kind. Always thinking of others before herself.


    "Of course," I said, trying to hide how much it touched me.


    The bell above the florist shop chimed as we entered. The air smelled of lilies and roses, of earth and warmth. Behind the counter, Miss Elena looked up. Her wrinkled face softened instantly.


    "Rowan," she greeted, her voice fond. "Right on time."


    "Miss Elena," I returned warmly.


    But then her eyes shifted to Eva, and something flickered there... curiosity. Eva also nced at me, her brows raised in silent question.


    "This is Eva," I introduced quickly. "My sister."


    Miss Elena¡¯s lips curved into a smile. "Well now. I see. Wee, dear."


    Eva returned the smile, and for a second, the two women simply studied each other. There was no tension, just quiet acknowledgment.


    I chose the blue tulips as always. Eva insisted on paying, and despite my protests, she handed the notes over to Miss Elena with a proud little tilt of her chin. I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Soon, we were back on the street, tulips in hand, and then stepping into the hospital.


    The familiar sterile scent of antiseptic filled the hallways as we made our way up to the seventh floor. My chest tightened with every step. Eva¡¯s hand brushed my arm once, a quiet gesture, as though she sensed my unease.


    In the room, Nurse Faye was adjusting the drip for the young girl in the bed opposite. She nced up, offering me a familiar smile.


    "Rowan," she greeted. Then her gaze slid to Eva, and her brows lifted... something that had already happened twice before today.


    Another round of introductions followed, and soon enough, Faye was smiling warmly at Eva as well. Eva seemed to win people over effortlessly.


    And then, my eyes went to the bed by the window.


    Nairay there, her chest rising and falling shallowly, her skin pale against the white sheets. Her dark hair spread across the pillow, framing her delicate face.


    I swallowed hard.


    "Eva," I said quietly, moving closer, "this is Naira."


    The words almost broke in my throat.


    Eva stepped forward, her gaze softening as she looked at Naira. Then she turned to me, her eyes shining with something I couldn¡¯t name.


    The smile she gave me next was warm... too warm. Because in her eyes, I could see the truth. She knew. She knew Naira wasn¡¯t just a friend.


    And yet, she didn¡¯t ask. She didn¡¯t judge. She just stayed by my side, steady and kind.

 Chapter 307: Guilt From Past

    <h4>Chapter 307: Guilt From Past</h4>


    <strong>Rowan:</strong>


    Nurse Faye, bless her heart, was always considerate. She quietly moved around the room, drawing the curtains so the three of us could have some semnce of privacy.


    The air was still heavy with antiseptic and the faint hum of machines, but the softer lighting made it feel less like a sterile hospital room and more like... a ce where memories could still exist.


    Eva sank into the chair closest to Naira¡¯s bedside, her movements careful, almost reverent. I pulled another chair closer and sat down beside her, my eyes falling on Naira¡¯s pale, unmoving face.


    My hand instinctively reached out, wrapping around hers. Her skin was cold... too cold for someone who should be young and vibrant, running around,ughing,ining about me forgetting to eat.


    "Hey, Naira," I said softly, forcing a smile that cracked at the edges. "It¡¯s me again. I know, I know, you are tired of me talking your ear off when you can¡¯t even tell me to shut up." A bitter chuckle escaped me, but my voice trembled. "How have you been?"


    Of course, there was no reply. There never was. Still, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking. Maybe some foolish part of me believed she could hear, tucked somewhere in the void she was lost in.


    <fn6c9f> Updates are released by FindN0vel</fn6c9f>


    I nced at Eva. For a moment, I debated putting the mask back on - the steady, unshakeable Rowan that everyone knew. But Eva... she had already seen too much. Seen me snap, seen me falter, seen the cracks in the armor I built so carefully over the years. And she never judged. Never pulled away. Somehow, with her, I didn¡¯t feel the need to pretend.


    My throat tightened as I spoke again, this time to Naira. "Remember I told you I had a friend I wanted to bring to meet you?" My voice lowered, breaking slightly. "Well, she¡¯s here."


    I lifted my free hand and reached for Eva¡¯s, warm and alive in contrast to Naira¡¯s lifeless one. Slowly, I ced Eva¡¯s palm on top of Naira¡¯s hand, so the three of us were connected. My chest ached as I looked between them.


    "This is Eva," I said gently. "My little sister." I swallowed, my jaw clenching before I forced the words out. "And Eva, this is Naira... my childhood friend, my love, my only family before you stepped into my life."


    Eva didn¡¯t say much. She didn¡¯t need to. Her amber eyes softened, glistening faintly under the dim light, and a small, warm smile touched her lips. There was no pity in her expression, only understanding. Deep, unspoken understanding.


    Her fingers squeezed lightly, pressing both mine and Naira¡¯s hands. "She¡¯s beautiful," Eva whispered, and I almost broke right there.


    For a long moment, silence filled the room. It wasn¡¯t empty silence, though... it was heavy, thick with the weight of everything unsaid. Then, softly, Eva asked, "Will you... tell me what really happened with Naira?"


    The words dug deep. Nobody else had asked me that, not like this. Everyone wanted surface-level answers, something quick they could package neatly into sympathy. But Eva wasn¡¯t asking for a summary. She wanted the truth.


    And I wanted to give it to her.


    I hadn¡¯t told anyone outside of the authorities and the doctors. But Eva wasn¡¯t just anyone. She was my sister, my family. And if I couldn¡¯t trust her with this, then who else?


    I drew in a shaky breath, still holding Naira¡¯s hand as though letting go would shatter me.


    "It wasst March," I began, my voice hoarse. "She had a shift at the little caf¨¦ near the town where we lived. Just a normal evening, nothing out of the ordinary. I was supposed to meet her after, but something came up with work and I waste." My jaw clenched at the memory, the guilt still as raw as it had been that night. "When I called her, she didn¡¯t answer. At first, I thought maybe she was still busy or her phone died, but... Naira never ignored my calls. Not once."


    The images came back in fragments - my worry building, the way my heart pounded harder with every unanswered call.


    "I went to the caf¨¦, but they told me she had left hours ago. That she left the moment her shift ended. That¡¯s when panic hit me. She had never done anything like that before. And there had been... reports of rogues in the area recently." My hand tightened over Naira¡¯s, the memory of dread crawling up my spine all over again.


    "It started raining," I continued, my voice dropping. "Pouring so hard I couldn¡¯t see properly. But I ran through the streets, checked every corner, every path she might have taken. When I couldn¡¯t find her, I shifted into my wolf and searched the woods. I was half out of my mind."


    I swallowed hard, my eyes burning. "I found her by a stream, just before midnight. She wasn¡¯t hurt. Not a scratch. Not robbed. Nothing. Just lying there... unconscious."


    Eva¡¯s eyes widened slightly, but she didn¡¯t interrupt. She just listened.


    "I carried her to a healer first," I said, my voice breaking now. "But the healer couldn¡¯t find anything wrong. Nothing physical. Nothing magical. She told me to take her here, to Greenville Hospital."


    I paused, dragging in a trembling breath. "The doctors checked her. Healers checked her. They all said the same thing. She wasn¡¯t injured, wasn¡¯t poisoned, wasn¡¯t attacked. She was just... asleep. In aa. There was no reason. No exnation."


    My throat closed, the memory of that first night wing at me. "I sat by her side until morning, waiting for her to wake up. She didn¡¯t. Not that day, not the next. They had to put her on life-support. They still couldn¡¯t tell me why. And it¡¯s been eleven months."


    Tears finally spilled down my face. I had held them back for so long, but saying it aloud tore something inside me wide open. "Eleven months, Eva. And she still hasn¡¯t woken up."


    By the time I finished, my voice was broken, my body trembling with the weight of everything I had kept buried.


    I didn¡¯t expect it, but I felt Eva¡¯s hand brush against my cheek, wiping away the tears that wouldn¡¯t stop. Then, without hesitation, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me.


    Her embrace was warm. Grounding. Human in a way nothing else had been in months.


    She didn¡¯t whisper empty promises like others did. Didn¡¯t tell me "everything will be alright." Didn¡¯t urge me to be strong.


    Instead, her voice was soft against my ear. "Cry, Rowan. Let it out. I¡¯m here. For you... and for Naira."


    And those words broke mepletely.


    I buried my face against her shoulder, gripping her tightly as sobs I hadn¡¯t let myself feel in nearly a year wracked through me. The dam I had built inside finally shattered. And for once, I let myself fall apart.

 Chapter 308: Between Life and Sleep

    <h4>Chapter 308: Between Life and Sleep</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Rowan¡¯s body trembled in my arms, his face pressed against my shoulder as he let his tears flow without restraint.


    I held him tighter, refusing to let go, my palm slowly rubbing circles on his back as if that could lessen the weight he carried. His pain came out in broken sobs, muffled but deep, and it cut me more sharply than any knife could.


    Minutes passed before the storm inside him began to quiet. His breaths grew ragged but steadier, and finally, he pulled away. His eyes were red and swollen, his cheeks streaked with tears. The moment he saw the dark patch on my coat where his face had rested, his expression twisted with guilt.


    "I-sorry," he muttered, quickly wiping his face with the back of his hand, avoiding my gaze.


    I shook my head before he could say more. "Don¡¯t apologize. It¡¯s alright, Rowan. Really." My voice came out softer than I expected, but I meant every word.


    He gave me a small nod, the kind people gave when they didn¡¯t fully believe but didn¡¯t want to argue either. Then he cleared his throat. "I should... go wash my face."


    "Okay," I said quietly.


    I watched as he slipped into the bathroom, and the sound of running water followed soon after. My gaze drifted toward Naira lying on the bed, her pale face peaceful yet heartbreaking, and the small smile I had tried to wear vanishedpletely.


    The weight on my chest grew heavier.


    Taking a deep breath, I stood and pulled my phone from my coat pocket. Stepping out of the room, I walked toward the far end of the corridor, away from the ward¡¯s door.


    The hospital¡¯s fluorescent lights buzzed faintly above me, and the polished floor reflected my own anxious face as I stopped and scrolled through my contacts.


    <fnff2a> Content originallyes from ?ovelFind</fnff2a>


    My heart was hammering so hard it felt like it would break through my ribs when I pressed the call button.


    Even though I knew he must be busy, I couldn¡¯t stop myself. I needed him.


    The line rang once, twice... then on the third, his voice answered, low and warm with surprise.


    "Evaline?"


    I squeezed my eyes shut, my throat suddenly tight. "I-I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, Professor. I know you are busy with work..."


    He cut me off immediately, his tone firm yet gentle. "Evaline, it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about that. What¡¯s wrong?"


    The way he asked... it was as if he could already hear the unease in my voice, as if he was standing right in front of me. I hesitated, my fingers tightening on the phone. My tongue stumbled over words.


    "I... I¡¯m sorry again for calling like this. It¡¯s just... can youe to Greenville Hospital?"


    For a heartbeat there was silence. Then his sharp inhale reached me through the speaker.


    "Hospital? Are you alright?" His voice had risen in panic, the worry so raw that my chest ached at hearing it.


    "Yes! Yes, I¡¯m fine," I hurried to reassure him, shaking my head as if he could see me. "I promise, Professor, I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s not about me. I just... there¡¯s something I want you to take a look at."


    There was another pause. Longer this time. My heart sank. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have called him. He was busy, and Greenville was more than half-hour drive from the Academy. What was I thinking?


    "You don¡¯t have toe now," I blurted out quickly. "If you are busy, it¡¯s fine. You can... you cane some other time, when you have time."


    "No," Kieran¡¯s voice cut firmly across my words, leaving no room for argument. "I¡¯m on my way."


    And before I could say anything else, the call ended.


    I lowered the phone slowly, staring at the nk screen as my pulse continued to race.


    When I returned to the ward, Rowan was stepping out of the bathroom, his hair damp, his face freshly washed. He looked at me in confusion, his brows furrowing.


    I raised my phone slightly with a faint smile. "Just went out to make a call."


    He nodded in understanding and didn¡¯t press. Together, we walked back to Naira¡¯s side and settled into our seats. The girl on the other bed was already fast asleep.


    The next while passed in conversation. Rowan told me about how he and Naira first met, about the small moments that grew into something bigger between them. His eyes softened when he spoke of herugh, of how she used to scold him for being careless. He shared stories of their life before everything changed, of the struggles, the little joys, and finally of how he ended up joining Silver Moon.


    I listened intently, absorbing every detail. It felt important... these pieces of his life, the mosaic of who he was. He also told me about his first two days at his new work during the weekend.


    Time slipped away without us noticing. When he nced at his watch, his eyes widened slightly.


    "We should probably head back now," he said.


    I stopped him with a small shake of my head. My fingers curled around the edge of my coat as hesitation knotted inside me. His eyes narrowed in question, confusion in on his face.


    "What is it?" he asked gently.


    I swallowed hard, then admitted, "I... called someone. We should wait."


    His brows lifted. "Someone? One of the brothers?" His tone hinted at what he truly meant... my mates.


    Before I could answer, my phone buzzed in myp. The name on the screen made my breath catch.


    Professor Kieran.


    I picked up quickly. "Hello?"


    "Evaline," his voice came through, steady but edged with tension, "I¡¯m at the reception. Where are you?"


    "Thest room on the seventh floor," I replied.


    "Stay there. I¡¯ming."


    The line clicked dead.


    When I looked up, Rowan was studying me with curiosity, questions unspoken but clear in his eyes. My chest tightened. I couldn¡¯t exin... not yet.


    "Please," I whispered instead. "Trust me. I¡¯ll exinter."


    He held my gaze for a long moment before nodding without hesitation.


    The room fell into silence again, broken only by the steady beep of Naira¡¯s monitor. My heart started beating faster with each passing second.


    And then... the door opened.


    Kieran stepped inside. His tall frame filled the doorway, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room beforending on me. In the next instant, he was in front of me, his presence overwhelming yet grounding all at once.


    His eyes scanned me, his expression tightening as if he was searching for any sign of harm.


    "I¡¯m fine," I told him quickly, my voice soft. Then, after a pause, I shifted my gaze at Naira, "But... there¡¯s someone I want you to take a look at."

 Chapter 309: A Hope To Hold On

    <h4>Chapter 309: A Hope To Hold On</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I held my breath as Kieran moved closer to Naira¡¯s bed. His tall frame cast a shadow across her fragile body, the dim hospital lights outlining the sharpness of his features.


    I stood right beside him, every nerve in my body wound so tightly that I thought I might snap. My gaze never left his face, as I searched for even the smallest flicker of change in his expression.


    But his face was carved from stone,pletely unreadable.


    On my other side, Rowan shifted uncertainly. I didn¡¯t need to look at him to know he was confused, maybe even anxious, but he stayed silent. Just like I had asked him to. His silence pressed heavier on me with every second, his unspoken trust both afort and a burden.


    Kieran lingered, his eyes fixed on Naira. The room was quiet except for the steady beep of the monitors, each sound echoing in my chest. Then, finally, he turned to me.


    "Who is she?" His voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of weight in it.


    I swallowed, my throat dry. "She¡¯s... Rowan¡¯s family," I exined quickly. "Last March, he found her in the woods after she failed to return home. She wasn¡¯t injured - no wounds, no sign of poison, or curse, or anything at all. But she never woke up." My voice faltered slightly, but I forced myself to continue. "The doctors couldn¡¯t exin it. The authorities couldn¡¯t either. She¡¯s been like this ever since."


    Kieran¡¯s gaze stayed steady on me, unblinking, while his mind seemed to work behind those deep green eyes. He looked back at Naira once more, his expression tightening ever so slightly before he spoke again.


    "Evaline... you called me here because you think she might be-"


    "No." I cut him off sharply, almost too quickly. My chest tightened as panic rushed through me. "Maybe..."


    His eyes narrowed slightly in concern, but I pressed on. "I recalled that guy from back that night." My words tumbled out, heavy and shaky. "The way she looks... it¡¯s exactly the same as him." I stopped short of saying more. My fists clenched at my sides. "I want it to be wrong. Stars, I want it to be wrong." My eyes lifted to his, desperate, pleading. "Tell me I¡¯m wrong."


    "Eva?" Rowan¡¯s voice broke through, uncertain, thick with questions he didn¡¯t dare put into words.


    I reached out instinctively and gave his arm a gentle squeeze, silently asking him to wait just a little longer. My heart hammered in my ears as Kieran finally stepped forward, lowering himself beside the bed.


    With a steady hand, he reached out and ced his palm against Naira¡¯s forehead. His eyes slid shut, and the room felt like it held its breath with me.


    Seconds stretched into an eternity.


    <fncd06> Read full story at find(?)ovel</fncd06>


    When his eyes opened again, he turned to me. And in that moment, I didn¡¯t need words.


    The apology in his gaze told me everything.


    My stomach dropped. My knees wobbled, strength draining from my legs as if I had been struck. I swayed, and immediately Kieran¡¯s arm was there, steadying me. On the other side, Rowan caught me too, his grip firm, his voice rising with concern.


    "What¡¯s going on? Eva-what is it?" His panic grew with every word, his eyes darting between the two of us.


    Kieran looked at him then, his tone low but unyielding. "Evaline called me here because she had doubts about Miss Naira. And... it¡¯s true." He paused, his voice gentler when he spoke the next words. "She¡¯s Soul Dead."


    Rowan froze. Confusion flickered across his face as he repeated the term slowly, almost disbelieving. "Soul... Dead?"


    Before Kieran could speak further, I stepped forward. My voice came out steadier than I felt inside. "Rowan... sincest year, there have been a few cases like Naira¡¯s. But they have been kept confidential by the Council for various reasons."


    His eyes widened, but he didn¡¯t interrupt, so I continued. "There have been people... just like her... unconscious, no wounds, no poison, no curse. Nothing anyone could exin. Their bodies alive, but..." I swallowed hard, forcing myself to say it. "But their souls gone. That¡¯s what Soul Death is. Something, or someone, took their souls."


    Rowan¡¯s lips parted, his breath catching. Shock washed over his features, but even then, his gaze turned back to Naira, as if he hoped she would suddenly stir and prove me wrong. His hands curled into fists, the veins in his arms standing out.


    "How-how do we heal her?" His voice was almost a demand, trembling under the weight of his desperation.


    My heart clenched.


    Kieran inhaled, his lips parting as if to answer, but I couldn¡¯t let him.


    "No cure has been found yet," I cut in quickly, words spilling before Kieran could speak the truth. "But Professor Kieran... he and the Council... they are looking into these cases. They are searching."


    I turned sharply toward Kieran then, my eyes pleading with him. <i>Please don¡¯t. Please don¡¯t take away the only hope he has left.</i>


    He met my gaze, his jaw tightening, and for a moment, I feared he would speak the truth anyway. But then he stopped, silent, his eyes shifting back to Naira.


    I exhaled slowly, then forced a small smile for Rowan, though my chest ached. "This is actually a good thing, Rowan. We didn¡¯t know before. But now... now we do. We know what¡¯s wrong with her, and we know where to search for her cure."


    Rowan¡¯s eyes suddenly with something fragile yet powerful at my words... hope. He nodded quickly, as if clinging to my words with all the strength he had left.


    "Yes. Yes, you are right," he whispered, almost to himself. His hand reached out, gently brushing Naira¡¯s pale fingers as though she might respond. "We know now. We¡¯ll find it. We¡¯ll find a way."


    The sight twisted something deep inside me. I wished I could believe my own words the way he did.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    And the weight of that truth pressed harder on my chest as Rowan held on to the hope I had just given him.

 Chapter 310: Hanging On a Hope

    <h4>Chapter 310: Hanging On a Hope</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Kieran stopped the car in front of a restaurant tucked neatly along the corner of the busy street. The warm glow from its windows spilled into the afternoon light, a sharp contrast to the heaviness that still hung in my chest after the hospital visit.


    He shifted the gear into neutral and turned slightly in his seat to look at us - me and Rowan, who were sitting side by side in the backseat.


    "Go inside," Kieran said, his voice even, steady. "I¡¯ll park the car and join you."


    <fnf269> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on Find_Novel(.</fnf269>


    I reached for the handle, but before I could push the door open, his voice came again, firmer this time.


    "Evaline."


    I froze and turned back. His eyes, sharp as ever, were fixed on me. "I need a word with you."


    My breath hitched. For a moment, I thought of pretending I hadn¡¯t heard him, but Rowan¡¯s gaze was already flickering between the two of us, confusion shadowing his features. His eyes narrowed slightly, as though he wanted to ask, but held back out of respect.


    I forced a small smile for him, silently reassuring him it was nothing to worry about, before slipping out of the car. He climbed out from his side as well, shutting the door behind him.


    "I¡¯ll go get us a table," Rowan said after a moment, still giving me that slightly searching look.


    "Get a private room," Kieran instructed before I could say anything.


    Rowan nodded. "Alright." His eyes lingered on me a second longer, and then he headed inside.


    Once he was gone, I walked around the front of the car and slid into the passenger seat. The moment the door clicked shut, the car felt like it had shrunk, pressing me in with the silence. Kieran pulled the car away from the curb, driving us toward the far end of the lot. Neither of us spoke, the only sound the low hum of the engine and the faint noise of traffic from outside.


    Finally, he found a spot and killed the engine. The quiet that followed was heavier, settling like a nket between us.


    I waited for him to speak first, my fingers twisting together in myp.


    It took him a full minute before his voice broke the silence. "Why did you lie to him?"


    I turned my head sharply, meeting his eyes. "I didn¡¯t lie," I said firmly, maybe too quickly.


    His gaze didn¡¯t waver.


    "I didn¡¯t," I repeated, softer this time. "I told him there¡¯s no known cure for Soul Death. That¡¯s true. And I told him you and the Council are still investigating. That¡¯s true, too. I didn¡¯t lie."


    Kieran nodded slowly, but it wasn¡¯t agreement... it was disapproval, a silent stripping apart of my defense. "That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about," he said finally. His voice was calm, but every word carried weight. "I¡¯m talking about the hope you gave him. You made him believe a cure might exist, when even centuries of research have failed. Even now, with all the resources we have, we haven¡¯t found anything close."


    The words cut like des, but I shook my head stubbornly. "That doesn¡¯t make it a lie."


    "Eva-"


    "No, listen to me," I cut him off, my voice rising before I caught myself and forced it softer. "Just because no cure was found before doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t be found tomorrow, or next month, or next year. Just because history has failed doesn¡¯t mean the future will. How can you say with absolute certainty that there¡¯s no cure?"


    His eyes narrowed slightly, but I pressed on before he could interrupt.


    "And even if there isn¡¯t one right now, what¡¯s so wrong about giving him hope? He¡¯s been carrying her pain for nearly a year. Do you know what it would do to him if I told him outright there¡¯s no chance, no possibility at all? Hope is the only thing he has left, Professor. And I won¡¯t take it away from him."


    My throat burned with the words. I didn¡¯t realize until then how fiercely I meant them. "If I can help him hold on to that hope, even if it¡¯s fragile, even if it breakster... then I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll help him search for that cure myself."


    At that, Kieran¡¯s gaze sharpened and his jaw clenched ever so slightly. For a moment, I thought he would scold me the way he sometimes did when he thought I was being reckless. Instead, he let out a deep sigh and leaned back in his seat, rubbing his hand across his forehead as if to smooth away a headache.


    "I told you," he said after a long pause, "I wanted you to stay out of this matter."


    "I tried," I whispered, staring down at myp. "I really did. After that tower incident... I told myself I would stop when you asked me to. But it doesn¡¯t matter anymore, does it? Somehow, I keep being pulled back into it." I lifted my eyes to his, my voice steadier now. "And I¡¯m done pretending otherwise. I can¡¯t stay away, not anymore. Not when Rowan¡¯s involved. Not when Naira¡¯s lying in that bed because of it."


    He stared at me for a long moment, unreadable as ever. His lips parted, but no sharp rebuke came. No demand. No order. Just another sigh, heavier this time, as he leaned back in his seat.


    "You are going to give me headaches," he muttered under his breath, almost too low for me to hear. "Always making me worry."


    Something inside me softened at that, though I didn¡¯t let it show. I simply sat in silence with him until the moment passed.


    Finally, we both climbed out of the car and walked toward the restaurant. Neither of us spoke again until we stepped inside and a server led us to the private room Rowan had booked.


    The small space was warm, with cushioned seats around a polished table and curtains drawn over the ss windows. Rowan was already waiting for us, a faint smile tugging at his lips when we entered.


    "You took your time," he teased lightly, though his eyes flickered with curiosity at whatever had dyed us.


    Kieran didn¡¯t respond, only gestured for us to sit.


    Once the server brought water and menus and left us alone, Kieran leaned forward slightly. "This room is private," he said. "We can speak freely here."


    I nodded, then turned to Rowan. "There¡¯s something you might want to know," I began carefully. "About how I first learned of the Soul Deaths."

 Chapter 311: Being Part of His World

    <h4>Chapter 311: Being Part of His World</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Rowan¡¯s brow furrowed, but he stayed silent, listening.


    "It started with the Academy entrance exams. You know how I got in?"


    "Top of the camp," he said.


    "Not just that," I exined. "Professor Kieran... helped me. He arranged for me to apply. And in exchange, I promised him I would help investigate a secret group inside the Academy."


    Rowan¡¯s lips parted in surprise, but I pressed on. "That group was tied to a Soul Death case of a senior fromst year. His name was Carson. He was found unconscious, just like Naira. No wounds, no poison. At first, it¡¯s believed to be an isted case, but... when new term began, a group of warriors went missing and wereter found Soul Dead."


    Rowan¡¯s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.


    "I coincidentally managed to identify a couple of students tied to that group," I continued. "And Professor Kieran followed up on them, but... they didn¡¯t know much. Barely scraps, and nothing about what caused Carson¡¯s condition. The trail went cold. There haven¡¯t been any new leads since then... at least, none we knew of. Until Naira."


    Kieran leaned forward now, his tone level but heavy. "Which means Carson wasn¡¯t the first case. Naira was. That makes three such incidents in total - Miss Naira, Mr. Carson, and the patrol team of three warriors who copsed in the beginning of previous term."


    Rowan¡¯s hands tightened into fists on the table.


    "And the warriors..." Kieran¡¯s voice dropped lower. "I don¡¯t think they were the targets. I think they were in the wrong ce at the wrong time."


    My stomach tightened at his words as this was the first time he had shared this insight.


    "That leaves us with the same questions," Kieran went on. "Why Naira? Why Carson? Was it random... or was there a reason they were chosen?"


    The silence that followed was heavy. Rowan finally broke it, his voice firm. "Then I want in. On this investigation."


    Kieran¡¯s eyes snapped to him. "Rowan-"


    "I can help, Professor," Rowan pressed. "I can look into the group from inside. I can help Eva."


    Kieran¡¯s gaze shifted to me. I didn¡¯t say anything, but my eyes held his steadily, silently telling him I wasn¡¯t against it.


    His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he would say no. But then, slowly, he exhaled. "Fine. But officially. If you are going to be involved, it¡¯ll be under my watch. Not on your own."


    Relief softened Rowan¡¯s expression, and when he looked at me, there was a quiet smile of contentment on his lips.


    I returned it with a faint smile of my own. I didn¡¯t tell him what I was really thinking... that maybe it was indeed better this way. If I couldn¡¯t stay at the Academy during theing term because of my pregnancy, then someone needed to carry this on. Rowan could. I knew he would.


    The lunch was delicious. Kieran paid for the meal in his usual wordless, efficient way, and half an hourter, the three of us were filled and ready to head out.


    The sunlight outside was muted, heavy clouds swallowing the brightness, leaving the world in shades of gray. Snow still hadn¡¯t fallen sincest night, but the air carried its sharp promise.


    "I¡¯ll give you both a ride," Kieran offered, his gaze shifting between Rowan and me.


    Rowan shook his head almost immediately. "Thank you, Professor, but I have something else to do. Could you send Eva back safely?"


    I nced at him, curious, but didn¡¯t ask what it was that pulled him away. He had already given me so much of himself today. Prying would only add to his burden.


    <fnef58> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on F¦ÉndNovel</fnef58>


    "Of course," Kieran said with a soft smile.


    Rowan leaned in for a quick hug. His warmth pressed against me for only a second, but I clung to it quietly, nodding against his shoulder. "Take care," he murmured before pulling away. He left with onest nce over his shoulder, his figure swallowed quickly by the crowd outside.


    Kieran and I headed to his car. The leather seats were cold when I settled into them, the silence stretching between us, not heavy, but thoughtful. My fingers twisted in myp until I found the courage to break it.


    "Can Ie with you to the Academy?" I asked softly. "Help you with work if there¡¯s any for me?"


    His hands stilled on the wheel for a heartbeat, a flicker of surprise breaking through his usually calm expression. He turned just enough to look at me, as if making sure I wasn¡¯t joking.


    "You want to apany me?" His voice was low, careful.


    "Yes," I answered, meeting his gaze. "I want to do something useful. And if it eases even a little of your burden, then I want to."


    Something unreadable passed over his face before he nodded once. "Alright."


    The rest of the drive was quiet, the hum of the car blending with the winter winds outside. By the time we pulled into Silver Moon, snowkes had begun to fall, soft and pale against the stone walls of the Academy.


    The courtyards, usually filled with students,y hushed under the early snowfall. Warriors were patrolling with muffled steps, and I noticed a few faculty members crossing the corridors with scrolls and parchments in hand. The silence felt strange, butforting.


    Inside his office, warmth greeted me first - the steady crackle of the firece, the scent of ink and parchment filling the air.


    "Make yourselffortable." Kieran told me while he made his way to his desk. He moved with practiced ease, removing his coat, rolling up his sleeves, and immediately immersing himself in work. His pen scratched across paper, the crease in his brow deepening with focus.


    I drifted to the couch near the fire, where a stack of documents waited. I picked one up - histest report on herbs and potions - and began reading. The words were dense, full of details and observations, but I waspletely immersed in it.


    Somehow, it felt right... being here in this quiet, being part of his world in this small way.


    Halfway through the report, sleep began to tug at me. The fire¡¯s warmth, the rhythmic sound of his pen - it all made my eyelids heavy. I curled onto my side on the couch, tucking my legs in. I managed two more pages before the parchment slipped from my hand and my eyes closed.


    Just as thest threads of awareness unraveled, I felt it - his presence, steady and familiar.


    A soft weight draped over me... a nket.


    And then, a touch. Fingers brushing strands of hair from my face, so gentle it sent a bloom of warmth through my chest.


    Even as sleep imed me, I couldn¡¯t help the faint smile tugging at my lips.

 Chapter 312: Cherish The Rare Gift

    <h4>Chapter 312: Cherish The Rare Gift</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The phone screen glowed faintly against my palm as I finished replying to Draven¡¯stest string of messages. He had started getting restless... almost like he was past his limit of staying away from me. I sighed quietly, locked the screen, and slid the device back into my coat pocket.


    We were only a few minutes away from the Thorne estate, but the snow had thickened, swirling against the windshield. The world outside had gone pitch-dark except for the car¡¯s headlights cutting two pale beams across the road. Kieran drove slower than usual, his hands steady on the wheel, his profile calm despite the storm pressing in around us.


    I sneaked a nce at him, hesitated, then mumbled, "Sorry."


    His head tilted slightly, eyes flicking toward me for a second with genuine confusion. "For what?"


    I bit down on my lower lip, staring at my hands sped in myp. "For wasting half of your day. First, I dragged you to Greenville... and then instead of actually helping, I fell asleep in your office. And now, you are stuck driving me back through this weather."


    For a moment, the only sound was the faint hum of the engine and the soft hiss of the heater. Then, much to my surprise, he chuckled... the sound was low and warm, not mocking, but amused.


    "You think today was a waste?" he asked, shaking his head slightly. "Evaline, if anything, I learned about Miss Naira being first case of recent Soul Deaths. That alone makes it worthwhile. Besides," he added, his lips quirking faintly, "I now have another person to rely on for spy work inside the Academy walls."


    Despite myself, I smiled a little.


    "And," he continued, his tone casual, "you proofread nearly sixty percent of my report before you fell asleep. You corrected my mistakes. You even added your own notes. That¡¯s hardly wasting my time."


    I blinked at him, startled that he had already taken a look at the report.


    "And driving you back?" he added, eyes still on the road. "It gave me an excuse to spend the night at the house. A meal with my brothers... and with you. That¡¯s something I have been missing."


    I felt warmth stir in my chest, but before I could even respond, he added softly, "Even if you took all those reasons away, I still wouldn¡¯t call it a waste of my time. Not if it¡¯s you."


    The wordsnded like a spark in my chest, too bright, too warm. I wasn¡¯t prepared for them... I never was with him. My throat tightened, but I forced a small nod, mumbling, "Thanks."


    And then I went silent, because if I said anything more, I was afraid I would read too much into it.


    By the time we reached the estate gates, the snow was falling in thick sheets, dusting the wrought-iron bars in white. The gates creaked open, and we drove through. The tires crunched over the gravel drive until we rolled to a stop in front of the porch.


    We hurried out into the cold, rushing inside to escape the storm. Warmth and light spilled from the main hallway as I made my way to the living room, where River, Oscar, and Draven were all waiting.


    The moment I stepped inside, three pairs of eyes fixed on me. Their gazes were carrying the weight of worry and disapproval, and for a fleeting moment, I thought I was about to get an earful... especially from River. But the second they noticed Kieran walking in behind me, their expressions shifted. Relief flickered across their faces, softening the edge of their concern.


    Having their brother home, even unexpectedly, lit something bright in them. And they were clearly relieved to see me safely back with them.


    Dinner was lively after that. Conversation flowed easily, warmth threading through the dining hall asughter asionally broke out. I learned between bites of roasted vegetables and soup that Kieran was nearly finished with his current round of work. By Wednesday evening, he would be back at the mansion for the rest of the holidays.


    And wednesday was only two days away.


    After dinner, I excused myself quietly, intending to head up to my room. But as I reached the hallway on the bedroom floor, I found Kieran already there, waiting.


    "Send me Rowan¡¯s number," he said without preamble. "I¡¯ll make a chat group for the three of us."


    I nodded, pulling my phone out, but before I could open my contacts, he surprised me with his next words.


    "Have you used your healing powers since that night?"


    I froze, looking up at him with surprise. Slowly, I shook my head. "No... I haven¡¯t."


    He inclined his head, unsurprised. "Oscar told me about them."


    My lips parted, but no words came.


    "Evaline," he said firmly, "no matter how or why you got those powers, don¡¯t be sad about them. Don¡¯t treat them like a burden. Healing power is rare. It¡¯s a gift. Cherish it. Wee it."


    His words pressed into me like a balm, easing the quiet unease I hadn¡¯t even realized I was still carrying. Slowly, a small smile tugged at my lips.


    And then he did something I hadn¡¯t expected at all. He reached out, his palm brushing lightly against the top of my head in a gentle pat.


    "I¡¯ll help you with it," he promised. "When I¡¯m back for the holidays."


    The simple gesture made my chest tighten with a warmth that spread slowly outward. I nodded, the smile lingering on my face. "Okay."


    We bid each other goodnight then, parting ways at the hall¡¯s end.


    <fnf488> Chapters first released on ?ovelFind</fnf488>


    I slipped into my room, closing the door behind me. And just as I predicted, Oscar and Draven appeared at my door not long after to ask again if they could stay with me tonight. But with Kieran here, I couldn¡¯t let them. Not yet.


    Which only made them more determined, more resolved, to finally tell him about the bonds they shared with me.


    By Wednesday evening, there would be no more hiding.

 Chapter 313: Alphas’ Sacrifice

    <h4>Chapter 313: Alphas¡¯ Sacrifice</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Mallory twirled the camera toward the blue dress, I knew the search was finally over.


    "That one," I pointed at the screen with exaggerated finality. "It¡¯s perfect. That¡¯s your dress for tonight."


    Mallory squinted at her own reflection in the mirror, the silky fabric held up against her frame. "You think so? Not too in? Not too... safe?"


    I shook my head with a firm smile. "It¡¯s not safe, it¡¯s elegant. It makes your skin glow, and Jasper¡¯s jaw is going to hit the floor the second he sees you."


    Her face softened into the kind of giddy smile only she could pull off. Relief washed over me, but I tried not to show it. After nearly an hour of going back and forth - her rejecting every suggestion I made for one excuse or another - I was close to throwing my phone across the room. She had emptied one whole wardrobe for me to judge, and by some miracle, the blue dress finally broke through her impossible standards.


    But, of course, it wasn¡¯t over.


    "Okay, fine," She said, setting the dress carefully across her bed. Then, without missing a beat, she flipped her phone¡¯s camera toward her floor-to-ceiling rack of shoes. "Now, help me pick the heels. Something warm but ssy. And don¡¯t say boots, Eva. I refuse to wear boots on a date."


    I groaned dramatically, flopping backward onto my mattress. "Mal, you are going to bete if you keep this up!"


    "Stop whining," she teased,pletely ignoring me. "This is important. You know how nervous I get with these dates."


    "What are you talking about? You two have been together for months. What¡¯s there to get nervous about?" I demanded, and she spared me a single judgemental nce that had me sighing and moving my hands up in surrender pose.


    And just like that, another round of battle began. I scrolled through endless pairs of heels, pointed at three coats, narrowed down two purses, and even got dragged into picking which lipstick shade she should use. By the time she finally ended the call... only because I reminded her again she literally didn¡¯t have time left... I felt utterly drained.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t help smiling as I tossed my phone aside. Mallory might have tested my patience, but seeing her genuinely excited about her date made the effort worth it.


    My stomach rumbled, breaking my little moment of peace. Pushing myself up, I decided to head downstairs for something to eat. But I only made it halfway down the second floor when I froze.


    Draven was standing at the foot of the stairs, his hair perfectly styled, his maroon sweater tucked neatly into tailored pants. The long ck coat made him look even taller. He looked... unfairly gorgeous.


    "Are you... going somewhere?" I asked, blinking at him.


    His lips curved into that infuriatingly confident grin. "I was just about to tell you. I¡¯m heading out with some friends tonight."


    Before I could respond, he crossed the space between us in two strides and wrapped me in his arms. His embrace was warm and strong, stealing my breath for a moment. "I¡¯m going to miss you so much," he whispered against my hair, his toneced with an almost boyish longing.


    Heat crept into my cheeks. He said things like that so easily... things that made my heart skip without warning.


    Then, as if the thought had just urred to him, he pulled back and raised a brow. "Unless... you would like toe with me?"


    The question was yful, hopeful even. But I shook my head almost instantly. "Go. Have fun with your friends."


    His lips turned downward in a pout so cute I had tough. Reaching up, I cupped his face between my hands. "Don¡¯t give me that look," I teased, and before either of us could think twice, I leaned up and kissed him.


    His arms tightened around me in response, deepening the kiss as if he couldn¡¯t get enough. We stole a few more like that - quick, lingering, yful kisses - before finally untangling ourselves. Both of us giggled like we had been caught doing something we shouldn¡¯t.


    By the time we reached the living room, Draven had already stolen another kiss before we stepped into the dimly lit space. Someone cleared their throat and I immediately turned my head in the direction only to find Oscar.


    I blinked at him, arching an eyebrow. He was dressed almost as sharply as Draven, his usualposed demeanor softened by the faintest curve of his lips. "You too?" I asked, suspicion creeping into my voice.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate. "I¡¯m heading out to handle some pack business. Someone has to keep things moving so River can finally breathe for a change."


    Before I could reply, a voice cut across the room.


    "That¡¯s not entirely true," River announced, strolling in from the hallway. His tone was calm, but there was a spark of amusement in his eyes that made my stomach flip. "The truth is, these two are going out together tonight. So that I"... he nced at me, his lips twitching into the smallest smile... "can have some private time with you."


    My mouth opened, but no sound came out. Private time? With River?


    My face burned instantly, and my heart seemed to leap into my throat.


    "River!" Draven groaned loudly, dragging a hand down his face. "Could you be any worse at keeping things subtle?"


    Oscar, on the other hand, looked far too amused. He stepped toward me and tugged me into his arms, brushing a teasing kiss against my temple. "Don¡¯t let our sacrifice go to waste, sweetheart."


    <fn6273> Updates are released by f?ndnovel</fn6273>


    I smacked his chest lightly, though my face was still hot from River¡¯s bluntness. Private time. With him. The thought alone was enough to make me dizzy.


    Draven gave me onest lingering kiss before finally heading out the door with Oscar, the two of them bickering as they went. And just like that, I was left standing in the living room, my pulse racing, with River¡¯s steady gaze fixed on me.

 Chapter 314: The Game She Lost

    <h4>Chapter 314: The Game She Lost</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Being alone with River in one room was already enough to make my heart hammer, but now... now the entire mansion felt too quiet.


    Draven and Oscar had just left, theirughter still faintly echoing in my ears, but their absence was loud. Too loud. It was just me and River now... well, and the servants and guards somewhere in the distance, but they didn¡¯t count. Not when every step River took seemed to resonate through me, every quiet nce stealing my breath.


    I couldn¡¯t even disappear into my bedroom to avoid him. My legs refused to move, my heart was doing somersaults, and instead of fleeing, I stood rooted in ce like some deer caught in headlights.


    Fumbling with my fingers, I darted nces everywhere except at him - the polished floor, the crackling fire in the living room firece, the grand staircase. Anywhere but his face.


    And then, inevitably, I did look.


    He was standing a few paces away, hands in his pockets, watching me with an expression that didn¡¯t belong to him... or at least, not the him I thought I knew. There was no coldness. No rigid mask of duty. His deep green eyes which usually looked sharp and unreadable, now held warmth. His lips were curved, ever so slightly, into the gentlest trace of a smile.


    <fn7f9d> For original chapters go to find(?)ovel</fn7f9d>


    That softness... it didn¡¯t belong on River Thorne¡¯s face. He wasn¡¯t supposed to look at me like that. He wasn¡¯t supposed to have this kind of tenderness hidden beneath his armor. And yet, here it was... like some secret he was quietly offering me, one he never showed to anyone other than his brothers.


    The realization made my chest tighten painfully. I wasn¡¯t ready for this side of him. I didn¡¯t know how to respond. So I stayed quiet, hoping he would take pity on me and break the silence first.


    Thankfully, he did.


    "Do you have any ns for the evening?" he asked, his voice steady, calm.


    I shook my head quickly. "No."


    He nodded, as though he had expected that answer. "Then how about this... we y a game."


    My brows lifted. "A game?"


    He tilted his head slightly, studying me with quiet amusement. "Yes. If I win, we spend the evening my way. If you win, we¡¯ll spend it your way... even if your idea is simply to have dinner and hide away in your room."


    I swallowed. Oh, he knew me too well. The temptation was strong - victory meant I could retreat to safety, tuck myself beneath my nkets, and pretend none of this heart-racing nonsense existed.


    It actually sounded fair, maybe even fun. So I nodded, curiosity outweighing my nerves. "Alright. What game?"


    For a moment, he didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he started walking toward me, each step measured and deliberate. My pulse skyrocketed. He stopped when there was barely any space left between us, and before I could process, he leaned down, bringing his face level with mine.


    "Tell me," he murmured, his voice impossibly soft, "what game are you terrible at?"


    My lips parted, but no sound came out. My mind nkedpletely. I could barely remember my own name, let alone answer him. The closeness, his gaze, the low timbre of his voice... it unraveled me in ways I couldn¡¯t exin.


    And why was he asking about what game I was terrible at? So that I end up losing?


    He was studying my reaction while I struggled to understand what he up to. And then, for the briefest heartbeat, he smiled. Not the tiny, polite curve of lips he sometimes gave others, but a real smile. Bright, amused, unguarded. It lit up his face, transforming him into someone even more breathtaking than his usual handsome face that something inside me stumbled, hard.


    I must have looked ridiculous, standing there frozen, because he straightened quickly and cleared his throat, as though hiding the smile he hadn¡¯t meant to show. "Truth and dare," he said, hisposure sliding neatly back into ce. "Whoever fails their turn loses."


    Truth and dare. My nerves prickled. A part of me was telling me this wasn¡¯t the right game. Still, I nodded. "Okay."


    "Good. I¡¯ll start." His voice carried a quiet confidence, like he already knew the oue. "Dare."


    I blinked. Already? My brain scrambled for something that might challenge him. Something outrageous. Something he would never ept. The first thought that popped into my head slipped out before I could stop it.


    "Give me a month off from internship without cutting my sry."


    The words hung in the air, bold and ridiculous. My eyes widened. What did I just say?!


    But what turned out even more ridiculous was his response. He didn¡¯t hesitate. Not even for a second. "Done," he said smoothly, as if I had asked him to fetch me a ss of water.


    My jaw nearly hit the floor. "You-you can¡¯t be serious."


    He arched an eyebrow. "A dare¡¯s a dare."


    I just stared at him, stunned, trying to process the fact that I had essentially dared him into doing something I knew he would never agree to... and yet he had. Casually. Effortlessly. Like bending rules for me wasn¡¯t a big deal at all.


    Before I could recover, he leaned forward slightly, his voice low. "Your turn. Truth or dare?"


    "Truth," I blurted, thinking it was safer than another disastrous dare.


    He moved closer again, lowering himself just enough that his eyes were level with mine, his face so close I could feel his warm breath. "Have you started liking me?"


    The question mmed into me like a tidal wave. My heart stopped, then raced so fast I thought it might burst. My lips parted, but no words came. I was drowning in his gaze, in the intensity of the question, in the unbearable closeness that made my thoughts scatter into nothing.


    <i>Say something, Eva. Anything.</i>


    But nothing came out. Not even a whisper.


    His eyes softened, but he didn¡¯t let me look away. And in that moment, I knew... I had lost the game.


    Was it so hard to say no? Absolutely not!


    What I actually found impossible was to say... Yes!

 Chapter 315: Intoxicated By The Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 315: Intoxicated By The Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When my silence stretched too long, River finally leaned back slightly, his gaze never leaving mine.


    "Time¡¯s up," he said quietly, but there was no mockery in his tone. Just certainty. "You lost."


    Heat rushed to my cheeks. I couldn¡¯t even argue, not when he was right... I had failed to answer. My lips parted as if to protest, but instead I whispered, "I... I ept my defeat."


    Something flickered in his eyes, satisfied and warm. "Then it¡¯s decided. Tonight goes as per my n."


    And as though my body had been waiting for that exact cue, my stomach growled loudly, breaking the moment in the most humiliating way possible. My eyes widened, and I felt my face burning hotter. Perfect timing, stomach.


    When I dared to nce up at him, he had a knowing smile on his lips... the kind that made me feel even more exposed. He pped his hands once, lightly. "Then first, dinner. I¡¯ll cook for us."


    Before I could say anything, he was already leading the way toward the kitchen.


    The staff looked stunned when we walked in, their gazes flickering between me and River like they couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. It was so simr to their reaction from the previous time that it was almostical.


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    But I didn¡¯t me them. How often did their Alpha stroll into the kitchen? Twice now, and both times because of me. Before they could even process River¡¯s presence, his voice cut through the air. Calm. Commanding. "You may leave. I¡¯ll handle it."


    Some of them exchanged quick looks before they all bowed, and then they were gone, leaving me standing in the wide, gleaming kitchen with him.


    My heart thudded.


    He was about to tell me to sit down again, I could feel it. So before he got the chance, I blurted, "I want to help this time."


    For a moment, he just studied me, and I braced myself for his refusal. But instead, he nodded once. "Alright."


    That single word almost made me stumble. I hadn¡¯t expected him to agree. But before I could feel relieved, he was pulling an apron from a drawer. He stepped closer, holding it out. I reached automatically to take it, but he ignored my handpletely, lifting the apron and looping it around my neck.


    Then... oh stars... he didn¡¯t step behind me to tie it. No. He stepped closer. So close his chest brushed mine lightly as he leaned forward. His arms wrapped around me as though it was the most natural thing in the world, and my heart went absolutely wild.


    I froze, utterly trapped in his warmth, his scent, his steady presence that pressed in on every nerve of my body. His fingers worked at the knot at the small of my back, but he took his time, far longer than necessary.


    By the time he finally stepped back, my legs were feeling like jelly. His expression was calm,posed, as though he had done nothing unusual. But I knew better. My heart knew better.


    I quickly turned away, desperate for distraction.


    And then he began undoing his suit. He draped the coat neatly over a stool, pulled his tie loose, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, and rolled up his sleeves with deliberate precision. My throat went dry.


    It was just like the other night. Except this time, I wasn¡¯t just an observer... I was supposed to participate. My eyes shamelessly followed the strong lines of his forearms as he folded his sleeves up.


    And then he looked up.


    Our gazes collided, and I knew I had been caught staring. Heat flooded my cheeks, and I spun around quickly, grabbing the nearest thing on the counter just to look busy.


    <i>Smooth, Eva. Very smooth.</i>


    He didn¡¯tment, though I could feel his gaze lingering. Instead, he put on an apron himself and began pulling out ingredients. Vegetables. Chicken. Eggs. Herbs. Before I knew it, the two of us were working side by side.


    It was... surprisingly easy. Comfortable, even. He handled the main dishes, his movements practiced and precise, while I took on the smaller tasks he assigned me. Washing vegetables, peeling potatoes, chopping onions.


    It was almost normal. Almost.


    Until it wasn¡¯t.


    I was cutting carrots when I nced at him. "Did I slice this the right way?" I asked, half-proud of myself.


    He looked over. Then, instead of answering, he crossed the small distance and stepped behind me.


    "Not quite," he murmured, his voice low by my ear. And before I could react, his hands closed over mine. Hisrger hands guided mine gently, moving the knife to cut thinner, cleaner slices.


    My breath caught.


    Every nerve in my body lit up under his touch. He was so close I could feel the warmth radiating from him. His chest brushed my back each time he leaned slightly forward to adjust my grip. My heart pounded so loudly I was convinced he could hear it.


    He didn¡¯t move away after showing me. He stayed there, his hands over mine, guiding me through the entire carrot. Slice after slice. He moved deliberately and unhurried, as if savoring every second of this unnecessary closeness.


    I wanted to tell him I understood. That I could do it myself now. But my voice refused to work, my lungs forgot how to breathe properly, and my body - traitorous as ever - didn¡¯t want him to let go.


    When thest slice fell onto the board, his hands finally slipped away, leaving mine cold and trembling.


    "Better," he said simply, his tone smooth, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.


    I exhaled shakily, gripping the knife a little too hard to keep from showing how much he had affected me.


    And that was only the beginning.


    Every so often, he found some excuse to brush against me, to stand close enough that his arm grazed mine, to reach past me when there was plenty of space to go around.


    Once, when I struggled with opening a jar, he took it from me, but instead of stepping back, he popped it open with effortless strength while still standing so near I could feel the faint heat of his breath against my temple.


    Each moment left me more flustered, more shaken, and yet... a part of me thrilled in it. In him.


    By the time the food was simmering and filling the kitchen with mouthwatering aromas, I wasn¡¯t sure if I was more intoxicated by the smell of dinner or by River himself.

 Chapter 316: No Break For The Heart

    <h4>Chapter 316: No Break For The Heart</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time River started giving the final finishing touches to his dishes, the kitchen was smelling warm and heavenly. A mix of spices, herbs, and that rich savory scent of roasted chicken filled the air, making my stomach curl with impatience.


    But I kept myself busy with the counter so I wouldn¡¯t stare at him like an idiot... again.


    I wiped the marble surface clean, polished it until it gleamed beneath the lights, and neatly set up the cutlery. Forks, spoons, tes, and water sses... all aligned as perfectly as possible. It gave me something to do, a reason to keep my hands upied, and more importantly, it kept my eyes away from him as he ted the dishes.


    When I carried thest te over, I realized something I hadpletely overlooked. We weren¡¯t going to eat in the dining hall tonight. It was just the two of us, so we were eating here at the kitchen counter.


    Which meant... we would be sitting side by side.


    I froze with the te still in my hands. The image shed in my head - the two of us sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, arms brushing, his presence seeping into every breath I took. There was no way I would be able to focus on food, let alone enjoy it, like that.


    Quickly, before he could turn around and notice, I slid one of the three stools away and angled the other two just slightly apart. Not too far... just enough space so it wouldn¡¯t look strange, but also enough so that I wouldn¡¯t feel trapped under the weight of his closeness.


    Satisfied, I sat down on the stool with a tiny smile tugging at my lips. Perfect. This way, I could breathe properly without my pulse betraying me every second.


    River finally untied his apron and set it aside, rolling his sleeves further up as he washed his hands. He looked maddeningly casual, like he hadn¡¯t just cooked an entire dinner with the ease of a seasoned chef. He wiped his hands and walked over to the counter with that effortless grace of his.


    My heart stuttered. <i>Please don¡¯t notice</i>, I begged silently.


    If he did notice, he didn¡¯t show it. His expression remained calm and unreadable as he took the stool next to mine. I almost rxed, my shoulders loosening. Maybe, just maybe, I had seeded.


    Until his hand reached out.


    In one smooth motion, he gripped my stool and pulled it toward him.


    The scrape of wood against marble echoed in the silent kitchen, and before I could even process what was happening, I found myself right beside him again, exactly where I hadn¡¯t wanted to be.


    My eyes flew to his face, wide with disbelief. He didn¡¯t look at me. Didn¡¯t acknowledge my shock. His attention remained firmly on the food in front of us, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all.


    I was speechless. Completely stunned and breathless. My heart was hammering so hard I thought he might actually hear it.


    How could he just do something like that?


    I wanted to say something... anything... but then he calmly picked up a piece of golden-brown chicken with his fork and ced it onto my te. His gaze met mine briefly, steady and quiet, before he tilted his chin slightly, urging me with his eyes to taste the food he had cooked with so much care and... love.


    Swallowing hard, I forced myself to break eye contact. I couldn¡¯t sit here and let him unravel me with just one look.


    The chicken melted on my tongue, bursting with vor, but I barely registered the taste. My mind was too tangled up in the fact that his presence was so close, his warmth brushing against my senses like a second skin.


    Ever since he confessed to me and our bond came into existence, he had been nothing like his usual self. Maybe he stopped being his usual cold self even long before that evening, but nothing from those days couldpare in the slightest with his current behavior.


    The only simrity between the current River and the River before the night of his confession was that both of them held the power to make my heart race... just for entirely opposite reasons.


    However, I had started missing the previous River... he was so much easier to deal with.


    The next twenty minutes passed in silence. Pure, unbroken silence.


    And though my heart never stopped racing like a fool, I was grateful nothing else happened. At least I could focus on eating without worrying about another shock... though "focus" was a strong word when every nerve in my body was painfully aware of the man seated beside me.


    When the tes were nearly empty, I volunteered to clean up the counter. Anything to keep moving, to avoid sitting here any longer under his invisible pressure. He didn¡¯t argue, only carried the dishes to the sink and began washing them with an ease that surprised me.


    We fell into a rhythm again - him rinsing and me wiping down surfaces, putting things back in order. I deliberately worked slower than usual, timing my pace with his so we would finish together.


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    Part of me hoped this was where our evening would end. That once thest dish was set aside, I could excuse myself, retreat to my room, and give my pounding heart a chance to calm down.


    But then, I remembered. This was River.


    He never did what I expected... or wanted.


    When he set the final dish on the rack, he dried his hands with a towel. I nced at him briefly, just for a second, and froze when his eyes lifted to meet mine.


    There was something there... something unreadable, yetmanding enough to make me straighten instinctively.


    And then he said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, "We are going to enjoy a warm bath together."


    The towel slipped from my fingers.

 Chapter 317: A Bath Together (I)

    <h4>Chapter 317: A Bath Together (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When River announced a "bath together," I had nearly choked on air. My imagination had run wild in a thousand dangerous directions... none of them remotely safe for my heart.


    But the moment we entered the hidden wing of the mansion and I saw the sight in front of me, relief washed over me.


    It wasn¡¯t a bathtub.


    It was an indoor heated pool.


    I stood at the entrance, eyes widening as I took it all in. The space looked nothing like the rest of the polished mansion. Instead, it was designed like some secret cave, with stone walls softened by thick ivy crawling up and across them.


    The faint, golden light fromnterns was casting warm shadows, and thin ribbons of steam were curlingzily above the surface of the pool. The water itself was crystal clear, inviting, as if whispering a promise offort.


    I exhaled slowly, feeling grateful. My heart hadn¡¯t stopped hammering since dinner, but at least this wasn¡¯t what I had pictured.


    River walked beside me, his usualposed aura settling over the space as though he owned not just the pool but the entire world around it, which he obviously did. Without a word, he guided me toward a smaller side area.


    "Changing rooms," he said simply. He opened a door for me, and inside, I found neat stacks of clothing - both men¡¯s and women¡¯s. My brow furrowed.


    There were clothes for me too.


    As if he had prepared it in advance.


    River, meanwhile, picked up his own set of swim shorts and strode toward the opposite side of the changing space, vanishing with effortless confidence.


    The moment the door clicked shut behind him, I let out a long, shaky breath. Finally, I was alone.


    My gaze took in the options avable for me and I immediately realized all of them were bikinis in different styles and colors. I hesitated, staring at them as though they might bite me. I had never in my life worn something like that in front of someone else, much less in front of River.


    But refusing wasn¡¯t an option.


    After a long moment of debate, I picked a dark green two-piece bikini - the color rich and deep, not too loud. To give myself some sense of modesty, I grabbed a white cotton t-shirt too.


    Inside the cubicle, I pulled the curtain closed and started changing.


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    It fit perfectly, almost like it had been made for me. The top pushed my breasts up just enough that they looked fuller than usual, and the deep color contrasted beautifully with my pale skin. I caught my reflection in the full-length mirror and froze.


    Was that... really me?


    Healthy. That was the word that came to mind.


    I no longer looked gaunt. No longer fragile from malnourishment and neglect. My body had begun filling out, soft curves returning where there had once only been sharp edges. And then, of course, my eyes fell on the small swell of my stomach. My baby bump.


    I lifted a hand and caressed it gently.


    I swallowed and quickly tugged the white t-shirt over my head. It ended just at the tops of my thighs, long enough to hide the most revealing parts.


    I took another breath. Deep. Steady.


    <i>I could do this.</i>


    When I stepped out of the changing room, the warmth of the pool area hit me again. And so did the sight of River.


    He was already in the water, chest-deep, sleek lines of muscle glistening faintly under the soft lights. He wore only a pair of ck swim shorts, his body all sharp nes and perfect symmetry. Broad shoulders, sculpted chest, arms that looked like they could crush steel... and yet he moved through the water withzy grace, like some predator conserving his strength.


    My feet refused to move.


    Draven and Oscar both had perfect bodies too, but something about River¡¯s presence made it impossible to look away. He wasn¡¯t just attractive. He was maic. Dangerous in a way that wasn¡¯t about his muscles but the absolute control he radiated even when doing nothing.


    I finally forced my legs to move, making my way toward the pool stairs. The waterpped at my ankles, warm and soothing, easing away thest of my hesitation. I stepped in further, the water enveloping me inch by inch until I was waist-deep.


    And then he moved.


    Effortless. Silent.


    He swam across the pool with long, powerful strokes, cutting through the water like it was nothing. My throat tightened as he closed the distance between us.


    I froze in my ce.


    The water rippled, brushing against my skin as he reached my side. Close. Too close.


    "Comfortable?" His voice was low, husky, almost swallowed by the steam-filled air.


    "I-I guess," I stammered, cursing my own voice for sounding so breathless.


    His eyes flicked downward, lingering for the briefest second on the t-shirt that had be wet and see-through. When his gaze lifted back to mine, there was the faintest glint in his eyes... a spark of something unreadable but potent.


    I swallowed hard.


    "Good," he said simply. And then, without warning, his hand brushed the edge of my arm as he moved the water around.


    It was nothing. A light touch. Innocent enough. But my body reacted as though he had set me on fire. My heart thudded against my ribs, my breath caught in my throat, and the warmth of the water suddenly felt scalding.


    "Come," he said, moving back slightly into the deeper part of the pool. His hand, however, lingered just a second too long on my arm before he released me.


    I followed, though my legs felt shaky under the water.


    When I reached him, he was watching me... quiet, unreadable, but with a focus that made me feelpletely exposed.


    The steam curledzily between us, blurring the edges of his perfect body, but it didn¡¯t soften the intensity of his gaze.


    I hated how easy it was for him to unravel me with just his presence.


    And yet, when he reached out again, fingertips grazing mine beneath the water as though guiding me forward, I didn¡¯t pull away.


    I couldn¡¯t pull away.

 Chapter 318: A Bath Together (II)

    <h4>Chapter 318: A Bath Together (II)</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The steam curledzily over the surface of the pool, blurring the edges of her frame but never enough to dull the effect she had on me.


    Every little movement, every shift in her breathing, the way her fingers were fidgeting beneath the water... it was impossible for me not to notice. My senses were too sharp, my focus too precise when it came to her.


    She was nervous. That much was obvious. The stiffness in her shoulders, the way her eyes kept darting between me and some safe point on the wall, the way her breaths came faster than they should for someone just standing waist-deep in warm water. She wanted to run. Hide. Retreat into the sanctuary of her room where she thought I couldn¡¯t reach her... or, at least, wouldn¡¯t try to reach her.


    And yet, beneath that anxiety, there was something else. A current of anticipation.


    Excitement.


    If not for that - if not for the faint but undeniable spark of desire beneath her unease - I would have let her go. I would have abandoned the n to draw her closer tonight, to show her the kind of bond we could share if she let me in.


    But she wanted this. Even if she hadn¡¯t realized it yet.


    The silence stretched between us, heavy but not suffocating. I found myself caught in it, lost in the sight of her.


    Stars, she was beautiful.


    Not just now, glowing with health, her skin luminous, her body softening and filling with life in ways that made my chest ache with primal satisfaction. No, I remembered the very first moment I saw her - dragged into the dungeon, dirty, malnourished, trembling. She should have been forgettable in that state, and yet... she hadn¡¯t been.


    I remembered stepping into that corridor, the dim torch flickering against damp stone wall, and seeing her for the first time. My breath had stalled in my lungs. Even pale and weak, hair tangled, eyes hollow from hunger and fear - she had stood out.


    There had been something about her presence that drew my gaze, something I couldn¡¯t exin. I had told myselfter it was nothing. But deep down, I knew the truth.


    I had never been spellbound by a woman before Evaline Greystone.


    And since that day, she had only grown more beautiful.


    My gaze slipped lower before I could stop it. The water reached her waist, but her shirt... damn it. The thin white fabric clung to her like a second skin, transparent now, leaving very little to my imagination.


    The dark green bikini underneath was outlining her curves perfectly - breasts fuller, waist softening slightly with the swell of her stomach. My throat went dry, heat coiling low in my body, sharp and unwee.


    I tore my gaze away before she could catch me, clenching my jaw tight. Stars, I should have brought wine down here if I was going to survive this. She probably thought I was torturing her by dragging her into this pool. She couldn¡¯t know... I was the one being tortured.


    I forced my focus back to the water, tried to steady the wild beat of my heart.


    Then her voice cut softly through the steam.


    "...I¡¯m sorry."


    My head snapped toward her. She wasn¡¯t looking at me, her gaze cast downward, her voice so small I almost thought I imagined it.


    "Sorry?" I asked, confusion breaking through my restraint.


    Slowly, she lifted her eyes to mine. The sight hit me like a de. They were wide, vulnerable, threaded with something fragile I rarely saw from her these days. She sighed, the sound shaky, almost weighed down.


    "I have been wanting to say this for a while," she whispered. "But I never knew how to start. So... I¡¯ll just say it. I¡¯m sorry. For what I said that night. When the bond came alive."


    My chest tightened.


    Even before she spoke the words, I knew what wasing. And when she said it... the pain came roaring back as if the wound had never dulled.


    "That I would reject you."


    Rejection.


    The word alone was enough to make my wolf stir in anguish, a low groan echoing in the depths of me. That evening, when she had said it so effortlessly, as if it were the most natural choice... her voice haunted me still. My body remembered the tearing sensation of that single thought - the woman the Fate and Moon Goddess chose for me wanted no part of me.


    My face must have betrayed the rawness of it, because she instantly moved closer. The water rippled around her as she stopped in front of me. Her hand lifted, reaching for me... but she hesitated halfway and then her hand fell back uselessly into the pool.


    "I¡¯m sorry," she said again, her voice breaking just enough to scrape against my defenses. "I never should have said that. I know how much it hurts. I..." She swallowed hard. "I didn¡¯t mean it. I wasn¡¯t trying to hurt you."


    Her words tumbled out fast, unpolished, her usualposure gone. She was truly nervous, truly desperate for me to understand.


    "I was scared that night. I didn¡¯t know what to do, what to say. And the first thought in my head was something so stupid I can¡¯t believe I said it out loud."


    Finally, her eyes locked with mine. Wide, pleading, begging me to believe her.


    And then she said the words that knocked the air clean out of me.


    "No matter what... I would have never rejected you. If you had refused, I wouldn¡¯t have gone through with it. I was confused, afraid, stupid... but I would never have made that choice on my own."


    Something inside me shifted.


    The pain that had lived under my skin since that night, and her confession... helped the gnawing, burning ache to ease. Diminish. My wolf had been restless for weeks, but it too quieted instantly.


    She meant it. I could hear it in her voice, see it in her eyes.


    For so long, I had carried that moment like a stone in my chest. But here she was, washing it away with her truth.


    The tension in my jaw loosened. The tight grip I had on myself eased, and for the first time since she uttered that cursed word, I let myself believe.


    <fn002b> Content originallyes from Find1Novel</fn002b>


    Believe that she didn¡¯t want to leave.


    Believe that maybe... just maybe... she wanted me too.

 Chapter 319: A Bath Together (III)

    <h4>Chapter 319: A Bath Together (III)</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    "I believe you."


    The moment the words left my mouth, I saw the change in her immediately. Her shoulders softened, her lips parted in relief, and her entire face looked like a weight had been lifted.


    The fragile tension that had been wrapped around her like a shield began to melt away, and I realized then that this was what she had been waiting for. Not just my forgiveness, but my belief in her.


    She took a deep breath, and a small and delicate smile stretched on her lips. "Thank you. Really." Her eyes were almost moist as if she¡¯s trying to hold back tears. "And I¡¯m really sorry for what-"


    Before she could spiral further, I finally gave in to the instinct I had been fighting for far too long. My hand moved of its own ord, brushing gently against her temple, trailing down the soft curve of her cheek. Her skin was warm beneath my fingertips, so warm that I almost forgot myself and lingered longer than I should have.


    And the way her breath hitched... it nearly undid me.


    But I forced myself to pull away, even though my body screamed against the separation. My wolf snarled in protest too, but I ignored it, telling her softly, "You don¡¯t need to apologize anymore, Evaline. I have epted it. I have forgiven you."


    She blinked at me, her eyes shimmering as though my words were some rare gift she had never thought to receive. The moment was too heavy, too fragile, and if we stayed in it any longer, I knew my restraint would shatter. So, I broke it the only way I could.


    "Do you want to swim someps with me?" I asked suddenly, pretending the shift in topic was effortless.


    Her head jerked up, startled by the suggestion. "What?"


    I smirked at her confusion. "Swim with me. Or..." I leaned back slightly, letting mischief tug at my lips, "... do you want to race?"


    Her eyes widened, and for a second, I thought she would decline. But then, to my surprise, she darted forward in the water, already swimming before throwing her voice back at me.


    "Sure!"


    Iughed. She had cheated.


    Pushing off the wall, I followed her, though I kept my strokes slow at first, watching her. She wasn¡¯t the fastest swimmer in the world, but she moved with a kind of determination that made my chest swell.


    She reached the other end first. She pped the pool wall with her palm and turned to grin at me with an expression so bright it nearly stopped my heart.


    "I win!" she dered, her amber eyes sparkling with yful triumph.


    I let out a huff of augh. "You cheated."


    Her grin widened. "Says the loser."


    Thatugh... it was infectious. I hadn¡¯t realized how much I needed to hear it until now. So, for the next round, I slowed my pace deliberately, letting her reach the wall first again. She squealed in victory, her joy radiating so strongly it drew me in like a moth to me.


    We swam a few moreps like that, herughter filling the air, her energy wrapping around me until the tension between us was nothing but a memory. Finally, she stopped near the far wall, her back resting against the smooth tiles, her chest rising and falling with quick breaths.


    I made my way toward her, intending to rest beside her and maybe tease her about her unfair victories. But as I neared, something mischievous sparked inside me. Without warning, I sent a ssh of water directly at her.


    Her scream echoed through the pool chamber. "River!"


    I smirked, already bracing for retaliation. Sure enough, her hands cut through the water, sending waves sttering against my chest. In seconds, we were locked in battle,ughing, shrieking, sshing like children who had forgotten the world outside existed.


    Then, before she couldunch another wave, I lunged forward, catching both her wrists in my hands. Water was dripping down her arms, her skin slick and warm under my grip.


    She gasped, frozen as I held her close. Theughter died on both our lips, reced by a silence that vibrated with something entirely different.


    Something heavier. Stronger.


    She was pressed against me now, her nearly bare body molding against mine, separated only by wet fabric. My throat went dry instantly once again , and my pulse thundered in my ears. I swallowed hard, struggling to keep myposure as her wide eyes lifted to mine.


    In a slow, deliberate motion, I pushed her gently back until her spine met the pool wall. She didn¡¯t resist, didn¡¯t look away.


    My hands still held her wrists, but I shifted, releasing them so I could steady her waist instead. The urge to im, to touch, to keep... everything within me screamed louder than it ever had.


    And then I did what my wolf had been urging me to all along. I lifted her. My hands slid firmly around her waist, hoisting her up onto the ledge so she sat at my eye level, water dripping down her body, making her look like some ethereal vision I didn¡¯t deserve to touch.


    Her breath came uneven, soft and rapid. "River... what are you doing?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper, threaded with nervous anticipation.


    I tilted my head, a small smile tugging at my lips though my own heart was racing wildly. "You still haven¡¯t answered my question."


    Confusion flickered across her face. "What question?"


    I leaned closer, close enough to catch the faint scent of her skin beneath the chlorine, close enough to see every fleck of gold in her eyes. My voice was low, edged with the same intensity I felt gripping me.


    "The one from truth or dare," I reminded her. "Have you started liking me?"


    Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Her hands clenched at the edge of the wall beside her thighs, as if grounding herself from the storm of emotions that question stirred inside her.


    <fnb6a0> ?????? ???? f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fnb6a0>


    I waited, every muscle in my body taut, every instinct hanging on the edge of her answer. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was bracing for rejection again or daring to hope for something more.


    But whatever she said next... I knew it would change everything.

 Chapter 320: A Bath Together (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 320: A Bath Together (IV)</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    I wasn¡¯t sure who was more nervous - her or me.


    My chest ached from the force of my heartbeat, every thud was ricocheting through my ribs like a drum. My lungs were burning, but I couldn¡¯t take in air properly. It was as if my whole body had gone still, suspended in this fragile moment, desperately waiting for her answer.


    She sat there, perched on the edge of the pool wall, with her eyes wide, lips parted, and her throat bobbing as she swallowed. She held her breath as tightly as I did, neither of us daring to move. The silence between us stretched, thick and suffocating, yet charged with something I couldn¡¯t put into words.


    I needed her answer. I needed it more than my next breath.


    Her lips moved, opening and closing as if she wanted to speak, but no sound came out. My eyes followed every attempt, every twitch of her mouth, every flicker of hesitation across her face. And the longer she struggled, the more dread pooled in my chest.


    The thought hit me like a de - what if she was hesitating because her answer was <i>no</i>?


    What if she didn¡¯t like me at all and simply didn¡¯t want to say it aloud because she didn¡¯t want to break me?


    The idea was poison, seeping through my veins and choking me. The thought burned in my head as cruelly as the word ¡¯rejection¡¯ had that evening. Maybe worse. Because this time, I had dared to hope.


    And I wasn¡¯t strong enough to hear a no. I never could be.


    Before she could speak, before she could crush me with the truth, I pulled back. My body acted on instinct, desperate to retreat, desperate to put distance between us before her answer shattered everything. All I could think was to run, to escape before the damage was done.


    But I didn¡¯t make it far.


    Her hands caught me... small, soft, and warm against my shoulders. She grabbed me firmly enough to stop me in ce, and before I could evenprehend what she was doing... her lips were on mine.


    It broke me.


    No, it remade me.


    For a split second, my body short-circuited. My brain stuttered, my heart stopped, and my wolf went utterly silent in stunned reverence. Her lips were soft, delicate, trembling against mine, and I was too shocked to even respond. The world itself seemed to fall away... there was no water, no pool, no air, no light. Only her. Only this.


    But just as quickly as it happened, it was over. She pulled back, ending the kiss almost as soon as it had begun.


    I just stared at her, unable to breathe, my world tilting violently as I tried to process what had just happened. Her eyes met mine, and for the briefest, most dangerous moment, I swore I saw something in them. Something raw, something fragile, something I could almost mistake as... <i>feelings for me.</i>


    I didn¡¯t give myself the chance to doubt it.


    Before the moment could break entirely, I surged forward. My hand slid to the back of her head, tangling in her damp hair, and I crushed my mouth against hers.


    The kiss was nothing like hers - hesitant, fleeting, uncertain. No, this was mine. This was every sleepless night I had endured, every ache in my chest, every second of restraint I had forced upon myself since I realized I was developing feelings for her, since the bond tied me to her. It was desperate, hungry, consuming.


    I poured everything into it - all my feelings I had buried deep, all the desire I had caged, all the torment of wanting her but holding back. She tasted like fire and water all at once. Her lips were warm, her breath quick against mine, her body tensing then softening under my hold.


    Her hands trembled where they braced against me, her mouth parting beneath mine in a way that nearly undid mepletely. My wolf howled, wild with triumph, with need, with possessiveness. This was ours. <i>She</i> was ours.


    I only stopped when I felt her hands press lightly against my chest. Not pushing me away, not rejecting me... but signaling. A plea for breath.


    I pulled back just enough to see her, both of us gasping for air, our chests heaving. Her lips were kiss-swollen, her face flushed, her eyes dazed. Stars, she was breathtaking.


    But restraint? That word no longer existed for me.


    I dipped back in, stealing another kiss. Then another. And another. Each one deeper, slower, harder than thest, until I was dizzy with it, until I couldn¡¯t tell where she ended and I began. I devoured her, worshipped her, lost myself in her.


    "River," she cried softly, her voice breaking on my name. It was a plea, a desperate whisper that somehow cut through the haze and reminded me that I was overwhelming her.


    I froze for a moment before pressing my forehead to hers, my breathing harsh and ragged. Her hands still rested against my chest, but she wasn¡¯t pushing me away. If anything, she was clinging, trembling beneath the storm we had both unleashed.


    My voice came out low, rough, unsteady but unyielding.


    "You don¡¯t have the option of turning me away anymore, Evaline." My eyes burned into hers, daring her to challenge me. "Not now. Not ever. I won¡¯t let you change your mind. I won¡¯t let you go, even if you beg me to."


    Her breath hitched sharply, and her eyes widened as my words sank in. But I didn¡¯t soften them. I didn¡¯t take them back.


    "It¡¯s actually good," I added after a moment, my lips brushing hers again, my wolf growling his approval. "For you to learn early... I¡¯m not the soft, sweet type. I¡¯ll never be that. I¡¯m selfish when ites to you. Possessive. Controlling, if I have to be. Because you are mine, Evaline. <i>Mine</i>."


    Her lips trembled against mine, her hands clutching weakly at my chest, but she didn¡¯t argue. She didn¡¯t run. And that was enough to set my soul aze.


    <fnb218> This text is hosted at Find~Novel</fnb218>


    Because she had kissed me first.


    And that one act had indeed rewritten everything.

 Chapter 321: Alpha’s Shameless Flirting

    <h4>Chapter 321: Alpha¡¯s Shameless Flirting</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I padded my way down the stairs, my fingers nervously grazing along the cool banister as I descended each step.


    The house was quiet... eerily so. I wondered if either Oscar or Draven had returned home yet. It was already ten in the morning, farter than I usually slept in, but my night had been far from restful.


    I knew River might already be gone. He usually left around eight sharp for work. And that would have been convenient. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready to face him again afterst night. My heart still hadn¡¯t decided if it wanted to flee from him or cling to him and never let go.


    But as soon as I stepped into the living room, my stomach plummeted.


    Because there he was.


    He was standing tall by the floor-to-ceiling ss wall that overlooked the side garden, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand, the other hand tucked casually in his pocket.


    He was dressed to perfection in his expensive CEO attire - a tailored ck suit that fit him like it had been designed by the gods themselves. His emerald-green tie brought out the sharp gleam in his eyes even from here. He looked powerful, in control, untouchable. Every inch the Alpha and the rich CEO that the world feared and respected.


    And I had kissed him.


    My heart stumbled in my chest as his head turned, his gaze colliding with mine. That piercing green stare mmed into me, shattering the fragile wall of denial I had been building since the moment I woke up.


    The memories ofst night came rushing back in an unstoppable flood - the way his mouth had imed mine, the desperate hunger in his kiss, the heat of his body caging me against the pool wall.


    And worse... the fact that I was the one who kissed him first.


    My stomach twisted, and I felt my palms going mmy. Even now, I still couldn¡¯t believe it had happened. That I had leaned in and pressed my lips against his. That I had given in to the pull instead of running like I had made myself believe a hundred times.


    No wonder I didn¡¯t get to enjoy a peaceful sleep. The entire night was an endless torture of reliving it all - the spark in my blood, the fire he ignited with nothing more than his lips, the way he left me both terrified and craving more.


    It was madness. I had never wanted to run away from and cling to the same person so badly in my life. And the worst part? Both urges had equal strength. They fought inside me without pause, leaving me suspended in limbo, helpless and utterly clueless about what I should do.


    I rubbed my hands together nervously as I forced myself to move closer to him. My voice barely came out, just a whisper, but I managed a soft, "Good morning."


    The corner of his lips curved upward in that maddeningly subtle way, his smile soft yet enough to make my heart leap into my throat. "Good morning," he replied smoothly.


    I quickly averted my gaze, terrified of drowning in the depths of those deep green orbs. My cheeks heated, and I bit down on my lip, pretending to find the rug beneath my feet fascinating.


    "Did you sleep well?" he asked suddenly, his voice velvety, probing.


    I nodded quickly, too quickly, hoping he would drop the subject. But of course, River was River.


    "You are not a good liar, Evaline," he said, his tone deceptively casual as he sipped his coffee. His eyes glinted with amusement.


    I froze. My mouth opened to deny it but no wordsing out.


    And then... oh, stars above... his next words made my knees weaken.


    "Were you missing mest night? Couldn¡¯t fall asleep because of that?"


    I nearly choked on air. My head snapped up and my eyes went wide. Was he actually... flirting? River? The man who usually spoke with cold precision and terrifying calm? He was standing there, smirking at me, throwing out shameless lines like he did it every day?


    "No-! I-I mean-" My words tangled into knots as my face burned.


    His smirk widened ever so slightly, as if my flustered reaction was exactly what he wanted.


    Desperate to regain someposure, I scrambled for a safer topic. "Why... why are you still here? Shouldn¡¯t you be at the office by now?" My voice wavered, but at least it wasn¡¯t betraying just how much his teasing affected me.


    He tilted his head, then gestured toward something behind me. I turned instinctively, following the direction of his signal. Only then did I notice the sleekptop sitting open on the coffee table between the living room couches, the screen alight.


    And on it - a dozen sharply dressed people were staring directly at me.


    My jaw dropped. Horror crashed over me in a tidal wave. They had seen everything... they had seen me!


    Mortification swallowed me whole. I moved on pure instinct, darting forward and grabbing River¡¯s arm, hiding behind his tall frame like a child clinging to a shield. My face burned hotter than it ever had in my life.


    Then River¡¯s calm,manding tone cut through the chaos in my head. "This meeting is over," he said tly.


    I peeked over his arm in disbelief just in time to see him close theptop with a decisive click. He slid out an earpod from his ear and ced it on the table with unhurried grace.


    His every movement was steady, confident, deliberate... as if he had been in control of the entire situation from the very beginning.


    And then he turned to face me.


    I wanted to dig a hole in the marble floor and bury myself in it forever. "I-I¡¯m so sorry," I stammered, mortification spilling out of me in a rush. "I didn¡¯t realize you were in a meeting... I just walked in like that - oh stars, they saw me-"


    I groaned loudly, burying my burning face in my palms. My stomach twisted itself into knots. How could I ever recover from this? How could I show my face at hispany again knowing half his board members had just witnessed me stumbling around his mansion like some awkward schoolgirl?


    <fn7bf9> Original content can be found at f?ndnovel</fn7bf9>


    But then... I felt firm fingers wrapping gently around my wrists, prying them away from my face. His touch was warm, grounding, pulling me out of the storm of shame. I had no choice but to meet his eyes as he made me look at him.


    There wasn¡¯t a trace of irritation on his face. No anger, no frustration, not even mild annoyance. In fact, his expression was infuriatingly calm. Almost amused.


    "River..." I whispered, my voice trembling. "You are not... mad?"


    The corner of his lips twitched, that dangerous almost-smile ying at them again. And the way his gaze held mine... it was almost as if he was silently telling me I had nothing to apologize for.


    He let go of my hands only to reach out and rub the back of my head gently. "You are my mate, Evaline. I¡¯m so proud of you that I want to show you off to the entire world, let alone these board members."


    <i>How could he... say something so romantic with such a straight face? </i>I wondered. But his words eased some of my embarrassment.


    "Looks like you two didn¡¯t wastest night after all."

 Chapter 322: Bombshell After Bombshell

    <h4>Chapter 322: Bombshell After Bombshell</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment River and I turned our heads, a smile immediately formed on my lips.


    Draven had just stepped into the living room, brushing snowkes from his messy dark hair. His eyes glimmered with something between amusement and mischief, a smile tugging at his lips as if he had caught us in the middle of something scandalous.


    "Draven."


    The mischievous glint softened into warmth as his stride quickened toward me. He shrugged out of his long coat, the fabric heavy with snow, and carelessly tossed it onto the couch before pulling me into his arms.


    The sudden chill from his snow-soaked clothes made me squeal. "Ah! Cold!" I tried wriggling out of his embrace, but his arms only tightened around me.


    "Nope," he murmured against my hair, his voice low and unyielding. "You are not going anywhere. Do you know how badly I missed youst night?"


    I froze for a moment, torn betweenughter and embarrassment. His words held a weight I didn¡¯t expect, and my heart twisted in response. Before I could react, Draven peeked at River from over my shoulder and spoke.


    "Don¡¯t expect me to make that kind of sacrifice again," he teased, his voice light but edged with a hint of truth. "Last night was a one-time exception."


    River looked unbothered, but he still inclined his head with thatposed grace of his. "I wouldn¡¯t ask again. Thank you." His gaze shifted to me, lingering with that quiet warmth that made my chest ache. "I need to leave now."


    My lips parted, disappointment rising before I could hold it back. But he was already grabbing his phone from the coffee table. Onest lingering look, so full of meaning it made my heart stumble, and then he was gone.


    And suddenly, it was just me and Draven.


    I wriggled free from his hold atst, swatting lightly at his chest. "You are freezing! Couldn¡¯t you at least shake off the snow before hugging me?"


    He grinned, utterly unapologetic. "Sorry," he said, though the amusement in his voice betrayed him. Leaning down, he pressed a warm kiss to my cheek, melting the remnants of my protest.


    I huffed, but the corners of my lips curved despite myself.


    Both our stomachs grumbled almost at the same time, and we burst intoughter. So together, we made our way to the dining hall for ate breakfast.


    After eating until we were bothfortably full, Draven excused himself to shower. I stayed behind in the living room, sinking into the couch with a book in my hands, titled - The Journey of Motherhood. My fingers traced the pages absently as I tried to absorb the words. I wanted to prepare, to understand what wasing.


    It was then that someone stepped into the living room again.


    Oscar.


    Unlike Draven¡¯s icy arrival, Oscar radiated warmth as soon as he stepped inside. He tugged off his coat and jacket, shaking out his hair, and before I could even stand, he was crossing the room in long strides. His arms wrapped around me, firm and grounding, and I melted into him without hesitation.


    The familiar warmth of him seeped into me. I pressed my cheek against his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat, and I sighed softly.


    "You are warm," I murmured.


    His chuckle rumbled against me. "And you are hot. Guess that means we fit just right."


    I rolled my eyes, but the smile tugging at my lips betrayed me again.


    Momentster, Draven reappeared, his damp hair clinging to his forehead and a fresh sweatee clinging to his frame. With the three of us gathered together, the couch became our haven. I nestled against Oscar¡¯s chest, my head rising and falling with each breath he took, while Draven imed the space at my feet. He tugged them into hisp and began massaging gently, his strong fingers kneading away the tension I didn¡¯t even realize I carried.


    <fna20b> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find?novel</fna20b>


    I sighed in contentment.


    My hand drifted back to the book on myp, and curiosity pulled me back into the words. I flipped another page, skimming through the advice, but it was Oscar¡¯s voice that pulled me from my focus.


    "What are you reading?" His chin rested lightly on top of my head, his voice low and curious.


    "About motherhood," I admitted softly, almost sheepishly.


    That single word - motherhood - seemed to ripple through him. His chest stiffened beneath me for a moment before rxing again. Then, with sudden decisiveness, he said, "We should start shopping."


    I blinked up at him. "Shopping?"


    "For the baby." His voice was steady, certain. "Clothes, nkets, everything. We can¡¯t wait too long."


    The realization struck me like a wave. I hadn¡¯t bought a single thing. I hadn¡¯t even thought about it. My heart thudded as guilt and excitement tangled inside me.


    Draven leaned back, nodding in agreement. "He¡¯s right. And it¡¯s not just about shopping. We also need to set up the nursery."


    The word hit me differently than it should have - nursery. My baby would have a room here, in this sprawling mansion. With them. My mates.


    The thought filled me with such warmth that tears threatened to prick my eyes. This... this was my baby¡¯s future.


    We soon got lost in the details, making ns about lists and colors and furniture, when another person joined us.


    "Kieran," Oscar murmured before I even looked.


    My head shot up. There he was - broad-shouldered, snow dusting his blonde hair, his expression neutral as his gaze flicked between us.


    And then he spoke.


    "For whose baby are you nning all this shopping?"


    My world froze.


    My heart hammered in my chest, and panic wed up my throat. This was it. The moment. The truth poised on the edge of revtion. I should have felt relieved, but instead, dread twisted inside me, sharp and merciless.


    Before I could open my mouth, Oscar¡¯s voice broke the silence.


    "I¡¯m ready to introduce my mate to you, Kieran."


    I whipped my head toward him, my breath stuck in my lungs.


    Kieran¡¯s brows lifted, surprise shing across his face. Slowly, a smile tugged at his lips. "Really? That¡¯s... good news. Invite her for dinner. I would like to meet her. All of us would."


    But before I could even breathe, Draven¡¯s voice cut in. "I found my mate too."


    Kieran¡¯s expression shifted to shock. "You-what?"


    "And River as well," Draven added casually, as though dropping the world¡¯s heaviest stone.


    Kieran blinked, visibly struggling to process the information. "You mean to tell me that... not one, not two, but all three of you have found your mates?"


    "Yes," they answered almost in unison.


    And then, as if the ground beneath me had dissolved, both Oscar and Draven¡¯s arms reached out, wrapping around me. They drew me into their embrace, holding me close, as they announced proudly...


    "She¡¯s our mate, brother."


    My lips parted, my lungs straining for air, but nothing came out.


    To make it painfully clear, Oscar¡¯s voice rang with conviction. "Eva is mated to River, Draven, and me. All three of us."


    The room spun.


    And then Draven, with no hesitation, added the final blow.


    "And there¡¯s one more happy news... she¡¯s pregnant with our child."

 Chapter 323: The Endless Pain (I)

    <h4>Chapter 323: The Endless Pain (I)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Read at your own risk</strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    When I stepped through the mansion doors, I could barely restrain my wolf. He was prowling beneath my skin, restless with anticipation. My chest was tight, my breaths uneven, because today... finally, after what felt like an eternity... I was going to tell her.


    No more waiting. No more hesitation. No more excuses.


    For days, I had been rehearsing the words, carrying them in my chest like a burning secret. I had imagined every possible way it could go - her disbelief, her surprise, maybe a smile if fate was kind enough. My wolf had been urging me relentlessly, his excitement bleeding into mine. Today was the day I would confess to Evaline.


    The woman I loved. The woman who had be the air I breathed without even knowing it.


    But the moment I entered the living room, the ground crumbled beneath me.


    My eyesnded on her instantly. She was nestled between them - Oscar and Draven - both their hands all over her.


    And then... I heard them say it.


    <i>"She¡¯s our mate, brother."</i>


    For a moment, I thought I had misheard. My mind rejected the words, my wolf froze in ce. Surely... surely this was some cruel joke.


    But then Oscar¡¯s voice, clear and unyielding, followed.


    <i>"Eva is mated to River, Draven, and me. All three of us."</i>


    My world copsed.


    No. No, that couldn¡¯t be real. That couldn¡¯t be my reality.


    My wolf howled in protest, thrashing inside me like a caged beast. She¡¯s ours! She¡¯s supposed to be ours! But the scene before me left no room for denial. She wasn¡¯t looking at me. She wasn¡¯t standing beside me. She was surrounded by them. My brothers.


    And before the jagged edges of those words could even finish slicing through me, Draven delivered the final blow.


    <i>"And there¡¯s one more happy news... she¡¯s pregnant with our child."</i>


    The air left my lungs in a violent rush.


    I stood there, frozen, a storm of emotions tearing me apart. Horror. Pain. Disbelief. My chest felt as though it had been split open, my heart ripped out and trampled right there on the marble floor. My wolf howled again, mournful this time, the sound echoing in the hollow chambers of my soul.


    I couldn¡¯t move. I couldn¡¯t speak.


    Every dream I had dared to hold onto shattered in an instant.


    Evaline... my Evaline... the one person who had made me believe in light again, who had made me believe I could deserve happiness, wasn¡¯t mine. She never had been. She belonged to them. To my brothers.


    And one of them had already nted his child inside her.


    I felt sick. My stomach churned violently, my hands curling into fists so tight that my nails bit into my palms. It took everything in me not to copse where I stood.


    But then Oscar¡¯s eyes met mine, expectant, waiting for my response.


    I forced a smile.


    It felt like dragging broken ss across my lips, but I did it anyway. My brothers deserved happiness. They deserved to celebrate. Thest thing I wanted was to cast a shadow over their joy.


    "Congrattions," I managed, my voice hoarse but steady enough to pass. "All of you."


    Evaline looked at me then. Just for a second.


    My heart screamed at the sight of her, but I tore my gaze away before I could drown in it. I couldn¡¯t look at her, not when the memory of every smile, every touch, every unspoken moment we had shared now burned like acid in my chest.


    "I-uh," I cleared my throat, desperate to flee before the cracks in my facade showed. "I should... I should let you guys continue with your nning for shopping. I have got some work to catch up on anyway."


    I didn¡¯t wait for their response. I didn¡¯t trust myself to.


    I turned and walked out, my steps heavy, each one dragging me closer to the inevitable breaking point. I didn¡¯t stop until I reached the sanctuary of my room. And the moment the door shut behind me, the mask crumbled.


    <fn0a43> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? </fn0a43>


    I sank to the floor, clutching my chest as the sob tore out of me.


    Raw, unrelenting pain.


    My wolf howled, the sound reverberating through every corner of me, wing at the walls of my soul. He didn¡¯t understand. He couldn¡¯t ept it. She¡¯s ours! She¡¯s meant for us!


    But the truth was undeniable. She was theirs. She had chosen them. Fate had chosen them. And now... she carried one of their children.


    I buried my face in my hands, my shoulders shaking as wave after wave of grief crashed through me. I had never known heartbreak could feel this violent. As though every breath I took wasced with shards of ss. As though my entire being had been hollowed out in an instant.


    Memories assaulted me mercilessly - the way herugh always made the world brighter, the way her eyes had lingered on me sometimes longer than necessary, the way her presence had be the anchor I didn¡¯t know I needed.


    I thought... I thought maybe those moments meant something.


    I thought maybe she felt it too.


    But I had been wrong. So terribly, pathetically wrong.


    The hours blurred as I stayed on that floor, lost in the storm of my own anguish. At some point, the tears slowed. My breathing evened out. The pain was still there - sharp, aching - but exhaustion dulled its edges just enough for me to think.


    And that was when rity came, cold and cruel.


    Evaline deserved happiness. My brothers deserved happiness. And if that happiness came from being together, from building a family with her, then who was I to stand in the way?


    My feelings... my love... it had no ce here. It never did.


    If I truly loved her, then I couldn¡¯t let my selfishness destroy the life she was building.


    So... to keep myself from destroying their happiness, I made the only decision that seemed right... for all of us.

 Chapter 324: The Endless Pain (II)

    <h4>Chapter 324: The Endless Pain (II)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Read at your own risk </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong><fnea2d> For original chapters go to Find?Novel</fnea2d>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    The hours passed in a blur of silence.


    I stayed locked in my room, refusing to answer the soft knocks at my door, refusing food, refusing to face any of them. My chest still felt raw, torn open, every breath an effort to drag myself through the day.


    When the clock on the wall told me it was past four, I finally rose. My eyes were dry now, though the ache behind them hadn¡¯t dulled. The decision I made earlier was still firm. It was the only way I could survive this.


    I packed.


    The suitcase felt heavy in my grip as I carried it down the stairs. Each step echoed like a final nail being driven into a coffin... my coffin. I could already smell them downstairs, hear the faint hum of conversation. And her... her scent wrapped around me before I even reached thest step.


    They were all there.


    Oscar and Draven were lounging casually, their faces bright with the ease of men who had no idea that their happiness had shattered their brother. River was standing by the ss wall, his presence like a de I couldn¡¯t escape. And then... Evaline.


    Her eyes found me instantly.


    Something twisted violently in my chest, and I nearly stumbled under the weight of her gaze. My wolf pressed against me, desperate to look at her, but I forced my eyes away, fixing them instead on the floor, on my suitcase, on anything but her.


    Their expressions lit up when they saw me, but the joy flickered out almost as quickly. Confusion reced it when their eyes dropped to the suitcase in my hand.


    River¡¯s voice cut through the tension, sharp and steady.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    The air left my lungs. He always saw too much. Always cut right to the truth.


    But not this time.


    "I have got a flight to catch," I said, keeping my tone calm, casual, as though this were nothing out of the ordinary. "I¡¯m heading to Midnight Wolf Academy."


    The silence that followed felt suffocating.


    I added quickly, "It¡¯s ast-minute thing. They offered me a slot to join the seminar on newfound herbs, and... I epted. Couldn¡¯t really pass it up."


    It was flimsy, barely held together, but it was all I had. If River dug too deep, I would crumble.


    Before they could ask anything else, I smiled and forced myself to keep going. "I¡¯ll call once I get there. But I¡¯m already runningte, so I should head out."


    I moved to River first, patting his shoulder. It was the lightest touch, but it felt like I was saying goodbye to more than just him. Then I turned to Oscar and Draven, smiling again, pretending the corners of my lips weren¡¯t trembling.


    "Congrattions to you all. I¡¯m sorry I won¡¯t be able to celebrate this properly right now, but... we¡¯ll do that when I return."


    And then I turned away.


    I didn¡¯t look at her.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Her eyes were burning into me, I could feel it, but if I dared meet them, I would lose everything I was holding together by the thinnest thread. My wolf was wing at me, screaming to look at her, to not leave her behind... but I pushed him down, gripped my suitcase tighter, and walked out.


    The evening air was biting cold. Snow drifted down from the sky, soft kes that melted on my skin but never reached the fire in my chest. I loaded my suitcase into the car and slid behind the wheel, starting the engine with hands that were shaking.


    And then I drove.


    I left the mansion, the warmth of theirughter, the scent of her, behind me in the rearview mirror. The world grew darker as I pressed forward, snow falling harder, swirling around me like the world itself wanted to bury me alive.


    At first, I tried to focus on the road. On the hum of the engine. On breathing.


    But it didn¡¯tst.


    The mask slipped. My chest cracked open all over again. My wolf keened inside me, his pain so raw it blurred with my own.


    By the time the tears came, I couldn¡¯t stop them.


    They blurred my vision, spilled hot down my frozen cheeks, dripping onto the steering wheel as sobs wracked through me. My body shook, my breathsing sharp and uneven.


    The ache inside me had no edges... it was endless, all-consuming.


    The image of her, smiling between them, her belly soon to swell with their child... it wouldn¡¯t leave me. It dug into me like knives, tearing at my insides until I thought I might bleed out right there in the car.


    I gritted my teeth, trying to hold on, but my control slipped further, unraveling.


    And then it happened.


    The tires skidded on the icy road.


    The car spun.


    Metal screamed as I lost control, and in the next heartbeat, I was crashing. The vehicle jolted violently, snow spraying as the car veered off the road and mmed into the frozen ditch.


    And then, there was just silence.


    My chest heaved. My hands were clutching the wheel, my knuckles white, as my entire body trembled from the shock. The car was ruined, but I barely noticed. My pain was louder than the crash, louder than everything.


    I mmed my fists against the wheel, and the sound echoed in the empty night.


    "Why?" I screamed, my voice raw and broken. "Why me?"


    My words tore out of me, ragged with despair.


    "Why did you do this, Moon Goddess? Why did you give them everything, and leave me with nothing? Why them? Why not me?"


    My voice cracked, the anguish spilling free.


    "Why did I never find my mate again? Why did you let me fall in love with her when she was never mine? Why her? Why make her theirs?"


    Each word broke something deeper inside me.


    "Why did you forget me?"


    The woods around me were silent, and the falling snow uncaring. No answer came. There was only the hollow echo of my own despair.


    My wolf roared within me, unable to bear it any longer. The grief, the rage, the betrayal of fate itself... it was too much.


    I stumbled out of the car, the cold night air mming into me, and before I knew it, my bones were cracking and fur ripped through my skin. My howl tore through the darkness as I shifted, the pain of my body twisting almost a reliefpared to the torment inside.


    And then I ran.


    Through the snow, through the trees, through the endless dark. My paws pounded the frozen ground, carrying me nowhere and everywhere.


    I ran from the harsh, bitter reality. From my brothers. From her.


    From the truth that was killing me.


    But no matter how fast I ran, her face followed me. Herughter. Her touch. The warmth of what could never be mine.


    And in that cruel, endless night, I realized the truth that shattered me all over again...


    No matter how far I ran, I could never escape her.


    And I could never escape the fate that had abandoned me.

 Chapter 325: Beginning of a New Storm

    <h4>Chapter 325: Beginning of a New Storm</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The sh of Ria¡¯s phone blinded me for the fifth time in less than ten minutes, and I forced a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach my eyes as she squealed, "Perfect! Another one for the memories!"


    I nodded, my cheeks aching from holding the same expression. It was Friday noon, our little group¡¯s promised day to gather during the holidays, and this time we were in a quiet town nestled inside Kyros¡¯ pack. The restaurant buzzed faintly around us - clinking sses, bursts ofughter from neighboring tables - but it all felt so far away.


    Everyone was sharing how their week had gone. Noah had been traveling, Selene had gone back home to her grandparents, and Ria had spent most of her days shopping and meeting cousins. Mallory was busy dating, Kyros was helping at his family cafe, and Rowan... he was still trying to adjust to his new life where he no longer needed to participate in underground fightings.


    Iughed at the right ces, answered when asked, and even teased Mallory when she admitted she overslept most mornings. From the outside, I was just as much a part of the fun as always.


    But inside? I was sinking.


    Ever since yesterday, ever since Draven and Oscar told Kieran everything, I hadn¡¯t been able to shake off this gnawing dread sitting heavy in my chest. And when he left the mansion in the evening... my heart twisted so hard I could hardly breathe. He had smiled, spoken normally, and even gave a good enough reason for his sudden departure, but I couldn¡¯t believe it. There had been something too carefully stitched about his calmness, a crack I could feel even if no one else seemed to have noticed. He hadn¡¯t looked at me once. Not even once.


    And that hurt more than I wanted to admit.


    Because beneath the relief of finally being epted by the three brothers who were my mates... beneath the overwhelming joy of the life growing inside me... I couldn¡¯t stop thinking of the one brother who had walked away with a shadow in his eyes.


    Lunch ended, though I could hardly remember eating much of it. As we stepped out of the restaurant, cool winter air brushed against my skin. Everyone said their goodbyes quickly, as if pulled back into their own busy lives. Selene hugged me tight before leaving with Noah and Ria, and that left me with Rowan, Kyros, and Mallory... the three who knew me far too well.


    I sighed even before they opened their mouths. "You don¡¯t have to say it," I told them with a small smile.


    Kyros crossed his arms, his sharp eyes narrowing at me. Mallory raised a brow, her lips already parting. And Rowan just stayed quiet, watching me with that silent understanding he always carried.


    I beat them to it. "I¡¯m fine. Just... a little tired, that¡¯s all."


    Mallory arched both brows this time. She didn¡¯t buy it. Not fully.


    I slipped my hand through her arm, tugging gently. "I promise. It¡¯s nothing else. I¡¯m just... not feeling too great inside, that¡¯s all."


    It wasn¡¯t a full lie. The heaviness in me wasn¡¯t just emotional, my body was feeling it too. Off-bnce. Exhausted. But I didn¡¯t dare say the real reason.


    For a moment, Mallory studied me with those sharp eyes of hers. Then, with a reluctant sigh, she let it go. "Fine. But you would better not be keeping something from me, Evaline."


    I smiled, and this time it was genuine. "I¡¯ll tell you when it¡¯s the right time."


    Before they could press further, the sleek familiar car across the street caught my eye. Draven¡¯s car. He was already leaning against it, tall and brooding, his gaze fixed on me with that mix of protectiveness and quiet affection.


    The moment I approached him, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I melted into his chest without thought, inhaling his familiar scent. Safe. That¡¯s what he felt like. Safe and grounding.


    "Eva¡¯s been down since yesterday," he said suddenly to my friends, his deep voice breaking through the little bubble I had created.


    My head jerked up in surprise, my eyes flicking to him. He gave me a look - soft but knowing. I realized then what I had overlooked. The bond. Of course. He and Oscar must have felt the waves of distress I had been drowning in since Kieran left.


    "Maybe," Draven continued, looking at my group, "you could all spend the evening at the mansion with her? I think she would feel better with you around."


    <fn1c1a> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn1c1a>


    I swallowed hard, emotion clogging my throat, before nodding. "I would love that."


    Because maybe... maybe distractions were exactly what I needed right now. Something to stop me from spiraling into thoughts of Kieran. Something to give me courage to finally tell Mallory and Kyros the truth I had been hiding - the pregnancy.


    To my relief, all three of them agreed almost instantly, brightening at the idea. Mallory even pped her hands together, her suspicion momentarily reced with excitement.


    We climbed into Draven¡¯s car, the four of us fittingfortably. The drive was filled with chatter, Kyros pointing out ces as they passed by, Mallory teasing Draven who, to my surprise, actually humored her. Rowan stayed quiet as usual, though I caught his eyes flicking to me more than once. He knew. He always did.


    When we arrived at the Thorne estate, the awe on their faces reminded me of my own first time. The sprawling mansion rose against the winter sky, elegant and intimidating. Even Mallory, who had been here twice before, still looked impressed.


    Draven excused himself, pressing a kiss against my temple before leaving us in the foyer. "Call me if you need anything," he murmured, his hand lingering on my waist a little longer.


    I nodded, watching him disappear down the hall. Then I turned to my friends with a smile. "Come on. I¡¯ll show you my room."


    Rowan¡¯s lips quirked faintly. "The infamous princess suite?"


    I rolled my eyes but led them upstairs anyway. The moment I opened the door, both Rowan and Kyros let out appreciative noises.


    "Okay," Kyros said, spinning slowly, "I have officially decided I¡¯m moving in here. Hope you don¡¯t mind."


    Iughed, taking a seat on the couch with Mallory while the boys took their time to look around the room.


    Not long after, Sera and a few servants arrived with trays of refreshments. Tea, juice, pastries, fresh fruit - everything neatly arranged. Once they left, silence settled in the room. The kind of silence where I could feel all three sets of eyes on me.


    Rowan gave me the smallest nod, as if telling me it was time.


    I took a deep breath, my fingers twisted together nervously. Then I lifted my gaze to Mallory and Kyros.


    "There¡¯s something I need to tell you both," I said softly. "Something important."


    Mallory tilted her head, suspicious again. Kyros frowned, his arms crossing.


    I exhaled slowly, my pulse thundering in my ears. "I might not be able to attend the second term at Silver Moon."


    Their eyes widened.


    And in that moment, as their gazes pinned me down, I knew... this might be the beginning of a new storm.

 Chapter 326: Yet Another Shock Bomb

    <h4>Chapter 326: Yet Another Shock Bomb</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "What are you talking about?" Kyros asked, he and Mallory staring at me as if daring me to spout any nonsense.


    I inhaled deeply, fixed my gaze on the two of them, and made the announcement - "I¡¯m pregnant."


    Silence.


    That was thest thing I was expecting. Not a squeal, not a scream, not even one of Mallory¡¯s usual gasps that always made heads turn. Just silence.


    Kyros and Mallory both stared at me like I had just sprouted wings... or worse, horns... right in front of them. My chest tightened. My fingers twisted in the hem of my sweater as I waited for one of them to say something, anything.


    It was Mallory who broke free first.


    She blinked rapidly, then waved her hand in the air like she was swatting away a fly. "Ha-ha, very funny, Eva. Do better with your jokes next time, will you? For a second, I almost believed you."


    My lips parted in disbelief. Mallory, of all people, thought I was joking? Ever since I had known her, I had dropped such shock bombs in herp numerous times and she always believed me. But for the first time, her reaction was... denial.


    Kyros, on the other hand, hadn¡¯t moved an inch. He was still staring at me with wide eyes, lips parted as though words had left himpletely. His gaze flickered between me and Mallory, like he was trying to decide who to believe.


    I sighed softly, the sound slipping out before I could stop it. "I¡¯m not messing with you guys," I said quietly. "I am really pregnant."


    Mallory froze this time. Her eyes narrowed at me like she was trying to read if this was another one of my asional dry teases. But I held her gaze. I didn¡¯t look away. Didn¡¯t blink. Didn¡¯t let my lips twitch into a smile that might betray my seriousness.


    And then... finally... it clicked. Her eyes went wide. Shock red across her face as she realized I wasn¡¯t ying around.


    Right at that moment, Rowan¡¯s calm voice filled the silence.


    "She¡¯s telling the truth. She¡¯s pregnant."


    Both Mallory and Kyros whipped their heads toward him so quickly I almost worried they would strain their necks.


    <fn0827> Checktest chapters at find?novel</fn0827>


    "You knew?!" Mallory shrieked, her voice a mixture of betrayal and disbelief.


    Rowan gave a simple nod, his expression unreadable as always.


    Kyros was the next to find his voice, his tone more measured but equally stunned. "Since when?"


    Rowan leaned back in his couch, folding his arms. "Almost since the beginning. Since we entered Silver Moon."


    Mallory¡¯s mouth opened. Then closed. She repeated the process like a fish gasping for air before finally managing words. "Wait. Hold on."


    Her fingers lifted, counting off on each one as she spoke. "You felt your mate bond snd got together with Draven and Oscar after you got into Silver Moon. And River... that was just recently. But if what Rowan¡¯s saying is true, then-" She turned to him sharply. "That means she was already pregnant before the term even began."


    Rowan dipped his chin once in quiet confirmation.


    Mallory whipped back to me, her eyes so wide I thought they might pop right out of her face. "So... you got pregnant before you even met your mates? Is that what you are saying?"


    Her voice rose higher with every word, ending in a squeaky question mark.


    I closed my eyes for a second, inhaling deeply, before releasing the truth I had been holding close for far too long. "The baby... belongs to my ex-mate."


    The room went silent again.


    But this time, it wasn¡¯t disbelief. It was processing.


    Mallory and Kyros exchanged a look, and I knew exactly what was running through their heads. They had known about him... about the mate I once had, the one I lost... because I had told them long ago in one of those raw,te-night conversations when we opened up to each other. But knowing I had an ex-mate was one thing. Finding out I was carrying his child was another.


    Finally, both of them nodded slowly, their faces softening with understanding.


    But then Mallory¡¯s eyes sharpened again. I could almost see the gears turning in her mind before she looked down at my belly.


    "Wait a minute," she muttered, her brows furrowing. "It¡¯s been six months since we joined Silver Moon. You are saying you were already pregnant before that. Which means..." Her gaze trailed from my face down to my midsection, stopping there. "Then howe...?"


    Her voice faded as the unasked question hung in the air between us. Her stare remained glued to the gentle curve hidden beneath my oversized sweater.


    I swallowed and gave her the truth. "I¡¯m already thirty-three weeks along."


    The collective gasp that followed nearly shook the walls.


    "Thirty-three?!" Mallory practically screamed. "As in... like... eight months?!"


    I nodded faintly.


    "That¡¯s insane," she whispered, pointing at my stomach in sheer disbelief. "How is that even possible? You don¡¯t... I mean... You look-" She waved her hands helplessly. "You don¡¯t look eight months pregnant, Eva! No where close to it!"


    Before I could answer, Kyros finally spoke, his voice firm butced with quiet frustration at her obliviousness. "Did you forget what she looked like when we first came to Silver Moon? She was only skin and bones, Mallory. A skeleton."


    Mallory paused, her mouth closing.


    I nodded, my voice soft. "He¡¯s right. My bump didn¡¯t show at all until the end of the second trimester. My body was too weak, too thin. But now... it¡¯s catching up fast. Thest two weeks, it feels like everything just exploded. My bump¡¯s grown twice the size, but winter clothes are hiding it well."


    Mallory blinked at me, then down at my stomach again, realization dawning.


    Her lips parted, her eyes wide with horror and awe all at once. "That means... your due date could be in a month or so."


    Her words hung heavy in the air, settling into all of us at once.


    And just like that, it clicked for her... why I wouldn¡¯t be able to return to Silver Moon Academy anytime soon.

 Chapter 327: Godmother & Godfathers

    <h4>Chapter 327: Godmother & Godfathers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had braced myself for silence. For pity, maybe even judgment... though I knew Mallory and Kyros weren¡¯t like that. But still, a part of me had feared it. What I hadn¡¯t braced myself for was the joy that lit up their faces once the questions were done and all the pieces of truth finally fell into ce.


    Mallory pped her hands together so suddenly that I flinched. "Oh, Moon Goddess!" she squealed, bouncing on the edge of her couch like a child. "I can¡¯t believe this... Eva, you are going to be a mom!"


    Her excitement was so raw, so contagious, that my lips parted in shock before a smallugh bubbled out of me.


    And then, as if it wasn¡¯t enough, she leaned forward, her eyes sparkling, and announced, "I¡¯m calling dibs right now. I¡¯m going to be the pup¡¯s godmother!"


    I blinked at her, wide-eyed. "You... what?"


    "Yes!" she said firmly, folding her arms like it was already settled. "Don¡¯t you dare give the role to anyone else. I mean it, Eva."


    My heart swelled. Mallory wasn¡¯t just excited for me... she was staking her im in this baby¡¯s life.


    When I turned my gaze to Kyros, I found him looking at me with his eyes full of hope. "Then... could I be the godfather?" he asked, almost shyly, though his towering frame and deep voice made the request sound anything but small.


    I was stunned for a moment, my throat tightening. I nodded quickly before emotion choked me up. "Of course you can."


    Kyros¡¯ shoulders eased as relief broke into a bright, warm smile.


    And then my attention shifted toward Rowan, who hadn¡¯t spoken yet. His arms were crossed, one brow arched, his gaze leveled on me with that signature daring re of his. The one that screamed - <i>Don¡¯t even think about leaving me out of this.</i>


    I burst intoughter, unable to help myself. "Fine! You too, Rowan. I wasn¡¯t going to forget you. I can never forget you."


    His lips curved into a smirk, and he looked pretty satisfied.


    Warmth filled my chest. For the first time in nearly twenty-four hours, the cold heaviness inside me thawed.


    Maybe Draven had felt it too - my joy, my soft relief - because minutester there was a knock on the door before it opened, and there he was. He was bncing a tray in his hands, steam curling up from the mugs of cocoa lined neatly on it.


    "I thought you all might like this," he said smoothly.


    Kyros jumped to his feet at once to take the tray, setting it on the low table. Together, he and Draven began passing cups around until everyone was holding one, the rich scent of chocte filling the air.


    "Mind if I join?" Draven asked, his voice calm and his eyes warm.


    Mallory waved him over immediately. "Please do! And-oh! Congrattions, by the way."


    Draven froze for a heartbeat, blinking at her as though she had just spoken anothernguage. "Congrattions...?"


    "On bing a dad, obviously." Mallory grinned.


    And I watched it happen... watched the exact second her words sank into him.


    That smile. That rare, blinding smile bloomed across his face, so full of pride and joy that it almost hurt to look at. He slipped down beside me on the couch, draping his arm across my shoulders, and pulled me gently into his side.


    "I..." His voice caught before he steadied it. "I consider myself one of the luckiest men alive. Having a mate like Eva, and now... waiting for our pup? I have never been this happy."


    His words wrapped around me like the warmth of the cocoa in my hands. I leaned against him, letting myself bask in the safety of his embrace.


    We talked,ughed, and joked for another hour. Mallory teased Rowan about babysitting duty, Kyros promised to build the pup a training ground when it grew up, and Draven just sat there looking far too pleased with himself every time someone called him dad.


    But eventually, the world outside reminded us of its presence. The world outside had started turning dark and it seemed like it might start snowing soon.


    Mallory groaned, checking the time. "We should head back. My mom will freak if I stay out toote."


    Kyros and Rowan agreed as well.


    Draven, of course, immediately said, "You should all stay for dinner. Better yet, spend the night here."


    But my friends onlyughed, insisting they woulde back another day for the promised sleepover.


    One by one, they hugged me tightly and bid their goodbyes to Draven before heading out to the car he had arranged to take them home safely.


    And then it was just the two of us.


    Draven slid his hand into mine, his grip warm and firm as he led me back inside. "Come on," he said quietly, a softness in his tone. "There¡¯s something I want to show you."


    Curious, I followed him up the stairs to third floor and down the hall, stopping at a door I recognized instantly. Oscar¡¯s room.


    Draven knocked. The door opened secondster, revealing Oscar¡¯s familiar smile. His eyes brightened the moment theynded on me, and before I could even greet him, his arms were around me, pulling me close.


    I melted instantly against his warmth.


    When he pulled back, his grin widened. "Perfect timing. I was waiting for you."


    I blinked up at him. "For what?"


    Instead of answering, he guided me inside. And there, on the thick rug before the firece, I saw hisptop open with several tabs filled with nursery designs and shopping lists spread around.


    Draven shut the door, and the three of us soon huddled together on the rug, flipping through ideas. Crib designs, wallpaper themes, color palettes. Oscar scribbled notes about what the baby would need, Draven suggested structural changes for a nursery room, and I... I just sat there, overwhelmed and touched by the fact that they were so excited and happy as they prepared to wee our child.


    Half an hourter, the door creaked again.


    River stepped in, his expensive coat still draped over one arm, his hair slightly tousled from the wind. His eyesnded on us - me nestled between Oscar and Draven, surrounded by lists - and his lips curved in the smallest, softest smile.


    "Couldn¡¯t resist leaving me out, could you?" he teased lightly as he walked over, lowering himself gracefully onto the rug with us.


    Within minutes, he was leaning over theptop, giving his own quiet input.


    And somehow, between theughter of my friends earlier, the excitement of my mates nning the baby¡¯s future, and the love and warmth radiating around me... I felt my chest loosenpletely for the first time since Kieran left.


    Especially when River nced at the three of us and, almost casually, said, "Kieran called me earlier today. He has arrived at Midnight Wolf Academy safely."


    The relief that flooded me was indescribable. My body slumped, the tension draining all at once.


    Finally, finally, I allowed myself to breathe again.


    * * *


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    Alright, everyone!


    It¡¯s time to share your thoughts whether y¡¯all want a baby girl or baby boy.


    Please let me know your choice in thements (also share if you have a particr reason for your choice).


    <fne41e> Find the newest release on find?novel</fne41e>


    Thank you!

 Chapter 328: Feeling Petty and Unhappy

    <h4>Chapter 328: Feeling Petty and Unhappy</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment I stepped into the familiar<strong></strong>building of HQ, I knew I was in no mood for pleasantries.


    I<strong></strong>had been sulking ever since breakfast, though I tried hard not to admit it even to myself. Fine... maybe my mood had something to do with the fact that when I stepped out of the mansion this morning, ready and dressed for work, I saw River¡¯s sleek ck car gliding out of the driveway without me.


    He didn¡¯t even pause. Didn¡¯t he remember it was the weekend? Didn¡¯t he see me all dressed up for work? Or... worse... did he leave without me on purpose?


    The questions wed at me the entire ride while Oscar drove me to HQ. A tiny reasonable part of my brain whispered that River never promised I could ride with him, and maybest weekend had just been an exception. But therger, pettier, unreasonable part of me... oh, she was in full control today.


    By the time I reached HQ, the sight of familiar faces in the corridors - warriors, council members, fellow assistants and secretaries, even the front deskdy - did nothing to cool my mood. I barely acknowledged their greetings, ignoring their confused stares as I marched straight to River¡¯s office.


    I swung the door open, my lips pressed in a thin line. And to my surprise, I found him there. He was sitting behind his desk, papers in one hand and coffee in the other, looking every inch the untouchable, maddeningly handsome Alpha-CEO.


    The sight of him here - at HQ, not hispany or elsewhere - made my blood boil hotter. So he really had left me behind.


    He looked up, found me standing at the entrance and his brow rose in genuine surprise. "Evaline?" He set down his paper like a man pausing mid-calction. "What are you doing here?"


    The sharpness in my voice betrayed me before I could temper it. "Wow. Did you actually forget that it¡¯s the weekend?" It wasn¡¯t a question... it was a p wrapped in sarcasm.


    For a heartbeat, his emerald gaze widened in unguarded surprise, then narrowed with theposure he had cultivated for years. "That¡¯s not what I meant-"


    "Oh?" I cut him off, folding my arms automatically, the posture of a woman ready for battle. "Then maybe you forgot that I work here. As your assistant."


    River, who always had a retort poised like a razor at the end of his tongue, was suddenly wordless. He blinked in a way I had never seen before - vulnerable and slightly off-bnce. "That¡¯s not what I meant either," he finally said, his voice softening, his tone careworn in a way that made the sharp edge of my irritation wobble but not fall.


    His gaze scanned me then, careful, as if he were reading an unfamiliar script. "Evaline... are you mad?"


    <fn372d> Checktest chapters at ?ovelFind</fn372d>


    The wordnded awkward and loud in the quiet office. Mad. It felt trivial next to the storm of anger and hurt that had been coiling in me all morning. Iughed, the sound sharp and humorless. "Mad?" I echoed. "Do I look like I¡¯m mad?"


    I saw him swallow hard before he looked away for a second. A small sigh escaped him, and the sound pushed my irritation higher rather than dimming it. There was that infuriating mix in him - an ease that made him look unbothered,yered over with an edge that always told you he was always three steps ahead.


    I turned away before I could say anything else, because silence felt safer. I moved to my desk like a woman in a half-remembered ritual. I powered up theputer, rearranged folders and pens that did not need rearrangement, cleaned the already-polished surface until the motion steadied the thrum of my pulse. Anything to avoid looking at him directly.


    The silence between us grew heavy, thick enough to cut.


    "Evaline." His voice came again, low and steady, a soft chisel against my resolve.


    I ignored it, pretending to tap across the keyboard.


    "Evaline." His voice was closer this time. Insistent.


    Still I refused to turn. The stubborn part of me held tight, feeding on the principle of not being emotionally avable on his terms. But then the back of my chair spun, and I had no chance to brace myself.


    He took me in one fluid motion - no drama, no announcement - and lifted me bridal style, making my world tip.


    "River!"


    My protest was automatic, instinctual. My arms flung around his neck without thinking.


    In my head I pictured him setting me down with a teasing smirk. Instead he walked across the office with the kind of ease that belonged to a man who owned not just the space, but the weather in it.


    He sat on the wide leather couch and kept me nted squarely in hisp, encircled by those arms I had watchedmand business negotiations and pack councils.


    My body was pinned by the certainty of his hold. The motionless steadiness of him made my cheeks burn for reasons I didn¡¯t want to name.


    "Why are you mad?" he asked, calm as an announced storm. He didn¡¯t ask in a way that left room for a performative answer. The question was a gentle device of excavation - intentional, unyielding, as if he had already decided evasion wouldn¡¯t be allowed.


    I scoffed and looked away, because I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing how small I felt under his eyes. "When did I say I was mad?" I snapped, though even as the words left I felt the cheapness of them.


    He arched a single dark brow. The act so familiar that it made some private muscle in my chest twitch, and I found my gaze snagging on the curve of his mouth, on the way the light caught his jaw. The fight in me faltered. And an audible sigh slipped out, soft and involuntary, betraying me.


    He didn¡¯t let it stand. His fingers came up and curled under my chin, tilting my face until I could not look anywhere but at him. The motion was precise, patient, and utterly disarming. "Why," he repeated, word by deliberate word, "are you mad?"


    There was no dismissal in his tone. No attempt to sugarcoat, no attempt to negotiate my right to be small or petty. He simply asked again with the quiet insistence of someone who refused to let issues drift like loose leaves.


    The intensity behind his green eyes was not usatory, it was an invitation to be honest without punishment.


    His insistence pried at my defenses. The part of me that had spent years practicing a tough, collection-of-iced stares began to crumble under the warmth of his palms and the directness of his gaze.


    I felt the old childish shapes of jealousy and fear rise unbidden - fear of being unimportant, of being left out like some afterthought.


    When I finally spoke, my voice came out thinner than I intended. "Because you left me behind earlier."

 Chapter 329: He’s Mine

    <h4>Chapter 329: He¡¯s Mine</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The words had barely slipped past my lips when silence stretched thick between us.


    <i>"Because you left me behind earlier."</i>


    My voice sounded too thin, too fragile, and the second it hung in the air, I wanted to snatch it back.


    River stared at me, his face a picture of confusion, surprise, and something close to disbelief. His lips parted like he had something ready, but then he hesitated. Instead, he let out a long, weary sigh that seemed to fill the room.


    He leaned back slightly, his sharp gaze fixing on me. "You mean... earlier? When I came to here on my own and didn¡¯t bring you along?"


    The way he said it - careful, deliberate - made heat rush to my cheeks. I gave a small nod, my lips pressing together in embarrassment.


    Another sigh escaped him, this one heavier and tinged with disbelief. He let go of my chin and rubbed his temples, then looked at me again, his expression somewhere between exasperation and tenderness. "Evaline... you asked for a month¡¯s leave. Because of that, I thought you wouldn¡¯t being to work at all for the next four weeks."


    I blinked. That was his reason? That was why he hadn¡¯t even looked back when he left?


    My snark returned before I could hold it back. "Why on earth would I use that leave now when I¡¯mpletely fine stepping out of the house and working?" My words came fast, sharp, defensive. "The leave was for when my due date is close, not now."


    He stilled and his brows drew together. I could see the exact moment understanding dawned. His jaw softened and his eyes flickered with regret. He gave a slow nod, then sighed again.


    "You are right. I should have confirmed with you before jumping to conclusion." His gaze searched mine carefully, his voice quieter now. "But... is just one month enough? You and I both know it¡¯s far from enough."


    The question hit like a pebble in my stomach, sending ripples of unease. Of course one month wasn¡¯t enough. But what choice did I have?


    I shrugged, trying to act casual even though the weight of this matter had been pressing down on me for days now. "It¡¯s not enough. But I couldn¡¯t possibly demand a six-month leave, could I?" Myugh came out humorless, brittle. "Would you have even agreed to such a tant request?"


    Before I could look away, his fingers slid beneath my chin once again and he tilted my head up. His touch was gentle but firm, leaving me no escape. His deep green eyes burned into mine as he spoke, slow and deliberate.


    "I would have agreed, Evaline. No matter what you asked."


    I froze. The sincerity in his tone left me stunned, speechless. His gaze didn¡¯t waver.


    "I would give you anything you wanted," he continued softly, the depth in his voice making butterflies stir wildly in my stomach. "All you need to do is say the word."


    My lips parted, but no sound came out. Something about the raw promise in his words made it hard to breathe. The thought of asking for something so impossible had felt foolish a moment ago, but now...


    I swallowed hard, my voice barely a whisper. "But... is it even possible? To take such a long break from both work and school?"


    His lips curved in a small, knowing smile. "Is there anything I can¡¯t do?" His thumb brushed over my jaw in a soothing sweep. "I¡¯ll take care of everything... for your work and your studies. Leave it to me."


    The steady certainty in his voice unraveled the knot of worry that had been gnawing at me for so long. I didn¡¯t have to ask twice to know he meant every word. River didn¡¯t make promises lightly. If he said it, he would make it happen.


    And just like that, the burden that had been pressing against my ribs loosened. I felt lighter, freer, and before I realized it, my lips curved into a smile. A small one, but genuine and warm. My first real smile since this morning. "Thank you," I murmured softly.


    <fn7d92> Latest content published on find?novel</fn7d92>


    But his expression shifted instantly, a faint scowl pulling at his brow. "That ¡¯thank you¡¯ was insincere." His tone was low, deep, enough to make my pulse skip. "You are thanking me like I¡¯m some outsider doing you a favor."


    Before I could respond, he leaned in closer, his breath warm against my cheek as his voice dropped to a husky whisper. "I¡¯m not an outsider, Evaline. I¡¯m your mate."


    The word ¡¯mate¡¯ rolled from his tongue like amand and a promise in one. Hearing it in his deep voice did things to me I couldn¡¯t dare put into words. Heat rushed through me and my chest tightened.


    When I finally spoke, my voice came out unsteady. "Then... how do you want me to thank you?"


    The corner of his lips curved slightly with the faintest ghost of a smirk. "Like this."


    Before I could even process, his mouth descended on mine.


    The kiss wasn¡¯t tentative. It was consuming, toe-curling, and deep enough to steal every coherent thought from my head.


    His lips moved against mine with deliberate hunger, coaxing me open, iming, demanding. My hands clutched at his coat as if it was the only thing keeping me grounded.


    He angled his head, deepening the kiss until I felt like I was drowning in him - his taste, his heat, the way he tilted my chin just so, forcing me to yield. Each drag of his lips over mine sent sparks shooting down my spine.


    When he finally pulled back just enough to let me breathe, his lips trailed along the edge of my jaw, grazing soft kisses down my throat. The contrast of his warmth against the sensitive skin there had me tilting my head back, a small gasp escaping before I could stop it.


    He lingered at the hollow of my throat, his mouth brushing, sucking lightly, as if he wanted to leave his mark where the world could see.


    My pulse raced wildly and body started trembling under the sheer intensity of him.


    "River..." I whispered, though it came out more like a plea than his name.


    He hummed against my skin, the sound vibrating deliciously along my throat. His lips moved slower now, softer, as if savoring me instead of devouring.


    Finally, he lifted his head, and before pulling backpletely, he pressed the gentlest kiss to my forehead - a soft, feathery promise that made my chest ache in a way nothing else could.


    It was so simple, but it made me melt.


    And for the first time all day, my anger, my insecurity, my doubts - all of it - slipped away, leaving me with nothing but the dizzying warmth of his arms and the knowledge that he was mine.

 Chapter 330: It Was Home

    <h4>Chapter 330: It Was Home</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River kept his promise. By the time Monday arrived, he had already taken care of everything.


    He had made sure my leave from both the Academy and HQ was arranged without me having to lift a finger.


    Of course, I knew he hadn¡¯t bent rules for me. River wasn¡¯t that type - he never mixed personal feelings with responsibility, even if I was his mate. He simply used his influence to put the right papers in front of the right people, leaving the decision up to them.


    At HQ, he wrapped everything neatly. Instead of prolonging the matter, he decided my internship would conclude at the end of this month. Just one more weekend left.


    February was almost over, and it meant I had officially worked there for five months straight. It hadn¡¯t been easy, but the Council rewarded me in a way I hadn¡¯t dared hope for - the option to return anytime within a year as a permanent employee.


    That alone almost made me cry. It wasn¡¯t charity. It was recognition. And I knew it. I had worked hard, proven myself again and again, and though River was my mate, I was proud that my results weren¡¯t simply handed to me.


    As for Silver Moon Academy... he handled it with the same precision. Medical leave for three months, approved. The professors were strict, and the academy council didn¡¯t just nod because the founders were the Rogue brothers.


    If I hadn¡¯t topped the entrance exam, if I hadn¡¯t proven myself as a ss president, if I hadn¡¯t pushed through presentations, quizzes, tests, topped the first term exams and still held my ground while doing my internship - no way would they have agreed.


    It felt surreal. Almost as though my past self, the girl who had no wolf, no family, no future, had been erased. And yet, sometimes when I looked into the mirror, I still saw her shadow staring back.


    But when my hands rested on my growing bump, I remembered why I was doing this. Why I needed the time, the space, the energy to prepare.


    The days began to pass faster after that.


    Most of my time was spent with Oscar and Draven. Shopping for our baby became our routine. Winter air bit our cheeks every time we stepped out, and Oscar always insisted on wrapping a scarf around my neck while Draven grumbled that I wasn¡¯t wearing thick enough socks. They both carried bags, argued over colors and patterns, and somehow ended up buying twice the amount we had agreed on.


    River joined us on rare asions, his presence quieter but just as steady. He would point out what was practical, what wouldst longer, what brands had better quality. He rarely fussed, but when he did, it carried weight.


    By Friday, the renovation team Oscar had called finished with the nursery. The moment the workers left, Draven practically barricaded the door.


    "You are not allowed in," he had told me firmly.


    Oscar only folded his arms in agreement. "We want it to be a surprise."


    River said nothing, but his hand lingered on my shoulder, steady and warm, as if sealing the decision.


    I tried to peek anyway, but three grown men blocking my way was impossible to get past. They didn¡¯t even argue about it... they simply refused in that unshakable, united way that left me smiling despite myself.


    And so, I let them have their secret.


    The weekend came quickly, and with it, myst days at HQ.


    I hadn¡¯t expected to feel so emotional about it. The building had be familiar - the polished marble floors, the endless stone staircases, the halls that echoed with the sound of boots and heels clicking. Working under River hadn¡¯t been easy, but it had been rewarding. I had learned more in these five months than I thought possible.


    When it finally ended, River kept his expression unreadable, though I caught the faintest flicker of pride in his eyes.


    "Good work, Miss Evaline," he said simply.


    That was enough.


    The other interns, those who were also concluding their terms, decided to go out for dinner together. Weughed, shared stories about days spent typing reports or running around on errands, and ate delicious food.


    It felt lighthearted, a proper farewell. But somewhere deep inside, a part of me wasn¡¯t fully present.


    Because every time myughter faded, a single name echoed in the back of my mind.


    Kieran.


    I hadn¡¯t seen him. I hadn¡¯t heard from him. He never contacted me. And I never gathered the courage to contact him.


    More times than I could count, I had opened our chat, staring at the empty box where my words should be, and then closed it again with trembling fingers. My heart screamed that something wasn¡¯t right. But my head... my head told me to stop. To focus on my mates, my child, my future.


    And yet...


    Why was he still lodged in my thoughts? Why did guilt mix with longing every time I whispered his name in my mind?


    I didn¡¯t have an answer. And I wasn¡¯t brave enough to search for one.


    By then, my bump had grown even more. Loose sweaters and thick coats weren¡¯t enough to hide itpletely. And even if I somehow hid it under theyers of clothes, people started noticing that I was getting slightly plump and how I seemed to have a natural, rosy glow on my face.


    They didn¡¯t mean to pry. Their words were kind, harmless. But every time, my heart raced. I felt as though the secret was burning at the edges of my clothes, desperate to break free.


    Ending my internship felt like lifting a heavy weight from my shoulders. At least I wouldn¡¯t need to hide anymore. At least not at the mansion.


    As another monday arrived, so did thest day of February and the end of the ongoing holidays. While my friends were already back at Academy, I was still at the mansion.


    More specifically, facing my mates.


    Oscar and Draven were already grinning when they found me in my bedroom that evening, their eyes glinting with mischief. River followed them, his expression calmer but no less purposeful.


    "What are you three up to?" I asked suspiciously, narrowing my eyes.


    "Nothing," Draven said far too quickly.


    Oscar smirked. "Come with us."


    Before I could protest, a soft cloth slid over my eyes. I squeaked. "Hey!"


    "Trust us," River¡¯s voice whispered near my ear.


    And so, blindfolded, I let them guide me. Their hands were steady, their steps sure, and though I tried to guess where we were, I couldn¡¯t. My heart raced with anticipation.


    Finally, we stopped, and secondster, the blindfold slipped away.


    And I froze.


    Before me was the nursery. Our baby¡¯s nursery.


    The room was glowing with soft golden light, the walls were painted in gentle tones that reminded me of dawn skies. A cradle was standing in the center, carved with delicate patterns, a mobile of stars and moons swaying above it.


    Plush animals were lining the shelves, cubboards standing against the wall, nkets folded neatly, and a rocking chair was waiting in the corner. The air was smelling faintly ofvender and wood polish.


    Tears blurred my vision as my hands flew to my mouth.


    It wasn¡¯t just beautiful. It was love, carved and painted into every detail.


    And in that moment, surrounded by my mates and with their eyes fixed on me, I realized...


    This wasn¡¯t just a nursery.


    It was home.<fn3439> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? Find_Novel(.</fn3439>

 Chapter 331: Nightly Routine

    <h4>Chapter 331: Nightly Routine</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The fire crackled softly in front of me, the golden glow chasing away the chill that lingered even through the heavy drapes.


    I was curled up on the long couch with myptop bnced across my thighs. My fingers were flying across the keyboard as I typed out the notes I had beenpiling all evening.


    The tablety beside me, open to the PDF Kyros had sent earlier in the afternoon. It had summaries of everything covered in ss from Tuesday through today. It wasn¡¯t much, just the basics of the new term, but that didn¡¯t matter.


    I didn¡¯t want to let things pile up until I felt buried. Thest thing I needed was to return to the Academy and drown in half-finished assignments.


    So here I was, a Friday night, not at the Academy or bundled in bed, but hunched over my screen, tapping away like the model student everyone still expected me to be.


    An entire hour had slipped past without me noticing. I only realized how long I had been sitting here when a gentle knock sounded on my door. I didn¡¯t need to look up to know who it was.


    A secondter, the door pushed open, and Oscar stepped inside.


    I nced at the clock on myptop - it was a little past nine. We had all gone our separate ways after dinner, each retreating into our own rooms. After changing into pajamas, I had gotten straight to work and hadn¡¯t moved since.


    "You have been at it long enough, haven¡¯t you?" His voice was smooth, with that quiet authority he carried everywhere, but softer now that it was just for me.


    I offered him a sheepish smile. "I wanted to get through these notes before the weekend."


    He sat down beside me on the couch, his shoulder brushing mine. His eyes flicked to theptop screen before settling back on my face. "How much longer?"


    I blinked at him, thenughed softly. "None." With a decisive snap, I shut theptop closed and reached for the tablet. Both devices went onto the coffee table, their glowing screens reced by the warmth of firelight.


    I turned and burrowed against Oscar¡¯s side, letting out a sigh I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding.


    His arm wrapped around me instantly, pulling me tight against his chest. The scent of him - fresh, crisp, faintly woodsy - seeped into my lungs and eased something inside me.


    For a long time, neither of us spoke. We simply sat together, the steady rise and fall of his breathing syncing with mine. The baby gave a sudden kick, and I couldn¡¯t help but giggle.


    His lips curved in the faintest smile. "Someone¡¯s restless tonight."


    "Or maybe just excited," I teased, pressing his hand to the spot where the movement had been strongest.


    Another kick followed, and both of us chuckled at the tiny life squirming inside me. This had be part of our routine... pausing each evening to feel our pup moving, to marvel at the miracle we were eagerly waiting to wee.


    During the holidays, both Oscar and Draven had made it their mission to experience almost every flutter, every roll of the pup. It had grown into a ritual that none of us wanted to miss.


    Oscar shifted suddenly, his arm sliding under my knees as he lifted me with ease. I let out a startled squeak and wrapped my arms around his neck.


    "You need to rest," he said simply, carrying me the short distance to the bed.


    The mattress dipped as heid me down, then joined me, propping himself against the headboard with me tucked against his chest.


    Since it was the weekend, he hade straight home from the Academy as soon as hisst ss ended that afternoon.


    On the other side, Draven hadn¡¯t been as lucky. His Lunar Energy and Moon Cycles ss dragged onte into the night, and he wouldn¡¯t return until morning. I missed him, but I knew better than to distrcat him from his studies.


    For now, it was just Oscar and me.


    At least, until another knock sounded at the door.


    <fn9bde> Discover more novels at F¦Énd£Îovel</fn9bde>


    This one was softer, more measured. I didn¡¯t even need a bond to know who it was.


    Sure enough, River entered after a pause. His damp hair was brushing his temples, ck pajama shirt hanging loose against his lean, yet muscr frame. His gaze flicked briefly to Oscar, then settled on me with quiet intent.


    Oscar didn¡¯t even look surprised, he just simply announced, "Time for your nightly massage."


    I smiled faintly. This too had be routine. Every night, River came to my room after dinner to ease the tension in my feet and legs with his skilled hands.


    At first, I had protested, insisting he didn¡¯t need to, but now... I couldn¡¯t imagine going without it. My body had grown addicted to the relief he brought, the way he seemed to know every knot, every ache before I could evenin about it.


    Without a word, River crossed the room, picked up the small bottle of oil from the bedside table drawer, and sat at the edge of the bed. He lifted my feet into hisp, the warmth of his palms seeping into my skin as he began to work.


    My head tilted back against Oscar¡¯s chest, a soft sigh slipping past my lips as River¡¯s fingers pressed expertly into the arches of my feet. He moved slowly, deliberately, each stroke designed to melt away the heaviness of the day.


    Oscar reached for the book resting on the nightstand, the one he had been reading aloud to me each night while River massaged me. His voice flowed smoothly through the room, weaving the story¡¯s words into the rhythm of River¡¯s touch.


    Thebination was almost too much. My eyes fluttered closed, my body sinking deeper intofort, drifting on the edge of sleep.


    Until I felt the hem of my nightshirt being lifted.


    My eyes snapped open, and I found myself staring into River¡¯s deep green gaze. He held up a small bottle of stretch-mark oil in silent exnation before pushing the fabric higher, baring my bump to the soft glow of the firelight.


    His hands moved with even more care now, spreading the oil across my skin in long, gentle motions. The touch was reverent, almost worshipful, as though he feared pressing too hard, feared causing even the smallest harm.


    I watched him quietly, my breath catching in my throat at the tenderness in his eyes and the way he was touching me.


    Oscar was watching me instead, a knowing smirk ying at the corner of his mouth. I didn¡¯t need the bond to tell me he felt the shift in my heartbeat, the way it skipped under River¡¯s touch.


    I spared him a quick nce and the smile on his lips only grew bigger. He was probably even more aware of my feelings for River than I myself was.


    When River finished, he tugged my shirt back down with the same precision, as though these past five or so minutes weren¡¯t enough to make me forgot how to breathe. He set the bottle aside and rose smoothly to his feet.


    "Goodnight," he said softly, as he always did.


    He turned to leave.


    But my hand shot out before he could take a step, my fingers curling around his arm.


    He stilled, and surprise flickered in his eyes as he turned back to me.


    Slowly, I shifted my gaze toward Oscar. My other mate was watching me closely, silently. I gave him a small signal, a tilt of my head, the barest nod.


    I didn¡¯t need to speak the words out loud for him to understand what I wanted from him. But just because he understood didn¡¯t mean he was happy about it. His smile immediately turned into a small pout for a second before he let out a sigh.


    "Alright," he murmured and then leaned down to press a brief kiss to my cheek. The warmth lingered even as he pulled away, standing to his feet.


    He let out another sigh that almost made me chuckle. The sound was heavy with reluctance, with unspoken emotions he didn¡¯t quite manage to hide. But he didn¡¯t argue. He walked to the door, opened it, and left, closing it behind him with a quiet click.


    The room fell into silence, broken only by the soft crackle of the fire.


    River remained standing by the bed, his deep green eyes fixed on me, sharp with questions he didn¡¯t voice.


    And I sat there, with my heart thundering in my chest and my hand still tingling from the feel of his arm.


    * * *


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    Thank you everyone for your pick between a baby girl or a baby boy. I have made up my mind, and yourments even gave me ideas for future.


    Also, sorry for just one Chapter today. I¡¯m busy running some errands. But I¡¯ll make it up to you guys soon!!

 Chapter 332: Sleep With Me (I)

    <h4>Chapter 332: Sleep With Me (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    For a moment my hand hung in the air, clutched around River¡¯s forearm as if I could hold him there with the weight of my grip alone. The world narrowed to the warmth of his skin beneath my fingers and the steady, low hum of the firece on the other side of the room.


    There were nearly a dozen sensible things I should have said - thank you, please, can you stay for a while, can we talk - but they all died on the tip of my tongue. In their ce, an odd, panicked nkness spread through my mind, leaving me with nothing but a hollow, ridiculous certainty that I had no idea what to say or do next.


    I hadn¡¯t meant to stop him like this. Though there was something I needed to tell him, I hadn¡¯t prepared anything... or better to say - I felt like I wasn¡¯t prepared enough. Yet, here we were - one hand on his arm, my chest tightening with a nervousness that made my fingers tingle.


    Silence pooled between us. It was a thick, expectant silence that seemed to press against my skin, waiting for me to speak. I kept my eyes fixed on the small, delicate line of his wrist where my thumb had settled. It felt like the only honest thing I had in that moment.


    He cleared his throat. It was a small sound, gentle, but it broke the silence with the soft authority I hade to recognize when he was unsure and wanted me to take the lead. "Evaline," he said quietly, "is there... something you wanted to say? Or something you need from me?"


    His voice wrapped around me like the first cautious light of morning. I should have been able to string words together - simple requests, a thank-you, a more coherent exnation for why I had held him back.


    Instead, all the rehearsed, reasonable sentences scattered like dry leaves, and the only thing that came out was thest thing I expected my own mouth to produce.


    "Do you-do you want to sleep with me?" The question tumbled out before I could stop it. It hung in the air, sounding far clumsier and more exposed than I had intended.


    My brain registered the words a heartbeat after my ear had and heat immediately flooded my face.


    <i>What in the name of stars, Eva?</i>


    My cheeks med hot enough that I could feel the warmth all the way up into my ears. Immediately, a cold, horrified panic wed at my throat. I pped the other hand down across my mouth as if that could somehow take the sentence back.


    "No-no, I mean-" I scrambled for salvage. "Not like that. I didn¡¯t mean... I just meant - sleep. You know, stay the night. Nothing else." My words came out in a breathless rush, each syble a small apology.


    But even the exnation didn¡¯t do anything to calm me down. I didn¡¯t even know why I proposed such a thing to him out of nowhere. This wasn¡¯t on my mind at all when I stopped him from leaving.


    So, instead of stopping at the bad exnation, I continued to babble on. I was way too flustered to pause "Actually, it¡¯ste. I thought... I just wanted somepany. Not that I-stars, I didn¡¯t mean it like-"


    His face didn¡¯t change at all as I struggled to fix the mess. It remained the stoic, unreadable mask he almost always wore, the face that bottled his emotions behind those deep-green eyes.


    But I couldn¡¯t miss the tiny lift at the corner of his mouth. It was the faintest, almost imperceptible curve that hinted at amusement. It made my embarrassment triple.


    I shut my eyes tight and internally scolded myself, so harshly I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from crying out.


    How had I gone from holding a simple thought in my head to blurting out the sort of nonsense that had me blushing and stumbling for excuses?


    The real reason I had stopped him... now sat like a calm pool behind a veil of shame. I had meant to tell him something else entirely. Something that I had been wanting to say for a while. But now... now I had not only messed up the mood but I even seed in embarrassing myself.


    I swallowed and opened my eyes. "Don¡¯t mind me," I said, and if my voice wavered, I didn¡¯t me it. "I... what I just said wasplete nonsense. I-I don¡¯t even know why I said it..."


    At this point, the more I was speaking, the more foolish I was feeling. So, I decided to just wrap it up. "It¡¯ste. You should go... go to your room. Get some sleep. I¡¯ll get some as well. Good night."


    I reached blindly for the nket at my feet, my fingers fumbling through the soft fabric as if I could cloak away my blush with the weave of cotton. I began to pull it up, intent on covering my face and my embarrassment in the same motion.


    But his next words stopped me in my tracks. They were slow, deliberate. His deep voice sounded almost amused in a way that both ttered and mortified me.


    "epted," he said simply. "I will <i>sleep</i> with you."


    He stressed the word ¡¯sleep¡¯ with a deliberate emphasis that made the heat in my face spike again.


    I froze with the nket half raised to my chin. I quickly looked up and found him walking up to the other side before he climbed onto the bed. And I found myself noticing how his movements were deliberately, without the slightest rush.


    <fnc98b> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find?novel</fnc98b>


    He folded himself beneath the nket with the efficiency of a man used to making calcted movements. He reached for the bedside remote, switched the overhead lights off, and then turned off themp on his side.


    Even if I said something so stupid, I wasn¡¯t expecting to him to actually agree. But here we were... in <i>my </i>bed. <i>Sleeping</i> together!

 Chapter 333: Sleep With Me (II)

    <h4>Chapter 333: Sleep With Me (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My heart started pounding in a frantic rhythm against my ribs as I watched River getfortable in my bed.


    A second or twoter, I tooy back and pulled the nket higher, the fabric a feeble, thin barrier between my raging embarrassment and the suddenly cool night.


    I reached over to my bedside table and flipped off my ownmp, plunging myself and the room into almost darkness. Only the moonlight, through the open curtains, and the faint reflections from the firece were filling the space now, turning River¡¯s silhouette into a darker shade, a presence more felt than seen.


    Silence returned, but it had a different edge to it now. It was neither anticipatory, nor expectant. It was heavy with possibilities, with the warm fuzziness I had mistakenly hoped to avoid when I had tried to send him away.


    I tried, with everything I had, to steady my breath, to let my heartbeat slow to something remotely resembling normal. But it didn¡¯t work.


    Minutes stretched with the weight of hours. I could feel River¡¯s breaths, they wereing regr and steady, making me assume he had already fallen asleep.


    I attempted to close my eyes, inhale, and rx. I tried to imagine snow drifting against my window, the safe, distant hum of the Academy at night. I counted sheep like a child. I tried to will exhaustion to set in. But nothing worked. Each attempt at sleep seemed only to push wakefulness deeper into my bones.


    Time lost meaning. I tried to estimate how long I had been lying there like an awkward log on this bed, curdling into worry. Ten minutes? Twenty? An hour? I didn¡¯t know.


    Eventually I dared to peek over the edge. River¡¯s eyes were closed. His face had rxed into an expression I rarely saw - the one reserved for absolute repose.


    For a moment, the rhythm of his breathing convinced me that he had slipped away into sleep after all. Relief washed through me in a small, hot wave, and I turned to find some small corner of peace. I rolled over, setting my back toward him like that would shield me from the residue of my anxiety.


    The position did not help.


    My heart continued its wild marathon. Even though we both were sleeping on our sides of the bed, I could still feel the heat of his body, the mattress shifting faintly beneath him, and that sense of being watched - even if only by the memory of his presence - kept tugging at me.


    I was not good with liminal spaces - not when feelings sat heavy in the air like storm clouds. I tried to pretend I was calm, rational. I closed my eyes and tried again to sleep.


    This time the minutes felt endless. But my thoughts refused to let go off the men sleeping beside me. A silly part of me was almost expecting for Oscar to walk into my room as I knew he was feeling my emotions through our bond, but I knew he wouldn¡¯t do that unless I would call for him.


    At some point, my thoughts started wandering - possibilities of what could happen with the two of us alone in my room, in my bed.


    I tried to shake those thoughts and images off, but they kept returning... until I could not bear the pressure of it any longer.


    With a deep, almost theatrical sigh that felt as if it came from the very core of me, I forced myself upright. The motion made the nket slip from my shoulders and the air kissed the damp warmth of my skin and snapped me sharply awake.


    River shifted at the sound, one hand moving from beneath the cover before he too moved to a sitting position.


    I met his eyes without allowing myself to flinch. For a heartbeat his face was nk, but the stillness in him suggested he had been awake all along. The truthnded in my chest like a stone that finally settled at the bottom of a well.


    I noticed his mouth moving. He was about to speak, to say something, or to ask something, but I spoke first. Before I could have second-guessed my words, before I could have messed up again, I said them out loud.


    "Alpha River Thorne," I started, keeping my eyes locked with his while my heart pounded so hard I was afraid it might jump out of my chest at any given moment, "I - Evaline Greystone - ept you as my mate."


    My voice was steadier than I expected. It rang in the quiet room, firm against the hush. Saying it aloud made it feel even more intimate.


    I watched as he froze. His entire body went rigid beside me. His eyes widened, and that calm, unreadable mask shattered as raw shock flickered across his strong features.


    For a long heartbeat, he didn¡¯t even breathe. Then I felt it - something tugging deep inside me, a thread pulling tight, a warmth flooding through my chest as if a fire had been lit from within. His bond. His end of it was awakening now that I had officially epted him as my mate.


    His hand curled into a fist against the nket, his jaw clenched as though he was fighting to hold himself steady. His usually stoic, unshakable presence wavered, and once again I saw the extremely rare sight of vulnerability in him. It was pure, unguarded emotion breaking through his walls.


    His gaze snapped to mine. The storm in his green eyes was so intense it made me shiver. When his lips parted, it was to let out a breath he had been holding all this time.


    I had epted Oscar and Draven before, and while their reactions had left me warm and happy, I wasn¡¯t ready for River¡¯s reaction.


    The way he reacted, the way he¡¯s looking at me right now... it¡¯s almost as if he feared I wouldn¡¯t ept him and our bond. And that thought clenched my heart.


    He finally shifted and closed the distance between us like gravity itself was pulling him to me.


    And then... his lips parted.


    "Evaline Greystone..."<fn24c7> Get full chapters from Find~Novel</fn24c7>

 Chapter 334: Only The Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 334: Only The Beginning</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My heart felt like it was going to pound straight out of my chest as his voice filled the quiet of the room.


    "Evaline Greystone..."


    His tone was rough, deep, andced with something that made my skin prickle. Then, in a breath that seemed to carry the weight of centuries, he spoke the words that I had been waiting for.


    "I - Alpha River Thorne - also epts you as my mate."


    The moment the words left him, I felt the bond locking into ce like an unbreakable chain, but instead of cold metal, it was warmth, a golden thread weaving tightly between us.


    The warmth not only filled my chest, but also my veins, my lungs, my very soul. The mate link finally opened between us, and I gasped as a rush of emotions mmed into me.


    Love. Fierce, relentless, consuming love.


    It was so overwhelming, so raw, that tears stung my eyes before I even realized they had formed.


    River had always been unreadable, his emotions buried so deeply I sometimes wondered if he even allowed himself to feel them. But now... now there was no wall between us, no mask.


    Through the bond, I felt the truth of him. His tenderness. His protectiveness. His devotion that he had only recently started making known and seen.


    A shaky sound escaped my lips, somewhere between a sob and a sigh. My fingers trembled as they clutched the nket, as if holding on to something solid might ground me.


    His eyes didn¡¯t leave mine. Green, dark and bright all at once, zing with the same love I felt pounding through the bond. For a long moment, neither of us moved. We just stared, breathing the same air, letting the bond wrap tighter and tighter around us.


    And then... I didn¡¯t know who leaned in first. Maybe him. Maybe me. Maybe it was the bond pulling us both. But the space between us vanished.


    His lips pressed against mine, and I swear my entire body melted.


    The kiss started soft, tentative, as if he was giving me a chance to pull away. But I didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t. Instead, I leaned into him, into the warmth of his mouth, into the heat of his hand that slid from the nket to cradle my cheek.


    My breath caught when his lips moved more firmly, brushing, molding against mine with a hunger that made my toes curl.


    I tilted my head and parted my lips for him, and that was all it took. He groaned low in his throat. The sound rumbled through his chest and into me, before his tongue slid past my lips to meet mine.


    The first stroke was tentative, testing, but the second was bold. Heat red as our tongues tangled, teasing, tasting, exploring. My hands moved of their own ord, one fisting into his nightshirt, the other sliding up his shoulder to the nape of his neck. His hair was still slightly damp from his earlier shower, and my fingers tangled in the strands as he deepened the kiss.


    It wasn¡¯t rushed. No, he kissed like he had all the time in the world, like every second was a treasure he would never let slip away.


    His mouth was hot and demanding, but there was tenderness in the way his lips lingered, the way his tongue coaxed mine into a rhythm that had my heart racing even faster.


    When his teeth grazed my bottom lip, I gasped into his mouth, and he immediately took advantage, capturing my lip between his teeth before soothing it with a slow, gentle sweep of his tongue. The move sent a shiver down my spine so strong it made me arch against him.


    The kiss grew wilder, hungrier. Our lips crashed together, parted, then sealed again in a rhythm that left me dizzy.


    His hand slid from my cheek down to my jaw, then lower, brushing over my throat before finding my waist and pulling me closer. The nket tangled around us as I shifted, pressing my body to his, desperate to feel him even closer than the bond already allowed.


    I moaned softly into his mouth, and the sound seemed to undo him. His grip tightened on my waist, his thumb stroking in small, almost reverent circles against my skin through the thin fabric of my nightshirt. He kissed me harder, his tongue stroking mine with a need that made my head spin.


    Our breaths turned ragged, every inhale filled with the other¡¯s warmth. I felt the scrape of his teeth again, this time along the corner of my lip, before he kissed it away with almost painful gentleness. The contrast left me whimpering, my body arching helplessly toward his.


    He pulled back just a fraction, and dropped his forehead to mine. His lips hovered, brushing mine with the barest ghost of a touch, as if he couldn¡¯t bear to let gopletely.


    His breaths came hot and uneven against my lips. And through the bond, I felt his turmoil - his hunger, his restraint, his overwhelming love.


    "Evaline..." he murmured again, my name more a groan than a word, as if it burned his throat with how badly he needed me.


    And even though my own body was burning with the same need as his, we both knew we needed to stop now.


    We stayed like that - with our foreheads pressed together and our breaths mingling - for few more minutes before he finally pulled away. And when he looked into my eyes this time, the hunger was reced by pure love.


    "Can I hold you tonight?" He asked, his voice so low that I would have almost missed it if not for the fact that I was looking at him.


    Without wasting any time, I nodded my head. Iy down and turned to the side, putting my back to him. There was movement behind me for a second or two before his arms snaked around my waist from behind, his palming to rest on my bump.


    And this time when I closed my eyes, my heart was at peace, my mind calm, and a soft smile ying on my lips.


    Because I knew, without a doubt, that this bond had been worth every second of waiting.


    And this... was only the beginning.<fn03f6> Newest update provided by find¡¤novel</fn03f6>

 Chapter 335: Let Go of Past

    <h4>Chapter 335: Let Go of Past</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When I woke up, the other side of the bed was cold.


    I blinked against the pale morning light and turned my head toward the bedside table. The clock¡¯s hands pointed stubbornly to half past ten. My lips parted slightly in shock.


    I could tell that River had left hours ago, and yet, I hadn¡¯t even stirred when he did.


    A strange emptiness pooled in my chest at his absence, but I pushed it down. He had duties, always did. Andst night...st night was still too raw in my mind, too overwhelming.


    The bond we had officially epted was still humming inside me, as if my very soul was learning how to share its space with his along with his brothers.


    With a sigh, I slid out of bed and began straightening the sheets. The simple rhythm of smoothing the nket helped ground me, pulling me back into routine.


    Once done, I padded across the room, poured myself a cup of warm water from the sk left for me, and drifted toward the ss wall.


    The view below was breathtaking. The side garden was buried under a nket of snow, pristine and untouched, sparkling faintly in the weak sunlight.


    Thin clouds were covering the sky, driftingzily to cover and uncover the sun, allowing only shy fragments of sunlight to reach the earth. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was enough to soften the harshness of winter. I exhaled slowly, savoring the smallfort.


    Today was Saturday and Rowan, Mallory, and Kyros would be arriving soon. They had promised to spend the day with me at the mansion. I should have been happy, and I was, but a pang of guilt tugged at me all the same. Noah, Selene, and Ria still didn¡¯t know about my pregnancy, or the truth about my mate bonds with three of the Thorne brothers.


    They deserved to know, but I didn¡¯t have the energy... not yet. Answering their questions, facing their judgment or even their worry, it felt like too much to carry in my current state.


    So after thinking about it and talking with Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan, I had decided that I would tell them everything once the baby was born. Only a few more weeks. I could hold out until then.


    With my cup empty, I set it aside and began my morning stretches. Each movement and each breath felt deliberate. I finished with meditation, centering myself in silence, before slipping into the shower.


    The hot water loosened my muscles, washed away the remnants of restless dreams, and by the time I dressed, I felt lighter.


    But my stomach didn¡¯t care about meditation or rity. It was grumbling loud enough to echo.


    Heading downstairs, I expected to find Oscar in the living room, maybe Draven if he had returned already. Instead, I stopped in my tracks the moment I stepped inside.


    Because Sera was standing there, as if waiting for someone... for me.


    My brows lifted slightly, though I quickly schooled my expression. She was dressed in her usual crisp ck-and-white uniform, her hair pulled back tightly into a bun. Her posture, her eyes - polite but distant - were familiar. So familiar it pulled me straight back tost summer, when I was still nothing but a prisoner here.


    Back when she had looked at me with disdain.


    "Good morning, Lady Evaline," she greeted, her voice carefully measured.


    I blinked at her before forcing my lips into a small, polite smile. "Good morning, Sera."


    There was a time when hearing her voice would have made my blood chilled. When even standing in the same room with her felt unbearable. But so much had changed in the past eight months.


    I was no longer a maid in this house, no longer the unwanted daughter of their enemy. My swollen belly and the bond with the brothers had altered everything... whether they admitted it or not.


    Still, I didn¡¯t expect what came next.


    Sera lifted her hand, signaling silently.


    And within moments, the vast living room filled. One by one, servants poured in. Cooks, maids, butlers - faces I hadn¡¯t seen together in one ce since... ever. The once-spacious room suddenly looked crowded, every inch of floor taken.


    Before I could ask what was happening, they all bowed. And in one voice, they spoke, "Lady Evaline, we are sorry."


    I froze, the words settling in my chest like a weight.


    They straightened only when I asked them to, my voice shaky but firm. And then Sera stepped forward, her eyes softer than I had ever seen them.


    "We are deeply sorry," she said. "For how we treated you when you first came to this mansion."


    Her gaze didn¡¯t waver, though guilt flickered in her expression. "At that time, you were the enemy¡¯s daughter. You had no ce here, and we let our judgments cloud our humanity. But..." she hesitated, ncing briefly at the others before continuing, "it wasn¡¯t until you returned for Christmas that we realized how wrong we had been."


    Her words dug straight into me, stirring memories I had buried deep. The whispers. The res. The constant weight of being unwanted, unwee.


    "You earned the Alphas¡¯ trust," she went on. "You became one of their own. And yet, despite how we treated you... you never took revenge. You never abused your position. You never once used their affection for you as a weapon against us. You remained polite. Humble. Kind."


    Her voice cracked faintly on thest word.


    I swallowed hard as my throat tightened. Their faces, all of them, showed guilt, regret, sincerity. And against my will, warmth bloomed inside me, tangled with the ache of old wounds.


    I shook my head quickly, blinking back the sting in my eyes. "Please... you don¡¯t need to apologize anymore. I let go of that past a long time ago. And you should too." My voice trembled, but I meant every word.


    It was then that the sound broke through.


    <i>p. p. p.</i><fn4870> Follow current nov?ls on find?novel</fn4870>


    It was slow, deliberate.


    The entire room turned, including me, toward the source of the noise.

 Chapter 336: Claimed & Announced

    <h4>Chapter 336: imed & Announced</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My heart jolted in my chest as I turned toward the sound... only to see Oscar and Draven standing at the entrance of the living room, thetter stillzily bringing his hands together as if he had all the time in the world.


    The staff quickly dropped their heads in deep bows.


    "Alpha Oscar. Alpha Draven."


    Their voices blended into one respectful greeting as the two brothers strode in with the sort of effortless authority that belonged only to them.


    Oscar came straight to my right, his presence a shield and afort all at once, while Draven stepped to my left, his eyes flicking over the crowd before settling on me for the briefest moment.


    "Well," Oscar spoke first, his smooth baritone curling around the room, "this isn¡¯t a sight I expected to walk into this morning." He paused deliberately, his lips twitching at the corners. "But it is, indeed, a pleasant one."


    Histter words were directed toward Sera, who stiffened but immediately bowed her head deeper. "Thank you, Alpha," she said, her voice low, her pride flickering beneath her humility at receiving his approval.


    But before I could even breathe properly, before I could process the fragile relief humming through me after Sera¡¯s apology, something utterly unexpected happened.


    Oscar¡¯s arm slid firmly around my waist.


    And a heartbeatter, Draven¡¯s arm came around my other side, mirroring his brother¡¯s.


    The sudden warmth of them pressed against me from both sides sent my breath stuttering in my throat. My cheeks burned with shock, but what truly made my chest constrict was the audible gasp that rippled through the gathered staff.


    The air thickened instantly.


    Oscar¡¯s gaze swept over the servants like a de, sharp yet steady, and when he finally spoke, his voice carried a weight that brooked no question. "You were wrong about one thing though."


    He then turned his head, his piercing eyes locking onto me, and in that moment the world seemed to narrow to just his words. "She is not a guest. Nor a friend." His lips curved faintly as pride glimmered in his emerald orbs. "She is our fated mate."


    A chorus of shocked gasps filled the air, louder this time, vibrating through the walls themselves.


    I felt Draven tighten his hold on me, grounding me in the storm of disbelief. His calm, steady voice followed smoothly, cutting through the murmurs. "And by ¡¯Our¡¯ we mean - mine, Oscar¡¯s, and also River¡¯s."


    His gaze then dropped to my very visible swollen belly, and his tone softened in a way that made my chest ache. "And she carrying our pup."


    My hands instinctively brushed against my bump, suddenly hyperaware of every pair of eyes on me. I had long known the staff must have noticed - I was not so naive as to think winter clothes could hide a swelling stomach forever - but none of them had ever dared say a word. Still, to have the truth spoken aloud, in the open, like this...


    I wanted to shrink back, shy and flustered under their stares. Yet at the same time, a wave of relief surged through me. No more whispers in the dark. No more assumptions. No more silent judgment over why I was entangled with three of the Thorne brothers instead of just one. Now, they knew. Now, it was clear.


    I belonged.


    The silence stretched, heavy and stunned, until Sera straightened, her eyes flicking quickly between Oscar, Draven, and me. Her lips parted, then firmed with decision.


    <fnadf2> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? Find?Novel</fnadf2>


    "Congrattions, Alpha Oscar. Alpha Draven," she said, her voice steady despite the astonishment still written across her face. "For finding your fated mate... and for the child you will soon wee."


    She hesitated then, just for a beat, before turning her gaze on me. "And congrattions to you as well, Lady Evaline."


    I nodded, offering her a polite smile despite the flurry of emotions churning inside me. "Thank you."


    That was all it took.


    The rest of the staff followed, their voices ovepping as congrattions poured out in a wave of sincerity. Some looked stunned still, some almost awed, but there was no mistaking the respectced in their words.


    "Congrattions, Alphas."


    "Congrattions, Lady Evaline."


    "Blessings for the pup."


    Warmth filled me so strongly it threatened to spill over in tears. eptance... true, unreserved eptance... was something I had thought I might never find in this house from these people. And yet here it was, wrapping around me like sunlight in the coldest of winters.


    Sera was the first topose herself quickly and lifted her chin. "That will be enough. You will keep your mouths sealed unless told otherwise by the Alphas themselves," shemanded the staff, her voice firm as steel. "Not a word of this leaves these walls."


    "Yes, Head Maid!" the staff echoed together, their posture crisp with obedience.


    But before dismissing them, her eyes brightened in a way I had never seen before. She sped her hands together, her lips curving into something that almost looked like... excitement.


    "This calls for celebration." Without waiting for permission, she spun on her heel and all but ran toward the kitchen, barking quick instructions at a group of servants who quickly followed her.


    I blinked after her, half-dazed, half-amused. Celebration? I hadn¡¯t the faintest idea what she had in mind, but the way she hurried off made it clear she intended something grand.


    The rest of the servants bowed once more before dispersing, leaving the living room to fall back into its usual spacious quiet.


    And me?


    I stood between Oscar and Draven, still tucked against their sides, my cheeks warm and my heart full.


    Because in that moment, I wasn¡¯t just their mate in secret shadows. I wasn¡¯t a stranger forced into their world.


    I was epted. imed. Announced.


    And when Draven¡¯s hand gently brushed over my bump, as if reaffirming the words he had spoken to everyone, I realized something deeper... something that nearly undid me.


    He hadn¡¯t just imed me and my child. He had given my pup... our pup an identity, a ce, a family.


    The kind of belonging I had once thought impossible was now here, beating steady and strong in the very walls of this house.

 Chapter 337: From Warm... To Ice

    <h4>Chapter 337: From Warm... To Ice</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My breath came out in little clouds as I pulled the shawl tighter around me, my fingers clutching at the soft wool as though it could chase away the stubborn bite of evening air.


    April had arrived with her promises of spring, and yet the chill lingered... like the shadow of winter reluctant to leave. At least the snow had stopped. For nearly two weeks now, the sun had dared to stay longer in the sky, its warmth fighting against the stubborn patches of ice that clung to the grounds of the estate.


    I let my gaze wander across the expanse of the gardens that were once buried in white, but were now showing hints of green peeking through the melting slush.


    The air smelled damp, tinged with the earthy freshness of thawing soil. Soon, flowers would bloom here again. Soon, there would be color everywhere instead of this endless gray and white.


    My shawl slipped from one shoulder as I turned toward the mansion, deciding it was time to cut my walk short. A sigh escaped me, heavy and full of something I couldn¡¯t quite name... loneliness, perhaps.


    The weekdays were the hardest. Oscar and Draven were tied up at the Academy, while River was still at work, and I was left wandering this vast ce with only the servants forpany. They were kind and respectful now, of course, but it wasn¡¯t the same.


    I missed my mates.


    By the time I reached the living room, the warmth of the house embraced me, but it didn¡¯t reach the cold spot in my chest. I eased myself onto one of the couches, my back grateful for the support. My hands moved instinctively to my bump, my fingers caressing the firm roundness beneath the soft fabric of my dress.


    Ten more days. Just ten.


    The thought sent a thrill of nervous excitement racing through me. My baby. Our baby. It was almost surreal to think I had made it here, so close to the end of the journey.


    I still remembered the day I first confirmed the doubt of my pregnancy, still remembered the mix of fear and joy and disbelief that had tangled inside me. Now months had passed in the blink of an eye. Every kick, every flutter, every change in my body... it all led to this moment. And very soon, I would hold my child in my arms.


    I smiled softly, lost in my daydreams, when the sharp trill of my phone pulled me back. Reaching for it, I felt my lips curl into a wider smile when I saw Mallory¡¯s name sh across the screen.


    "Hey," I greeted, only for her loud,ical wail to make me flinch andugh at the same time.


    "Evaaa, help me!" Mallory cried between sniffs, and I could practically imagine her pouting face scrunched up with mock misery.


    "What happened?" I asked, chuckling despite myself.


    "It¡¯s Professor Kieran!" she groaned dramatically. "He tortured us with Herbs and Potions for half the day. Half the day, Eva! Who does that? My brain is fried, my notes look like chicken scratch, and I swear my hands will never recover from writing so much."


    The moment I heard her mention Kieran, my breath hitched.


    But then her tone shifted slightly... softer, uncertain. "And... I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s... different. Ever since he came back from Midnight Wolf Academyst weekend, he¡¯s not the same. He¡¯s colder. Sharper. Like he left his heart behind there. It¡¯s... it¡¯s like he¡¯s heartbroken."


    I stilled at herst word, gripping the phone tighter.


    <fn6667> Th?s chapter is updated by Find?Novel</fn6667>


    Heartbroken.


    My chest tightened. I had known Kieran had returned as the brothers mentioned it during the weekend. But he hadn¡¯t oncee by the mansion. Not even for just an hour.


    He was avoiding this ce... avoiding <i>me</i>. And as much as I wanted to deny it, a part of me knew why.


    The guilt sank deeper, sharp and relentless.


    What made it worse was that I could feel my mates¡¯ worry for their brother. They too had noticed the change in him - his absence, his distance - and though none of them said it outright, I could feel their confusion, their unspoken hurt.


    And here was Mallory, unknowingly twisting the knife with her innocent observation.


    I swallowed past the lump in my throat, forcing a calm tone. "Maybe he¡¯s just... not feeling well. You know how he is. He¡¯lle around soon, I¡¯m sure."


    Mallory sniffed but didn¡¯t sound convinced. "I hope so. It¡¯s weird. He used to be so... warm. Now he¡¯s just... ice." She sighed. "Anyway, I¡¯ll let you rest. I just wanted to let out some of my grief. Early good night?"


    "Early good night," I echoed, trying to sound brighter than I was feeling.


    When the call ended, the silence pressed in on me again, heavier this time. My chest ached, my emotions knotted together in ways I didn¡¯t want to untangle. Kieran¡¯s absence was a shadow I couldn¡¯t ignore. Not anymore.


    I pushed myself up from the couch, deciding I would better head upstairs before I drowned in thoughts I couldn¡¯t fix. My body felt weary, the day pressing down on me, but I told myself a warm bath and some rest would help.


    Unfortunately... I never made it that far.


    I had just reached the staircase, my hand brushing along the polished wood of the banister, when the world tilted.


    A wave of dizziness mmed into me so hard I couldn¡¯t even gasp. The floor beneath me spun, blurring into a swirl of colors and shadows. My knees buckled, and I felt my body pitching forward before I could find bnce.


    There was no time to scream, no time to cry for help, but my mind still sent one desperate signal.


    My arms wrapped tightly around my bump, cradling it even as the steps rushed up toward my face. The only thought in my mind, the only prayer, was that my baby stayed safe.


    And then... I was falling.

 Chapter 338: The Horrifying News

    <h4>Chapter 338: The Horrifying News</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    The tip of my pen scratched faintly against the parchment as I circled yet another ring mistake in a second-year¡¯s written recipe. I let out a sigh through my nose, pinching the bridge of it for a second before moving on to the next paper. However, my chest refused to let me concentrate properly.


    For thest ten minutes or so, there had been this tightness right over my heart. A strange weight was pressing down on me with every breath. It wasn¡¯t unbearable, but it wasn¡¯t something I could ignore either. I shifted ufortably in my seat, pressing my palm against the spot, as though the pressure of my own hand could soothe it away. It didn¡¯t.


    I forced myself to focus on the stack of answers before me. The sleeping potion was one of the simplest recipes on the sybus, something that should have been second nature to any student past their first year... but half of these attempts looked like they had been written by blindfolded children. Wrong herb quantities, wrong preparation order. If this had been a practical test, half the Academy would have been knocked out cold within minutes.


    When I reached Draven¡¯s paper though, I felt the tension in my shoulders ease slightly. His neat, precise handwriting filled the page, every instruction clear and correct. Perfect. Exactly as I expected.


    A small, wry smile tugged at my lips. There had been a time years ago when Draven had been absolutely hopeless with Herbs and Potions. He used to grumble and roll his eyes whenever I tried to exin the basics, iming he would never use such knowledge.


    I had been forced to find creative ways to make him engage, turning lessons into little games, showing him firsthand how herbs could heal cuts or bruises, even making small concoctions togetherte at night. Somewhere along the line, he had not only caught up but excelled.


    My fingers stilled over the paper as another thought intruded - an uninvited one, sharp and familiar.


    Evaline Greystone.


    The name alone made my entire body lock up. My breathing caught, and the pen nearly slipped from my hand. I cursed silently, lowering my head and squeezing my eyes shut for a moment. I shouldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t. But no matter how much I tried, she was there. Always there.


    She was one of the few students who had ever rivaled my natural ease in this subject. Genius, I had called her once. She absorbed knowledge like the earth drank rain. Even now, when she was not here at the academy, no longer someone I should be thinking about, I couldn¡¯t forget.


    I dug my nails into my palm, forcing myself to remember the line I had drawn. She wasn¡¯t mine. She was my brothers¡¯ mate. And my brothers¡¯ happiness meant more than mine ever could. I had chosen already, hadn¡¯t I? I had chosen distance.


    I hadn¡¯t stepped foot inside the mansion since my return from Midnight Wolf Academy. Every instinct screamed at me to go, to see her, to just... be near her. But I had kept myself away, steel bars around my heart, reminding myself again and again... <i>she¡¯s theirs. Not yours</i>.


    The sharpest wave of difort yet mmed into my chest at that exact moment, hard enough that the pen almost slipped from my grip. I clenched my jaw, one hand clutching the desk, the other pressing t against the ache over my heart.


    "What the hell is this..." I muttered under my breath.


    My wolf whimpered softly in the back of my mind, his unease echoing my own. <i>I don¡¯t feel right either</i>, he admitted, his voice low and pained. <i>Something¡¯s wrong, Kieran.</i>


    My brows furrowed. Wrong. Was it me? Was I falling sick? I never got sick. Maybe I needed to see a healer-


    A loud tter in the ssroom jerked me from my thoughts. I looked up sharply.


    "Draven!" someone cried, their voice sharp with worry.


    My gaze zeroed in on my brother. Draven was hunched over his desk, one hand gripping the edge, his other clutching at his stomach as if trying to hold something inside. His usually sharp features were twisted in difort, pale under the ssroom lights.


    I was on my feet before my chair had even finished scraping back. "Draven," I barked, crossing the room in long strides. My hand shot out to steady him as he swayed, pulling him upright and then easing him back down onto his chair. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    He grimaced, his voice rough. "I-I don¡¯t know. I feel sick. Like something¡¯s... off. It¡¯s making me nauseous."


    My stomach twisted. This wasn¡¯t just me. Draven was feeling it too.


    I turned to the ss, my voice sharp and authoritative. "Keeper, watch over them until the end. Do not let anyone attempt the potion without supervision."


    The young woman nodded immediately, stepping forward. Satisfied, I slid Draven¡¯s arm over my shoulder and half-carried him out of the room.


    The fresh air outside helped a little. I eased him down onto a bench in the small garden, crouching in front of him as he breathed deeply, a little color slowly returning to his cheeks.


    But my mind was already racing. It couldn¡¯t be coincidence. My chest pain, his sudden nausea... this felt connected. What if it had to do something Oscar or River? Could one of them be in trouble?


    My hand fumbled for my phone, my thumb already swiping through to River¡¯s number. He was the first I needed to check on since he¡¯s the only one outside the protective walls of the Academy.


    But before I could hit call, Draven¡¯s phone buzzed in his hand and the screen lit up with River¡¯s name.


    We exchanged a nce, tension thick as ice between us, before Draven swiped to answer. "River?" he said, his voice steady despite his pale face.


    What came through the receiver was anything but steady.


    River¡¯s voice was raw, hoarse with something I hadn¡¯t heard in him for years - pure, unfiltered panic. "Draven... it¡¯s Evaline -" His words came fast, choked, nearly incoherent. "She fell - stairs - she¡¯s - oh stars, the baby-"


    <fn38ff> Readplete version only at Find?Novel</fn38ff>


    Every syble mmed into me like a hammer. My wolf went dead silent, then howled in the back of my mind, a sound of terror that turned my blood cold. My body froze for a single heartbeat, the world narrowing to River¡¯s voice spilling through the receiver.


    Evaline.


    Fell.


    Baby.


    No. No, no, no.


    I felt the color drain from my face as my chest constricted so tightly I thought I would stop breathing. Draven looked no better, his knuckles were white around the phone, his face pale from the wave of horror we both felt.


    River¡¯s voice broke again through the line, a desperatemand more than anything. "Hurry up."


    And then the call cut, leaving only the sound of my heart pounding in my ears.

 Chapter 339: The Fragile Thread

    <h4>Chapter 339: The Fragile Thread</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    The sound of Draven¡¯s phone ttering against the floor was what finally broke me out of my own frozen state. My youngest brother¡¯s horrified gaze snapped to me, wide and disbelieving, as if he had just heard the most unthinkable words.


    "I-I need to get to her. I need to-" Draven stammered, his voice breaking halfway through.


    I didn¡¯t let him finish. My own chest was tight, my heartbeat a furious drum that echoed against my ribs, but I forced himself to act when my brother could not. "I¡¯ll drive," I said firmly, my voice sounding steadier than I felt.


    Draven didn¡¯t argue. He only nodded, sharp and frantic, and the two of us bolted together - through the garden and into the long corridor, and through another garden path that seemed endless this evening.


    I didn¡¯t care who I shoved past, or how many startled faces turned my way. The only thought filling my mind was Evaline... and the fact that she¡¯s hurt.


    By the time we neared the Academy gates, another figure appeared from the direction of the main administration building. Oscar. His usuallyzy smirk was gone, reced by a pale, tight expression. He didn¡¯t need to say anything. The look in his eyes said he already knew.


    My chest constricted. For a moment, panic threatened to drown me, but I forced my feet to keep moving. I grabbed both Draven and Oscar by the arms, forcing their stumbling bodies to stop.


    <fn7d16> Original content can be found at find{n}ovel</fn7d16>


    "Wait for me at the entrance," I ordered, meeting their wild gazes with his own. "I¡¯ll get the car."


    I didn¡¯t give them the chance to respond before I tore away, sprinting toward the parking lot. Every step felt like a lifetime wasted. My wolf wed inside my chest, begging me to run faster, to get to the woman we loved, to protect what we were supposed to protect.


    The next fifteen minutes were chaos. Tires squealed, horns red as I cut through the streets with reckless speed. My hands were tight on the wheel, knuckles white, while Draven muttered desperate prayers under his breath in the passenger seat.


    Oscar was sitting in the back, silent but tense, his fists clenching and unclenching, his wolf leaking through his aura with every passing second.


    By the time we reached Lakeshire Hospital, my heart was hammering so violently I thought it might burst.


    Jasper was waiting in the underground parking lot, his face pale but his posture steady, as though forcing calm for all of our sakes. "This way, Alphas" he said, already moving toward the private lift. None of us wasted a second.


    The lift was suffocating. The silence inside was filled with only our heavy and uneven breathing. When the doors slid open, the first thing I saw was River.


    Our eldest brother was standing in the middle of the hallway, hands clenched at his sides, his expression carved out of stone. But I could see the cracks - the tightness around his eyes, the faint tremble of his jaw.


    The entire floor had been sealed off, warriors posted at both ends. Not a single stranger was allowed near. A team of the best doctors and healers in the shifter world was already being ushered inside.


    Even in his panic, River had taken care of every detail.


    Before I could open my mouth, Oscar was already striding forward, his voice sharp and desperate. "What happened? Tell us what the hell happened to her!"


    River¡¯s gaze flickered, just for a second, and then he spoke. His voice was steady, but beneath the calm, I could hear the storm.


    * * *


    <i>shback ¨C Third Person POV</i>


    River¡¯s car had just entered the estate when it struck him.


    An excruciating pain, sharp and unrelenting, mmed into his chest. His vision blurred. His wolf howled, wing at him with panic. He knew... without doubt, without reason... that his mate was in agony.


    He didn¡¯t even wait for the car to stop. He threw the door open and was running before the driver could react. His footsteps thundered across the front garden, through the porch, main door, and hallway leading deeper into the mansion.


    Chaos. That was all he saw. Warriors and servants were running around, their voices raised in panic. Some turned toward him, trying to speak, but he didn¡¯t listen. His bond was pulling him, yanking him toward the staircase.


    And then he saw her.


    Evaliney crumpled at the foot of the staircase, her body trembling weakly, surrounded by servants and warriors trying to help. Sera was there, her usually calm face twisted with fear, barking orders to prepare a car.


    River didn¡¯t hear any of it.


    "Move!" His voice thundered, and the crowd parted instantly. He was on his knees, gathering Eva into his arms. Her body was limp, her skin mmy, and her breaths shallow. His heart stopped.


    Her eyes fluttered open, ssy and wet, and she looked at him. Just him.


    Her lips moved, and a mere whisper escaped, but he heard it as if she had screamed the words.


    <i>The baby...</i>


    His vision blurred with rage, fear, helplessness. Before he could speak, her eyes closed, her body falling unconscious against him.


    "No-no, no, no," he muttered, his voice breaking as he lifted her against his chest. "Stay with me, Evaline. Stay with me."


    The next seconds were a blur. He carried her down the hallway, out the doors, and into the waiting car. The moment they arrived at the hospital, she was rushed into the emergency room, doctors and healers flooding around her fragile body.


    And River... River was left standing there, his hands stained with the scent of her fear and pain, his heart breaking with every second she was out of his reach.


    * * *


    <i>Back to Kieran¡¯s POV:</i>


    I swallowed hard as River¡¯s voice fell silent.


    For a moment, there was nothing. No sound, no movement... just the weight of his words pressing down on us all.


    Then Oscar moved. His body shook as he stepped forward, straight into River¡¯s arms, and Draven followed, his ownposure finally breaking. Both of them clung to our eldest brother as though he was the only thing keeping them from falling apart.


    I stood frozen, watching the three of them. I had always known River to be unshakable, the pir the three of us leaned on when everything else failed. But now, even as he held our younger brothers, I could see it - the slight tremble in his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched too tight, the faint, desperate way he gripped them back.


    River was breaking too.


    My chest constricted painfully. And I forced himself to move, each step heavy until I reached them. Without a word, I wrapped my arms around all three of my brothers, pulling them into one tight, desperate embrace.


    For once, River leaned into me. Just slightly. Just enough to let me know how much he needed it.


    And in that moment, surrounded by their fear and pain, I realized how they all were so terrified of losing her. Not just because she was their mate, but because Evaline had already be the fragile thread holding them all together.


    And if that thread snapped, they might never recover.


    And neither would I.

 Chapter 340: The Longest Wait

    <h4>Chapter 340: The Longest Wait</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I had never waited so desperately to hear the sound of a door opening as much as I did in that moment.


    The doors of the emergency room swung outward, and the attending doctor stepped into the hallway, his mask pulled down, his expression grave.


    My stomach dropped instantly. The air around us seemed to thicken, and I could hear Oscar¡¯s sharp inhale, Draven¡¯s boots scraping against the floor as he surged forward, and River¡¯s aura pressing down on all of us like a thundercloud about to break.


    The doctor¡¯s eyes flicked between us, wary, as though he knew one wrong word might cost him his life. "Alpha," he addressed River first, his voice steady but heavy. "We need to move her. The contractions have started... the baby is on the way."


    For a second, I didn¡¯t breathe.


    Contractions. Baby.


    My knees almost gave out under me, and I found myself gripping the back of a waiting chair in the hallway just to keep standing.


    The doctor continued, his tone tightening. "Because of this, we can¡¯t stabilize her with the standard healing protocols. Healing energy at this stage could trigger rejection in both mother and child. Her body may mistake the baby as a foreign threat. And with the injuries she sustained..." He hesitated, ncing at River, then at all of us. "It will not be an easy delivery."


    "What injuries?" Oscar¡¯s voice cracked like a whip.


    The doctor swallowed. "Internal bruising along her ribs. Two fractures... possibly three. Good thing is that there¡¯s no internal bleeding and just slight external scraps and cuts. But the pain..." His voice dropped. "She¡¯s enduring more than most wolves could at once in this state. We can¡¯t numb her without risking the baby¡¯s heart."


    Draven cursed under his breath and turned away, dragging his hands through his hair. I could feel his wolfshing inside him, the same way mine was, wing, pacing, demanding we tear down walls to reach her.


    "Another good news," the doctor added secondster, "is that the baby seems stable... so far. Strong heartbeat. Responsive movements. But..." he warned, "with her condition... the stress ofbor could tip the bnce at any moment."


    <fnfc5d> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find(?)ovel</fnfc5d>


    My vision swam. The thought of losing her... pressed against my chest so hard I could barely breathe.


    River¡¯s voice cut through the fog. "Do whatever you have to," he ordered, his voice low and sharp, hismand heavy with Alpha authority. "But you save Evaline."


    The doctor bowed his head, ready to turn back, but River¡¯s next words stopped him cold.


    "And the baby too."


    I snapped my gaze to him, and for the first time in years, I saw River falter. Just a fraction. His fists were tight, his jaw clenched, but his eyes - those hard, unyielding eyes - burned with something raw, something desperate.


    Before any of us could respond, Jasper appeared at the end of the hallway, moving quickly, and behind him came a team of shifter doctors and healers - the best in our world. They swept past us, their hands glowing faintly, carrying cases of herbs, potions, and equipment.


    The hallway grew quiet after they disappeared behind the emergency doors again. Too quiet.


    My brothers and I were left outside, standing in a suffocating silence, each of us unraveling in our own way.


    Oscar paced the hallway like a caged animal, his fists bloody from where he had punched the wall. Draven sank into one of the chairs, his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he fought to control himself. River stood against the wall, still as stone, but the air around him vibrated with suppressed power.


    And me?


    I felt useless. Helpless. The woman I loved was lying in there, her body torn apart, her life hanging in bnce, and all I could do was wait. My hands trembled. My chest ached so badly I thought my ribs might shatter.


    I remembered the first time I had seen her smile. The softness in her amber eyes. The quiet strength she carried despite the weight she bore. And now, she was suffering because we hadn¡¯t been there to protect her. Because I hadn¡¯t...


    "She¡¯s strong," I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. "Evaline¡¯s strong. She¡¯ll fight."


    "She shouldn¡¯t have to," Draven shot back, his voice muffled but sharp. His head lifted, eyes bloodshot. "She shouldn¡¯t be in there alone."


    I didn¡¯t argue. Because he was right.


    Minutes turned into hours, though the clock on the wall told me it had only been over an hour since they had taken her inside. An hour of pacing, of silence, of flinching every time a healer passed the hallway. An hour of imagining every worst-case scenario until my mind was a battlefield I couldn¡¯t escape.


    At one point, a scream pierced the air - a raw, agonized sound that tore straight through me. Oscar froze mid-step. Draven bolted upright. My wolf howled so loudly inside me I thought the entire floor must have heard.


    And River pressed his palms to the wall, his head bowing forward, his body trembling once before he straightened again, his mask of strength sliding back into ce. But I saw it. The crack. The break.


    We were all breaking.


    A healer found us twenty minutester. His face was grim as he delivered updates. "She¡¯s fighting. But the pain is making her weak. We are using abination of healing herbs and controlled magic to keep her stable through the contractions. The baby¡¯s heartbeat is strong, but..." He hesitated, then added softly, "the longer this drags, the more dangerous it bes."


    And then he left again, leaving us in the same silence, the same torment.


    I couldn¡¯t sit anymore. I paced with Oscar, my ws itching toe out, my body thrumming with restless energy I couldn¡¯t burn off. Draven¡¯s eyes never left the emergency doors, like if he red hard enough, they would open and give him the truth. River stood, unmoving, but his breathing had grown shallow.


    It felt like an eternityter when the doors finally opened again.


    This time, it was another healer and he looked in such hurry that all four of us were on our feet.


    "The father shoulde inside. The baby¡¯s about toe." He announced and it took more than just a second for all of us to register his words.


    My wold wed at me, telling me to step inside and find her, but I couldn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t the father.


    "Can we all go in?" Oscar asked, staring at the healer who looked surprised for a second before he nodded his head in approval and headed back inside.


    Oscar and Draven immediately rushed inside after the healer. And just when I thought about taking a seat again to wait, I felt River¡¯s fingers wrapping around my arm before he was dragging me inside with him.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 341: Arrival of Bundle of Joy

    <h4>Chapter 341: Arrival of Bundle of Joy</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The moment the healer¡¯s words left his mouth, the world tilted beneath my feet.


    The father shoulde inside.


    My wolf lunged forward, demanding we go, demanding we be there for her. And when I noticed Kieran stepping back when he clearly wanted to be there with Evaline, I grabbed his hand and dragged him inside the emergency room with me.


    The sharp smell of blood, sterile, and herbs hit the moment we entered. Doctors and healers swarmed the room, and the air pulsed with urgency.


    And in the middle of it all... was our Evaline.


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    Shey on the bed, drenched in sweat, her face pale and drawn, lips trembling as she gasped for air. Her hands gripped the sheets like lifelines, her amber eyes zed with pain but burning with determination.


    "Eva..." Oscar¡¯s broken whisper cracked through the chaos as he stumbled to her side, clutching her hand.


    Draven was on her other side in an instant, pressing kisses along her temple, whispering something frantic and soothing all at once.


    I stood at the foot of the bed with Kieran, my body locked in ce, my heart hammering against my ribs like it was trying to tear free.


    "Push, Miss Evaline," one of the doctors urged. "One more time, just one more strong push."


    Evaline whimpered, shaking her head, her body arching with pain. "I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t-"


    "Yes, you can," Draven urged, his voice shaking. "You have survived everything, Eva. You are stronger than all of us put together. Please... just one more push."


    Oscar leaned close, his forehead pressed to hers, their hands white-knuckled where they clung together. "For our baby, love. For us. Just once more."


    My chest burned as I watched her bite down on her lip and nod, gathering every ounce of strength. And then she pushed.


    The room filled with the sound of her cry... and a heartbeatter, another cry split the air.


    High-pitched. Fierce. Alive.


    My knees buckled. Kieran gripped my arm, not to hold me but for his own support, his breath breaking beside me. Oscar¡¯s sob tore through the room, and Dravenughed - it was a sharp, disbelievingugh choked by tears.


    "It¡¯s a boy," the doctor announced, holding the tiny, wriggling bundle high for just a second before quickly bringing him over to be checked.


    A boy. Our boy.


    I couldn¡¯t move. Couldn¡¯t breathe. All I could do was stare at the miracle that had just entered the world.


    Despite the chaos around her, despite the agony twisting her body, Eva¡¯s voice came, broken but clear. "Let me... let me hold him."


    The healers hesitated. One started to protest, but the doctor nodded his head in approval, "Skin-to-skin is good for both of them."


    And just like that, the newborn was ced against her chest, her gown parted so his tiny body could rest against her skin.


    Her shaking arms cradled him as tears slipped silently down her cheeks. She smiled through the pain, through the happiness, through the exhaustion. "Hi, my love," she whispered to him, her voice raw but full of wonder. "Mama¡¯s here."


    The baby quieted almost instantly, curling against her warmth, his tiny fingers pressing against her skin.


    It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.


    The healers worked quickly, tending to her injuries now that the delivery was over. Elixirs were prepared, medicines and IVs were getting ready, and the healers used their magic to help the fractured ribs knit back into ce, but I hardly saw them. My eyes were fixed on her... <i>on them</i>.


    That was when a nurse stepped closer, speaking softly but firmly. "After the mother, one of you should hold the pup skin-to-skin. It helps bond him to the pack, strengthens the connection."


    Draven¡¯s eyes shone, and Oscar blinked, but before either could speak, Kieran¡¯s voice broke the silence.


    "Can I?"


    I turned to him sharply. His voice was low, tentative, almost pleading. His eyes shone with unshed tears, his lips trembling as though he had said something forbidden.


    Oscar and Draven both gawked at him, confusion shing across their faces. But when I met Kieran¡¯s gaze, I saw the truth. The depth of his love. His longing. His silent suffering.


    He wanted this... needed this.


    And in that moment, I nodded. Once to him, and once to my younger brothers, telling them to let it be. This wasn¡¯t the time for questions and exnations.


    Kieran looked like I had just given him the world.


    When the nurse gently lifted the baby from Evaline¡¯s chest, Kieran was already tugging at his shirt, baring his chest. The tiny pup was ced against him, and the moment skin met skin, Kieran broke. Tears streamed down his face as he clutched the baby close, whispering something over and over that I decided to not hear.


    Draven was next. He trembled as he held the boy. His jaw was tight, his eyes shining. He bent low, pressing his lips to the pup¡¯s soft head, and a choked sob escaped him.


    Oscar followed next, his usualposure shattered. He cradled the baby like ss, hisrge hands trembling. His tears were also falling freely as he murmured promises to our pup.


    And finally, it was my turn.


    I had long lost my coat and my shirt was gone in seconds before the nurse ced him in my arms, and everything inside me stilled. He was so small. So fragile. His tiny heartbeat fluttered against my chest like a bird, yet his presence filled me with a weight so powerful I could barely stand under it.


    My son.


    I didn¡¯t know how to describe the storm inside me - fear, love, protectiveness, awe. It was too much. Overwhelming. Beautiful.


    But even as I held him, my gaze never left her.


    She was watching us, her lips curved in a faint, tired smile, her eyes soft despite the pain she still endured. She looked at us like we were her whole world, and even as the darkness tried to im her, she fought to stay awake for us.


    One by one, we approached her bed again. Oscar kissed her lips, Draven pressed his lips to her cheek, Kieran gave her head a soft pat and told her she¡¯s been brave.


    When it was my turn, I bent low and pressed a kiss to her damp hair. "You were extraordinary," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I love you."


    She sighed softly, her hand brushing weakly against my arm.


    The doctors eventually returned the baby to her, cing him at her breast to feed for the first time within the golden hour. Her arms curled around him, her smile tender as she guided him.


    We were ushered out then, the healers and doctor needing space to stabilize her fully.


    Fifteen agonizing minutester, the attending doctor emerged and delivered the words that finally loosened the vice around my chest - "Both mother and child are resting. They are safe."


    Safe.


    For the first time since this nightmare began, I let myself breathe.

 Chapter 342: Unexpected Discovery

    <h4>Chapter 342: Unexpected Discovery</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Thest twenty-four hours of my life had been nothing short of a whirlwind. One moment, I was tumbling down the stairs, terrified for both myself and the little life inside me. The next, I was drowning in the most agonizing pain I had ever known. And then finally... he was here. My baby.


    Now, as Iy propped up against the hospital bed, my eyes fixed on the tiny figure wriggling beside me, everything felt surreal. He was real. He was here. Mine.


    His little hands were balled into fists, opening and closing as though testing the air. His nose was small, perfectly shaped, and his cheeks looked so soft and chubby I couldn¡¯t resist brushing them with my fingertips. He had the same silver hair as me - fine and silky. His skin was pale, delicate, almost translucent, as though the world hadn¡¯t yet fully painted him.


    Every breath he took felt like a miracle.


    Without a doubt, I knew he¡¯s the best gift the Moon Goddess had ever given me.


    A smile touched my lips as I studied him, drinking in every detail now that we had both had some hours of rest. But then... my gaze fell on his eyes.


    They were open, wide and curious, blinking slowly at the light filtering into the room. Considering he¡¯s a pup, his eyesight was meant to be sharper than normal human babies.


    But as I looked into his eyes, my breath hitched.


    Instead of amber or golden eyes, I found myself staring into deep green orbs.


    I inched my face closer, wanting to confirm it wasn¡¯t a trick of the lightening. But no matter from how close I looked, the green didn¡¯t change into golden or amber. Not only that, I also noticed the flecks of gold shimmering faintly in his irises.


    Recognition mmed into me.


    Those eyes. I have seen them before.


    The smile slipped from my lips, dread curling in the pit of my stomach. For a moment, I couldn¡¯t breathe. My chest tightened painfully as my mind screamed to deny what I was seeing.


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    No. It couldn¡¯t be.


    I tore my gaze away, but the image seared into my mind wouldn¡¯t fade.


    Just then, the door opened with a soft click, pulling me out of the storm inside me. River and Oscar stepped in, apanied by my attending doctor.


    Both of my mates looked freshly showered, but their exhaustion showed in the shadows under their eyes, in the stiff set of their shoulders. They had spent the entire night on edge - waiting, worrying, suffering alongside me. Even after I had finally fallen asleep with the baby, they hadn¡¯t rested. No, they had run back to the mansion just to shower and force down food before returning here, as if staying away any longer was unbearable.


    Oscar was the first to cross the room. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead, then another feather-light one to the baby¡¯s crown. His warmth anchored me, eased me, and I smiled at him despite the unease twisting inside me.


    "Hey, love," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "You both look... perfect."


    The doctor cleared his throat gently, pulling out his clipboard. "How are you feeling, Miss Evaline?"


    "Tired," I admitted, forcing a soft smile, "but better than I thought I would be."


    He nodded approvingly. "Good. Your recovery is going remarkably well. In fact..." He hesitated, as if searching for the right words. "... you are healing rather fast despite not having a wolf."


    In the past, these words would have been a knife to my chest. A reminder of everything Icked. Abel stamped on me since childhood - <i>wolfless</i>.


    But now... now, I didn¡¯t feel the sting.


    Instead, I smiled at him, wanting him to know his words didn¡¯t hurt me. Not anymore. Because now I knew I wasn¡¯t weak because Icked a wolf. I wasn¡¯t less. And I knew the doctor hadn¡¯t meant it as cruelty.


    His brows lifted slightly at my reaction, then he smiled back before making a few final notes.


    Momentster, a nurse and healer entered. The nurse quietly reced my IV while the healer handed me a vial of shimmering blue liquid. I drank it down, grimacing at the bitterness but already feeling warmth spread through my chest.


    When it came time to check the baby, the nurse gently lifted him from my side. My arms immediately felt empty, but I didn¡¯t protest. He needed this.


    Oscar immediately followed them out, like a protective shadow unwilling to let his pup out of his sight.


    River stayed behind.


    And as soon as the door closed, the quiet thickened.


    He moved closer, pulling a chair to my bedside, his eyes fixed on me with that unshakable intensity that always seemed to strip me bare.


    I didn¡¯t need words to know he had felt the shift in me earlier. He always felt everything. My storm couldn¡¯t be hidden from him, bond or not. And yet, it wasn¡¯t just me... he seemed burdened too, as though there was something heavy pressing against his chest.


    He opened his mouth, then closed it again, pressing his lips together.


    I fiddled with the edge of the nket, waiting while my heart pounded.


    Seconds stretched. Then, as if the silence could no longer contain us, we both blurted out at the same time -


    "We need to talk."


    "I need to tell you-"


    The words collided, hanging between us like a live wire.


    I froze and my heart tightened.


    His deep green eyes softened, but they didn¡¯t waver. "You first," he said quietly.


    My pulse started racing, my mind whirling with the truth wing at me, begging to be spoken. The baby¡¯s eyes. That impossible familiarity. The dread that I couldn¡¯t shake.


    But could I say it? Could I voice it out loud and risk shattering everything?


    I opened my mouth, then closed it again, swallowing hard. My fingers twisted in the sheets, searching for courage.


    And before I could speak, he leaned closer, his hand brushing mine, his voice low.


    "Evaline," he murmured. "There¡¯s something I need to tell you about the pup."


    My heart stopped.

 Chapter 343: The Castle Built On a Lie

    <h4>Chapter 343: The Castle Built On a Lie</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stared at River, my pulse hammering so violently I could feel it in my throat. Fear wasn¡¯t just creeping in, it was crashing over me in waves, each one heavier than thest.


    What was he going to say about my child?


    Had he noticed it too?


    The eyes.


    Those impossibly familiar eyes that had turned my joy into confusion... and fear.


    My breath grew shallow, and before I could gather myself, River was suddenly there - no distance left between us. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me firmly against his chest. His warmth, his scent, his steady heartbeat... it all rushed into me through the bond, soothing my fraying edges.


    "Don¡¯t panic, Little Star," he whispered, his voice a low, grounding rumble. "Trust me."


    His words weren¡¯t just words, but they carried weight through the bond. Love. Care. Trust. He poured it all into me without hesitation, weaving a cocoon around my storm. My racing heartbeat slowed a little, enough for me to breathe again. And the nickname felt like a balm.


    He tilted my chin up, cupping my face in hisrge, steady hands. His deep green eyes locked onto mine, serious but so full of tenderness I felt myself shatter. "Are you okay?" he asked.


    My throat felt too tight to speak, so I only nodded, letting him see the truth in my eyes.


    He pressed a kiss against my forehead, lingering there for a heartbeat before pulling back. Returning to his seat at my bedside, he didn¡¯t let go of my hand. His fingers wereced through mine, strong and unyielding, as if grounding us both.


    "Trust me with one thing," he said softly. His voice was calm, but beneath it I felt the weight of something much deeper. "No matter what we are about to talk about... no matter what the oue is... my love, my trust, my care for you, and for our pup, will not change. Not even a little."


    The promise hummed through our bond, steady and resolute.


    And I couldn¡¯t doubt him. Not for a second.


    He never spoke empty words. Every vow he had ever made, he had carried to the end of the world if he had to. He was many things - fierce, terrifying to his enemies, unwavering as steel - but to me, he was all of that and more.


    I drew in a deep breath, releasing it slowly, and nodded. "Okay."


    <fn0ec0> Readplete version only at find¡¤novel</fn0ec0>


    Even if every part of me wanted to run from this conversation, I knew I couldn¡¯t. The questions already wed inside me, demanding answers. Pretending ignorance would only dy the inevitable.


    We sat in silence for a long moment. The quiet wasn¡¯t heavy, but it wasn¡¯t light either. It was filled with things unsaid, waiting to spill.


    Then he finally spoke.


    "Little Star," he murmured, his thumb brushing across the back of my hand. "Did you notice the pup¡¯s eye color?"


    My stomach dropped.


    The moment those words left his lips, I felt my heart lurch painfully.


    So he <i>had</i> noticed.


    Of course he had. If anyone else could see the strangeness in those eyes, it was River.


    Because he was the only one, aside from me, who had ever met Ethan. He knew what color Ethan¡¯s eyes were. And he knew what mine were. Which meant, like me, he could see what others couldn¡¯t - that our child¡¯s eyes matched neither mine nor Ethan¡¯s.


    The truth I had been desperately trying to push down roared back with sharp rity.


    And worse... those golden-green eyes weren¡¯t just unusual. They were familiar.


    Too familiar.


    I knew only one person with eyes like that. One person whose gaze carried that same mixture of green depth and golden fire.


    And that identity was thest thing I had ever expected to be tied to my child.


    Nothing was making sense anymore.


    My whole world tilted sideways, my thoughts scattering like broken ss.


    When I finally managed to find my voice, it was rough and trembling. "River... that¡¯s... that¡¯s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. His eyes."


    I swallowed hard, struggling to form the words that could hold everything I was feeling - my confusion, my fear, my disbelief.


    <i>Had hee here seeking an exnation? Was he waiting for me to confess something I didn¡¯t even understand myself?</i>


    <i>How could I exin something that defied logic?</i>


    For months, I had let everyone believe Ethan was my child¡¯s father. I had believed it too. There hadn¡¯t been a single reason to question it... until now. Until those golden-flecked eyes looked back at me, and suddenly, nothing made sense anymore.


    But before I could stumble further into the chaos of my own words, he spoke again.


    And what he said turned my world upside down.


    "Kieran," he said quietly, his gaze steady on me. "He felt it the moment he held the pup. A bond."


    I froze. My mind went nk.


    "A... bond?" I echoed faintly.


    He nodded once. "It¡¯s a rare bond that only exists for extremely powerful Alphas. It¡¯s a bond between such Alphas and their true-born children. There¡¯s a thread - something deep, instinctual, and undeniably... magical. Stronger than instinct, more undeniable than scent. A father always knows his own blood when that bond awakens."


    His words mmed into me, each one heavier than thest.


    Kieran.


    Kieran had felt a bond.


    With <i>my</i> child.


    My lips parted, but no sound came out. I just stared at River, my heart thundering so loudly I could barely hear anything else.


    If what he said was true... then everything I thought I knew was a lie.


    My child... wasn¡¯t Ethan¡¯s?


    My gaze flickered helplessly to the door, where Oscar and the nurse had carried my baby only moments ago. My chest squeezed painfully.


    Golden-green eyes.


    The same as Kieran¡¯s.


    And now this bond.


    It couldn¡¯t be... could it?


    The dread twisting inside me wasn¡¯t just fear anymore, it was almost like a nightmare. Because if it¡¯s true... then everything I had believed in for past nine months, and everything I built on that belief... was nothing but an illusion, a misunderstanding, a lie.

 Chapter 344 - 10th of July

    <h4>Chapter 344: 10th of July</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Professor Kieran?"


    His name slipped through my lips before I could stop it, trembling with confusion and fear. I repeated it again, softer this time, like maybe saying it twice would make the weight of River¡¯s words settle differently.


    And as if the sound of his name was an invocation, he appeared.


    The door opened with the faintest creak, and there he was.


    Kieran.


    He didn¡¯t stride in or rush forward - no, he lingered just inside the threshold, his tall frame half-shadowed by the doorway. His eyes, that same impossible shade of green with golden flickers I had just seen in my son¡¯s, were locked on me with such intensity that my lungs forgot how to work.


    He had been there, right outside the door. Listening. Waiting.


    <fn712a> Updates are released by F¦ÉndNovel</fn712a>


    A shiver raced through me as I realized he must have heard every word between River and me. And now... now he was here to im what he hadn¡¯t yet spoken aloud.


    I had seen him briefly earlier when I gave birth. His face had blurred in my pain-ridden haze, his voice had been softer than I remembered when he asked if he could hold the baby first. At the time, I hadn¡¯t had the strength to feel his presence, to truly see him.


    But now, with nothing between us except truth pressing heavily in the air, I felt him more than I ever had before.


    I had missed him.


    Missed him with a desperate ache since the day he left for the Midnight Wolf Academy without a single word of goodbye. His absence had haunted me. I had thought of him, worried for him, grieved for him, even hated myself for reasons tied to him. And now...after all that silence, after all those nights reying his pain in my mind... he had returned not with exnations, but with the possibility that he was the father of my child.


    The world was cruel. Or maybe fate had been crueler to us both.


    He stopped a few steps away from my hospital bed, his boots halting against the sterile floor. He looked like a man fighting a war within himself, torn between crossing the remaining distance or anchoring himself where he stood. His hands were clenched at his sides, his shoulders stiff.


    I drank him in with my starving eyes.


    Where my other mates carried exhaustion in their faces, Kieran carried devastation. His usually calm, tender gaze was shadowed by sleepless nights, his sharp jaw lined with tension. He looked like he had been carrying a weight too heavy for any man to bear... and had been carrying it alone.


    My throat tightened, because I wanted to ease it. Wanted to reach for him. But I couldn¡¯t move, not under the hurricane of everything that was unraveling.


    Our eyes met, and it was like something infinite opened up between us. Emotions flooded there - confusion, longing, guilt, fear, something more fragile than hope but stronger than despair.


    I wanted to speak, but before my lips could shape a word, River¡¯s voice cut through the thick silence.


    "Evaline." His tone was gentle but sharp, slicing into my paralysis. Both Kieran and I turned to him. His deep green gaze burned into me withpassion and gravity. "Why did you believe your child was Ethan¡¯s?"


    The questionnded like a de straight to my chest.


    And I froze all over again.


    My mouth opened, then closed. My gaze darted helplessly between the two brothers - River was steady as ever, while Kieran was unreadable but visibly waiting, desperately needing to hear my answer.


    My pulse thundered as I forced air into my lungs, searching for words that could exin me. "Because..." My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard. "Because on my eighteenth birthday, I spent the night with Ethan. It was the first and only time I was ever with someone... before I found out I was pregnant. I had no reason to doubt it. No reason to think it wasn¡¯t his."


    The words tumbled out, each one heavier with the memory of shame and guilt.


    My gaze dropped to my hands, to the sheets crumpled in my fists. "And as for why Ki... why Professor Kieran felt a bond..." I trailed off. My chest heaved, but no exnation came. Because there wasn¡¯t one. Nothing logical that my mind could cling to.


    Silence settled over the room. Thick and oppressive.


    Then River and Kieran shared a look - a look that made me feel like there was something they both understood that I didn¡¯t.


    River¡¯s hand squeezed mine gently, dragging my eyes back to him. "Little Star," he said softly, "will you answer some questions about that night? Your birthday." His tone was cautious, as if testing fragile ground. "It might help us figure out what¡¯s going on."


    My breath caught. Talking about that night - about Ethan, about the single mistake that had chained me to a lifetime of regret - was thest thing I wanted to do.


    As if sensing it, he quickly added, "Only if you arefortable. We can wait. We can talkter."


    The understanding in his voice almost broke me.


    I looked at Kieran then, and the way his eyes darkened with restrained desperation made something twist painfully in me. He was dying for answers. And so was I.


    Even if it meant walking through fire, I couldn¡¯t turn away from this truth anymore.


    "Ask," I whispered, my voice barely holding. "Ask whatever you need."


    A flicker of gratitude shed in River¡¯s eyes. He opened his mouth, and I braced myself for questions. But what came out wasn¡¯t a question at all.


    "Your birthday," River said, his voice low and certain, "was the tenth of July."


    My heart stopped as I waited for what he¡¯s about to throw at me.


    He leaned forward, holding my gaze with unflinching intensity. "That¡¯s the exact date Kieran met his mate for the first timest summer."


    The air in the room shifted, and it became heavy, electric, suffocating.


    I blinked at him, stunned, my lips parting without sound. My chest rose and fell too quickly, panic mixing with something far more dangerous... realization.


    His words echoed inside me, ovepping with everything I had buried.


    Tenth of July.


    My birthday.


    The night I thought belonged to Ethan.


    The same night Kieran found his mate.


    Nine months ago.


    I stared at Kieran then, my voice breaking on his name. "Kieran..."


    His eyes softened with something raw, something that burned and bled all at once.


    And in that moment, the ground beneath everything I thought I knew gave way, leaving me suspended between horror and hope.


    Could it be true?


    Had fate twisted our paths together that night in ways I couldn¡¯t evenprehend?


    And if it had... then where did things went wrong? And how?


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 345: The Play of Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 345: The y of Darkness</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The silence that stretched inside the ward felt suffocating. It wrapped around me like a heavy nket I couldn¡¯t shake off. My pulse was thudding so loudly in my ears that I was sure Kieran could hear it, but still neither of us spoke.


    Finally, River let out a small breath, the kind that sounded like he had been holding the world on his shoulders and had decided, just for a second, to set it down. He stood up, his tall frame casting a shadow across my bed.


    "You two should talk and clear this," he said gently. "I¡¯ll step out."


    Panic surged through me instantly. My fingers tightened around his hand as though letting go meant losing myst thread of bnce. I wanted to talk to Kieran, needed to, but the fear that had been gnawing at me since River first brought up the possibility wed its way deeper into my heart.


    What if this made them all ufortable? What if this unravelled the fragile peace I had with my mates? What if I lost their trust? What if...


    Before the storm in my head could drown me, River bent down and cupped my face between his palms. His touch was warm, grounding. He tilted my chin up until my eyes locked with his, refusing to let me retreat into myself.


    "I love you," he said, his voice steady and unshakable. "And I always will."


    And then his lips pressed against mine.


    It wasn¡¯t a long kiss, nor desperate. It was short, but it carried weight... so much weight. A kiss that told me everything he wanted to say but didn¡¯t put into words. A kiss that told me I wasn¡¯t alone in this.


    When he pulled back, I was already blinking back tears.


    "This news is shocking," he admitted softly. "But it¡¯s not unwee. Not to me, not to Oscar, not to Draven. For us, it¡¯s actually good news that our pup carries our bloodline and not... that ckwood¡¯s."


    He gave me a quick peck on the lips, like sealing a promise, then straightened and gave Kieran¡¯s shoulder a firm pat.


    And then he walked out, leaving me alone with the brother I had tried so hard not to think about inappropriately for months... and had failed miserably at.


    Kieran lowered himself into the chair River had just emptied. He didn¡¯t lean back, didn¡¯t rx. He just sat there, stiff, his eyes fixed on me like he was afraid I would disappear if he dared to look away.


    <fn7905> Read full story at Find[?]ovel</fn7905>


    One thing I had learned from River¡¯s words was that he and the others already believed Kieran was my child¡¯s real father.


    That alone made my heart race. Not because I didn¡¯t want him as my child¡¯s father, but because this meant the past nine months of my life were built on a misunderstanding.


    The room filled with silence again, and it took every bit of courage I had to look up at him. My lips parted, my voice trembling as I asked, "Where... where did you meet your mate that day?"


    His gaze didn¡¯t waver as he answered, "A small town called Windmere," he answered without hesitation. "It sits at the outskirts of where Shadowfang Pack used to be. I stayed that night at a ce called Hollow Creek Inn."


    The words mmed into me like a physical blow. My breath caught in my throat, and I stared at him in stunned disbelief.


    Windmere. Hollow Creek Inn.


    The same town. The same inn.


    If it had just been the date, I might have forced augh, brushed it off as some strange coincidence. But it wasn¡¯t just the date. It was the town. The inn. The details were too exact to be anything else.


    A ray of hope, fragile and trembling, began to push through the confusion clouding my mind.


    I swallowed hard and found my voice again. "You... you once told me you didn¡¯t see your mate¡¯s face. What happened that night that even your Alpha eyesight failed you?"


    His jaw clenched, and his throat worked as if the memory itself was something bitter. His voice was raw when he finally answered.


    "I was drugged," he said quietly. "At a party I attended that afternoon, someone slipped a powerful aphrodisiac into my drink. I barely made it out before losing control. My beta, Mark, he realized what was happening and helped me get to a small inn in the nearest town while he tried to reach my brothers and healers. He left me in a room, but..."


    His fists curled on his knees. "The drug was too strong. The room was pitch dark. I couldn¡¯t see her face. Or if I did, I can¡¯t recall it. No matter how hard I have tried, I never could."


    My chest tightened.


    Before I could form a response, his next words came like a strike straight to my heart.


    "Evaline," he said, his voice deep and steady, "are you sure it was Ethan you slept with that night?"


    The air froze around me. My lips parted to say <i>yes</i>, to confirm the truth I had believed for months, but the word caught in my throat.


    Images flooded back to me. The dark room. The overwhelming pull of the bond. The way everything felt both wrong and right at once.


    And then Ethan¡¯s smug face next evening, his confidence, his certainty.


    But had I actually seen him that night in that room?


    With a tremor in my voice, I confessed, "Since it was dark, I never really saw his face. I just believed it was Ethan because... I felt the mate bond with him. And Ethan had been telling me for months, ever since he turned eighteen, that he felt the bond with me. So when I felt it too, I thought it could... only be him."


    I lowered my gaze, shame and confusion burning in equal measure. My voice dropped to a whisper.


    "Even when I found him different that night."

 Chapter 346: One Last Step To Seal The Truth

    <h4>Chapter 346: One Last Step To Seal The Truth</h4>


    <strong>IMPORTANT:</strong>


    Please check the ¡¯Author¡¯s Note¡¯ in this Chapter¡¯sment section before reading the Chapter.


    <strong>* * *</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had barely finished whispering those words - that I had felt Ethan different that night, that maybe, just maybe, it hadn¡¯t been him at all - when Kieran suddenly moved.


    His hand lifted, reaching toward mine with a trembling hesitance that struck my chest harder than any pain could. I thought he was about to take my hand, to anchor us both in the chaos unraveling between us. But just before his fingers could brush against mine, he froze.


    I watched as his hand curled into a tight fist, every vein straining against the skin as though he was holding himself back from something he desperately wanted. And then, he eventually withdrew, pulling the warmth of his touch away before I even had the chance to feel it.


    A hollow ache rippled in my chest.


    "Kieran..." I whispered, letting go of his ¡¯Professor¡¯ title, but he didn¡¯t meet my eyes. Not yet.


    He took in a deep breath, his broad shoulders rising and falling heavily. Then, with a steadiness that betrayed the storm behind his eyes, he began speaking.


    "Do you still remember," he asked, his voice low but cutting through the silence, "me telling you once... about how I developed feelings for someone who wasn¡¯t my mate?"


    My heart lurched.


    Of course I remembered. That conversation had been etched into my memory, haunting me like an echo I could never silence. His words from back then, heavy with guilt, had carved their way into my heart. At the time, I hadn¡¯t known what to make of them, hadn¡¯t known if I should be hurt or not. But now... now that I knew I could possibly be his mate... those same words burned like fire in my chest.


    The thought of him having feelings for someone else, left a bitter taste in my mouth. A jealousy so sudden and sharp it startled me took root inside me.


    Before I could let that jealousy swallow me whole, his next words shattered my every thought.


    "You," he said simply, firmly, his gaze finally rising to meet mine. His voice shook, but his eyes burned with raw truth. "It was you. You were the one I was talking about. The one I fell for despite having a mate bond somewhere out there. Despite the wall of our student and professor role. It was always you, Evaline."


    The air rushed from my lungs.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why I was even surprised. It wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t felt the pull between us before. It wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t noticed the softness in his eyes when he looked at me, or the way he sometimes lingered just a moment too long in my presence.


    But I had buried it all, dismissing it as me misunderstanding his kindness, twisting his gentleness into something it wasn¡¯t because of my own confused heart.


    And yet here we were. The truthid bare between us, undeniable, unshakable.


    My lips parted, but no sound came.


    He wasn¡¯t done.


    "I was stuck," he continued, his voice heavier now, more broken. "Caught between this stranger of a mate I was destined to find and the feelings that grew in me every time I saw you. I didn¡¯t know what to do with it. I felt... guilty. Guilty for loving someone who wasn¡¯t supposed to be mine. Guilty for wishing things could be different. I hated myself for it, but I couldn¡¯t stop. Not when it was you."


    Each word pierced me, leaving behind a sting I knew too well.


    Because I understood.


    I had been there, too. Feeling guilty every time my heart leaned toward him, hating myself for findingfort in his presence while bound to his brothers. Our sins had been reflections of each other¡¯s - two souls caught in the same web of impossible emotions.


    When he finally lifted his head fully, his eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. My breath caught at the sight of them.


    "I¡¯m sure, Evaline," he whispered, his voice cracking but firm at its core. "I¡¯m more than a hundred percent sure now. You are my mate. And I am our pup¡¯s father." His gaze flickered toward the empty cradle next to my bed, and a softness entered his features that nearly broke me. "There¡¯s no doubt in me anymore."


    I opened my mouth, my heart beating so loudly I thought it would echo in the room.


    But before I could say anything, he drew in a deep, steadying breath, and added, "Still... for you. For us. For him. I want this truth sealed. I want no lingering questions. So... will you allow me to prove it - to do a DNA test? That way, we¡¯ll never have to live with shadows again."


    My throat tightened.


    Part of me wanted to tell him it wasn¡¯t necessary. That I already believed him. That the coincidences - the date, the town, the inn, our mutual attraction and feelings for each other, his bond with our son - they were too much to dismiss as chance.


    But another part of me, the one still haunted by doubt, still chained by Ethan¡¯s shadow, craved the finality of proof.


    I nodded slowly. "Yes," I breathed. My voice trembled, but my words were clear. "Let¡¯s do it."


    The way relief spread across his face nearly made me cry.


    He didn¡¯t waste another second. He stood, squared his shoulders, and called softly for River.


    The door opened almost instantly, as though River had been waiting just outside all along. His sharp gaze scanned the room before settling on me. His presence was grounding, as always.


    Kieran exined, his words steady but his hand trembling faintly at his side. When he finished, River turned his eyes to me, waiting for my confirmation.


    I gave him a small nod.


    The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile - warm, reassuring, the kind of smile that wrapped me in a nket of safety. "It will be alright," he promised me softly. And then he was gone again, striding down the hall to find the doctor.


    Minutester, the doctor returned with his team. His eyes were sharp but respectful, aware of the gravity of what we were about to do. He exined the process, his words technical but kind.


    Kieran went first. His sample was taken quickly, efficiently. He didn¡¯t flinch, didn¡¯t hesitate. His gaze never left me.


    Then it was my son¡¯s turn. They used a painless, soft swab and rubbed it inside the baby¡¯s cheek to collect the cells.


    When it was done, the doctor assured us the samples would be run immediately. "But," he added, "we¡¯ll need at least ten hours for results."


    Ten hours.


    It might as well have been ten years.


    Kieran exhaled slowly, his eyes closing briefly before he opened them again and looked at me with a gaze so intense it pinned me to the bed.


    "We¡¯ll wait," he said simply.


    <fnc5c9> For more chapters visit Find1Novel</fnc5c9>


    And for the first time since this storm had begun, I believed him.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 347: She Gave Me You

    <h4>Chapter 347: She Gave Me You</h4>


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    <i>Special thanks to Caly888 for the Magic Castle!</i>


    <strong>* * *</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The doctors left with the samples. Their footsteps faded down the corridor until the ward grew quiet again, filled only with the faint hum of machines and the steady, rhythmic breaths of my newborn child.


    River had stepped out not long after, leaving me with Kieran once again. Oscar and Draven were nowhere to be seen, and the absence of my mates was starting to press on me like a strange kind of silence.


    But in that silence, there was peace too.


    I lowered my gaze to my son. His tiny body was curled beneath the soft nket the nurses had tucked around him. His breathing was even, the faint rise and fall of his chest a melody that both soothed and tightened something in me.


    He was so small. So fragile. Yet at the same time, his very existence felt like a miracle.


    I hadn¡¯t realized I was smiling until I heard a quiet whisper fill the silence.


    "He¡¯s so cute."


    My head turned almost instinctively, and there he was... Kieran. His gaze was fixed entirely on the sleeping pup, his eyes softened with a love so pure it made my throat ache. I had seen him being gentle before. I had seen him patient, kind, endlesslypassionate. But this was different. This was the rawest part of him, stripped bare, vulnerable and radiant all at once.


    The sight made my chest swell with something overwhelming, something dangerously close to tears.


    I bit my lip, smiling faintly, trying to hold myself together. I didn¡¯t want to cry. I couldn¡¯t let myself crumble, not now, not when I wanted to imprint every moment of this into my memory - the first time Kieran looked at our son like he was his whole world.


    For a long time, we sat in silence. Him staring at the pup, and me subconciously staring at him.


    And then, slowly, his attention shifted. His eyes lifted from the baby to me. He looked hesitant. His lips parted, but then pressed closed again, like the words tangled on his tongue. He was struggling internally, I could see it in the tension of his jaw, in the way he inhaled deeply as though searching for courage.


    Finally, he let it out.


    "Evaline..." His voice was quiet, almost fragile. "Are you... unhappy? At the possibility that Ethan isn¡¯t your first mate... or the pup¡¯s father?"


    For a heartbeat, my chest went hollow.


    I smiled. But it wasn¡¯t one of those smiles that warmed from within. It was one of those fragile, broken little curvatures of lips, a reflex born out of years of learning how to hide pain or conflict. It didn¡¯t reach my eyes, and I knew Kieran noticed. He always noticed.


    "No," I said softly. "I¡¯m not unhappy."


    He just stared at me, as if waiting to hear more. So I drew in a breath, gathering the courage to peel open my heart in front of him.


    "There was a time," I admitted, "when Ethan was the most important person in my life."


    I saw it then - the stiffness appearing in his shoulders, the slight flinch he tried to disguise. He didn¡¯t interrupt me, but I could feel his restraint like a rope pulled taut.


    "I thought I was in love with him," I continued, my words trembling even as I forced them out. "I clung to that belief because I wanted... no, needed... someone desperately to hold on to. Someone to prove I wasn¡¯t alone. Back then, I thought having him made me less broken. Less... unwanted."


    Kieran¡¯s eyes darkened, and I noticed pain flickering in their depths.


    "But now," I said firmly, my voice gaining strength, "I know better. Meeting the four of you taught me what love really is. Ethan was never love. He was a wound I mistook for healing. He was... desperation. And desperation isn¡¯t love. It¡¯s chains."


    I lifted my gaze and locked it with his, making sure he saw the truth etched in every word.


    "Ethan is my past. A dark past I both regret and hate. Knowing that my son might have nothing to do with him? That I might have never truly been tied to him at all?" I let out a shakyugh, tears threatening at the edges of my vision. "That doesn¡¯t make me unhappy, Kieran. It makes me relieved. Delighted, even. If my son and I share nothing with Ethan ckwood... then I thank the Moon Goddess every single day for it."


    For a long moment, he just stared at me. Then, slowly, the rigidness in him eased. The corners of his mouth curved upward, hesitant at first, then blossoming into something radiant.


    <fnb381> Content originallyes from find~novel</fnb381>


    The kind of smile that looked like victory.


    The kind of smile that looked like hope.


    There was a gleam in his eyes now, as though my words had lifted a weight he had carried far too long.


    But then, just as quickly, hesitation returned. His smile faltered, reced by uncertainty once again.


    "Then...," he murmured, his voice unsteady, "would you ept me? As your mate? As your child¡¯s father?"


    The world seemed to pause.


    There wasn¡¯t even a single second of hesitation in me. No doubt. No question. No weighing of choices.


    "I will," I said firmly, my voice unwavering.


    His breath hitched, as though he hadn¡¯t dared to believe I would answer so quickly.


    Before he could even ask, before he could even try to exin himself further, I pressed on, my words tumbling out with a force that surprised even me.


    "And before you think I¡¯m saying this out of pity, or out of obligation, let me make something clear."


    His eyes widened, still locked on mine.


    "I could never have asked the Moon Goddess for anything better than this," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion I could no longer contain. "If you are truly my mate... if you are truly the father of my child... then that¡¯s the greatest gift I could ever receive. Do you understand that, Kieran? Do you understand what that means to me?"


    His lips parted, his breath shaky.


    "It means..." I smiled through the tears now streaming down my face, "...that on the night of my eighteenth birthday, when I prayed for the Moon Goddess to give me a bond that would save me, heal me, make me whole... she answered. And she gave me you."


    The silence between us broke under the weight of emotion.


    Kieran¡¯s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, his lips trembling as though he wanted to speak but couldn¡¯t find the words.


    And I didn¡¯t need him to.


    Because in that moment, everything was already said.


    I reached out, slowly, deliberately, and this time he didn¡¯t pull away. His fingers trembled as they met mine, his hand engulfing my smaller one with a warmth that seemed to seep straight into my soul.


    Our child stirred faintly in his sleep, as if sensing the unspoken promise binding his parents together.


    I looked at Kieran, and for the first time, there was no fear. No guilt. No doubt.


    Only truth.


    Only love.


    Only us.

 Chapter 348: One Complete Family

    <h4>Chapter 348: One Complete Family</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The words on the page blurred before my eyes.


    <fn9383> Get full chapters from f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fn9383>


    I blinked rapidly, tried to steady myself, but the harder I focused, the less I could see. Tears clung stubbornly to myshes until they spilled, running down my cheeks unchecked. The report in my hands trembled violently. My grip tightened, causing my knuckles to turn white as though I could ground myself with pressure alone.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe. The air was caught in my throat, heavy and jagged.


    The file might as well have been nk. I didn¡¯t need to see the letters again. I had already read them... already burned them into my mind.


    The truth was right there in ck and white, and it hit me with such force that my body didn¡¯t know how to react. Relief, joy, disbelief - they tangled together until they hurt.


    But to anyone watching me... I probably looked broken.


    When I lifted my head, my vision cleared just enough to see the four men in front of me.


    <i>My mates.</i>


    They were all watching me as though their lives depended on my next breath. Tension stretched tight across their shoulders, their gazes locked on my face with unbearable intensity.


    River¡¯s jaw was clenched hard enough to make the veins in his neck stand out. Draven¡¯s fists were curled at his sides, his restless energy bleeding through his stillness. Oscar was standing frozen, his usually rxed features drawn tight with worry. And Kieran... dear stars, Kieran... looked as though his entire soul teetered on the edge of shattering.


    And the moment my tears fell, the moment they saw them glistening on my cheeks, their panic sharpened.


    Oscar moved first.


    He crossed the space in three strides before sinking to his knees at my feet. He didn¡¯t nce at the report in my hands, not even once. His eyes stayed on me, wide and frantic, as his hand found my knee in a grounding touch.


    "Eva," he whispered, his voice cracking. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    His grip tightened, his thumb brushing against me in a silent plea.


    I looked past him, at the others. At the way every ounce of their fear wasn¡¯t for the result, but for me. Not one of them cared about the paper in my trembling hands more than they cared about the expression on my face.


    And in that moment, my heart nearly broke from the sheer weight of their love.


    Could I have asked the Moon Goddess for anything more? For anyone better?


    No. Never.


    The decade of loneliness, the misery, the chains of desperation that had once bound me... all of it faded in the face of this truth. She had given me the best people on the to stand at my side. My fated mates. My family.


    And that alone was enough for me to forgive her for every wound she had allowed me to suffer.


    More tears slipped free, falling onto my hands where they clutched the report. Oscar¡¯s fingers pressed harder against me in response, and the flickers of panic in River¡¯s eyes grew. Draven¡¯s frown deepened. And Kieran looked seconds away from breaking apart entirely.


    I couldn¡¯t let them wait another heartbeat.


    Drawing in a deep breath, I forced my lungs to steady, and my heart to calm. Then I lifted my head, meeting each of their gazes in turn.


    "Kieran," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Kieran is indeed... our child¡¯s father."


    The words echoed, thick with finality.


    I turned the report outward, letting the truth stare them in the face.


    Silence mmed into the room.


    Then everything broke at once.


    Oscar exhaled so hard it came out as a shudder, his head bowing until his forehead rested against my knees. Relief poured from him in waves, his shoulders finally rxing.


    Draven let out an incredulousugh, it was half-emotional and half-disbelieving. And then he too was crossing the space and approaching me. He dropped onto the bed beside me. His weight shifted the mattress, grounding me as his arm slipped instinctively behind my back.


    And Kieran... he crumbled.


    He sank to his knees, just like Oscar, but his body shook with sobs he didn¡¯t even try to suppress. He buried his face in his hands as he cried his heart out from sheer relief. His chest was heaving as his entire being unraveled under the sheer flood of relief.


    His relief was just as big as mine, or probably even bigger. And I understood the reason and meaning behind his tears. Seeing him like that on his knees, made me want to close the distance and wrap my arms around him, but I was in no state to even stand up, my body feeling too weak from the emotional storm.


    River¡¯s hand found his brother¡¯s shoulder, squeezing hard, his own eyes shimmering though he forced them upward, fighting forposure.


    I sat frozen in the middle of them all, my tears spilling freely now.


    Draven¡¯s arm tightened around me, pulling me closer until my head was resting against his shoulder.


    "You nearly gave us all heart attacks," he muttered, his voice rough but tinged with a humor that broke the tension. "Don¡¯t ever do that again."


    There wasn¡¯t a shred of anger in his words. Only affection. Only care.


    Iughed shakily, the sound muffled against his shirt as more tears came.


    Then Oscar¡¯s voice reached me, muffled from where his head was still resting against my knees.


    "Our family," he whispered, his voice thick, "is finallyplete."


    The words hung in the air like a blessing.


    And as I looked between them - River¡¯s quiet strength, Draven¡¯s steady warmth, Oscar¡¯s fierce devotion, and Kieran¡¯s shattered relief - I realized something deep in my bones.


    This wasn¡¯t just my victory.


    It was ours.


    Theirs.


    The Moon Goddess hadn¡¯t only given me a family. She had given them one too.


    And in this small hospital room, surrounded by my mates, with my son sleeping peacefully in his cradle... I finally understood what it meant to belong.


    Truly, irrevocably, beautifully belong.

 Chapter 349: Oscar’s Lie

    <h4>Chapter 349: Oscar¡¯s Lie</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Mallory¡¯s hands came together in a p that was almost too loud for the hospital ward. She gasped softly, then covered her mouth with her palms. At this point, her eyes had be wide and glimmering.


    "Oh my Goddess," she whispered, her voice reverent. "He¡¯s... he¡¯s perfect."


    Beside her, Rowan leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the side of the cradle as though he couldn¡¯t get close enough. His usually sharp, aloof expression was gone... softened into something warm, something utterly smitten.


    Kyros was standing on the other side, looking no less enthralled. His lips were parted in a grin that showed the dimples that always made girls swoon, though now his attention was fully captured by the tiny being inside the cradle.


    My son.


    Their collective awe was enough to tug a chuckle out of me. My chest tightened, filling with a warmth that spread through every corner of me. My friends were rarely at a loss for words, but seeing them like this - reduced to puddles of wonder over a small pup - they reminded me why I had chosen to keep them close, no matter the chaos of my life.


    It had been five days since I brought my son into this world. Five days of healing, of navigating the overwhelming flood of emotions, of learning what it meant to hold a tiny piece of myself in my arms. And today... today was the day of my discharge.


    Because it was finally Saturday, my friends had been able to leave the Academy ande visit me properly. I hadn¡¯t realized until now how much I missed them. Seeing their faces here, seeing their awe and joy for me... it anchored me in a way little else could.


    The door opened before I could say anything, and Draven stepped inside. His dark hair was slightly mussed, his eyes sharp but glowing with an excitement that gave him away.


    "River and Kieran have taken care of the discharge procedure," he announced smoothly, hands tucked into his pockets. "It¡¯s time to head home."


    "Already?" Mallory whined softly, her hand pressed against her heart. "But we just got here."


    Rowan gave her a subtle nudge with his elbow, clearly about to voice his ownint, and Kyros had already opened his mouth to add something when Draven lifted one hand, stopping them before the protest could build.


    "You are alling with us," he said firmly. "Home. With Eva and the pup."


    That shut them up.


    For a moment, the three of them just blinked at him, as though processing his words. And then, almostically in sync, their shoulders dropped and their expressions softened into relief.


    Not one of them argued. Not today.


    I smiled to myself. The truth was, I wanted them with me too. They had been beside me for so much of this journey - through pain, through confusion, through growth. It felt right for them to be there now, standing at the beginning of this new Chapter of my life.


    Ten minutester, I was sliding into the backseat of River¡¯s car. My son¡¯s cradle was secured beside me, his tiny breaths even as he slept peacefully. Oscar slid in on in the passenger seat, his presence solid andforting as always.


    Thanks to the herbs, elixirs, and the skill of the healers, my body felt like my own again. The injuries from my fall, the raw exhaustion of childbirth... all of it was gone. My belly was almost t once more, only the faintest softness was left behind, the kind that I knew would vanish within the next week. If not for the cradle beside me, one would never guess I had just delivered a child.


    That was the gift and curse of being a werewolf. Our bodies healed impossibly fast, bouncing back from what would leave a human bedridden for weeks, if not months. And even without my wolf, I was still able to heal quickly because of all the rare and special treatment I received. And I was grateful for it.


    None of that mattered though. Not when my mates had given me these days of peace.


    River had set aside his Alpha and CEO duties. Kieran had stepped away from his demanding responsibilities as Headmaster and a Professor. Oscar had taken leave from the Academy as an instructor. And Draven had paused his studies.


    All four of them had made me and the pup their first and only priority.


    And in those quiet days, I had learned something I would carry with me forever... just how deeply they loved not only me, but the child we now shared. Each of them, in their own ways, had stayed by my side every hour, every minute, proving again and again that the Moon Goddess had not been cruel when she gave me to them. She had been merciful.


    The car rolled smoothly out of the hospital gates. For a while, I was content to just watch the scenery shift, to feel the quiet hum of the road beneath us. My hand drifted toward the cradle, my fingertips brushing lightly against its edge as I peered down at my son.


    But then... something tugged at my awareness.


    The road.


    The turns.


    The direction of the car.


    My eyes narrowed slightly as I nced out the window. This wasn¡¯t the path to the Thorne estate.


    We weren¡¯t heading home.


    Leaning forward, I called softly, "Oscar?"


    He shifted in his seat, ncing back at me with his usual easy smile. "Yes, love?"


    "Where are we going?" I asked carefully.


    "To the Academy," he replied smoothly, not even hesitating. "We need to pick Jasper up before heading home."


    His calmness almost disarmed me. Almost.


    I sat back slowly, my gaze flickering to the road once more. If he hadn¡¯t answered so confidently, I might have pressed further. But there was something about his tone - it was too steady, too practiced - and that made me pause.


    The thing was... I could have sworn I saw Jasper at the hospital earlier.


    My suspicion pricked at me, sharp and undeniable. Oscar was lying.


    But why?


    I didn¡¯t call him out. Not yet.


    Instead, I folded my hands neatly in myp, calmned my expression, and decided to wait.


    Wait, and see what my mates were plotting this time.<fn7fff> Original content can be found at f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fn7fff>

 Chapter 350: Alphas’ Secret

    <h4>Chapter 350: Alphas¡¯ Secret</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The Academy came into view soon, and I felt a strange tug inside me. It was a longing so deep it startled me. My chest grew warm, my heart squeezed softly as if I had been deprived of something I hadn¡¯t realized I missed until this very moment.


    Silver Moon.


    It had only been a month and a half into the second term, and two months since Ist walked through the buildings and corridors of this ce . And yet, seeing the tall towers stretch proudly into the sky again, my throat tightened.


    Winter had almostpletely left thend, leaving behind only stubborn caps of snow clinging to the mountain tops. The Academy grounds had shifted into something more alive, more magical, than ever. Vines that had slept in brittle brown slumber were now returning to life, faint shades of green was curling back onto the stone walls of the great towers.


    It was just a matter of time before blossoms would be peeking shyly among branches that had once been bare, while patches of early wildflowers were already beginning to cover the fields like secret kisses from spring.


    The air carried that soft, promising warmth of day. A hint of sunlight was brushing my skin even through the car window. I pressed my palm against the ss as though I could touch it, as though I could step back into that version of me who had once walked these paths with nothing more troubling her than exams, professors, and the asional cruel sneer from particr students.


    For the briefest second, I wished I could return to that simpler chaos.


    I was still soaking in the breathtaking scenery when the car suddenly veered left, away from the path that led directly to the Academy¡¯s front gates. My head turned automatically, confusion flickering, but I caught Oscar¡¯s eyes watching me through the rearview mirror.


    That look - sharp, assessing, but so very soft when it came to me - sent a flutter through my chest. He didn¡¯t say anything, just the faintest lift of his brow, as if challenging me to question him. I didn¡¯t. Instead, I shifted my gaze back toward the window and pretended to be lost in thought, letting the scenery keep me distracted.


    Minutester, the car rolled past the back gates of Silver Moon, and still I said nothing. But suspicion was beginning to curl in my gut. My mates had been too quiet all morning. Tooposed. Too...plotting.


    The car kept on, leaving the familiar stone walls and winding deeper into the quiet stretch of woods behind the Academy.


    Finally, after another five minutes, the car slowed and stopped altogether. My curiosity snapped. I leaned forward, trying to see through the windshield. But from my angle, all I could make out was the glint of ake, its surface slowly breaking free from winter¡¯s grip, shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Beyond it stretched tall trees, shadows dappled across the earth.


    I leaned harder, but Oscar shifted deliberately, blocking more of my view. My lips parted in disbelief. "Really?" I muttered.


    Before I couldin further, my door swung open. Draven was standing there, his dark hair falling into his eyes as he extended his hand toward me with a grin. "Come on, Mama Wolf," he teased, "out you go."


    I slipped my hand into his, letting him help me up even as I shot Oscar an usatory look over the roof of the car. "You brothers are being suspicious," I said immediately.


    "Who? Us?" Draven repeated, lookingpletely innocent. "Maybe you are talking about Oscar."


    "Hey," Oscar¡¯s voice cut in smoothly from the passenger seat, but I swore I saw the corner of his mouth twitch upward.


    Just as my feet settled on the ground, I turned fully, hoping to catch sight of whaty ahead-


    Only to gasp when soft fabric suddenly covered my eyes.


    The scent of clean silk, mixed with something darker, enveloped me. My body stilled in surprise. My hands twitched as though I might rip it off, but before I could, River¡¯s deep voice came from right beside me.


    "Don¡¯t," he murmured, his breath brushing against my ear. "We have got a surprise ready for you...and for him."


    My heart stuttered at the "him." He¡¯s talking about our pup.


    Before I could think of a reply, warm, lean fingers slid into mine, locking our hands together. And I realized it was actually Oscar. On my other side, Draven caught my other hand, his grip firmer, steadier.


    <fn4c11> Get full chapters from find~novel</fn4c11>


    I swallowed hard, my world drowned in ckness but alive with sensation. I could feel their excitement buzzing under their skin, pulsing faintly into me through the bond. Excitement...and a sliver of nervousness.


    My heart started pounding.


    I took a careful breath, and in that breath, I realized we weren¡¯t alone. My senses red and I caught the familiar presence of River with the pup, steady and calm like the earth itself. The warmer, gentler hum of Kieran. My friends¡¯ scents reached me too - Mallory¡¯s sweet perfume, Kyros¡¯ crisp energy, Rowan¡¯s woodsy spice.


    There were even more - faint heartbeats, breaths, presences I didn¡¯t immediately recognize, but I didn¡¯t panic. My mates were here. My pup was here.


    I was safe.


    Step by step, they guided me forward. The ground beneath my shoes shifted from gravel to softer earth, then to something more solid again - wood, maybe a tform. My senses sharpened at every noise, every brush of wind. The scent of water lingered nearby, fresh and cool from theke.


    Finally, after what must have been a hundred paces, they stopped.


    My pulse roared in my ears.


    Then Oscar moved behind me, his presence like a wall at my back. His fingers brushed against the back of my head, tugging lightly at the silk knot. Before freeing me, his lips dipped close, so close I could feel his warmth searing into my ear.


    "I hope," he whispered, his voice lower than usual, edged with something raw, "you¡¯ll like this."


    And then the blindfold loosened, the silk slipped away, and light returned.


    I blinked, letting my eyes adjust, and then... my breath caught, stolen clean out of my lungs.

 Chapter 351: A Place For Her

    <h4>Chapter 351: A ce For Her</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    What stood in front of me was a house straight out of some fairytale.


    I blinked once, twice, almost convinced my eyes were deceiving me. But no, it was real. It stood tall, proud, and heartbreakingly beautiful - a ce that seemed carved right out of dreams I never dared to dream for myself.


    The two-story house had a modern touchced into its bones, yet its foundation and aura carried a vintage charm, as if time had touched it lovingly but never worn it down.


    The walls were a blend of brown and dull green hues, muted stone and deep wood blending seamlessly with the surrounding forest, giving it the feeling that it belonged here, that it had always been a part of this wild, magicalndscape.


    And yet, the roof was a striking, breathtaking dark blue. Bold against the otherwise blending palette, it made the house stand out in the most elegant way possible, like a jewel resting among shadows.


    A tall, sturdy wall was wrapped protectively around the property, enclosing both the front garden and, I assumed, a backyard hidden from my sight. A huge maple tree dominated the left corner of the front garden, its branches stretching outward like weing arms. Though still in its initial phase froming out of the winter¡¯s grip, I could already imagine how glorious it would look in a few weeks - lush leaves turning the whole front yard into a world of shade and color.


    And beyond the house was the glisteningke only a few steps away, its surface still slowly freeing itself from winter¡¯s icy hold. The woods stood watchful around it, and farther still, mountains kissed the horizon, their snowcapped peaks cutting sharp and proud against the sky.


    It wasn¡¯t just a house. It was a vision. A sanctuary.


    And I... I was speechless.


    A warm, stunned silence stretched inside me. My chest felt tight, my throat clogged. I wanted tough, to cry, to run forward and touch the walls, to make sure this wasn¡¯t some borate illusion conjured by my overworked imagination.


    When atst I pulled myself from marveling, I turned to the ones responsible... the only ones who could be responsible. My gaze flicked immediately toward Oscar and Draven, who stood just far enough to let me drink in the sight uninterrupted. My heart flipped at their quiet patience, at how intently they were watching my every reaction.


    I arched my brows, my voice soft butced with demand. "Okay...what is going on?"


    Oscar¡¯s lips twitched, but before he could speak, Draven moved first. He stepped behind me, sliding his arms gently around my waist. His chin brushed the top of my head as he rocked me gently from side to side.


    His voice was low, amused. "Answer me this first, sweetheart - what¡¯s your first thought when you look at it?"


    I swallowed, staring back at the house as his warmth seeped into my back. "It¡¯s...beautiful," I admitted honestly, my voice hushed. "So beautiful. And weing. Like it¡¯s been waiting for someone toe home."


    His arms tightened around me, the rocking slowing, and then he dropped his next words casually - words that knocked the air straight from my lungs.


    "Can you see yourself living here? With us. With your family. For the next couple of years?"


    I froze. My head whipped to the side, forcing me to meet his eyes over my shoulder. "What-what did you just say?"


    His eyes gleamed with mischief, but also sincerity.


    Before he could reply, Oscar finally stepped in. He shook his head at his younger brother, clicking his tongue as though scolding him. "You are terrible at this. Keeping her hanging in suspicion too long." His smooth and deep voice carried a rare softness just for me.


    Then he looked directly at me. "It¡¯s a surprise, Eva."


    I blinked at him, then at the house again, then back at him. A house? A surprise? My heart scrambled to keep up. "A...what? Why would you have-"


    "Because," Oscar interrupted, his voice still calm but his eyes glinting with that quiet determination of his, "we have been nning this since November."


    My jaw nearly dropped. "November?"


    He nodded once. "Back then, Draven and I had a long conversation about how difficult it would be to keep traveling between the Academy and the estate once the pup was here. It¡¯s only half an hour each way, true, but when you add it up daily - for the next three years you¡¯ll be studying here, plus our schedules at the Academy - it would have been exhausting. For all of us. For you most of all. And then there was the question of whether the academy council would even allow you to leave Academy grounds during the weekdays."


    I was staring at him as my heart pounded and tears started prickling the backs of my eyes.


    "So," he continued, his tone softer now, "we decided you deserved something better. A home closer. A ce where you could raise our pup while continuing your studies without the stress of either traveling every day or staying away from the pup during weekdays. A ce right behind the Academy so we would always be near. For you. For him."


    My lips parted, but no words came out.


    Draven¡¯s chin brushed my temple as he hummed. "And because we wanted you to have somewhere that was yours. Not the estate, not the dormitories. Yours."


    Emotion surged inside me so violently that my knees wobbled. I spun in his hold, and wrapped Draven into my arms. My tears finally fell as I pressed my face into his chest. "You two...you..." My voice cracked, breaking apart. "Thank you. Thank you."


    <fne081> Official source is find~novel</fne081>


    Oscar¡¯s hand slid into my hair from behind as he cradled me gently while Draven pressed his face into my neck, rocking me again.


    "It wasn¡¯t just us," Oscar murmured after a moment. "River joined the project in January. He helped us improve a lot of the designs andyout."


    River. Of course he had. The steady, thoughtful touch in every detail... it made sense now.


    Iughed weakly through my tears. "You aee all...unbelievable."


    "Only for you," Draven whispered against my skin.


    Finally, with gentle insistence, they guided me forward. We walked through a small gate in the wall, and I gasped again.


    The front garden stretched before me properly now - stone pathways weaving between beds of early flowers, delicate shoots poking through the earth. The great maple tree loomed to the left,manding and protective. But it wasn¡¯t the garden that caught my attention next.


    It was the line of people waiting on the porch.

 Chapter 352: Welcome Home, Little One

    <h4>Chapter 352: Wee Home, Little One</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    <strong>A</strong> group of servants stood there, their heads bowed respectfully. They straightened when we approached, offering warm greetings not just to the brothers but to me.


    But it was the old woman at the center who made my breath hitch.


    She must have been in herte fifties, maybe early sixties. Her back was straight despite her age, her silver-threaded hair tied neatly in a bun. Her eyes were kind, twinkling, and endlessly warm... and they settled on me with a familiarity I couldn¡¯t ce at first.


    River stepped closer and I felt his handing to rest lightly on my back. "Evaline," he said softly, "this is Madam Elira. Sera¡¯s mother. She was also my brothers¡¯ nanny when they were young - especially for Oscar and Draven."


    My heart squeezed as the woman reached out, sping my hands firmly in her own. Her palms were warm, steady, full of strength.


    "My Alphas could not have chosen better," she said with a smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes. "I am so very happy to know they found such a beautiful and warm mate. And now, a family with you."


    My throat closed up. I squeezed her hands back, utterly overwhelmed once again.


    Just when I thought it was finally time to step in, Madam Elira raised her hand.


    "One moment, my Luna," she said, her voice warm but carrying the quiet authority of someone who had cared for Alphas since they were children.


    But it was the title that shook mepletely, yet none of the brothers seemed the least bit surprised.


    "Before you bring the little one into this new home, allow me to perform a small ritual from my hometown. It will ward off evil, cleanse the air of lingering shadows, and invite only warmth and blessings for you and your pup."


    My heart softened instantly. The sincerity in her eyes made it impossible to deny her. I smiled and nodded eagerly. "Of course. I would be honored."


    I bent down and carefully picked up my son from the stroller. He stirred a little, but when I cradled him against my chest, he settled quickly, his tiny breaths tickling my corbone.


    I stepped closer to my mates, who instinctively closed the circle around me, their warmth pressing against my back and sides. For some reason, standing there with them, I felt like no shadow in the world could ever reach us.


    And then I watched as Madam Elira began.


    She lit a small y bowl filled with dried herbs - sage,vender, and wolfsbane flower petals. Their smoke curled skyward in a pale silver stream. The scent was sharp yet soothing, tinged with something earthy that made me want to inhale deeply. She held the bowl in one hand while dipping her fingers into a tiny vial of moon-blessed morning dew with the other.


    First, she traced a crescent shape on the pup¡¯s forehead, whispering words in an old dialect I didn¡¯t understand. The cadence was low, melodic, like a luby carried through generations. Then she repeated the same motion on my forehead.


    "For the bond of mother and child," she murmured. "Unbroken. Protected."


    Next, she circled us with the bowl of smoking herbs, moving clockwise. The smoke clung to us like a soft veil, wrapping around the pup, around me, and around my mates who were surrounding me with their warmth and protection.


    "May no malice pierce your walls," she intoned. "May no curse linger in your air. May only love and loyalty dwell in this home."


    When she finished, she dipped her fingers into the dew again and touched each of my mates - first River, then Kieran, then Oscar, then Draven - marking the same crescent on their brows.


    "For strength to protect, for love to guide, for unity tost through storms."


    The brothers bowed their heads slightly in respect, even stoic River, and something about the sight made my chest ache.


    Finally, she poured a few drops of dew into the bowl itself, and the smoke shifted, turning a shimmering silver-blue for a brief moment before fading back into pale wisps. With that, she closed her eyes and whispered thest blessing.


    "So be it."


    She blew gently across the bowl, extinguishing the me.


    A hush fell over us. My pup shifted softly in my arms, as if sensing the peace that had settled. My eyes prickled with tears again - not of sadness this time, but of gratitude.


    "Thank you," I whispered. My voice trembled, but Madam Elira only smiled knowingly, patting my hand.


    "It is my honor, child."


    With the ritualplete, River ced a steadying hand on the small of my back again. "Shall we?" he asked, his deep voice breaking the moment with gentleness.


    I nodded, clutching my son closer, and finally stepped inside the house.


    The air inside smelled faintly of wood, herbs, and fresh paint. But it wasn¡¯t the scent that made my breath catch. It was the sight.


    The front hall opened wide, bathed in soft golden light from the tall windows that let the morning sun spill across polished wooden floors. The walls carried that same bnce between modern elegance and vintage charm - stone columns wrapped in climbing ivy that had been carefully preserved indoors, paired with sleek railings and ss fixtures that gleamed like starlight.


    To my left, a cozy sitting room stretched open,plete with a stone firece whose mantle already held framed photos - me, the brothers, and even a few from the Academy with my friends. My throat tightened at the thought of them sneaking these into ce before I arrived.


    To the right, I glimpsed what looked like a study or library, tall shelves already lined with books. It smelled faintly of parchment and ink, and I knew instantly it was a space meant for River, Kieran, and me.


    But before I could linger too long, I heard the chorus of gasps andughter from behind.


    <fnc7a3> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? F¦ÉndNovel</fnc7a3>


    Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan had followed us in, their phones in hand, snapping pictures and recording little videos. Mallory sped her cheeks dramatically. "Oh my goddess, Eva, it¡¯s like a dream house! Look at that chandelier! Look at this - no, Kyros, get a picture of this staircase-"


    Rowan, calm as always, gave me a smile as he filmed. "I think I just found my new favorite ce to visit."


    Their excitement made me chuckle, my heart warming even more. To see my friends here, part of this new beginning, made the house feel even more alive.


    I shifted my son gently, pressing a kiss to his tiny forehead as I whispered, "Wee home, little one."


    * * *


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    I have received some amazing name suggestions from one of you. If there¡¯s anyone else with a name in their minds for our ¡¯Little One¡¯, please do share!

 Chapter 353: Spilling The Secret

    <h4>Chapter 353: Spilling The Secret</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had barely finished admiring thest little detail of my new bedroom when the sound of the door clicking shut caught my attention.


    Oscar had just closed it behind him and Draven, their hushed voices spilling into the air before it faded into silence. I didn¡¯t even get the chance to wonder what the two of them were talking about, because Mallory¡¯s sharp voice cut straight through the room.


    "Spill."


    I blinked, confused, staring at her with the same nkness mirrored on Rowan and Kyros¡¯s faces. The two men weren¡¯t paying much attention, their gazes were fixed with soft fascination on the pup sleeping soundly in his crib next to my king size bed.


    His tiny chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, his little hand curled against the nket, and I couldn¡¯t me them for being distracted. He had that effect on everyone.


    "Spill what?" I asked slowly, narrowing my eyes at Mallory¡¯s folded arms and the suspicion radiating off her in waves.


    She gave me that look - half dramatic, half smug, like she had caught me red-handed even though I had no idea what crime I was being used of.


    "Professor Kieran," she said simply.


    The namended like a stone in a still pond, sending ripples of awareness straight through me. My stomach tightened, and I didn¡¯t need her to borate because I knew instantly what she was hinting at.


    One nce at Kyros and Rowan was enough to tell me they had picked up on the same thing. Their sharp and knowing gazes followed the way my throat bobbed as I swallowed.


    Mallory, however, wasn¡¯t content with just tossing the name into the air. She leaned forward, her voice dropping but her words precise, each one a needle threading through the quiet.


    "At first, I thought it was nothing - him being at the hospital waspletely normal. After all, he¡¯s your mates¡¯ brother. But then..." She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes with dramatic ir. "Then I noticed something was different. The way he stood with you during Madam Elira¡¯s ritual, like he belonged there. And don¡¯t even try to deny it, Eva, because those little nces you two kept sneaking? They weren¡¯t nothing. You looked like... teenagers in secret love."


    Her tone wasn¡¯t using so much as it was scandalously delighted, but the words still burned my cheeks hot. I opened my mouth, then shut it again. My lips trembled with the weight of truths that weren¡¯t so easy to just blurt out.


    But Mallory¡¯s pointed stare left me no escape. And honestly, it wasn¡¯t like I had any ns of keeping anything a secret from these three.


    So, I drew in a breath, straightened my shoulders, and spoke.


    "You are not wrong," I admitted softly. "Professor Kieran... he¡¯s my mate too. Just like River, Oscar, and Draven. And..." I hesitated, the words heavy and yet freeing as they left my lips, "...he¡¯s also my child¡¯s biological father."


    The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on.


    For next couple of minutes, I repeated everything that happened the morning after I gave birth. Once I finished, I watched the trio.


    Rowan¡¯s jaw ckened, his usually calm features tipping into raw astonishment. Kyros froze mid-breath, blinking at me like his brain was physically rejecting the words. And Mallory - oh, her expression was a masterpiece. Her eyes went impossibly wide, her mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.


    For a heartbeat, I didn¡¯t know whether tofort them orugh. The scene was so surreal, I half expected someone to yell ¡¯gotcha!¡¯ and im this was a prank.


    And then, true to form, Mallory snapped out of it first.


    She let out a squeal so high-pitched it probably startled birds outside, then proceeded to jump up and down like she had won the lottery. "I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" she shrieked, her voice so loud that panic shot through me.


    "Mallory!" I hissed, darting forward with Rowan and Kyros in tow. Together, the three of us scrambled to quiet her, hands waving frantically, urgent whispers falling from our lips.


    Toote. The pup stirred in his crib, his tiny face scrunching as he let out a faint whimper. My heart nearly stopped. But then, as if the universe was feeling merciful, he sighed softly and drifted back into peaceful sleep.


    Mallory pped her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with guilt. "Oh, Goddess, I¡¯m sorry," she whispered, her voice finally hushed. "I didn¡¯t mean to - he¡¯s just so cute and I-" She cut herself off, then threw her arms around me in a hug that nearly knocked me back.


    "You have no idea how happy I am right now," she said into my shoulder, bouncing slightly even in her attempt at being quiet.


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    When she pulled away, her grin was blinding. "Do you remember? Do you remember what I told you during Christmas holidays? That I had a feeling about Kieran? That he would turn out to be yours too? Well, look who was right!" She pointed both thumbs proudly at herself.


    I groaned, but I couldn¡¯t help smiling.


    "And not only that," she went on, barely containing her glee, "but he¡¯s also the baby¡¯s father? Eva, you are living in some kind of wild, once-in-a-century romance novel plot. Our cool, untouchable professor sh headmaster? He¡¯s <i>yours</i>. Oh, stars, no wonder he¡¯s been so broody all this time. Poor guy was pining for his mate."


    She sped her hands together in mock-dramatic swoon. "Thank the Moon Goddess that mystery is solved. He won¡¯t have to be cranky anymore."


    I buried my face in my hands, torn betweenughter and mortification.


    Kyros finally broke his silence, his tone thoughtful rather than surprised now that the truth had settled. "Honestly, it makes sense," he said, leaning against a shelf.


    Rowan nodded, still staring at the pup. "It does. Fated to all four brothers - it¡¯s strange, yes, but also... fitting. It feels like the bond was always meant to be whole."


    Hearing their calm reasoning after Mallory¡¯s chaotic explosion sent warmth rushing through me. I hadn¡¯t realized how much I had braced for judgment, for someone to look at me differently. Instead, what I found was their eptance as always - messy and loud in Mallory¡¯s way, steady and rational in Kyros and Rowan¡¯s.

 Chapter 354: Draven’s Sinister Plan

    <h4>Chapter 354: Draven¡¯s Sinister n</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Dinner had stretched longer than I expected, and for once, I didn¡¯t mind.


    With the house so close to the Academy, practically behind it, my friends agreed to stay for dinner on my insistence. At first, I worried they might feel awkward around the brothers, but my fears melted away when I saw how easily the evening unfolded.


    Kyros and Draven somehow ended up deep in conversation aboutbat training methods, while Mallory had somehow managed to rope Kieran into a debate about how to take care of a newborn properly.


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    I couldn¡¯t decide if she was brave or reckless to challenge him so boldly, but to my surprise, he looked more amused than irritated, his sharp features softened by the faintest smirk.


    Meanwhile, Rowan had naturally gravitated toward Oscar. It made sense - Rowan had been working under him for a while now, and the ease between them was undeniable. Their conversation flowed seamlessly, as if they had known each other for years rather than months. Watching them, I felt a swell of warmth inside me.


    These were the two halves of my life - my mates and my friends. To see them merging without tension, to watch the edges of fear and formality blur into something morefortable, it was more than I could have hoped for.


    I leaned back in my chair, cradling my ss of water, and just let myself soak in the moment.


    But of course, peace neversted long in my life.


    By the time dessert was cleared away and my friends had finally stood up to head back to the Academy, promising to return tomorrow for a "baby-naming game" Mallory and Kyros had plotted, I thought I might finally get some quiet. Tomorrow¡¯s event was already giving me butterflies - half nerves, half excitement - but I couldn¡¯t deny how sweet it felt to have them so invested in my son¡¯s future.


    But the moment the door closed behind Rowan, and I turned to face the living room, I realized quiet was thest thing on my agenda tonight.


    Because I was surrounded.


    Draven stood to my left with a dangerous glint in his eyes that screamed trouble. Oscar loomed to my right, wearing the exact same expression - mischief sharpened to a point. They didn¡¯t even try to hide it.


    I crossed my arms and gave them both a look. "What are you two up to?"


    Draven smirked first, stepping closer until his shadow mingled with mine. "Oh, nothing sinister. Just... nning for the night."


    I arched an eyebrow. "The night?"


    "Yes." He tilted his head, utterly shameless. "We need to decide sleeping arrangements."


    Oscar chuckled, low and smooth, like this was all some grand joke. I wasn¡¯t sure whether to be amused or worried.


    Draven, clearly pleased by my wary expression, leaned down until his breath tickled my ear. "See, we can¡¯t all pile in with you... not yet, at least. The baby needs space. So, I have devised a n."


    He rocked back on his heels and folded his arms, clearly proud of himself. "Four brothers. Four nights. Each one of us gets a turn sleeping with you. On the fifth and sixth nights, we pair up. Two brothers with you. And the seventh day..." His grin widened, downright wicked. "...that¡¯s your choice. You can sleep alone, or invite someone. Or..." He let the word hang, his eyes glinting, "...all of us."


    Heat rushed to my cheeks before I could stop it. "Draven!"


    "What?" he asked innocently, though his tone was anything but.


    Oscarughed outright this time, his eyes dancing as he added, "Don¡¯t look at me. He¡¯s the one putting it into a schedule. I just agreed it was fair."


    Despite Draven¡¯s cheekiness, there wasn¡¯t really anything wrong with the idea. I did need someone with me to help during the nights. Madam Elira had kindly offered to keep the baby in the nursery with her, but I wanted him with me, at least for these first few months. I needed to breastfeed him, to wake up at the first sound he made. Keeping him close wasn¡¯t just about practicality... it was instinct.


    Thankfully, none of my mates had objected to that. And truthfully, Draven¡¯s n did make sense.


    "Fine," I muttered, trying to sound exasperated even as I fought a smile. "But how do you n to decide the order? Draw straws? Rock, paper, scissors?"


    Oscar¡¯s grin turned sharp. "A game, of course."


    I groaned. Of course.


    The next ten minutes were filled withughter, a deck of cards, and far too much smugmentary. I sat off to the side, rocking the baby¡¯s crib gently with one hand while watching the chaos unfold. River yed his hand with ruthless precision. Draven cheated shamelessly, only for Oscar to call him out every time, and Kieran sat among them with the calmest expression of all.


    Which is why I nearly choked when Draven suddenly announced, "Winner of first round - Kieran!"


    My head snapped up. "What?"


    Kieran blinked, clearly just as surprised as I was, but Draven was already grinning like he had orchestrated the whole thing. "That¡¯s right, darling. Tonight, you¡¯ll be sleeping with our esteemed professor here."


    I gawked at him. Of all four of them, it had to be him. My heart lurched in my chest, and heat pooled under my skin. Kieran - who I had only just found as my mate. The thought of sharing a bed with him tonight, of being so close when we hadn¡¯t yet had a moment alone since the truth came out...


    I narrowed my eyes, suspicion prickling. "You rigged it."


    Draven ced a hand dramatically over his heart. "Darling, I¡¯m offended you would think me capable of such underhanded tactics."


    Oscar coughed. "You are being overdramatic, little brother."


    I groaned again, burying my face in my hands.


    When I finally peeked through my fingers, it was to find Kieran watching me, his eyes unreadable but his lips tilted with the faintest, tentative smile. Something in my chest fluttered violently, half nerves, half anticipation.


    And I couldn¡¯t help but think... of all the nights, of all the possibilities, maybe this was exactly the one I needed most. Or did I?

 Chapter 355: Sharing The Weight Together

    <h4>Chapter 355: Sharing The Weight Together</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The pup¡¯s tiny breaths were warm against my skin as I held him close, nursing him onest time before bed. His little hand curled around my finger with surprising strength, and the soft sounds he made almost lulled me into sleep.


    When his lips finally loosened and his eyelids fluttered shut, I carefully ced him back into his crib. He shifted once, a soft whimper leaving him, before sinking back into a deeper slumber.


    Madam Elira leaned in, her presenceforting. She brushed her hand over the baby¡¯s nket. "He¡¯s out like a light," she whispered, smiling warmly at me. "Now you, My Luna, should rest too. Go shower. I¡¯ll stay with the young master."


    Gratefulness filled my chest, and I nodded quickly. "Thank you, Madam Elira."


    The warm water was exactly what I needed. It washed away the tiredness from my body, loosening stiff muscles and calming my restless mind. I lingered under the spray longer than usual, letting the steam curl around me until my skin flushed pink. By the time I stepped out, wrapped in a towel, I already felt lighter.


    I slipped into my new favorite pajamas - a soft silk set in a calming shade of purple. They always made me feel just a little braver, a little more myself. Running ab through my hair, I let it fall loose over my shoulders before stepping out of the bathroom.


    Only to freeze mid-step.


    Instead of Madam Elira, Kieran was standing by the crib.


    The dim golden glow from the smallmp washed over him, highlighting the sharp lines of his face, softened by the calmness in his expression. He was already in his pajamas too. His hair was down, brushing against his shoulders, slightly mussed from a day of running fingers through it.


    He was staring at the baby with a tenderness I wasn¡¯t sure he let anyone else see. And for some reason, that sight made my heart thud violently inside my chest.


    As if sensing me, he looked up, and our gazes locked.


    And suddenly, every thought I had been fighting off since the game, all the whispers of how awkward this night would be... came rushing back all at once. My brain filled with noise, my body tense, and my heart... stars, my heart felt like it was going to give out.


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    I forced myself to move toward the bed, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my nightshirt like a nervous schoolgirl. But the closer I got, the harder it became to breathe. His eyes stayed on me again, steady, unreadable, but always warm.


    Then, out of nowhere, his voice broke the silence.


    "Should I sleep in my room tonight?"


    I blinked, feeling startled, and my steps halted once again.


    He wasn¡¯t teasing. He wasn¡¯t trying to test me. His tone was even, calm, utterly genuine. "If you are notfortable sharing the bed yet... I can go. I don¡¯t mind."


    There was no judgment. No hidden sting. Just... consideration.


    And that was what shook me the most.


    My throat tightened. "N-no," I blurted quickly, shaking my head. "It¡¯s alright."


    His lips curved into a faint smile, but he said nothing more.


    I swallowed hard, forcing steadiness into my voice. "Should we go to bed then?"


    "Sure."


    That one word carried the weight of an agreement... nothing more, nothing less.


    I climbed into the bed, tugging the nket up to my chin as though it might shield me from my own racing heart. My hand shot out to flick off my bedsidemp, leaving the room in semi-darkness. Only the faint glow from the pup¡¯smp remained, casting soft light over the room.


    Kieran followed, moving with the quiet grace he always seemed to carry. The bed dipped under his weight as he settled on the other side, pulling the covers over himself before switching off hismp too.


    The room was quiet except for the steady rhythm of the pup¡¯s breathing.


    And my heart refused to calm down.


    I turned slightly on my side, staring at the faint glow against the ceiling, battling with every thought in my head. He was right there. My mate. The father of my child. The man I had secretly, quietly, hopelessly cared for in ways I had buried under guilt and fear.


    Now, he was within reach.


    And I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Every breath felt too loud. Every shift of the nket seemed magnified. I risked a nce out of the corner of my eye and saw him lying straight on his back, eyes fixed on the ceiling. He hadn¡¯t moved once since lying down, as if afraid that even a small shift might disturb me.


    He was awake too.


    I almost opened my mouth to say something, anything to break the tension, but the words never came.


    Eventually, exhaustion won. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier until they slipped shut, pulling me into sleep despite the storm raging in my chest.


    It was the sharp, piercing cry of the pup that jolted me awake three hourster.


    I sat upright instantly, my instincts overriding everything else. My heart lurched with panic until I saw him squirming in his crib, his tiny face scrunched up as his cries filled the quiet room.


    I threw the nket aside, moving toward him, only to realize I wasn¡¯t the only one who had reacted.


    Kieran was already out of bed.


    His tall frame bent gracefully over the crib. His hands moved with surprising skill as he scooped the pup into his arms. His voice was low, soothing, a gentle hum. "Shh... it¡¯s alright, little one. We have got you."


    My breath caught.


    I stood frozen at the edge of the bed, watching the sight I had never imagined but would never forget. Kieran holding our son like he had been waiting for it all his life.


    The pup quieted almost immediately, nuzzling against Kieran¡¯s chest as though he belonged there.


    Something inside me broke open at the sight. A tidal wave of emotion surged through me - love, relief, ache, disbelief - all tangled together until I couldn¡¯t tell them apart.


    He turned then, his eyes finding mine in the dim light.


    And for the first time all night, the silence between us didn¡¯t feel heavy. It felt... fragile. Sacred.


    "Do you need to feed him?" he asked softly, his voice warm in a way that made my chest tighten.


    I nodded and stepped forward with trembling hands.


    And as he passed the baby into my arms, his fingers brushed mine - steady, warm, grounding.


    I realized then that maybe this night wasn¡¯t about awkward silences or racing hearts.


    Maybe it was about learning how to breathe in the same space. About sharing the weight of something new and terrifying and beautiful.


    Together.

 Chapter 356: Never Let Go

    <h4>Chapter 356: Never Let Go</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Kieran had always been quiet, but tonight his presence was louder than thunder to me.


    I froze when I realized he was watching. My hand stilled on the half-undone button of my nightshirt, my breath caught as if he had stolen the very air out of my lungs. One look from him... one look into those warm golden-green eyes... was enough to tell me he understood. Without a word, he turned away and returned to his side of the bed.


    Relief washed over me in waves. He had given me space without needing me to ask. That simple gesture, that quiet care, made my chest ache in the gentlest way.


    I turned my back toward him, finally unbuttoning my nightshirt and guiding my son to nurse. The room filled with silence, except for the soft suckling sounds of the pup, the faint rustle of fabric, the whisper of my own heartbeat against my ribs. Slowly, curiosity got the better of me, and I peeked over my shoulder.


    What I found made me smile.


    Kieran hadn¡¯t just turned his back to me. He had curled onto his side, his broad shoulders a protective wall, his back a silent shield. It wasn¡¯t distance, it was protection, a way to make me feel safe even while I fed our child.


    The smile on my lips came unbidden, soft and tender. He always did this... he made room for me, gave me choices, respected the spaces I didn¡¯t know how to ask for.


    Once the baby was done, I shifted him gently in my arms to nurse on the other side, careful to prevent the ufortable ache of milk leaking. When his belly was finally full, I fixed my nightshirt and carefully adjusted my hair, tucking it behind my ears. My heart felt lighter somehow.


    "Professor," I called softly, my voice hardly above a whisper. "You can turn now."


    He rolled onto his back first, then to his side, his gaze immediately seeking out our son. By then, the little one was wide awake, kicking his tiny feet and waving his fists in the air as though he was ready to wrestle the world.


    Augh escaped me. The sound drew a small smile from Kieran - one of those rare, unguarded ones that melted his usual solemnity. He sat up and crossed his long legs on the mattress, scooting closer until he was directly in front of me. Hisrge hand reached out, careful and deliberate, and he wrapped his fingers around our pup¡¯s tiny hand.


    My breath caught again, though for apletely different reason this time.


    Every now and then, our gazes locked. And every time, I felt my heart stumble in my chest, skipping beats, tumbling over itself as though it couldn¡¯t keep up. Just a week ago, I never thought I could look at him like this without feeling weighed down by guilt. But things had changed. He wasn¡¯t just my mates¡¯ brother or my professor anymore. He was mine now. Entirely, wholly mine.


    "If your heart doesn¡¯t calm down soon," he murmured suddenly, his thumb stroking the baby¡¯s hand, "it might end up jumping out of your chest."


    My mouth fell open. Heat red up my neck and into my cheeks, and I instantly pped my free hand against my chest, as though I could muffle the wild rhythm he had noticed. His lips twitched, a shadow of amusement tugging at the corners.


    The mortification in me doubled when he tilted his head, his eyes gleaming with a quiet curiosity. "Tell me, Evaline... when exactly did you fall in love with me?"


    His question was like a lightning strike - unexpected, sharp, and impossible to ignore. My throat went dry. Words tangled on my tongue, caught somewhere between truth and anxiety.


    "I..." I gulped. "I don¡¯t have an exact time. It wasn¡¯t one moment... it was... everything. Over time, I just realized what I felt for you wasn¡¯t just respect or gratitude anymore. It... it was more."


    The weight of my confession hung between us, fragile and delicate like ss. I feared he might press me, ask for more I wasn¡¯t ready to unravel. But he didn¡¯t. He simply gave me a soft nod, epting my words for what they were, no questions asked. Relief flooded me again.


    Instead, we turned our focus to the pup. His little fingers curled around ours, and for half an hour, time lost all meaning. We yed with him,ughed quietly at his small antics, and just... existed. Together.


    When his movements grew sluggish and his eyes fluttered drowsily, I whispered to Kieran, "Here, let me show you a trick."


    I shifted the pup onto myp, his tiny head restingfortably against my thigh. Gently, I swayed my leg side to side, slow and rhythmic. Within minutes, his eyelids grew heavy, and then he was fast asleep.


    We both chuckled softly, the sound mixing in perfect harmony, before I carried him to the crib and tucked him in.


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    When I returned to the bed and slid beneath the nket, I realized quickly that sleep wouldn¡¯te to me easily a second time tonight. Not with Kieran lying right beside me. My thoughts were an endless storm - memories, confessions, the way his eyes had burned into me.


    I tried closing my eyes, tried breathing slowly, but my heart betrayed me every time.


    That was when I felt the movement. A shift in the mattress and the soft rustle of fabric. I turned my head and found him turning toward me, edging closer until there was hardly any space left between us.


    Then, without a word, he reached for my hand. His fingers slipped between mine, warm and steady, entwining them as though they belonged there all along.


    "Close your eyes," he said gently.


    I obeyed.


    "Take a deep breath."


    I inhaled shakily, then released it, my chest loosening under the weight of his voice.


    "Again," he murmured. His thumb brushed over my knuckles, grounding me in ways I didn¡¯t know I needed.


    When my breaths steadied, he continued, "Now... imagine tomorrow. Imagine how you¡¯ll spend it... with our son."


    Images filled my mind without resistance. Morning sunlight spilling into the room, the pup¡¯s tiny fingers grasping mine,ughter echoing through the house. Kieran¡¯s voice guided me through each breath, each thought, until my heart finally slowed to a gentle rhythm.


    Somewhere between his words and my own imagination, sleep tugged at me. Myst conscious memory was of his hand holding mine, steady and warm, as though he would never let go.


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 Chapter 357: The One Pulling the Strings

    <h4>Chapter 357: The One Pulling the Strings</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The man on the floor was hardly recognizable. His body was broken, swollen in ces from blows, split open in others where blood still seeped sluggishly. But the wounds were already knitting together... signaling that he would soon be ready for another round of torture.


    I stared at him, with my arms folded across my chest and my jaw locked so tightly I thought it might shatter.


    This was him.


    Ethan ckwood.


    The so-called <i>mate</i> Evaline had once believed in. The boy who had stood in front of everyone and torn her heart apart.


    Though the truth was finally out that Kieran, and not Ethan, had been the mate she sensed that night, it still didn¡¯t exin why she felt the mate bond with Ethan the very next day and even experienced the pain when he rejected the bond. Was he indeed her mate?


    I had hated Ethan since that night of Alpha selection ceremony at Nightshade Pack. But now... now I wanted answers.


    Oscar crouched in front of him, his eyes glowing with barely leashed rage. "Start talking, ckwood. Or I swear you won¡¯t leave this ce alive."


    Ethan coughed, spitting blood onto the stone floor. His hands shook as he tried to push himself upright, but Draven¡¯s boot pressed him back down against the cold surface.


    "Stay where you are," Draven growled, his voice dark and heavy with the kind of menace only he could wield.


    Ethan¡¯s eyes darted between us, fear clear in their depths. He had already withstood hours of questioning, but not even a fool like him could keep silent forever.


    "I... I didn¡¯t n it," he rasped finally, his voice hoarse. "It wasn¡¯t me. It was Damian."


    My blood ran cold.


    "What?" I bit out, my voice like a whip crack in the room.


    Ethan¡¯s chest heaved. His face twisted with pain - not from his injuries, but from fear. "Damian Greystone. He nned everything. That night, on her eighteenth birthday... it wasn¡¯t me she was supposed to sleep with. It was him."


    Draven pressed his boot harder into Ethan¡¯s chest, his growl vibrating the air. "Be very careful with your words, ckwood. You are talking about her brotger."


    "I know!" Ethan¡¯s voice broke. "He hated her. He wanted to... to make her suffer. He was always obsessed with her. He had a vial... something he got from the dark markets. A drug. He wanted to use it on her, to cloud her senses, make her-"


    "Shut your mouth," I snapped, fury snapping my control. The very idea of Damian¡¯s twisted intentions toward Evaline made bile rise in my throat.


    Ethan flinched, his hands rising as if to shield himself. "I swear! I didn¡¯t touch her! She disappeared before Damian arrived. We never found her that night."


    My heart thundered, but I forced myself to keep my voice level. "And the next day? She felt a bond with you. She felt the rejection. Exin <i>that</i>."


    He swallowed hard, his split lip trembling. "It was a spell. Damian used a spell. Some kind of... illusionary tether. He was furious that she escaped that night, so he wanted to punish her. To humiliate her. He cast the spell so that she would feel the mate bond... with me. And then he told me exactly what to do. Reject her. Publicly. So she would feel the pain. The spell onlysted a short while, but it was enough."


    The room went deathly still.


    I felt my ws digging into my palms as rage wed its way through me. The image of my mate, trembling in front of two packs, her pain as the rejection tore her apart... all of it had been fabricated. All of it had been Damian¡¯s cruelty.


    Oscar surged forward, fisting Ethan¡¯s cor and yanking him upright. His eyes burned, his teeth bared. "You are telling me she went through that horrible pain, that shame... because of a spell?"


    "Yes!" Ethan cried, desperation spilling from him. "I didn¡¯t want to! I only did it because Damian forced me - he threatened me. I only ever spoke to her because he told me to. He said... he said to befriend her, to make her believe I cared. And then when I turned eighteen, he ordered me to tell her I felt the bond. It was all part of his n!"


    "Lies." Draven¡¯s voice cut through the air like ice. He crouched down, his eyes level with Ethan¡¯s. "You expect us to believe you were nothing but a pawn? And someone else was pulling your strings from behind the scenes?"


    "I swear!" Ethan¡¯s tears mixed with blood now, his voice cracking under the pressure. "Everything I did was under Damian¡¯s orders. I never wanted to be her friend.. I didn¡¯t care about her. I just... I followed what he said. Because if I didn¡¯t, he would destroy me."


    I closed my eyes for a brief second, pain spearing through me.


    Evaline. My sweet, strong Evaline. She had carried all that pain, all that heartbreak, for so long... believing she was unworthy, believing Ethan¡¯s rejection meant she wasn¡¯t enough. And all of it had been nothing more than a cruel maniption.


    "Do you realize what you have done?" My voice shook with suppressed fury. "You shattered her. You stood there and let her bleed for something that wasn¡¯t real."


    Ethan¡¯s mouth opened, but no words came out. His shoulders trembled.


    Oscar¡¯s fist connected with his face in the next breath, the sound of bone cracking echoing through the room. Ethan crumpled sideways with a groan, blood pooling beneath him.


    "Coward," Oscar spat, shaking his hand out. "You let Damian use her. You watched her suffer and even joined him. You are filth."


    Draven leaned close, his voice so low it was nearly a snarl. "And for every tear she shed, for every scar she carries... you will pay."


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    I couldn¡¯t speak anymore. My throat was tight, my chest burning with anger and helplessness. All I could see was Evaline¡¯s face on the night of Alpha selection ceremony. The agony that had haunted her, all because of this man and her vile stepbrother.


    Now we had our answers. But answers didn¡¯t ease the fury simmering in my veins. If anything, it made it worse.


    Because now I knew exactly who to me.


    And Damian Greystone would not live long enough to cast another spell.

 Chapter 358: Blade of Guilt

    <h4>Chapter 358: de of Guilt</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The coppery stench of blood lingered in the dungeon like a curse. Ethan¡¯s shallow breaths rasped against the stone floor. His face was mangled, his body a patchwork of bruises and torn flesh.


    Every part of me screamed to end it. To finish him. To drive my ws through his chest so he could never again draw breath, never again taint this world with his existence.


    He had already destroyed too much - my mate¡¯s innocence, her trust, her sense of worth. For that alone, he deserved to die.


    My ws flexed at my sides. My wolf ready toe out and handle the matter. It would be so easy. One strike. One heartbeat, and this would be over.


    But not yet.


    I forced myself to step back, my chest heaving with the effort of restraint. "No." My voice echoed in the stone chamber, rough and unyielding.


    Oscar¡¯s head snapped toward me, his eyes burning with disbelief. "No? River, he deserves to die. You heard him. He admitted it. He admitted everything." His fists clenched, blood still dripping down his knuckles.


    Draven bared his teeth, a snarl lodged deep in his throat. "You are stopping us for what? He humiliated our mate. He made her cry. He caused her suffering and pain. You want him to breathe another day?"


    I turned to them both, meeting their fury head on. They were younger, their tempers quicker, their rage harder to contain. But I was not just their brother, but also their Alpha. And more than that... I was also Evaline¡¯s mate. I could not afford to be reckless. Not now.


    "We can¡¯t kill him yet," I said firmly. "Not until we know everything. We need him alive long enough to tear out every truth he and Damian are hiding."


    Oscar growled low, but I saw the conflict in his eyes. He wanted blood - Ethan¡¯s blood. Yet he also knew I was right.


    Draven shoved a hand through his dark hair, pacing the length of the dungeon. "Damn it." His voice cracked with raw frustration. "I hate that you are right."


    "Good," I muttered. "Then trust me. He will die... but only when we have wrung him dry of what he knows."


    The words didn¡¯t taste satisfying, but they were necessary. Ethan ckwood would get his death, but on our terms.


    I stepped back, breathing hard, and nced once more at his limp, broken form. "Keep him unconscious," I ordered. "No food, no water until I say. He can heal in the dark while he waits for what¡¯sing."


    The decision weighed heavy, but it steadied me. There was more to uncover, and that meant one target still remained.


    "Jasper." My voice rose in the silence.


    My beta stepped forward from the shadows, his expression grim, awaiting my nextmand.


    "Bring me Damian Greystone," I ordered. "Alive. From the bordering pack where I exiled him." My voice dropped lower, harsher. "I don¡¯t care what it takes. Break him, chain him, drag him by his throat if you have to. But bring him here."


    Jasper bowed his head once,. "Consider it done." Without another word, he vanished into the shadows, his steps fading quickly.


    I exhaled slowly, running a hand over my face.


    The dungeon felt tighter, suffocating, as though every brick absorbed Ethan¡¯s sins. I turned away, my brothers following in silence.


    We left Ethan broken on the floor. For now.


    - - -


    It was nearly dawn when we climbed the stairs out of the dungeon. Six in the morning. Two hours had slipped by in that pit of blood and confessions. Two hours since Jasper had first called to say Ethan ckwood had been captured and locked away in our estate.


    I hadn¡¯t wasted a second rushing down here with Oscar and Draven. And we hadn¡¯t stopped until the truth had been beaten out of him.


    But now the sun was beginning to creep across the horizon. Kieran was still with Evaline, guarding her and the pup at the new house. He had no idea what we had done while he held their world together.


    I clenched my jaw. Thest thing I wanted was for Evaline to even sense the darkness we had carried tonight.


    Oscar and Draven fell into step beside me. Both were bloodied, their knuckles raw, their clothes stained. We couldn¡¯t return to her like this. Not when our pup was waiting for us too.


    "We clean up first," I said as we crossed the hall. "Showers. New clothes. Not a trace of this touches her and the child."


    Neither of my brothers argued. We might not agree on when Ethan should die, but we all agreed on one thing - our mate and the pup would never be stained with the filth of this vengeance.


    - - -


    <fn4ecd> Content originallyes from f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn4ecd>


    By the time we stepped out of the showers, steam rolling away in thick clouds, the stench of blood had been reced with soap and fresh linen. New clothes hung crisp against our shoulders. We looked presentable again - calm, collected. No one would know where we had been.


    But inside, rage was still burning.


    The car ride back to the new house was quiet at first, the hum of the engine a dull background to the storm in my head. Then Oscar broke the silence.


    "How the hell did Damian even get his hands on a spell like that?" His voice was sharp,ced with disbelief. "Spells don¡¯t just fall into yourp. They have been gone for centuries."


    Draven frowned, his gaze fixed on the passing forest outside the window. "He had to have had a contact. Someone hiding, someone with ess to the old bloodlines. But who?"


    I gripped the steering wheel tighter. They were right - magic had no ce in our world anymore. The witches were gone, their kind wiped out long before any of us were born. The rare descendants that remained had buried themselves deep in exile, hiding on distant inds or cloakednds. The chances of one crossing Damian¡¯s path were nearly nonexistent.


    And yet... here we were.


    "It wasn¡¯t chance," I said finally, my voice low. "I have this feeling that there¡¯s more to this than we know."


    Silence stretched again, heavier this time.


    Then Draven¡¯s words cut through it, sharp with disbelief. "I still can¡¯t wrap my head around it. Damian wanted to drug her. He wanted to-" He stopped himself, rage ring hot in his eyes. "What kind of monster thinks that way about his own sister?"


    The question twisted inside me like a de.


    Because it wasn¡¯t just rage I felt now. It was guilt.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 359: She is Extraordinary

    <h4>Chapter 359: She is Extraordinary</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    For months I thought I knew her past. My men had dug through her history before I ever made her mine. I had discovered the surface - her mother¡¯s death, her father¡¯s ignorance, her stepmother¡¯s cruelty, her stepsiblings¡¯ and pack¡¯s bullying. It was enough to make me want to protect her, enough to try and heal her scars. Or so I thought.


    But tonight had opened my eyes.


    The truth ran deeper, darker than anything I had imagined.


    I stared out at the pale dawn breaking over the treetops, my chest heavy. All this time, I thought I knew. I thought I understood what she endured. But I only knew what was in in sight. And now... now I realize there¡¯s more. Things she never told anyone. Things she buried so deep she hoped no one would ever dig them up.


    I noticed how Oscar was clenching his fists in hisp, while Draven had a grim expression on his face as he stared out the window.


    I breathed out slowly, the ache of it pressing against my ribs. I wanted the truth. I needed it. But stars help me... I was terrified of what we would uncover.


    Because if what Ethan ckwood confessed tonight was only the beginning... what else had our mate survived before she came to us?


    And how much of her pain was still hidden, waiting to shatter us all?


    We pulled into the driveway of our new home just as the first rays of dawn touched the sky, painting it with pale gold. I cut the engine and sat for a moment, my hands tight around the steering wheel. My brothers were restless as well, both Oscar and Draven still buzzing with the remnants of violence, anger, and unanswered questions. I could feel their tension like sparks in the air.


    But when my eyes lifted toward the windows of the new house, my chest loosened just a fraction. Behind those curtains, Evaline and our pup were still sleeping. Kieran too, no doubt curled close to them. That sight alone made everything worth enduring - the blood on our hands, the questions left gnawing at me, the restraint it had taken not to end Ethan¡¯s life tonight.


    "Go get some rest," I told Oscar and Draven once we stepped out.


    They both looked at me, reluctant, their hands flexing at their sides as if they still wanted to spill more blood. I understood the feeling too well. But right now, exhaustion threatened to weigh them down, and thest thing I wanted was for Evaline to sense the storm raging inside them.


    <fn7f4f> Find the newest release on F?ndNovel</fn7f4f>


    After a beat, Oscar rubbed the back of his neck and muttered, "Fine." Draven only grumbled under his breath but followed him upstairs.


    I didn¡¯t follow. My blood was still running too hot for sleep. My head too full. Instead, I crossed the hallway and made for the study, shutting the heavy door behind me. The silence that followed was thick, grounding. It gave me the space I needed to breathe, to think.


    Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through my contacts until my thumb hovered over a familiar number. ndor. The old healer had long retired from the Council and now spent his days with family, far from the chaos of our world. I had promised I would never bother him again. And yet... here I was.


    I hit dial.


    It only rang twice before his warm, aged voice answered. "Alpha River Thorne? Now this is a surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure, my lord?"


    A corner of my mouth lifted. Even now, he teased. "It¡¯s been a while, old man. I wouldn¡¯t have disturbed your retirement if it wasn¡¯t important."


    He chuckled softly. "Ah, so it¡¯s not a courtesy call. Good. My grandchildren already think I¡¯m losing my mind. Tell me, then. What¡¯s troubling you?"


    I leaned against the desk, staring at the floorboards as I chose my words carefully. "I need your thoughts on a case. Hypothetical."


    "I¡¯m listening."


    I inhaled slowly. "If... a girl felt the mate bond with a man on their first chance encounter... and when they met again, she never felt it again. What could cause that?"


    Silence.


    I could almost hear the frown on his face through the line. Finally, he spoke. "That is unusual. The mate bond doesn¡¯t simply vanish. Once it reveals itself, it lingers. Sometimes softer, sometimes overwhelming, but always present. Unless..."


    My chest tightened. "Unless what?"


    "Unless something is wrong with either wolf. Do both parties have their wolves intact?"


    The question caught me off guard. I froze for a second, then forced myself to answer. "The girl... doesn¡¯t have a wolf."


    There was a pause. Then, in a low, steady voice, ndor said, "That exins it. A wolfless one cannot sustain the bond in the same way others can. Without a wolf, she can only experience that overwhelming, magical connection once - the very first time fate reveals her mate. After that, what remains is the pull, the attraction, the undeniable tether... but never again that first spark."


    His wordsnded like stones in my chest. Heavy. Irrefutable.


    "You are certain?" My voice came out softer than I intended.


    "As certain as one can be with something so rare," he replied. "I have only heard of it through ancient ounts, healers older than me. But it matches what you have described exactly."


    My grip on the phone tightened. Evaline¡¯s voice echoed in my memory, her quiet confessions that she only felt the bond once with each of us. How she had med herself, as if something in her was broken. How she had wondered if it made her less.


    All this time... it wasn¡¯t her fault. It was the fate.


    As if sensing my silence, ndor¡¯s tone softened. "River, whoever she is... she is not less. Fate doesn¡¯t waste bonds on the unworthy. If she bears such a condition and still has a bond? That only proves how extraordinary she is."


    My throat burned. I shut my eyes, forcing my voice to steady. "She is," I admitted. "More than extraordinary."


    "Then don¡¯t let her forget it," he said firmly. "Others will doubt her. She will doubt herself. But you... you cannot. Remember that, River."


    The call ended soon after, but I didn¡¯t move. I stayed leaning against the desk, the phone heavy in my hand, staring at nothing.


    ndor was right. My mate was extraordinary. Every damn day, she carried the weight of being wolfless in a world that worshiped wolves as life itself, and yet she survived. She fought. She built her life from nothing. And still, she smiled. Still, she loved.


    I thought I knew strength. I thought I embodied it. But next to Evaline Greystone, my kind of strength felt shallow. She bore scars I couldn¡¯t even begin toprehend. And now, with this answer... I understood her better. Her fears. Her hesitations. Her silence when Kieran turned out to be our pup¡¯s father.


    I let out a long breath, raking a hand over my face before straightening. It was still early. The house was quiet. And for the first time in hours, so was I.


    I left the study and walked up the stairs and down the hall until I reached her room. I didn¡¯t go inside. I only stood there, hand brushing the doorframe.


    Inside, I could hear her soft breaths, the tiny sound of the pup shifting, the faint rustle of nkets. My wolf pressed hard against me, wanting me to open the door, to look at her, to touch her, to assure myself she was safe.


    Not yet. She needed her rest. They both did.


    I turned and walked away, heading to my own room. Even the strongest needed rest. Iy down, and though my body resisted sleep, when it came, it carried with it images of amber eyes and the softugh of a pup.

 Chapter 360: The Naming Game

    <h4>Chapter 360: The Naming Game</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time brunch was over, my belly felt pleasantly full and my heart even fuller. Madam Elira had outdone herself with the food, and my friends had not stoppedughing since they had sat down.


    Rowan teased Kyros over the way he piled his te like he hadn¡¯t eaten in days, Mallory and Draven were busy nning something in hushed whispers as if not everyone around them had a wolf¡¯s hearing strength, and somehow Oscar had managed to win every small debate at the table, as if the meal was just another battlefield.


    After the dishes were cleared, we all migrated to the living room. The house suddenly felt alive, brimming with voices,ughter, and the asional sound of the pup¡¯s soft gurgles. Our sony in my arms, dressed in the pale blue outfit Mallory had brought as a gift. He seemed content, blinking up at the ceiling as if it held secrets only he could see.


    Mallory pped her hands, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. "Alright, time to y! We can¡¯t keep calling him ¡¯pup¡¯ forever. The little master deserves a name, and today we are going to pick it."


    Kieran, who was lounging near the window, arched a brow. "And how exactly do you intend to make that decision, Miss Campbell? By drawing straws?"


    Mallory grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Close. We are going to y a naming game."


    "Oh, Goddess," River muttered under his breath, making us chuckle.


    I tilted my head, curious. "What kind of game?"


    She stood in the middle of the room like a host about to unveil a grand performance. "Here¡¯s how it works. Everyone has already thought of a name, right?"


    There were nods all around. Even Kyros lifted his hand.


    "Good. We¡¯ll write our chosen names on slips of paper. No one signs their slip. Then, we¡¯ll put them in this bowl" - she snatched an empty fruit bowl from the table - "and shuffle them."


    Oscar smirked. "Sounds too simple. Where¡¯s the game in that?"


    Mallory¡¯s grin widened. "Patience. Once the names are shuffled, we¡¯ll draw them one at a time. Each person will read the name aloud, and then the room votes with tokens."


    "Tokens?" I asked.


    Rowan produced a small pouch with colored stones. "Already taken care of. Mallory recruited mest night."


    Mallory took the pouch, tossing it lightly in her hand. "Everyone gets three stones. You can use them to vote for whichever names you like, but you can¡¯t ce more than one stone on the same name. At the end, the name with the most stones wins."


    "And if there¡¯s a tie?" Draven leaned forward, grinning like a predator who already smelled chaos.


    "Then the mother gets to choose," Mallory dered. "She has the final say."


    I blinked, surprised. "Me?"


    "Of course you. You carried him, birthed him, and you are raising him. The rest of us are just here to make things fun."


    I couldn¡¯t argue with that. My cheeks warmed as all eyes briefly turned to me, but I nodded. "Alright. Let¡¯s y."


    Madam Elira, who had been hovering at the edge with a fond smile, fetched paper and pens. Everyone scribbled down their choices with exaggerated secrecy. Draven hid his hand like a gambler guarding his cards, while Rowan turned his backpletely to make sure Kyros wasn¡¯t peeking. I wrote mine quickly, my fingers trembling slightly. Naming my child... it felt so monumental, like branding him with a piece of my heart forever.


    Once the slips were folded and tossed into the bowl, Mallory shook it dramatically, then held it out to me. "Mama gets to draw."


    I reached in and pulled out the first slip. Unfolding it carefully, I read, "Lunaris."


    A murmur rippled through the room. "Nice," Rowan admitted. "It means something along the line ¡¯of the moon¡¯, doesn¡¯t it?"


    "Latin origin," Mallory supplied.


    Votes were ced. Three stones. The name was beautiful, but it didn¡¯t quitend.


    The next slip revealed "Elias." Strong, sharp. Draven sat straighter, and I suspected it was his. That one earned four stones, mostly from my friends.


    Then came "Ryan."


    My heart tugged at the sound. I noticed as Oscar¡¯s lips curled slightly, and I knew it was his. Five stones.


    Round after round, names were drawn - "Kaelen," "Oliver," "Luceris." Each one sparked whispers, smiles, and a little rivalry. But none struck with finality.


    Finally, I unfolded thest slip.


    "Lioren."


    The moment the name passed my lips, silence fell. Even the pup blinked up at me as if he recognized it. I repeated it, softer this time, tasting it like honey. "Lioren."


    "Moonlight," Kieran said quietly from his ce by the window. His voice was low but certain. "It means moonlight."


    I turned my head toward him. He wasn¡¯t smirking or posturing like the others. His gaze rested on the pup, tender and unguarded in a way that made my breath catch.


    "Moonlight for the boy born on the night of the full moon," Mallory whispered, her usual teasing gone.


    Oscar dropped his stone first, the clink echoing in the hush. Then Draven, River, Rowan, Kyros, and finally Mallory. I set mine downst, my fingers trembling. Every single stonended on Lioren.


    Iughed softly, overwhelmed. "Unanimous?"


    Mallory pped again, though her eyes were shining. "Unanimous."


    "Lioren Thorne," River said, testing the sound. His deep voice made it resonate through the room.


    Draven leaned forward, grinning at the baby. "Little Lioren."


    Oscar nodded approvingly. "It suits him."


    I looked down at my son... at Lioren. His tiny hand had curled around the edge of my blouse, and he yawned, as if to ept the name we had given him. My chest swelled, my eyes prickling. "Lioren," I whispered again, kissing the soft crown of his head. "My Lioren."


    <fn8821> Fresh chapters posted on Find1Novel</fn8821>


    Kieran still hadn¡¯t moved. His eyes were locked on us, unreadable shadows flickering in their depths. But when my gaze caught his, something passed between us - an unspoken truth. This wasn¡¯t just a name. It was a promise. His promise.


    The room erupted again with chatter, jokes, and yful arguments about who would spoil Lioren the most. Kyros imed he would be the fun uncle, Rowan swore he would teach him how to have fun, and Mallory immediately announced she would make him the best-dressed pup in themunity.


    But I barely heard them. My world had narrowed to the now sleeping child in my arms... and the quiet, steady presence of the man who had given him his name.


    Lioren.


    Moonlight.


    Yes, it was perfect.

 Chapter 361: Alpha in Pain (I)

    <h4>Chapter 361: Alpha in Pain (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The house was alive with warmth these past few days. Ever since we had chosen my son¡¯s name, the walls seemed to hum with his presence. It was only Thursday, just four days since that Sunday noon ofughter and games, but already, I felt as if time was rushing forward too quickly.


    My friends hadn¡¯t been able to sneak away from the Academy during the week, but my mates had done their best to make me feel surrounded by their love and presence.


    River always made sure to return to the house by half past five in the evening, no matter how busy he was with work. If he still had important work left to finish, he did it in the study while still keeping half his attention on me and Lioren.


    Kieran and Oscar also returned every evening after their shift at the Academy officially ended.


    Draven, however, was another matter entirely.


    I could still hear his dramatic sighs from Monday¡¯s call echoing in my mind. He had gone on and on about how Kieran had betrayed him by rejecting his petition to stay the nights at the bew house instead of the dormitories.


    "I¡¯m your mate too, Eva," he had sulked, his voice breaking into an almostical whine. "How is this fair? They get to go out and return whenever they like, but me? I¡¯m chained to the Academy like some prisoner."


    I hadughed despite myself, then promised him nightly video calls so he could see Lio before bed. His grumbling had softened at that, and when I had sworn to devote the entire weekend to him, hisughter had finally broken through his mock misery. "Good," he had said smugly, "I¡¯ll get my revenge then. They¡¯ll see."


    Now, with those memories fresh in my mind, I tucked in my sleeping baby under the soft nket. He fell asleep during our stroll through the mountain path behind the house. I left him under Madam Elira and Vanessa¡¯s care in the nursery and headed downstairs.


    These days, I had been learning the secrets of the kitchen under Madam Elira¡¯s kind and patient guidance. Each time I held the knife in my hand or stirred a simmering pot, I imagined the looks on my mates¡¯ faces when I finally set their favorite dishes before them. And since I wanted all four of them to taste my cooking together, the n was set for theing Saturday. A dinner just for them, cooked with my own hands. It would be the first time, and I wanted it to be perfect.


    I had just entered the kitchen, already savoring the scent of herbs and spices filling the air, when my ears picked up the soft rumble of a car pulling into the driveway.


    I straightened as a shiver ran through me. My senses had been sharpertely, almost unnervingly so. I could hear things further away, distinguish scents with more rity, feel vibrations in the air in ways I never had before.


    Though my senses were always slightly better than humans, they were never on par with other wolves¡¯ senses. But recently, my senses had been getting stronger for some reason. And something inside me whispered they were still changing, still growing.


    I tilted my head slightly, testing that inner thread of connection that bound me to my mates. The bond answered instantly, surging with a force that nearly stole my breath.


    River.


    But this wasn¡¯t the calm, steady current I was used to from him.


    No, this was a storm.


    Anger mmed into me first, scorching and fierce. Pain followed, deep and raw, bleeding through the bond like an open wound. Then fury, sharp enough to cut. And hidden beneath it all, like a trembling thread of gold, was worry.


    My breath caught.


    Right at that very moment, we all heard the front door banged shut so hard the walls seemed to tremble. A secondter, I watched from the kitchen¡¯s entrance as River shot past the hallway, his movements a blur. He didn¡¯t nce my way, didn¡¯t even pause. His eyes were wild, his jaw tight, and the bond burned with his emotions until it nearly overwhelmed me.


    I froze where I was standing, my hand still braced on the wall next to me.


    River Thorne, who always carried himself like water flowing over stone - calm, steady, unshaken. He had vanished up the stairs without a word, without even realizing I was there.


    <fne4ca> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n F¦Énd£Îovel</fne4ca>


    My first instinct was to stay rooted to the spot, to give him space. Something was wrong, that much was clear. But should I intrude? Should I push into a storm I didn¡¯t understand?


    I hesitated for a moment. And then I asked myself the question that changed everything.


    What would I have done if it were Kieran? If it were Oscar? Or Draven?


    The answer came easily, clear as day. I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated. I would have followed them. I would have demanded to know what had hurt them, what had carved such shadows across their faces.


    So why should River be any different?


    I drew a deep breath, my resolve steadying. No, I wouldn¡¯t leave him alone in this - not when the bond was screaming with his overwhelming emotions.


    My feet carried me toward the stairs before I could second-guess myself again. Each step felt heavier, weighted with worry, but I didn¡¯t stop. I already knew where he had gone. His bedroom. The one space he always retreated to when the weight of the world pressed too heavily on him.


    The hallway upstairs stretched long and silent, but I could feel him there, a heavy presence behind the locked door at the end. My hand hovered just inches above the handle, my pulse thundering in my ears.


    River was in pain.


    And I couldn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t, walk away.


    With onest breath, I closed my hand around the handle and without giving myself time to hesitate, I knocked once, softly, and before he could answer...or refuse... I turned the handle and stepped inside.

 Chapter 362: Alpha in Pain (II)

    <h4>Chapter 362: Alpha in Pain (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The air in his room was heavy. Dim evening light was streaming in from the tall ss window, bathing the space in streaks of pale gold.


    River stood there, broad-shouldered and still as stone, gazing out at the horizon. His head turned sharply at the sound of the door, and in one swift movement he hid one of his hands behind his back. But he wasn¡¯t fast enough for me.


    My eyes caught it. The red. The faint smear of blood across his knuckles.


    And then, just to the left of him... was the wall where I noticed the dark stters of red marring the pale surface. The metallic scent mmed into me full force, no longer faint but vivid and unmistakable.


    My heart plummeted.


    "River..." The name tore from my throat before I could stop it. In the next heartbeat I was in front of him, closing the distance as panic surged up my spine. "You are injured!"


    I reached for his hidden hand instinctively, but he shifted, angling his body to keep it from me. "It¡¯s nothing," he said quickly, his voice low but tense. "You don¡¯t need to worry, Evaline."


    How could I not worry?


    My breath caught as my eyes darted between his guarded expression and the blood-streaked wall. His scent wasced with tension, and the bond between us pulsed with a storm of emotion. "River," I whispered, softer now but more insistent. I stared straight into his deep green eyes, silently pleading with him to let me see.


    He shook his head, looking away. "I didn¡¯t mean to make you worry. It¡¯s just a scratch. It will heal within minutes."


    I gave him the look, the one I reserved only for moments like these. The one filled with quiet, unwavering determination, with worry that would not be dismissed. My voice came out steadier this time. "River."


    He froze. Our eyes met again, and something shifted in his expression. I could see the defeat creeping in, see the way his shoulders sagged slightly, as though the fight to keep his walls up was draining out of him.


    With a sigh that sounded like surrender, he slowly drew his hand from behind his back and offered it to me.


    I took it gently, my fingers trembling as they cupped hisrger palm. The sight of his scraped, bloody knuckles made me gasp out loud. The skin was torn and raw, small but angry-looking wounds across every ridge. My thumb hovered just above the injuries, careful not to touch.


    "Oh, River..." My voice cracked, a mixture of relief and sorrow.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he said immediately, his tone heavy with guilt. "I didn¡¯t want you to see. I didn¡¯t want to make you worry."


    I looked up at him sharply, my eyes searching his. "Why would you hurt yourself like this?"


    He looked away again, his jaw tightening. "It¡¯s just... work," he muttered, but even as he said it, the words rang hollow. "I got worked up about a matter at the council. Nothing serious."


    But I knew him too well.


    The Rogue Alpha River Thorne didn¡¯t lose control. He didn¡¯t break things or throw punches at walls. He was always the steady one, the one who anchored everyone else when storms raged. For him to be standing here, knuckles bloody, eyes shadowed with something dark...


    No, this wasn¡¯t nothing.


    I swallowed hard, my gaze dropping back to his wounded hand. My fingers tightened around his palm, careful, cradling it as if it were fragile. "You don¡¯t do this," I whispered, mostly to myself. "Something must have been big enough to-"


    "I¡¯m sorry," he interrupted again, his voice low and earnest. "I never meant to drag you into this. You don¡¯t need to-"


    But I wasn¡¯t listening anymore.


    Something deep inside me stirred.


    It was a familiar sensation, like a thread of warmth uncoiling from the center of my chest. I hadn¡¯t felt it in months, not since that night when my power had surfaced by chance, flowing out of me in a rush of panic to heal Rowan¡¯s injuries. Since then, it had been quiet, as if sleeping.


    I closed my eyes briefly, trying to summon it. Maybe it had only been a one-time thing. Maybe I was reaching for nothing.


    And then, like sunlight breaking through clouds, I felt it.


    A soft, golden warmth filled me from the inside, curling up my arms, flowing down toward my hands. It spread until my palms tingled, and then it slipped into River¡¯s hand like water pouring into cupped fingers.


    He went still.


    His breath caught as his gaze snapped to mine. The heat pulsed between us, his injuries glowing faintly beneath my touch. Together we watched as that soft golden light wrapped around his knuckles, seeping into the torn skin. Slowly, the blood vanished and the scrapes knit themselves closed. The angry red faded into smooth, unblemished skin as though nothing had ever happened.


    He stared,pletely silent. His eyes were wide, and his lips parted slightly.


    For a few precious moments, the storm in the bond quieted. All that existed was the warmth passing between us, the light glowing softly between our hands, and the quiet awe on his face.


    I felt it too - the way the power hummed, pure and steady, filling me with a sense of peace even as it healed him. It was like touching something sacred, something that existed far beyond either of us.


    And then, as quickly as it hade, the glow faded. The warmth slipped away, sinking back into whatever hidden depth it slept in inside me. My palms felt empty, my body drained but lighter somehow.


    River flexed his now-healed hand slowly, staring at it like it was a miracle. "I..." He cleared his throat, still clearly stunned. "I have heard about this from my brothers, but seeing it..." His voice trailed off.


    I looked up at him, still holding his hand lightly. "You have never seen it yourself."


    He nodded his head once, eyes still on his knuckles. "It feels... pure." His voice was low, almost reverent. "Warm. Like sunlight."


    For a heartbeat, we both forgot about the blood on the wall, about the fury and pain that had driven him here. It was just us, standing in the fading glow of my power, his hand in mine.


    But as the warmth left me entirely, my focus sharpened again. My gaze snapped back to his face. The anger that had been reced by awe flickered back to life, but now it was my anger... not at him, but for him.


    <fn3759> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n F?ndNovel</fn3759>


    "How dare you," I said softly, my voice trembling with restrained emotion.


    He blinked at me, startled. "What?"


    I tightened my hold on his healed hand, careful but firm. "How dare you hurt yourself," I demanded. "How dare you think this is okay, River Thorne?" My chest ached, my voice breaking as the words poured out. "You don¡¯t get to break yourself like this and then tell me not to worry. Not you. Not ever."


    He opened his mouth, but I silenced him with one of my hands.


    "If you ever dared to do something this stupid, then..." I trailed off when his startled and guilty expression shifted into that of curiosity and challenge. He was clearly daring me to finish my sentence, but that look on his face hit me with the sudden realization that the man in front of me was not just my mate, but the Rogue Alpha King himself.


    What was I even thinking?


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 363: His Shameless Distraction

    <h4>Chapter 363: His Shameless Distraction</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I watched as he tilted his head slightly, his eyes sharpening in that way only he could manage. The storm that had been hiding in his expression shifted -less guilt now, more intent. And then, his mouth curved in the faintest, most dangerous smile.


    "Are you warning me, little mate?" he drawled, his voice dipping lower, smooth like velvet and iron all at once.


    The tone made my stomach tighten instantly. "I¡¯m not warning you, I¡¯m just-"


    "Challenging me?" he interrupted, taking one slow step closer. He was so near that I could feel the warmth of his body seeping into mine. "Because it sounds a lot like you are challenging me, Evaline Greystone."


    My breath caught. My fingers were still clutching his healed hand, but he twisted it gently in his hold, turning my wrist until his thumb tracedzy, burning circles on the inside of it. The ce where my pulse hammered.


    "River-" I tried to speak, determined to keep my voice steady, to bring the conversation back to his injury, back to the blood that had scared me senseless. "You hurt yourself. I need to know-"


    But his other hand came up, brushing a strand of hair back from my face, his fingertips grazing my cheekbone like he had all the time in the world. His eyes never left mine. "Do you really?" His voice was softer now, butced with heat. "Or do you just like worrying about me?"


    Heat red across my cheeks. I opened my mouth to argue, but the words died when he leaned closer, his nose brushing against my temple, his lips grazing the sensitive shell of my ear.


    "You look beautiful when you are angry," he murmured, the huskiness in his voice curling down my spine like fire.


    "River..." My tone was meant to be stern, but it came out breathless. Weak.


    "That little look you gave me," he continued, ignoring my protest. His lips moved slowly, deliberately, close enough to let me feel his breath with every word. "The one that said you wouldn¡¯t let me win? Do you have any idea what that does to me, Evaline?"


    My knees felt like they were about to buckle. "This isn¡¯t fair," I managed, my voice barely a whisper.


    "Who said I y fair?" He pulled back just enough for our eyes to lock again. His dark gaze was burning with something primal, something that made my heart pound so hard I thought it might break through my ribs.


    I tried... I really tried... to cling to my worry, to push past the way he was deliberately distracting me. "You are doing it again," I used softly. "Trying to make me forget. Trying to-"


    He cut me off in the most devastating way possible.


    <fn9b04> Chapters first released on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn9b04>


    His mouth pressed against mine, slow but devastating, like he had every intention of stealing not just my words, but my very breath.


    The kiss wasn¡¯t rushed, wasn¡¯t careless. It was deliberate, calcted - his signature control wrapped in heat. His lips moved against mine with a precision that made my toes curl, every brush and press demanding more from me.


    I gasped softly against him, and the sound was all the invitation he needed. His hand cupped the back of my neck, tilting my head so he could deepen the kiss, his tongue sliding against mine with unrelenting purpose. He tasted of coffee and something darker, something uniquely him, and the sensation made my entire body tremble.


    I clutched at his shirt instinctively, my fingers curling into the fabric as if I could anchor myself against the storm he was pulling me into. But he didn¡¯t let me stay grounded. No, he wanted me undone.


    His lips moved harder now, more demanding, and when I made a small, helpless sound into his mouth, he growled softly. It was a low, rumbling sound that vibrated through my chest. His hand slid from my wrist to my waist, pulling me flush against him until there wasn¡¯t an inch of space left between our bodies.


    I melted against him, my anger dissolving, my worry scattering into the air like smoke. All that was left was him - his heat, his strength, his mouth iming mine like he owned me.


    When he finally pulled back, just enough to let me breathe, his lips hovered over mine, his breath warm and ragged. His forehead rested against mine, his eyes hooded but burning.


    "Forget everything else," he whispered, his thumb stroking along my jaw. "Just feel me. Just us."


    I wanted to argue. I wanted to tell him that this wasn¡¯t fair, that I still needed answers. But the words tangled in my throat, lost under the weight of the bond humming wildly between us.


    He smirked slightly at my silence, clearly pleased. "That¡¯s what I thought," he murmured before iming my mouth again.


    This time, the kiss was hungrier, more desperate. His teeth grazed my lower lip, tugging it before soothing the sting with his tongue. The move made me shiver violently, and I felt a wave of heat pooling low in my stomach. My nails dug into his chest as if I could somehow control the fire he was setting inside me, but he only pulled me closer, his hand pressing into the small of my back.


    The kiss consumed me, pulled me under, until I was drowning in him. Every brush of his lips, every flick of his tongue, every growl that vibrated against my mouth sent sparks shooting through me. My body was no longer mine, it belonged to him, to this moment, to this intoxicating storm he created.


    When we finally broke apart again, both of us were breathing hard, our lips swollen from the intensity. My chest heaved, and my head was spinning.


    He studied me for a long moment, his thumb brushing against my bottom lip, his smirk softer now but no less devastating. "See, little mate?" he said, his voice a husky whisper that sent another shiver racing down my spine. "You don¡¯t really want to fight me. Not when you taste like this."


    My cheeks med, while my heart pounded so hard it hurt. I wanted to re at him, to tell him off for turning everything into a game, for distracting me so shamelessly. But my body betrayed me. My lips parted, still tingling, and I could only stare at him, breathless and undone.


    He leaned in once more, pressing the gentlest kiss to the corner of my mouth, before pulling back just far enough to whisper against my skin...


    "Now tell me again how you are going to warn me, when you can barely breathe."


    I hated that he was right. Hated that he knew exactly what he was doing to me. And yet, standing there with his arms still holding me close, his lips brushing mine again inzy, intoxicating promises...I couldn¡¯t find it in me to care.


    Not when he made me forget everything but him.

 Chapter 364: Stepbrother’s Promise

    <h4>Chapter 364: Stepbrother¡¯s Promise</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My eyes fluttered open at the softest tap on my shoulder. The dim light from the wallmps made the edges of the room blur, but soon enough, my vision adjusted. Standing above me was Madam Elira.


    I blinked, confusion clouding my head for a moment. Thest thing I remembered was lounging in the living room after dinner with Oscar and Kieran. I was wrapped in Oscar¡¯s arms while Kieran was sitting on the couch beside ours with Lioren resting against his chest. The pup¡¯s little breaths had been so steady, so soothing, that at some point I must have drifted off in Oscar¡¯s hold.


    But now... there was no sign of either of them. No sound of their voices, no presence through the bond. Only Madam Elira. And she was holding Lioren in her arms, the little one bundled up, still fast asleep.


    Noticing my searching gaze, she spoke in her calm, reassuring tone. "It was Alpha River," she exined gently. "He just called his brothers to his room for a talk. They left barely two minutes ago." She shifted Lioren slightly, her touch protective as always. "Why don¡¯t you head to your room and rest, child? You must be exhausted."


    I stood up, brushing my palms over my dress as if it would clear the heaviness from my body. I nodded, though a strange unease began coiling low in my stomach. "Alright," I murmured.


    Madam Elira gave me a warm smile, then turned toward the stairs. I followed her in silence, her steps slow and measured as she carried the pup with utmost care. But when we reached the top, I stopped.


    "You should head to the room first," I said softly. "Take him. I¡¯ll be there after I have wished them goodnight."


    She didn¡¯t question me, just inclined her head and continued down the hall toward my bedroom. I watched her until she disappeared inside, the door closing quietly behind her.


    And then I turned. My feet, as if pulled by an invisible thread, carried me toward River¡¯s room at the other end of the hallway.


    My heart was beating faster than it should, my breathsing short for some reason I couldn¡¯t understand. I told myself it wasn¡¯t because of what happened with River earlier. No... it was because something in me already suspected this "talk" wasn¡¯t something ordinary. The image of his bloody knuckles from earlier shed in my mind, the deflection in his eyes, the guilt in his voice. He hadn¡¯t been honest with me. I felt it deep in my bones.


    And if he thought he could just keep me out of it by hiding behind closed doors with his brothers, he was wrong.


    I was still some distance away when my sharpened hearing - new, still unfamiliar in its reach - caught something.


    A very familiar name.


    <i>Damian Greystone.</i>


    I froze mid-step.


    The world tilted around me, sound rushing in my ears like waves crashing against jagged rocks.


    No. No. No.


    I shouldn¡¯t listen. I knew that. The bond might betray me, might carry my emotions to them. I clenched my fists at my sides, forcing myself to breathe, forcing myself to stand very, very still.


    But I couldn¡¯t move away either. I strained my ears, every part of me both desperate and terrified to know more.


    Draven¡¯s voice broke through first, sharp with fury. "Exin, River! Now."


    The tone made my skin prickle, but it was River¡¯s calm voice that followed. Calm, yet heavy.


    "Jasper contacted me earlier," he said. "Just as I returned home. He informed me that Damian Greystone fled the ve vige where he was exiled with his mother and sister."


    My lips parted soundlessly.


    "He disappeared a week ago," River continued. "Neither his mother nor sister had any idea where he went. Jasper has been trying to find some trace of him, but so far... nothing. No tracks, no leads. It¡¯s as if he vanished into thin air."


    The words sliced through me.


    I staggered back a step, one hand flying to my chest. My nails dug into my skin, desperate for something to hold onto, something to keep me from falling.


    Damian.


    Gone. Disappeared.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the flood of memories crashing over me - his voice whispering against my ear, venomous promises that I could never escape him. The way his shadow had loomed over my entire life until the night of Shadowfang Pack¡¯s annihtion, the way fear had been carved into my bones, leaving scars deeper than anything visible on my skin.


    <fn5a4a> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? F?nd-Novel</fn5a4a>


    <i>You can¡¯t run from me, dear sister. Nor can you hide. No matter what, I¡¯ll always find you. I promise. </i>


    His words started reying like poison, over and over.


    My breath turned shallow, and my body started trembling. If he had fled... if he had learned that I was alive... then it was only a matter of time. He woulde for me. He always did. And I knew better to think otherwise.


    The bonds. They would feel me soon. My panic, my dread. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to smother it, trying to shove it deep down where they couldn¡¯t reach it. But how do you cage fear that¡¯s been part of your soul for years?


    Still, I tried. Forcing my face nk, forcing my heart to slow. Willing myself invisible.


    Because if they knew, if they felt me outside this door, they would stop talking. They would lock me out of the truth all over again.


    But I had already heard enough. Enough to shatter me. Enough to make my world copse.


    Damian was free.


    And he would find me.


    I turned around, ready to walk away before my mates could sense my presence, ready to disappear in my room as if those walls could protect me.


    But the moment I turned, a sudden wave of darkness shed across my eyes and a sense of dizziness overwhelmed me.


    I tried to reach out for something to steady myself, the closest thing being the wall, but instead of the solid wall, my hands came in contact with the familiar warmth of Oscar¡¯s body.


    In the end, I still failed to keep my presence hidden.

 Chapter 365: A Painful Nightmare (I)

    <h4>Chapter 365: A Painful Nightmare (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The dream started quietly. Too quietly.


    It was the kind of silence that presses on your chest, that makes you want to run but leaves your feet rooted to the ground.


    I knew, even before the shadows crept in, that this wasn¡¯t an ordinary dream. No, this was <i>him</i>. This was my mind dragging me back into memories I had buried, locked, and tried to pretend never existed.


    I wanted to wake up. I begged my body to wake up. But I couldn¡¯t. My mind wanted me to relive it. Every sick, twisted piece of it.


    And so it began again.


    The nightmares I hadn¡¯t relieved since I found my mates, returned with full force tonight.


    - - -


    I was twelve.


    The front gates of the pack house groaned open, the iron heavy with the weight of generations. My father walked inside with a proud smile, his arm linked with a woman whose beauty was sharp enough to cut ss. Beside her walked her two children - Damian and Lillian.


    Her hand rested lightly on my father¡¯s arm, but her eyes - those cold, glittering eyes - rested on me. Evaluating. Measuring. Disliking.


    "This is Evaline," my father said, as if he were presenting me to them like a piece of furniture. "My daughter."


    Then he turned to me. "Eva, meet your mother. And here are Damian and Lillian. You¡¯ll be siblings now. A family."


    I didn¡¯t react, but I watched as the woman smiled, sickly sweet. "Of course. We¡¯ll take good care of her."


    But even then, even at twelve, I felt it. The venom under her words. The way her lips curved without warmth, the way her children mimicked her expression - Damian with a re that was too dark for a boy of thirteen, and Lillian with a tilt of her chin that screamed superiority.


    From that day, everything changed.


    At first, it was small. Snidements when my father¡¯s back was turned. A missing ribbon from my hair. A book ruined with spilled ink.


    The "idents" multiplied, and so did their sharp whispers.


    "Why does she always get Father¡¯s attention?"


    "I absolutely hate her."


    "She¡¯s just a burden."


    And their mother, my stepmother, watched with satisfaction glittering in her eyes. She despised me, but oh, how beautifully she acted in front of Father. Sweet, doting, pretending to care for me as though I were her own child.


    It didn¡¯t take long before my father drifted. His hand no longer lingered on my shoulder. His voice no longer called for me in the gardens. His gaze slid right past me at dinner.


    That was all they were waiting for.


    Once his attention disappeared, so did their masks.


    They stopped pretending.


    -


    And then there was Damian.


    At first, he was just cruel in the way boys can be - mocking my clumsy steps, pulling my braid, stealing things from my room, calling me names that made Lillian giggle.


    But something changed once I turned fifteen.


    My body grew, curves softening my childish figure, and I started noticing how his gaze followed me. It was no longer the disdain of a boy mocking his unwanted stepsister. It was darker. Heavier.


    His remarks shifted too.


    "You shouldn¡¯t wear dresses that tight."


    "Do you even know what kind of attention you are drawing?"


    "Careful, Eva... not everyone¡¯s as nice as me."


    At first, I didn¡¯t understand. But soon, the way his eyes lingered on me left no room for confusion.


    -


    The nightmare shoved me forward, pulling me into that day. The day that changed everything.


    It waste afternoon. I had gone into town to buy stuff I needed for a project work from the stationary shop. That¡¯s where I met Tomas, a boy from my ss. He was kind, polite, with a shy smile.


    We wereughing softly over some silly mistake he had made in his homework when Damian appeared at the door, nked by his friends.


    The moment his gazended on me, I felt it. The shift.


    <fn1aeb> Readplete version only at f?ndnovel</fn1aeb>


    Sharp. Lethal.


    His eyes didn¡¯t just re. They burned.


    I fled. I didn¡¯t wait for Tomas¡¯s goodbye, didn¡¯t even finish paying properly before running out into the street. Because I knew. I just knew it in my very bones.


    But I wasn¡¯t prepared for what came next.


    That very night, the pack house was filled with silence as everyone had gone to Beta Helric¡¯s son¡¯s sixteenth birthday party, the grand event that had the entire pack celebrating. I was excused from attending, feigning a headache to escape the gathering.


    I should have felt safe. Alone in the house.


    But I wasn¡¯t.


    Because the door to my room creaked open.


    And there he was.


    Damian.


    The moonlight spilled through the window, cutting across his face. His hair cast shadows over his eyes, but I could still see the hunger there.


    "You think you can talk to other boys?" His voice was low, dangerous. "You think you can smile at them?"


    I froze on my bed, my heart pounding so hard it hurt.


    "Damian... get out." My voice shook. I hated that it shook.


    He stepped closer.


    "You don¡¯t understand, do you?" His hand lifted, brushing my hair back from my face. I flinched so hard I nearly fell off the bed. His lips curled into something that wasn¡¯t a smile. "You belong to me."


    I tried to run past him, but his hand grabbed the back of my neck and shoved me against the nearest wall while he caged me there with his body.


    I tried to push him away. I tried to scream.


    But no sound came out.


    The walls of my room bent, warped, the memory twisting into something monstrous. His shadow loomedrger andrger, his voice echoing, whispering, <i>mine... mine... mine</i>.


    I curled into myself, wing at my ears to block him out.


    The nightmare dragged me through shes - his hands shoving me into corners, his mockingughter, his threats whispered in the dark.


    "You¡¯ll never escape me."


    "You can¡¯t run."


    "I¡¯ll always find you."


    Again. Again. Again.


    Until the words burned into my skin like brands, until I thought I would suffocate from the weight of them.

 Chapter 366: A Painful Nightmare (II)

    <h4>Chapter 366: A Painful Nightmare (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I wasn¡¯t waking up.


    The nightmare pulled me deeper into the memories of my past. Reminding me that night was just the beginning.


    -


    I turned sixteen.


    The moon hung heavy in the sky, but for me, it may as well have been pitch ck.


    Because that was the night of my Awakening. The night every wolfes of age, the night the wolf spirit rises for the first time and bonds with its human half.


    <fn9844> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? f?ndnovel</fn9844>


    Except... mine never came.


    I stood there under the moonlight, surrounded by whispers, eyes darting toward me with pity, disgust, superiority.


    "Wolfless."


    "She¡¯s useless."


    "Trash."


    And then there was my father¡¯s gaze. His reaction was the one I could never forget. The way his shoulders stiffened, the shame etched across his features as though my existence had spat on the family name, on his very existence.


    I wanted him to say something, anything. To tell them I was still his daughter, their Alpha¡¯s daughter, still worthy.


    But instead, he turned away and left me there to be ridiculed by the entire pack.


    And just like that, I was alone.


    That was the night thest hope in me - to ever have a family, to one day seed in earning back my father¡¯s love and care - shatteredpletely.


    -


    The dream twisted, dragging me into the weeks after.


    Damian¡¯s smirking face came into view. He was always there. Always watching.


    "You thought you were better than me once." His voice hissed in my ear. "Now look at you. Trash. Nothing. And you¡¯ll do whatever I say, won¡¯t you?"


    At first, his cruelty was words, pushes, ps.


    But then...


    The first whip cracked across my back, and the sound tore through my nightmare so sharply that I screamed.


    My body jolted, but I wasn¡¯t waking up. I was still there, pressed against the cold floor of my room, my palms raw from bracing myself, the taste of blood in my mouth where I had bitten down to stop myself from crying too loudly.


    He liked it when I cried.


    <i>Don¡¯t give him what he wants.</i>


    But I was sixteen. Just a girl. And I couldn¡¯t always be strong.


    -


    The next scene mmed into me like a tidal wave.


    The flicker of candlelight. Wax dripping. The first hot sting against my skin that made me jerk, made me choke on a sob.


    "Beautiful," Damian whispered, tilting his head as though admiring art. "Red on pale. You should thank me for making you worth looking at."


    I remember my voice breaking when I begged him to stop. I remember wing at the floor, searching for escape.


    And I remember himughing.


    Theugh of someone who had found the perfect toy.


    What made it worse, what made it unbearable, was the twisted care he showed afterward.


    The way he would kneel with a bowl of herbal paste, his fingers almost gentle as he applied salve to the welts he had carved into my skin.


    "Can¡¯t have my canvas ruined," he would murmur, his voice dripping with false affection. "Heal fast, little sister, so I can paint you again."


    It was sick. Twisted. And it broke something in me.


    Because a part of me would cling to that false gentleness, desperate for even scraps of kindness, even if it came from my tormentor.


    I hated myself for it.


    -


    The nightmare continued as it shoved me through every failed attempt at salvation.


    The day I tried to tell Father.


    His office smelled of ink and wolf musk, heavy with his authority. I had stood there trembling, my voice cracking as I told him what Damian was doing.


    His eyes had been cold.


    "You think I¡¯ll believe that?" he asked, his tone sharp enough to slice me in half. "Damian is my son. My <i>heir</i>. And you-" His lip curled. "You are nothing but a wolfless stain on this family."


    That was the day I learned silence was safer than truth.


    But that didn¡¯t mean I gave in. Next time, I tried to run.


    I was barefoot, my lungs burning, the forest floor biting into my skin as I ran deeper, faster, desperate to get away.


    <i>Freedom. Just freedom. Even death would be better than this</i>.


    Branches tore at my arms, the wind howled in my ears, but none of it mattered. For one heartbeat, I thought I might make it.


    Then he was there.


    Damian.


    He stepped from the shadows as though he had been waiting all along, his smirk already spreading across his face.


    "Run, little sister," he drawled. "Run as much as you want. You¡¯ll never leave me. Not unless I allow it."


    His hand wrapped around my throat, mming me against a tree. The bark dug into my back, the air left my lungs, and I wed at him, desperate to breathe.


    His eyes glowed with something dark, inhuman.


    "You belong to me," he whispered. "Say it."


    I shook my head. Couldn¡¯t. Wouldn¡¯t.


    The next thing I knew, I was back in my room and the whip cracked, this time across my thighs, and I sobbed the words he wanted to hear.


    Anything to make it stop.


    -


    The nightmare strung all of it together, one after another, a montage of every horror he had ever forced on me.


    The way he would corner me when no one was around. The way he would mock me in public, knowing no one would defend me. The way his hands would bruise, burn, own.


    And always, always, the words...


    "You can¡¯t run."


    "You can¡¯t hide."


    "You are mine."


    -


    I was choking. Drowning. My chest heaved, my throat raw from screams I couldn¡¯t stop.


    I wed at the air, at my own skin, desperate to wake up.


    But Damian¡¯s shadow loomedrger andrger, until it was all I could see.


    Until his voice filled every corner of my mind.


    And then-


    "Eva!"


    A voice. Real. Urgent.


    Strong arms wrapped around me, hauling me out of the darkness.


    I gasped, my eyes flying open, my body trembling violently. Sweat drenched my skin, my breath came in broken sobs.


    The nightmare lingered like smoke, choking me, refusing to let me go.


    But those arms, the warmth of them, anchored me.


    And for the first time in what felt like hours, I remembered:


    Damian wasn¡¯t here.


    This wasn¡¯t then.


    I wasn¡¯t that helpless girl anymore.

 Chapter 367: Helpless Mates

    <h4>Chapter 367: Helpless Mates</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    The moment I felt Eva¡¯s body trembling against mine, my wolf went still. Then the tremble turned into violent shaking, and her breath starteding out in short, panicked gasps.


    Her fingers wed at the sheets, her knuckles turned pale, and then... she screamed. A sound so raw and full of terror it ripped straight through my chest.


    I sat up instantly, pulling her into my arms. "Eva-Eva, it¡¯s me. You are safe, love. You are safe with me." My voice cracked as I spoke, but I didn¡¯t care. I tried to rub circles on her back the way I had seen Draven do when she was anxious, but nothing seemed to reach her.


    Her eyes were squeezed shut, and tears were sliding down her cheeks. Her lips were moving but no words came out... just silent pleas only she could hear.


    Through our mate bond, her emotions crashed into me like a storm. Fear. Helplessness. Pain so sharp it felt like knives under my own skin. And beneath all that, a small flicker of exhaustion... the kind thates when someone¡¯s been fighting too long. She was trying to wake up, but the nightmare was holding her hostage. I could feel it. Every second of it.


    My heart clenched, my wolf howled inside my chest, and I pulled her closer, whispering, "Come back to me, sweetheart. Please,e back to me."


    Her scream rose again, louder this time, enough to echo off the walls of our room. And the door of my bedroom flew open the next instant, River and Kieran stepping inside.


    A secondter, they were at the bedside, eyes wild and glowing in the dim light. River¡¯s hands trembled as he reached out to touch her shoulder. While Kieran looked pale, like he had seen a ghost.


    "What¡¯s happening?" Kieran¡¯s voice was hoarse. He looked at me like I had the answers, but I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t know. All I knew was that I could feel her slipping further into that darkness.


    "She¡¯s trapped in a nightmare," I rasped, brushing damp strands of hair from her face. "She¡¯s trying to wake up, but she can¡¯t." My voice cracked. "I can feel her trying. She¡¯s fighting it."


    River sat on the other side of her, pressing his forehead to hers. "Evaline, listen to me. You are safe, my love. We are here. Come back to us."


    But nothing changed. Her small frame jerked in my arms, like she was being pulled under water. Her cries softened into whimpers. And then... I felt it. Through the bond, a flicker of surrender. She was getting tired of fighting. She was giving up.


    A sound left my throat - half snarl, half plea - as I tightened my hold on her. "No. No, don¡¯t you dare give up. Don¡¯t you dare."


    River¡¯s fingers dug into the sheets, his wolf¡¯s eyes glowing. "I can¡¯t reach her," he muttered. "I can¡¯t get through."


    Kieran looked down at her trembling form, his hands hovering just above her like he was afraid to break her. "She¡¯s so scared," he whispered. "Stars, she¡¯s so scared."


    I looked up at my brothers and found them just as stunned and helpless as I felt. None of us were prepared for this. We had known our mate carried scars, but this... this was deeper than anything we had imagined. Just the thought of what could be making her this afraid, what kind of life she had lived to leave these wounds inside her, left me cold with terror.


    And then the terror gave way to rage. Hot, violent rage. My wolf snarled inside me, his hackles rising. The idea of someone hurting her this badly made every bone in my body ache with the need to kill. I wanted to rip apart every single person who hadid a hand on her, who had hurt her. I didn¡¯t even know the story, but I wanted them dead.


    "Help her," I croaked, my voice breaking as I looked at my brothers. "Help her to wake up."


    River blinked, as if my words had pulled him out of his shock. Kieran straightened, his jaw tight. Together, we formed a circle around her - River holding her hands, Kieran pressing a palm to her cheek, me cradling her against my chest. We called her name again and again, our voices ovepping.


    "Eva. Come back, sweetheart."


    <fn5943> Discover more novels at Find?Novel</fn5943>


    "You are safe. No one will hurt you again, we will make sure of that."


    "We are here. You are not alone anymore."


    Her whimpers turned into broken sobs. Her body shuddered once, twice... and then, finally, hershes fluttered. She opened her tear-filled eyes, looking dazed and unfocused, until they met mine.


    She gasped. A sharp, panicked sound. And then she was moving - sitting up so fast it startled us, burying herself in my arms. Her sobs tore through the quiet of the room as she clung to me like I was the only thing keeping her upright. Her fingers curled into my shirt, holding on like she was afraid she would be pulled back into that nightmare if she let go.


    "I have got you," I whispered, wrapping both arms around her, my chin resting on the top of her head. "You are here. You are safe. No one¡¯s going to hurt you."


    River stroked her hair, murmuring soft reassurances. Kieran pressed a hand to her back, his thumb rubbing small circles between her shoulder des. None of us asked her what she had seen. We didn¡¯t need to know right now. We just needed to hold her.


    "We are here," Kieran said softly. "All of us. You are not alone anymore."


    I felt her shudder at the words, a small, broken sound escaping her. She didn¡¯t speak, just pressed herself closer to me. Her tears soaked through my shirt, but I didn¡¯t care. I tightened my hold until there was no space between us.


    She needed us. She needed to feel safe, needed to know that she wasn¡¯t alone. That was the only thing we could give her right now.


    River¡¯s voice was low but steady. "We¡¯ll never let anyone hurt you again. Not ever."


    I nodded, pressing a kiss to her temple. "They would have to get through us first."


    For a long time, none of us moved. We just sat there, her between us, all of us breathing in sync. The bond thrummed faintly, a steady pulse of warmth beneath the lingering fear.


    Slowly, her sobs quieted, and her breathing evened out. She was still trembling, but she wasn¡¯t fighting anymore. She was just... there. With us.


    Kieran shifted slightly, his hand still rubbing her back. "She¡¯s exhausted," he murmured. "She needs rest."


    I nodded again, but I didn¡¯t loosen my hold. I wasn¡¯t ready to let her go. My wolf wasn¡¯t either. We had nearly lost her in that nightmare, and the thought of it still had my heart in a vice.


    I looked at her tear-streaked face, hershes clumped with wetness. Even like this, she was beautiful. Stronger than anyone I had ever met. My throat tightened as I realized how much pain she had been carrying alone.


    And stars help me, I would make sure she never had to carry it alone again.


    Kieran gave a small, sad smile. "We are not going anywhere. We are right here."


    She shifted slightly at that, her fingers still fisted in my shirt, but her eyes fluttered shut again... not in sleep, but in exhaustion, like she was letting herself lean on us for the first time.


    I tightened my hold around her onest time and whispered, "I have got you, sweetheart. You are safe now."


    And this time, she didn¡¯t flinch at the words.


    It took a while, but she finally rxed in my hold. Yet, she didn¡¯t loosen her hold on my shirt, and I made sure to hold her just as tightly.

 Chapter 368: His Hunt Begins

    <h4>Chapter 368: His Hunt Begins</h4>


    <strong>Damian:</strong>


    I ran.


    Not because I was afraid of being caught, though the men of the Rogue Alphas had been sniffing around for me for weeks now.


    I ran because my heart was pounding in a way it hadn¡¯t in nearly a year. My lungs burned, my legs ached, but I didn¡¯t slow down. Not when my mother¡¯s words were still ringing in my ears.


    <i>"Someone came looking... asking questions about her."</i>


    Evaline.


    Her name had been a ghost in our lives for this past one year. Forbidden. Buried. A memory that only I had clung to in my own twisted, ruined way. My mother spat it like venom, my sister rolled her eyes in disgust whenever it surfaced. But when I heard it again... spoken in a trembling whisper as my mother recounted the visit... I knew.


    She was alive.


    Why else would anyone ask? Dead girls don¡¯t inspire strangers toe searching.


    For months, I had thought it was over. That the night of the Shadowfang Pack¡¯s ruin, and her death, was the final thread cut between us. But the moment I heard her name, something inside me snapped back into ce.


    Alive. My little sister was alive. Somewhere out there, breathing the same air, walking under the same sky. And if she was alive, then she was still mine.


    Augh tore out of me, wild and sharp, startling my mother until she pped me across the face. "Don¡¯t you dare think about her ever again!" she hissed, her eyes shing.


    But I wasn¡¯t listening. My pulse was roaring too loudly in my ears. I could see her - her pale face, her beautiful amber eyes wide with fear, her body curling away from me. She had always been mine, whether she epted it or not. And I had been denied her for too long.


    I shoved a bag together that same night. Clothes, cash I stole from the warriors, a stolen kitchen knife. My mother shouted after me, my sister sneered, but I didn¡¯t stop. They weren¡¯t important. Not anymore. The only thing that mattered was finding her.


    I had no trail. No scent. No clue. But I had determination, and that was enough. I would scour every damn corner of this cursednd until I found her. And I knew exactly where to start.


    Ethan ckwood.


    The bastard who had once been her friend. My lip curled as I thought of him. He had tossed her aside like trash, humiliated her in front of everyone... just like I asked him to do.


    Ethan had exactly what I needed to find Evaline - power, resources, and money. If anyone could help me find her, it was him.


    And besides, I needed a hiding ce. It was two days after I ran away from that vige when I came across a group of warriors who turned out to be hunting me for reasons I still didn¡¯t fully understand.


    Were they chasing me because I had ran away from the vige where I was exiled as a ve?


    I didn¡¯t care. I was never going to return to that ce.


    The forest thinned, giving way to the faint glow ofnterns in the distance. ckwood territory. My chest tightened. Memories pressed against my skull - of following Eva through these woods when we were children, of yanking her hair and mocking her until she cried, of cornering her against a tree and whispering things in her ear that made her tremble.


    <fn6256> Content originallyes from F¦ÉndNovel</fn6256>


    She had hated me for it.


    But hate was still a kind of bond, wasn¡¯t it? Stronger than indifference. Strong enough to make her think of me, even when she wanted to forget.


    I smiled, though it didn¡¯t reach my eyes. She could try to run, but she would never escape me. Not really.


    My pace slowed as I approached the outskirts of ckwoodnd. I pulled the hood of my cloak higher, keeping my face shadowed. Patrols passed nearby, their voices carrying in the night, but none of them noticed me. I was good at this, at being invisible when I wanted to be.


    Ethan would help me. He would have to. Not because he cared for Eva, he never had, but because I knew things about him, secrets he wouldn¡¯t want spilled. If he refused me, I would remind him just how fragile his little position as Alpha heir was.


    Still, my chest throbbed with something almost childlike as I thought of her again. Evaline. My little sister. My torment. My obsession.


    I wondered what she looked like now.


    Had she grown even more beautiful in her time away? Did she still flinch the way she used to when I whispered her name in the dark? Did she still bite her lip when she was scared, that tiny act of defiance she thought could hide her terror from me?


    The idea that someone else might have touched her in these months made my vision blur red. No. She was mine. She had always been mine. No boy from her ss, no Alpha, no wolf... not even her precious Ethan... could change that.


    I quickened my steps, my mind racing with ns. Once I found Ethan, I would wring every scrap of information out of him. If he knew where she was, good. If he didn¡¯t, then I would make him find out. One way or another, I would have her back.


    Those warriors wanted me captured? Let theme. They would learn soon enough that I was far more dangerous than they thought. And if anyone tried to stand between me and my sister... anyone at all... I would make sure they regretted it.


    Alive. She was alive.


    The words burned like fire in my veins.


    And Moon Goddess help her... she wasn¡¯t going to stay hidden from me for long.


    I adjusted the strap of my bag and slipped deeper into ckwood territory, every step pulling me closer to Ethan... and closer to her.


    I didn¡¯t know how long the hunt would take. Didn¡¯t know how many bodies would fall before it was done. But I knew one thing for certain.


    I would find Evaline.


    And when I do, she would learn... just like she always had... that she could never run from me.


    Not unless I allowed it. And I would never allow that.

 Chapter 369: The Phone Call

    <h4>Chapter 369: The Phone Call</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When my eyes fluttered open, I half expected to find myself still cradled in Oscar¡¯s warmth. The faint weight over my waist, the steady heat enveloping me, the strong chest beneath my cheek... it all felt so much like him.


    But when myshes lifted and my gaze adjusted to the sunlight filtering through the curtains, the first thing I saw was not Oscar¡¯s familiar face.


    It was River.


    His face was inches from mine, bathed in thete-morning glow, and for a second, my breath caught.


    It was strange, almost unfair, how different he looked like this.


    His hair, always perfectly styled back in thatmanding way that screamed Alpha, nowy messily across his forehead, strands catching the light like ink and silk woven together. The sharp suits he lived in were absent, reced by the casual softness of sleep. His usual calm, cold mask - the one he wore like armor in front of everyone - had slipped away, leaving behind only tranquility.


    And stars... he was beautiful. Too beautiful.


    The kind of beautiful that made my chest tighten and my fingers itch to reach out.


    A smile crept across my lips before I even realized it. Slowly, hesitantly, I lifted my hand and let the tip of my finger hover over his features. I traced the curve of his eyebrow, the slope of his nose, before stopping just shy of his mouth.


    I shouldn¡¯t. I knew I shouldn¡¯t. But oh, how tempting it was to trace the shape of his lips, to see if they were as soft as I remembered.


    Instead, I forced myself to pull back, my gaze flicking over my shoulder in search of someone far more important... Lioren.


    But not only there was no sign of my son, even his crib was missing.


    Panic shot through me, faster than lightning. My son. Where-? My eyes darted around the room only for another realization to m into me. This wasn¡¯t my bedroom.


    It was Oscar¡¯s.


    I let out a small sigh, and tried to shift away from River¡¯s arms, careful not to wake him. But the moment I moved, his hold tightened, pulling me flush against him again.


    "River-" I started in a whisper, but before I could say more, his deep, velvety, and maddeningly calm voice brushed against my ears.


    "He¡¯s with Madam Elira," River murmured, his eyes still closed. His lips tilted faintly, as if he knew I would be panicking. "Our son is fine. You, however, are not paying me enough attention."


    My brows shot up, though my heart skipped in a way I couldn¡¯t quite control. "What is that supposed to mean?" I challenged softly, unable to stop the small smile tugging at my mouth.


    Finally, he cracked open one eye, the piercing deep green gaze locking on me with enough force to send my pulse into chaos. "It means, Evaline," he said, his voice low, measured, and terribly intimate, "that your son isn¡¯t the only one who needs your love, your care... your attention."


    The way he said it - like it was an unshakable truth, like I was denying him something vital - made my stomach flip and my breath stutter.


    I should have argued. I should have reminded him of yesterday¡¯s fright, of the blood on his knuckles, of the storm behind his calm. But when River Thorne wanted something, he had a way of tilting the entire world in his favor.


    And right now, all he wanted was me.


    My lips parted, ready to give some clever retort, but the words tangled in my throat when he leaned closer. His forehead brushed mine, his nose grazing my cheek. That calm expression he wore for the world was gone, what he gave me now was raw, unguarded intensity that made me shiver.


    His thumb swept lightly over my jaw, almost reverent, almost a warning. "Do you have any idea," he whispered, "how hard it is to lie here with you in my arms and not take what I want?"


    The butterflies in my stomach turned into a full-blown storm.


    I swallowed, barely able to think straight as his breath mingled with mine, warm and teasing. "River..." I tried to protest, though it came out softer than I intended, more plea than argument.


    "You test me," he continued, his tone dark but threaded with heat. "Every time you look at me with those eyes, every time you put someone else before me, you test just how much restraint I have left."


    The air between us grew thinner, hotter, until it was unbearable.


    And then, just as he tilted his head, just as his lips were a breath away from mine...


    <fnb76c> Original content can be found at find¡¤novel</fnb76c>


    The shrill ring of a phone shattered the moment.


    I jerked slightly, the spell breaking, but River didn¡¯t move. His jaw clenched, irritation rolling off him in waves. With a growl low in his throat, he snatched the phone from the bedside table, his arm still caging me against him as if he dared the world to take me away.


    "This better be important," he snapped, his voice sharp enough to cut steel.


    On the other end, Kieran¡¯s familiar voice carried clear as day... too clear for my newly sharp hearing to miss.


    "River," Kieran said, his tone grave, "an elder from the Council has been found soul dead."


    The words froze me instantly.


    Soul dead.


    I felt my blood run cold, my body stiffening in River¡¯s arms. His eyes, which had been burning with frustrated desire a moment ago, now hardened into something else entirely. A sharp, dangerous edge that made even the air in the room feel different.


    Neither of us spoke for a moment. The weight of Kieran¡¯s words sank deep, and the sweet, teasing intimacy that had filled the air seconds ago was reced by dread.


    "I¡¯ll there soon."


    River ended the call and his gaze shifted to me. But before he could speak, I did. "Go. And handle it."


    He ced a kiss on my forehead before he was climbing out of the bed and walking out of the room.

 Chapter 370: A Shadow That Hunts Unseen

    <h4>Chapter 370: A Shadow That Hunts Unseen</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    After River left, I was left with nothing but questions and worry.


    Another Soul Death case. And this time, it was an Elder from the Council.


    Though I wanted to contact both Kieran and Rowan to get some sort of update, I refrained myself. Thest thing she wanted was to disturb Kieran when he was busy dealing with such an important matter. And there was no telling whether Rowan had heard anything about this new case from Kieran yet, and if he hadn¡¯t, then she should really not contact him at the moment.


    Hence, she was left with only one option... to wait.


    The sun was still hovering over the horizon when I heard a car pulling up in the driveway. The presence of my mates filled our bonds, letting me know they had returned home earlier today than usual, all four of them.


    I handed Lioren to Madam Elira, pressing a kiss to his soft cheek before leaving him in her and Vanessa¡¯s care. I knew he was safe and well looked-after in their care.


    I made my way downstairs and felt their presence in the study, so I entered the dimly lit room quietly, though the soft click of the door still made all of them lift their gazes to me.


    The four of them were scattered across the couches, silent and tense as if waiting for war. My heart thudded against my ribs, that instinctual dread telling me I wasn¡¯t going to like what I was about to hear.


    Before I could even settle, Draven reached forward and wrapped his strong hand around my wrist, pulling me straight into hisp as though needing me anchored to him. I gasped softly at the sudden tug, but didn¡¯t protest. Despite the tense situation and the serious matter at hand, I was more than happy to be in my mate¡¯s arms.


    "Stay here," he murmured, his voice low but almost desperate. "I don¡¯t want you too far from me after all these days I have spent away from you."


    I rxed in his hold, and swept my gaze over the others. "What happened?" I asked, my voice not as steady as I wanted it to be.


    River leaned forward, bracing his forearms against his knees, his jaw clenched so tightly it was a wonder he could even speak. "It was Elder Nichs."


    I stilled. Elder Nichs? He was one of the oldest members of the werewolf council, someone I had grown used to seeing at the headquarters during my internship period. He had always carried wisdom in his pale eyes, always had a steady word of counsel for the young and reckless.


    "What about him?" I whispered, though I already knew the answer.


    Kieran¡¯s gaze met mine, his voice hushed but edged with helplessness. "He was found unconscious this morning. In the woods behind the old council headquarter building."


    The words slid like ice beneath my skin, and my fingers curled tightly against Draven¡¯s chest.


    "Was he found soul dead too?" I asked, the fragile hope in my tone breaking.


    Kieran nodded his head once. "That¡¯s right. Soul dead."


    The room thickened around me. I could feel all four of them watching, waiting for my reaction, but I couldn¡¯t form one. The breath caught in my throat felt like shards of ss.


    Soul death.


    Again.


    <fn4653> For more chapters visit F¦Énd£Îovel</fn4653>


    "This is the fourth case in the past fifteen months," Oscar muttered from where he sat against the armrest, his usually yful demeanor reced by an edge that scared me more than his anger ever could. "And Nichs... he was supposed to be untouchable. Strong. Respected. Not just any weak and young wolf to fall prey to whatever is happening."


    My stomach twisted. "But how?" My voice cracked, raw. "How does something like this keep happening, and no one sees anything?"


    River¡¯s eyes darkened, his presencemanding the silence that followed. "That¡¯s the question we have been trying to answer all day. We had our menb through every piece of footage from the old headquarters, every street leading into the woods, every shadow that might have lingered nearby. Nothing."


    "Nothing," Oscar echoed grimly. "No tracks. No unusual scents. Not even a damn broken twig to suggest someone had been there."


    It felt impossible. No crime left without evidence. No predator leaving no mark. Unless...


    Draven¡¯s hand tightened its hold on mine slightly. "It¡¯s deliberate. Precise. Whoever is doing this is leaving nothing behind because they know exactly how to cover their trail."


    Kieran leaned back, running a hand down his face as though exhaustion pressed heavier than the day itself. "And it¡¯s spreading fear through the council faster than wildfire. If an elder can be attacked and stripped of his soul, then none of them will feel safe anymore. They are already whispering about a shadow that hunts unseen."


    A shadow that hunts unseen.


    I swallowed hard. "So, this is what? A warning? Or a message?"


    River¡¯s gaze snapped to mine, sharp and unyielding. "It¡¯s more than that. It¡¯s a deration. Whoever is behind this isn¡¯t just hunting... they are showing us they can reach anyone. Anywhere. Anytime."


    The silence that followed wed at my nerves.


    I wanted to say something, to offer even the smallest thread of hope, but the weight of their words pressed too heavily on my chest. My heart was beating too loud, too fast, and all I could think of was Elder Nichs - lying somewhere out there, empty, hollow, his soul gone as though it had never existed.


    Draven¡¯s arms tightened around me as if sensing my spiraling thoughts. His lips brushed the side of my temple in a fleeting touch, an unspoken promise that I wasn¡¯t alone in this darkness.


    But I couldn¡¯t stop the question that was starting to take root in my mind. Whoever was behind this, their targets almost seemed abrupt so far. From whatever information I had gathered during my investigation in this matter, there wasn¡¯t really a pattern... at least not one that stood out to me.


    So...


    <i>What if ites for us next?</i>

 Chapter 371: The Records

    <h4>Chapter 371: The Records</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When my friends arrived for the weekend, I took the first chance I got to pull Rowan aside.


    We moved like conspirators. I checked the hallway outside twice<strong></strong>to make sure no one had followed us. My chest felt tight as a fist as I locked the door. The soft thunk of thetch sounded enormous.


    For a moment, when I faced Rowan, the quiet was almostical<strong></strong>- the chatter andughter muffled outside, while the two of us stood in<strong></strong>the privacy of my bedroom where truth felt dangerously close.


    Rowan didn¡¯t wait for me to speak. His eyes, searching and honest, already carried the question I had been circrly rehearsing for days. "Is this about Elder Nichs?" he asked.


    His question answered one of mine - Kieran had told him about Elder Nichs¡¯ case.


    I nodded my head before I asked, "How much do you know so far?"


    Rowan was quick to reveal how Kieran had called him the morning after the day of the incident to inform him about Elder Nichs being the newest target of Soul Death. "However, that¡¯s the only thing I know. He didn¡¯t contact me after that."


    I nodded in understanding. "There¡¯s not much to say. Nothing has been found suspicious even though days have passed. It¡¯s just like the previous cases. No evidence. No leads."


    The two of us were silent before Rowan told me how he had been keeping an ear out around campus, but he hadn¡¯t found anything unusual. He also admitted there had been no odd behavior among the senior students I had mentioned to him, the ones rted to the secret group.


    That should haveforted me. But it didn¡¯t.


    I told him what had been circling inside my head, the n I had been refining like a wound. "We need the full records. Not just the new cases, but the old ones as well if we need to understand this matter more clearly. We can¡¯t stay dependent on the secret group of students any more."


    "The old ones? Where can we find them?" Rowan asked.


    "Those cases happened centuries ago. And from what I learned during my internship, such old records have been recorded only in brittle ledgers, written by hands long gone. Those early ounts haven¡¯t been digitized."


    Rowan arched his eyebrows. "So... are those records in the Council headquarters?"


    A soft smile bloomed on my lips as I corrected him. "That¡¯s right. Such old and important records can only be found in council headquarter¡¯s archives, but... not at the new one."


    "The old council headquarters?" Rowan asked, catching up to what I was implying.


    I nodded.


    "As for the recent cases, they are recorded as the confidential files in the system at the new headquarters. But only a handful of people had ess to them."


    Rowan listened as I talked, his brow furrowed. "So we need records of both old anc new cases."


    "Yes," I said. "Both. If there¡¯s a pattern - dates, rituals, locations, words used, anything at all - it could mean the difference between waiting for the next victim and stopping whoever is doing this."


    He nodded slowly, more thoughtful than I had ever seen him. "The old headquarters... you know theyout?"


    I did. From months of being an intern at the Council. During my time as an intern, I had done quite some detective work, and I knew more than tnough about the old headquarter building.


    "But knowing theyout isn¡¯t enough. Not until we have a way to make our way inside the building through the securits check at the entrance." I informed him about the biggest problem in our way when it came to get old files.


    "And the modern files?" Rowan asked.


    That was where we needed help. "We need someone who can breach system security," I told him. "Someone who can get past the surveince logs, the firewalls, the two-factor authentications to open and copy those records. But the Council¡¯s digital safes areyered. It¡¯s not something you just pick at."


    His jaw tightened. "The Rogue Alphas won¡¯t hand these files to us. They¡¯ll lock it up. And even if they didn¡¯t, the Council keeps things-" He waved his hand in the air as though cutting the problem into pieces.


    <fn08e3> Newest update provided by Find_Novel(.</fn08e3>


    He was right. My mates would never allow us to get further involved in these cases.


    "We would need the right person. Someone we can trust. Maybe Noah could-" Rowan looked at me, his eyes hopeful.


    Noah was capable. He was clever, quick with gadgets, and he had shown an aptitude for the kind of tinkering that turned into hacking. But these weren¡¯t small security locks on dorm doors, these were behind-the-scenes, defense-grade systems bound by Council oversight. Bribing a maintenance worker was one thing, sliding past the Council¡¯s inner digital sanctum was another. We couldn¡¯t risk a careless hand, or worse... someone who would report us.


    "Noah isn¡¯t a bad option... but how are we going to exin everything to him? It would be wrong to pull him blindly into this n only for him to realize how high are the stakes of this breach attempttter. But at the same time, we can¡¯t just carelessly tell him everything about the soul death cases."


    I could imagine the look on Kieran¡¯s face once he would learn we had involved another innocent student in this deadly matter.


    Rowan let out a sigh and dropped on the edge of my bed. He ran his hands down his face, the helplessness quite visible in his eyes.


    "So... even though we now have an idea about what we need to do in order to find some answers, we can¡¯t do anything." He put out our exact situation.


    "We know where the old records are, but we don¡¯t have a way to get inside the old headquarter building. We also know where the new records are, but we don¡¯t have a way to get to those either... at least not a safe one."


    The silence stretched between us for a moment, before I finally spoke. "I might have a way to get these records. Though I¡¯m not confident, it¡¯s worth a try."

 Chapter 372: Clash With The Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 372: sh With The Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Kieran¡¯s gaze could have frozen fire.


    I had mostly seen him being calm, kind, and warm. Still, there were moments where he wasn¡¯t so calm and kind... rare moments. But this was different. His arms were folded across his chest, the light from the tall study windows cutting sharp lines over his jaw, making him look more immovable than the stone walls around us.


    "No," he said tly, the single word leaving no room for argument.


    But of course, I argued.


    <fn5f02> Fresh chapters posted on Find¡ïNovel</fn5f02>


    "Kieran, I¡¯m not asking for much. I just want ess to the archives in the old headquarters. That¡¯s it. I¡¯m not asking to interrogate suspects or run after leads or-"


    "Evaline." My name cracked like thunder when he cut me off. His voice wasn¡¯t raised, but it was heavy,manding, the kind of tone that made every bone in my body still against its will. "You are not stepping one foot inside those archives. Not now. Not ever."


    I flinched, not from fear but from the sheer finality of it.


    "I¡¯m not a child," I pushed back, though my voice felt thin against the steel of his. "I¡¯m your mate. I have a right to help... whether it¡¯s for you, for Rowan, or just myself. These are soul death cases. We keep waiting and waiting, but whoever is behind this is still out there. Elder Nichs-"


    "Elder Nichs is none of your concern," he snapped.


    That one stung.


    I stepped closer, refusing to let him shut me out, but his arms stayed locked across his chest, a wall between us. His eyes pinned me, unblinking, and for a moment I hated how calm he looked while I was trembling with urgency.


    "You think I¡¯ll just sit here and wait until it¡¯s one of us?" My voice broke, the words rushing out. "Until it¡¯s someone dear to me lying empty in the woods somewhere?"


    Something flickered in his expression, something dark and dangerous, but still he didn¡¯t move. "That¡¯s why you won¡¯t be involved. Because if you are, you¡¯ll make yourself the next target."


    "I don¡¯t care about me-"


    "I do." His voice was sharp enough to cut.


    The silence after that hit harder than any p.


    I stared at him, my chest rising and falling too fast, while his jaw was tight enough to snap. He was trying to end the conversation, I knew that tone, that posture. He thought if he stared long enough, I would drop my eyes, fold, give in the way everyone else did around him.


    But I wasn¡¯t everyone else.


    "Kieran," I whispered, trying a different angle. I touched his arm, brushing my fingers against the solid muscle. "I¡¯m not asking to put myself in danger. I just want to read through old ounts. There could be patterns in those records, connections no one¡¯s thought to look for. You are all so focused on the recent cases that you have forgotten these cases started centuries ago."


    His gaze softened for half a heartbeat, but then he shook his head, stepping back so my hand fell away.


    "You think I haven¡¯t considered that?" His tone was quieter now but no less firm. "I have men already digging through what we can find. Whatever details exist are already being looked at. You won¡¯t change anything, Evaline. All you¡¯ll do is put yourself in a position where you can be noticed. And once you are noticed..." His jaw tightened. "I won¡¯t allow it."


    Won¡¯t allow it.


    The words struck a raw nerve. I wasn¡¯t his prisoner. I wasn¡¯t the wolfless trash my father once dered me to be. I wasn¡¯t the girl Damian had kept under his boot.


    I was his mate. His equal.


    "Do you even hear yourself?" I demanded, my voice trembling with the heat I could no longer hold in. "You are talking as if I¡¯m your subordinate. As if I¡¯m a soldier who answers to yourmand. I¡¯m not. I am bound to you the way you are bound to me, and that bond-"


    "-is exactly why I¡¯m putting my foot down," he ground out, cutting me off again. "Do you think I can¡¯t feel your fear through it? Your worry? Every time you push into something dangerous, you drag me with you. All of us. And I won¡¯t let you risk that. Not for dusty ledgers in a forgotten room."


    My breath caught. The mate bond. He was using it as an anchor, as a shield.


    But I could use it, too.


    I stepped closer, so close I had to tilt my head back to hold his gaze. My fingers brushed against his wrist again, tentative, before sliding up his arm. The warmth of him bled into my skin, steady, grounding.


    His breathing hitched, almost imperceptibly, and I knew he felt it... the way the bond pulled, tugged, longed to be fed by more than words.


    "Kieran," I murmured, softer now, letting his name slip like a plea, like honey. "Please. Let me help. Let me be more than someone you have to protect. We are stronger when we work together, and you know it."


    His eyes darkened, his throat working as if he were fighting himself. For a moment, I thought I had won. For a moment, the bond between us thrummed so loud I could almost hear it.


    But then he pulled away, sharp and decisive, breaking the contact.


    "No," he said again, even harsher than before. "Don¡¯t use the bond to manipte me. It won¡¯t work. This isn¡¯t about strength or weakness. It¡¯s about keeping you alive. And if that means you hate me for it, so be it."


    The words knocked the air from my chest.


    For a long moment, I couldn¡¯t speak. I just stared at him, my hands curled into fists at my sides, my throat tight with a storm I couldn¡¯t swallow.


    Finally, I turned away.


    "If you won¡¯t take me there," I said, my voice low butced with steel, "then I¡¯ll go on my own."


    That made him stiffen. I didn¡¯t look at him when I spoke the next words, but I knew he was watching me like a hawk.


    "The choice is yours, Kieran. Either you stand beside me... or you stand in my way. But I am going to that archive."


    The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on.


    I didn¡¯t wait for his answer. I walked out, closing the door harder than I meant to, my pulse thundering in my ears.


    One of us needed to give in... and it sure wasn¡¯t going to be me. Not this time.

 Chapter 373: Summoned By The Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 373: Summoned By The Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The sound that came out of me when Rowan asked about my n wasn¡¯t even human... it was something between a groan, a growl, and a whimper.


    I buried my face into the mountain of pillows on my bed, muffling the sound until my lungs burned for air. If that didn¡¯t tell him enough, nothing would.


    "I¡¯ll take that as a bad sign," Rowan¡¯s amused voice drifted from the other end of the phone.


    I dragged my face out of the pillow and stared at the ceiling. My hair was a mess, my cheeks probably red from suffocating myself in the feathers, and my pride? Absolutely in shambles. "Not only did it not work," I admitted, "I managed to get into a full-blown argument with Kieran."


    "Ouch."


    "Yeah. ¡¯Ouch¡¯ doesn¡¯t even begin to cover it." I sat up cross-legged, the phone warm against my ear. "It ended with me warning him... like actually warning him... that he could either help me get into the old headquarters, or I would go on my own."


    There was silence for two heartbeats. Then Rowan actually choked. "You said that? To Professor Kieran?"


    "I did." I rubbed my forehead, wincing at myself. "And the moment it left my mouth, I wanted to bang my head into the wall. I mean - how? How am I supposed to waltz into that building on my own?"


    I closed my eyes, sighed, then opened them again to stare at the mess of books and nkets around me. My voice softened with self-loathing. "It would have been better if I had gone to River with this n instead of Kieran."


    That made Rowan pause. "Wait-what? You think River would have agreed? Because I don¡¯t." His tone was skeptical, dripping with disbelief.


    I let out another sigh, this one deeper, heavier. "No, not agree. River wouldn¡¯t agree either. But at least I know how to fight with him. I have had practice. I can push his buttons, yell back, stomp my foot and he¡¯ll still sit there with that cold face, pretending he isn¡¯t dying to lecture me. With Kieran..." I trailed off, pressing my lips together. "With Kieran, it¡¯s different. He doesn¡¯t even raise his voice. He just looks at me like he¡¯s already decided my answer doesn¡¯t matter."


    There was a quiet beat, then Rowan chuckled.


    I narrowed my eyes at the ceiling. "Are youughing at me?"


    "Not at you. Just..." His chuckle turned into a shortugh. "You sound like someone who just picked the wrong boss to file aint with."


    "Rowan," I warned.


    "Alright, alright. I surrender," he said quickly, though I could still hear the grin in his voice. The smile faded, though, when he added, "So what now? Do you want me to... I don¡¯t know, find a way to break into the old building myself? You know I can manage if I really put my mind to it."


    My stomach dropped. "Absolutely not," I snapped before he could get any ideas. "Rowan, no. Thest thing I want is you ending up on the Council¡¯s bad side. They would tear you apart."


    There was a long exhale on his end, then a reluctant hum. "Then what¡¯s the n?"


    I pinched the bridge of my nose. "The n is... to try again. To make Kieran see reason. If he still doesn¡¯t, then we¡¯ll think of something else. But you? Stay out of trouble. Please."


    He didn¡¯t argue. Instead, his tone softened in that quiet way he had, when words felt less like sound and more likefort. "Alright. I¡¯ll trust you. Just... don¡¯t push so hard, Eva. Make sure this doesn¡¯t affect your rtionship with your mates."


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t speak. I pressed my lips together, swallowing the knot in my throat. "I know. We¡¯ll figure this out."


    We talked a little longer - about nothing important, nothing heavy. Just the kind of normal chatter that reminded me Rowan was one of the only people I could still breathe freely around. When we hung up, I stared at my phone for a long moment, then set it aside on the nightstand.


    I pushed off the bed, smoothing down my dress, and headed for the nursery. I wanted to see Lioren, to lose myself in his soft breathing, the tiny fists that curled around my finger, thefort of his innocent world.


    But the moment I opened my bedroom door, I froze.


    A maid stood there, her hand raised mid-air, as if she had been about to knock. We both startled, her eyes widening before she quicklyposed herself and dipped into a bow.


    "My Lady," she said politely, "Alpha River has summoned you. He¡¯s waiting in the study."


    The words were a bucket of cold water over my head.


    I forced a smile, polite and practiced, even as my insides twisted. "Thank you. I¡¯ll go at once."


    She nodded, bowed again, and walked away.


    The instant her back was turned, my smile shattered. My lips pressed into a thin, grim line.


    River.


    <fnaff7> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? find?novel</fnaff7>


    Of all the people to summon me, it had to be him. My chest tightened with unease, the kind that whispered warnings into my ear. I could already tell that Kieran had informed River about our talk earlier in the evening.


    I leaned back against the doorframe for a moment, and closed my eyes. For one wild second, I dared to hope he was calling me because, unlike Kieran, he was actually ready to listen to me, because he was going to hand me the records without the fight I jad been bracing myself for.


    But River wasn¡¯t the miracle-giving type. He was the cold, calcting type. The one who always weighed what was safest, what was most strategic.


    I pushed off the doorframe, straightened my shoulders, and walked toward the stairs. Each step felt like walking deeper into the unknown, and the closer I got, the more I could already feel it - whatever River was about to say, I wasn¡¯t going to like it.


    Not at all.

 Chapter 374: Alphas’ Final Decision

    <h4>Chapter 374: Alphas¡¯ Final Decision</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment I stepped into the study, my heart began hammering in my chest. All four of the brothers were there, and the atmosphere inside was thick enough to choke on. Still, I kept my eyes fixed on River.


    He was standing with his back to the desk, a sleek tablet in his hands, his attention locked onto whatever he was scrolling through. The soft glow from the screen painted sharp shadows across his face, making him look more like the Boss I had once known than the mate I had grown used to over thest few months. His presence filled the room,manding and unyielding.


    I didn¡¯t let my eyes drift to the others - not even to Kieran, though I felt his gaze on me the instant I crossed the threshold. It burned against my skin, heavy with something I didn¡¯t want to ponder on at the moment.


    I stopped several steps away from River, my hands crossed in front of my chest to keep from fidgeting. For a moment, I considered saying something first, but the tension swirling between us was a storm I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to step into. He still hadn¡¯t looked up. Seconds stretched like hours.


    Then, with deliberate slowness, he set the tablet aside on the desk and raised his gaze to mine. The expression in his eyes - cold steel wrapped in calm calction - hit me like a punch to the gut. There it was again - the Alpha. The boss. Not the man who held me at night or whispered my name like a prayer.


    He didn¡¯t speak. Neither did I.


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    We stared at each other, still and quiet, the calm before some inevitable, violent shift. Even the faint sound of Oscar flipping a page in some file felt deafening.


    Somewhere to my left, I caught Draven muttering under his breath - "Stats, this is suffocating" - and his voice snapped through the silence like a whip.


    River exhaled, breaking the spell. "I havee to hear," he began, his voice steady and low, "that you have got too much free time on your hands these days, Evaline. Enough to focus on things that shouldn¡¯t have you... or any other student... involved."


    His words were quiet, but the rebuke in them was unmistakable.


    My jaw tightened. I turned my head just enough to cast a nce at Kieran. He was looking anywhere but at me now, his focus firmly on the far wall as if he had suddenly found it fascinating.


    I let out a small sigh, forcing my attention back to River. I was ready... ready to exin, ready to defend myself, ready to make him see reason. But before I could even open my mouth, his voice cut clean across my thoughts.


    "It¡¯s time for you to start training."


    I blinked at him, stunned. "Training?"


    "Yes," he said simply, his expression unreadable. "Combat training. Your second year at Silver Moon starts in four months, which meansbat sses begin. You don¡¯t have a wolf, nor do you have prior physicalbat experience. You need to start now to at least keep up with your ssmates."


    My lips parted, but no sound came out.


    He went on without a break. "And that¡¯s only the first part. You have recently discovered healing powers you barely understand. That, too, requires training. Kieran will handle that. Oscar and I will train you forbat."


    He tilted his head slightly, his voice dropping to something that sounded like a challenge. "If you are that bored, Evaline, perhaps you should start focusing on your own powers instead of sticking your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong."


    I just stared at him.


    This was their answer. This was what they had decided together. Not a discussion. Not apromise. A decision. A lesson.


    If this had been any other day, I might have been grateful for their offer - training for bothbat and my healing powers was something I actually needed. But right now, all I could see was the way they were using it to control me. To stop me. To redirect me.


    My nails bit into my palms.


    I didn¡¯t feel like saying anything at all - not to River, not to Kieran, not to any of them. It might have been River¡¯s voice delivering the blow, but I knew this was all four of them acting as one.


    Slowly, I turned on my heel.


    The shock of it rippled through the bond. I felt it - River¡¯s sudden re of frustration, Kieran¡¯s guilt, Oscar¡¯s faint disbelief. Draven¡¯s curiosity, sharp as a de.


    I walked past Draven without sparing him a nce, reaching for the door. My hand was on the knob when his voice stopped me.


    "Eva."


    It was quiet but clear, carrying a softness that didn¡¯t belong in the room full of hard edges. "I¡¯ming with you."


    I froze, then pivoted to face him.


    He stood halfway out of his chair, his expression soft but his posture tense. For a second.


    My re must have been sharp enough to slice through him, because he stopped mid-step, surprise flickering across his face.


    "Don¡¯t," I said, my voice low but fierce. "Don¡¯t step anywhere near my room."


    He blinked at me, caught off guard.


    I turned my head slightly, sparing the others a nce - Kieran with his lowered eyes, Oscar staring at me, River¡¯s jaw tightening as he watched me. My voice carried, loud and clear, leaving no room for misunderstanding.


    "None of you are wee."


    And then I opened the door and walked out.


    The hallway outside felt colder than the study I had just left. My heart was still hammering in my chest, my hands trembling as I gripped the edge of my dress.


    I didn¡¯t know where I was going yet, only that I needed to get away from them before my anger cracked into something worse.


    Behind me, the heavy door of the study stayed shut, no one following. But through the bond, I could still feel them.


    For a fleeting moment, I wondered if I had just made a mistake. If walking away like this would make things worse.


    Then I straightened my shoulders.


    No.


    If they thought they could cage me with training, they were wrong.

 Chapter 375: Sneaky Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 375: Sneaky Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I mmed my bedroom door shut, letting the echo of it roll through the quiet hallway.


    My chest was rising and falling rapidly, anger and disbelief tangled together in a tight knot that refused to loosen.


    How dare they?


    Training. That was their solution.


    Not listening, not discussing... just dictating. Like I was some rebellious child who needed to be reined in.


    I pressed a hand against the wall, closing my eyes as I tried to steady my breathing. But the more I thought about River¡¯s expression, the colder my blood ran. That detached calm. That authority. That warning.


    I hade too far to be treated like this again.


    Not after everything.


    I turned toward my desk and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper, scrawling notes furiously. I wasn¡¯t about to wait for anyone¡¯s permission. There had to be something... some loophole, some record, some trace of how these soul deaths began. I just needed to get into that building.


    But Kieran¡¯s words from earlier came back to haunt me. His refusal had been absolute, his tone final.


    And now, after River¡¯s announcement... it was clear. None of them would let me anywhere near it.


    I dropped the pen, pushing away from the desk, pacing across the room. My reflection in the window caught my attention - eyes zing, cheeks flushed, hair falling loose around my face.


    This wasn¡¯t how things were supposed to be.


    They were supposed to trust me.


    By the time the house grew quiet and the corridors dimmed, I had made my decision.


    Tomorrow, I would find another way in.


    I turned off themp and slid under the sheets, determined to force sleep toe, even if my mind was far from ready.


    But it didn¡¯tst long.


    A faint click echoed through the silence - soft, careful, deliberate. My heartbeat quickened instantly. The sound came again and then I heard my doorknob turning.


    I sat up, my eyes narrowing. "Who¡¯s there?"


    The door opened just enough for a familiar figure to slip through.


    Draven.


    Moonlight fell on his face, highlighting the sharp line of his jaw and the glint of guilt in his emerald eyes. His hair was tousled, his nightshirt unbuttoned halfway as if he hade straight from a shower... or maybe straight from pacing his own room.


    I groaned under my breath. "Are you incapable of listening, or do you just enjoy ignoring me?"


    He closed the door quietly behind him. "You really think I could sleep after what happened downstairs?"


    I folded my arms, ring. "I told you not toe near my room."


    He shrugged, stepping closer, his voice lowering into that maddening calm tone. "And I told you I¡¯ming with you."


    My lips parted in disbelief. "Coming with me? I wasn¡¯t going anywhere, Draven."


    His mouth curved slightly. "Don¡¯t lie. You were nning something the second you walked out of that study."


    My pulse skipped. He was right - of course he was right. He had always been the one who could read me best.


    Still, I refused to admit it. "You are imagining things."


    He took another step, and the distance between us shrank to barely an arm¡¯s length. "Am I?" he asked softly, his gaze searching mine. "Because I can feel that storm in your chest, dear mate. You might hide it from the others, but not from me."


    I hated that.


    That raw honesty in his tone. That way he could make me feel seen even when I didn¡¯t want to be.


    "You shouldn¡¯t be here," I said, my voice weaker than I intended.


    "Toote," he murmured, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from my face. His fingers hovered for a heartbeat, not quite touching. "You really thought I would let you face River¡¯s wrath tomorrow on your own?"


    That made me pause. "You think I can¡¯t handle him?"


    "I think," he said, stepping closer until his breath ghosted against my skin, "that you shouldn¡¯t have to handle him alone."


    For a moment, the air changed between us - electric, heavy. I could feel his emotions through the bond - regret, protectiveness, something else that made my chest ache.


    "Draven..." I whispered, unsure if it was a plea or a warning.


    But then his expression softened, and he let out a sigh that sounded almost defeated. "You can hate me for showing up," he said, "but I needed to make sure you are okay. You looked ready to burn the entire house earlier."


    I turned my face away, gripping the edge of my nket. "Maybe I should."


    His low chuckle rumbled in the quiet. "Careful, love. River might actually throw you into training tomorrow just to cool you off."


    That earned him a re, but the corner of my lips twitched despite myself. "That¡¯s not funny."


    "It¡¯s a little funny."


    "Draven."


    He raised his hands in mock surrender, but the teasing faded quickly from his eyes. "You are really not going to drop this, are you?"


    I shook my head. "No. I have more than enough reasons to get involved. Whether it¡¯s for Rowan, for every person I care about, or for myself, I need to at least try."


    He stepped closer again, slower this time, his voice softer than before. "Eva... if you are set on this, promise me you won¡¯t go alone. Please."


    I bit my lip. "You would go with me?"


    He hesitated. "If I said yes, River would kill me."


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    "Then don¡¯t tell him."


    That made himugh under his breath. "You are dangerous when you are this stubborn."


    "Then you should stay out of my way," I said, trying to sound firm even as his nearness was starting to undo me.


    But Draven only tilted his head, his gaze tracing my face as if memorizing it. "I¡¯m starting to think that¡¯s impossible."


    Before I could respond, he leaned down, brushing his lips against my forehead - soft, fleeting, warm enough to still my racing heart for just a moment.


    "I¡¯ll leave before the others sense I¡¯m here," he murmured. "But, Eva... please, don¡¯t do anything reckless until I talk to River."


    I wanted to argue, to tell him River was thest person who would listen. But something in his tone stopped me. It wasn¡¯t authority... it was fear.


    "Fine," I said finally. "Tomorrow."


    He gave a faint smile, stepped back, and quietly slipped out the same way he came.


    The silence that followed was deafening.


    I sat there for a long time, staring at the closed door, his words echoing in my mind. <i>Don¡¯t do anything reckless.</i>


    But how could I not, when every instinct inside me screamed that something far worse wasing?


    Iy back down, pulling the nket up to my chin. The moonlight spilled across the bed, and I stared at it until my eyes began to blur.


    My heart wouldn¡¯t stop racing - not from anger this time, but from the weight of what I knew I was about to do.


    Because no matter what Draven said, I couldn¡¯t just sit and wait.


    Tomorrow, I would find a way into that old headquarters.


    With or without anyone¡¯s help.

 Chapter 376: The Old Headquarters

    <h4>Chapter 376: The Old Headquarters</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    After Draven left, it took me way too long to fall asleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I found myself questioning if I was being too unreasonable.


    I knew that my mates wanted to protect me, that they wanted to keep me safe at any cost, and I was grateful for their care. But at the same time, I couldn¡¯t help but feel this undeniable pull toward these soul death cases.


    It¡¯s not like I hadn¡¯t tried staying away from this matter. I had. But somehow, it end uping back to me in one way or another.


    When I was giving up on finding anything about the secret group within the Academy, I ended up finding out about their meeting. When I tried to distance myself from the case after that because Kieran didn¡¯t want me to get involved, I found out about Naira, and now Elder Nichs¡¯ case that had filled my heart with a sense of fear I couldn¡¯t shake off.


    After contemting all over again, I realized that even if I was being hasty or unreasonable, I wasn¡¯t in the wrong to find more about these cases.


    With my mind set and a n already ready, I finally drifted to sleep... waiting for morning toe.


    - - -


    I waited until the house fellpletely still before moving.


    The sun had barely climbed high enough to warm thendscape, and the house was wrapped in afortable silence that came only when my mates were away at work.


    As usual, River had left first before dawn. Draven and Kieran followed shortly after, and Oscar was thest to leave.


    When I finally saw his figure fads into the distance, I exhaled a long, shaky breath.


    It was time.


    I dressed quickly, nothing that would draw attention - jeans, a in ck shirt, and a cap to shield my face. I tied my hair in a high bun to hide it under the cap, slipped on my sneakers, and checked my small bag. Wallet. Keys. Phone. And most importantly, the paper where I had scribbled the rough directions to the old council headquarters.


    Lioren was fast asleep in Madam Elira¡¯s care. I had peeked in just before getting changed, my heart clenching at the sight of his tiny hands clutching the nket. "Be good, my love," I whispered softly, brushing a kiss against his forehead.


    I told Madam Elira that I wanted to catch on a little sleep and wouldn¡¯t being down for lunch.


    And then I was gone.


    The moment I stepped outside the manor, thete morning breeze hit my face, slightly cool and gentle, but the rush inside me was far from calm.


    My pulse hammered in my chest as I walked briskly down the forest-lined road leading away from the house. I made sure to stay hidden from the in sight of anyone watching from the windows of the house,


    Every step felt heavier with the risk I was taking - if River or Kieran found out, I would never hear the end of it.


    <fndf6b> This content belongs to Find?Novel</fndf6b>


    I walked for over half an hour before reaching Lakeshire. Thpugh there was a bus stand near the Academy, there were no busses stopping by since it was Tuesday and students weren¡¯t allowed to step out of Academy grounds.


    So I had no better option but to walk all the way to the town. Fortunately, I had done it more than enough times during the first term, and thus, I made my way into the town without any issues.


    At the first rental service I could find, I handed over my ID and got the keys to a small silver sedan.


    Sliding behind the wheel, I couldn¡¯t help but smirk slightly.


    It was Ethan had taught me how to drive, undoubtedly the only good thing he had ever done. Back then, I had disliked his controlling nature. Now, that skill wasing in handy in ways he could have never imagined.


    The road to the old headquarters was long and winding, cutting through dense trees and emptynds that looked like they hadn¡¯t seen life in years. The hum of the car engine was the only sound apanying me, and yet, my nerves were alive.


    When I finally saw the massive stone walls ahead, I slowed down.


    The old council headquarters stood tall and imposing even now.


    It had been decades since anyone worked here, and yet... it didn¡¯t look abandoned.


    The iron gates were still intact. The windows were unbroken. The stone walls, though darkened by time, were spotless.


    I parked the car a short distance away and got out, scanning the surroundings. The forest behind the building stretched endlessly, while the front opened into a paved courtyard that looked too clean for an abandoned site.


    My instincts screamed that I wasn¡¯t alone, but I didn¡¯t see anyone.


    "Just a quick look," I whispered to myself, adjusting my bag.


    The main doors were locked with a security lock, and I wasn¡¯t foolish enough to try forcing them open. So, I circled around to the back, moving slowly through the shadows of the trees.


    That¡¯s when I found it - a metal trapdoor, half hidden beneath ayer of fallen leaves and vines.


    I crouched, brushing the debris aside. The steel was cold beneath my fingers. I tugged at the handle, but it didn¡¯t budge. Locked.


    I looked around, checking the area again. Nothing. Not a sound.


    With my heart pounding, I knelt and searched the edges of the trapdoor, finding a faint keypad attached near the side. I tried a few randombinations. Nothing.


    And then I spotted something that made me frown - a secondyer of security beyond the door. There was a scanner set into the ground just below the keypad. Whatever this led to, it wasn¡¯t just an underground cer.


    I pressed my lips together, frustration building.


    "Of course, there¡¯s another gate," I muttered. "Because why make life easy?"


    I leaned back on my heels, ready to give up, at least for now. Maybe I coulde back with Rowan and find another way-


    That¡¯s when it happened.


    A shadow fell over me.

 Chapter 377: Seduced Into Helping

    <h4>Chapter 377: Seduced Into Helping</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Before I could turn around, arge hand reached past my shoulder - warm, confident, familiar - and pressed a sleek ck card against the scanner.


    A low beep followed, and the ground beneath the trapdoor hissed softly. The lock released with a quiet click, and the heavy door slowly lifted upward.


    I froze. My heart stopping as the familiar scent and presence finally hit me.


    That calm, woodsy scent that carried a hint of smoke and steel.


    I turned my head sharply.


    Oscar.


    He was standing behind me, dressed in his usual ck shirt and cks, his jacket unbuttoned, his expression unreadable. The faintest glint of amusement flickered in his eyes as he pocketed the ess card.


    "Miss me?" he asked smoothly.


    I blinked at him, too stunned to answer. "What... how-what are you doing here?"


    He stepped closer, his shadow ovepping mine. "Following you. What else?"


    My mouth opened, but no words came out. "You... followed me?"


    "Of course." He tilted his head slightly. "You really thought I wouldn¡¯t notice when you left the house wearing sneakers and carrying a bag big enough to hide half a library?"


    I groaned, pressing a hand to my forehead. I couldn¡¯t even begin toprehend how and when he saw me sneaking out of the house despite how careful I was. "Oscar, this isn¡¯t what it looks like."


    "Oh?" he murmured, one corner of his lips lifting. "Then please exin why my mate was about to break into a restricted building that even River doesn¡¯t step into without informing the council."


    I red up at him. "I wasn¡¯t breaking in. I was just... looking around."


    "Uh-huh." His tone dripped with disbelief. "Because looking around usually involves guessing passwords and nearly tripping security rms."


    He folded his arms, his deep green eyes glinting under the daylight. "You are lucky I came when I did. The internal system would have alerted the guards stationed five miles from here."


    "Wait-guards? There are guards here?"


    Oscar gave a short nod. "Of course there are. Did you really think the Council would leave their archivespletely unprotected?"


    I swallowed hard. My stomach twisted in a mix of dread and frustration.


    He sighed, stepping closer until he was right in front of me. "You should have told me, Eva."


    "I couldn¡¯t," I said, my voice low. "None of you would have let mee."


    "That¡¯s because it¡¯s dangerous."


    "Everything is dangeroustely!" I snapped. "And I¡¯m tired of being told to sit quietly and wait while everyone else takes control."


    His jaw tightened, but his eyes softened. "I know. But there¡¯s a difference between brave and reckless."


    "I wasn¡¯t being reckless-"


    "Coming here alone is exactly that," he interrupted, his tone firm but calm. "If anything had happened to you..." He stopped mid-sentence, exhaling slowly.


    For a moment, the mask of control slipped, and I saw it... the worry he was trying to hide.


    That hurt more than any scolding could.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I said quietly. "But I had to try."


    He studied me for a long time, then finally shook his head. "You are impossible."


    "I have been told," I said softly.


    That drew the faintest smile from him.


    Then, without another word, he reached for the open trapdoor and motioned toward it. "Since you are already here... let¡¯s at least make sure you don¡¯t get yourself killed."


    My eyes widened. "You are letting me go in?"


    He smirked faintly. "I¡¯m not letting you. I¡¯m joining you."


    I blinked, speechless.


    He stepped ahead of me, his figure half disappearing into the dim stairway leading underground. He paused, ncing back with that infuriatingly confident grin.


    "Coming, sweetheart?"


    I stared after him, heart pounding for reasons that had nothing to do with fear.


    "Yeah," I murmured, finally following him down. "I¡¯ming."


    And as the door closed behind us, sealing the light away, I couldn¡¯t help the shiver that ran through me - not from the cold, but from the sinking realization that whatever waited in the depths of this ce... might finally show us a way.


    The underground air felt stale and still, like time itself had stopped breathing down there. The scent of dust and faint ozone drifted around me as I followed Oscar through the narrow passage.


    He moved with quiet confidence - his steps steady, his body close enough that I could feel the heat of him against me whenever he slowed down. The dim light from his phone illuminated the rough walls until the narrow tunnel opened into a wide, concrete hall.


    Instead of heading upstairs, he led us further down, until we were on B2 level. Down the hallway, we came across another security coded door which Oscar opened using the ess card. The door opened and we stepped inside.


    Rows of shelves stretched into the darkness, stacked with metal drawers and thick binders. Everything looked too organized, too preserved, for a ce that was supposed to have been abandoned for decades. I blinked, taking it all in.


    "This doesn¡¯t look like an old ruin," I muttered, lowering my voice even though it was just the two of us.


    Oscar¡¯s lips curved faintly. "That¡¯s because it isn¡¯t. They might have ordered the closure, but the council still sends people to maintain it every few months. The records here are too valuable to risk losing."


    I turned to him, studying his face under the faint beam of light. His sharp jawline softened a little when he looked at me. "You knew about this ce," I used softly. "You knew I woulde."


    "I had a feeling," he admitted, unashamed. "You weren¡¯t exactly subtle when you stormed out yesterday. And you have never been the type to let go of something once it catches your curiosity."


    I huffed, pretending to be annoyed, but inside, warmth bloomed in my chest. That was the thing about Oscar - he understood me better than most. Where River ruled through logic, and Kieran through emotion, Oscar ruled through quiet observation. He noticed everything, even when I wished he wouldn¡¯t.


    He handed me a pair of thin gloves. "Don¡¯t touch anything bare-handed. Some of these files are ancient. Thest thing we need is to leave behind our traces. And if River finds out, I¡¯ll never hear the end of it."


    I raised an eyebrow. "You mean we¡¯ll never hear the end of it."


    He chuckled under his breath. "No, you won¡¯t. I¡¯ll be too busy pretending you seduced me into this."<fn1dd6> Get full chapters from find[?]ovel</fn1dd6>

 Chapter 378: Alpha’s Fury (I)

    <h4>Chapter 378: Alpha¡¯s Fury (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I gaped at him. "Oscar!"


    He smirked. "What? You would make a very convincing seductress, sunshine."


    Despite the teasing, there was a tenderness in his gaze that made it hard to stay mad. My lips twitched into a reluctant smile as I turned away, pretending to search through the nearest cab. The drawers werebeled by year - some dating back nearly five centuries.


    We walked through the shelves for several long minutes before my gaze fell at the section marked ¡¯Soul Death Incidents - Restricted¡¯, and for a moment, my pulse skipped.


    "This is it," I whispered, pulling the drawer open. Inside were stacks of neatly bound folders, the edges yellowed with age but still intact. Each one held a name, a date, and a brief description. Oscar stood beside me, scanning with his phone¡¯s shlight while I took out the first file.


    "Lysandra Vale," I read aloud. "Died 376 years ago. Cause of death - soul dissipation following mate rejection."


    Oscar frowned, leaning closer. "Mate rejection shouldn¡¯t cause soul death. Pain, yes. But not this."


    I flipped through the pages. "Exactly. There are dozens of cases here."


    Oscar nced around, his expression sharpening.


    For the next hour, we worked in silence, photographing every page, every strange symbol, and every energy record mentioned. My phone soon filled with hundreds of images.


    asionally, Oscar would steady a stack of papers while I adjusted the angle, his fingers brushing mine for a second too long. Each time it happened, that small spark of connection between us hummed louder through the bond.


    At one point, as I bent down to grab another file from the lower shelf, his hand came to rest lightly on my back.


    "Easy," he murmured. "Don¡¯t strain yourself. You are not exactly prepared for crawling through archives."


    I rolled my eyes, but the gentle care in his tone made my chest ache. "I¡¯m fine, Oscar."


    "Doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t worry," he said, his voice low and sincere.


    I froze, my heart tightening. When I looked up, his gaze was already on me - soft, steady, full of tenderness and love. The silence between us deepened until I had to look away, pretending to focus on the files again.


    He chuckled faintly, probably sensing my flustered energy. "You really don¡¯t know what you do to me sometimes."


    "Stop saying things like that," I whispered, my face burning.


    "Why? Because it¡¯s true?"


    I shoved another folder into his hands to shut him up, earning a quietugh from him. Still, that warmth between us lingered all the way until we finished.


    By the time we finally made it back above ground, the sun had climbed high into the afternoon sky. The clock on my phone read nearly 1:35 p.m. We hadn¡¯t realized how long we had been down there. Oscar looked at me as we reached the car.


    "You sure you want to go home right now?" he asked. "We could stop somewhere, get lunch first."


    I gave a tired smile. "Tempting. But I think we should face the storm sooner rather thanter."


    He sighed. "Fair enough. Just... let me take the lead if things go south, alright?"


    I didn¡¯t answer. Because I already knew - no amount of preparation could soften River¡¯s fury when he discovered what we had done.


    ---


    The house was silent when we entered, too silent. The kind of silence that makes your stomach drop before your mind even registers why. I barely had time to take off my shoes before I saw them - River and Kieran - sitting in the living room like two dark sentinels waiting for judgment day.


    The air was icy, thick with unspoken tension. River stood as soon as he saw us, his expression unreadable but his eyes - those sharp, deep green eyes - were cold enough to cut ss.


    Kieran didn¡¯t stand. He just sat there, elbows on his knees, head bowed slightly, like he was trying to keep himself from saying something he would regret. But his jaw was clenched so tight I could see the muscle ticking from across the room.


    Oscar exhaled softly beside me, muttering, "Here we go."


    "Where were you?" River¡¯s voice came out calm, too calm - the kind of calm that was infinitely worse than shouting.


    I forced myself to meet his gaze. "I went to the old headquarters."


    His eyes darkened. "And did you also happen to take my brother with you?"


    I opened my mouth to answer, but Oscar stepped forward, his tone firm. "It was my choice. Don¡¯t me her-"


    River¡¯s voice sliced through the room. "Don¡¯t defend her, Oscar."


    The air grew heavier, pressing against my lungs. I knew that tone - it was the one River used only when he was bncing between anger and restraint.


    "I had to do it," I said quietly. "I couldn¡¯t just sit around pretending nothing¡¯s wrong. We are losing people to soul death, River. I know I can help, but none of you seem to listen-"


    "Enough," he cut in sharply. "You think I don¡¯t care? You think we haven¡¯t been looking into it?" His voice rose, rough with frustration. "You going behind our backs doesn¡¯t make you brave, Evaline. It makes you reckless."


    Kieran finally looked up then, his eyes stormy with emotion. "We told you not to go. You promised you would stay out of this."


    "I never promised that!" I snapped back. "I said I would stop <i>if</i> I had answers. But none of you gave me any."


    The silence that followed was suffocating. River pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling deeply as if trying to calm himself. Oscar, still beside me, shifted subtly closer as if ready to shield me if things escted.


    "Upstairs," River finally said, his tone brooking no argument. "We are going to talk about this... privately."


    I didn¡¯t move. "There¡¯s nothing more to talk about."


    His gaze sharpened, the Alpha in him flickering to the surface. "Evaline."


    My heartbeat stuttered. But I stood my ground.


    Because even though I knew I had crossed a line, I also knew I wasn¡¯t wrong.<fn8820> Chapters first released on find[?]ovel</fn8820>

 Chapter 379: Alpha’s Fury (II)

    <h4>Chapter 379: Alpha¡¯s Fury (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The silence in the room had already turned brittle, sharp enough that even breathing felt dangerous.


    I stood my ground in front of River, refusing to lower my gaze, my pulse thundering in my ears. But then... his eyes shifted. Slowly. Coldly. Away from me... and toward the man standing beside me.


    Oscar.


    I felt him stiffen next to me, the warmth of his presence suddenly coiling into tension. Still, he didn¡¯t move away. He didn¡¯t flinch.


    And River... oh, he looked ready to unleash a storm.


    "So that¡¯s how it is," River said, his voice low, controlled, but the kind of control that trembles under the weight of fury. "You knew what she was nning, and you went along with it. Tell me, Oscar... what exactly were you thinking when you decided that was a good idea?"


    "River-" I began, but he cut me off without even looking my way.


    "No, Evaline. You have said enough." His eyes stayed locked on his brother. "I¡¯m asking him."


    The room¡¯s air dropped several degrees. I could almost hear the thudding of my own heart echoing through my skull. I wanted to stop it. wanted to stop him. but I also knew what River was like when he was angry. He wouldn¡¯t listen. Not until he burned out every ounce of frustration simmering inside him.


    Oscar inhaled slowly, his shoulders rxing as he met River¡¯s re head-on. "I was thinking," he began quietly, "that there was nothing I could do to stop her."


    River¡¯s eyes shed with cold disbelief. "You could have tried."


    "I did try," Oscar said, his tone still calm but edged with defiance. "You think I don¡¯t know how reckless she can be? But tell me, River- when has anyone ever managed to stop Eva once she¡¯s made up her mind?"


    The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut.


    River¡¯s jaw ticked. "That doesn¡¯t justify you helping her break into one of most restricted buildings in the territory!"


    Oscar took a step forward, meeting his brother¡¯s fury with quiet steadiness. "No, it doesn¡¯t justify it," he admitted. "But it does exin it. I couldn¡¯t stop her. So I did the next best thing-I made sure she wouldn¡¯t get herself into trouble. You think I enjoyed sneaking around behind your back? You think I wanted to drag her into this? But someone had to watch her."


    He paused, his gaze softening slightly as he turned to me. "Someone had to be there to keep her safe."


    <fnb69c> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? FindN0vel</fnb69c>


    My chest constricted. For a moment, I couldn¡¯t even breathe.


    But River wasn¡¯t softened. If anything, that only made him angrier.


    "So that¡¯s your excuse?" River snapped, his voice rough. "You helped her because you couldn¡¯t stop her? You do realize what could have happened if you guys were caught? If someone else saw her-"


    "I know exactly what could have happened," Oscar interrupted, his tone now firm, solid. "And that¡¯s why I went. Because I wasn¡¯t about to sit around while she risked herself alone." His voice dropped, almost like a growl. "And before you say it, no-I don¡¯t regret it."


    Thatst sentence hit River harder than any shout could have. He froze, the muscles in his jaw clenching visibly, his breathing slower but heavier. His eyes flickered with disbelief, frustration... and something deeper. Something I didn¡¯t understand.


    He had no words. For once, he waspletely silent.


    But silence didn¡¯t mean peace.


    It only meant the storm had changed direction.


    When he spoke again, it wasn¡¯t calm anymore. The restraint snapped like a cracked whip, and his voice rose, harsh with anger. "You think this is a joke, Oscar? You think defying me is something to be proud of? You are my brother-"


    That was enough for me.


    I had stood there biting my tongue for long enough.


    "Then stop using that against him!" I burst out, stepping between them before I even realized I had moved. "You keep calling him your brother as if that¡¯s supposed to mean he has to stand by your side no matter what you say... but he¡¯s not just your brother anymore, River! He¡¯s my mate too!"


    The words hung in the air like thunder.


    River¡¯s eyes snapped to me, widening slightly as if I had just pped him. But I didn¡¯t stop there.


    "i know he¡¯s spent almost two decades being your brother," I continued, my voice trembling slightly, "but I have also spent nearly a year being his mate... and that gives me just as much right to stand by him as you have to scold him. So don¡¯t you dare take your anger out on him because of me."


    For a heartbeat, everything went still.


    River just stared at me, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling with uneven rhythm. He looked... exhausted.


    Haunted, even.


    "Evaline..." he said quietly, almost like a plea.


    But before he could continue, Oscar¡¯s hand brushed against mine in a silent reassurance, one that said he¡¯s fine, asking me not to fight more than I have to.


    Except I wasn¡¯t fine.


    River let out a deep sigh and straightened, his tone hard again. "Enough. We are not doing this here." He took a breath and met my gaze squarely. "Upstairs. Now."


    I blinked, disbelief flickering through me. "Now you care that there are eyes and ears watching us?" I shot back, my voice rising. "After you have spent thest five minutes shouting at both your brother and me in front of everyone?"


    "Evaline," he warned, his voice low.


    "No!" I snapped. "You don¡¯t get to decide when I can speak, or when it¡¯s convenient to pretend everything¡¯s private. You can¡¯t-"


    "Enough."


    This time, the word carried Alpha weight. Not a loudmand, but a heavy one - dense, authoritative, and impossible to ignore. He started walking toward me, the air between us thickening. My instincts screamed to step back, but I didn¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t.


    "River, don¡¯t you-" I started, but before I could finish, his hand closed around my wrist-not roughly, but firm enough to make my breath hitch.


    He didn¡¯t speak again. Didn¡¯t even re. He just... moved.


    And suddenly, I was off the ground.

 Chapter 380: Making The Alpha Surrender (I)

    <h4>Chapter 380: Making The Alpha Surrender (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "River!" I yelped as he lifted me, effortlessly, and slung me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing more than a bag of flour. The shock froze me for a full two seconds before mortification caught up. "Put me down! Right now!"


    <fn1876> This update is avable on findnovel</fn1876>


    I could hear Oscar trying, and failing, not tough. Kieran had his head lowered, probably to hide whatever expression was fighting to break free.


    "River, I swear, if you don¡¯t put me down this instant-!" I started kicking, pounding my fists against his back.


    He didn¡¯t even flinch. His only response was a low, restrained, "You can scream all you want once we are upstairs, little star."


    That nickname - soft, teasing, infuriating - made my face burn hotter than the sun.


    "This is humiliating!" I shouted.


    "Noted," he said dryly, climbing the stairs like he wasn¡¯t carrying a furious woman iling on his shoulder.


    I could feel the servants¡¯ shocked stares on my back as we passed. My pride shriveled. My hair was falling into my face, my heart thundering between anger and embarrassment. I tried to twist around to look at Oscar, but all I could see was his helpless expression and the faintest twitch of amusement on his lips.


    I swore to myself that I would make them all pay for thister.


    But right now - with River¡¯s arm around my legs, his heartbeat solid against my stomach, his scent wrapping around me like the dark woods he was born from - I couldn¡¯t decide whether I was angry at him... after all, i couldn¡¯t ignore how my own pulse was betraying me.


    By the time we reached the end of the first floor, he shifted his grip, opened the door to his bedroom with his free hand, and stepped inside before finally lowering me down.


    The moment my feet hit the floor, I red up at him, breathless and furious.


    "You can¡¯t just-!"


    He closed the door. The click of the lock echoed through the room.


    He said nothing - just stood there, his hands pressed t against the door, his chest rising and falling as if he was wrestling his own temper.


    I didn¡¯t care.


    "Who do you think you are?" I snapped, stepping forward. "Dragging me here like I¡¯m some child who doesn¡¯t know how to think for herself. Do you even realize how humiliating that was? In front of all the house staff-"


    "Eva-"


    "No!" I shouted over him, my pulse roaring in my ears. "You don¡¯t get to cut me off again. I have had enough of you ordering me around, deciding what I can or can¡¯t do as if I¡¯m still your employee. I¡¯m your <i>mate,</i> River. Not someone you get tomand!"


    His eyes hardened. "Then start acting like one."


    That hit me square in the chest.


    I froze for a heartbeat, anger and disbelief tangling in my lungs. "What did you just say?"


    "You heard me," he said, his voice low, controlled, but shaking at the edges. "A mate doesn¡¯t throw herself into danger when her family is doing everything to protect her."


    Iughed - the sound cold and disbelieving. "Protect me? You call this protection? You don¡¯t protect me, River - you <i>cage</i> me!"


    "Evaline-"


    "You keep deciding for me. You think you know what¡¯s best, what I can handle, what I <i>should</i> feel-"


    "I¡¯m trying to keep you alive!" he thundered, his patience snapping. His voice filled the room, vibrating through the walls, through my bones. "You think I like stopping you? You think I enjoy saying no when every part of me wants to give you the world?"


    "Then show it!" I threw back, my chest heaving. "Show it in a way that doesn¡¯t make me feel like I¡¯m just another one of your warriors following orders!"


    His expression cracked for just a moment. But I saw it - the raw ache behind his eyes. Then it was gone, hidden under that icy Alpha calm. He took a step forward, slow and deliberate, and for every inch he moved, I stepped back, my anger and pulse tangled in equal measure.


    "Evaline," he said quietly, "you need to calm down."


    I barked out augh that was anything but calm. "Don¡¯t tell me to calm down. You don¡¯t get to silence me-"


    "I¡¯m not trying to silence you-"


    "Yes, you are! Every time you don¡¯t want to hear what I have to say, you-"


    He moved.


    One heartbeat he was across the room, and the next, his hands caught my wrists, his body closing in until my back hit the wall with a soft thud. And his scent wrapped around me like a spell.


    "River," I hissed, trying to yank my hands free. "Let me go!"


    "I¡¯m not going to hurt you," he said, his voice rough, his breath grazing my cheek. "But you need to stop fighting me for one damn second."


    "Then stop forcing me-"


    "Evaline." My name left his lips as a warning, low and desperate. "Please."


    But I couldn¡¯t stop. The anger in my chest wouldn¡¯t let me. "You can¡¯t just - just pin me to the wall and expect me to-"


    And then his lips were on mine.


    The world tilted.


    It wasn¡¯t gentle. It wasn¡¯t soft. It was a collision - of frustration, of longing, of everything we had been holding back since previous evening. My protest died against his mouth, swallowed by the sheer force of the kiss.


    He pressed closer, one hand sliding from my wrist to cup the side of my face, his thumb trembling slightly as if even he didn¡¯t know what he was doing anymore. His other hand held me firm, trapped between him and the wall.


    I should have pushed him away.


    I wanted to.


    I tried to.


    But my body betrayed me the second his mouth moved against mine - demanding, consuming. The heat of him poured into me, and the anger melted into something else entirely - something wild, breathless, and dangerous.


    When I finally pushed him back, it wasn¡¯t to stop him... it was to breathe.


    And then, before he could say a word, I caught his cor and pulled him right back.


    This time, I kissed him.


    Hard.

 Chapter 381: Making The Alpha Surrender (II)

    <h4>Chapter 381: Making The Alpha Surrender (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River froze, caught off guard. Then a low sound escaped his throat, half a growl, half a groan, as I pressed him back, my hands sliding into his hair. I didn¡¯t kiss him to surrender... I kissed him to punish him. To make him feel the same chaos he had set loose inside me.


    He let me take control, though I could feel the strength he was holding back - the restraint coiling through his muscles, the effort it took not to reim dominance.


    My lips moved against his, urgent and furious, tasting the air between us, taking everything and giving nothing back.


    His breath hitched when I broke the kiss, only to drag my lips along his jaw, then lower - to the edge of his throat. His heartbeat thundered beneath my mouth, matching the wild rhythm of my own.


    "Evaline..." he breathed, his voice rough and unsteady. "You are ying with fire."


    "Maybe I like the burn," I whispered back.


    His hand found my waist, but he didn¡¯t stop me. He just watched, eyes dark and stormy, as I pushed him back until the back of his knees hit the bed.


    He sat down, the faintest shock flickering across his face. I didn¡¯t give him a chance to recover. I pressed my palms against his chest, and before he could react, I climbed onto hisp, straddling him. His breath left him in a rush, and for the first time today, he looked uncertain.


    I leaned in, brushing my lips against the curve of his throat. His hands clenched at my hips but didn¡¯t move. His breath came faster, uneven. The pulse beneath my mouth raced wildly as I kissed him there... softly at first, then deeper, my teeth grazing skin just enough to make him exhale sharply.


    "Evaline..." he said again, his voice no longer steady.


    I smiled against his throat, savoring the way his control cracked, his head tipping back slightly as if he couldn¡¯t decide whether to stop me or pull me closer.


    "Still think you can silence me, Alpha?" I murmured against his skin.


    His hand slid into my hair, his fingers curling but not tugging, holding me in ce. When his eyes met mine, they weren¡¯t cold anymore. They were molten - dark, unguarded, and achingly human.


    "No," he said finally, his voice raw. "Not anymore."


    And then, for once, River Thorne, the man who never lost control, sat beneath me, breathless, while I kissed the hollow of his throat, tasting the sharp edge of his surrender.


    His breath was ragged beneath me - uneven, unsteady. I could feel the tremor in his chest, the tension in his arms as though he was fighting himself rather than me. I felt the thundering rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my palms. He was losing control, and for once, it wasn¡¯t me who was breaking.


    <fne744> This text is hosted at find~novel</fne744>


    It was him.


    I leaned closer, brushing my lips over the side of his neck, letting my breath fan against his pulse before my teeth grazed his skin again. His entire body tensed beneath me, and he let out a deep growl. "Evaline..." he warned, his voice rough, dark, trembling between anger and desire.


    But I wasn¡¯t done punishing him yet.


    "Don¡¯t say my name like that," I whispered against his throat before I kissed the spot again, slower this time, dragging my lips over his skin. "You had your chance to talk, River. You wasted it shouting." My words were sharp, but my tone wasn¡¯t. It was soft... almost mocking. I wanted him to feel the same helplessness he had made me feel moments ago.


    He tried to speak again, but I didn¡¯t let him. My fingers slid into his hair, tugging hard enough to make him hiss. I pressed him deeper into the mattress, keeping him there and letting my lips trail up to his jawline, his cheek, his mouth.


    The moment my lips hovered over his again, I saw the flicker of emotion in his eyes - lust, anger, guilt, hunger - all colliding and burning like wildfire.


    "Little Star..."


    This time, it came out like a plea.


    Good.


    I crushed my lips against his again, not soft, not sweet... wild. My tongue met his, and for a fleeting second, he fought back. But I didn¡¯t give him the chance to take control. I tilted my head, deepening the kiss until his resistance melted awaypletely. His hands that were gripping the sheets, moved to my waist as if instinctively drawn to me.


    The heat between us grew unbearable. The sound of our breathing filled the room, tangled with the faint rustle of sheets and the muted sound of our hearts pounding too fast. I could feel him trembling under me, his self-control unraveling by the second.


    I broke the kiss just long enough to whisper against his lips, "You think you can silence me, Alpha?"


    His jaw clenched, his breath uneven. "You are testing my patience, love."


    "Of course, I am." I murmured, brushing my lips along the edge of his throat again.


    He swore under his breath, a sound so low and rough that it sent a shiver through me. His grip on my hips tightened, but I still had him pinned... barely. I leaned forward again, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to the hollow of his throat. He arched slightly beneath me and a groan escaped him despite his effort to stayposed.


    I smiled against his skin. "Who¡¯s not listening now?"


    That was it.


    In one fluid motion, his restraint snapped. His hands left my hips only to grip my thighs, flipping me onto my back before I could even catch my breath. A gasp escaped me as my back hit the mattress, and in the next instant, he was hovering above me - his chest rising and falling, his eyes dark and wild.


    The predator had returned.


    His hand came to the side of my face and he brushed his thumb over my cheek with a gentleness that contrasted the fire in his gaze. "Enough," he rasped, his voice low, almost trembling with the effort it took to restrain himself.


    But the smirk that curved my lips told him I wasn¡¯t afraid. "You sure about that?" I whispered, my fingers curling into his shirt, pulling him down just an inch closer.


    His breath hitched, his control fraying again. For a moment, neither of us moved. The air between us pulsed with tension so thick it was almost suffocating. Then...


    River lowered his head until his lips brushed mine once more, a silent warning and a promise all in one.


    And just like that, the bnce of power shifted.


    He wasn¡¯t the only one burning anymore.


    I was.

 Chapter 382: Making The Alpha Surrender (III)

    <h4>Chapter 382: Making The Alpha Surrender (III)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River kissed me like he was breathing for the first time in forever... like he had been starved of air, of warmth, of everything that had once grounded him, and I was the only thing in the world that could fill the void.


    The moment his lips pressed against mine, the world fell away. My heart raced, my pulse hammered in my throat, and the faint walls I had built over hours of frustration and pride crumbled like brittle ss.


    Every stroke of his tongue, every press of his lips against mine, demanded surrender. It was not a gentle kiss. It was insistent, possessive, overwhelming, and I felt my body betray my stubborn mind.


    All the control I had built up - the careful walls of pride, of reason, of fear - slipped from me like water through clenched fingers. My body yielded to himpletely, almost instinctively, while my mind clung to the one thread of rity I could muster... I still needed to be in control, if only in the smallest ways.


    When he finally pulled back slightly, his chest was heaving, his eyes were dark with need and frustration. He tried to regain the control he had just lost. His hands lingered on my arms, still holding me close, as though tethering me to the world he wanted tomand. I saw him searching my eyes, the question clear - Would I let him dominate me, or would I fight?


    I didn¡¯t let him pull away. My fingers curled into the cor of his suit, dragging him down toward me. "Don¡¯t pull back," I whispered, my voice rough and low, almost trembling with the energy of the storm between us.


    For a moment, his expression faltered. That fierce, alpha gaze softened ever so slightly, reced with something rawer - hunger, desperation, vulnerability. And then, with a growl that shook the air between us, he lost thest of his restraint.


    He kissed me again - harder, deeper, more desperate than before. Every motion of his lips, every tilt of his head, demanded surrender from me. Every brush of his hands against my skin sent shivers through my body, igniting a fire I had never thought possible. My breath hitched, my mind scattered, and for a fleeting moment, I forgot to think at all.


    By the time he pulled back a second time, my pulse was a chaotic rhythm, pounding against my ribs as if it wanted to escape. He stood, deliberately, his every movement controlled, measured, predatory.


    The world seemed to slow as I watched him peel off his suit, his tie, his shirt, each motion revealing the sharp, muscr nes of his body. His presence alone made my breath hitch - the raw power of him, the quiet authority, the energy that radiated from every movement, every step.


    I felt a surge of something primal - awe, desire, fear, and an inexplicable trust all rolled into one. He was my mate, my protector, my storm and my calm, all at once. But even as I marveled at him, my mind reminded me of the bnce of power. I had my own will, my own right to push back, to im him in turn, to make him understand that I was not just his to control.


    Before I could react further, his hands returned to me, sliding under my blouse and peeling it away in one fluid, graceful motion. My skin prickled where his hands brushed against me, but it wasn¡¯t fear... it was electricity, a spark that ran along my nerves and settled deep inside my chest.


    He lifted the tie he had just discarded and wrapped it gently, yet firmly, around my wrists, pinning them above my head against the pillows. The silk was soft, almostforting, but there was an undeniable strength in the way he held me.


    <fnc635> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? FindN0vel</fnc635>


    "River..." I whispered, the sound low, hesitant, but full of the fire I still had left.


    His lips followed, not back to my mouth, but across my jaw, along the curve of my throat, across my corbone. Each kiss was deliberate, slow, almost reverent, mapping my skin as if memorizing it, iming it. I arched instinctively, a soft sound escaping me, betraying the tension that had been coiled tight inside my chest. His chuckle, low and rough, vibrated against my skin, and I felt it stir something deeper inside me - an urgent, burning need to respond, to fight, to surrender all at once.


    "Still think you can punish me, little star?" he murmured against my neck, his voice ragged, dangerous.


    I wanted to answer, to tell him that I could, that I wasn¡¯t afraid, but my body had other ideas. I gasped, caught in the whirlwind of his presence, and instead of words, a shiver ran down my spine, a quiet surrender that wasn¡¯t weakness but acknowledgment.


    His hands slid along my sides, tracing my curves, learning every ridge, every dip. My pulse raced uncontrobly, my breathing shallow and ragged, every nerve ending alive with his touch. Each kiss, each brush of his lips, demanded my surrender, and I gave it - not meekly, but with intent, with the desire to make him understand that I could y this game too.


    I let my hands move, dragging lightly against his shoulders, his chest, tangling in his hair, and when I pressed myself closer to him, guiding the rhythm of our bodies, he paused ever so slightly, his eyes meeting mine.


    "You think you are in charge now?" he breathed, voice husky, teetering on the edge of surrender and demand.


    I smiled against his mouth, a small, teasing curve of my lips that held all the fire I had left. "Maybe I am," I whispered, and the intensity of the room shifted. The fire between us red hotter, brighter, uncontainable.


    Before I could have celebrated that small victory, I felt hid fingers unbuttoning my jeans before he pulled it off my legs. And as I watched him, holding my breath, he shifted between my legs.


    His fingers pulled the fabric of my panty aside right before he lowered his head.

 Chapter 383: Pull Between Defiance and Surrender

    <h4>Chapter 383: Pull Between Defiance and Surrender</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - </strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River¡¯s name tore from my throat as another wave hit me<strong></strong>- stronger, fiercer, devastating in its intensity. My back arched, and the air left my lungs in a trembling cry. I didn¡¯t know if the walls caught my voice, or if the entire house heard me and realized what he was doing to me - but in that moment, I couldn¡¯t care.


    My world narrowed to the maddening pleasure that consumed every inch of me. My trembling hands found their way into his hair, but I couldn¡¯t decide whether I wanted to pull him closer or push him away. Every muscle in my body quivered, desperate for release and terrified of it all the same.


    I had lost counts of how many times he had made mee already. Twice? Thrice? Or was it already four times?


    He held me still, with his one arm firm around my waist, anchoring me to him as if my breaking apart was something he needed to witness... something he wouldn¡¯t let me escape from. He didn¡¯t stop, not even when I shatteredpletely.


    "R¨CRiver..." My voice cracked. "Please... I can¡¯t-"


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I was begging him to stop or for more. My mind was lost somewhere between both.


    He didn¡¯t answer. The only reply I got was the deep, steady sound of his breathing - rough, controlled, yet trembling faintly against my skin. His hand slid lower, fingers brushing against skin that was far too sensitive, far too undone.


    And his tongue? Oh Stars... it was doing all kinds of sinister things with my aching core.


    "Stop," I whispered again, half pleading, half gasping. "Please... I can¡¯t keep up-"


    He lifted his head just enough for our eyes to meet. His deep green eyes were looking even darker, molten with something that wasn¡¯t anger anymore... it was raw, hungry, and almost reverent.


    "You said you didn¡¯t want me to hold back," he murmured, his voice deep enough to shake through me. "Don¡¯t take that back now."


    The words burned through me, and before I could even form a protest, he moved again -slowly, deliberately, his lips and tongue traced the same ces he had already pushed me past. My breath came in uneven bursts, and I tried to twist away, but he only caught my hand, his grip gentle yet unyielding.


    It was too much. Every brush of his tongue against my clit sent sparks through me, every whisper of breath against my core unraveling whateverposure I was struggling to gather. I didn¡¯t even realize I was trembling until he whispered my name, grounding me with that single sound.


    "Look at me, Evaline."


    I forced my eyes open, meeting his gaze again. His expression had softened - not the ruthless control from before, but something gentler, infinitely deeper. His touch slowed, his movements deliberate now, worshipful even.


    And then, just when I thought he would finally let me breathe again, he found another rhythm - one that sent me spiraling before I could even brace myself. I broke for him again, harder this time. A strangled sound escaped my throat, my fingers clutching at his shoulders for something, anything, to hold onto.


    The world dissolved into fragments of color and light and sound, and when I finally came back to myself, my body was shaking. My heart felt like it was trying to escape my chest.


    He finally stilled. His breathing was as ragged as mine, his skin damp with sweat. Slowly, he lifted himself up and moved beside me, gathering me into his arms as if I were something fragile... something precious.


    The contrast of his warmth against my trembling body felt almost unreal. He pressed a kiss to my temple, one hand tracing soothing circles on my back while my head rested against his bare chest. His heartbeat was steady, deep, and strong - a reminder that despite everything, we were still tethered to the same pulse.


    I closed my eyes, letting myself melt against him. For a long time, neither of us spoke. The only sounds were our breathing, the faint rustle of sheets, the quiet echo of something that felt too close to love and too dangerous to name.


    When I finally found my voice again, it was soft, barely above a whisper. "You are... really not going to stop, are you?"


    He chuckled lightly, though there was still tension beneath it. "You are the one who told me not to hold back, remember?"


    "Remind me to never say that again," I murmured, still trying to catch my breath.


    His chest shook with another quietugh before he exhaled slowly, his tone turning tender. "You are impossible, sweet mate."


    "I could say the same about you."


    He looked down at me, his gaze gentle now - no longer zing with anger or hunger, but full of quiet wonder. He reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear. "Are you all right?"


    I nodded faintly, though my body still hummed with exhaustion. "I think so. Mostly."


    He smiled faintly, the kind of smile that made his entire face soften. "Good."


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    And yet... even in that calm after the storm, I could see it in his eyes¡ªthe battle between his need to protect me and his struggle to let me have my freedom.


    I knew we would have to talk. About what I did. About what he did. About all of it.


    But for now, I let him hold me.


    Because as much as I wanted to fight him, to prove I could stand on my own, there was a part of me that wanted this - his possessiveness and protectiveness - just as fiercely.


    His hand moved again, gently tracing the inside of my arm, up to where his tie still bound faint red marks on my wrist. He untied the silk slowly, careful not to hurt me. The fabric slid free, and he pressed his lips against the spot, as if apologizing for every bruise, every shiver he had drawn from me.


    And even though my body was weak and spent, my heart was stronger than ever.


    Because this - this pull between defiance and surrender - was what made us us.

 Chapter 384: They Don’t Like Fighting

    <h4>Chapter 384: They Don¡¯t Like Fighting</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Wey in each other¡¯s arms for what felt like forever before I finally spoke, my voice hoarse and quiet.


    "So," I murmured, lifting my head slightly to look at him. "Are you still nning to scold me for going behind your back?"


    His lips curved faintly, though his eyes - sharp, deep, impossible to read - didn¡¯t soften. "You think that¡¯s noting?" he asked, one brow arching in amusement and disbelief.


    I tried to smile, but it came out weak, tired. "I thought maybe you would forget after what just happened."


    That earned a quietugh from him - the kind that barely reached his lips but still managed to make my chest ache. "Evaline," he said in that low, smooth tone of his, "if you think you can charm your way out of this, you are more reckless than I thought."


    I sighed, resting my head back on his chest. "Worth a try," I muttered.


    His fingers brushed through my hair gently, tangling and untangling the strands as though he couldn¡¯t help himself. The small, tender gesture disarmed me more than any argument ever could. For a long while, neither of us said anything. The silence stretched between us again - softer this time,fortable.


    Finally, I turned my head slightly to look up at him. His gaze was already on me, unwavering and impossibly intense. I swallowed the lump that had gathered in my throat.


    "I don¡¯t like fighting with you," I said quietly. "Not anymore. I hate it."


    He tilted his head, studying me. "You think I enjoy it?"


    "I know you don¡¯t," I whispered. "But you are too good at it."


    That made him smile... just barely. The kind of small, fleeting smile that never quite reached his eyes but still warmed me all the same.


    "I¡¯m not good at fighting with you," he murmured. "I¡¯m good at protecting you. Those two things just happen to look the same sometimes."


    I hesitated, then lifted a hand to his face. My thumb brushed along his jawline, feeling the faint roughness there. "I know why you are angry," I said softly. "I know why all of you are."


    His eyes flickered, his expression unreadable, but he didn¡¯t interrupt.


    "You think I don¡¯t understand," I continued, my voice steadier now. "But I do, River. I know you and Kieran - you are both terrified that something could happen to me if I keep digging into those soul death cases. You are trying to protect me, I get that. But..." I paused, drawing in a breath. "You have to trust me too. Just a little."


    He frowned, the line between his brows deepening. "Evaline-"


    "Please," I cut in, my tone gentle but firm. "I¡¯m not asking to put myself in danger. I¡¯m asking for your help so I don¡¯t have to do it alone."


    The muscles in his jaw tightened, but I pressed on.


    "I went to Kieran first because I trust him and you," I said. "I wanted to do this the right way - together. But you both refused to even hear me out, so I had to find another way. You and Kieran... you both shut me out like I was some child who didn¡¯t understand the risks. But I do. I understand more than you think."


    He turned his gaze toward the ceiling, silent.


    "I didn¡¯t go there because I wanted to defy you," I said quietly. "I went because I thought maybe, just maybe, I could find something that would help all of us. You are all trying to fix this problem from the outside - tracking clues, guarding borders, silencing rumors. But what if the answer is buried somewhere in those records? In the old files? I couldn¡¯t just sit here doing nothing while people keep ending up soul dead."


    His eyes finally met mine again, searching, conflicted. I could see the storm brewing behind them - anger, frustration, fear, love.


    "I¡¯m not asking you to agree with everything I do," I continued, my hand still resting gently on his cheek. "Just... help me. Be with me in this. If I find nothing, I¡¯ll stop. I¡¯ll give up this investigation, I promise. But if there¡¯s even a chance we could find something that might save a life..." My throat tightened. "Please, River. I can¡¯t ignore that."


    He was silent for a long moment. His eyes flicked between mine, studying me like he could read every unspoken thought. His thumb brushed across my wrist absentmindedly, the gesture slow, deliberate.


    Finally, he exhaled softly. "You are impossible," he muttered, voice low, the corner of his lips twitching upward.


    I smiled faintly. "You love me for it."


    That earned a quiet chuckle, deep and soft. "Maybe," he admitted. His arm tightened around me, pulling me closer until I was pressed against him, my head tucked under his chin. "But I still hate when you scare the hell out of me."


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    "I didn¡¯t mean to."


    "I know," he said, his tone softer now, almost resigned. "That¡¯s what makes it worse."


    I lifted my head to look at him again. His expression had lost its edge - his eyes now calmer, his features rxed. Still, there was something guarded there, a war between what he felt and what he could allow himself to say.


    "You want me to trust you," he said. "But can you promise me that you¡¯ll trust me too? That if I say stop, for your safety, you¡¯ll listen?"


    I hesitated. "I¡¯ll try."


    He arched an eyebrow. "Try?"


    "River," I said, smiling faintly, "you know me. ¡¯Try¡¯ is the best you are going to get."


    That pulled another quietugh from him, and I felt his chest shake beneath me. He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead, lingering there for a moment.


    "You drive me insane," he whispered against my skin.


    "I know," I murmured. "But you love me anyway."


    His lips curved against my forehead. "Unfortunately, yes."


    We stayed that way, tangled together in the quiet. The storm between us had passed for now, leaving behind a fragile calm that I didn¡¯t want to break. His heartbeat was steady under my ear, a rhythm that soothed me, anchored me.


    And in that moment, I realized something I hadn¡¯t before - River¡¯s anger, his control, his frustration... they weren¡¯t chains. They were fear in disguise. Fear of losing me.


    So when I whispered softly, "We¡¯ll figure this out together," I meant it.

 Chapter 385: His Shirt

    <h4>Chapter 385: His Shirt</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time I finally pulled myself out of River¡¯s arms, the sunlight nting through the curtains had shifted. It was no longer bright and gold but softer, warmer.


    The silence in the room felt thick, as if time itself had hesitated to interrupt what had just passed between us.


    When I reached for my clothes, I caught the way River¡¯s gaze followed me - calm, thoughtful, but stillced with a quiet storm that made my pulse trip. I couldn¡¯t meet his eyes for too long. Not yet. My body still hummed with the echoes of what we had shared, and my mind was a whirl of too many emotions to untangle.


    It wasn¡¯t until I had slipped on my bra and panties that I realized how much time had passed. Nearly two hours. Two whole hours since we had locked ourselves in his room and shut out the world... and the argument that had brought us here in the first ce.


    I reached for my jeans, but a flicker of movement caught my eye. River had just bent down to pick up his discarded shirt, and a yful idea lit inside my chest before I even thought it through.


    Before he could slip it on, I darted forward and snatched it out of his hands.


    "Hey-" he started, but I was already backing away, grinning.


    The look on his face was priceless... half surprised, half amused.


    "I¡¯m wearing this," I dered, holding up his shirt like it was a prize.


    His brows arched, his lips curving slowly. "You are wearing my shirt?"


    "Yes." I shrugged, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I want to wear your shirt. You can go get a fresh one from your closet."


    He smiled lowly, shaking his head as if indulging me. But he didn¡¯t argue. He simply leaned against the cab, crossed his arms and watched me as I slipped it on. The fabric had gone cold but I didn¡¯t mind. All I cared about was the faint scent of his cologne wrapping around me like a quiet im.


    I buttoned the shirt slowly, aware of his eyes on me the entire time. When I finally looked up, I found him smiling softly with something tender in his gaze that made my chest tighten.


    "What?" I asked, trying to sound casual even as my cheeks warmed under his stare.


    "Nothing," he said, though the smile on his lips deepened. "I was just thinking how dangerous it is that you look better in my shirt than I do."


    I heldback my smile, though I couldn¡¯t help the tiny flutter in my stomach.


    He tilted his head. "Are you really nning to walk out like that?"


    I blinked. "What do you mean?"


    "I mean," he said, his tone carrying just the faintest edge of amusement, "though that shirt covers you more than enough, we still have half the staff walking around the house, I¡¯m wondering if you really n to parade through the halls in nothing but that."


    The realization hit me instantly, and my confidence faltered.


    Right. Servants.


    If it were just my mates at home, I wouldn¡¯t have thought twice. They had already seen me in far less... some of them had helped me out of far less... but the thought of the servants whispering, gossiping, exchanging looks every time I passed by...


    Yeah, that was not ideal.


    He must have noticed my hesitation because the corner of his mouth twitched.


    "I told you," he murmured. "You are dangerous."


    I crossed my arms and pouted, tugging the hem of the shirt down as far as it would go. "I still want to wear your shirt."


    He pushed away from the cab, closing the distance between us with slow, deliberate steps. The sunlight streaming through the window caught on his skin, gilding him in gold. My heart stuttered as he stopped right in front of me.


    The sight of him like this - bare chest, hair slightly messy, eyes dark and warm all at once - made my breath catch. His body was built like a sculpture, all strength and sharp lines, the product not just of training but of a life lived at the edge of survival. There was power in the way he moved, quiet and unspoken but impossible to ignore.


    And stars, he knew what he was doing to me.


    By the time my gaze finally lifted to his face, he was already smiling that knowing, wicked smile that sent warmth creeping up my neck.


    Without warning, he slid his hands to my waist and... before I could even react... he lifted me effortlessly onto the cab behind me.


    "River!" I gasped, gripping the edge of the surface as my heart leapt to my throat.


    He just chuckled, his hands resting lightly on my thighs, thumbs tracingzy circles against my skin.


    "This way," he murmured, his voice dipping low, "I can look you in the eye."


    I swallowed hard, the faint smirk on his lips making my pulse race.


    "Do you know what I¡¯m thinking right now?" he asked softly.


    "I¡¯m afraid to ask," I muttered, trying not to look at his mouth because I knew if I did, I would lose all sense of rational thought.


    He leaned closer, his breath brushing against my cheek. "I¡¯m thinking," he whispered, "that maybe I should just keep you here. In this room. For the rest of the day."


    The meaning of his words hit me like a wave.


    My breath hitched, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. Gone was the bold, teasing version of me who had him on edge not long ago, in her ce stood someone who could barely think past the heat curling low in her stomach.


    I tried to hold his gaze, but the intensity in his eyes made it impossible.


    "R¨CRiver..."


    He tilted his head, his voice barely above a murmur. "Unless, of course, you would rather step outside in my shirt and let everyone else see how beautifully it fits you."


    I stared at him,pletely flustered now. "You wouldn¡¯t dare."


    His grin widened. "Wouldn¡¯t I?"


    "River," I said warningly, though the sound of his name came out breathless, not threatening in the least.


    He chuckled, the sound vibrating against my skin as he leaned closer until our foreheads almost touched. "Rx," he murmured. "I¡¯ll behave. For now."


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    I exhaled shakily, not trusting myself to answer. My hands gripped the edge of the cab to stop them from reaching for him, because if I touched him again - if I let myself get lost in that gaze - I knew where it would lead.


    But he didn¡¯t make it any easier. His fingers brushed up my arm, tracing the edge of the sleeve I had rolled up. The touch was light, teasing, but the fire it sparked was anything but gentle.


    His voice was softer when he finally spoke again. "You drive me insane, you know that?"


    I smiled faintly, even as my heart refused to slow down. "Funny. I was about to say the same thing to you."


    Heughed quietly, pressing a fleeting kiss to my forehead before stepping back. "Get dressed before I change my mind," he said, his tone deceptively casual. "And take the shirt with you if you want."

 Chapter 386: The Quiet Evening

    <h4>Chapter 386: The Quiet Evening</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the timete afternoon rolled around, the mansion had fallen into a strange, quiet rhythm. It wasn¡¯t tense like before, nor peaceful either. It was something in between... the kind of calm that followed a storm that had shaken every wall, yet somehow hadn¡¯t broken anything.


    After everything that had happened earlier - me sneaking out to the old headquarters, Oscar joining me, the way River and Kieran had been waiting for us when we came home, the explosive argument that followed, and then... what happened between River and me in his room - I wasn¡¯t sure if I should call this calm a relief or the calm before the next inevitable argument.


    None of my mates had returned to work after that.


    River had called his secretary to cancel the rest of his schedule for the day. Since Kieran had no sses after lunch, he didn¡¯t go back to the Academy. And Oscar, who had already called in for half a day, stayed home too.


    It was the first time in a while that all of them were home together in the middle of the week. The reason wasn¡¯t ideal, but still, the house felt... full.


    After I finally left River¡¯s room - dressed in my own clothes, his shirt folded neatly in my hand - the first thing I did was look for my son. I had missed Lioren more than I had realized.


    Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was the instinctive pull of a mother who had spent too long away from her child, but the moment I saw him, all the chaos of the day faded into a blur.


    He was awake, tiny fingers wrapped around his nket, his darkshes fluttering as he turned his head toward me. The second he saw me, his little face lit up, and my heart meltedpletely.


    I gathered him into my arms, inhaling the familiar scent of milk and warmth that was uniquely his. My little boy. My anchor in this whirlwind of a life.


    He was hungry, of course. The moment I sat down, he was already fussing, so I nursed him quietly, watching his tiny fingers curl against my skin. The steady rhythm of his breathing calmed me more than anything else could.


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    After he finished feeding, I changed him into fresh clothes and then slipped into something morefortable myself - a soft cotton dress in light blue, loose enough to move easily. Jeans and blouses were fine for going out, but at home,fort came first.


    With Lioren in my arms, I headed downstairs to the living room.


    The house was bright, thete afternoon light spilling in through the wide ss windows. The scent of brewed coffee and toasted bread drifted through the air. I found River sitting on one of the couches, hisptop bnced on hisp, his brows drawn together in quiet focus.


    Even though he had canceled his schedule, work had always been an inseparable part of who he was. Still, the moment he looked up and sensed me and Lioren, his expression softened.


    He set theptop aside without hesitation and stood.


    "Come here," he murmured in a rare gentle voice.


    I stepped closer, and he reached out, taking Lioren from my arms with practiced ease. Watching him hold our son always stirred something inside me - something deep, raw, and tender. He looked so effortlessly natural like that, as if he had been born to protect this tiny life with everything he had.


    Oscar and Kieran appeared from the kitchen just then, each carrying a tray. Kieran¡¯s had sandwiches while Oscar¡¯s carried coffee and two sses of juice.


    "I figured we could use something to eat," Kieran said, setting the tray down on the center table. "It¡¯s practically evening and none of us had lunch."


    We didn¡¯t go to the dining table. Instead, we all settled into the couches in the living room - River with Lioren on hisp, me beside him, Oscar and Kieran sitting across from us.


    The food wasn¡¯t anything fancy, but it felt warm, domestic. Simple moments like this had be raretely, and I tried to soak in every bit of it - the easyughter, the clink of coffee cups, the quiet hum of normalcy.


    Lioren gurgled happily as River bounced him lightly, his tiny hands reaching for his father¡¯s shirt. River gave up trying to pry his fingers away after a while and simply let his son y with it while he smiled faintly, a softness I rarely saw lingering on his face.


    Oscar was the one filling most of the silence with light conversation, talking about the Academy¡¯s uing events and new lesson ns for the final year students.


    For a moment, I almost believed the tension of the day had dissolved.


    Almost.


    Because when the tes were finally cleared away and the kitchen maids came to collect the dishes, the quiet shifted again - heavier, more expectant.


    Kieran leaned forward slightly, his gaze flickering between River and me.


    "So," he began, his voice calm but edged, "what are we going to do now?"


    The question hung in the air like a de.


    My fingers tightened around the green tea cup in my hands.


    Right. That.


    Even though I had managed to make River understand my point earlier, Kieran hadn¡¯t changed his stance one bit. He was still set against me getting involved in the Soul Death investigation outside the Academy walls.


    I let out a small sigh and looked at River. He was still ying with Lioren, pretending not to feel the weight of Kieran¡¯s question, though I could sense the tension in the bond that connected us.


    Oscar, noticing it too, reached over and gently took Lioren from River¡¯s arms. "Here," he said softly. "Let me take him."


    River hesitated but eventually let go, brushing his hand across our son¡¯s soft hair before withdrawing.


    The moment Lioren was safe in Oscar¡¯s hold, River leaned back in his seat, his expression shifting - not cold, not angry, but serious in a way that made my heart skip.


    He looked at Kieran. Then at me. And then back at Kieran.


    The silence stretched before he finally exhaled, and announced -


    "I have agreed with Eva."

 Chapter 387: She Won The Round

    <h4>Chapter 387: She Won The Round</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The air in the living room turned heavy the moment River¡¯s words settled.


    His words echoed in my head, even as the silence that followed thickened. The clock on the far wall ticked once, twice, before Kieran finally moved. His expression tightened, the muscles in his jaw flexing as if he was holding back the urge to shout.


    "You have agreed?" he repeated slowly, disbeliefcing his tone. "Have you lost your mind, River? Do you even realize what you are saying?"


    Oscar, still cradling Lioren, froze mid-motion.


    And River, who had looked so steady just a moment ago, visibly tensed under his brother¡¯s sharp tone.


    Kieran wasn¡¯t one to lose hisposure easily. But when it came to his family¡¯s safety... or mine in this case... he tended to lose all sense of calm.


    "Letting her involve herself in this investigation is reckless!" he continued, his words cutting through the room like ss. "What if something happens to her? What if-"


    "That¡¯s enough, Kieran." River¡¯s voice came out low, but with a clear touch of warning.


    "No, it¡¯s not enough!" Kieran shot back, his tone rising. "You think agreeing with her makes you supportive? It makes you careless! What if she ends up hurt, River? What will you do then?"


    River exchanged a nce with me, and I could see it - that flicker of hesitation, the quiet plea for help. He wasn¡¯t afraid of Kieran, but he also wasn¡¯t ready to argue with him again, not after the fight we had already had earlier.


    I took a slow breath, feeling the familiar heat of frustration coil inside me. This argument - the overprotectiveness, the constant fear of what might happen - it was exhausting.


    So before Kieran could throw another usation, I stood up.


    The movement startled him enough to pause.


    I walked across the room, every step measured and deliberate until I stood right in front of him. He looked up at me from where he sat on the couch, his brows furrowed, clearly not expecting me to insert myself between them.


    Letting out a quiet sigh, I nted my palm firmly on the back of his couch, leaning down until my face hovered just inches from his.


    His eyes widened.


    "Evaline..." River warned quietly from behind me, but I ignored him.


    Kieran¡¯s breath caught, his shoulders stiffening as I leaned closer. My posture made him automatically recline back against the couch, a reflexive surrender to the sudden proximity.


    The look on his face was priceless - a mix of shock, confusion, and something he didn¡¯t even know how to process.


    "What exactly is your problem, Kieran?" I asked, my voice calm but carrying a sharper edge than usual.


    He blinked,pletely thrown off by my tone - it wasn¡¯t pleading or soft like he was used to. It wasmanding. Firm.


    From the corner of my eye, I could sense the amusement radiating from River and Oscar. They weren¡¯t going to interfere, not when I had the upper hand like this.


    Kieran opened his mouth, probably to argue, but before he could utter a word, I pressed a finger against his lips.


    "Don¡¯t," I said quietly. "You have spoken enough. Now you¡¯ll listen."


    He froze again. I could see the struggle in his eyes, the internal conflict of a man who wasn¡¯t used to being silenced, especially not by a young girl who had been obeying his every word up until recently.


    "The only thing I asked," I began, lowering my voice but not my gaze, "was to look at the records. Just the records, Kieran. That¡¯s all. I never said I wanted to run off into danger or chase monsters outside your protection."


    He tried to speak again, but one sharp look from me kept him quiet.


    "I just want a chance to see if there¡¯s anything I can find," I continued, my tone steady. "Am I a hundred percent sure I¡¯ll find something useful? No. But at least I¡¯ll know I tried."


    I straightened a little but didn¡¯t move away, keeping my eyes locked with his.


    <fn8491> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find?novel</fn8491>


    "For you," I said softly, "and for River - it¡¯s nothing. Just a matter of ess. A few records, a few files. You could give them to me with a single call or click. But instead, you both made it sound like I was asking to walk into hell."


    He swallowed hard but said nothing.


    "If you had helped me in the first ce," I went on, my voice lowering to a whisper, "I wouldn¡¯t have had to sneak out and put myself in danger. Don¡¯t you see that?"


    That onended. His eyes softened, guilt flickering across his expression.


    For a moment, he looked utterly lost - caught between the urge to protect and the realization that his protection had already backfired.


    He sneaked a quick nce toward his brothers, probably looking for backup.


    When I caught him doing it, I didn¡¯t hesitate to nce back and lift a hand slightly over my shoulder - a silent signal that said, <i>Don¡¯t you dare interfere</i>.


    As a result, River only raised a brow and looked away with a faint smirk, while Oscar turned his attention to Lioren, clearly pretending to be busy.


    Kieran, meanwhile, looked increasingly cornered.


    His fingers twitched against the couch, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly. "Evaline... I just-"


    "No," I cut him off, my tone firm. "You just don¡¯t want to ept that I can handle myself now. You keep seeing the same girl who used to follow your every rule at the Academy. The one who sat quietly through your lectures and never argued."


    I leaned closer again, close enough to see the faint flush rise on his neck. "That girl¡¯s gone, Kieran."


    He blinked up at me, his lips parting slightly. For a fleeting moment, he seemed to forget what he was angry about.


    "This," I said, tapping a finger lightly against his chest, "is the real me. I¡¯m not going to sit back and wait for permission to take control of my own choices."


    The silence that followed was thick and electric.


    I could feel River¡¯s gaze burning into me from behind with a mixture of admiration and pride, while Oscar didn¡¯t even bother hiding his grin anymore.


    Finally, Kieran let out a shaky breath and muttered, "You are... unbelievable."


    "Get used to it," I replied simply.


    It was then that Oscar finally spoke, his toneced with teasing amusement.


    "Well," he drawled, "looks like the professor¡¯s finally joined the club."


    Kieran shot him a re, but that only made Oscar grin wider.


    River chuckled under his breath. "Don¡¯t feel bad, brother. She¡¯s got a way of doing that to all of us."


    I straightened, finally stepping back from Kieran and crossing my arms, a small smile tugging at my lips. "So," I said, ncing between them, "does that mean I have your blessing now?"


    Kieran sighed, rubbing a hand down his face, clearly too flustered to argue anymore.


    "I don¡¯t think I ever stood a chance, did I?" he muttered.


    River and Oscar bothughed quietly, and I couldn¡¯t help joining them.


    Maybe I hadn¡¯t won the war yet... but I had definitely won this round.


    And for now, that was enough.

 Chapter 388: The First Class

    <h4>Chapter 388: The First ss</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time I finished replying to thest message I had received today, I still couldn¡¯t wipe the smile off my face.


    Rowan had just hung up, but not before showering me with every kind of praise he could think of.


    "I still can¡¯t believe it," he had said,ughing softly on the other end. "You actually made both River and Kieran Thorne give in? I have seen pow4rful Alphas crack faster than those two. You are something else, Eva."


    I remembered the disbelief in his tone, that mix of admiration and faint amusement that always seemed to color his words when he spoke to me.


    "Don¡¯t sound so shocked," I had teased. "You make it sound like they are impossible to deal with."


    "Because they are!" he had countered. "River is a fortress, and Kieran is a walking rulebook. I was halfway convinced they would lock you in your room before they ever let you get close to those case files."


    <fn67ae> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? </fn67ae>


    His words made meugh. It was a light, relieved sound after everything that had happened the day before. "Well," I said, trying not to sound too pleased, "I suppose I can be persuasive when I want to be."


    "Persuasive," he repeated with a chuckle. "That¡¯s one way to put it. Either way, I¡¯m proud of you. And I¡¯m looking forward to Saturday. I¡¯ll drop by in thete morning so we can go through everything together."


    That was only a day away, and for once, I felt like I was finally getting somewhere.


    "It¡¯s a n," I told him. "Kieran promised to hand over the case files by this evening, so I¡¯ll have everything ready by the time youe. In the meantime, I¡¯ll start going through the old ones I photographed from the headquarters. There might be something there... hopefully."


    Rowan hummed thoughtfully. "Good. We¡¯ll start with those Saturday morning and see if there¡¯s a connection between the earlier cases and the new ones."


    We spoke a little longer after that - the kind of easy,fortable conversation that reminded me how much I missed the academy. Rowan told me about the week¡¯s lectures, who was still skipping sses, which professors were on an inspection spree, and how Noah had somehow managed to turn the Runesb into a disaster zone again.


    By the time we finally said goodbye, my mood had lightenedpletely. The tension that had followed me since morning was gone.


    Once the call ended, I took a deep breath and turned my attention to the stack of work waiting on my desk.


    Kyros, as usual, hadn¡¯t missed a single lecture note. Every day since my leave began, he had been sending over neat digital folders filled with word documents, annotated images of ckboard scribbles, and even short videos exining the moreplex forms by professor in the ssrooms.


    It was almost five in the evening now, and he had just sent that day¡¯s files -plete with the quiz questions from Runes ss.


    I smiled faintly. Reliable as always.


    Settlingfortably on the couch with my notebook andptop, I began going through the material, the faintte afternoon light spilling through the open curtains. Lioren was napping peacefully in his crib, his tiny chest rising and falling in the rhythm that never failed to calm me.


    It had already been a month since his birth - a month of kind of sleepless nights, quiet mornings, and slow, steady recovery. I couldn¡¯t believe how fast time had passed.


    Two months of the second term had already gone by, which meant my exams were only about five weeks away - mid-June, if the schedule held.


    By then, I would be back at the academy. Back among my friends. Back where things began.


    And maybe, just maybe, I would have some answers about the soul death cases before then.


    An hour must have passed while I was buried in my notes, because the next thing I knew, a soft knock sounded at my door.


    "Come in," I called, setting my pen down.


    The door opened quietly, and there stood Kieran.


    He looked freshly returned from the Academy - his white shirt unbuttoned at the top, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, and a faint trace of fatigue on his face. In his hand, however, was something that instantly caught my attention.


    A pensive - a sleek, ck storage crystal drive - the kind used for secure academy records.


    He walked toward me and extended it silently.


    "The case files," he said simply.


    I blinked. "You actually brought them."


    He gave me a faintly wry look. "I made a promise, didn¡¯t I?"


    "Yes, but still," I said, taking the drive and turning it over in my hand. The surface was cool, the faint rune etching along the sides glowing softly. "I still have a doubt that you might change your mind."


    Kieran shook his head. "No. I said I would trust you on this. I meant it."


    For a brief moment, the warmth in his gaze softened something in my chest. Whatever arguments we had, I knew his anger always came from a ce of worry.


    "Thank you," I said quietly.


    He nodded before adding, "If you are free, you shoulde with me."


    I looked up at him, confused. "Come with you where?"


    He smiled faintly, and not the kind of smile that gave answers. "Your first ss."


    "My what?"


    "Your first ss," he repeated, this time with a note of amusement in his tone.


    I frowned, ncing down at the pen drive in my hand. "I thought you brought me this so I could start studying the case files."


    "You will," he said easily. "But not right now."


    "Then what do you mean by my ¡¯first ss¡¯?"


    He tilted his head slightly, and for the first time that evening, I saw that familiar spark of mischief glint in his eyes. "You remember what River said two days ago?"


    I blinked. "River says a lot of things. You¡¯ll have to be more specific."


    "The part about you needing to start physical training," he reminded me, his tone deliberately patient, "and the lessons to help you control your healing powers."


    Oh. That.

 Chapter 389: Not Like Other Healers

    <h4>Chapter 389: Not Like Other Healers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I exhaled sharply, realizing exactly where this was going. "I thought you might have... I don¡¯t know... given up on that idea since you agreed to let me investigate."


    That earned me a quietugh from him. "Given up? You think we would give up that easily on something this important?"


    The way he said it made my stomach tighten with a mix of dread and amusement.


    "Kieran," I started carefully, "I just spent hours studying, and it¡¯s almost sunset. Can¡¯t we start tomorrow?"


    "No," he said, far too cheerfully. "We start now."


    I groaned softly, leaning back against my chair. "You and River are unbelievable."


    "We prefer the term ¡¯consistent,¡¯" he replied, turning toward the crib where our son was fast asleep.


    I watched as Kieran adored our sleeping baby for a moment, his eyes soft and a gentle expression on his face. And then he was finally turning toward the door. "Come on, Evaline. You¡¯ll thank meter."


    Reluctantly, I stood up, tucking the pen drive safely into the drawer of my study table. "You mean I¡¯ll curse youter."


    He nced over his shoulder, smirking. "That too."


    Despite my protests, there was no real annoyance in me, only curiosity and a quiet thrill. Because deep down, I knew he was right.


    If I was going to face whatever the future held - whether it was the investigation, or the strange power sleeping inside me - I needed to learn how to control it.


    And knowing Kieran, this "first ss" was only the beginning.


    We walked out of my bedroom only toe across Madam Elira who was here to keep sleeping Liorenpany. I smiled at her as I followed Kieran toward the staircase.


    As we walked down the stairs, I nced at his side profile, his expression focused and calm. Somewhere in that calmness, I caught the faintest flicker of pride - the kind a teacher might have for a student who was about to surprise herself.


    I didn¡¯t know what awaited me, but one thing was certain - Kieran¡¯s lessons were never simple.


    And if River¡¯s version of "training" was any hint, I was in for a long, and probably exhausting, evening.


    When we reached the study, the familiar scent of parchment and cedarwood filled my senses. It was one of my favorite rooms in the house - quiet, cozy, and warm. Thest rays of sunlight of the day was filtering through the tall windows, falling in golden streaks over the old desk that stood at the center.


    Several thick books were alreadyid out there, stacked neatly. Some had dark, cracked leather covers, others were bound in newer materials, embossed with golden letters that caught the light.


    Kieran gestured toward the chair beside him as he sat down. "These are from the Academy¡¯s restricted section," he said. "I got special permission to borrow them."


    My brows lifted as I slid into the seat. "Restricted section? You make it sound like we are about to summon a demon."


    A faint smile curved his lips. "Not quite. But what¡¯s written in these isn¡¯t something ordinary healers study."


    He flipped open the first book, revealing pages covered in old runic diagrams, handwritten notes, and sketches of energy pathways through the human body. "These," he exined, tapping a page, "are about healing through connection - the kind that doesn¡¯t rely on spells or herbs but on instinct, energy, and... emotion."


    I leaned closer, fascinated. "Emotion?"


    "Yes," he said, his eyes ncing briefly to mine. "The most powerful kind of healing doesn¡¯te from your mind. Ites from your heart, from what you feel. It¡¯s dangerous, unpredictable, and sometimes it can hurt the healer more than it heals the other person."


    I frowned softly. "So... emotional healing can hurt the one giving it?"


    He nodded. "Especially if their bond with the person is strong. If you heal someone you love, you risk taking their pain into yourself. That¡¯s why these methods aren¡¯t taught openly anymore. Most healers can¡¯t handle the bacsh. Besides, it has been a long time, several centuries, since such a person existed among our kind with this kind of healing powers."


    I looked at the sketch again - the swirling lines of light connecting two figures - and felt a strange heaviness stir in my chest. "Then why are you showing me this?"


    <fnfdfa> Chapters first released on FindN0vel</fnfdfa>


    His gaze softened. "Because you are not like most healers. You don¡¯t follow their rules. You know that too."


    For a moment, silence filled the room. The air seemed to hum faintly, charged with quiet understanding. I knew he was right. I wasn¡¯t born as a healer, and my healing powers were nothing like the ones possessed by the healers in our world.


    He opened the next book and began exining the different kinds of energy flow - how light energy could be amplified through emotion, how one¡¯s aura could stabilize or disrupt another¡¯s depending on their connection. I listened carefully, asking questions, taking mental notes.


    Kieran was a patient teacher - thorough, calm, but every word he spoke carried authority. He didn¡¯t just exin things, he made me see them.


    At one point, he asked me to close my eyes and picture the energy within my body - a stream of light that started at my chest and branched through every nerve, every fingertip. "Now," he murmured, his voice low and steady, "try to feel where it¡¯s strongest."


    I obeyed, inhaling deeply. For a few seconds, all I could sense was warmth. Then, slowly, I felt a pull near my heart, almost like a soft vibration spreading outward. It made my skin tingle.


    "Good," he said quietly. "That¡¯s your center. That¡¯s where you draw from. Your healing energy starts there... not from your core, not from your mind, not from your hands."


    When I opened my eyes again, he was watching me, that faint trace of pride glinting in his gaze.


    "See? You are a natural."


    A small, amused smile tugged at my lips. "If the first lesson is this easy, I might just be the best student you¡¯ve ever had."


    He chuckled softly, leaning back against the desk. "Is that so?"


    "Yes," I teased lightly, folding my arms. "If all I have to do is breathe and imagine light, I think I can handle it."

 Chapter 390: Practical Lesson

    <h4>Chapter 390: Practical Lesson</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    His smile deepened - that knowing, slightly dangerous kind that made my pulse quicken. The corner of his lips tilted upward, a flicker of mischief in his usually calm blue eyes. "Oh, Eva," he said, rising from his chair with slow, deliberate grace. "I¡¯m d you think it¡¯s easy."


    Something in his voice changed then - the warmth remained, but there was an undertone, a teasing sharpness that made my heart beat faster. I straightened instinctively, the edge of confidence I had been holding onto beginning to slip. "Why do you sound like that¡¯s a bad thing?"


    Kieran moved closer. The faint scrape of the chair legs against the floor echoed through the quiet study. His shadow fell across the books, swallowing the lines of glowing runes that shimmered faintly on the pages. When he leaned forward, bracing one hand on the desk beside me, I could feel the heat radiating from his body. His presence always carried a strange kind of calm power - silent, but impossible to ignore.


    "Because," he said softly, his tone dipping into something deeper, steadier, "we have only done theory." His gaze held mine, the intensity of it making it difficult to breathe. "It¡¯s time for the practical part."


    I blinked, uncertain if I heard him right. "Practical part?"


    He nodded once, a faint trace of amusement flickering across his features. "You didn¡¯t think I would let you finish your first lesson without a test, did you?"


    A nervousugh escaped me before I could stop it. "You are kidding, right?"


    "I never kid about lessons," he said, straightening and turning toward one of the high wooden shelves behind him. His movements were smooth, purposeful - the kind that always carried an unspoken confidence.


    My stomach flipped uneasily as I watched him scan the shelf. "What kind of test are we talking about, exactly?"


    He didn¡¯t answer right away. His hand reached for something - a small, silver object that caught the light as he pulled it free. When I saw what it was, my breath hitched.


    A dagger.


    Not the usual kind, but something ceremonial. The de was slender and sharp, glinting faintly under the sunlight streaming through the window. The hilt was engraved with delicate runes - markings I didn¡¯t recognize but instinctively knew were old. Ancient, even.


    "Kieran..." My voice faltered, and I stood from my chair. "What are you going to do with that?"


    He turned the de over in his hand, examining the runes as though they were harmless etchings. "To heal, you have to understand pain," he said calmly. "To control your energy, you must learn how it reacts to injury - both yours and someone else¡¯s."


    <fn3ece> This text is hosted at </fn3ece>


    The calmness in his tone only made the unease inside me grow. "That doesn¡¯t sound like something we should be testing with an actual dagger."


    He nced up at me, and for a moment, I caught the faintest glimmer of amusement behind his serious expression. "Rx. I¡¯m not going to hurt you."


    "Then what are you nning to do?" I asked warily.


    He didn¡¯t respond - not immediately. Instead, he lifted the de slightly, and realization dawned on me a heartbeat before it happened.


    "Kieran, no!"


    I moved without thinking, reaching out to grab his wrist. My fingers wrapped around his arm just as the de grazed his palm. The faint metallic scent of blood hit my senses, sharp and startling.


    "What are you doing?" I demanded, my voice sharper than I intended. "Are you insane?"


    He didn¡¯t even flinch. His gaze flicked to my hand clutching his wrist, and a small, almost teasing smile tugged at his lips. "You forget," he said quietly, "I¡¯m an alpha, Evaline. One of the strongest among our kind. A small cut like this isn¡¯t going to kill me."


    "That¡¯s not the point!" I snapped, tightening my grip. But he gently pried my fingers off, his touch unhurried but firm - reminding me, without words, of just how effortlessly strong he really was.


    "I told you not to worry," he said, his tone softening again. "I need you to focus. To feel the energy... not just imagine it."


    Before I could protest further, he turned his palm toward me. The wound was small but deep enough for a thin line of crimson to trickle down his hand. The sight of it sent a jolt through my chest - a mix of worry and disbelief.


    He held his hand steady between us, his expression calm and unwavering. "Now," he murmured, "heal it."


    The room went utterly still.


    The air seemed heavier, charged with quiet tension. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, fast and unsteady.


    "Kieran..." I whispered again, half pleading, half afraid.


    "Trust yourself," he said simply. "And trust me."


    Those three words were enough to still my panic - not entirely, but enough for me to breathe. He was serious about this lesson, I could see it in his eyes. And despite the small act of recklessness, I trusted him. Even more than I trusted myself.


    I swallowed hard and reached out. My fingers trembled slightly as they brushed against his hand - warm and solid beneath mine. The small cut glistened, bright against his pale skin.


    Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply and searched for that spark within me - the same light he had guided me to find earlier. I pictured it again...a soft stream of warmth swirling inside my chest, expanding with every heartbeat.


    "Focus," Kieran murmured, his voice low, grounding. "Don¡¯t think, just feel."


    So I did.


    I let go of the fear, the hesitation, and let the warmth move. I imagined it flowing down my arm, collecting in my palm, seeping through my fingertips. It felt like heat andfort all at once... as if something alive was moving inside me.


    The moment my energy reached him, I felt a faint resistance, like a barrier, before it yielded, allowing the warmth to sink into his skin. The sensation startled me, but I kept going, letting instinct guide me.


    And then... something shifted.

 Chapter 391: Her Power Is Alive

    <h4>Chapter 391: Her Power Is Alive</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The air around us grew warmer, humming faintly. My fingers tingled, and I could almost see faint threads of light weaving between us - barely visible, but real enough to make my breath hitch. The glow was gentle, golden, pulsing softly in rhythm with my heartbeat.


    Kieran didn¡¯t move. His gaze was fixed on me...not in surprise, but in quiet awe.


    The wound began to close, slowly at first, then faster. The blood vanished, and the skin started knitting together as though time itself had reversed. Within moments, the cut was gone... no scar, no trace.


    When it was done, I exhaled shakily and pulled back, staring at his unmarked palm. My chest felt heavy, my heart racing too fast.


    He looked down at his healed hand, flexed it once, then met my gaze. The gold in his eyes was shining brightly... brighter than I had ever seen before. His golden-green orbs were filled with something that made my throat tighten.


    "You did it," he said softly. "On your first try."


    I blinked, my breathing out uneven. "That... didn¡¯t feel like magic," I admitted. "It felt... alive."


    He nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "That¡¯s because it is. What you just used isn¡¯t inherited healing power, Evaline. It¡¯s instinctive. Emotional. It responds to what you feel, not what you think."


    I looked down at my hands, still faintly warm from the lingering energy. "It felt like something inside me just... woke up."


    "Exactly," he murmured, his voice low, almost proud. "That¡¯s what makes you different from the others."


    The silence that followed wasn¡¯t empty. It was alive with quiet awe... and something deeper that neither of us said out loud.


    After a long pause, Kieran smiled faintly, the proud curve of a mentor, yet the softness of a mate who cared deeply. "Lesson one -plete," he said. "And I think it¡¯s safe to say you passed with flying colors."


    A softugh escaped me, half disbelief, half relief. "If that was the easy part," I said, brushing my hair back from my face, "I¡¯m not sure I want to know what lesson two looks like."


    His eyes gleamed with quiet amusement as he began closing the books. "You¡¯ll find out soon enough."


    But as I stood there, still feeling the echo of that warmth humming through my veins, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the test wasn¡¯t just about healing. It was about control... trust... connection.


    And somehow, I knew that whatever came next wasn¡¯t only going to test my power.


    It was going to test me.


    * * *


    It was well past eight when I finally stepped out of the study, the faint traces of healing energy still tingling at my fingertips. My head buzzed from everything that had just happened - the theory, the unexpected "practical," and Kieran¡¯s maddening calm through it all. The man had actually cut himself just to make me focus.


    Who even <i>does</i> that?


    And yet... it had worked.


    I could still remember the look in his eyes when the wound vanished - quiet pride, the kind that spoke louder than any words. That memory alone had me smiling all the way down the hall, my steps lighter than before.


    I was still lost in thought when I heard faint voicesing from the living room. At first, I assumed it was just River and Oscar, they were always talking about something or other when they weren¡¯t working. But as I turned the corner and peeked in, my steps faltered.


    "Draven?"


    The dark-haired man lounging casually on the couch looked up, shing me that charming grin that always seemed to make trouble feel like a perfectly good idea.


    "Evening, sweetheart," he said, his voice low and amused. "You look like you have been through a war."


    I blinked at him, half in surprise, half in disbelief. "What are you doing here? It¡¯s Thursday... shouldn¡¯t you be locked in the academy?"


    "Academy was boring," he said with a shrug, rising to his full height. "So I thought I would drop by. River invited me for dinner."


    I shot a quick look at River, who was standing by the window with his hands in his pockets, looking far too calm. "You invited him?"


    He gave a faint smile. "He was already determined toe. Besides, you could use a little break after your first lesson."


    Draven¡¯s grin widened. "I got to know about what happened yesterday. And let me make this very clear that I¡¯m extremely disappointed to know that you went out to have fun on your own even though you promised to wait for me. You were being bad, Eva."


    I opened my mouth, thinking of something to say in my defense, but he was already adding.


    "But more than that, what really hurt me was to know that you won the fights against both River and Kieran. How unlucky of me to be absent from such epic moments. And no one cared enough to at least capture some videos for me."


    Oscar snorted from the kitchen. "I was too busy enjoying the show to think about you, little bro."


    Kieran, who had just entered behind me, gave his brother a pointed look. "You are enjoying this far too much."


    "I¡¯m enjoying the fact that Eva made you <i>both</i> give in," Oscar replied with mock solemnity. "That¡¯s history in the making."


    Draven chuckled, moving closer and ruffling my hair like I was a kid. "You really do have a way of keeping these alpha males on their toes, don¡¯t you?"


    I swatted his hand away, trying not tough. "Someone has to keep you all in check."


    The sound of sharedughter filled the room, soft and easy. It had been a while since the house felt this light - no tension, no sharp words, no weight pressing down on anyone. Just warmth, food, and familiar voices.


    Dinner was simple - roasted vegetables, rice, grilled tofu, and steak. River poured wine, Kieran kept silently refilling everyone¡¯s tes, and Oscar stole bites of Draven¡¯s food just to annoy him.


    When River asked about the lesson, I told them everything - from Kieran¡¯s calm lectures to the part where he decided to stab himself.


    Draven nearly choked on his drink. "He what?"


    Kieran sighed deeply, muttering something about overreactions while I smirked at him. "He said it was to make me understand pain," I added. "Apparently, theory wasn¡¯t enough."


    River shook his head slowly. "You really didn¡¯t waste time, did you?"


    Oscar leaned back with a grin. "Knowing Kieran? I¡¯m surprised he didn¡¯t make her climb a cliff to test her bnce first."


    Kieran red at him over the rim of his ss. "Don¡¯t tempt me."


    Iughed softly, shaking my head. "Honestly, I thought he was joking at first. But... it worked." My tone softened as I looked down at my hands. "I actually healed him. The energy felt alive... like it knew what to do before I did."


    River¡¯s gaze lingered on me for a long moment, quiet pride glinting in his eyes. "That¡¯s exactly what we needed to know," he said. "Your power doesn¡¯t obey rules. It follows instinct."


    <fn4c76> Updates are released by findnovel</fn4c76>


    "Honestly, I was thinking that it wouldn¡¯t be that easy to make her power surface since she just found it. I thought we would need to work on her learning to summon it at will." Kieran confessed as he ced a piece of steak in my te.


    I nodded my head before adding, "I had same thoughts. I thought I won¡¯t be able to heal every time or any time I wanted... at least not until I learned to summon my power at will. But so far, it seems like my power doesn¡¯t like holding back whenever I try to call for it."


    The brothers looked thoughtful, their brains processing what Kieran and I just revealed.


    It was River who spoke next. "Still, I feel like you will need to work on summoning your power. Don¡¯tpletely ignore this part just because the power has beening to you naturally so far."


    Both I and Kieran nodded our heads in understanding.


    "Which means her next lessons are going to be interesting," Oscar added lightly, raising his brows toward Kieran.


    Kieran¡¯s lips twitched. "That¡¯s one word for it."


    Draven leaned back with azy grin, his wine swirling in the ss. "Well, in that case, I¡¯m definitelying to watch. Someone¡¯s got to make sure Kieran doesn¡¯t end up bleeding again."


    River exhaled, half amused, half exasperated. "You are not turning her training into a spectacle, Draven."


    "Toote," he said cheerfully. "I already bought popcorn."


    Everyoneughed... even River had a smile ying on his lips, though he tried to hide it.


    For a moment, sitting there between them, I felt something the same thing I hade to rte to theirpany - peace. The kind thates quietly, when you realize the storm has passed.


    Maybe tomorrow there would be more lessons, more secrets, and more challenges waiting to unravel. But tonight?


    Tonight, I had my family - my mates, my son, my home, andughter echoing through the halls that once felt too silent.

 Chapter 392: Alpha’s Sneaky Visit (I)

    <h4>Chapter 392: Alpha¡¯s Sneaky Visit (I)</h4>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    The house had gone quiet long ago.


    I could hear nothing but the faint sound of pages turning in Kieran¡¯s room next to mine and the soft whistle of the night wind pressing against the windows.


    Everyone had retired to their bedrooms... finally.


    Eva¡¯s room was just down the hall.


    And tonight... tonight was supposed to be one of those nights when she slept alone.


    But the thought of her being there, alone in that soft golden light, with our son breathing gently in his crib... it wed at my chest until I could no longer stay put.


    I told myself I would just check on them. That was the excuse. The truth was simpler and far more dangerous.


    I missed her. I missed both of them.


    Every part of me did.


    And I had spent half the evening listening to Kieran¡¯s lecture about how it was forbidden to leave the Academy midweek - that I could have jeopardized my attendance, my rank, my "reputation as a model student."


    As if I cared about any of that.


    He didn¡¯t understand... or maybe he did, and that was why he scolded me so fiercely. Because he knew what it meant to crave someone so much that rules blurred into nonsense.


    I waited. Thirty minutes after the lights went out. Thirty minutes of pacing the length of my room and staring at the clock until I finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    When I reached her door, I hesitated only for a moment. Then I knocked softly.


    The sound seemed far too loud in the stillness.


    The door opened a crack, and her beautiful face appeared, hair falling loosely around her shoulders. Her eyes widened when she saw me... confusion flickering across her face.


    "Draven?" she whispered, blinking. "What are you-"


    Before she could finish, I stepped inside, closing the door behind me as quietly as I could.


    She looked adorably startled, still wearing one of those light night robes that barely reached her knees. The sight of her - soft, warm, and entirely unguarded - nearly undid the restraint I had left.


    "Shh," I murmured. "You¡¯ll wake him."


    Her gaze darted toward the crib, where little Lioren was fast asleep. His tiny hands were curled beside his cheek, the soft rise and fall of his chest so peaceful that it made my throat tighten.


    A strange warmth spread through me - pride, awe, something deeper I didn¡¯t have words for. That was our pup. Our family.


    And yet, looking at him also made a mischievous part of me sigh because it meant I couldn¡¯t hold him tonight. Couldn¡¯t toss him in the air or hear his sweet giggles.


    Eva followed my gaze, then turned back to me. "You shouldn¡¯t be here, Draven. It¡¯s the night for me to have some alone time-"


    "Exactly why I am here," I interrupted, a small grin pulling at my lips. "Because I couldn¡¯t wait till my turn."


    She sighed softly, crossing her arms in that way that only made me want to unwrap her. "You¡¯ll get in trouble with your brothers tomorrow."


    I shrugged. "Wouldn¡¯t be the first time."


    There it was - that faint smile she tried to hide. The one that reached her eyes no matter how hard she tried to stay stern.


    I took a step closer. She didn¡¯t move away.


    And just like that, I felt my pulse quicken.


    For a long moment, we said nothing. I only looked at her... really looked. The faint moonlight painted her skin in silver hues, the soft rhythm of her breathing syncing with mine. There was a quiet intimacy in the air, heavy and tender all at once.


    "I missed you," I said quietly.


    Her lips parted, a small exhale escaping. "You saw me just an hour ago, Draven."


    "That¡¯s an hour too long."


    I reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek. My fingers grazed her skin, and I swore I felt sparks run down my arm.


    She didn¡¯t stop me. Didn¡¯t tell me to leave.


    And that was all the permission I needed.


    I leaned in slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wanted... but she didn¡¯t. When my forehead touched hers, she let out the faintest sigh, one that felt like an answer.


    Her scent - wildflower and warmth - filled my head, erasing every ounce of restraint.


    My lips brushed hers, just barely. Soft at first, testing, then firmer when I felt her respond. The world narrowed down to that single, perfect connection - her warmth, her taste, the way her fingers instinctively curled against my chest as if to hold on.


    The kiss deepened, and I could feel her heartbeat matching mine.


    Every breath, every brush of her lips against mine sent heat spiraling through me. It wasn¡¯t just desire, though there was plenty of that, it was need. The kind that rooted deep, the kind that said, this is where I belong.


    When I finally pulled back, she was looking up at me with dazed eyes and slightly parted lips.


    Her voice came out soft. "You always do this."


    "Do what?" I asked, smiling faintly.


    "Make it hard to think straight."


    "That¡¯s the point."


    She rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t move away when I cupped her cheek.


    "I¡¯m serious," she murmured, though her voice had softened. "If they found out - which they will - that you are here, you will be regretting your decision."


    "You are wrong. I¡¯ll never regret choosing you over anything or anyone."


    Her breath caught. And for a moment, all the teasing drained away, leaving only truth.


    "I just wanted to see you," I admitted. "To make sure you are okay. You have been working hard these days. You also had your first lesson on your powers today... and you did great in it."


    Her lips curved slightly. "What else did Kieran tell you?"


    "He also said you thought the lesson was too easy."


    Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Did he tell you what happened after?"


    I grinned. "No. But judging by your expression, I would say it was that point he decided to make the lesson practical."


    <fn3dd1> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? fin?novel</fn3dd1>


    She nodded her head,ughing softly. "You are right. But I still passed with flying colors."


    I chuckled quietly, imagining the sight. "That¡¯s my mate."

 Chapter 393: Alpha’s Sneaky Visit (II)

    <h4>Chapter 393: Alpha¡¯s Sneaky Visit (II)</h4>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    The sound of Lioren shifting in his crib made both of us nce over. We waited until he settled again, his tiny sigh filling the silence.


    I slipped my arms around her waist from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder. She leaned back against me, her fingers tracing idle patterns over my forearm.


    For a long time, we just stood there - no words, no rush. Just the quiet rhythm of two hearts beating in the same space.


    "You know," she murmured after a while, "you are reckless."


    "I have been told," I whispered against her hair. "But only when ites to you."


    She turned slightly to look at me, eyes shining under the dim light. "What am I going to do with you?"


    "Keep me," I said simply.


    Her lips curved again, and though she tried to hide it, I saw the affection in her eyes - the kind that melted the edges of every storm inside me.


    I tilted her face toward mine again, brushing a kiss to her temple. "You don¡¯t have to say anything," I whispered. "Just let me stay tonight. I won¡¯t cause trouble. I promise."


    She hesitated, then finally nodded, the smallest of gestures, but enough.


    I smiled against her hair, relief flooding through me. "Thank you."


    We didn¡¯t need words after that.


    I guided her toward the bed, keeping our voices low, our movements soft so we wouldn¡¯t wake the baby. Wey side by side, her head resting against my chest, our fingers intertwined.


    Her warmth soaked through the thin fabric of my shirt, and the steady rhythm of her breathing seemed to slow everything inside me. For a moment, I thought that would be enough... just to have her this close, her heartbeat against mine.


    But it wasn¡¯t.


    Not tonight.


    There was a pull between us that had nothing to do with choice. It hummed like quiet thunder under my skin, urging me closer until the distance between us became unbearable.


    She shifted slightly, her hand sliding from my chest to rest at my side. The faint brush of her fingers against my ribs made me draw a slow breath. She must have felt the way my muscles tensed, because her head tilted up, eyes meeting mine in the faint glow that slipped through the curtains.


    "Draven..." she whispered, almost like a warning.


    <fn16e0> The rightful source is find~novel</fn16e0>


    The sound of my name on her lips broke every line I had drawn for myself tonight. I traced my thumb along her jaw, tilting her face upward. "I know," I murmured. "But I can¡¯t help it."


    Her lips parted, as though she wanted to protest, but no words came. The air between us grew heavy... so heavy that even the smallest motion carried meaning. I brushed a kiss at the corner of her mouth, light enough that it barely counted as one, just enough to feel her breath hitch.


    She didn¡¯t move away.


    That was all it took.


    I kissed her again, slower this time, deep enough that my pulse tripped and the world blurred out of focus. Every thought faded except for her - her taste, her scent, the small sound she made when my hand came to rest at the curve of her back.


    I didn¡¯t rush her. I couldn¡¯t. There was something sacred in how she responded - the way her fingers tightened slightly against my shirt, the faint tremor in her breath. It wasn¡¯t wild... it was tender and deliberate, like a promise being rewritten through touch.


    When I finally pulled back, hershes fluttered open. Her eyes caught the light - soft, questioning, shining with something that made my chest ache.


    "Still think I¡¯m reckless?" I asked quietly, brushing a strand of her silver hair behind her ear.


    Her lips curved. "More than ever."


    I smiled, letting my forehead rest against hers. "Then I¡¯ll have to prove I¡¯m worth the trouble."


    Herugh was quiet but it melted straight into my heartbeat. I trailed my fingers down the side of her neck, feeling her shiver under the movement. The air between us seemed to hum again, that invisible thread tightening.


    "Draven..." she said again, but this time it wasn¡¯t a warning. It was my name spoken like a secret, like a word she didn¡¯t want to end.


    My voice dropped lower. "You have no idea what that does to me."


    Her pulse fluttered under my fingertips. She closed her eyes, and I took in every detail - the curve of hershes, the faint flush rising to her cheeks, the way her hand found mine and held it as if anchoring herself.


    The moment stretched.


    I pressed my lips to her forehead, then the tip of her nose, then her mouth again. Each kiss was slow, deliberate, reverent. I wanted to memorize her like this - the quiet of the room, the soft sound of her breathing, the peace that came from knowing she trusted me enough to let the world outside disappear.


    Her fingers lifted to trace my face... slowly, carefully... as though she was learning me all over again. When her thumb brushed the corner of my mouth, I caught her hand, turning it over to press a kiss into her palm.


    "Do you feel it?" I asked softly.


    "What?" she whispered.


    "This," I said, guiding her hand to my chest. "What you do to me without even trying."


    Her eyes met mine again, and the look there - so full of affection and disbelief and something deeper - made me lose my breath.


    For a long moment, neither of us moved. Then she leaned up, closing the space between us once more. The kiss that followed wasn¡¯t hurried or desperate. It was slow, consuming, and impossibly gentle.


    Her hand found its way to the back of my neck, her fingers threading through my hair. I deepened the kiss slightly, just enough to make her sigh into my mouth, the sound so soft it felt like a heartbeat.


    When we broke apart, she stayed close, her forehead against mine, her breath mingling with mine in the still air.


    "Reckless," she whispered again, her tone somewhere between fondness and surrender.


    "Only for you," I breathed. "Always for you."


    Outside, the wind rustled through the trees, and somewhere in the corner, Lioren gave a small sleepy sigh before settling again. The quiet wrapped around us, gentle and protective.


    I drew the nket over her shoulders and pulled her closer until she rested perfectly against me, fitting as though she had always belonged there.


    Her hand found mine beneath the sheets, fingers curling around my own. Slowly, her breathing evened out.


    Iy awake a while longer, listening to the rhythm of her sleep, the soft, perfect sound of our son nearby, and the faint echo of herst whispered word still tangled in my head.


    Reckless.


    Maybe she was right.


    But if recklessness meant this - me holding everything I had ever wanted in my arms - then I would dly be reckless for the rest of my life.

 Chapter 394: The Second Lesson

    <h4>Chapter 394: The Second Lesson</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The next evening arrived sooner than I expected.


    I had just finished feeding Lioren and was putting him down for a nap when a light knock sounded at my door. One of the household servants stood there, her hands sped politely in front of her.


    "My Lady," she said softly, "Alpha River asked me to inform you that it¡¯s time for your second lesson."


    My second lesson.


    The words sent a small ripple through me - a mixture of nerves and excitement. Yesterday¡¯s "first ss" with Kieran had been more emotional than physical. But physical training... with River? That was a whole different story.


    "I¡¯ll be there shortly. Let Madam Elira stay with Young master." I told her, and she bowed before quietly leaving.


    I nced back at Lioren. He was fast asleep, his little hand curled near his cheek, his breathing steady. I brushed a kiss over his forehead before slipping out of the room.


    As I made my way downstairs, I spotted River waiting near the back door that led to the open courtyard. The sun had dipped low in the sky, leaving streaks of deep gold and soft violet scattered across the horizon.


    River stood in the middle of it, dressed in dark training clothes that clung to the lines of his body. His hair was styled perfectly, yet a few strands were falling across his face. There was no softness in his expression this evening... only calm determination.


    When his eyes met mine, I forgot to breathe for a second.


    "You are not dressed for the osion," he said, not unkindly, but with the cool authority that reminded me why everyone in our world feared and respected him.


    "I didn¡¯t realize I had to change. I¡¯ll be right back."


    I literally ran back inside the house without waiting for his response. When I returned to my room, Madam Elira was already there, working on a dream catcher she seemed to be making for Lioren.


    I quickly headed inside my walk-in closet and grabbed a pair of gym outfit. Once I had changed and put on my shoes, I headed downstairs with my heart beating wildly in my chest.


    When I walked out of the door, I found him standing there just like I left him not long ago. "How about now?" I asked.


    He turned to face me and his gaze softened just slightly. "That¡¯s good enough. But next time, don¡¯t get uste like today. You¡¯ll need every minute of this session."


    I frowned lightly. "How bad can it be?"


    He smiled. It was a faint, dangerous curve of lips that made my stomach twist. "You¡¯ll find out."


    He gestured for me to follow and I did. We took the trail into the woods behind the house, stepping deeper into the mountains that looked extra creepy at this hour.


    All of a sudden, he picked up his speed... though just a little. He was now jogging. "Keep up. You need to warm up first."


    I did as told, picking my speed as I jogged by his side. The air was cool against my skin, but anticipation burned low in my chest.


    We continued like that for about ten minutes before we reached what seemed like a small clearing. Once there, he asked me to stretch my muscles and I did. Rolling my shoulders, stretching my arms, and inhaling deeply.


    Then, I watched as River started circling around me slowly, assessing. His every step was measured, deliberate. "You have good reflexes, Evaline. That much I know. But your body-" He stopped behind me. "-still moves like you are afraid of breaking something."


    "I just gave birth a month ago," I muttered.


    "I know," he said softly, "and that¡¯s why we¡¯ll go only as far as you can handle. But don¡¯t expect me to go easy on you because of that."


    Before I could reply, he stepped forward, so close that I felt the warmth of his breath near my ear. "You asked for this training, Evaline. Now prove you are ready for it."


    The words sent a shiver through me - not of fear, but challenge. Still, what I wanted most was to ask exactly when did I made such a ridiculous demand. But I knew his words meant something else.


    "Fine," I said, turning to face him. "Show me."


    He nodded once, stepping back. "First lesson - bnce and control."


    He struck without warning.


    I barely dodged his arm as he reached for me, his movement fast and precise. My heart leaped in my chest as I stumbled back, but he didn¡¯t pause. He lunged again, this time sweeping his leg to knock me off my feet.


    I twisted just in time, my hands brushing the ground before I regained my footing.


    "Good," he said, his eyes gleaming. "But your stance is weak. Keep your center lower."


    He came at me again - faster. I barely had time to block his arm, the impact vibrating up my forearm. He grabbed my wrist, twisted, and suddenly my back was against his chest, his arm locked around me.


    "Too slow," he whispered near my ear.


    I growled low in my throat and kicked back, hitting his shin. He loosened his hold for half a second... enough for me to slip free.


    I turned sharply, facing him again, chest heaving.


    He smiled faintly. "Better."


    <fnf2a6> This content belongs to find?novel</fnf2a6>


    We circled each other, the world narrowing to just the sound of our breathing and the faint crunch of gravel under our feet. He feinted left, I moved right... but he was faster. His hand shot out, gripping my forearm, and before I could react, he pulled me forward, using my own momentum to bring me down.


    I gasped as I hit the ground, but before I could recover, he crouched beside me, his eyes dark with focus.


    "This is what happens when you lose focus for even a second," he said. "Your opponent doesn¡¯t give you time to think."


    I red up at him. "You are enjoying this, aren¡¯t you?"


    He gave a small smirk. "Maybe a little."


    With a groan, I pushed myself up, brushing the dust from my clothes. "Then don¡¯t hold back. I can handle more."


    Something shifted in his expression - pride, and maybe something else. "Alright, little star," he murmured. "Let¡¯s see what you have got."


    The next round was harder. He didn¡¯t give me a moment to breathe - his strikes came faster, his movements sharper. Every time I thought I could predict him, he changed rhythm, forcing me to adapt. I started to understand what he was trying to teach me - to trust my instincts, not just my eyes.


    At one point, I managed to catch his wrist mid-swing, using his force to pivot behind him. My hand came up to his neck... not hard, but enough to show I could have hit him.


    "Impressive," he said, his voice low.


    "You are not the only one who learns fast," I replied.


    For a second, we both froze - our eyes locking, our breaths mingling in the cool evening air. The moment stretched taut, something unspoken flickering between us.


    Then he moved.


    With one swift motion, he spun, grabbed my waist, and in a blink, I was t on my back again... this time with him above me, one hand pinning my wrist to the ground.


    I stared up at him, my pulse hammering, every nerve in my body alive.


    "Lesson two," he said, his voice rougher now. "Never assume the fight is over just because you think you have won."


    I tried to re, but the intensity in his eyes made it impossible. There was no mockery in his expression... only heat, focus, and something that made my breath catch.


    Then, as if realizing how close we were, he exhaled and stood, offering me a hand. "Enough for today."


    But before I could take it, the faint sound of something... or someone... echoed from the far end of the clearing.


    Both of us froze.


    River¡¯s eyes narrowed as his head turned toward the sound. And becase of my newly enhanced senses, I heard it too. It was a faint metallic click, sharp and distinct, followed by the whisper of footsteps.


    The air shifted.


    "Stay behind me," he murmured, his voice suddenly low and dangerous.


    "What is it?" I whispered, my heart starting to race again - this time not from the training.


    He didn¡¯t answer. He took a slow step forward, his stance immediately changing... the predator recing the teacher.


    The wind picked up, carrying with it the faint scent of something foreign. My instincts screamed that we weren¡¯t alone.


    Then, out of the shadows from behind the trees, something moved.


    A blur... fast, deliberate, wrong.


    River was already in front of me before I could blink, his hand raised, his voice low andmanding. "Get back, Evaline."


    Thest thing I saw before he blocked my view was a pair of glowing red eyes watching us from the dark.


    And then... everything happened at once.

 Chapter 395: How It Ended

    <h4>Chapter 395: How It Ended</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The chill that swept through the clearing was unnatural. It was sharp enough to slice through bone, deep enough to silence every sound in the forest. The faint rustling of leaves stilled, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath.


    I felt it in my veins - that dreadful, paralyzing awareness of danger. It slithered down my spine like cold poison. My heart lurched painfully, and every instinct screamed at me to move, to run, to follow River¡¯smand, but my feet wouldn¡¯t obey. My body felt rooted to the ground.


    I watched as River went rigid. His hand clenched into a fist at his side, and his entire body tensed as if ready to strike.


    The air thickened, pressing against my chest until it hurt to breathe. I couldn¡¯t see what was there, hidden in the shadows beyond the trees, but I could feel them. Their presence, raw and violent, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.


    "Evaline." River¡¯s voice came out low and sharp, cutting through the tension like a de. He didn¡¯t turn toward me, his eyes fixed ahead. "Go. Leave. Now."


    I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. "River, what-"


    "Go!" His tone snapped like a whip, deep and desperate. "Find the others. Don¡¯t look back."


    The way his voice shook on thatst word made my stomach twist. It wasn¡¯t anger. It was fear. Not for himself... for me.


    I froze again, torn between instinct and heart. My mind screamed at me to listen, to run, but every part of me refused to leave him behind.


    His stance shifted, the air around him crackling with restrained power. His shoulders rose and fell slowly, every muscle tight. "Evaline," he said again, softer this time, yet so heavy with meaning it made my eyes sting. "Please. Just this once."


    And that was all it took.


    <fnebef> Read full story at F¦ÉndNovel</fnebef>


    I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to argue. Not when I knew what he was capable of... and what I wasn¡¯t. In any kind of physical fight, I would only get in the way. I didn¡¯t have a wolf. I wasn¡¯t trained like him. I couldn¡¯t fight, couldn¡¯t even defend myself properly. Staying would only put him at risk.


    But still...


    Instead of turning around and running, I took a trembling step forward. The world seemed to shrink until there was only him and me, standing between the quiet and the storm. I reached out, brushing my fingers lightly against his arm.


    "Stay safe," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. "Ande back to me quickly."


    His jaw tightened, but his hand found mine. He gave my hand a firm squeeze... his silent promise. Then, without looking away from the darkness ahead, he said, "Always."


    One breath. Two.


    And then I ran.


    The instant I turned, the sound of River shifting tore through the air - the crack of bones, the surge of power, the low growl that followed. My heart clenched painfully as the sound of snarling filled the clearing.


    Chaos erupted behind me.


    Branches whipped against my face and arms as I darted through the trees, the sharp sting of bark scraping my skin. I didn¡¯t dare look back... not until the noise became too loud to ignore.


    When I finally nced over my shoulder, I froze mid-step.


    A massive ck wolf - too big, too monstrous to be anything but River - was tearing through a cluster of smaller wolves. Their eyes glowed red in the dark, their movements feral and uncoordinated. <i>Rogues</i>.


    My stomach dropped.


    Though my mates now ruled the Rogue world, there were still some left out there who hadn¡¯t registered under the Roguemunity. They were still wild, unbound, the kind that hunted without reason. Outcasts. Killers.


    One of them lunged at River, but he moved like pure darkness, faster than thought. His ws ripped through the rogue¡¯s side, sending it tumbling back with a pained yelp.


    I stumbled over a root, nearly falling, but caught myself at thest second. I didn¡¯t stop again.


    My lungs burned as I ran faster, letting my bonds guide me. I didn¡¯t know where the house was, not from this part of the forest, but I could feel my other mates... faint threads tugging somewhere ahead.


    <i>Just follow them</i>, I told myself. <i>Just get to them</i>.


    Then I heard it.


    A growl. Low. Too close.


    The sound of paws thudding against the forest floor made my blood run cold. I didn¡¯t need to look to know that one of them was chasing me.


    Panic surged. My feet pounded against the uneven ground, but I was already losing. I couldn¡¯t outrun a werewolf even in human form, let alone one in their wolf form.


    My chest heaved, the air sharp and painful in my throat. Branches wed at my arms, leaving thin lines of blood. My hair snagged on twigs, my legs trembling with every step.


    "Come on..." I gasped, forcing myself to move faster. But the forest seemed endless.


    Behind me, the sound of pursuit grew louder. Closer.


    And then... pain.


    A branch caught my arm, tearing through my sleeve and skin. I hissed, stumbling, and before I could regain bnce, another branch whipped across my face. My vision blurred. My legs screamed in protest, but I didn¡¯t stop.


    Not until my foot caught on something hard.


    And I fell.


    The world tilted violently, and the next thing I knew, the ground was rushing up to meet me. My palms scraped against the dirt and rock, my body hitting the forest floor hard enough to knock the breath out of me.


    For a heartbeat, I couldn¡¯t move. The pain, the exhaustion... everything blurred together.


    Then the growl came again.


    I turned, my breath catching in my throat.


    Through the shadows, glowing red eyes stared back at me.


    The rogue stepped into view, its teeth bared, saliva dripping from its maw. Its fur was patchy, its movements unsteady but full of hunger. It was close enough that I could smell the metallic scent of blood on its breath.


    My heart pounded so loudly that I could barely hear anything else.


    "River..." I whispered, though I knew he couldn¡¯t hear me.


    The rogue crouched low, muscles coiling.


    And in that split second, as it lunged toward me, I could only think of one thing.


    This was how it ended.

 Chapter 396: The Rogue Attack

    <h4>Chapter 396: The Rogue Attack</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The rogue¡¯s growl tore through the night, sharp and guttural. It was a sound that made my entire body go still.


    My heartbeat thundered in my ears as the massive wolf lunged toward me, its ws glinting under the moonlight. I didn¡¯t even have the strength to scream. My body had frozen, my mind nk, my breath trapped in my throat... and for a terrifying heartbeat, I epted it.


    This was it.


    But before I could even blink, a blur of movement came from behind me. A dark shadow collided with the rogue midair, the sound of bones cracking echoing through the forest. I gasped as both wolves rolled across the ground, snarling and snapping viciously.


    The new wolf was massive - slightly smaller than River¡¯s wolf, but still huge and terrifyingly fast. Its fur was ck like River¡¯s, but there was a faint blue hue to it that shimmered whenever the moonlight touched it.


    And that was all I needed to recognize him.


    "Draven..." The name fell from my lips in a broken whisper, followed by a sob I couldn¡¯t hold back.


    Relief hit me like a wave, shaking me to my core. My heart pounded wildly as I watched him tear the rogue apart with brutal precision, ripping into its flesh like it was nothing more than a wild animal.


    The rogue yelped once - a horrible, high-pitched sound - and then fell silent. Draven¡¯s wolf stood over it, chest heaving, fur bristled. The look in his glowing emerald eyes was pure rage.


    My heart twisted painfully.


    Before I could even think to move, I felt it... another familiar presence, warm and strong, charging through the bond between us. Then solid arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling me to my feet before against a chest I knew instantly.


    "Eva!"


    <fnd422> Th?s chapter is updated by Find_Novel(.</fnd422>


    Oscar.


    He spun me around gently, his face pale with panic. His eyes scanned every inch of me - my arms, my neck, my clothes. His voice was urgent, words tumbling out too fast for me to keep up. "You are hurt... so many... damn it, there¡¯s blood - tell me where else it hurts-"


    His words blurred together, my mind too scattered to make sense of them. All I could think of was River.


    "River," I choked out, gripping Oscar¡¯s shirt. "He¡¯s- he¡¯s still fighting the rogues alone-"


    Draven¡¯s wolf, hearing my words, turned his head toward us. For a moment, his glowing eyes locked onto mine, as if to make sure I was safe , before flicking to Oscar. He gave a single nod. And then, without hesitation, he leapt over the fallen rogue and vanished into the direction where River had stayed behind.


    The sound of his paws thudding against the ground faded fast, swallowed by the forest.


    "Come on," Oscar muttered, his arm tightening around me as he half-lifted, half-guided me forward. "We need to get you out of here."


    Right then, Kieran appeared from between the trees, breathless and visibly shaken. His normally calm face had drained of all color when his eyes fell on me.


    "Evaline," he breathed, crossing the distance in seconds. "What happened?"


    "Rogues," Oscar answered for me, his tone clipped and tense. "River¡¯s still out there fighting. Draven went to help him."


    Kieran¡¯s eyes widened, disbelief shing across his features. "Rogues? Here?" His voice cracked slightly. "No one¡¯s ever dared... this area is under the protection of the Academy and.."


    "I know." Oscar¡¯s jaw tightened. "But they did."


    Kieran looked at me again, his eyes almost watering as he took in the state I was in - torn clothes, bleeding scratches, dirt streaked across my face. The sight seemed to physically pain him.


    He stepped closer, his hand trembling as it brushed against my arm. "You are hurt..."


    "I¡¯m fine," I whispered, though my voice betrayed the lie. My body was aching everywhere.


    Oscar didn¡¯t give me a chance to speak further. In one swift motion, he scooped me into his arms. "Weare getting her home."


    Kieran nodded quickly and pulled out his phone, already barking orders as we started moving. I could barely keep my eyes open, as the adrenaline was fading and exhaustion was sinking in, but I could still hear his voice behind me.


    "Mark... tighten the Academy¡¯s security immediately," Kieran said, his tone sharp andmanding. "Send a team of special warriors to the house right now. Double patrols until I say otherwise. And I want every entry point sealed. No exceptions."


    Even in my dazed state, the edge in his tone made me shiver.


    By the time we reached the house, everything felt like a blur. The lights were on, shadows moving quickly inside. Madam Elira was already waiting with a first aid box the moment Oscar carried me through the door.


    He set me down gently on the couch, his jaw tight with worry.


    "Get her water," he ordered someone... I wasn¡¯t even sure who.


    Vanessa appeared nearby, holding a sleeping Lio in her arms. My little boy¡¯s peaceful face made something in me break again. I reached out instinctively, but before I could touch him, Oscar stopped me.


    "Vanessa," he said, his voice low but firm, "take Lio to the basement. Now. Stay there with the rest of the staff until we say it¡¯s safe."


    Vanessa hesitated, her eyes darting to me. "But-"


    "Now," Oscar said again, and though his tone was calm, it held no room for argument.


    She nodded and hurried away, clutching Lio tightly to her chest. Watching them disappear down the hallway hurt, but I knew he was right. The basement was the safest ce in the house.


    Kieran¡¯s voice came from somewhere behind me as more footsteps filled the house. "Security team¡¯s in position."


    Through therge window, I could see warriors surrounding the house, their dark uniforms blending into the night.


    Madam Elira worked silently, cleaning the cuts on my arms and face with a gentle hand. The sting of herbs made me flinch, but I barely felt it. My mind was still in the forest, reying River¡¯sst look, the sound of his growl, the chaos that followed.


    He had promised he woulde back.


    He had to.


    Oscar stayed beside me, crouched down on one knee as he helped Elira with the bandages. His normally yful expression was reced with something grim... and protective. Every time I winced, his eyes darkened just a little more.


    Kieran eventually returned, phone still in hand. "Draven and River are safe. They killed all the rogues," he said quietly. "Mark¡¯s men are on the perimeter. No other rogue scent has been picked up yet."


    I nodded, relief washing over me at the knowledge of my mates¡¯ safety. My body trembled uncontrobly, cold despite the warmth of the fire crackling nearby.


    When I finally looked up at Kieran again, I noticed something I hadn¡¯t before. There was pain in his eyes - deep, raw, and unguarded. But beneath it, there was something else... something I wasn¡¯t expecting to see.


    He tried to hide it quickly, ncing away as he spoke to Oscar about patrol routes, but it was toote. I had already seen it.


    Without thinking, I reached out and tugged at his hand. "Kieran..."


    He turned toward me, confusion flickering across his face.


    I didn¡¯t say anything more. I just gave his hand another pull until he sat down on the couch beside me. Then, slowly, I climbed into hisp and pressed myself against his chest.


    His arms went around me instantly, strong and protective, pulling me closer as if afraid I might slip away again.


    And I just held him tighter.

 Chapter 397: The Ward

    <h4>Chapter 397: The Ward</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When I opened my eyes, the world felt quieter... softer somehow... as if the chaos of the night had been nothing more than a bad dream. But then the faint ache in my limbs reminded me it hadn¡¯t been.


    My surroundings were dimly lit, the warm glow of a singlemp spreading across a familiar room. Kieran¡¯s scent surrounded me, grounding me instantly. I blinked once, twice, trying to adjust to the faint light, and that¡¯s when I realized...


    We weren¡¯t in the living room anymore.


    The plush couch, the scattered herbal supplies, Madam Elira¡¯s murmured instructions... all of it was gone. In their ce was therge bed in Kieran¡¯s bedroom, sheets soft and smelling faintly of pinewood. And I was still in his arms.


    His embrace was as protective as it was gentle, one arm wrapped securely around my waist, the other draped over my hip. His heartbeat thudded steadily against my back - strong and rhythmic - a sound that could lull anyone into calm.


    I realized that at some point, I must have fallen asleep.


    For a few moments, I justy there, letting the safety of his warmth wash over me. The events of the night drifted through my mind - the rogues, River¡¯smand to run, the way Draven¡¯s wolf had ripped through the forest to save me.


    I swallowed, my throat feeling tight.


    Kieran stirred behind me, his body shifting slightly as if sensing I was awake. Then his voice came from just above my ear.


    "You are awake?"


    "Mm-hmm," I hummed, my voice barely a whisper.


    He exhaled a slow breath, the sound tinged with relief. "You scared me tonight, Evaline."


    I managed a faint smile, even though my chest still ached from the fear.


    Carefully, I pushed myself into a sitting position, untangling my body from his hold. The sheet slipped from my shoulder as I turned to face the wide ss window across the room. Outside, the forest stretched endlessly, cloaked in darkness and mist. The faint outline of mountains rose in the distance, sharp and silent beneath the silver wash of moonlight.


    For a while, I just sat there, staring at the view. My reflection in the ss looked pale, hollow-eyed, and tired. The night hadn¡¯t been kind.


    I felt the bed shift behind me, and then Kieran¡¯s warmth returned as he sat up too, sliding behind me to pull me gently back against his chest. His arms circled my waist once more, his chin resting lightly on my shoulder.


    "Are you alright?" he murmured, his breath ghosting against my skin.


    My body was sore, my mind still fogged by fear and exhaustion. But what truly weighed on me was uncertainty.


    Finally, I whispered, "Where are River and Draven?"


    His hold on me tightened slightly - not possessive, just reassuring.


    "They are fine," he said after a pause. "You fell asleep about an hour ago. Oscar told me before he went to patrol that River and Draven took care of the rogues. But they are not back yet because they are sweeping the mountains, making sure there aren¡¯t more hiding nearby. They want to ensure the Academy¡¯s safety before returning."


    I nodded slowly, my heart sinking just a little. I trusted their strength, but the image of River¡¯s ck wolf form surrounded by red-eyed rogues wouldn¡¯t leave my mind.


    At the mention of the Academy, I turned slightly to look at Kieran over my shoulder. "Shouldn¡¯t you be at the Academy?" I asked softly. "You are not just a professor... you are the headmaster. You should be making sure the students are safe, not... not here babysitting me."


    His lips curved faintly, though his eyes softened with something deeper. "The Academy is safe, love. Safer than you think."


    <fne360> This update is avable on Find_Novel(.</fne360>


    I frowned, not convinced. "How can you be sure? What if-"


    He silenced my worry by pressing a gentle kiss to the side of my head. "Because I made sure it would always be safe. I have a full team stationed there... my most trusted warriors. And there¡¯s something else protecting it too."


    Something in his tone made me turn fully toward him. "Something else?"


    His gaze dropped briefly to our joined hands before meeting mine again. "A ward," he said simply. "One that prevents anything or anyone foreign from stepping foot inside the Academy grounds. It¡¯s woven into the soil and air itself. Even the most powerful wolf can¡¯t breach it."


    I blinked, taken aback. "A <i>ward</i>?" I recalled the tingling sensation I sometimes felt while stepping in or out of the Academy gates.


    He nodded, his expression calm.


    My mind raced. Werewolves didn¡¯t use wards. We couldn¡¯t. Our kind was of the earth and flesh... we healed, we shifted, we survived... but magic wasn¡¯t part of us. The only werewolves capable of anything remotely close to magic were the oracles, and there hadn¡¯t been one in centuries.


    Which left only one possibility.


    "You had a witch cast it," I said slowly, watching him closely.


    His lips curved, but not in amusement... it was more of a quiet acknowledgment. "You are as sharp as ever."


    I stared at him in disbelief. "That¡¯s impossible. The witch ns are nearly extinct. The few who survived went into hiding ages ago. How could you have found one, let alone convinced them to help you?"


    He leaned back slightly, his eyes growing distant... like he was remembering something from a long time ago.


    "When my parents were alive," he began, "they once helped a witch family. I don¡¯t know all the details, only that it had something to do with saving one of their children. The witches left behind a sealed parchment with an address, along with a promise... if my parents ever needed them, they could find them using that address."


    I watched him silently, the sound of his steady heartbeat grounding me even as his words pulled me deeper into his memory.


    "When I established Silver Moon six years ago," he continued, "I knew the Academy would draw attention. The idea of teaching young wolves to master their gifts, to build unity among packs - not everyone saw that as a good thing. So I went searching for the witches."


    His hand unconsciously brushed over my arm as he spoke, like he needed the touch to stay anchored. "It took months. The location wasn¡¯t easy to find. But when I did, I found the descendants of the same witch family my parents helped. They remembered the promise."


    "And they agreed to help you?" I asked, still stunned.


    "Yes." He smiled faintly. "Because I wasn¡¯t asking for power or war. I was asking for protection, for peace. They said my parents¡¯ kindness still echoed through their n, and so, in return, they would ensure Silver Moon¡¯s safety. The ward they cast covers the entire Academy. No dark entity can enter without my permission."


    For a long moment, I could only stare at him.


    The weight of his words, the quiet strength beneath them, settled deep in my chest. I knew Kieran was powerful, wise, and endlessly patient, but hearing what he had done, the lengths he had gone to protect everyone... it stirred something inside me.


    Something fierce. Something tender.


    I turned back to face the window, my reflection now framed by the faint glow of moonlight and the silhouette of Kieran sitting behind me. "You have built a safe haven," I whispered. "For the young generation of our kind."


    He pressed his forehead to my shoulder, his voice low. "That was the dream."


    The silence that followed wasn¡¯t heavy... it was calm, filled with quiet gratitude and the sound of two steady heartbeats.

 Chapter 398: Waited Too Long

    <h4>Chapter 398: Waited Too Long</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong><fn3696> This text is hosted at find¡¤novel</fn3696>


    The silencested for a while before Kieran¡¯s voice reached me.


    "How are you feeling now?"


    There was something in his tone that made me turn, and the moment my gazended on his face, I knew something was wrong. He was trying to hide it... the faint shadow that flickered in his eyes, the tightness of his jaw, the way his hold around my waist lingered as though afraid I would disappear again if he loosened it even slightly.


    That emotion... I had felt it before.


    Guilt.


    It was the same feeling that had made me crawl into his arms earlier, and it hadn¡¯t gone away.


    For a moment, I stayed still, feeling his warmth seep into me, feeling the way his heartbeat drummed against my back, slow but uneven. Then I turned in his arms, making him look at me.


    "Kieran," I murmured softly, cing my hand against his chest. "You are the one who¡¯s not alright."


    He hesitated, his golden-green eyes flickering toward the window before returning to me. "You should rest more. Some of your cuts still haven¡¯t healed."


    "That¡¯s not an answer," I said, searching his gaze.


    He exhaled heavily, brushing a few strands of hair away from my face. "I¡¯m fine."


    I gave him a small, almost sad smile. "You are a terrible liar."


    That earned a faint smile from him - short-lived but real. Still, I saw it again, that flicker of guilt buried deep beneath the gentle look of his eyes, and it made my heart twist.


    "You are feeling guilty," I whispered.


    His fingers froze midway through stroking my hair. "Evaline-"


    "You are," I cut in quietly, holding his gaze. "Because you think you werete. Because you think you failed me."


    He didn¡¯t deny it this time. His throat moved as he swallowed, and his hands fell from my hair to my shoulders, holding me in ce. "I should have been there first. I should have sensed something was wrong." His voice broke on thest word, low and rough. "Oscar and Draven felt it before I did. Draven was halfway to you by the time I realized what had happened. I-"


    "Kieran," I interrupted gently, cing my palm against his cheek. "You couldn¡¯t have known."


    His eyes softened but his jaw stayed tight. "I¡¯m your mate. I¡¯m supposed to protect you. And yet-"


    "You are my mate," I said softly, "but I haven¡¯t epted the bond yet, remember?"


    That made him still. For a heartbeat, the air between us grew heavy - the kind of silence that carried weight and unspoken emotions.


    I continued, my thumb tracing along the edge of his jaw. "River, Draven, and Oscar can feel me because our bond isplete. They can sense when I¡¯m in danger, when I¡¯m scared. But you... you couldn¡¯t. Because I haven¡¯t made it possible yet."


    He looked almost startled, like he hadn¡¯t realized that until now. "I know, but-"


    "Bit it¡¯s not your fault." I smiled softly. "You didn¡¯t fail me, Kieran. You never did."


    He didn¡¯t say anything for a long moment. The guilt didn¡¯t vanish right away, but I saw the way his shoulders eased slightly, like my words had taken some of that unbearable weight off him.


    "You always do that," he muttered eventually, his tone quiet and rough.


    "Do what?"


    "Make me believe I¡¯m not the monster I think I am."


    I frowned, my heart tightening. "You are not a monster, Kieran."


    His lips curved into a faint smile, though it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. "You say that like it¡¯s easy to believe."


    "It¡¯s not easy," I admitted, "but it¡¯s true."


    I reached up and cupped his face between my palms, forcing him to look at me fully this time. "You have done everything to protect the Academy, your brothers, and me. You have built an entire sanctuary. You have saved lives, Kieran... mine included. How can you still think you failed?"


    He closed his eyes, leaning into my touch, his breath brushing against my palms. "Because I wasn¡¯t there when you needed me tonight."


    My voice softened even more. "But you are here now."


    He opened his eyes again, and for the first time, I saw something flicker in them that wasn¡¯t guilt - it was raw, unguarded emotion.


    "I don¡¯t deserve you," he murmured.


    I shook my head slowly. "Don¡¯t say that. You do. You all do. And..."


    I hesitated, my pulse quickening in my throat. The words that wanted to escape were heavier than they should have been, but they also felt right. I had thought about this before... countless times... about how I wanted him to know he wasn¡¯t any less than the others.


    He looked confused when I suddenly pulled back slightly. "Evaline?"


    I met his gaze, my heart thundering. "You are not thest one anymore."


    He frowned. "What do you mean?"


    "I mean..." I took a slow, deep breath, then smiled... small but certain. "I ept you, Kieran Thorne. As my fated soul mate."


    The silence that followed was so thick it almost felt unreal. His eyes widened, disbelief shing across his features as though he hadn¡¯t heard me correctly. "Evaline..."


    "I mean it," I said firmly, my voice trembling only a little. "You have waited long enough. I have kept you waiting long enough. But not anymore."


    He just stared at me, his eyes gleaming faintly in the dim light. For a moment, it seemed like he couldn¡¯t breathe. Then, with a shaky exhale, he reached for me... his hands sliding up to cradle my face, his forehead pressing against mine.


    "Say it again," he whispered, his voice low and reverent.


    I smiled, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. "I, Evaline Greystone, ept you, Rogue Alpha Kieran Thorne, as my mate."


    His breath hitched, and then heughed - a sound that was raw, quiet, but full of so much emotion that it made my chest ache. He kissed my forehead first, then my temple, then the corner of my lips, almost as if he was afraid to lose this moment if he moved too quickly.


    When he finally kissed me properly, it wasn¡¯t a desperate or wild kiss - it was slow, reverent, filled with everything he had kept buried for far too long.

 Chapter 399: Alpha’s Forever

    <h4>Chapter 399: Alpha¡¯s Forever</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong><fn90d3> Checktest chapters at Find?Novel</fn90d3>


    For a heartbeat, I couldn¡¯t move. Couldn¡¯t breathe. Couldn¡¯t think.


    Her words echoed through every corner of me -<i> "I, Evaline Greystone, ept you, Rogue Alpha Kieran Thorne, as my mate."</i>


    I had imagined this moment countless times in the quiet of my mind. Dreamed of it on sleepless nights when I would watch her from my side of bed, knowing I still had no right to touch her the way my brothers did. I had told myself that if it ever came, I would be calm, gentle, controlled. But the truth was, nothing could have prepared me for the storm her words unleashed inside me.


    Before I even realized it, I had pulled her close and crashed my lips against hers.


    It wasn¡¯t a soft kiss. It wasn¡¯t tentative or uncertain like the ones I had been dreaming about. Instead, it was desperate - an explosion of everything I had buried deep under restraint for far too long. Months of longing. Months of jealousy. Endless nights of holding myself back while my brothers loved her freely.


    And now... she was mine too.


    Her lips were warm, softer than any dream I¡¯d had. She tasted faintly of something achingly sweet that I couldn¡¯t name but knew I would never forget. Her hands came up instinctively, clutching my shirt, and that single, small act undid mepletely.


    I deepened the kiss. My heart raced so fast it felt like the world might tear apart beneath it. Every breath I took was hers, every sound, every thought, every fragment of who I was belonged to her in that moment.


    She was my mate.


    My fated one.


    The realization was almost too big, too bright to contain. I kissed her harder, slower, letting the words I couldn¡¯t say bleed into every motion - the gratitude, the awe, the love that had lived quietly in my bones for far too long.


    When she sighed against my lips, I felt something inside me shatter and reform in the same breath. Her touch burned through every part of me that had ever felt cold.


    I didn¡¯t even realize we had shifted until her back was against the mattress, my hand braced beside her head. She looked up at me with those eyes - the same beautiful amber eyes that haunted my dreams - wide and trembling with a mix of emotion that mirrored mine... relief, love, wonder, and something deeper that made my chest tighten.


    I forced myself to stop, to pull back before I lost the fragile hold I had on my control. She was breathless, her lips slightly parted, her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath.


    I pressed my forehead to hers, closing my eyes, trying to steady the wild pounding in my chest. Her scent filled the air - soft, familiar,forting. It grounded me.


    "I ept you too, Evaline Greystone," I whispered, my voice barely steady. "As my fated mate. My love. My family. My everything."


    The moment the words left my lips, something ignited.


    It wasn¡¯t physical, not entirely, but it was real. The bond that had been waiting quietly between us all this time roared to life, weaving through my heart, my soul, my very being. I felt it - the pulse of her emotions syncing with mine, the faint hum of her heartbeat echoing in my chest as though it belonged there.


    She gasped softly, her hands tightening in my shirt. I knew she felt it too.


    It was beautiful and terrifying all at once... that sense of belonging, ofpleteness, as though I had finally found the missing part of myself I didn¡¯t even know was gone until this very second.


    My heart stuttered. My body trembled. And then... I kissed her again.


    This one was different. Slower. More deliberate. It wasn¡¯t about desperation anymore... it was about reverence. Every brush of my lips against hers was a silent thank you - for choosing me, for trusting me, for letting me in.


    Her fingers slid into my hair, and I lost myself again.


    The room faded. The world outside ceased to exist. All I could feel was her - her warmth beneath my hands, her heartbeat against mine, the bond thrumming like a living thing between us.


    The more I kissed her, the more I wanted. The more I tasted her, the more I knew that I could never get enough. It wasn¡¯t just desire... it was the bond, the raw pull of fated souls recognizing one another. The hunger that came with it wasn¡¯t purely physical, it was something deeper, primal, older than time itself.


    I drew back only long enough to breathe, to look at her again. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen, her eyes zed with a mix of emotion and wonder that nearly broke me.


    "Evaline..." I murmured her name like a prayer. "You have no idea what you have done to me."


    Her softugh was shaky but real. "Maybe I do."


    I smiled - stars, I couldn¡¯t stop smiling. The kind of smile I hadn¡¯t worn in ages, the kind that came from something pure and consuming. I leaned down, kissing the corner of her lips, her cheek, the line of her jaw, and the pulse fluttering in her throat. She shivered beneath me, her fingers curling in the fabric of my shirt.


    I knew I should stop. I knew we both needed rest after everything that had happened. But the bond was relentless, thrumming between us like a heartbeat that refused to quiet.


    I wanted her close. I needed her close.


    She reached up, brushing her thumb across my cheek, and the gentleness of that small gesture undid me all over again. I captured her mouth in another kiss, pouring everything I felt into it - devotion, gratitude, love, and that aching promise of forever.


    Her body arched instinctively, and I caught her, holding her tight, my hand cradling the back of her head as if I could somehow shield her from the entire world.


    In that moment, she wasn¡¯t just my mate. She was home.


    I kissed her until I forgot where I ended and she began, until the only thing I could feel was the pulse of her heart against mine and the invisible thread that tied our souls together.


    When I finally broke the kiss, both of us were breathing hard. I rested my forehead against hers again, my thumb brushing over her lips as I tried to slow my racing heart.


    I didn¡¯t want to let go. I didn¡¯t think I could.


    And then... just barely... I felt it. A ripple through the air, faint but unmistakable. The familiar presence of my brothers returning home.


    She felt it too. Her eyes flickered toward the door, then back to me, a soft, knowing smile tugging at her lips.


    I sighed, half in frustration, half in amusement. "They always have the worst timing."


    Sheughed quietly, her fingers tracingzy circles on my chest. "Maybe they are here to remind you that you are not allowed to keep me all to yourself."


    "Toote," I murmured, pressing onest kiss to her temple. "You are already mine."


    She didn¡¯t argue. Just smiled - that radiant, beautiful smile that made everything in me go still.


    And as I looked at her - my mate, my fated one, the mother of our son, the woman who had just filled a hollow part of me I hadn¡¯t known was empty - I knew that even if the whole world fell apart outside, I would be fine.


    Because she was here.


    Because she was mine.


    And I was hers.


    Forever.

 Chapter 400: Rogues’ Target

    <h4>Chapter 400: Rogues¡¯ Target</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I barely heard Kieran calling after me as I darted out of his room. My heart was racing, my feet moving faster than my thoughts could keep up.


    "Evaline, slow down-be careful!" he called, but his voice sounded far behind me.


    Careful? How could I possibly be careful when every beat of my heart screamed to see them? To see River and to make sure they were all alright.


    Everything was fine until I just felt a tiny bit of his difort through the bond just now. I needed to see him immediately.


    <fnd425> For more chapters visit Find~Novel</fnd425>


    I gripped the stair rail and flew down the steps, almost missing one in my rush. The house was alive with motion and voices again - guards shuffling, doors opening, the low hum of energy.


    The moment I stepped into the archway of the living room, my eyes immediately found Oscar.


    He was standing near the couch, taking Lioren from Vanessa¡¯s arms. The sight made my entire body stop short. My little pup was awake now, his small hands clutching at Oscar¡¯s shirt as mate held our son close, one big palm covering almost all of Lioren¡¯s tiny back.


    Oscar¡¯s expression softened instantly - something between fierce love andplete tenderness - as if he was holding the most precious treasure in the world.


    For a brief, overwhelming moment, I forgot everything else. The chaos, the fear, even the throbbing pain in my leg - all of it vanished as my gaze locked on my son. My heart melted, and I took a step forward, ready to rush to them.


    But then...


    River stepped into my path.


    And U froze.


    All the air I had been breathing left me at once.


    He was right there, his tall figure blocking the light from the hallway behind him. His clothes were torn in a few ces, faint streaks of dried blood marked his neck and arm - not his, I realized with a jolt, but the rogues¡¯. His expression was unreadable at first... until his gaze dropped to me.


    And then, I saw it - rage. Cold and consuming.


    He closed the distance between us in two strides, his eyes flicking over every inch of me, scanning for injuries as if he could somehow undo them just by looking. His hand came up, brushing the side of my neck, and even that gentle touch made my skin sting.


    His jaw flexed. "You are hurt."


    "River-"


    He didn¡¯t let me finish. His gaze darkened further, his voice low and sharp enough to cut through air. "Whoever did this... whoever dared to touch what¡¯s mine-" He cut himself off, swearing under his breath. "I¡¯ll make sure they regret ever setting foot near you."


    The fury in his tone sent chills down my spine. This wasn¡¯t the calm, collected River I hade to know. This was his darker side - the Alpha side, the one that ruled the Rogue World with quiet power and silent wrath.


    Before I could respond, I felt another familiar energy move closer, steady and grounding. Draven appeared beside him, his steps silent but his gaze intense as itnded on me.


    "Easy, brother," he murmured to River before his own eyes flicked toward me. He didn¡¯t say anything at first... just looked, really looked. I could see the faint shift in his aura, the protective instinct ring behind his calm expression.


    I swallowed hard and finally managed to find my voice. "I¡¯m alright," I said quickly, ncing between them. "Really. I¡¯m fine now."


    Draven¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, but he gave a quiet nod, seemingly reassured. "You look better than before," he said, his voice low and rich. "Still... you scared us."


    "Scared you?" I almostughed, though it came out more like a shaky exhale. "I was terrified. You-"


    "We are fine," River interrupted, his tone softer now but still carrying the edge ofmand.


    Draven nodded in agreement. "A few scratches, nothing worth mentioning." His lips curved faintly, the tension in his shoulders easing a little. "A bunch of rogues like that? Far from enough to give us trouble."


    I blinked. "You are sure?"


    "Positive," River said. His gaze still lingered on me, though. "But they shouldn¡¯t have been here at all."


    Before I could ask what he meant, Draven¡¯s attention shifted toward Kieran - who had finally caught up with me and was descending the stairs. A sly smirk appeared on Draven¡¯s face, the kind that never meant anything good for my dignity.


    "Well," he said casually, folding his arms across his chest, "while we are on the topic of surprises tonight... should we talk about the other one?"


    Kieran shot him a warning look, but Draven¡¯s grin only widened.


    "Oh, don¡¯t look at me like that," Draven teased, his tone light but his eyes glinting with mischief. "You felt it too, didn¡¯t you? The bond." He asked River.


    I felt my cheeks heat instantly.


    Of course they had felt it.


    They all shared a bond with me, which meant that when my bond with Kieran had finally locked into ce... the others would have felt the surge of it too. The raw wave of energy, the emotional connection settling deep into our souls.


    Draven¡¯s grin turned positively devilish as he tilted his head. "So, when were you nning to tell us, little moonlight?"


    "I-" I started,pletely lost for words.


    "She wasn¡¯t," River said dryly, though a ghost of amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You were too busy being smug to notice."


    Kieran sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly unbothered by their teasing but trying to steer the situation back on track. "Alright," he said, his voice calm but firm. "That¡¯s enough." Then, he looked at River, his tone shifting. "Did you find anything? About the rogues?"


    River¡¯s humor vanished in an instant. His features hardened, the Alpha side of him resurfacing. "Nothing living," he said. "We searched every part of the woods, but there were no more rogues. However..."


    He paused, exchanging a look with Draven.


    "There were signs," he continued. "Tracks leading toward the northern side of the mountains. We followed them until we reached a cave. It¡¯s old, but there were clear signs of rogue activity - fresh scent markings, burnt torches, scraps of food. They have been using it recently."


    A chill ran through me. "So there might be more of them?"


    "Possibly," River said, though his tone made it clear he wasn¡¯t certain. "But that¡¯s not what worries me."


    Kieran frowned. "Then what does?"


    River¡¯s gaze met his, sharp and grim. "The direction they came from. That cave isn¡¯t far from the Academy¡¯s border."


    The room wentpletely still.


    Kieran¡¯s jaw tightened. "You are saying-"


    "I¡¯m saying," River cut in, "that the rogues didn¡¯t just wander into ournd. They had a purpose. They knew this territory was protected by the Thornes, and yet they still came."


    Oscar had been listening quietly from the corner, still holding Lioren close. At that, his eyes lifted, and even he looked tense. "You think their target was Silver Moon?"


    River¡¯s expression didn¡¯t waver. "It¡¯s a possibility we can¡¯t ignore."


    Kieran stood there for a long moment, his hands curling slightly at his sides. I could see the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders again - the Headmaster, the Alpha, the protector.


    River continued, "I have already called the council. There¡¯s going to be a meeting tomorrow morning. We¡¯ll discuss the findings and make sure the Academy¡¯s boundaries are reinforced."


    The fire in his voice was steady but cold, determined.


    I exhaled, a quiet wave of relief mixing with the ever-present tension in my chest.


    For now, they were home. Safe.


    River noticed my expression soften, and his own gaze gentled, the fury from before slowly ebbing away. "You are safe now," he said quietly.


    I nodded, though my heart still thudded against my ribs.


    Kieran moved closer and ced a reassuring hand on my back. "And we¡¯ll make sure it stays that way."


    The four of them stood there - each of them different, but united in purpose. Watching them like that, I realized something that made my throat tighten.


    They didn¡¯t just protect me. They protected everyone.


    And tomorrow, no matter what the council said, I knew one thing for certain - whatever danger wasing, we would face it together.


    But for now, I let myself breathe.


    Lioren gave a small, sleepy sound against Oscar¡¯s chest, and River finally released the tension in his shoulders. Kieran¡¯s hand never left me, and Draven¡¯s smirk faded into something softer... something almost tender.


    We were together again.


    And for tonight, that was enough.

 Chapter 401: A New Shelter

    <h4>Chapter 401: A New Shelter</h4>


    <strong>Damian:</strong>


    The forest was quiet... too quiet. The faint rustle of the breeze through the leaves was the only thing that broke the stillness as the group of rogues prowled through the clearing. Sunlight filtered through the thick canopy above, turning the air warm yet sharp with the scent of pine, earthy, and something faintly metallic that hadn¡¯t yet faded.


    "There¡¯s no sign of them," one of them muttered, scanning the area with cautious eyes. "Not even a trace of their bodies or blood. It¡¯s like they vanished."


    Another one crouched beside a rock, brushing his fingers over the soil where a faint smear of red had dried. "The Thornes must have burned the evidence," he said darkly. "No one leaves behind clean ground like this after a fight unless they want to send a message. And this... this looks deliberate."


    I stood a few steps behind them, my arms crossed loosely over my chest, eyes sweeping over the clearing. They were right - on the surface, there was nothing left that screamed battlefield. But they were fools if they thought that meant the fight hadn¡¯t been vicious.


    I could see it. The signs were there, subtle but clear to trained eyes. A few broken branches. Deep w marks scarring the bark of a tree. Dried flecks of blood clinging to fallen leaves. The faint imprint of boots in the damp soil. The smell of ash, faint but undeniable.


    My lips curved, not in amusement, but in bitter acknowledgment. "You idiots," I muttered under my breath, low enough that the others didn¡¯t hear. "You really think you can take on them?"


    The thought wasughable.


    I had seen the Thornes in action. I had witnessed what they were capable of - not through rumors, but firsthand. The memory alone was enough to send a shiver crawling down my spine.


    That night still hauntede. The night Rogue Alpha River Thorne had descended upon my pack like a storm of fire and shadows. I could still remember the way the ground had cracked beneath his wolf¡¯s fury, the way he had moved - swift, lethal, untouchable. It hadn¡¯t been a fight. It had been a massacre.


    Within hours, my pack... my family... was gone. Burned. Torn apart. Buried beneath silence and ashes.


    I clenched my jaw, my hands curling into fists at my sides. I had heard the stories before that night... everyone in our world had. The Thorne brothers, the Rogue Alphas, the nightmares in wolf form. But stories never did justice to reality.


    And now here I was, surrounded by a band of reckless fools who thought they could hunt those very men on their ownnd.


    I would haveughed if it wasn¡¯t so pathetic.


    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the luxury tough... or to leave.


    I was stuck with them.


    When I went looking for Ethan, I hadn¡¯t expected things to spiral this way. Ethan ckwood - the so-called ckwood heir - had been my only remaining link to the past, my only chance to find <i>her</i>.


    But when I reached the ckwood pack, Ethan had vanished. Completely.


    The ckwood pack had scoured every inch of their territory, searching for their missing heir. No scent trails. No body. No blood. Just absence.


    It was like Ethan had been erased from existence.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. I had seen a little of the kind of monsters that roamed our world - the kind that could shred an entire pack in minutes - but this was different. This was clean. Too clean.


    "Who the hell did you piss off this time, ckwood?" I had muttered to myself, staring off at the horizon.


    With Ethan gone, I had been left with no allies and no n. So when this rogue group offered me a temporary ce among them - a means to survive, at least for now - I took it.


    I didn¡¯t trust them. Hell, I didn¡¯t even like them. But it was better than wandering alone with death around every corner.


    Still, listening to them babble about going against the Thorne brothers made me want to w my ears out. They had no idea what they were walking into.


    I turned my gaze toward the horizon. The air here carried a strange heaviness, one that didn¡¯t belong to ordinary wolves. Even without seeing them, I could feel their presence lingering -the remnants of the Thorne brothers¡¯ power, woven into the very soil.


    A single fight had shaken thisnd. The forest remembered.


    And yet these fools thought they could invade it.


    I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. "Idiots," I said again under my breath.


    I was about to tune them outpletely when something... something sharp and electric... hit my senses.


    It started faintly, like a ghost of a scent carried by the wind. Then it grew stronger, wrapping around my lungs, my throat, my entire being.


    My heart skipped a beat.


    No. It couldn¡¯t be.


    I inhaled again, deeper this time. And then the world seemed to narrow, every other scent, every sound, fading until there was only that one.


    Soft. Sweet. Familiar.


    A scent that had haunted me in dreams. That had made me w at my own chest in frustration. That belonged to the woman I had been searching for since the day everything fell apart.


    Evaline.


    My wolf surged to the surface, howling in my mind. My body went rigid, every nerve alight with recognition and hunger and disbelief.


    It was her. I would know that scent anywhere.


    I took a step forward before I realized it, eyes darting wildly across the forest as if she might appear from the shadows. My pulse thundered in my ears.


    "She¡¯s here," I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. "She <i>was</i> here..."


    "Damian?" one of the rogues called, rm creeping into his voice. "What¡¯s wrong with you?"


    I ignored them. My entire focus was locked on the direction the scent was leading - north, faint but steady. My wolf pushed hard, demanding control, urging me to run, to find her now.


    But before I could move, a sharp voice cut through the night.


    "Damian!"


    I turned sharply.


    The rogues were tense, their eyes wide and their ws drawn.


    "What the hell are you doing?" one hissed. "Didn¡¯t you hear what we said? The Rogue Alphas¡¯ patrols are nearby!"


    <fn1fa3> This content belongs to find~novel</fn1fa3>


    Another pointed toward the tree line, his nostrils ring. "Their scent¡¯s close. If we don¡¯t move, we are dead!"


    I froze. And just like that, the reality of my situation snapped back into focus.


    I could sense it too now - the faint, predatory energy of the warriors sweeping through the forest, closer with each heartbeat.


    I cursed under my breath. If we got caught, there would be no mercy.


    The rogues began scattering, their panic thick in the air. One grabbed my arm, shouting, "Come on! Move!"


    But I couldn¡¯t... notpletely. My mind was still caught between logic and instinct. My heart screamed to follow the scent, to find Eva. But reason, barely, kept me still.


    If the patrol caught us now, if I got myself killed before even confirming she was alive... then what was the point?


    I clenched my fists, forcing myself to turn away, every muscle screaming in protest.


    But just before I followed the others into the darkness, I cast onest look toward the north.


    I didn¡¯t know how or why, but something told me - she was close.


    She was alive.


    And this time, I would find her.

 Chapter 402: Council Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 402: Council Meeting</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The Council Headquarters loomed ahead like a fortress of iron and stone, its high spires stabbing at the cloud-heavy sky.


    The moment Kieran and I crossed through the main gates, the air shifted - thickening with tension that tasted like metal and fear. The guards stationed at the entrance straightened instinctively, scenting our arrival long before they actually saw us.


    Our shoes struck the marble floor in steady rhythm - controlled, measured, but carrying enough weight to echo through the vast corridor like a warning. Jasper and Mark followed just a few steps behind, silent but alert.


    Every step we took meant business, and everyone knew it.


    The faint hum of conversation that usually filled the hallways died the instant someone noticed us. Staff members froze, their gazes darting between us as if unsure whether to bow or simply disappear. Most chose thetter, scurrying into adjacent corridors before our aura reached them.


    Not that it mattered. The few who weren¡¯t fast enough ended up doubled over or pressed against walls, their breathingbored. My control was tight, but my power had never been subtle... and today, I didn¡¯t care to hide it.


    No one tried to greet us. No one dared. They knew better.


    Kieran nced my way as we approached the heavy doors of the meeting hall, his jaw set in the same grim determination that mirrored mine. He didn¡¯t speak, but he didn¡¯t need to. I already knew what he was thinking.


    This meeting wasn¡¯t for discussion. It was for deration.


    The guards stationed at the entrance lowered their heads instantly and opened the grand doors.


    The moment we stepped inside, silence fell like a de.


    Every Alpha, Elder, and representative seated around the long obsidian table turned to look at us. Dozens of gazes - sharp, calcting, uneasy - met ours. The scent of authority and pride thickened the air, shing with our own. But the instant ourbined aura rolled through the chamber, the challenge in their eyes flickered and died.


    Their wolves felt it - the undeniable dominance that came with years of blood, battle, and leadership.


    The second the clock struck the hour the meeting was meant to start, Kieran and I took our seats at the head of the table. Punctuality wasn¡¯t just discipline - it was a reminder of whomanded the room.


    "Alpha River Thorne. Alpha Kieran Thorne," Elder Magnus greeted stiffly, his old voice carrying the weight of both irritation and forced respect. "You are right on time."


    "As always," Kieran replied, his tone even, smooth, calm in a way that only made people more uneasy.


    Magnus¡¯s gaze flicked to me, but he didn¡¯t say a word. Smart man.


    I let my aura pulse - just enough to remind the council why I was called the Rogue Alpha King. It washed over the room like a dark tide, forcing a few weaker Alphas to straighten unconsciously, their wolves whimpering under the weight of it.


    "Let¡¯s begin," I said simply.


    Magnus cleared his throat and gestured to the council scribes to start recording. "We were told there was an attackst night - rogues, near the Silver Moon Academy. Is that correct?"


    "Yes," I replied. My voice carried easily through the chamber, unhurried but sharp. "A group of roguesunched a surprise assault near the northern perimeter of our territory. They were well-coordinated and aggressive. Me and my brothers intercepted them while we were out for a run in the woods."


    A murmur rippled through the room, but no one dared interrupt.


    "Fortunately," I continued, "we eliminated the threat before they could cause significant damage. However, their appearance was... unusual."


    Kieran leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, his golden-green eyes sweeping the council members. "The rogues weren¡¯t feral. They were organized. Trained. Someone is controlling them... or funding them."


    "That¡¯s impossible," Alpha Roderick of the Westwood Pack blurted, disbelief flickering across his face. "Rogues are mindless animals, barely capable of-"


    "Do I look like I came here to specte?" I cut in, my voice low but sharp enough to make him flinch. "I saw them, Roderick. They were coordinated. Efficient. That doesn¡¯t happen without leadership."


    The silence that followed was suffocating.


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    I leaned back in my chair, folding my arms across my chest. "While we don¡¯t yet know the reason for their sudden appearance, we can¡¯t rule out that their target might have been the Silver Moon Academy."


    The mere mention of the Academy stirred the council again - nervous whispers, exchanged nces.


    "Silver Moon..." Magnus repeated. "If that¡¯s true, this could be more than a rogue problem. We can¡¯t allow anything to threaten the safety of our young generation."


    "That¡¯s exactly why we are handling this ourselves," I said, cutting off whatever argument he was about to form. "The Academy falls under Kieran¡¯s jurisdiction, and the rogues are my domain. This is our problem... and we¡¯ll deal with it."


    Elder Magnus¡¯s brow furrowed. "You mean to say you¡¯ll investigate without Council oversight?"


    "Yes," I said bluntly. "We are not asking for your permission. We are here to inform you of our decision."


    That sent a ripple of offense through the Alphas around the table.


    Alpha Roderick spoke again, his tone edged with indignation. "You can¡¯t just bypass the Council, Thorne. Matters concerning rogues fall under all packs¡¯ responsibility, not just yours. You don¡¯t have the authority to-"


    The rest of his sentence died in his throat when I let my aura re just slightly. The air crackled with energy, thick and suffocating.


    I didn¡¯t even raise my voice when I said, "I don¡¯t recall needing your approval, Alpha."


    The pressure intensified until the man¡¯s knuckles went white from gripping the table. A few beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.


    "I called this meeting to inform you," I continued. "Not to debate."


    Kieran¡¯s tone was calm but firm when he added, "And since you seem so eager to involve yourselves in something productive, perhaps you should start taking the soul death cases more seriously instead of wasting time arguing over who handles the rogues."


    That shut everyone up.


    The term "soul death" hung in the air like poison.


    No one had answers. No one dared to admit how terrified they were of the unknown.


    Magnus¡¯s face paled slightly. "Those cases are under investigation," he muttered.


    "Then investigate harder," Kieran replied coldly. "Because if those deaths and the rogue attacks are connected, you¡¯ll want to be prepared."


    The old man swallowed hard but didn¡¯t argue.


    For a moment, the only sound in the room was the scratching of the scribes¡¯ quills as they tried to capture every word.


    I let the silence stretch, let them feel the weight of what we had just said. Then I stood.


    "Kieran and I will be conducting our own investigation into the rogue activities," I said, my tone final. "We¡¯ll handle it swiftly and keep the Council updated on developments."


    No one dared to protest this time.


    When Kieran rose as well, his chair barely made a sound, but somehow the air grew even heavier. "That will be all for now," he said.


    Magnus tried topose himself. "We¡¯ll await your report."


    "You¡¯ll get it when there¡¯s something worth reporting," I replied curtly.


    We turned and made our way out, Jasper and Mark falling into step behind us. The heavy doors closed behind us with a low thud, sealing the council chamber back into uneasy quiet.


    As we walked down the hall, Kieran finally exhaled, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "That went smoother than expected," he muttered.


    I gave a dryugh. "That¡¯s because they know better than to challenge us outright."


    Jasper smirked behind me. "You mean they were too scared to breathe, Alpha."


    "Same thing," I said with a shrug.


    But even as we walked toward the exit, my mind wasn¡¯t on the meeting anymore.


    It was on the rogues. The scent of blood and chaos fromst night. The feeling in my gut that something far bigger was brewing in the shadows.


    And though I hadn¡¯t told the council, I couldn¡¯t shake the thought that this attack wasn¡¯t random at all.


    Someone was testing the borders. Testing us.


    And that meant only one thing


    War wasing.

 Chapter 403: Alpha’s Plan of Distraction

    <h4>Chapter 403: Alpha¡¯s n of Distraction</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Lioren¡¯s little hand twitched in his sleep, his fingers curling into a tiny fist before rxing again. His soft breathing filled the quiet room, steady and peaceful, and I couldn¡¯t help the faint smile that tugged at my lips.


    Carefully, I adjusted the small nket over his chest and brushed my fingers through his silky silver hair. He looked so much like Kieran when he slept - it was almost unfair how beautiful the two of them were.


    I stayed there for a moment longer, just watching my son. After everything that had happenedst night, seeing him safe and warm felt like a blessing I didn¡¯t deserve. The memory of the rogue attack still lingered at the back of my mind - the smell of blood, the sound of River¡¯s growl tearing through the forest, the sheer panic that had nearly frozen me in ce.


    But now, with thete morning sunlight spilling gently through the curtains and the soft hum of quiet safety surrounding us, the world almost felt calm again.


    Almost.


    I turned around, and that¡¯s when I saw Draven leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed loosely over his chest. He was watching me - no, studying me - with that warm, impossibly soft smile that had the power to melt through everyst wall I had ever built.


    The corners of his lips curved just a little higher when our eyes met, his expression full of quiet affection and something far more dangerous.


    "Are you done tucking him in, sweetheart?" he asked, voice low and rough with that teasing undertone he always carried.


    "Yes," I whispered back, ncing once more at the crib. "He¡¯s fast asleep."


    Draven nodded, his gaze softening even more as he stepped into the room. He moved with the kind of grace that made every motion seem deliberate, the predator¡¯s poise never leaving him. The faint sunlight caught the sharp angles of his face - the strong line of his jaw, the shadows beneath his high cheekbones, the glint of mischief that sparked in his emerald eyes.


    Since it was Saturday, I had expected to spend the day with Rowan and the others - someughter, some normalcy - but the rogue attack had ruined that n. The Academy had prohibited all students from stepping outside the grounds for the weekend, which meant my friends were stuck inside. Draven was the only exception, and that was only because he had never returned to the Academy after the previous day.


    River and Kieran were away for council meeting, and Oscar was busy overseeing security around the Academy and the roguemunity territories. That left just me, Draven, and Lioren here at the house.


    The quiet felt strange. So did the stillness.


    I had nned to spend the morning reviewing the soul death case files Kieran gave me earlier in the week. Rowan and I were supposed to go through them together, but that n no longer made sense. After everything that had happened, I didn¡¯t want to think about dead bodies or missing souls. Not today.


    Today, I wanted peace. I wanted something warm, something that reminded me I was still safe.


    And maybe that¡¯s why when I looked back at Draven and found him watching me with that precious, tender expression, I didn¡¯t even hesitate before walking straight into his arms.


    He caught me effortlessly, like he had been waiting for it.


    His arms wrapped around me, firm and sure, pulling me against his chest. I could feel his heartbeat beneath my palm - steady, strong, reassuring.


    "I didn¡¯t think I would ever get used to this," he murmured against my hair. "You, in my arms. You, looking at me like this."


    Iughed softly, though the sound came out more like a sigh. "You say that like you haven¡¯t been trying to make me look at you all week."


    His hand slid up my back, fingers tracing the line of my spine until my skin tingled. "I have," he admitted, his voice dipping into that dangerously low tone that always made my pulse skip. "But it¡¯s still never enough."


    "Draven..."


    He hummed in response, one brow lifting slightly as his eyes darkened, the yful gleam deepening into something else... something hungry. "Yes, love?"


    "You are doing it again."


    He tilted his head, pretending to think. "Doing what?"


    "Flirting," I said, trying not to smile.


    He grinned, slow and devastating. "I call it distracting."


    "Distracting me from what?"


    "From overthinking. From worrying. From remembering what happenedst night."


    The breath caught in my throat. Because he was right. I had been thinking too much, too often.


    But before I could respond, his hand moved again - this time up to my neck, his thumb brushing the underside of my jaw in a touch so light it sent a shiver racing down my spine.


    "Let me distract you properly then," he whispered.


    And then his lips were on mine.


    The kiss started slow - careful, almost reverent - as though he was afraid I would pull away. But when I didn¡¯t, when I leaned into him instead, he deepened it. His fingers tangled in my hair, angling my face up as his mouth imed mine with a heat that left me breathless.


    He kissed like he fought - intense, consuming,pletely unguarded. Every movement of his lips, every slide of his breath against mine felt like fire meeting air.


    My hands found his shoulders first, gripping his shirt, but then they were moving - tracing the lines of his muscles, the warmth of his skin beneath the fabric. His scent surrounded me - smoke and rain, wild forests and something purely him.


    <fnd30e> This content belongs to FindN0vel</fnd30e>


    He pulled back only long enough to rest his forehead against mine, his breathing uneven, his eyes glinting with something feral. "You are trembling," he said softly.


    "So are you."


    That earned me a grin. "That¡¯s because you drive me insane."


    He kissed me again, harder this time. There was no hesitation now - only hunger and something so deep it almost scared me. The world blurred around us, and the only things that existed were his hands and my heartbeat and the heat spreading through every inch of my body.


    When he finally slowed, his lips lingered near mine, his breath mixing with mine in the quiet.


    "Draven," I whispered.


    He hummed in response, still too close, his gaze flicking down to my lips again.


    I swallowed, feeling my chest rise and fall too fast. My voice trembled slightly as I said, "I want you to mark me."


    The words hung in the air between us, heavy, electric.


    For a second, he didn¡¯t move. His hand froze where it rested on my waist, his eyes widening slightly as though he hadn¡¯t heard me right.


    And then, slowly, very slowly, he lifted his gaze back to mine.


    "What-did you just say?" He whispered.


    I met his stare, unflinching despite the fluttering inside my chest. "I want you to mark me, Draven."


    Something shifted in his expression then - a sh of emotion so raw it made my heart ache. Shock. Desire. Love. And something else I couldn¡¯t quite name.


    He exhaled shakily, the sound somewhere between a growl and a prayer.


    "Eva..."


    My name on his lips felt like a promise, like the beginning of something we could never take back.


    And for once, I didn¡¯t want to take it back.


    Not this time.


    Not with him.


    Not ever.


    He cupped my face, his thumb brushing along my cheek as his voice dropped to a low, trembling whisper. "Are you sure?"


    I nodded. "Yes."


    His lips curved, a mix of awe and reverence shadowing his features. And for a heartbeat, the entire world stood still - caught in the silence between his breath and mine, between the pounding of our hearts.


    Then his hand slid down to the back of my neck, his fingers grazing the ce where his mark would soon be.


    And my breath caught, knowing that this moment - this decision - was the one that would change everything.


    Forever.

 Chapter 404: Marking (I)

    <h4>Chapter 404: Marking (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    For a long second, Draven just stared at me.


    The air between us pulsed with something I couldn¡¯t name - a tension so sharp and heavy it made my chest ache. His hand was still at the back of my neck, his thumb resting exactly where his mark would be. His eyes, dark and stormy, held mine as though he was trying to decide if I really meant it.


    But then that hesitation - that flicker of disbelief - was gone.


    The next heartbeat, his lips were on mine.


    He kissed me with no restraint, no second thoughts. The kind of kiss that stripped away all pretenses, that left me breathless and dizzy and trembling. His mouth imed mine as though he had been waiting for this moment forever... and maybe he had. Maybe we both had.


    <fndd63> Original content can be found at Find_Novel(.</fndd63>


    I had half expected him to pull away, to tell me we should talk to the others first - that such a thing needed to be discussed among my mates. It would have made sense. That was what I expected from Draven in response.


    But he didn¡¯t pull away.


    He didn¡¯t speak.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate.


    Instead, he kissed me senseless - deep, consuming, and unrelenting.


    Every trace of control I thought I had left shattered the moment his hand moved to my waist, pulling me against him until there was no space left between us. His warmth wrapped around me, his scent filling my lungs, his heartbeat drumming against my chest in wild rhythm.


    When he finally broke the kiss to breathe, his forehead stayed pressed against mine, his lips brushing against my skin as he whispered, "You have no idea how long I have waited to hear you say that, Eva."


    My breath trembled as I tried to steady myself. "I thought you would-"


    "Say no?" he interrupted, his voice low and rough. "Tell you to wait? To talk to the others first?"


    I nodded.


    He smiled - a soft, crooked, devastating smile. "I probably should have. But right now, all I can think about is you."


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. My chest tightened, my throat went dry, and for a brief, dangerous second, all I could do was stare at him - the man who had once kept his distance, now looking at me like I was the only thing keeping him alive.


    I had been meaning to tell them... all four of them... that I was ready. That I wanted to be marked, to truly belong to them in every way that mattered. It didn¡¯t matter who did it first, or whether they wanted to do it together. I just wanted them.


    But I hadn¡¯t meant for it to happen like this. Not now. Not in the middle of a quiet morning, with our son asleep in the crib beside us.


    Yet somehow, it felt right.


    Draven¡¯s hands slid down to my hips, his fingers curling into the fabric of my dress. His mouth found mine again, hungrier this time, the kiss deepening until I could barely remember where I ended and he began.


    And then his hands moved lower, reaching for the hem of my dress.


    That¡¯s when I stopped him.


    I broke the kiss, breathless, my fingers wrapping around his wrist. "Draven-"


    He froze instantly, his eyes searching mine, concern flickering in his expression.


    I turned my head toward the crib. Lioren was still sleeping peacefully, his small chest rising and falling in steady rhythm. The sight tugged a soft smile from me - and a sudden rush of guilt.


    Draven followed my gaze. Then, as realization hit, he let out a long, controlled breath and nodded.


    "You are right," he murmured, his voice lower now. "Not here."


    He straightened and took my hand, threading his fingers through mine. His grip was firm but gentle, the kind that always made me feel grounded.


    Without another word, he led me out of the room.


    The sound of our footsteps on the polished floor was soft, but my heart was anything but quiet. Every beat thundered through my body, echoing louder than reason.


    At the top of the stairs, Madam Elira appeared almost immediately - graceful andposed as always, though her eyes flicked between us with a knowing glint that made warmth rush to my cheeks.


    "Stay with Lioren," Draven said, his tone calm but edged with a hint ofmand. "Make sure he doesn¡¯t wake up alone."


    "Of course, Alpha," Madam Elira replied with a small bow of her head.


    Draven didn¡¯t wait for further assurance. He simply tightened his hold on my hand and continued down the hall until we reached his room - the one he rarely used since he¡¯s mostly at the Academy.


    The door clicked shut behind us, and before I could even take a breath, he turned, pressing me against it.


    My back hit the wood softly, and then his mouth was on mine again.


    This kiss was nothing like before. It wasn¡¯t slow or tentative - it was desperate. As if he had been holding back for too long and now refused to hold back at all. His hands framed my face, his thumbs brushing over my skin, tilting my head to deepen the kiss.


    I gasped softly when he pressed closer, his body flush against mine. His scent - sharp, smoky, intoxicating - filled my senses, clouding every coherent thought.


    "Draven..." I whispered, though I wasn¡¯t sure if I meant it as a plea or a warning.


    He pulled back just far enough to meet my gaze. His eyes were burning - that same mix of hunger and devotion, of restraint and ruin. "If you want me to stop, say it now."


    I didn¡¯t.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Instead, I reached for him, pulling him closer until our lips met again.


    The world outside ceased to exist. There was only us - his breath against my cheek, the sound of his low growl vibrating through my chest, the warmth spreading through my body until every nerve felt alive.


    His fingers trailed down my arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake. When they reached my waist again, he didn¡¯t stop. He traced the outline of my hips through the thin fabric, and I could feel the restraint in the way he touched me - careful, reverent, but trembling with the effort to control himself.


    His mouth left mine only to travel down the side of my throat, his breath hot against my skin. Every kiss sent a jolt of heat racing through me, and I couldn¡¯t stop the soft sound that escaped my lips when he found the sensitive spot near my corbone.


    He groaned softly, the sound low and rough. "You have no idea what you do to me."


    "Then show me," I whispered before I could stop myself.


    That broke whatever restraint he had left.

 Chapter 405: Marking (II)

    <h4>Chapter 405: Marking (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Draven¡¯s body pressed into mine, his warmth seeping through the thinyer of fabric between us. Every heartbeat of his echoed against my chest - hard, steady, hungry. My breath hitched as he cupped my face, his thumb tracing the corner of my mouth like he needed to memorize every curve again.


    It had been months since west touched like this. Months since his hands had held me with both reverence and fire. Yet now, it felt as if no time had passed at all - only a stretch of endless waiting that had finallye to an end.


    "Eva..." My name came out rough, almost reverent, as though he had been holding it back for too long.


    I could barely answer. My throat was dry, my heart thundering so hard it made my chest ache. "Draven..."


    His gaze dropped - from my eyes, to my mouth, and then lower still. I saw the storm behind his irises, the way it darkened when he looked at me, really looked. There was hunger there, yes, but also something deeper... longing, restraint, and a faint, fragile trace of worry.


    He brushed a strand of hair away from my neck, his fingers trembling just slightly. "Are you ready though?" He asked, his breath warm against my skin.


    "I am," I breathed the response, "both mentally and physically."


    His chest rose sharply, his control fracturing. Then, his lips found mine again, slower this time - tender, deliberate, like he wanted to savor every breath we shared. This kiss wasn¡¯t wild, it was desperate in another way, the kind of desperation thates from being starved of touch, of closeness, of belonging.


    I melted into him, my hands gripping the back of his shirt as if letting go would make him vanish. The warmth of his body surrounded me, grounding me in the present moment, in the familiar scent that clung to his skin, in the faint tremor of his breath against my cheek.


    His hands moved, exploring the familiar lines of my waist, pausing briefly when he reached the curve of my side. His touch softened instantly. "You have gained weight," he said quietly, "That¡¯s a good sign."


    I smiled faintly, brushing my lips against his jaw. "That¡¯s what happens when you don¡¯t let me do anything."


    <fnb973> Latest content published on Find_Novel(.</fnb973>


    He huffed a shortugh, though his thumb kept tracing gentle circles against my hip. "You still manage to throw sarcasm even now."


    "It¡¯s a gift," I murmured, and hisughter deepened - low, genuine, vibrating through his chest where it pressed against mine.


    But theughter didn¡¯tst long. His expression shifted again - from amusement to something darker, heavier. His gaze swept over me with quiet awe, as though he was rediscovering every inch of me.


    When his hand brushed the side of my chest, I tensed slightly - not in difort, but in the shock of how different everything felt now.


    He noticed immediately. His thumb froze mid-motion. "Eva..."


    "I¡¯m fine," I said softly. "It¡¯s just... different."


    He hesitated, then leaned closer, pressing a lingering kiss to my shoulder. "You are beautiful," he whispered against my skin. "More than before. Stronger. Real."


    His words stole the air from my lungs. "You always know what to say."


    "I mean it." His voice was rough, sincere. "Every part of you... everything that¡¯s changed... it¡¯s still you. My Eva. My mate."


    My heart clenched at the way he said <i>my.</i> I rested my hand on his chest, feeling the steady beat beneath. "Then show me, Draven," I whispered. "Show me that I belong to you."


    The moment those words left my mouth, he gave up on taking things slow.


    He gathered me into his arms, lifting me effortlessly before setting me down onto the bed. His eyes never left mine as he hovered above, his breath uneven, his expression torn between desire and something heartbreakingly tender.


    "Are you sure?" he asked once more, his voice barely above a whisper.


    Instead of answering, I reached up and brushed my fingers along his lips. "You already know."


    He exhaled shakily, then leaned down and captured my lips in a deep, consuming kiss that left me breathless and almost dizzy.


    My fingers gripped his shirt, pulling him closer even though my lungs were protesting.


    He pulled away finally... only for his mouth to find its way to my throat. He was merciless as he kissed, licked, nipped at my skin, leaving his temporary marks behind. But while I weed these temporary ones, what I craved was the permanent mark that would bind me to him for eternity.


    He trailed a path down my corbone and stopped at my dress¡¯ neckline. My breath hitched. I waited, for him to continue, to peel the fabric away finally. But instead of doing that, he pulled back and pressed a kiss on my forehead.


    I was expecting him to stop and pull away. But his lips continued to trace a slow path from my temple to my jaw. The kisses were softer now... as though he wanted to worship, not consume. His hands explored with patience, his touch speaking the words he couldn¡¯t say aloud.


    Every movement carried emotion - longing, love, the ache of all the months we had spent apart despite being under the same roof.


    When his lips reached the hollow of my throat, I arched slightly, my breath catching. The sound that escaped me made him pause - not out of hesitation, but reverence. His gaze lifted to mine, and in that gaze I saw everything - hunger, care, love, and something deeper... something only we could understand.


    The world outside fell away - no noise, no thoughts, only the rhythm of our breaths and the silentnguage between us.


    His hand slid to mine, intertwining our fingers. That single act, the gentle squeeze of his hand, made my heart ache. He wasn¡¯t just touching me out of desire... he was reminding me that we still existed beyond the chaos, beyond the pain of change and distance.


    "I missed this," he said softly, almost to himself. "Missed <i>you.</i>"


    I smiled faintly. "Then don¡¯t stop."


    And he didn¡¯t.

 Chapter 406: Marking (III)

    <h4>Chapter 406: Marking (III)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The world outside our room had gone utterly still.


    Only the rhythm of our breathing filled the space between us.


    Draven¡¯s gaze roamed over me with a hunger that was far too tender to be only desire. It was pure admiration... the kind that makes your skin tingle before he even touches you.


    His hand found the edge of my dress, his fingertips brushing the fabric where it met my thigh. The contact sent a soft shiver through me. He paused, searching my eyes as if to ask for permission he already had.


    When I gave a faint nod, he began to lift the fabric slowly. His movements were deliberate, almost cautious... like he wanted to savor eachyer he revealed.


    The dress slid upward, whispering against my skin, leaving a trail of warmth in its wake. His eyes followed, his breath deepening with every inch of me that came into view. I felt the weight of his stare, the way it carried a thousand unspoken words - awe, gratitude, longing, love.


    By the time he had drawn the dress past my waist, my skin was burning beneath his gaze. My hands trembled slightly, not from fear but from the sheer intensity of being seen. Truly seen.


    He bent forward, pressing a kiss just above my heart. "Every part of you," he murmured, his lips brushing my skin as he spoke, "has changed... and I have never seen anything so beautiful."


    His voice was rough, like he was fighting to keep it steady.


    I swallowed, unable to stop the emotion that rose inside me. I had thought so often about the way my body had changed - softer in ces, fuller in others. Sometimes I barely recognized myself in the mirror. But the way he looked at me now, as if each curve was a miracle, stripped away every trace of doubt.


    When the dress finally slipped past my shoulders, pooling silently around my arms, his breath caught. His hands hovered... not touching yet, just trembling slightly above my skin.


    "You are shaking," I whispered.


    "So are you," he said softly.


    He lowered his head, his lips finding the curve of my shoulder. The kiss was slow, lingering... an unspoken apology for the months he had kept his distance. His mouth trailed lower, over the sensitive skin of my bra-covered breast that had be even more delicate since the birth.


    Every brush of his lips awakened something inside me, something fragile and alive that I hadn¡¯t felt in so long. My body responded instinctively, warmth blooming wherever his touch lingered.


    When he finally pulled back to look at me again, his gaze softened. "You have always been beautiful, Eva," he said, his hand tracing a path down my arm. "But now... you are real. You carry life in your touch, strength in every breath."


    My throat tightened. "You really see me like that?"


    He smiled faintly. "It¡¯s the only way I can."


    His words sank into me like sunlight. I felt exposed, cherished, and utterly safe.


    He leaned closer again, his hands moving to thest barrier between us. I could feel my heart hammering as he unsped my bra and pulled the fabric aside.


    The cool air met my skin, but it was his warmth that consumed me. His eyes lingered where I had changed most, the soft curves that had grown fuller since the baby. For a fleeting moment, I looked away... feeling shy, unsure of how I appeared under his gaze now.


    But his fingers gently tilted my chin back toward him. "Don¡¯t hide from me," he whispered. "You don¡¯t need to."


    Before I could respond, his lips brushed the spot just above my heart again, and then lower. The tenderness in that single touch made my breath hitch.


    <fna4d0> Checktest chapters at find?novel</fna4d0>


    My hands found their way into his hair, trembling slightly as I held him while his lips pressed kisses over the swell of my extremely sensitive breasts. "Draven..." I breathed his name, not as a call but as a confession.


    He answered not with words, but with another trail of kisses that left fire in their wake.


    Every inch of me he touched felt alive - overly sensitive, as though the world had sharpened just to remind me I was still here, still his. My body moved instinctively beneath his, arching toward the warmth he offered.


    When he looked up again, his expression nearly undid me. "You feel everything deeper now," he murmured, his voice thick with awe. "Every sound you make... every breath. It¡¯s like you are made of light."


    My lips parted, but no sound came... only a trembling breath as he continued, his every movement unhurried, meant to make me feel rather than think.


    He traced soft circles along my skin, his hands never greedy, only careful - like I was something fragile and sacred. And in that carefulness, in that restraint, there was an intimacy so powerful it made my chest ache.


    The tension between us built slowly, beautifully. Each sigh, each breath, each whisper became its own rhythm... like a song only the two of us knew how to y.


    Then, his fingers slipped under my panties¡¯ waistband and he pulled the fabric down my hips and then legs... and I was now leftpletely bare to him.


    He tool his time to take me in before he drew closer, and I felt the world tilt. The warmth of him enveloped mepletely, his touch coaxing, patient, guiding me toward something I hadn¡¯t felt in months - a sense of belonging, of being seen and loved not despite the changes in me, but because of them.


    His name slipped from my lips again, broken, breathless. I didn¡¯t even know what I was asking for... only that he seemed to understand.


    "Let go," he whispered as he pressed a kiss over my already wet folds. "Don¡¯t hold back this time."


    And I didn¡¯t.


    The sensations built like a storm gathering inside me - slow at first, then faster, each wave stronger than thest. I clung to him, my nails digging into his shoulders, my breathing in uneven gasps as his tongue slipped between my folds and found my aching clit.


    My moans filled the room as his tongue pushed me closer to the high edge of pleasure. I didn¡¯t even need him to do anything more as I was already on the verge of losing myself.


    And he might have sensed it too because his tongue started moving mercilessly... until, with onest breath, my world shattered into warmth and light.


    Intense pleasure hit me from deep within, spreading across my system until it¡¯s the only thing I could feel.

 Chapter 407: Marking (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 407: Marking (IV)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The world hadn¡¯t yet steadied. My breath came uneven, shallow, my body trembling as the aftershocks rippled through me. The sheets beneath me were tangled, my skin still warm from the storm he had drawn out of me. Every nerve felt alive, over-sensitized, waiting... aching... for more.


    Draven¡¯s hand brushed down my thigh, his touch so gentle that it contrasted sharply with the wildness still zing in his eyes. He was still between my legs, half-shadowed by the soft sunlight spilling through the window, his chest rising and falling with the same uneven rhythm as mine.


    I watched him silently. He was still dressed, though his shirt clung to his chest, open at the cor, his breath rough as if holding himself back cost him everything. And his emerald gaze was holding me prisoner.


    "Draven..." My voice broke somewhere between his name and a plea.


    His gaze flicked down to my lips, then to the rest of me sprawled before him. The muscle in his jaw flexed, and for a moment, he looked like a man caught between heaven and sin. Then, he exhaled slowly and moved to my side.


    "Don¡¯t look at me like that, sweetheart," he murmured, his voice rougher than I had heard in a while. "If you do, I won¡¯t stop this time."


    The air around us seemed to tighten. I didn¡¯t want him to stop. Not at all.


    <fn835b> Read full story at f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fn835b>


    My fingers reached for him before I could think, curling around the hem of his shirt. I tugged gently, wordlessly asking what my voice couldn¡¯t form. For a heartbeat, he froze. Then, with a sharp exhale, he gave in.


    The shirt came off first. It slid over his shoulders, revealing the hard lines of muscle beneath - the heat, the raw power he usually hid beneath his control. The light filtering from the gaps in curtains painted gold across his skin, highlighting the strength that made me shiver for entirely different reasons.


    Each motion of his hands as he unfastened his belt felt like an invitation and a warning all at once. His restraint hung by a thread, and I could feel it.


    When he finally joined me on the bed again, it wasn¡¯t with the slow reverence he had shown before... it was with the kind of hunger that had been chained for far too long.


    He kissed me hard. His mouth imed mine, and I met him with equal fire. My hands slid over his shoulders, tracing the heat of his skin, the solid frame that felt both terrifying and safe. Every movement was unhurried yet desperate, a dance of control and surrender neither of us wanted to end.


    When his hand came up to cradle my face, the kiss deepened... it became messier, needier. His weight pressed into me, grounding me. His lips broke from mine only long enough to trail down my jaw, over my throat, leaving paths of heat that made my pulse stumble.


    I could feel the tremor in his muscles as if he was fighting something inside himself. But when my fingers brushed his back, he groaned - a low, guttural sound that made me dizzy - and thest of his control snapped.


    He rolled, pulling me with him until I straddled him. My palms pressed against his chest, feeling the hammering of his heart beneath. He looked up at me like a man starved, his gaze devouring every inch of me, worshiping and wild all at once.


    "Move," he whispered, his voice like gravel, "the way you need to."


    The words undid me.


    I did as told. I rose until my entrance was aligned with his hard erection and I lowered myself. He slipped inside me with ease, and as his hardness stretched my inner walls, I moaned.


    "Ahh..."


    The sound was out of my mouth the moment his crown hit home inside me, so deep and right.


    I heard him groan as well, and his grip on my hips tightened slightly.


    We were still for a moment or two before I finally started moving.


    Every breath, every motion blurred together as we moved - first slow, deliberate, then faster as the need built between us again. The world outside the room ceased to exist.... there was only the rhythm of our bodies, the sound of his voice, the rough catch of his breath in my ear.


    At some point, he flipped us, his hands catching my wrists and pinning them gently above my head. His eyes burned into mine, the dominance in his posture both thrilling and consuming.


    "Say it," he demanded softly, his voice vibrating through me.


    I didn¡¯t even know what he wanted me to say - his name, maybe, or something deeper. But the moment his lips brushed the hollow of my throat, I said it anyway. Over and over, until it became a plea, a promise, a surrender.


    When it became too much to bear, he changed again - lifting me, carrying me effortlessly off the bed. I gasped, clutching his shoulders, but he didn¡¯t stop. He pressed me against the wall, the cool surface shocking against the heat of our skin. The movement was rougher, wilder, yet there was care beneath every breath he took.


    The rhythm of his thrusts shifted between desperate and tender, as though he was trying to memorize the feel of every part of me. My legs weakened, my body trembling with the effort to hold onto the moment as the world spun again.


    Somewhere between our gasps, he whispered things I barely caught - my name, fragments of emotion that sounded like prayers and curses all at once.


    When my strength gave out, he caught me easily, carrying me back to the bed. The way he looked at me then - disheveled, breathless, eyes burning with something deeper than lust - made my heart ache.


    He brushed a strand of hair from my face and leaned down, his lips ghosting over my forehead, then my temple, then lower.


    "Eva," he whispered, his tone ragged. "You undo me."


    His mouth found mine again, but this time the kiss was slow. Reverent. As though he wanted to etch this moment into memory before the fire could consume itpletely.


    When he finally pulled back, his lips trailed lower again - over the edge of my jaw, down my throat, to the curve where my pulse fluttered uncontrobly. Each kiss grew softer, more deliberate.


    My breath caught. I knew where this was going.


    He lingered there, just above the spot where a mark would form - the sacred bond that would tie us forever. I could feel his hesitation, the war raging within him.


    His lips brushed my skin lightly, barely there, but the promise behind the touch sent a shiver through me.


    "Draven..." I whispered, my fingers clutching his shoulders.


    He hummed against my neck, the sound vibrating through me. His lips traced small, slow circles, almost reverent, as if asking silently for permission he didn¡¯t need but still wanted.


    The possessiveness in his touch softened into something achingly beautiful - devotion, protection, love that burned even hotter than desire.


    And as he drew onest, lingering kiss against that spot, I knew it wasn¡¯t just passion that tied us, it was something ancient, unbreakable.


    The moment before everything changed, the world held its breath with me.


    His mouth hovered at the edge of my skin, his voice barely a whisper against me...


    "Mine."


    And then he began to trail kisses down the side of my neck, right where he was about to mark me.

 Chapter 408: Bound in Fire and Moonlight

    <h4>Chapter 408: Bound in Fire and Moonlight</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The world had narrowed to the sound of our breathing. Every exhale seemed to tremble between us, as if the air itself couldn¡¯t decide whose body it belonged to. Draven¡¯s lips lingered against my neck, his breath hot and uneven, the edge of his teeth brushing the ce where my pulse thundered.


    I felt his restraint in every motion. He was trembling - not from hesitation, but from the sheer force of what he was holding back.


    "Eva," he rasped, his voice almost breaking. "Once I do this, there¡¯s no undoing it."


    My hands slid up to his face, my fingers trembling as they traced his jaw. "Then don¡¯t undo it," I whispered. "Do it, Draven. I want to belong to you... the way you already belong to me."


    For a heartbeat, his eyes softened. Then his mouth found the curve of my neck again, this time with purpose. A low growl vibrated in his chest - deep, primal. My breath hitched as warmth spread across my skin where his lips pressed. I could feel the pull of the bond already, that invisible thread that had been between us since the first moment we met, tightening until it became unbearable.


    He resumed thrusting while his mouth continued to trail kisses over my racing pulse. He was going fast, deep, and hiting that sweet spot deep within me that sent sparks of pleasure coursing across my body.


    I moaned when I felt his tongue recing his lips. And then his teeth lightly nipped the same spot, forcing another groan past my lips.


    It didn¡¯t take long before I found myself falling from the high peak of pleasure. I screamed as pure ecstasy hit me hard. At the same time, Draven groaned as he found his release as well, spilling his seeds deep inside me.


    And the next moment...


    Our world exploded all over again.


    A burst of light, not from outside but from within, flooded through me. The instant his teeth pierced my skin, something ancient woke in my blood. It wasn¡¯t pain... it was everything. Fire and ice, chaos and peace, a collision of power that left me gasping his name.


    I could feel him inside my mind. His heartbeat pulsed in rhythm with mine. Our souls, once separate, now melted together like streams joining one river.


    Every sensation magnified. The warmth of his skin against mine, the taste of air between our breaths, the thundering rhythm that echoed between our bodies... it all built into something so consuming that I didn¡¯t know where he ended and I began.


    He whispered my name again in his mind, softer this time, as if tasting it on his soul.


    Evaline.


    The sound of it was a promise.


    Something inside me answered. A light bloomed beneath my skin - silver, pure, alive. I felt it race along my veins, meeting the crimson re that came from him. When they collided, the colors intertwined and pulsed once, twice, and then settled into a steady glow that wrapped around us both.


    This was the bond. Eternal. Irreversible. Ours.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the tears that burned behind my eyes, or the tremor in my voice when I whispered, "Draven... what is this feeling?"


    He rested his forehead against mine as he pressed onest, lingering kiss on the mark he just left on me. He was still breathing hard, his eyes zing emerald. "Everything," he said hoarsely. "It¡¯s everything, little me."


    And it was.


    The mark seared against my neck, yet the heat wasn¡¯t pain... it was ecstasy of the purest kind. It spread through me, curling around my heart, filling every empty space I had ever known. His emotions rushed through the bond like a tide I couldn¡¯t resist - his need, his devotion, his fear of losing me, and beneath it all, love so fierce it hurt to feel it.


    I reached for him instinctively, pressing closer, drawn by the force that tethered us now. Every movement sent another ripple of energy between us, another echo of that burning light. He caught my face in his hands and kissed me like a man reiming the part of his soul he had lost long ago.


    The world blurred around us. The magic between us built, spiraling higher until it was almost too much to contain.


    When our connection peaked, it felt as if the entire world stopped to watch. The energy burst outward in a wave that shimmered across the room, and every fiber of my being trembled with release.


    It wasn¡¯t just passion. It waspletion.


    The fire between us softened to a steady warmth, the glow fading into something quieter but no less powerful. I could feel him still - every heartbeat, every thought, every flicker of emotion that crossed his soul. It was intoxicating.


    Draven¡¯s body trembled slightly as he drew in a ragged breath. His hand came up to trace the mark he had left on my neck - a faint shimmer of silver and red shaped like a crescent me. His expression softened with awe and disbelief.


    "It suits you," he whispered, his voice rough with tenderness.


    I smiled weakly, still dazed, my fingers brushing the mark. "And you?"


    He tilted his head slightly, revealing a matching mark on his corbone, glowing faintly gold beneath his skin. "We are bound," he said simply. "For as long as our souls exist."


    For a long time, neither of us spoke. The silence was filled with the sound of our shared heartbeat and the faint hum of the bond between us... a melody only we could hear.


    When he finally moved, it was to pull me against him. I melted into his arms, fitting perfectly against his chest, his warmth surrounding me. He pressed a kiss to my temple, then my cheek, then the mark itself, as if sealing it once more.


    "I can feel you," I whispered, awed. "Even when you are not touching me."


    He nodded, a faint smile curving his lips. "That¡¯s the bond. You¡¯ll never be alone again, Eva. Not even in silence. You¡¯ll feel my strength when yours falters... and I¡¯ll feel your heart when mine darkens."<fn5816> This text is hosted at FindN()vel</fn5816>

 Chapter 409: That Was Perfect

    <h4>Chapter 409: That Was Perfect</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    The sun stood high above the training yard, sharp rays gleaming off the polished armor of the elite warriors assembled before me. My voice carried clearly through the courtyard as I issued the next set of instructions - precise, deliberate, disciplined.


    "Rotate the perimeter guards every four hours. No blind spots this time. I want every corner of the Academy grounds under constant supervision. Report anything unusual directly to me or Commander Ryel," I said, my tone clipped and firm.


    The men and women before me nodded, taking notes or bowing their heads in acknowledgment. I was in the middle of exining the changes in patrol routes when...


    I felt it.


    It hit me so suddenly that I lost my breath for a fraction of a second. The connection pulsed through the bond I shared with <i>her</i> - warm, wild, and... overwhelmingly intimate.


    Evaline.


    Her emotions washed over me like a crashing wave - shock, surrender, deep love - and something more powerful than words could ever describe. My heart skipped a beat, my wolf immediately stirring within me as recognition followed.


    Draven.


    He had marked her.


    For a moment, everything around me blurred - the voices, the movement, even the weight of my own body. The emotions flowing through that bond were so raw and vivid, it was like being pulled into a storm made entirely of her heartbeat and his. My wolf reacted instantly, not with jealousy or possessiveness, but with something purer... relief.


    She was finally Draven¡¯s - fully, eternally - and I could feel thepletion of that bond resonate through every thread that connected us.


    "Alpha?" one of the warriors called cautiously. "Is everything all right?"


    The question snapped me back. I blinked, realizing the entire team was staring at me. I must have paused mid-sentence. A few of them exchanged uneasy nces, sensing the sudden shift in my energy.


    I cleared my throat, straightened my back, and quickly masked the smile that was threatening to escape my control. "I¡¯m fine," I replied evenly, though I could feel my voice carrying a trace of warmth that hadn¡¯t been there before.


    They didn¡¯t look convinced. One of them, a young guard named Lian, tilted his head curiously. "You, uh... seem shocked and... happy, sir."


    Happy. Stars, that was an understatement.


    "I just remembered something," I said simply, keeping my tone neutral. "Focus on the formation drills. I¡¯ll be checking them personally in the afternoon."


    The warriors exchanged puzzled looks but obeyed immediately, resuming their work. I turned away, exhaling slowly, struggling to contain the smile that tugged at my lips. My wolf was pacing inside me, tail high, letting out small growls of delight that I couldn¡¯t suppress no matter how hard I tried.


    And before I realized it, I was grinning like a fool in the middle of a military drill.... all because of her.


    Because of the way I could feel her joy radiating through the bond. Because I knew what that moment meant.


    Draven had marked her.


    Finally.


    A part of me had been waiting for this since the day she entered our lives. The bond had sealed - an eternal promise, one that tied her even more deeply to us.


    And instead of jealousy, I felt peace. Complete, bone-deep peace.


    For a while, I just stood there, silently watching my warriors move across the yard, my heart beating to the rhythm of the connection I could sense faintly thrumming inside my chest. I could feel her - soft, glowing, and safe.


    When I finally pulled my phone from my pocket, I already knew what I had to do.


    I dialed Kieran first.


    He picked up on the second ring. "Oscar," came his voice, low but calm as ever. "I assume you felt it too?"


    "I did," I said, my lips curving in spite of myself.


    <fn34b1> Updates are released by Find_Novel(.</fn34b1>


    There was a brief pause before Kieran chuckled. "Draven," he muttered under his breath. "That impatient wolf."


    "He¡¯s been waiting just as much as we have," I reminded him.


    River¡¯s voice entered the background of the call, deep and amused. "We were on our way home when it hit. Felt like lightning through the bond."


    "You turned the car around, didn¡¯t you?" I asked dryly, already knowing the answer.


    River grunted. "She deserves privacy, and Draven deserves his moment."


    I smiled wider. "Then I¡¯ll make sure the house stays quiet until evening. You two take care of your business."


    "Already on it," Kieran replied. "We¡¯ll check in with Scarlet at thepany and then head home by sunset."


    "Good," I said softly. "And, Kieran..."


    "Yeah?"


    "She¡¯s happy," I said, almost in a whisper. "I can feel it. She¡¯s... really happy."


    The line went quiet for a moment before Kieran responded, his tone gentler now. "And that¡¯s all that matters."


    We hung up, and I slipped my phone back into my pocket, unable to wipe the soft smile off my face.


    It took another hour before I managed to wrap up my duties at the Academy, though truthfully, my mind wasn¡¯t in it. Every thought kept circling back to her, to the faint echo of warmth that now pulsed constantly through the bond.


    When I finally made my way home that evening, the golden hues of sunset painted the world in a soft glow. The moment I stepped into the house, a sense of calm wrapped around me - a warmth I could only associate with her.


    I took off my jacket as I stepped toward the living room. But the sight that greeted me made me freeze in ce.


    There she was.


    My mate.


    Wrapped safely in Draven¡¯s arms, her head resting against his shoulder. Lioren was nestled between them, his tiny hands clutching at Eva¡¯s dress as the little one babbled softly.


    The three of them looked so utterly... peaceful.


    Draven¡¯s fingers were brushing small circles along Eva¡¯s arm as she smiled down at our son. The faint mark on her neck glowed gently in the warm light - his mark.


    The mark that said she was his eternal mate.


    For a long moment, I couldn¡¯t move. I just stood there, watching them. My chest tightened, but not from envy. No, what filled me was something gentler - longing, yes, but also pride.


    Pride for my brother. Pride for the woman who had changed all of our lives.


    And love. Stars, so much love.


    This - this was what we had all been fighting for. What we had all been waiting for.


    I didn¡¯t realize I was smiling until Draven looked up and caught my gaze. He gave me thatzy, knowing grin of his - the one that always said, <i>you are next, brother.</i>


    I shook my head slightly, a quiet chuckle leaving my lips as I stepped closer.


    Eva turned toward me then, her eyes soft but glowing in a way I hadn¡¯t seen before. That glow ofpletion, of belonging.


    She whispered, "You are home."


    And in that simple phrase, I felt everything - the bond, the family, the life we were building together despite the chaos surrounding us.


    "Yes," I said quietly, my voice thick with emotion. "I¡¯m home."


    Lioren let out a happy squeal, reaching his little hands toward me, and I couldn¡¯t help butugh as I reached for him.


    Eva handed him over carefully, her fingers brushing mine, and through that small touch, I could feel the bond pulse again.


    She was happy. Safe. Loved.


    And that was enough to set my entire world right.


    Still, as I cradled the pup in my arms and watched the soft smile she gave Draven, I couldn¡¯t deny the flicker of yearning deep within my heart.


    One day soon, it would be my turn.


    One day soon, I would hold her this way - not just as my mate through the bond, but as the one I had marked with my own soul.


    But for now, this moment belonged to Draven and to her.


    And that was perfect.

 Chapter 410 410: Bound by the Moonlight

    Evaline:


    Thest rays of sunlight of the day streamed softly through the curtains, casting golden ripples across the room. Lioren''sughter filled the air as he yed with the folds of the nket in my arms, his little fingers curling and uncurling like tiny ws.


    Draven sat beside me, one arm wrapped securely around my shoulders, his other hand gently stroking our son''s hair. Every few seconds, I could feel him brush his lips against my temple, as though he couldn''t stop himself from touching me.


    And honestly, I couldn''t stop leaning into him either.


    Ever since the mark was sealed, something inside me had shifted - no,pleted. I could feel him in every heartbeat, every breath. His emotions pulsed faintly beneath my skin, a quiet hum of warmth that made me want to melt into himpletely. Every time our eyes met, the world blurred until it was just him and me, like the bond had woven invisible threads between our souls that pulled us closer every moment.


    I was lost in his quiet gaze when the faint click of the front door made me look up. The next second, a familiar presence filled the room.


    I looked up and found Oscar standing there with a fond expression on his face.


    "You are home," I said, smiling despite the heat that rushed to my cheeks.


    :Yes," he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "I''m home."


    Lioren let out a happy squeal, reaching his little hands toward Oscar, who let out a softugh as he reached for our son.


    I handed him over carefully to Oscar, causing our hands to brush.


    Draven''s arm tightened slightly around me as though by instinct, and Oscar caught the subtle movement, which made his grin deepen. "Don''t worry, brother. I''m not here to steal her away. Yet."


    I shook my head, butughter bubbled out of me anyway.


    His eyes flicked to me, and for a moment, the teasing melted away. There was something raw in his gaze... a quiet, genuine happiness that made my throat tighten. "Congrattions," he said softly. "To both of you. I could feel it even from miles away."


    Draven gave a slight nod. "I know." His hand brushed over the mark on my neck before he looked back at his brother. "It feels¡­ right, doesn''t it?"


    Oscar''s lips curved in a faint, knowing smile. "More than right."


    The warmth of his tone made me realize he had felt what I had earlier - the rush of emotions, the overwhelming connection that had sealed between Draven and me. It made me blush all over again, remembering the intensity of this morning - the way our souls had intertwined until we could no longer tell where one ended and the other began.


    Before I could respond, the sound of another car pulling into the driveway reached my ears, followed by hurried footsteps and a cheerful knock.<fnbc7f> Discover more novels at find?novel</fnbc7f>


    "Looks like the rest of the pack''s home," Oscar murmured, rising just as the door swung open.


    Kieran was the first to enter, his long blonde hair slightly wind-tousled and his golden-green eyes glowing with warmth. River followed close behind, looking effortlessly elegant in his dark shirt and coat, though even he couldn''t hide the faint smile that curved his lips when his gaze fell on us.


    "Well, well," Kieran said, his grin bright and unrestrained. "Our youngest brother finally decided to make it official."


    Draven''s mouth twitched in amusement. "Took me long enough, apparently."


    River arched an eyebrow. "Indeed. I was starting to think I would have to arrange a family meeting to make it happen."


    I couldn''t stopughing as they all crowded into the living room, each bringing their own warmth into the space. Kieran immediately came over to kiss my forehead, murmuring softly, "You look radiant, love. The mark suits you."


    "Thank you," I whispered, my cheeks warming again.


    River''s gaze lingered on the faint shimmer of the mark on my neck. "It''s beautiful," he said, his tone softer than usual. "The bond feels bnced now. It''s strange, but¡­forting."


    Oscar, who had resumed his usual calm demeanor, leaned back against the wall with a smirk. "Strange how? Because you can feel their emotions bleeding through?"


    River gave him a look that said he wasn''t entirely wrong. "Something like that."


    Kieran chuckled, taking Lioren into his arms when the baby reached for him. "Someone''s going to be spoiled by too much love."


    "Let her," Draven said simply, his voice a low rumble. He looked down at me, and I could feel that gentle possessiveness radiating through the bond again. "She deserves it."


    Oscar made a quiet sound of agreement, his smile softening. "You both do."


    The dinner was anything but normal. I was inseparable from Draven, or maybe it was the other way around.


    At one point, when I turned to reach for the herbs, Draven caught my wrist, pulling me back gently until my back met his chest. His breath ghosted against my ear. "You are glowing," he murmured. "I don''t think I have ever seen you smile this much."


    I smiled wider, turning my head slightly toward him. "That''s because I don''t think I have ever felt thisplete before."


    He pressed a soft kiss to my neck, right where his mark glowed faintly beneath the skin. "Now you will for the rest of your life. You are mine, Eva."


    My heart fluttered. "And you are mine."


    From the opposite side, a loud cough broke the moment. "Alright, lovebirds," Oscar said, leaning against the back of his chair with a smirk. "Save that for after dinner."


    Kieran, who was carrying Lioren, chuckled. "At this point, they are inseparable. You''ll just have to get used to it."


    And he wasn''t wrong. Even as the night stretched on, Draven barely left my side. His hand found mine every time I shifted, his touch grounding, his presence constant. I could sense his protectiveness, the quiet pride that now colored his every nce toward me.


    When the night finally settled, and the others took their leave for the night, Draven turned to me, his gaze dark and warm. "You know," he murmured, brushing a lock of hair from my face, "I''m still not used to hearing others talk about our bond."


    "Why?" I teased, smiling. "Embarrassed?"


    "Not embarrassed," he said, his lips curving faintly. "Just¡­ possessive."


    Iughed quietly, leaning into his chest. "That''s fine. Because I''m not nning on going anywhere."


    He tilted my chin up, his eyes gleaming under the soft moonlight filtering through the window. "Good."


    His lips found mine, slow and deep, and for a moment, I thought maybe this was what home truly felt like - warm arms, softughter, and a bond that tied not just our souls, but every heartbeat we would ever share.


    And as Lioren stirred faintly in his crib, Draven''s hand tightened around mine.


    We had finally sealed what destiny had started.

 Chapter 411 411: Overprotective Mother Hen

    Evaline:


    My lungs burned. My arms ached. And my pride - well, that had already taken a beating about five minutes ago.<fn81f2> Get full chapters from find{n}ovel</fn81f2>


    With a loud thud, I hit the ground again. The cold, hard earth beneath the training field weed me like an old friend, though I would rather it didn''t. Dust puffed around me, catching in my hair and mouth as I groaned and rolled onto my back.


    For a long second, I justy there, staring up at the pale blue sky above. My breathing came in short, frustrated pants, my pulse still racing from the sparring session that hadsted way longer than it was supposed to.


    And then, as if things weren''t already bad enough, my gaze drifted to the sidelines... and there he was.


    Draven.


    Standing tall, arms crossed, a storm in his emerald eyes that made me want to sink straight into the ground and never get up again.


    His jaw was clenched tight, and the familiar mark on his neck - the same one that matched mine - was pulsing faintly, as though echoing the possessive fury radiating from him.


    I let out another groan, this one louder. "For the love of the Moon, Draven, stop looking at me like I just got mauled by a bear!"


    "I wouldn''t have to look like this if you didn''t keepnding on the ground," he shot back immediately, his tone sharp enough to slice through the air.


    I propped myself up on my elbows, ring. "That''s the point of training! I''m learning how to fight!"


    He didn''t reply, but his scowl deepened.


    Beside me, River exhaled a long, weary sigh. He looked almost as tired as I felt. His deep green eyes flicked between me and Draven before he muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "Here we go again."


    I pushed myself up, brushing the dirt off my clothes. River extended a hand, but before I could take it, Draven''s low growl rolled across the field.


    River froze mid-gesture, his jaw tightening. "Draven," he said slowly, his tone deceptively calm. "You need to stop ring at me every time she takes a fall."


    Draven''s eyes snapped toward his eldest brother, his expression torn between irritation and guilt. "I''m not ring at you," he said tightly. "I just don''t like seeing her hurt."


    River raised an eyebrow. "She''s not hurt. She''s training. You think I''m trying to break her bones?"


    "No," Draven replied at once. "I know you wouldn''t harm her. It''s just''" He paused, raking a hand through his hair, clearly struggling to put his emotions into words. "It''s instinct. My wolf doesn''t like it. Every time she hits the ground, I can feel it. It''s like something inside me snarls to protect her before my mind even catches up."


    I sighed softly. As much as his possessiveness frustrated me, part of me also understood. Ever since he marked me, his instincts had be stronger, tethered to mine in ways even I couldn''t fully exin. I could feel his emotions brushing against mine sometimes - protectiveness, pride, longing, worry - so constant it almost felt like his presence had be a part of my heartbeat.


    River''s expression softened, though his tone stayed firm. "I get that, brother. But you have to let her grow stronger too. You can''t shield her from every bruise or mistake. You would be taking away her power if you did."


    Draven grimaced. "It''s been slightly over a week since the bond-"


    "Exactly," River cut in smoothly. "Over a week. You have been following her like a shadow for nearly ten days straight. At this rate, she''ll forget how to breathe without you hovering."


    I bit my lip, trying hard not tough.


    Draven shot me a warning look the moment he heard the sound of my stifled amusement.


    "Don''t you dare," he muttered.


    But it was toote... I was already chuckling. "You really are starting to sound like an overprotective mother hen."


    His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Eva-"


    "Alright, alright!" River interjected before Draven could retaliate. He stepped closer and pped his younger brother''s shoulder. "Rx. I''m not going to hurt our mate. The worst thing I''ll give her is a bruise... and a well-earned lesson."


    Draven grunted, looking unconvinced.


    River rolled his eyes. "You can stay and watch, but keep that murderous re to yourself."


    Draven muttered something that sounded like, "No promises," but didn''t argue further.


    Taking advantage of their exchange, I stayed quiet and focused on slowing my breathing. My muscles were screaming, my hair was sticking to my neck with sweat, and my palms were covered in dirt, but something in me refused to give up yet.


    Because no matter how exhausted I was, I wasn''t the same Eva I used to be. I wasn''t the fragile, fearful girl who ran from fights... I was a mate, a mother, a warrior-in-the-making.


    And I was determined to prove it.


    "Ready?" River called, stepping back into position.


    I nodded, taking my stance again. My mind was already calcting angles and openings, watching the way his weight shifted, how his eyes flicked toward my left hand. He was expecting another straightforward attack.


    Perfect.


    We circled each other slowly, dust rising inzy spirals around us. I waited for my moment, for his focus to waver just enough...


    And then it came.


    He looked past me for half a second, his gaze drawn to Draven''s silent figure, and that was all I needed.


    I lunged forward, sweeping my leg low and twisting my body at thest second. He moved to block, but I was already one step ahead. My knee hit the ground, and my momentum carried me just close enough to catch his wrist. I twisted sharply, using his own force against him.


    The next thing I knew, River was t on his back, blinking up at the sky, a puff of dust rising around him.


    For a moment, silence reigned across the backyard. Even the wind seemed to pause.


    Then Draven let out a startledugh - a realugh that made me blink.


    "Well done," he murmured, his voice filled with pride and amusement both.


    River, on the other hand, lookedpletely dumbfounded.


    I smirked, stepping closer and offering him a hand, though I couldn''t resist teasing, "This is what happens when you lose focus for even a second. Your opponent doesn''t give you time to think."


    Recognition shed in his eyes, followed by reluctantughter. "You remembered that, huh?"


    "I remember everything," I said, helping him up. "You told me that during our first lesson. Guess it stuck."


    Draven crossed the ground in long strides, his eyes still gleaming. He looked like he was torn between hugging me and wrapping me in tenyers of armor.


    River dusted himself off and smirked at him. "See? She''s improving faster than you think."


    Draven''s gaze softened as he turned to me. "You did good," he said quietly, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. "Really good."


    I smiled at him, still catching my breath. "You mean that?"


    "I do." He leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear. "But I still don''t like watching you fall."


    I nudged him lightly. "Then maybe you should stop looking so much and let me train."


    That earned me a smallugh, and for once, he didn''t argue.


    River stretched his arms with a wince. "Alright, I think we are done for today. Unless Draven wants to take my ce for a round."


    Draven shook his head. "No. She''s tired."


    River grinned. "You mean you are tired from worrying."


    "Maybe," Draven said simply, without shame.


    I rolled my eyes, but the affection behind their bickering made me smile.

 Chapter 412 412: Night of Scented Candles (I)

    Draven:


    Steam curledzily through the bathroom, filling the air with a faint scent ofvender and sandalwood. I dipped my hand into the water once more, testing the temperature with care. Warm, but not hot... exactly how she liked it.


    Even though the summer air hung heavy and warm outside, I still prepared a warm bath for her every evening after training. Her muscles needed it. Her body needed it. She neverined about the soreness, but I felt it through our bond every single time... the tightness in her shoulders, the ache in her thighs, the sharp wince she tried to hide when she lifted her arms too quickly.<ffd> Fresh chapters posted on find?novel</ffd>


    It wasn''t weakness. It was proof of how hard she was pushing herself.


    River had been training her for two weeks straight, and he didn''t go easy on her - not even once. I knew he wouldn''t. River was relentless when it came to discipline. The sessionssted two hours each day, sometimes longer when Eva insisted she could go another round. She didn''t realize how proud it made me... to see her stand, fight, and fall only to get up again with that same fierce light in her eyes.


    But watching her also made something primal stir inside me. Every time she hit the ground, every time her breath came out ragged or she clutched her ribs, my wolf would growl beneath my skin. I wanted to be out there, not as her opponent but as her shield. I wanted to take every blow meant for her, even though I knew she needed to learn.


    So, instead, I channeled that frustration into care. If River''s training tested her limits, I made sure her nights healed her.


    These baths became part of that ritual. I would add herbs that Kieran had rmended - calming chamomile, muscle-rxing mint, and a drop of the essence Oscar used for his post-training recovery. And when she sank into that water, when the tension left her shoulders, I felt it too.


    Her progress had been astonishing. In just two weeks, she had gone from struggling to hold her stance for more than a few minutes tonding clean blows on River himself. She wasn''t ready to take on a rogue yet, but she was close... closer than anyone could have expected.


    Kieran had been helping her control her healing ability. He had shown her how to direct her power inward, mending muscle fibers and easing pain without draining too much energy. He also cooked special herbal meals for her every night - steamed greens, root vegetables, and infusions that smelled awful but worked miracles.


    And Oscar, for his part, made sure no one disturbed her during training. He had turned into her unofficial guard during those hours, which I appreciated more than I let on.


    Tomorrow was Sunday. Herst day home before she returned to the Academy.


    Just the thought of it stirred a mix of pride and possessiveness inside me. I was proud of her - of everything she had achieved - but I also hated the idea of not being able to hold her in my arms whenever I wanted, even for a few days at a time. Her schedule would tighten, and I knew how demanding the academy could get at this time of term. Projects, tests, endless hours of study - she would barely have time for herself, let alone for me.


    Which was why tonight mattered.


    I wanted her to rx, to forget about everything beyond these walls. I wanted to make her smile, make her melt, make her remember exactly who she belonged to.


    Not that she needed reminding.


    Ever since the morning I marked her ten days ago, something inside both of us had shifted permanently. She had always been mine, but now the bond had solidified it - our souls intertwined, our senses linked, our desire burning stronger than ever.


    And Moon above, I had made sure she felt that bond every night since.


    The ones struggling the most amid all this were my brothers... because all three of them felt her pleasure every single night and I could tell their wolves were pushing them to stride in our bedroom and join us.


    I grinned to myself as I adjusted one of the candles along the edge of the bath. I hadn''t allowed my brothers to share her bed once since that day, and they hadn''tined - not openly, at least. They knew I needed this time with her. They would get their turn soon enough. But tonight was mine.


    Tomorrow, I would step aside and let them spend some time with her. But tonight, I nned to make sure she forgot what sleep even was.


    Once the bath was ready, I looked around the bathroom to double-check everything. Towels, robe, scented oils, candles - all in ce.


    Satisfied, I dried my hands and followed the faint tug of her bond toward the nursery.


    Even from the hallway, I could sense her - warm, gentle energy humming softly through the air. The sound of quietughter drifted to me, and I found myself smiling before I even reached the door.


    When I stepped inside, the sight that greeted me made my heart soften instantly.


    She stood beside Lioren''s crib, her back to me, adjusting the nket around our son. Her silver hair fell loosely down her back in beautiful waves. Kieran was beside her, whispering something that made her lips curve into that soft, tired smile I loved. Oscar stood a few feet away, his usualposed expression hiding a spark of affection as he watched them.


    Lioren was already fast asleep, his tiny hands curled near his face, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips.


    The whole scene hit me with a strange mix of warmth and possessive longing. This was everything I had ever wanted - my family, safe and whole.


    Eva turned slightly at the sound of my footsteps. Her eyes met mine, and I could tell she hadn''t expected to see me standing there. "Draven?" she said softly. "Is something-"


    Before she could finish, I crossed the room in a few long strides.


    And then I picked her up.

 Chapter 413: Night of Scented Candles (II)

    <h4>Chapter 413: Night of Scented Candles (II)</h4>


    <strong>Draven:</strong>


    She let out a startled squeal, her hands instinctively flying to my shoulders as her feet left the ground.


    "Draven!" she hissed, trying to keep her voice low, though herughter betrayed her surprise. "You¡¯ll make me wake our son!"


    Just then, I noticed our pup stirring in his crib, squirming lightly before letting out a soft sigh and settling again. I waited until I was sure he was still asleep before ncing over at my brothers.


    Kieran arched a brow, smirking faintly. "Should I even ask what this is about?"


    Oscar¡¯s lips twitched in amusement. "I would say you don¡¯t want to know."


    I gave them both a look that made my intentions clear enough. "Goodnight, brothers," I said simply.


    And without another word, I turned and walked out of the nursery, with Eva still in my arms.


    She was too stunned to resist at first, though her fingers curled against my chest as she whispered, "Draven, what are you doing?"


    "Taking care of you," I said without slowing down. "Like I always do."


    Her pulse quickened against my arm. "I can walk, you know."


    "I know," I murmured, ncing down at her with a grin. "But I like carrying you."


    Her face turned slightly red as she muttered, "You are impossible."


    "Maybe," I said, pushing open the door to my room with my shoulder, "but you love me anyway."


    The scent ofvender and warm water filled the air the moment we stepped inside the bathroom. Her eyes widened as she saw the steam rising from the bath, the flickering candles reflecting off the surface like tiny stars.


    I set her down gently, letting her feet touch the floor. She blinked, then looked up at me, speechless for a heartbeat.


    "You did all this... for me?" she asked quietly.


    I brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded. "You have been training hard. You deserve... a special bath today."


    Though warm baths were in her daily schedule, they hadn¡¯t included the scented candles, flower petals... and definitely not my most recent purchase sitting proudly beside the bath essentials - a vibratory.


    Her lips parted slightly, the faintest hint of a smile forming there. "You didn¡¯t have to¡¯"


    "Yes," I interrupted softly, tracing my thumb along her jaw. "I did."


    Because if anyone deserved to be cherished tonight, it was her.


    I leaned in, close enough that my breath mingled with hers. "Now," I whispered, letting my voice drop lower, "get in before it gets cold."


    Her cheeks flushed as she whispered back, "Are you joining me?"


    My grin widened. "What do you think?"


    The softugh that escaped her was all the answer I needed.


    Herughter still lingered in the air as I reached for the edge of her top. My fingers brushed against the soft fabric before tugging it upward, my action slow and deliberate. She let out a quiet breath, her hands moving up to help me. I could see the faint blush dusting her cheeks, the kind that made something warm twist in my chest.


    "Still shy?" I teased lightly, though my voice had gone rough around the edges.


    Her amber eyes flicked up to mine, a mix of affection and embarrassment shining in them. "Maybe," she murmured, "but only because you are staring like that."


    "Like what?" I asked, leaning closer, my lips just a breath away from her ear.


    "Like I¡¯m the only thing that exists in the world," she whispered back, her voice trembling slightly.


    I smiled, because she wasn¡¯t wrong. "That¡¯s because you are."


    <fndd85> Get full chapters from Find_Novel(.</fndd85>


    Her lips parted, but before she could reply, I pressed a gentle kiss to her shoulder, then another just below her ear. She shivered, her hands instinctively finding their way to my chest. The sound that escaped her when I kissed my mark on her neck was barely audible, but it sent heat straight through me.


    I helped her step out of the rest of her clothes, every movement slow, careful, reverent. There was no rush tonight - only the quiet rhythm of our breathing, the soft sound of water rippling in the bath, and the way her heartbeat seemed to echo in the space between us.


    Once she stood bare before me, I took a moment to simply look at her - at my mate. The candlelight danced across her skin, highlighting every curve, every mark that made her <i>her</i>. My wolf stirred beneath the surface, growling softly in approval, in awe.


    "You are staring again," she said, smiling faintly this time.


    I met her gaze and stepped closer. "Can you me me?"


    Her reply came in the form of a gentle push against my chest. "Your turn," she said softly.


    She undid the buttons of my shirt with steady hands, though I could see the tiny tremor in her fingers. When the fabric slipped from my shoulders, her palms lingered on my skin as if memorizing the feel of me all over again. My breath caught as she reached for the sp of my belt, her movements slow, deliberate, teasing.


    "Eva," I breathed, catching her hand halfway through.


    She looked up at me, feigning innocence. "What?"


    "Nothing," I said, a low chuckle escaping me. "Just... you."


    She smiled, and I bent down to capture her lips. The kiss started soft, almost hesitant, but deepened quickly when she leaned into me. Her fingers tangled in my hair while my hands framed her face, holding her close. The world seemed to narrow down to the warmth of her mouth, the taste of her breath, the quiet hum she made against my lips.


    When I finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard.


    "Bath," I managed, my voice hoarse. "Before it really gets cold."


    Sheughed softly, and I led her toward the tub. The warm waterpped gently against her skin as she stepped in, sighing in relief. Then she looked over her shoulder and held out a hand to me. "Come in."


    I didn¡¯t need to be told twice.


    The moment I joined her, she moved closer, her back pressing against my chest, her head resting beneath my chin. My arms slid around her waist, holding her there as if she belonged in no other ce.


    For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The water was warm, her heartbeat steady against me, and I could feel every small rise and fall of her breathing.


    She tilted her head slightly, brushing her lips against my jaw. "You are quiet."


    "I¡¯m thinking," I said softly.


    "About what?"


    "How lucky I am," I whispered, kissing the side of her neck, "that you are mine."


    Her smile was small but radiant, reflected in the water¡¯s glow. "And you are mine, Draven."


    I kissed her again, slower this time, letting it linger. The kind of kiss that wasn¡¯t about need but about belonging. Her hand found mine under the water, fingers intertwining, fitting perfectly.


    In that quiet moment, surrounded by candlelight and warmth, it didn¡¯t matter that the world outside would demand our strength again tomorrow. Tonight, she was in my arms - safe, cherished, loved.


    And I intended to keep it that way.


    * * *


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    An extra Chapter today because it¡¯s my birthday!!


    I hope you will enjoy theing Chapters tomorrow...!

 Chapter 414: Night of Scented Candles (III)

    <h4>Chapter 414: Night of Scented Candles (III)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature Content in the Chapter</strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The warmth of the water wrapped around me like silk. The soft glow from the candles danced across the walls, reflecting off the surface of the water where rose petals floatedzily. It felt unreal - the kind of scene that looked stolen from a dream.


    Every time Draven¡¯s skin brushed mine, I felt it - that pull, that bond between us thrumming with heat and affection. His arms came around me, strong and sure, his chest pressed to my back.


    For a while, neither of us spoke. The gentle sound of water sloshing and the faint crackle of candle mes filled the silence. Then, he reached for the jug beside the tub and poured warm water over my hair. I closed my eyes, sighing softly as it cascaded down my shoulders.


    "Lean back," he murmured against my ear, his voice low and velvet-smooth.


    I did, trusting himpletely. His fingers moved through my hair, slow and patient, massaging my scalp with small, firm circles. The scent ofvender filled the air... mixed with his own natural scent, that dark, grounding mix that always seemed to steady me no matter how tired I was.


    His hands moved lower, working down to my shoulders, kneading the tightness from my muscles. A low hum escaped me before I could stop it. The past two weeks had been grueling - River¡¯s training had left me sore almost every evening. But right now, under Draven¡¯s touch, every ache began to melt away.


    "You have been working hard," he murmured, his voice vibrating against my ear. "I can feel it here," he added, his thumbs pressing gently into the curve of my shoulder des.


    I let out a soft sound - half sigh, halfugh. "River doesn¡¯t let me breathe. I think even the wolves in the woods are afraid of his training sessions now."


    Draven chuckled quietly, a deep, rumbling sound that made something flutter inside me. "You are stronger than you think, little moon. I have seen the way you move now... even he¡¯s impressed."


    "Really?" I turned my head slightly, ncing up at him over my shoulder.


    He met my gaze with that same smile - the one that was both proud and utterly, hopelessly in love. "Really."


    My heart gave a little lurch at the warmth in his eyes. He leaned forward and kissed the top of my head, his lips lingering against my damp hair. Then his hands began to move again - slower now, gentler. They trailed down the length of my arms, his thumbs tracingzy circles on my skin. When his fingers brushed over my wrists, I felt goosebumps rise all the way to my neck.


    I bit my lip, trying to stay still as he continued... from my arms to my sides, following the curve of my waist with a kind of reverent care that made my breath hitch. It wasn¡¯t rushed or demanding, it was a kind of quiet worship. Every touch said <i>you are mine</i> - not in the possessive way he had been before, but in a way that reminded me how deeply he cherished me.


    I inhaled sharply when his palms brushed lightly along my ribs before he pulled me closer, his lips brushing the side of my neck.


    "You are so damn perfect," he whispered against my skin. "Every part of you."


    He then reached for the shower gel, working it into ather between his palms before gliding them along my shoulders and down my back. The warmth of his hands, the way he moved - slow, patient, deliberate - made my pulse race faster than I wanted to admit. His touch wasn¡¯t just cleaning me, it was iming me in anguage only we understood.


    By the time his hands reached my lower back, I could barely think straight. The world outside the bathroom ceased to exist, there was only the sound of water and the rhythm of his breathing behind me.


    When he slid his arms around me again, drawing me back against his chest, I let out a small, helpless sigh. My head rested against his shoulder, and I could feel his heartbeat against my back - steady, strong, grounding.


    "I could stay like this forever," I murmured, almost to myself.


    His breath brushed the shell of my ear. "Then we will," he said softly. "For as long as you want."


    <fn7525> For more chapters visit F¦Énd£Îovel</fn7525>


    His fingers traced slow, soothing patterns along my sides, circling the curve of my waist beforeing to rest on my hips. My skin felt alive wherever he touched, heat pooling under his fingertips.


    He pressed a kiss to the back of my neck, then another just below my ear. The soft scrape of his teeth made me shiver. My hand came up to rest over his arm, squeezing gently.


    He answered it with another kiss - slower, lingering this time - and then turned my face toward his. The kiss that followed wasn¡¯t rushed. It wasn¡¯t desperate. It was deep and grounding, likeing home after being lost for too long. The taste of him, the warmth of his lips, the way his hand cradled my jaw - it all sent a warmth spreading through my chest.


    When we finally broke apart, the air between us felt charged, heavy with everything we didn¡¯t need to say. My breath came slower, steadier now, but my heart refused to calm.


    He smiled faintly, brushing a damp strand of hair from my face. "Better?"


    I nodded, unable to trust my voice. "Much better."


    He chuckled softly, kissing my temple. "Good. Because it¡¯s time to take our game a level up."


    I arched my eyebrows as I looked at him with questioning eyes, but I soon got my answer when I felt his handsing to part my legs. I inhaled deeply, feeling his fingers moving over my inner thigh before they found their way between my folds.


    Just as his thumb brushed over my aching clit, his mouthnded on his mark on the side of my neck... and sparks flew all across my body.

 Chapter 415: Night of Scented Candles (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 415: Night of Scented Candles (IV)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Stars!


    Every time Draven touched his mark, it did unexinable things to me. I couldn¡¯t help but yearn for more... more him, more touches, more pleasure.


    His lips left the mark and trailed a line of kisses down my shoulder, but my entire focus was on his thumb that was still rubbing delicious circles over my clit.


    I already knew deep in my bones - one strong push of his thumb against my throbbing bud - and I would be screaming his name out in pure pleasure.


    Right then, while I was busy fantasizing about my first orgasm of the night, he found my entrance and slowly slipped one of his slender fingers inside, causing me to moan at the sensations.


    My inner walls hungrily clenched around his finger and I heard him groan darkly.


    "You are so wet for me, love," Draven whispered against my ear, his voice rough from need that was overwhelming our bond. "So warm. So fucking ready."


    His words made me let out another tiny moan and I threw my head back to rest against his shoulder. "Don¡¯t stop... please...!"


    He thrust deeper into me in response. In and out and in again with a smooth rhythm. And each thrust sent me painfully close to my release. Yet, there was still somethingcking, something that was holding me back from falling down the peak.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to insert a second finger into my channel and thrust more urgently. He increased his pace while his other hand found its way to my extremely sensitive nipples.


    What happened next... I wasn¡¯t prepared for it at all.


    He thrusted both his fingers deep in me, his thumb pressed harshly on my clit, and his fingers gave my nipple a sudden squeeze which resulted in a few droplets of milk to ooze out - and an intense pleasure shook my entire body inside out.


    I cried out as pleasure sted through me, lighting up my every cell. Thebined sensations caused by both his hands was too much for me to handle.


    I shook in his arms as waves of escatsy washed over me. He didn¡¯t stop thrusting, though slowed down his pace before finallying to a stop as I stilled in his arms - spent... and hungry for more.


    At that moment, I realized just how much I wanted Draven. Every single cell in my body was craving for him just like my lungs desperately craved oxygen. I wanted this ethereal man more than anything.


    The thought of his length recing his fingers inside me filled my brain suddenly and made me groan out loudly in need.


    I heard him chuckle as if saw directly through my thoughts, but I wasn¡¯t ashamed of wanting my own mate. Instead, I was ready to straddle him and get what I wanted.


    But before I could even move, he was already moving me to sit on the wide edge of the tub. He spread my legs and moved between them, cing himself right where he wanted to be.


    I was expecting him to lower his head and pleasure me with his expert tongue, but then I noticed him reaching out to something on the nearby table holding all the bath essentials - a vibrator.


    My breath caught. I stared wide-eyed as he held the sleek silver toy in his hand, the faint smirk on his lips both thrilling and terrifying me at once.


    "Draven..." I breathed, my voice trembling with a mixture of anticipation and disbelief. "What are you-"


    He silenced me with a kiss - slow, deep, and full of wicked promise. His tongue brushed minezily, but the intensity behind it made my body tremble all over again. When he pulled back, his eyes were glowing as his wolf peeked through, his gaze roaming over my flushed skin.


    "I want to watch you fall apart again," he murmured, his tone dark and velvet-soft. "This time... while I control every second of it."


    The soft hum of the vibrator filled the air a secondter, and I instantly tensed. He ced it against my thigh first, teasingly tracing small circles there, the vibration just enough to make me shiver.


    "Rx, love," he whispered, brushing his lips along my jaw. "Let me show you how good it can feel when you stop trying to hold back."


    I sucked in a sharp breath when he finally moved the vibrator upward, dragging it over my folds in slow, deliberate strokes. The teasing contact made my hips jerk involuntarily, and he chuckled against my ear, clearly pleased by my reaction.


    When he pressed the toy directly against my swollen clit, I gasped so loud the sound echoed off the tiled walls. My hands shot out to grab his forearms for support, my nails digging into his skin.


    "Draven- stars-"


    "That¡¯s it," he said, his voice husky andmanding. "Let go for me again. I have got you."


    Every flick of his wrist, every movement of the vibrator, sent delicious waves of sensation through me. My legs trembled where he held them open, my body arching into his touch as if I were made only for him.


    He leaned in, kissing my parted lips while his other hand returned to my breasts, fingers pinching lightly, squeezing, drawing out another needy moan from my throat.


    I couldn¡¯t think. Couldn¡¯t breathe. The sensations kept building - higher, faster, fiercer - until I felt like I was standing at the edge of something vast and consuming.


    "Draven," I whimpered, my voice breaking. "I-I can¡¯t-"


    "Yes, you can," he growled, nipping my lower lip before deepening the kiss again. "You will, little moon."


    The next second, he increased the speed of the vibrator, and that was it. My vision went white. My body convulsed as another wave of ecstasy ripped through me, even more powerful than before. I screamed his name, trembling so violently that he had to wrap an arm around my waist to keep me from slipping.


    When it finally ended, I copsed against his chest, breathing hard, my body limp and glowing with aftershocks. He turned off the vibrator and set it aside before pressing soft kisses against my temple.


    "That¡¯s my girl," he murmured, his voice full of dark satisfaction. "So beautiful when youe undone."


    My mind was foggy, but I still managed to whisper, "Now it¡¯s your turn, Draven..."


    <fn7242> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? F¦ÉndNovel</fn7242>


    His lowugh rumbled against my ear as he lifted me from the tub with effortless strength. "Oh, love," he said, eyes burning with heat. "You have no idea what you have just started."

 Chapter 416: Alpha Needs To Be Punished

    <h4>Chapter 416: Alpha Needs To Be Punished</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Stars above, I regretted getting out of bed.


    The moment my bare foot touched the first stair, a sharp ache pulsed between my thighs and shot up my spine. I groaned softly, gripping the railing as I tried to make my descent without looking like a wounded wolf.


    Immediately, a pair of hands reached toward me, but before those guilty fingers could touch me, I turned my re toward Draven.


    He froze. His hand dropped back to his side as if burned.


    "Eva..." His voice carried a guilty softness that almost... <i>almost</i>... made me forgive him. "I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you."


    I arched a brow, my voice tight with both soreness and sarcasm. "Really? Because I recall telling you several times to stopst night, but you barely seemed to hear me."


    He winced, running a hand through his tousled dark hair. "I know, I know." His emerald eyes darted away for a second before returning to mine. "But you were enjoying it... I just wanted to give you a great time."


    "A great time?" I repeated incredulously, cing a hand on my hip. "Yes, Draven, I¡¯m having a <i>wonderful</i> time right now." I gestured at my unsteady legs and the faint limp I was sporting. "Truly memorable."


    His lips twitched like he was fighting a smile but wisely didn¡¯t let it win. "You are mad."


    "You think?"


    Before he could respond, two familiar voices came from behind us.


    "Looks like we walked in at the perfect moment," Oscar drawled as he and Kieran appeared at the top of the stairs. Both looked freshly dressed for breakfast, casual yet regal in their own way.


    Oscar¡¯s eyes swept over me, immediately narrowing as he took in my slow movements. Then his gaze darted toward Draven, who visibly stiffened.


    "What did you do, little brother?" His voice turned mockingly stern. "Did you make our Luna upset?"


    Draven groaned softly. "Don¡¯t start, Oscar."


    "Oh, I¡¯m definitely starting." Oscar ced a hand over his heart and looked at me dramatically. "Eva, would you like me to punish him? I can make him regret whatever he did. I have been waiting for a good reason to kick his butt anyway."


    Despite my irritation, a smallugh escaped me. "I appreciate the offer, Oscar. He might actually need a reminder to listen next time."


    "Perfect. Consider it done." Oscar smirked at Draven, who shot him a murderous look.


    Before Draven could argue, Kieran stepped closer. "Enough of this," he said in that deep, steady tone that always managed to still the air around us. His eyes softened as they met mine. "Come here, Evaline."


    Before I could protest, he scooped me up in his arms like I weighed nothing at all.


    "Kieran!" I gasped, clinging instinctively to his shoulders as he descended the stairs effortlessly. "I can walk!"


    <fnb408> Content originallyes from Find¡ïNovel</fnb408>


    "Clearly, you can¡¯t," he replied, his voice calm but teasing. "You¡¯ll only hurt yourself more. Let me."


    Draven muttered something behind us that sounded like a cross between a groan and a growl, but Kieran ignored himpletely.


    The scent of breakfast wafted through the air - warm bread, roasted meat, herbs - as Kieran carried me into the dining hall and gently set me down on a chair.


    "I¡¯ll give you a good massage after breakfast," he promised quietly, his hand brushing against mine for a moment. "It¡¯ll ease the soreness."


    The brief contact sent a strange flutter through my chest... unexpected and yet...forting.


    "Thank you," I murmured, my cheeks warming.


    Draven sat on my other side, clearly sulking. "I can give you a massage too, you know."


    Oscar chuckled from across the table. "You have done enough massaging for one night, brother."


    The chuckles that followed eased the tension. I couldn¡¯t stay truly mad at Draven, even if I wanted to. Especially not when he kept sneaking guilty nces at me, his fingers fidgeting with the ring on his hand... a habit he had whenever he felt bad.


    Breakfast passed peacefully after that. We spoke of nothing important - just light, easy chatter. Lioren¡¯s happy babbles filled the air when I nursed him afterward, his small hands clutching my finger while his eyes blinked up at me.


    Afterward, Draven and Oscar joined me on the couch to y with our son. Watching Draven¡¯s strong hands hold Lioren so delicately made my heart melt despite everything. Oscar kept making silly faces that had our babyughing uncontrobly, and soon, even I wasughing with them.


    By then, my irritation toward Draven had faded into faint amusement. He caught my gaze once and mouthed, <i>I¡¯m sorry</i>.


    I sighed but smiled. "You are forgiven," I whispered back.


    Before he could respond, River walked in - dressed in his usual CEO attire, his calm presence grounding the entire room. He leaned down to kiss my forehead, then pressed a gentle kiss to Lioren¡¯s tiny one.


    "I have to attend to pack matters," he said softly. "I¡¯ll be back by lunch."


    "Your presence will be missed," I murmured.


    His lips curved in that faint smile before he left through the front doors.


    The morning passed quietly after that. Lioren fell asleep in my arms about two hourster, his breaths soft and even. Vanessa appeared soon after, bowing respectfully before taking him to the nursery.


    I watched her disappear up the stairs, my heart full yet strangely heavy. Motherhood still felt new to me... beautiful and overwhelming in equal measure.


    As I turned back toward the hall, I found Oscar stretching his armszily. "Well then," he said cheerfully, "time to make good on my promise."


    Draven groaned. "You can¡¯t be serious."


    "Oh, I¡¯m very serious," Oscar said, his eyes glinting mischievously. "The new recruits are waiting in the training field. You¡¯ll be my demonstration partner for today¡¯s session."


    "You mean your punching bag," Draven muttered.


    Oscar grinned. "Exactly."


    Iughed as Draven cast me a desperate look, but I merely raised a brow. "Go on. Think of it as part of your apology."


    He sighed in defeat and followed his brother out, muttering something about unfair mates and cruel older siblings.


    When the room finally quieted, I let out a long breath and leaned back against the couch. The morning sunlight filtered through the windows, warm and golden, brushing against my skin like silk.


    Then, I remembered Kieran¡¯s promise.


    My stomach fluttered unexpectedly.


    He had said it so casually - <i>I¡¯ll give you a massage after breakfast</i> - yet those simple words had lingered in my mind ever since. Kieran was gentle by nature, but there was something about his quiet intensity that always made me nervous in the best way.


    So far, the only truly intimate thing between us had been a few kisses - soft, hesitant, and impossibly tender. But the thought of him touching me, even in something as innocent as a massage, made my heart race.


    By the time I made my way toward his room, I had convinced myself I was overthinking it. This was just Kieran helping me recover. That was all.


    And yet, when I entered his bedroom, my breath caught.


    The room was bathed in soft light. The curtains were half-drawn, allowing golden beams to spill across therge bed covered with fresh linens. The faint scent of sandalwood and something faintly floral lingered in the air.


    He stood near the window, setting aside a small bowl of oil on the bedside table. When he turned to look at me, his lips curved in that familiar, quiet smile that always made my chest feel too tight.


    "You came," he said simply, his voice deep and smooth.


    I swallowed, nodding. "You... really meant it."


    "Of course." His eyes softened, but there was something unreadable beneath the calm... something that made my pulse quicken. "You are in pain, Evaline. I just want to help."


    I tried to smile, ignoring the way my fingers fidgeted with the edge of my sleeve. "Then I¡¯ll ept the help."


    His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, then he gestured gently toward the bed. "Good. Why don¡¯t you getfortable while I prepare?"


    And just like that, my heart started to race again.

 Chapter 417: The Massage Session

    <h4>Chapter 417: The Massage Session</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I watched as she quietly nodded, her fingers brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. For a moment, she simply stood there, framed in the light filtering through the curtains. The golden glow traced the outline of her shoulders, the curve of her neck, the hesitant lift of her chest when she breathed. It hit me then... how easily she could undo me without even trying.


    I turned away before she could see the storm that had already started inside me. The scent of sandalwood filled the room as I warmed the oil between my palms, trying to focus on the small, ordinary sounds as if grounding myself in them would quiet my pulse.


    When I looked back, Evaline had settled on the bed, lying on her stomach, her face turned toward the window. She had taken off the shirt, now left in a sleeveless crop top. She looked rxed but not entirely, tension still lingered in the way her hands clutched the pillow.


    "Is this okay?" she asked, her voice quiet, uncertain.


    "Yes," I said softly, taking a seat beside her. "Just breathe for me."


    I let my hands rest on her shoulders first, the warmth of the oil seeping into her skin. She inhaled deeply, and so did I. Her scent - soft, faintly sweet, familiar - filled my head until it was all I could think about.


    I began slowly, my thumbs tracing gentle circles down her spine. Her muscles were tight from exhaustion, from the strain of thest few days, and I focused on easing that. Every sigh that left her lips felt like a victory, every quiet sound a kind of trust I didn¡¯t know how to deserve.


    "You are good at this," she murmured after a while.


    "I have had practice," I replied, though my voice came out lower than I intended. "River and Oscar used to get awful back pain after training. I helped them sometimes."


    She made a small, sleepy noise, halfway between amusement and contentment. "And now you are stuck with me instead."


    I smiled faintly. "There¡¯s nowhere else I would rather be."


    Her breath caught, just a little. I felt it beneath my hands. The air between us shifted... I could sense her awareness as clearly as my own heartbeat.


    I should have stopped there. I should have kept it professional, controlled. But the way her skin warmed under my palms, the way she trusted mepletely.... stars, it was undoing me one breath at a time.


    My hands drifted to her lower back, slower, firmer. She arched slightly, a quiet sigh escaping her. I froze, every muscle in my body tightening in restraint.


    "Too much?" I asked.


    She turned her head to meet my eyes, a faint flush coloring her cheeks. "No... it feels nice."


    Her gaze lingered on me, soft yet searching, and something inside me simply broke.


    I moved my hands up again, tracing her shoulders, then her arms, memorizing the warmth beneath my fingers. Each touch felt heavier, filled with everything I hadn¡¯t said in months - admiration, longing, the quiet ache of wanting her.


    "Evaline," I said, her name rough on my tongue.


    She rolled onto her side, facing me now. For a moment, neither of us moved. The air between us shimmered with unspoken words, the kind that hovered between friendship and something deeper.


    Her eyes searched mine. "Kieran..."


    That single whisper undid what little control I had left.


    I lifted my hand to her face, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. My thumb lingered on her skin, tracing the faint line of her jaw, the corner of her lips. She didn¡¯t pull away.


    "I shouldn¡¯t... at least not right now," I murmured, though my hand refused to listen.


    "Then don¡¯t think," she said quietly. "Just... feel."


    Something raw and helpless surged through me then. I leaned closer, slowly, giving her time to stop me. She didn¡¯t. Instead, she tilted her chin up, and that small, trusting gesture was all the permission I needed.


    Our lips met softly at first - barely a touch, like testing the weight of a promise. Then she moved against me, and the world fell away.


    The kiss deepened, slow and searching. Her fingers slid into my hair, pulling me closer, and I lost myself in the taste of her breath, the warmth of her mouth. There was no urgency, only the slow unfolding of everything we had held back - the quiet nights, the stolen nces, the unsaid things that now burned between us.


    I felt her tremble, felt her heartbeat flutter against my chest. I cupped her face, kissed her again, longer this time, until I could no longer tell where her breath ended and mine began.


    When we finally pulled apart, both of us were breathing hard. She kept her eyes closed, her lips still parted, as if afraid the moment would disappear if she opened them.


    "Kieran," she whispered, "let¡¯s not hold back from now on, okay? You can kiss me, hug me, hold me... whenever you want."


    My throat tightened. And instead of speaking, I brushed my thumb across her lower lip and pressed another kiss on her lips.


    When I pulled back, she opened her eyes slowly, her amber orbs shimmering with something that made my chest ache. She leaned forward again, pressing her forehead against mine. We stayed like that, breathing each other in, our hearts racing in the same rhythm.


    Eventually, I pulled back even though that¡¯s thest thing I wanted to do. "Let¡¯s continue with the massage session."


    She pouted as if the idea of pulling away from me didn¡¯t set right with her either, but she still moved -ying on her back this time.


    As my hands returned to massage her shoulders, her arms, her corbone, and belly... I realized this session wasn¡¯t going to be an easy one no matter what.


    Still, I somehow survived the next half an hour without doing something as stupid as iming her right then and there. She needed rest.


    "Thank you. I feel so much better now." She smiled softly as she sat up.


    I opened my mouth, ready to speak... but the words never made it out of my mouth as they got stolen by her sudden... surprise kiss. I felt her soft lips press against the corner of my mouth for a fleeting second before she was already pulling back.


    "I hope this isn¡¯t the only massage session I¡¯ll get." She whispered against my ear before she was walking out of the room as if she didn¡¯t just stole my breath.


    Stars! This woman was going to be death of me.<fnb76e> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? f?ndnovel</fnb76e>

 Chapter 418: The Angry Trio (I)

    <h4>Chapter 418: The Angry Trio (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The ride to Silver Moon felt shorter than it should have. Maybe it was because I spent most of it staring out the window, reying memories of the past weeks over and over. The sound of the engine hummed softly beneath Draven¡¯s steady driving, and for a long while, neither of us said a word.


    When the car slowed, I blinked, realizing where we were. The familiar gates of the Academy came into view - tall, polished iron with the silver crest gleaming faintly under the evening sun. My heart squeezed painfully.


    We were already here.


    The car stopped just before the guards, and that simple sound - the faint click of the gear - tugged me back into reality. I swallowed hard, my hand instinctively moving to my stomach even though Lioren wasn¡¯t there anymore.


    Just the thought of my son made my throat tighten. Barely two months. That¡¯s all he had been in this world. How was I supposed to stay away from him even for a few days, let alone weeks?


    The car door opened with a low creak, and a rush of warm wind brushed against my face. I looked up to find Draven standing there, his hand extended toward me, that small smile curving his lips... the one that made my chest ache every time.


    "Come on, little moon," he said softly. "We are here."


    I ced my hand in his and stepped out. The moment my boots touched the ground, I could feel the weight of the Academy¡¯s silence pressing down on us. It was Sunday evening, and most students were still away, but the stationed warriors by the gate straightened the second they noticed who had arrived.


    A Rogue Alpha¡¯s car. And a girl stepping out of it.


    Their eyes widened slightly, but no one dared to say a word. The air between them carried quiet respect... and fear. Even if they wanted to gossip, they wouldn¡¯t. No one in their right mind crossed paths with any of the four brothers, let alone any girls they were with.


    Draven rounded the car, popping open the trunk. I could feel the warriors¡¯ eyes flicking between us, but he paid them no mind. He grabbed my suitcase and shoulder bag with one hand and then, to my absolute horror, reached for my hand with the other.


    "Draven..." I whispered, my cheeks burning. "You don¡¯t have to-"


    He nced at me, eyes soft but firm. "I know I don¡¯t have to," he said,cing his fingers through mine. "But I want to."


    My heart did a foolish little flip, and before I could protest again, he gave my hand a gentle squeeze and began walking toward the gate. The guards stepped aside without a word, bowing slightly as we passed.


    I kept my chin up, pretending I didn¡¯t notice the way one of them whispered something into hism - no doubt alerting the entire gate security that one of the infamous Rogue alphas had just walked in holding a student¡¯s hand.


    <fnc32c> Fresh chapters posted on find?novel</fnc32c>


    We stepped through the archway into the courtyard. The air smelled faintly of pine and the recent rain, and the golden evening light scattered through the trees. Two third-year students walked past us on their way to the gate, chatting animatedly... until they noticed Draven.


    Their words died instantly. Their gazes flicked to our joined hands, then back to my face.


    I could already imagine how the whispers would spread by dinner - Did you hear? The rogue girl from Year One walked in holding hands with one of the Rogue alphas.


    I wanted to sigh. A long, tired sigh. But I stopped myself. Thest thing I wanted was for Draven to think I was embarrassed to be seen with him. Because I wasn¡¯t. Not anymore.


    I straightened my shoulders and kept walking. If people were going to talk, let them. I had spent too long hiding, too long trying to stay invisible in a world that always found a reason to stare anyway.


    By the time we reached the dorm building, the sky was painted in hues of amber and rose. Draven pressed the elevator button and waited, still holding my hand, still looking impossibly calm despite the curious nces we had picked up along the way.


    When the elevator arrived, we stepped inside. The mirrored walls reflected our joined hands, our quiet closeness, the way he looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered.


    "You are thinking too much," he murmured suddenly.


    I blinked, turning toward him. "Am I that easy to read?"


    "Only for me." His lips curved faintly. "You¡¯ll be fine, Eva. And you know where to call if you are not."


    The elevator dinged before I could reply. The doors slid open to the familiar corridor lined with identical doors and faintly glowing runes. My heart began to pound harder with every step toward my dorm.


    It felt strange -ing back after three and a half months. Thest time I had been here, everything had been different. I wasn¡¯t a mother. I wasn¡¯t marked. I wasn¡¯t... me.


    Now I was all of those things, and I wasn¡¯t sure how the others would take it.


    We stopped in front of the dorm. I swiped my card, and the door unlocked with a soft click.


    The second I stepped inside, I froze.


    Six people were waiting.


    Ria, Mallory, Rowan, Noah, Selene, and Kyros. They all turned toward me at once.


    And three of them in particr - Ria, Noah, and Selene - looked like I had just walked in covered in blood.


    Selene¡¯s mouth fell open. "Oh. My. Goddess."


    I gave a small, awkward wave, my voice barely above a whisper. "Hi?"


    The silence that followed was deafening.


    Then Selene¡¯s eyes narrowed, her voice slicing through the air. "Where have you been, Eva?"


    I blinked. "I-"


    "You disappeared for three and a half months!" she cut in, stepping closer. "No calls, no messages, nothing! Do you have any idea what we thought?"


    Ria folded her arms, her expression equally sharp. "You can¡¯t just vanish and then waltz back in like nothing happened."


    Noah didn¡¯t say anything, but his gaze was cool... too controlled, like he was trying not to show how disappointed he really was.


    Behind them, Mallory, Rowan, and Kyros exchanged uneasy nces. The air in the room was thick with tension.


    And the very next second, Selene crossed her arms and said sharply, "Start talking, Evaline. Now."

 Chapter 419: The Angry Trio (II)

    <h4>Chapter 419: The Angry Trio (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The air in the room felt thick the moment Selene¡¯s voice sliced through it.


    <i>"Start talking, Evaline. Now."</i>


    Her tone wasn¡¯t harsh, but there was sharpness beneath the calm surface... the kind that could make anyone squirm.


    I blinked at her, words sticking in my throat. I had been preparing myself for something like this, but now that it was happening, my mind went nk.


    My eyes darted toward the three people who could have saved me from this inquisition - Kyros, Rowan, and Mallory - but the moment our eyes met, they all gave me the same exact look... <i>Don¡¯t even think about dragging us into this</i>.


    Mallory had her chin resting on her hand, watching with a look of mild amusement. Rowan raised both hands like he was surrendering, and Kyros... well, Kyros had the nerve to smirk at me before casually leaning back on the couch like this was the entertainment he had been waiting for all semester.


    Seriously? Traitors.


    Selene cleared her throat sharply, drawing my attention back to her before I could re daggers at my so-called friends.


    "Don¡¯t look at them," she said, her voice clipped but not unkind. "We are asking you, Eva."


    "Yeah," Noah added dryly from beside her. "And if you are hoping for help from those three, forget it. They already imed they ¡¯didn¡¯t know a thing¡¯ when we asked again and again earlier."


    Ria crossed her arms, leaning against the nearby shelf, her expression a perfect mix of disapproval and worry. "Eva, you disappeared for months. No messages, no calls, nothing. Do you have any idea how scared we were?"


    Their words hit like small stones - not painful, but heavy with guilt.


    I opened my mouth, but before I could even think of how to begin, a familiar deep voice filled the dorm room.


    "Well," Draven said smoothly, the rich tone carrying easily across themon room, "this is quite the wee party. I must say, I didn¡¯t expect such a warm reception."


    Every head snapped toward the door.


    He hadn¡¯t even stepped fully inside yet - just leaned casually against the doorframe, his eyes gleaming with mischief and quiet authority. The room collectively fell silent as his presence washed over them.


    Noah¡¯s mouth dropped open. Selene froze mid-breath. And Ria... well, her arms slowly uncrossed as her eyes widened in something between shock and disbelief.


    <fn8615> For original chapters go to Find~Novel</fn8615>


    I almost pitied them. Almost.


    Because if I didn¡¯t know Draven as well as I did now, I would have probably reacted the same way - staring in stunned silence as one of the most powerful Alphas in existence casually stepped into a dorm room of first years.


    He pushed off the frame and entered, his tall formmanding the space instantly. Every movement of his was effortless, yet full of that dangerous confidence that made even the air feel charged.


    Behind him, the door clicked shut softly.


    Mallory was biting her lip, clearly fighting backughter. Rowan muttered a quiet "Oh, this is going to be good," under his breath. And Kyros gave me a knowing look that said, <i>You are on your own, sunshine</i>.


    If I didn¡¯t have Draven¡¯s presence nearby me, that was also grounding me, I would have melted into the floor out of sheer anxiety.


    Noah was the first to find his voice... sort of.


    "W-What the hell is he doing here?" he half-whispered, half-yelled, his finger pointing at Draven like he had seen a ghost. "Isn¡¯t he- you are- you-"


    "Draven Thorne," Selene blurted, her voice trembling slightly. "<i>The</i> Draven Thorne?"


    Draven¡¯s lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "Guilty."


    Oh, Moon above. I wanted to disappear.


    He stepped closer to me, his scent immediately surrounding me and filling my senses. Then, without the slightest hint of hesitation, he slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me flush against his side.


    The room collectively gasped.


    If Noah¡¯s eyes got any wider, they had pop out. Ria looked like she had stopped breathing. While Selene actually took a step back, as though proximity to him might burn her.


    Meanwhile, Draven just looked pleased with himself.


    He tilted his head down to look at me, his thumb brushing my waist in an almost teasing motion. "Aren¡¯t you going to answer your friends, little moon?" he asked softly, his tone dripping with false innocence that only I could detect. "They seem very eager to know where you have been... and what you have been doing."


    I gave him a sharp look, whispering, "You are enjoying this, aren¡¯t you?"


    "Immensely," he murmured back, low enough that only I heard him.


    "Physco." I threw at him through my gritted teeth, but he seemed to take the word aspliment.


    "I know. A sexy one."


    I sighed and turned to face my wide-eyed friends, trying to muster as muchposure as I could with Draven¡¯s hand still around me.


    "Alright," I said finally, my voice steadier than I felt. "This is Draven."


    "We know who he is," Selene said quickly, still sounding half in awe, half terrified. "But why is he here? And why are you-" she gestured vaguely between the two of us "-standing like that?"


    I hesitated. I could practically feel Draven¡¯s amusement radiating beside me. His fingers gave a light squeeze against my waist, silently urging me on... or maybe daring me.


    I took a deep breath. There was no easy way to do this.


    "Because," I began slowly, "he¡¯s not just our senior."


    Three pairs of eyes locked on me.


    "He¡¯s..." I swallowed hard, ncing at Draven briefly before saying it out loud. "He¡¯s my mate."


    You could have heard a pin drop.


    For a full five seconds, no one moved. No one blinked. Even the faint hum of the air conditioner felt too loud.


    Then...


    "What?!" Noah, Selene, and Ria shouted in perfect unison.


    Mallory¡¯sughter finally broke loose, echoing through the dorm. Kyros whistled lowly. And Rowan muttered, "Called it," under his breath.


    But the trio in front of me were staring like I had just told them I was marrying the Moon Goddess herself.

 Chapter 420: Shocking Revelations

    <h4>Chapter 420: Shocking Revtions</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Ria¡¯s scream nearly made my eardrums burst.


    I winced, pressing both hands to my ears in a desperate attempt to muffle her shriek. Beside her, Selene gasped so hard I was afraid she would inhale the entire room, while Noah¡¯s jaw practically hit the floor and stayed there.


    Honestly, if this were apetition for the most dramatic reaction, Ria would have won gold.


    "YOU¡¯RE WHAT?!" she screeched again, her eyes bulging like I had just told her I had married the Moon Goddess and moved to Moon.


    "I said," I tried to repeat slowly, "I¡¯m mated to Draven. And... River. And Kieran. And Oscar."


    Ria¡¯s second scream followed immediately after.


    I shut my eyes, shaking my head. "Ria, I¡¯m standing right here. You don¡¯t have to summon the ancestors."


    Meanwhile, Selene¡¯s hand was still frozen midair, her expression nk as though her brain had short-circuited. And Noah... Noah was just staring at me like I had sprouted extra heads.


    It didn¡¯t help that Draven had already left five minutes ago, right after sessfully throwing me to the wolves, both literally and figuratively.


    He had aplished his goal with that infuriating smirk of his, the side hug, and his suggestive words. He knew exactly what he was doing. And then, like the smug troublemaker he was, he left me here - to deal with the aftermath. Alone.


    Now, here I was, surrounded by six pairs of eyes - three curious, three amused - and trying to exin something even I sometimes still had a hard time believing.


    I sighed, lowering my hands as Ria finally stopped screaming to catch her breath.


    "Okay," I said, rubbing my temples. "I know how this sounds. But I¡¯m not joking, nor am I under a spell. I¡¯m mated to all four Thorne brothers."


    Noah blinked once. Then twice. Then rubbed his ears dramatically like maybe he had misheard.


    "You mean... <i>the</i> Thorne brothers?" he asked slowly, his voice half disbelieving, half scandalized. "As in, the Rogue Alphas?"


    I nodded while letting out a sigh. If I thought Mallory was dramatic with her reactions, I was in for a treat today.


    Noah threw his hands up in the air, pacing a few steps as if trying to digest the information. "Unbelievable. The four most powerful, sought-after alphas in the entire shifter world... and they all mated with you?"


    I frowned, crossing my arms. "What¡¯s that supposed to mean?"


    <fnabd8> For original chapters go to find{n}ovel</fnabd8>


    He stopped pacing, his expression serious now... though his eyes still held that mischievous glint that always preceded one of his dramatic speeches.


    "I mean, let¡¯s think about this rationally," he began, gesturing with his fingers as he counted off names. "River Thorne - the Rogue Alpha King, the man who single-handedly united the rogue territories and turned chaos into a civilization. The Chairman of Thorne Industries, worth billions."


    He paused for effect. "Then there¡¯s Kieran Thorne - headmaster of <i>this very academy</i>, a legend in herbal and potion mastery. Most professors and students around our world worship him like he¡¯s the seconding of the Moon Goddess."


    Selene and Ria nodded mutely. Even Kyros and Mallory joined in.


    Noah continued, clearly on a roll now. "Next up - Oscar Thorne. Youngest instructor in history, chief of the Elite Warriors, the strongest shifter defense force known to exist. People literally write fanfiction about him."


    Mallory snorted into her drink. "That¡¯s true. I might be guilty of reading a few. But that¡¯s before I found out about him being your mate." She quickly added thest sentence.


    "Exactly!" Noah said, pointing at her. "And then we have Draven Thorne - the golden boy of Silver Moon, master of Runes, the youngest of the four, and possibly the most devastatingly good-looking man alive."


    He turned to look at me, eyes narrowing in mock suspicion. "And somehow, you managed to... acquire all four?"


    "Acquire?" I repeated tly.


    Ria burst outughing while Selene pressed her lips together, trying to hold it in.


    Noah grinned. "You get what I mean. It¡¯s like saying you walked into a dragon¡¯s den and came out with the crown jewels. Actually, no- you came out wearing the crown jewels."


    I groaned and dropped onto the couch beside Mallory, burying my face in my hands. "You are impossible."


    "Impossible but not wrong," he shot back smugly.


    When I didn¡¯t respond, I felt the couch dip beside me as Ria plopped down and nudged my shoulder. "Hey," she said softly. "You know we are teasing, right? It¡¯s just... a lot to take in."


    I peeked out from between my fingers. "You think?"


    Selene finally found her voice, her usual calm tone returning. "It¡¯s unbelievable, Eva. But... looking at you now, it kind of makes sense."


    I blinked at her. "What?"


    She smiled... a small, genuine one. "You have changed. You are no longer the girl I met on our first day at entrance exam camp. You are glowing now, stronger. There¡¯s this... peace in your eyes that wasn¡¯t there before. I used to worry about you all the time, especiallyst year. But now..." She tilted her head. "Now, you look like you finally found where you belong."


    That lump in my throat formed so suddenly, I didn¡¯t know what to do with it.


    Before I could even thank her, Noah suddenly crouched in front of me, resting his elbows on his knees. His teasing tone was gone, reced by something gentle. "You know, I was going to ask how someone like you ended up with them," he admitted, his voice quiet. "But I think I already know the answer."


    My brows furrowed. "What answer?"


    "That only someone like you could," he said simply. "Only someone strong enough to stand next to them, kind enough to heal what¡¯s broken in them, and fierce enough to make them kneel when needed."


    My eyes widened.


    He grinned faintly. "You forget we have seen you fight for people, Eva. You might think you are ordinary, but we have known better for a long time."


    For once, I didn¡¯t have aeback.


    Ria nodded eagerly beside me. "Yeah! And don¡¯t forget, you are literally one of the prettiest people alive now. You have put on some healthy weight, and those curves-"


    "Ria!" I interrupted, mortified.


    "What?" she said innocently. "I¡¯m just saying! You look amazing! It¡¯s not fair. Some of us have to work for it."


    Selene chuckled. "She¡¯s right, though. You have grown into yourself. You are... radiant, Eva. Really."


    My lips parted, but no words came out. My chest ached with emotion... a heavy, warm ache that made it impossible to speak. I had been bracing for anger, for judgment, for mockery even. But what I got instead was... understanding. eptance.


    For the first time since stepping back into the Academy, I felt my shoulders loosen.


    And then...


    Mallory cleared her throat dramatically, leaning back in her chair. "Okay, this is all very touching," she said, cutting through the softness of the moment, "but don¡¯t get too emotional yet."


    I turned to her, frowning. "What now?"


    She raised an eyebrow. "You still have one more secret to drop, don¡¯t you?"


    Oh, Moon help me.


    Kyros grinned like the devil himself. "Ah yes, the grand finale."


    Rowan crossed his arms. "This should be good."


    All eyes swung back to me again.


    I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. Right. There was that.


    "Well," I began cautiously, "since we are in the mood for shocking revtions..."


    Selene narrowed her eyes. "Eva, what are you hiding now?"


    I hesitated for a moment... just long enough for the tension to stretch... before taking a deep breath and blurting it out.


    "I¡¯m... a mom now."


    The silence that followed was so deep, I swore I could hear the clock ticking.


    Then Ria¡¯s mouth opened again, and I pped my hand over her mouth before she could scream.


    "Not again," I warned.


    Her eyes went wide, muffled sounds of disbelief escaping against my palm.


    Selene¡¯s jaw went ck. Noah just fell backward onto the carpet, staring at the ceiling in utter shock.


    Mallory, Kyros, and Rowan? They were all howling withughter.


    I couldn¡¯t help it... Iughed too.


    Because honestly, at this point, what else could I do?

 Chapter 421: Breakfast Whispers

    <h4>Chapter 421: Breakfast Whispers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The dining hall was already buzzing with chatter and clinking cutlery when we walked in. The sound of hundreds of conversations blending together created the usual morning chaos that every Academy student had learned to live with.


    Still, the moment I stepped inside, something shifted. The sound didn¡¯t stop, but it wavered... like someone had pressed pause for a fraction of a second before everything picked up again, only quieter.


    I didn¡¯t need to turn my head to know eyes were following me. I could feel it - like invisible threads tugging against my skin, brushing over the back of my neck, sliding down my arms. And the funny part? I had expected it.


    Returning to the Academy mid-term was rare enough to make anyone a subject of curiosity. Students who took leaves mid-term usually didn¡¯t return. But here I was... back again, walking through the hall like nothing was strange about it.


    Noah, of course, wasn¡¯t making things any easier.


    He was practically singing about how much he had missed having breakfast with me. "Evaaa, my breakfast hasn¡¯t tasted right since you left," he said dramatically, earning amused looks from nearby tables. "The eggs have been nd, the toast too dry, and don¡¯t even get me started on the porridge!"


    "Maybe the problem isn¡¯t the food," Mallory quipped, tossing him a grin as she led us toward our usual corner table. "Maybe it¡¯s you."


    I almostughed, but I was too aware of the dozens of gazes following me - from the entrance all the way across the room. Some were curious, some judgmental, some envious... but I didn¡¯t need to wonder why.


    They had all heard.


    Draven.


    The moment his hand had slipped into mine the evening before, I knew today would be like this. The students had probably spent half the night gossiping - about how I had been seen with him walking in, how he had held my hand and carried my luggage to my dorm.


    Draven Thorne wasn¡¯t just anyone. He wasn¡¯t just one of the students here... his name held a legacy, an authority, a respcet and fear. He was the most talked-about student at the Academy and being seen with him, especially in that way, was enough to fuel the rumor mill for weeks.


    We finally reached our table. I took the seat at the far end, the one facing the big windows that overlooked the garden. The sunlight spilled in through the ss panes,nding right across our table, and for some reason, it made the stares feel even heavier.


    "Don¡¯t bother about them," Mallory said softly, pouring fresh tea in our cups. "They¡¯ll lose interest soon enough."


    I forced a smile. "I hope so."


    "Oh,e on," she said, lowering her voice with a yful glint in her eye. "You really think every pair of eyes is staring at you just because of Draven?"


    I blinked. "Isn¡¯t that the only reason?"


    Mallory leaned closer, her lips curving into a knowing smile. "Not quite."


    Before I could ask what she meant, Noah threw an arm dramatically across the back of my chair. "She¡¯s saying some of them aren¡¯t staring at you because of Draven, Eva. They are staring because of you."


    "What?"


    He grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "You have got this... glow. Like some kind of sexy goddess who just descended from the heavens to bless the breakfast tables of us mere mortals."


    Mallory snorted, Riaughed so hard she nearly spilled her tea, and even Selene hid a smile behind her teacup.


    "Stop it, Noah," I said, rolling my eyes even as my cheeks warmed.


    "I¡¯m serious!" he insisted. "Look-three tables to the left. The third year guy with those sexy gray eyes? He hasn¡¯t blinked since you walked in. And those two boys near the far corner... don¡¯t even pretend they are not admiring your beauty."


    I tried to dismiss it, shaking my head. "You are imagining things."


    Selene, however, wasn¡¯t letting me off so easily. "No, he¡¯s not," she said with a smirk. "Turn around, Eva. Slowly. See for yourself."


    I hesitated before doing as she said... and instantly regretted it. Because yes, there they were. Not one or two, but several students stealing nces, pretending to be busy with their food the moment our eyes met. Some smiled politely, others looked away quickly, embarrassed at being caught.


    Those weren¡¯t the judgmental or jealous gazes I was expecting, but thenones holding pure curiosity and awe.


    I turned back around, speechless.


    <fn4e4f> Fresh chapters posted on f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fn4e4f>


    "See?" Mallory said, amused. "Told you so. Even if Draven¡¯s name hadn¡¯t gotten out, you would still be the center of attention this morning."


    "That¡¯s ridiculous," I muttered, trying to busy myself with my tea.


    "It¡¯s not," Ria said, stirring her tea. "You have always been pretty, Eva. Butst term..." She trailed off, exchanging a look with Mallory. "You were too thin, too pale. Too buried in your shell. You looked like you were carrying the world¡¯s weight on your shoulders."


    I froze, her words pulling at memories I didn¡¯t of my first term here. She wasn¡¯t wrong. The Eva from first term and the Eva now looked world¡¯s apart. The first term was all about me trying to find a ce here at Silver Moon and carve a future for myself and my son... and then there was the stress of my newly-found bonds with my mates.


    "But look at you now," Ria continued warmly. "You have filled out. Your skin looks healthier, your hair¡¯s shining, your eyes are brighter... and your aura..." She tilted her head slightly. "It¡¯s stronger. People notice things like that, even if they don¡¯t understand why."


    I blinked, unsure what to say.


    Selene gave me a teasing smile. "Trantion - you are impossible to ignore now."


    Before I coulde up with a response, Rowan and Kyros appeared beside the table, bncing trays stacked with tes, bowls, and mugs. The smell of fresh toast, butter, and fruit filled the air.


    "Breakfast is served," Rowan announced, setting the trays down with exaggerated care. "And before you ask, yes, Kyros made sure to grab your favorite jam."


    "Thank you," I said, smiling up at them.


    As they took their seats, Kyros nced around, scanning the room. "Strange," he murmured. "I didn¡¯t see any of them here."

 Chapter 422: The First Day of Classes

    <h4>Chapter 422: The First Day of sses</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The table quieted a little at Kyros¡¯ words.


    Though he didn¡¯t clearly state who he was talking about, we all knew he meant the brothers.


    I found all the six pair of eyes fixed one me. Though none of them asked the question outright, it was clear they were curious. The Thorne brothers were a regr presence in the dining hall, at least one of them would be around while our group had our meals during first term - especially Oscar and Draven.


    I had to bite back my smile. "I got a message earlier, just before we left the dorm," I said casually, reaching for the butter knife. "It said the three of them are busy taking care of L."


    That earned a round of chuckles from everyone at the table. The use of the letter ¡¯L¡¯ - our little code name - was enough to make the group grin knowingly.


    Mallory leaned closer, whispering, "I would pay to see that. Three grown men trying to take care of L? That¡¯s entertainment."


    "Four, technically," Selene corrected in a whispered tone, raising an eyebrow. "You are forgetting the eldest... and the hottest."


    "Oh, even better," Mallory said,ughing. "They should learn early about how to do these things."


    Her words made my chest warm. Because she was right - they had decided to take care of Lioren on their own today. It would have been so easy and convenient to let Madam Elira and Vanessa take care of Lioren, but Draven insisted they handle it themselves, saying, "He¡¯s our son too."


    My heart had nearly melted.


    I had stayed at the housest night, even though technically, I wasn¡¯t supposed to. But after dinner, Draven and I had slipped through the secret tunnels and spent the night at the house with Lioren and the other three Thornes.


    I had also made sure to pump enough bottles of milk tost through the day before sneaking back into the dorm at five in the morning.


    And now, imagining my mates - four proud, strong men - taking turns feeding, burping, and rocking our son to sleep made me want tough and cry at the same time.


    Mallory must have seen the look on my face because she smiled softly. "You miss them already, don¡¯t you?"


    I nodded, a shy smile tugging at my lips. "Every second."


    "Aw," Noah said dramatically, clutching his chest. "And here I thought I was the most important man in your life."


    "Not even close," I teased.


    The table burst intoughter again, and for a few blissful moments, I forgot about the staring, the whispers, and the weight of the morning.


    Right then, I felt something shift inside me - a calm warmth that wrapped around my chest. It was the bond. My bond with Draven pulsing faintly, reminding me that even though he wasn¡¯t here physically, he was there, somewhere close, and he could feel me too.


    I closed my eyes for a second, smiling to myself.


    * * *


    The first ss of the day passed smoother than Ihad dared to hope.


    I had been nervous walking in, despite all theughter and warmth at breakfast. The familiar walls of the ssroom seemed to close in as soon as I stepped through the door, every memory from before my leave rushing back at once.


    But as soon as Professor Aldric looked up from his notes and saw me, his eyes lit up. "Miss Evaline," he said warmly, straightening. "What a pleasant surprise. I was told you wouldn¡¯t be returning until next month."


    "I wanted to start as soon as possible," I said with a polite smile.


    "Good," he replied, a proud smile tugging at his lips. "I can see that determination hasn¡¯t changed." Then, to the rest of the ss, he added, "Everyone, please wee our ss President back. She¡¯s been keeping up with the lessons even while on leave... truly a model example of dedication."


    The words sent a murmur through the room. I could feel the eyes turning to me again - the same mix of curiosity, envy, and judgment I had felt all morning. But I also caught the tiny smiles from Mallory, Selene, and Kyros sitting two rows behind me, and even a thumbs-up from Noah, which helped ease the tension building in my chest.


    Professor Aldric continued the lecture, but the warmth in his tone whenever he addressed me didn¡¯t go unnoticed by others. Every time he asked a question, and I answered correctly, I could almost feel the irritation radiating from the far corner of the room... where Nadine and her group sat.


    When the ss ended, Professor Aldric called me to the front. "Miss Evaline, I mustmend you," he said as he handed me a stack of parchment. "These are the new assignments for the term. But judging by your grasp of thest few lessons, I suspect you¡¯ll finish them faster than most."


    "Thank you, Professor."


    As I turned back to my seat, I caught Nadine¡¯s re, it was sharp enough to cut through steel. Her friends whispered something under their breath before smirking. I ignored them and headed out with my friends, who instantly surrounded me like a protective circle.


    "Did you see their faces?" Noah whispered, eyes twinkling. "I thought Nadine was going to choke on her own bitterness when the professor praised you."


    "Let her," Selene said, flipping her hair. "The more she res, the more you shine."


    Iughed softly but didn¡¯tment. Deep down, I wasn¡¯t bothered. Just... tired. The kind of tired that came from knowing people would always talk, no matter what I did.


    The next two sses passed quickly.


    But the lunch wasn¡¯t any easier.


    The moment we stepped into the hall, the atmosphere changed... like the air had grown thicker. This time, the stares weren¡¯t just directed at me. They bounced between my table and the one near the center of the room.


    Because he was there.


    Draven.


    Even in a crowded room full of voices, his presence stood out like gravity itself. Dressed in his Academy uniform, he looked effortlesslymanding. He didn¡¯t need them to draw attention. He never did.


    <fna0ee> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find(?)ovel</fna0ee>


    And the worst part? He wasn¡¯t even trying to hide his stare.


    From the moment I sat down, his gaze found me. Not casually. Not by ident. It was deliberate - calm, steady, and so intense that it made my pulse skip every few seconds. He didn¡¯t speak, didn¡¯t gesture, didn¡¯t move from his seat... but that look said everything he couldn¡¯t say aloud here.


    <i>I see you.</i>


    <i>You are mine.</i>


    <i>And I don¡¯t care who knows it.</i>


    I could practically feel the whispers spreading again like ripples across water.


    "Okay, this is getting ridiculous," Noah muttered beside me, following Draven¡¯s gaze. "Is he trying to get you in trouble, or does he just enjoy the chaos?"


    "Both," Mallory said with a small grin. "He¡¯s a Thorne, after all."


    I nearly choked on my drink, trying to stifle augh. "Can you all please eat and pretend nothing is happening?"


    "Impossible," Ria murmured, smirking. "The man¡¯s practically devouring you with his eyes. You can¡¯t expect us not to notice."


    Heat rushed to my cheeks, but I forced myself to focus on my te. I was grateful, though, that Draven didn¡¯t stand up ore over. That would have caused mayhem. The gossip was bad enough already.


    Still, when our eyes met briefly across the hall, something inside me fluttered. A small, knowing smile tugged at his lips... the kind of smile that said he knew exactly what he was doing to me. And then, like a merciful twist of fate, one of his friends called his name, and his attention shifted.


    I exhaled quietly, finally taking a bite of my food.


    Lunch finally ended, and soon it was time for the next ss - Herbs and Potions.


    The ssroom smelled faintly of dried herbs and crushed petals, sunlight filtering through the ss windows to cast golden patterns across the tables. My friends and I took our usual seats near the center.


    The bell rang, echoing through the room, and right on cue, the door opened.


    And Kieran Thorne walked in.


    Even though I knew it wasing, my breath caught for a second.


    He looked every bit the part of a professor - his white silk shirt perfectly pressed, his long blonde hair tied back neatly, and a pair of spectacles perched low on his nose. His expression was calm,posed... but I caught the faintest flicker of a smile in his eyes when they met mine.


    "Good afternoon, ss," he said, his voice smooth and steady as he set his notes on the desk. "Let¡¯s begin."

 Chapter 423: Unfair Attention

    <h4>Chapter 423: Unfair Attention</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Kieran began the lesson in his usual calm andposed manner, his voicemanding yet oddly soothing as it carried through the room.


    "Today," he began, cing a small vial of clear liquid on the desk in front of him, "we¡¯ll be working on something slightly more advanced than your usual tonics and restoratives. The <i>Invisibility Potion</i>."


    A collective murmur of excitement and unease ran through the ss. The potion was notoriously tricky to brew - one wrong measurement and the results could range from mild rashes to, well... temporary transparency of selective body parts. I had once heard someone turned their nose invisible for three days.


    Kieran¡¯s lips quirked as if he could read the nervous energy in the room. "Yes, I know what you are thinking. But no, you will not vanishpletely... at least not today. The goal is to achieve partial transparency at the final stage. The rest," he paused meaningfully, "wille with control."


    He began exining the ingredients - Frost Petals for concealment, Dewroot extract for bnce, and a rare herb called Silent Veil that stabilized the potion¡¯s effect. The way he spoke, every word was precise and deliberate, and though I had sat through his lectures before, this one... felt different.


    Perhaps because I wasn¡¯t just seeing Professor Kieran Thorne, the enigmatic head of Herbs and Potions. I was seeing my mate - the same man who had spent nights teaching me how to identify herbs by scent, whose gentle hands had helped me heal the bruises I had earned in training.


    And now, here he was, looking so calm, so distant... yet his eyes, when they met mine, said everything his words couldn¡¯t.


    "Miss Evaline," his voice snapped me back to reality, "would you please assist me in preparing the sample demonstration?"


    I froze for a heartbeat, then nodded quickly. "Of course, Professor."


    The title felt awkward on my tongue, but I managed to keep my expression neutral as I walked to the front of the ss. I could feel every eye in the room following me... especially those belonging to Nadine and her friends.


    Kieran gestured toward the table. "Please add three drops of Silent Veil essence to the mixture."


    I did as told, carefully holding the small ss dropper. The faint floral scent filled the air, blending with the sharp aroma of crushed Frost Petals. Kieran stood beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from his body, his sleeve brushing lightly against my arm.


    "Excellent," he murmured softly. "Now stir... gently, counterclockwise."


    I obeyed, and the liquid shimmered faintly, turning from silver to pale blue. The faintest hint of pride flickered in his eyes before he turned back to address the rest of the ss.


    "Observe. Even a minor imbnce can cause the potion to lose its invisibility property. Miss Evaline¡¯s control here is...mendable."


    That single word -mendable - was enough to make half the ss look at me again, some impressed, some clearly annoyed.


    And then there was Nadine.


    Her eyes practically zed as she twirled her pen between her fingers. She was beautiful - soft hair, wless skin, and confidence that filled the room whenever she walked. She was also, unfortunately, utterly obsessed with Kieran. She had made it her life¡¯s mission to get his attention, both in and out of ss.


    "Professor," Nadine said suddenly, her tone overly sweet, "I think my potion¡¯s reacting strangely. Could you check it, please?"


    Kieran didn¡¯t even look up from his notes. "Try adding half a leaf of Frost Petal, Miss Dane. You have used too much dewroot."


    Nadine blinked, clearly caught off guard that he hadn¡¯t even looked at her. "Oh, I see... thank you, Professor," she muttered, her smile faltering.


    I noticed my friends trying to stifle theirughter. But Nadine wasn¡¯t one to give up easily.


    A few minutester, she tried again. "Professor Thorne, I think my potion is... turning green?"


    Kieran¡¯s voice was calm. "That means you have burned it. Start over."


    The faintest chuckle escaped Noah, earning a re from Nadine.


    I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.


    Kieran, on the other hand, remained unbothered, his focus drifting... subtly, almost imperceptibly... back to me. His gaze was steady but not intrusive, lingering just long enough to make my pulse race. Every now and then, when I looked up, I would catch him studying the way I stirred the potion, his expression unreadable.


    It wasn¡¯t favoritism, not really. He still walked around the ssroom, checked others¡¯ progress, corrected mistakes, but I could feel that quiet awareness between us, like a thread pulling at both ends.


    "Perfect," he said softly as he passed behind me, his voice low enough for only me to hear. "Your blend¡¯s stabilized. You have improved sincest term."


    I didn¡¯t need to turn around to know he was smiling faintly. "Thank you, Professor," I said, keeping my voice steady.


    From the corner of my eye, I could see Nadine¡¯s head snap toward us.


    The rest of the ss went by in a blur of whispered ingredients, bubbling cauldrons, and envious stares.


    Forty minutester, Kieran pped his hands softly, signaling the end of the session. "Time," he announced, surveying the rows of vials and mixtures. "Let¡¯s see what we have achieved."


    He moved through the room, observing each student¡¯s potion. When he reached my table again, he stopped, tilting his head thoughtfully.


    "Well done," he said, his tone carrying quiet approval. "The transparency effect is near-perfect. You have managed to retain stability for longer than I expected."


    "Thank you," I said again, my cheeks warming under his gaze.


    His eyes softened. "Keep this up, Miss Evaline. You are proving yourself more capable than most in this Academy."


    <fn9227> Latest content published on FindN0vel</fn9227>


    The moment he turned to address the ss again, I could practically feel the daggers Nadine was ring into my back. If looks could kill, I would be dust by now.


    When the bell finally rang, students began cleaning up, chattering excitedly about their results - or, in Nadine¡¯s case, about how "unfairly" some people got all the attention.


    I packed up my things quickly, pretending not to hear.


    But as I was about to leave, Kieran¡¯s voice called from the front of the room. "Miss Evaline, could you stay back for a moment?"


    The chatter instantly died down for a heartbeat before bursting into fresh whispers. I didn¡¯t even need to look around to know that Nadine¡¯s eyes were probably twitching.


    "Of course," I said quietly.


    When the others left, Kieran leaned back against his desk, watching me with a faint, knowing smile.


    "You handled yourself well," he said. "Not just the potion, but everything else."


    I blinked. "Everything else?"


    "The stares. The whispers." His tone softened. "You didn¡¯t let them get to you."


    I exhaled slowly, meeting his gaze. "I¡¯m trying not to. But... it¡¯s harder than it looks."


    His lips curved slightly. "I know." Then, his voice dropped lower... gentle but certain. "Still, you did beautifully."


    For a brief moment, the ssroom felt too small, too quiet. Hispliment, simple as it was, carried weight - warm and grounding.


    "Thank you," I said softly, and he nodded once before turning back to the desk, slipping effortlessly into his professor¡¯sposure again.


    "Go on now," he said with a small smile. "You have another ss to attend."


    As I left the room, I caught a glimpse of Nadine waiting just outside, pretending to adjust her bag while clearly trying to eavesdrop. I almostughed.


    She¡¯d probably spend the rest of the week wondering what Kieran and I had talked about.


    If only she knew the truth - how the man she spent her nights dreaming about was the same one who, hours ago, had held me in his arms as if I were his entire world.


    And somehow, that secret... our secret... made walking through those whispering halls a little easier.

 Chapter 424: The Forgotten Pen Drive

    <h4>Chapter 424: The Forgotten Pen Drive</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The morning sun poured in through the window, soft and golden, as I stood at my dresser, folding a few extra clothes to take back to the Academy.


    The room smelled faintly ofvender from the sachet I kept in the corner, and the faint hum of life from downstairs - my mates talking, the tter of dishes, and Lioren¡¯s soft giggles - made the space feel warm and alive.


    It was hard to believe an entire week had passed so quickly. Between sses, assignments, and my nightly secret visits to the house, time had simply slipped through my fingers. And now, it was Saturday again - a day I got to spend with my son and the men I now called home.


    I had woken up early and left Academy with Draven the moment gates opened at seven in the morning. My friends wereing over for lunch, and Selene, Noah, and Ria were finally going to meet Lioren for the first time.


    A smile tugged at my lips as I thought about the way Lio had giggled earlier when Draven had lifted him high up in the air while Kieran scolded that he shouldn¡¯t make the boy dizzy. River had been there too, leaning against the doorway, his expression soft and content before he had left for his meeting. He had promised to return by noon. He always kept his promises.


    Downstairs, I could already hear Oscar¡¯s loud voice and Draven¡¯sughter as they helped rearrange the living room to make space for everyone. Kieran was probably in the kitchen with Madam Elira, taking care of the big lunch menu they hade up with to treat my friends.


    <fn5aca> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find?novel</fn5aca>


    Everything felt so... normal. So blissfully, beautifully normal.


    I finished folding thest of my clothes and zipped the small bag shut. My gaze wandered around the room to check if I needed to pack anything else.


    I sighed, stretching my arms above my head, when something shiny on my study table caught my attention.


    For a moment, I just stared at it, blinking in surprise before realization hit me.


    The pen drive.


    My mind went back to that day weeks ago when Kieran had handed it to me after I finally won the battle against him and River.


    The n was to go through the case files during that weekend with Rowan, but then everything changed because of the rogue attack. Students were prohibited from stepping out of the Academy even during weekends.


    After that, I became too upied with my training sessions with Kieran and River, as well as catching up on my studies as I needed to return to the Academy. And let¡¯s not forget Draven keeping me way too upied the rest of the time throughout the week... and even after that.


    Then I returned to the Academy and got buried in sses.


    Among all that, I barely had time to catch my breath, let alone think about investigating the soul death cases.


    Until now.


    I picked up the pen drive and rolled it between my fingers. For something so small, it carried too much weight.


    My curiosity sparked to life again - the same curiosity that had first made fight to get these files.


    Maybe I could just take a quick look - nothing too deep, just skim through the files before everyone arrived.


    I sat down, plugged in myptop, and opened the screen. My fingers brushed the cool surface of the pen drive as I positioned it near the USB port-


    A hand reached out from behind me, and before I could even react, the pen drive was gone.


    I froze and my heart skipped a beat. The hand withdrew as silently as it had appeared. I turned sharply in my chair, my gazending on the man standing behind me.


    He was wearing a simple light blue shirt, the sleeves rolled to his elbows, his hair perfectly pulled back in a manbun. His presence filled the room, quiet yetmanding, and his expression... though calm... held that familiar warning glint I knew too well.


    For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. The only sound was the faint buzz of myptop fan and the muffled chatter from downstairs.


    I blinked, trying to find my voice. "Kieran," I finally managed, standing up slowly. "What are you-"


    He slipped the pen drive into his shirt pocket. "Not now," he said quietly, his tone low but firm.


    I frowned. "What do you mean ¡¯not now¡¯? I was just going to-"


    "I know what you were going to do." His gaze softened slightly as he looked at me. "And I also know what it will lead to."


    I crossed my arms. "You gave it to me, remember? I thought you finally agreed to me doing my little investigation."


    "I did," he admitted, stepping closer. The air between us shifted, his familiar scent enveloping me. "But not now."


    My brows drew together. "Why not?"


    He stared right into my eyes, unflinching. "Because this isn¡¯t the right time, Evaline."


    The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning I couldn¡¯t quite grasp.


    He sighed softly and ran a hand through his hair. "You just returned to the Academy, and theing weeks are going to be filled with projects, assignments, tests, and quizzes. Your focus is already divided between your sses, training, our son, your mates... and the uing exams. Thest thing you need right now is this." He tapped his pocket lightly.


    My lips parted in protest, but something in his tone made me hesitate.


    "Kieran-"


    He met my gaze again, and this time there was something else there. Not just concern. It was protectiveness, fierce and unyielding, the kind I had seen in him before... but this time, it felt heavier, almost burdened.


    "I¡¯ll tell you when it¡¯s time," he said finally, his voice quieter now. "I promise to hand it over to you the moment your final exam will be over."


    I really wanted to argue, but I knew that he was right. This was the worst time for me to get distracted by the investigation thing. But at the same time, I felt this unsettling feeling deep within me that made me feel like there was something in those files that I needed to see before it would be toote.

 Chapter 425: A Wasted Session

    <h4>Chapter 425: A Wasted Session</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    The air smelled of rain even though the sky was clear. Dusk lingered softly, painting the backyard in the kind of fading gold that made everything look half-dream, half-truth.


    I ran my thumb along the edge of the wooden staff I carried, watching her stretch near the training circle.


    Eva.


    Light fabric clung to her frame in a way that didn¡¯t help my focus at all. She tied her hair back, a few strands slipping loose to brush against her neck. I had seen her train before, but tonight was different. River was gone, and the responsibility was mine.


    And curse my brother for knowing exactly what that would do to me.


    "Don¡¯t go easy on her," River had said before leaving. "Make her earn it."


    Yeah. As if I could ever go easy on her.


    She turned, meeting my gaze with those amber eyes that could knock the breath out of any man, and smiled faintly. "You arete," she said, crossing her arms.


    "I was deciding whether to bring a staff or a leash," I replied, stepping closer. "You have been known to misbehave during training."


    "Maybe because my trainers enjoy provoking me."


    The corner of my mouth lifted. "Then maybe you should stop rising to the bait."


    Her eyes narrowed, and I knew I had already won. That stubborn spark in her gaze - it was the reason I loved pushing her. She brought out every part of me that thrived on challenge.


    We began with the basics - stances, footwork, controlled breathing. I gave her a light staff to work with, but even that looked heavy in her small hands. Still, she didn¡¯tin once. Her movements were steady, focused, sharp.


    "You have improved," I admitted after a while. "Your stance is stronger."


    "Thank you," she said, slightly breathless, strands of hair clinging to her temple.


    "Don¡¯t thank me yet."


    Before she could react, I swung the staff toward her. She blocked it, barely. The sound of wood striking wood echoed through the open yard.


    Her brows knitted. "You said warm-up-"


    "Training doesn¡¯t wait for you to be ready," I said, circling her slowly. "Neither do enemies."


    <fn22b9> This content belongs to f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn22b9>


    Her pulse quickened... I could hear it. She came at me, faster this time, the swing of her arm clean and precise. But I deflected, stepping into her guard before she could retreat. The staffs locked between us, her breath hitching as I leaned in just a little too close.


    Her scent hit me first - soft, warm, faintly sweet. It made the rational part of me falter for half a heartbeat.


    "Good," I murmured. "But your left shoulder drops when you swing."


    "Maybe because someone keeps distracting me," she retorted in a low voice.


    I chuckled, the sounding rougher than intended. "You¡¯ll have to learn to focus even when you are distracted."


    She shoved me back and tried again, her expression fierce, determined. Each sh of the staffs echoed louder than thest, and soon the air between us was thick with energy - heat, tension, something else neither of us should be focusing on right now.


    I caught her weapon mid-strike, twisted, and before she could blink, she was trapped between my arm and chest, her back against me. The staff ttered to the ground.


    "Lesson one," I whispered near her ear, my breath brushing her skin. "Never lose your weapon."


    She turned her head slightly, our faces so close the world seemed to narrow to just that space between us. "Lesson two," she breathed. "Don¡¯t underestimate your opponent."


    Before I could ask what she meant, she stomped on my foot. I cursed, loosening my hold just enough for her to slip out of my arms and whirl around with a triumphant smirk.


    Iughed, it was low and genuine. "You learn fast."


    "I had good teachers."


    By now, the sun had dipped behind the trees and the first stars were beginning to blink into the twilight. She reached for her staff again, but I stopped her with a hand on her wrist.


    "That¡¯s enough for today," I said quietly.


    "Are you sure?" she asked, tilting her head. "It has been barely an hour. Don¡¯t you want another round?"


    The way she said it - soft, teasing - made my pulse stumble. I wasn¡¯t sure if she knew what she did to me when she looked at me like that.


    "Careful, little mate," I warned, my voice low. "You are treading dangerous ground."


    She didn¡¯t move away. "Maybe I like danger."


    Something in me snapped at that. The next thing I knew, I had pulled her closer, our bodies inches apart. Her breath came fast, matching mine. The tension that had built all evening reached its breaking point.


    "You shouldn¡¯t say things like that," I murmured, my thumb brushing her jaw.


    "Why not?"


    "Because I might take you seriously."


    Silence hung for a beat - charged, waiting. Then she whispered, "Maybe I want you to."


    I didn¡¯t think. I just moved. My hand slid to the back of her neck, and I kissed her.


    It wasn¡¯t gentle... nothing about what existed between us ever was... but it wasn¡¯t rough either. It was everything I had been holding for the past hour. She met me halfway, her fingers curling into my shirt, her body fitting against mine like it had always belonged there.


    The world around us faded - the rustle of trees, the soft hum of the wind, the stars quietly multiplying above. There was only the sound of our breathing and the wild, beautiful chaos in my chest.


    When I finally pulled back, she looked up at me, lips parted, cheeks flushed.


    I ran my thumb over her lower lip, trying to memorize the sight. "You have been driving me insane," I confessed softly. "Every time I look at you, every time I¡¯m close to you, I forget everything but you."


    Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Maybe that¡¯s not such a bad thing."


    I smiled, brushing my nose against hers. "No," I said. "It¡¯s the best kind of distraction."


    The stars grew brighter as the night deepened, and we stood there - breathless, tangled in the quiet aftermath of something neither of us could quite name yet. But I knew one thing for certain - I was going to get an earful from River for wasting the session.

 Chapter 426: The Attention She Didn’t Want

    <h4>Chapter 426: The Attention She Didn¡¯t Want</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong><fn3ec8> ?????? ???? fin?novel</fn3ec8>


    The weekend vanished like smoke between my fingers. One blink, and I was back at the Academy again, wrapped in the endless rhythm of sses, lectures, and hurried notes scribbled before the bell rang.


    It was strange... how time flew so quickly when I was with my mates and Lioren, yet stretched unbearably long the moment I was away from them.


    By Monday morning, I was already missing home... missing them. But life didn¡¯t pause for anyone, least of all a student trying to survive midterm chaos. Two tests were already lined up, and several professors were in apetitive mood to see who could assign the most assignments.


    At least I had my friends. Between Mallory¡¯s jokes, Kyros¡¯s silent snacks shared during lectures, and Noah¡¯s dramatic sighs every time he forgot an answer, I somehow managed to survive the first day of the week.


    But while the Academy¡¯s pace had returned to normal, everything else hadn¡¯t.


    The whispers, the stares, the way people slowed down as I passed through the corridor... it was all still there. Maybe not as heavy as it was a week ago, but there. Familiar now. I had almost learned to tune them out, like background noise.


    Most of them stared because of the rumors... about me and Draven. Others stared for reasons I couldn¡¯t even begin to guess. But as long as they didn¡¯t stop me, I didn¡¯t care. I had learned long ago that staring didn¡¯t hurt. Words did.


    Unfortunately, this week came with a new vor of trouble... people had stopped just staring.


    They had started approaching.


    And that... was something I wasn¡¯t prepared for.


    It started Monday during lunch.


    I stood in line, waiting for my favorite pastry - a soft cream puff with melted chocte topping - only to see thest one vanish from the counter before I could reach it.


    The culprit was a tall senior from the final year. He looked like he had just stepped out of a fitness magazine, his hair tied loosely behind his head, uniform sleeves rolled up to show strong forearms.


    I must have made a disappointed face because the next thing I knew, he turned toward me and his eyes went wide when, and if, he recognized me.


    "Here," he said simply, cing the pastry into my tray before I could protest.


    "I-wait, no, that¡¯s yours," I tried to say, half panicked, but he only shook his head, amused.


    "You looked like you needed it more than I did."


    And with that, he walked away, leaving me and my friends frozen in confusion.


    By the time I sat down, Mallory had already started grinning like a cat that just found cream.


    "Oh no," I groaned, lowering my head. "Don¡¯t you start."


    "Toote," she sang, sipping her drink. "Eva, my sweet, innocent friend... was that your first fan gesture or have I missed others?"


    "Mallory," I warned.


    Kyros looked up from his food, a ghost of a smile tugging his lips. "I think it¡¯s safe to say you are... popr now."


    I sighed. "It was just a pastry."


    "Exactly," Mallory replied. "Just a pastry... from a hot senior who could have eaten it himself. I smell devotion."


    I rolled my eyes, but deep down, I knew this was only the beginning.


    Tuesday evening proved me right.


    The library was nearly-empty when I sat down to work on my Runes assignment. I had chosen the quietest corner to study, but apparently, peace was no longer something I was destined for.


    A shadow fell over my table, and I looked up to find a second-year student standing there, with books in hand and an awkward smile on his face.


    "Uh, hi," he said. "Would you mind if I sit here?"


    I blinked. "Here?"


    He nodded, cheeks pink. "Yeah. All the other tables are kinda full."


    I nced around. There were at least three empty tables nearby. But saying that would have been too cruel, so I just nodded politely.


    "Sure."


    He smiled, sitting down across from me. To his credit, he didn¡¯t talk much... just gave me a small smile before focusing on his books. Still, I could feel the weight of his gaze every now and then.


    By the time I returned to my dorm that night, I was sure of one thing... this week was going to be long.


    Wednesday morning brought deja vu.


    The same senior from Monday appeared at the dessert counter, with the same soft smile on his face. Without a word, he ced a pastry in my tray... again.


    "Good morning," he said, his voice smooth. "Hope you have a wonderful day, Evaline."


    He knew my name.


    I froze. "Thank you, but you don¡¯t-"


    He was already walking away.


    The moment I turned around, Mallory¡¯s eyebrows were raised so high they practically disappeared into her hairline.


    "Oh, this is officially a thing," she announced, pping her hand against the table. "You have a pastry admirer. I repeat - a pastry admirer."


    Kyros and Rowan didn¡¯t even try to hide their smirks.


    Noah leaned in with mock seriousness. "What¡¯s next? He starts bringing flowers?"


    "Or serenades her under her window?" Mallory suggested, wiggling her eyebrows.


    "Guys," I muttered. "Please."


    And yet, that wasn¡¯t even the highlight of the day.


    That afternoon, while walking to ss, a group of third-year girls stopped me. Their smiles were polite... too polite.


    "Evaline, right?" one of them said. "We just wanted to ask... your hair looks amazing. What do you use?"


    I blinked. "Uh... water?"


    Theyughed softly, though I could tell they were serious. "And your skin... it¡¯s glowing. Do you follow any special diet?"


    I stood there awkwardly, clutching my books. "I... drink water?"


    They scribbled that down like it was a divine revtion. By the time they left, I was half convinced I had stumbled into some alternate reality.


    Thursday arrived, and for once, the day seemed normal. sses went smoothly, and there were no strange encounters.


    By dinner, I finally rxed.


    Until he appeared.


    A senior I probably had never seen before. He walked straight up to my table, with his tray still in hand. I noticed his friends whispering and watching from the other side of the hall.


    "Evaline?" he said loudly enough for the nearby tables to hear.


    I looked up slowly. "Yes?"


    He smiled - a confident, easy grin that screamed trouble. "Can I get your number?"


    Every sound in the hall vanished. My friends froze mid-bite.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. My mouth opened, closed, opened again.


    And then I felt it.


    Three sharp gazes.


    My heart nearly stopped as I followed the pull of my bond... and sure enough, across the hall sat Draven, while Oscar and Kieran were present at the staff table.


    Draven¡¯s fork hovered midair, his eyes locked on the senior. Kieran looked calm, but his jaw was tight enough to crack. Oscar was the only one smirking... but it wasn¡¯t amusement I saw in that smirk. It was warning.


    The senior followed the line of my gaze and noticed the brothers too. His confident smile faltered. "Uh-"


    "Eva," Draven¡¯s voice cut through the now deadly silent dining hall, deep and low, even though he hadn¡¯t moved from his seat. "You forgot something."


    My pulse jumped. "W-what?"


    He raised his cup slightly, that infuriatingly cool expression never slipping. "Your drink. You asked me to get it for you."


    Which was a lie, obviously. But it was enough.


    The senior mumbled something unintelligible and hurried off toward his friends.


    I sat frozen, my face burning. On the other hand, my friends seemed either too stunned or too entertained to speak.


    Mallory leaned close, whispering in my ear, "You realize you have just turned the Academy¡¯s dining hall into a soap opera, right?"


    I groaned, dropping my head onto the table. "I didn¡¯t do anything."


    "Exactly," Noah said,ughing softly. "That¡¯s the problem. You just exist... and chaos follows."


    Maybe he was right. Maybe chaos and I had an unbreakable bond of our own.


    Because as I risked a nce across the hall, Draven¡¯s dark gaze caught mine... and the faintest smirk curved his lips before he turned back to his food.


    And I knew, with a sinking feeling, that this week was far from over.

 Chapter 427: Two Storms Colliding

    <h4>Chapter 427: Two Storms Colliding</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    As usual, the air in the underground passage was cool and smelled faintly of damp stone. My boots echoed softly against the steps as I descended, one hand skimming the wall to steady myself. I barely reached thest step when a sudden force pulled me sideways... too fast for me to react.


    Before I could gasp, my back hit the cold wall, the shock of it knocking the air out of my lungs. And then came... his mouth.


    Draven.


    His lips crashed against mine with a hunger so fierce it stole the rest of my breath. The kiss wasn¡¯t gentle, wasn¡¯t careful - it was pure possession. My fingers instinctively gripped his shoulders, trembling under the intensity of him. I didn¡¯t push him away, but my mind spun wildly, trying to catch up.


    <i>What is he doing? Why-</i>


    He growled softly, low in his chest, the sound vibrating through my bones. It wasn¡¯t anger. It was something darker. Wilder. And it was aimed entirely at me.


    When he finally pulled back, I gasped for air, my eyes wide and dazed... only to freezepletely when I saw who else stood in the tunnel.


    Oscar.


    And Kieran.


    Both of them were a few feet away, half cloaked by the shadows, watching.


    My heart thudded wildly. "Draven-" I started, but before the rest of my words could escape, his hand wrapped around the back of my neck, pulling me into another searing kiss.


    This one was rougher... more desperate... and I barely kept myself upright. My knees went weak, my body reacting to his touch in ways I just couldn¡¯t get used to no matter how much time had passed. When he finally tore his lips away, his mark throbbed against my skin, heated, alive.


    And then it got worse.


    I felt movement beside us and Oscar¡¯s presence slid closer.


    I turned my head slightly, meaning to say something - anything - but the words died the moment his lips brushed against my neck... right where Draven¡¯s mark glowed faintly beneath my skin.


    The moment Oscar¡¯s mouth touched it, my mind went nk.


    It was like fire and electricity all at once, the connection thrumming through my veins. My breath hitched as an involuntary sound left my throat, half gasp, half plea. The bond reacted instantly, sparks of energy spreading through me like wildfire.


    Draven didn¡¯t stop him. Instead, he watched.


    His eyes darkened with a feral kind of satisfaction as he let Oscar¡¯s lips linger on that mark... <i>his mark</i>.


    My hands fisted in Draven¡¯s shirt, my entire body trembling from the overload of sensations. It was maddening, too much. The heat coiled in my stomach, my pulse racing faster than it ever had.


    "O-Oscar," I managed in a trembling voice. "Stop-"


    <fn6305> The source of th?s content is Find1Novel</fn6305>


    He only chuckled against my skin, his breath fanning over the spot, making me shiver violently.


    "Can¡¯t," he murmured. "You smell too good when you are like this."


    I wanted to protest, to push them away... but the bond twisted everything. Pleasure and frustration tangled so tightly inside me, I couldn¡¯t tell one from the other. My thoughts scattered like dust in the wind.


    I turned my head toward the only one who hadn¡¯t joined in - Kieran. He was standing several feet away, with his arms folded and his expression unreadable.


    Our eyes met.


    He didn¡¯t move. Didn¡¯t say a word.


    "Kieran," I whispered, silently pleading for him to stop his brothers, to help me. But he stayed as he was, his gaze calm, almost indifferent.


    Draven¡¯s smirk widened, and he caught my chin, forcing my dazed eyes to meet his. "You shouldn¡¯t look at him like that, sweetheart," he said, his voice low, roughened by jealousy. "He might think you are asking for him next."


    Before I could respond, he kissed me again.


    And I was lost all over again.


    Draven¡¯s kiss deepened until my entire body was pressed flush against his. Every inch of me buzzed, alive with the shared pulse of our bond. His hands roamed, firm and possessive, while Oscar¡¯s lips kept tracingzy, heated paths along the side of my throat.


    They were overwhelming - two storms colliding into me.


    I couldn¡¯t think. I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    And yet, even through the haze, I could feel something else beneath their passion - something raw and wild. Not anger. Not cruelty. But jealousy. iming. A primal reminder of what I was to them.


    When they finally pulled away, I sagged against the wall, my chest heaving, my legs barely supporting me. The air felt heavy, filled with our mingled scents and unspoken emotions.


    "What... what are you doing?" I finally managed to whisper, my voice shaking more than I wanted it to.


    Draven tilted his head, his dark hair falling over his eyes as he smirked. "You mean you don¡¯t know?"


    He pulled me against him, his one hand lifting to brush my jaw. I inhaled deeply at the contact, but he didn¡¯t stop.


    "Have you already forgotten the little show at dinner?" he asked softly.


    The senior.


    The memory shed in my mind of the senior who had walked up to me in the dining hall about an hour ago, asking for my number in front of everyone.


    Oh no.


    "Don¡¯t tell me this is about that?" I asked, disbeliefcing my voice.


    Draven¡¯s smirk only grew.


    Oscar leaned against the wall beside me, his arms crossed, while his grin wicked and unrepentant. "Of course it is," he said casually. "You should have seen your face when that guy tried to flirt with you. Adorable, really."


    I blinked at them, speechless. "So you are saying - what? You are punishing me for something I didn¡¯t even do?"


    Draven¡¯s chuckle was deep and low. "Punishment?" He leaned in again, lips grazing the corner of my mouth. "No, sweetheart. This wasn¡¯t punishment."


    He kissed the edge of my jaw, his voice dropping to a whisper. "We were just reminding ourselves..."


    His lips brushed the shell of my ear, the words curling hotly against my skin.


    "...that you are ours."


    I stared at him, dumbfounded. "You are ridiculous."


    He only smirked. "Maybe. But you love us anyway."


    Before I could argue, his mouth was on mine again - slow this time, deliberate, but no less consuming. My heart pounded wildly against my ribs, and I knew resisting him was useless. He kissed me until my mind blurred again, until all I could feel was him - his taste, his warmth, his bond wrapping around mine like fire.


    By the time he pulled away, my legs were trembling.


    That was when Kieran finally moved.


    The moment his brothers stepped back, the strength in my knees gave outpletely. But before I could hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught me - steady, solid, familiar.


    Kieran.


    He lifted me effortlessly, his expression still unreadable. He didn¡¯t say a word as he cradled me against his chest, and for some reason, the silence was louder than anything else.


    My head fell against him, my body too drained to resist. His scent wrapped around me, grounding me.


    Behind us, Draven and Oscar followed silently, their yful energy now simmering into something gentler, almost remorseful.


    None of them spoke as Kieran carried me through the tunnel, his steps slow and sure.


    I should have been angry. I should have scolded them, yelled, something.


    But as the night air touched my skin and the familiar hum of the bond pulsed softly between us, all I could do was sigh.


    Because no matter how much they drove me insane...


    They were mine.


    And I was theirs.


    Always.

 Chapter 428: Zoning Out in Alpha’s Class

    <h4>Chapter 428: Zoning Out in Alpha¡¯s ss</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time the sun rose on Friday, it felt like the entire Academy had somehow found a new reason to whisper again - and, of course, I was that reason.


    Draven¡¯s little disy in the dining hall the night before - the one where he made it kind of clear that I was off-limits - had two very different consequences.


    First, it worked.


    No one approached me anymore. Not a single overly confident senior, not a group of curious second years, and definitely not that pastry-offering senior who had made it a habit of showing up during meal times. The air around me was now clear of awkward approaches, nervous stammers, and random smiles.


    It was... peaceful.


    I could finally breathe without someone calling my name or tripping over their words to talk to me.


    <fn1467> Official source is Find?Novel</fn1467>


    But of course, nothing good ever came without a price in this ce.


    Because the <i>second</i> thing Draven¡¯s stunt aplished was turning Sylvia Grand - Nadine¡¯s best friend and Draven¡¯s number one admirer - into an even bigger nightmare than before.


    She had always been cranky where I was concerned, her bitterness sharpened sincest Sunday when I came back to the Academy... with Draven.


    That alone had made her re daggers at me every time we crossed paths, but now? After his public interference at dinner? She looked ready to murder me.


    I had spotted her twice already this morning, both times with her arms folded across her chest, whispering furiously with Nadine. Their eyes kept darting toward me as if I were some kind of forbidden secret they couldn¡¯t stop poking at.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t even care anymore.


    If ring and whispering behind my back made them feel better, so be it.


    At least no one was asking for my number.


    So yes, maybe I had been furious with Draven the previous night for ambushing me in the tunnel - along with his brothers - and driving me half-insane with frustration and heat... but now? I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to stay mad.


    He had made my life easier, even if his method was ridiculously possessive.


    Though, I couldn¡¯t say the same about the curious gazes still following me everywhere I went.


    The stares hadn¡¯t stopped. If anything, they had gotten worse.


    Students were whispering more than ever, their interest reignited after the dining hall incident. Apparently, having a Thorne brother rescue me from an innocent conversation had elevated me back to being the Academy¡¯s favorite gossip topic.


    Blessing and curse, that¡¯s what Draven¡¯s meddling did.


    At least at homest night, things hadn¡¯t spiraled further.


    When Kieran, Oscar, and Draven had taken me back to the house after that whole... tunnel incident, I had honestly thought I was done for. But to my surprise, the moment we had crossed the threshold, they had acted like nothing had happened.


    They hadn¡¯t even mentioned it.


    No smugments. No teasing. Not even a knowing look.


    With River away for the night because of work, the other three just went about their night as if making me nearly copse under theirbined jealousy in a secret tunnel was nothing more than my dream.


    By morning, they were all normal again.


    Breakfast had been filled with casual chatter. No one brought up what had happened underground.


    It was as if I had imagined the whole thing.


    Which... I didn¡¯t know how to feel about.


    Relieved? Maybe.


    Annoyed? Definitely.


    I sighed, tapping my pen against my notebook as my thoughts circled endlessly.


    I didn¡¯t even realize I had been zoning out until a sharp knock jolted me.


    My eyes flew up... and I froze when I saw Kieran standing right next to my desk.


    He wasn¡¯t smiling. He never did when he was teaching. But right now, his eyes were especially sharp.


    "Miss Evaline," he said, his voice cutting through the quiet room like a de. "Would you like to share your thoughts with the ss, or are they more interesting than my lesson?"


    My heart dropped.


    Every head turned toward me.


    Nadine snickered, and a few others joined her, trying (and failing) to hide theirughter behind their hands.


    I blinked rapidly, trying to piece together what I had missed. "I-I¡¯m sorry," I stammered. "I was just-"


    "Zoning out," he finished for me. His tone didn¡¯t rise, but there was a distinct edge of authority in it that made my stomach twist.


    I nodded quickly, my cheeks burning. "It won¡¯t happen again, Professor."


    "See that it doesn¡¯t."


    And just when I thought that was the end of it, he added calmly, "Find me in my office after yourst ss of the day."


    The room went dead silent.


    Even Nadine¡¯sughter stopped.


    I blinked at him, stunned. "Sir-"


    He turned back toward the board before I could even finish. "That will be all," he said, resuming his lecture like nothing had happened.


    I sank into my seat, wishing the ground would swallow me whole.


    Mallory, sitting to my right, leaned over and whispered, "What was that about?"


    I shook my head, still mortified. "I don¡¯t know."


    Next to her, Kyros raised an eyebrow. "You must have done something to annoy him."


    "I didn¡¯t!" I whispered fiercely, though even I didn¡¯t sound convinced.


    The rest of the ss passed painfully slowly, every tick of the clock echoing like a countdown to my doom.


    By the time the final bell rang for thest ss and everyone began packing up, I could feel my nerves eating away at me. I gathered my things in a daze, ignoring the curious looks from my ssmates.


    Ria gave my shoulder a quick squeeze before leaving. "Good luck," she whispered, half teasing, half sympathetic.


    Thanks, I thought bitterly. I¡¯ll need it.


    - - -


    I stood outside his door, taking a deep breath to steady myself before knocking.


    "Come in," came his calm, unmistakable voice.


    I pushed the door open and stepped inside.


    The room was neat, as always. Kieran sat behind his desk, ncing up as I entered. His expression was unreadable.


    "Close the door, Evaline."


    I did.


    Then I stood there awkwardly, clutching the hem of my uniform zer like a shield. "I-I wanted to apologize for earlier," I said quickly. "I really didn¡¯t mean to-"


    He held up a hand, silencing me.


    "I¡¯m not nning to lecture you," he said simply. "At least, not right now."


    I blinked, confused. "...You are not?"


    He shook his head, standing up and walking around the desk until he was right in front of me. He stopped close enough that I could feel the faint hum of our bond between us - a quiet, steady heartbeat that made my chest tighten.


    "No," he said. "You areing with me."


    I frowned. "Coming with you? Where?"


    His lips quirked slightly, the faintest trace of amusement flickering through his otherwise calm face.


    "You¡¯ll see."


    And before I could ask another question, he picked up his suit coat, gestured toward the door, and said, "Let¡¯s go."


    I blinked,pletely thrown off. "Wait-what about my apology? The ss-"


    "Forget it."


    "Kieran-"


    He turned just enough for our eyes to meet, his gaze softening in that subtle, unreadable way that only he could manage. "Just follow me, love."


    I stared at him, my confusion melting into reluctant curiosity.


    Somewhere deep down, I knew arguing wouldn¡¯t work. Not with him.


    So I sighed, and nodded my head.


    And with that, he pushed the door open, holding it for me.


    Whatever this was, I had a feeling my evening was about to get a lot more interesting than I had nned.

 Chapter 429: The Drive To Unknown

    <h4>Chapter 429: The Drive To Unknown</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had expected Kieran to take me somewhere within the Academy grounds. Maybe one of the quiet gardens behind the administration wing or that ss-roofed room at the top of the library tower where professors sometimes took advanced students for individual mentoring.


    But instead... he led me somewhere else entirely.


    He didn¡¯t say a word as we walked through the empty corridors of the administration building. His long strides were measured, calm, the sound of his boots faintly echoing through the stone hallways. The air felt colder here, stiller... like even the walls knew we weren¡¯t supposed to be here.


    I followed him silently, my heart pounding faster with each turn we took until we reached what looked like a dead end.


    And then... Kieran pressed his palm against the huge portrait before sliding it to the side and revealing a narrow passage hidden behind it. I immediately knew we were about to enter one of the secret passages that were built throughout the academy - unknown to everyone but Thornes... and me now.


    I blinked, speechless. "There¡¯s a secret passage built behind a painting? Isn¡¯t it too dangerous?"


    He nced at me and his lips curved slightly. "Trust me, love, no one has tried to y around with this painting to see if it¡¯s hiding any secret in the past six years."


    That smile. It was enough to make my pulse stumble.


    Without another word, he stepped into the shadowed passage, and I followed. The air inside was cool and smelled faintly of moss. Our footsteps echoed softly, apanied by the faint hum of old magic pulsing through the walls.


    We would have walked for about ten or so minutes before we finally reached the end. The moment we stepped out of the trapdoor next to massive gargoyle statue, I realized we were in the forbidden garden near the back gate of the Academy.


    I wondered if he was taking me back to the house.


    But as we stepped out of the back gate, I noticed the sleek ck car waiting there.


    And I recognized it immediately.


    It was one of Kieran¡¯s. Rarely used, but impossible to forget because of its smooth lines, tinted ss, and that subtle gleam that screamed expensive and refined, just like him.


    He opened the passenger door for me. "Get in."


    My brows rose, and I ended up asking something that was quiet obvious at this point. "We are... leaving the Academy?"


    "You¡¯ll see."


    That wasn¡¯t an answer. But I got in anyway.


    The interior smelled faintly of sandalwood and something distinctly his - clean, crisp, and warm. He slid into the driver¡¯s seat, started the engine, and the quiet hum filled the silence between us as we drove off the dirt path and onto the narrow road cutting through the outskirts of the Academy forest.


    For the first five minutes, neither of us spoke.


    The silence wasn¡¯t exactly ufortable, but it wasn¡¯t peaceful either. It was the kind of silence that made my thoughts too loud. My mind was chasing one question after another, each more chaotic than thest.


    Where was he taking me? Why the secrecy? Was it about my training? Aboutst night in the tunnel? Or was this some kind of strange professor-student errand that I had somehow been chosen for?


    I finally gave in. "Are you going to tell me where we are going, or am I supposed to keep guessing?"


    His lips twitched, though he kept his eyes on the road. "You are impatient."


    I huffed quietly. "Anyone would be curious if they were being led out of the Academy by their professor through a hidden passage and into a car they haven¡¯t seen him use in months."


    That earned me a low chuckle - deep and quiet, but enough to make warmth pool in my chest.


    "What¡¯s funny?" I asked.


    He spared me a nce, and I immediately caught sight of the amusement glimmering in his golden-green eyes. "I finally understand why Oscar and Draven love teasing you so much."


    That caught me off guard. "Excuse me?"


    His smile deepened, though he tried to hide it by looking forward again. "You are cute when you are lost about something."


    I stared at him,pletely dumbfounded. "That¡¯s your reason?"


    "Hmm." He nodded once, still focused on the road. "That expression you make - the way your brows knit together, and your lips part just slightly when you are trying to figure something out - it¡¯s... very distracting."


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that.


    So, I sighed and sank back into my seat, trying not to let my face burn as I looked out the window. The world outside was blurring past - a stretch of tall trees and faint mist curling along the edges of the road.


    After a while, I found myself speaking again, softer this time. "Why were you so harsh earlier? In ss."


    He tilted his head slightly, his gaze flicking to me before returning to the road. "Did you expect me to be lenient just because you are... you?"


    "No," I muttered. "I just meant... you have never used such a... cold tone before. At least, not in ss."


    His tone gentled. "You have never zoned out in my ss before either."


    I bit my lip. "Well, it¡¯s not like I usually have memories of walking through a secret underground tunnel and getting ambushed by my mates."


    That earned me another small smile. "Fair point."


    The silence returned, but this time it was lighter, softer. I turned my head to study him as he drove. His side profile was calm, his jaw sharp, his hair slightly tousled from the wind that slipped through the half-open window.


    Without realizing it, I asked the question that had been haunting me sincest night.


    "What were you really thinking... in the tunnel?"


    He didn¡¯t answer right away. His fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel, his gaze hardening in thought.


    "You seemed different," I continued quietly. "Compared to Oscar and Draven. They were... bold. But you... you just stood there. Watching. Like you were holding something back."


    Finally, he spoke.


    "I was."


    The low rasp of his voice sent a shiver down my spine.


    "I¡¯m no different from them, Evaline," he said after a pause. "The moment I saw you step into that tunnel, I wanted to push you against the wall and im you right then and there. Just as badly as they did."


    My breath caught.


    "But..." He exhaled deeply. "I held myself back. Because I can. Because if I gave in, I might not stop. So, I held onto my self-control."


    The honesty in his tone made my stomach flutter.


    I swallowed, ncing at him again. "So you are saying you wanted to join them?"


    His lips curved faintly. "Badly."


    I didn¡¯t realize I had stopped breathing until I forced out a shakyugh, only to hear him adding - "Maybe I should be like Oscar."


    "Oscar?" I asked, confused by what he meant.


    Kieran¡¯s eyes flickered with amusement again. "He has control too. He just enjoys joining in on Draven¡¯s chaos."


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at that. The image of those two together - one wicked, one wild - was far too fitting.


    But then, my smile faded as I looked around. The road ahead was almost deserted now, stretching endlessly between rows of dark pines.


    I turned back to him. "Can you at least tell me how long this mysterious drive will take?"


    "Roughly half an hour," he replied casually.


    "And you are still not going to tell me where we are going?"


    "Not yet."


    I groaned quietly and slumped in my seat again. My mind was running wild with guesses... and then, out of nowhere, an insane idea crossed my mind.


    I nced at him. His left hand rested easily on the steering wheel, his right on the gear. He looked effortlesslyposed... tooposed.


    "Can you drive with one hand?" I asked suddenly.


    He blinked, clearly thrown off by the question. "What?"


    "Just your right hand," I rified. "Can you drive like that?"


    He gave me a puzzled look but nodded. "Yes. Why?"


    "Just wondering."


    Except I wasn¡¯t just wondering.


    My heart was pounding too fast. My thoughts weren¡¯t making sense anymore.


    Maybe it was his voice. Or the way his jaw tightened whenever he focused. Or maybe it was that faint smirk still tugging at his lips from earlier.


    Whatever it was, I knew I was about to do something reckless.


    Before my courage could evaporate, I unbuckled my seatbelt and shifted slightly closer to him.


    "Evaline," he said warningly, ncing at me. "What are you-"


    I reached out, gently taking his left hand off the steering wheel.


    He froze, his eyes darting from me to the road. "What are you doing?"


    I didn¡¯t answer right away. My hand hovered over his thigh, the heat of his body seeping through the fabric of his trousers.


    Then, softly, I whispered, "I¡¯m going to check just how good your self-control really is."


    His breath hitched.


    For a moment, the only sound in the car was the hum of the engine and the faint thud of my own heartbeat echoing in my ears.


    His fingers tightened on the wheel, his jaw clenching hard enough to make a vein pulse along his neck. His voice was low... almost a growl.


    "Evaline..."


    I smiled faintly, though my own pulse was going wild. "You said you had more control than your brothers. Let¡¯s see if that¡¯s true."


    His eyes flicked toward me - dark, dangerous, and burning with a heat that made me tremble.


    He didn¡¯t move. Didn¡¯t speak.


    But the tension between us was electric... thick enough to feel in every breath.


    And as the car glided down the deserted road beneath the deepening twilight, I realized something terrifying and thrilling all at once...


    Kieran might have self-control.


    <fne114> The rightful source is find?novel</fne114>


    But I was more than ready to test its limits.

 Chapter 430: Testing Her Professor (I)

    <h4>Chapter 430: Testing Her Professor (I)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I had faced a thousand battles in my life - some with rogues, some with words, and many within my own mind.


    But nothing, nothing, had ever left me as disarmed as the moment her palm settled on my thigh.


    The air inside the car shifted instantly - thick, charged, trembling. The low hum of the engine filled the silence, and yet I could hear her every breath, every hesitant heartbeat.


    <fn2b55> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? F¦Énd£Îovel</fn2b55>


    My fingers tightened on the steering wheel. One wrong move and I would veer off the road, not because I had lost focus on the world, but because she had be the only world I could see.


    "Evaline," I managed, my voice barely a whisper. I wasn¡¯t even sure if I wanted to warn her or beg her to continue with the sick idea she hade up with out of the blue.


    She didn¡¯t answer... she didn¡¯t need to. The warmth of her hand slid just a little higher, slow, deliberate, as though testing both her courage and mine.


    My body reacted before my mind could catch up. Heat rushed through my veins, hard and fierce, centering in a ce that had already been fighting for control since the moment she had looked at me with that wide-eyed mischief.


    By the Ancients, my self-control was crumbling.


    She leaned slightly closer, her hair brushing against my arm, her soft scent filling the confined space. Thebination of her nearness, her daring, her innocence... it was maddening.


    This wasn¡¯t the Evaline who blushed when I caught her staring during ss.


    This was a different version of her - one born of curiosity, confidence, and the fire that only came out when she forgot to fear her own desires.


    "Do you even know what you are doing?" I asked, though the words came out rougher than intended.


    She gave me a tiny, knowing smile, the kind that could make packs burn. "Maybe," she whispered. "Maybe I¡¯m just testing your control, Professor."


    My jaw clenched. "You shouldn¡¯t tease me while I¡¯m driving."


    "Then stop," she murmured.


    And the way she said it - soft, daring, like a challenge - made my pulse hammer against my ribs.


    Stop? I couldn¡¯t even breathe properly.


    The rational part of me - the professor, the mate, the man who swore never to let his instincts rule him - was screaming to pull over, to put distance between us before I lost every ounce of reason.


    But my wolf was louder.


    <i>Don¡¯t stop her,</i> he growled from the depths of my mind. <i>She¡¯s ours. Let her see what she does to us.</i>


    Her hand moved again, slow, testing, and I nearly groaned. The air left my lungs in a sharp exhale. I gripped the steering wheel tighter with one hand while the other instinctively moved to still her wrist, but she caught my gaze first. Her eyes were shimmering with something between innocence and determination. That look alone could have broken empires.


    "Kieran," she breathed, my name sounding like a plea and a promise at once.


    Every part of me wanted to resist, to keep the control that had defined me all my life. But the sight of her - lips parted, cheeks flushed, the faintest tremor in her fingers - shattered all the walls I had built. I loosened my grip on her wrist, letting her move as she pleased, even though I knew I would regret it the moment this ended.


    She shifted closer. The warmth of her breath reached my skin, and my whole body tensed. My knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. My throat felt dry. The car, the road, the world outside... it all disappeared.


    There was only her.


    The one sanr thing I did beforepletely losing my brain was to put the car on auto-drive mode... right as her fingers started unbuttoned my pants.


    I looked away from her face and tried to focus on the road ahead, but it was a wrong decision... because without my attention distracted by her beautiful face, now I was super aware of her fingers pulling my zipper down and then slipping inside my boxers to pull out my already hard and throbbing length.


    I groaned out loud at the touch, my wolf howling. We both werepletely at her mercy as she traced her fingers up and down my length, as if trying to memorize every little detail.


    One look at her focused face and I had to take in a deep breath to calm myself down. Just the way she looked at me, the way she held me... was enough to make mee right there and then.


    Through the cloud of pleasure and madness, I heard her whispering - "You are... really big."


    I failed to hold back the little smile that immediately formed on my lips, and my wolf was feeling just as proud. After all, which man wouldn¡¯t love hearing their mate admire their size.


    I was no different.


    She was slow... extremely, painfully slow. I realized it was more about her having the time of her life in torturing me instead of her giving me what now I desperately needed. My balls were begging for release... but my dear mate was busy chewing on her lower lip while her fingers yed around my election.


    Before I could stop myself, I reached out to grab her nape and made her look up at me. Her hand stilled on my length as her startled gaze met mine.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Her voice was shaky, small, breathless. Her innocent eyes stared into my wild ones, daring me to stop her from ying.


    "Nothing," I replied, "Just felt you are being way too slow."


    She tilted her head a little. "Am I?"


    Stars! How came I never realized she¡¯s not lethal when she¡¯s being bold... instead, she¡¯s most lethal when she¡¯s like this - innc, sweet, and dangerous.


    I shook my head, slowly lowering my hand. But while I admitted defeat, she didn¡¯t. She inched her face closer closer until our noses were almost brushing against each other¡¯s.


    "Am I still too slow, Professor?" She asked innocently while I felt her fingers wrapping around my length and giving it a light squeeze.

 Chapter 431: Testing Her Professor (II)

    <h4>Chapter 431: Testing Her Professor (II)</h4>


    <strong>Warnin</strong>g:<strong> Mature content in the Chapter</strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I closed my eyes for a second and tried to suppress the groan that was threatening to slip past my lips. But she wasn¡¯t satisfied with my reaction, because the very next moment, I felt her moving her hand up and down on my length... and this time, there was no stopping the sound that left my mouth.


    One corner of her lips curved, but before I could have spoken, she was already moving.


    I stopped breathing as she positioned her mouth right above the crown of my length, her warm breath grazing the sensitive organ and sending a sudden spark flying through my lower body.


    The first touch of her lips against me - light, tentative - made my vision blur for a second.


    A strangled sound escaped me, something between a growl and a groan. My hand shot out, catching the edge of the seat just to ground myself.


    I could tell that she was hesitant, uncertain under that boldness of her actions... but stars, every move she made was lethal. Not in precision or skill, but in intent. It wasn¡¯t about perfection... it was about her. Her warmth, her breath, her determination to drive me insane.


    "Evaline," I said again, this time hoarse, broken. I should have told her to stop. But instead, I found myself whispering, "You¡¯ll make me lose control."


    And she only looked up at me, her lips curved in a soft, knowing smile, before continuing her slow, maddening rhythm.


    Every nerve in my body screamed her name. Every heartbeat was a drum of restraint, of surrender, of raw need fighting with logic. My mind was chaos - a storm of hunger and disbelief.


    I had dreamed of her before... countless times. I had imagined her touch, her warmth, her soft sounds... but the reality was far crueler.


    She wasn¡¯t supposed to look this beautiful doing something so bold.


    She wasn¡¯t supposed to sound this soft while driving me out of my mind.


    When she suddenly took more than half my length in her mouth and gagged, my right hand - still holding the wheel - slipped, making the car swerve slightly to the right before I steadied it.


    My breathing was shallow, rough, uneven. I had fought wars. I had dealer with thousands of students who thought they were the most intelligent beings walking on the. I had mastered control over mind and body. But nothing had prepared me for this... for <i>her</i>.


    My wolf was pacing inside me now, restless and feral. <i>Touch her</i>, he demanded. <i>im her.</i>


    But I didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t. Thest shred of my sanity held me back from taking what wasn¡¯t freely offered beyond this moment.


    Still, she continued, and the pleasure built like wildfire, licking at every edge of control I had left. The sounds she made as she moved up and down my length, the soft hum of her breath... it was enough to make my muscles lock, to make the air around us thrum.


    When her hand slid up to rest on my abdomen for bnce, her touch burned through my shirt like fire. My vision clouded again. I cursed under my breath, the sound swallowed by the low growl that escaped me.


    I felt like I was on the edge of breaking apart - torn between wanting to stop her and losing myselfpletely.


    And just when I thought I had reached my limit, she stilled.


    The world froze.


    I turned my head slightly, forcing my eyes open to look at her. Her lips were flushed, her eyes gleaming with something pure and dangerous at the same time. There was a trace of pride there too... an unspoken question - <i>Did I do a great job, Professor?</i>


    I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to steady. "You are ying with fire, Evaline."


    She tilted her head. "And if I am?"


    I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through my hair. "Then you¡¯ll burn both of us."


    The silence that followed was deafening. The car kept rolling, the engine humming softly as I regained control of my breathing. My heart hadn¡¯t slowed. My mind hadn¡¯t cleared. And my body... well, that was a lost cause.


    After a moment, I said quietly, "Put your seatbelt back on, sweetheart."


    The endearment slipped out before I could stop it. She blinked, looking down at my still hard and throbbing election. "But you are still-"


    "Don¡¯t worry," I added quickly, "We will finish what you have startedter."


    She blinked, clearly not expecting what I just said. I thought she would resist - either to my suggestion of stopping or the one where I just promised to continue this yter on somewhere much safer than this car, but then she did as I said, fastening the belt with trembling fingers. Her cheeks were red, her lips parted, but she didn¡¯t look away from me.


    Neither of us spoke after that.


    <fn9ea5> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn9ea5>


    The tension was thick enough to suffocate the air between us, but beneath it, there was something deeper - something wordless, raw, electric.


    I quickly fixed my clothes and returned my full attention to driving, ignoring my wolf who was hurling sweet-nothings at me.


    When we finally reached the cliffside road overlooking the dark stretch of forest, I parked the car and turned off the engine. The silence of thete afternoon pressed around us. She looked out the window, pretending to focus on the scenery, but I could see her reflection - her lips, her flushed cheeks, the faint tremor of her hand resting on herp.


    I leaned back in my seat, dragging a slow breath in. "I told you I had more self-control than my brothers," I murmured, my voice low and rough, "but if you keep doing things like that... I might just prove myself wrong."


    Her eyes flickered toward me, a smile ghosting her lips. "Maybe that¡¯s what I wanted."


    Iughed softly - broken, disbelieving. "You are dangerous, Evaline."


    "And you like that," she whispered.


    I didn¡¯t deny it. Because it was true.


    The danger, the heat, the way she made me forget everything I believed about control... it was intoxicating.

 Chapter 432: Healer Ren’s Clinic

    <h4>Chapter 432: Healer Ren¡¯s Clinic</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The drive that was supposed tost only thirty minutes had stretched into forty-eight, and I had no one to me but myself.


    My cheeks were still warm, my lips tingled, and every time I nced at Kieran¡¯s side profile - calm, stoic, pretending nothing happened - my stomach twisted in a mix of regret and something dangerously close to longing.


    I leaned my head against the cool ss window, closing my eyes briefly.


    <i>What were you thinking, Eva?</i>


    When I first leaned close to him earlier, it was meant to be teasing. Harmless. Just to get a reaction from him - the quiet,posed Kieran who rarely let his emotions slip. I wanted to see him flustered for once, maybe break that endless calm he wore like armor.


    But then... the moment I saw the look in his eyes - the heat he tried to contain, the tension in his throat as he swallowed hard - it had done something to me.


    Something reckless.


    Something I didn¡¯t quite recognize in myself.


    And before I knew it, I was lost in the moment. Lost in the scent of him. The sound of his shallow breath. The way his knuckles had turned white on the steering wheel.


    It was only when he told me to ¡¯<i>put my seatbelt on¡¯ </i>that I felt everything snap back into ce. Like cold water sshed over fire. Reality returned sharply and the weight of what I had been doing hit me all at once.


    And I hated how empty I felt afterward.


    I turned slightly, sneaking a nce at him again. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead, his jaw clenched, the vein near his temple faintly visible. He hadn¡¯t said a word since then. Neither had I.


    The silence that followed wasn¡¯t awkward. It was heavier than that... filled with unsaid thoughts, tangled emotions, and lingering heat neither of us dared to acknowledge.


    When the car finally slowed to a stop, I blinked, realizing I had been lost in my own thoughts for far too long.


    My eyes shifted toward the window, and I frowned.


    We weren¡¯t anywhere near the Thorne estate or any of the towns near Academy. Instead, a narrow dirt path stretched ahead, leading up toward the foot of a mountain nketed in tall pine trees and mist. The air outside looked fresh - unpolluted, untouched.


    The signboard to the left read: "Healer Ren¡¯s Clinic - Mercy¡¯s Peak."


    <i>Mercy¡¯s Peak.</i>


    I had heard of this mountain before - it was one of those secluded ces where few ventured unless they had a purpose.


    Kieran was already stepping out of the car before I could even ask. He rounded to my side, opened the door, and waited silently.


    "Where are we?" I asked, sliding out of the seat and stretching my legs. My voice came out quieter than I intended.


    His lips curved faintly - one of those half-smiles that never quite reached his eyes. "At the foot of Mercy¡¯s Peak," he said. "Healer Ren¡¯s clinic."


    I tried not to roll my eyes. "I already knew that much by reading the sign board. But who¡¯s this Healer Ren?"


    His smile deepened. "He¡¯s the head healer who used to serve my father back in the days, and then River. He retired two years ago. His eldest son - Cale Ren - took over the head healer position after him."


    That name pulled a thread in my memory. I repeated the name slowly, trying to recall where I had heard it before. "Cale Ren..."


    Kieran looked at me, slightly impressed. "You remember him."


    "I think I have seen him around River before," I said, recalling the quiet, soft-spoken man who always carried scent of herbs on him and had a habit of bowing too deeply every time one of the brothers passed.


    "Yes," Kieran said, slipping his hands into his pockets as his eyes swept across the quiet surroundings. "Cale manages all of our pack¡¯s and the Academy health affairs now. His father lives here, treating those who can¡¯t afford the healers or hospitals in the big towns or cities."


    I nodded slowly, still not understanding what we were doing here. "So... why bring me?"


    He didn¡¯t answer immediately. His gaze drifted toward the small wooden house ahead, its roof half-covered with vines, its entrance guarded by two oldnterns. Smoke rosezily from the chimney, carrying the faint scent of burning sage.


    Then he looked back at me, eyes soft yet unreadable. "You¡¯ll see," he said.


    Before I could question him further, the door of the clinic creaked open, and an elderly man stepped out. His hair waspletely silver, but his eyes - sharp and alive - lit up the moment theynded on Kieran.


    "Ah!" he eximed, voice rich with warmth. "If it isn¡¯t my dearest Alpha Kieran!"


    Kieran¡¯s expression softened with respect. "Elder Ren," he greeted, stepping forward and giving a slight bow that made the old healer chuckle.


    "You haven¡¯t changed a bit," the old man said, patting Kieran¡¯s shoulder before turning his attention to me. His curious gaze softened almost instantly, as if he could sense something beneath my skin. "And who is this youngdy? Don¡¯t tell me..." He looked between the two of us, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Your mate?"


    I smiled and bowed politely.


    Kieran¡¯s quiet chuckle filled the air. "No doubt you have already heard about her from Cale. This is Evaline... my and my brothers¡¯ mate."


    "Evaline," Elder Ren repeated, nodding as if tasting the name. "A beautiful name and an even more beautifuldy. It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, my luna."


    The moment he bowed deeply to me in pure respect, I felt taken aback. I could do nothing but just nod.


    Straightening up, he motioned us toward the clinic. "Come in,e in. It¡¯s not often I get visitors from your side of the mountain. Tea first, then you can tell me why you havee."


    Inside, the clinic was warm and simple - herbs hanging from the ceiling, shelves lined with jars of pills and vials of elixirs, and a faint hum of energy in the air. It smelled of earth and life, the kind of ce that felt alive even in silence.


    I followed Kieran quietly, trying to make sense of why we were here.


    When we finally sat, Elder Ren poured tea for us and took a seat across. "Now then, Alpha," he said, his eyes sharp once more. "What brings you here? Surely not for my old bones to heal you?"


    Kieran smiled faintly and shook his head. "No, Elder. I brought her." He tilted his head toward me. "Evaline has... an ability. One that resembles healing, but isn¡¯t quite the same. She¡¯s been learning to control it, but theory can only take her so far."


    Elder Ren¡¯s eyes gleamed with sudden interest. "Ah, I see. You want her to practice."


    Kieran nodded. "And I thought of you, since this ce..." - his gaze flicked toward the window where a few vigers were waiting under the shade, some holding children, others with bandaged limbs - "...is far from prying eyes. These people don¡¯t question miracles, and they don¡¯t talk."


    I looked between the two of them, realization slowly dawning on me.


    <i>He brought me here to learn.</i>


    <i>To test my power.</i>


    <i>To use it... really use it... on real people.</i>


    Kieran turned to me then, and for a brief moment, the hard lines of his face softened. "You are ready for this," he said quietly. "You have done everything I asked of you these past weeks. Now it¡¯s time to see what your power can truly do."


    I swallowed hard, unsure how to respond. Part of me felt proud - he trusted me enough to bring me here, to let me help others. But another part of me trembled under the weight of expectation. What if I failed? What if my powers hurt someone instead of healing them?


    He must have sensed my hesitation, because his hand reached out to hold mine, grounding me.


    "You can do this," he said, voice low enough for only me to hear. "And I¡¯ll be right here."


    His words made me trust him... and me.


    Maybe it was the quiet confidence in his tone. Or maybe it was just him - his presence, steady and calm, like a promise that I wouldn¡¯t fall.


    Elder Ren¡¯s voice broke the silence. "Well then," he said, standing with a smile. "Let¡¯s not waste time. I have a few patients waiting in my backyard. Let¡¯s see what our young luna can do."


    As Kieran stood, I followed, trying to calm my heartbeat. The back door creaked open, letting in the crisp mountain air.


    In the backyard, a small line of people waited patiently, each one carrying pain in some form.


    I exhaled slowly, stealing onest nce at Kieran.


    His eyes met mine - steady, grounding. "Trust yourself," he said softly. "You are more capable than you realize."


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    I nodded and turned my attention to Healer Ren who was waiting for me patiently.


    "Are you ready, my luna?" He asked.


    I nodded slowly. "Yes, I am."

 Chapter 433: Doubting Her Power

    <h4>Chapter 433: Doubting Her Power</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The mountain air was crisp, the scent of pine mingling faintly with herbs as Elder Ren led me toward the handful of vigers who stood waiting - men and women dressed in simple clothes, their faces weathered but kind. Some were holding small baskets as offerings, others had children beside them.


    "This youngdy," Elder Ren said, his tone full of pride as he motioned toward me, "is my apprentice for the day."


    Apprentice? My heart jumped in my chest.


    He winked at me before turning to the crowd. "She¡¯s a young healer, trying to learn the ways of healing, so I¡¯ll ask for your patience. She¡¯s got a kind heart, and that¡¯s the most important thing for a healer."


    The vigers murmured among themselves, curious eyes turning toward me. I forced a small smile, trying to ignore the heat crawling up my neck.


    <i>Apprentice for the day</i>, I repeated silently, pretending that the title didn¡¯t make my stomach twist with nerves.


    Elder Ren beckoned to a small boy sitting on a stool nearby, his right leg stretched out before him. The boy looked no more than eight or nine. He had curly brown hair and big, tear-reddened eyes. A thin line of dried blood marked his shin where a shallow cut marred his skin.


    "This is Yao," Elder Ren said softly. "He fell while ying by the river this morning. It¡¯s a small wound, nothing dangerous, but perfect for your first try."


    My palms grew mmy. I knelt beside the boy, my knees brushing the dirt, and gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "Hi, Yao."


    He blinked at me, then nodded shyly. "Does it hurt much?" I asked gently.


    "Not anymore," he whispered, though the way he flinched told another story.


    "Good," I said softly, inhaling deeply. I could do this. It was just a cut. I had healed Rowan and Kieran before - both of their wounds had been much worse. This should be easy.


    I ced my hands carefully over the small gash and closed my eyes.


    I called upon my power - the quiet hum I had felt before, the warmth that usually stirred beneath my skin like sunlight ready to burst forth.


    But this time... nothing.


    The air remained still.


    No warmth, no flicker of energy, nothing.


    I tried again, pressing my palms a little closer to the boy¡¯s leg. <i>Please... please, heal him</i>.


    Still, my power didn¡¯t respond. It was like shouting into an empty void.


    A bead of sweat rolled down my temple. The boy shifted uneasily beneath my touch. The vigers, once quiet, began whispering to each other.


    "Why isn¡¯t it working?" someone murmured.


    "Maybe she¡¯s too new," another said.


    "Poor thing," came a softer voice. "She looks frightened."


    I clenched my jaw, trying to block them out. <i>Focus, Eva. You can do this.</i>


    But the more I tried, the more desperate I became... and the more my power slipped away from me, distant and unyielding.


    When I finally opened my eyes, the cut on the boy¡¯s leg remained exactly the same.


    Yao stared at it nkly, then looked up at me with confusion written all over his small face. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked, his voice trembling a little.


    My chest squeezed painfully. "No, sweetheart, you didn¡¯t. It¡¯s me. I..."


    Before I could say anything more, a gentle hand rested on my shoulder.


    "Enough, child," Elder Ren said softly. "Step back."


    Shame burned hot in my throat as I obeyed. He knelt down where I had been, his gnarled hands hovering above Yao¡¯s wound. A faint, green glow enveloped his palms, and within seconds, the gash closed seamlessly, leaving behind only clean skin.


    Gasps of relief and admiration spread among the vigers.


    "Thank you, Elder Ren!" Yao¡¯s mother said, bowing deeply as the boy smiled in awe.


    Elder Ren nodded kindly before turning to me. His expression wasn¡¯t disappointed, only thoughtful. "Do you know why you failed, child?"


    I shook my head, my voice barely a whisper. "Because I¡¯m not strong enough?"


    He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "No, no. You failed because you doubted yourself."


    I blinked, confused.


    "You wished to heal the boy, yes," he continued, "but at the same time, you feared your power - feared it wouldn¡¯t work, feared hurting him. Doubt is the poison that blocks a healer¡¯s flow. Your heart wanted to heal, but your mind refused to trust your gift. That¡¯s why your power didn¡¯t answer you."


    I looked down at my trembling hands, his words echoing painfully true. I had wanted to help, but deep down, I had been afraid. Afraid of failing. Afraid of being wrong again.


    Elder Ren gave my shoulder a light pat. "Come," he said kindly. "Let¡¯s go back for a moment."


    He led me toward the tall tree near the back fence where Kieran stood. His back was pressed against the bark, arms crossed, watching everything quietly. His eyes - deep, steady, and unreadable - met mine the moment I looked up.


    I expected him to look disappointed. But he didn¡¯t. He looked... worried.


    Before I could speak, he pushed away from the tree and walked toward me. Without hesitation, his hand found mine, fingers curling gently but firmly around it. The contact was grounding - warm, protective, anchoring me when everything inside felt unstable.


    My breath hitched.


    "Hey," he murmured, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "You did fine."


    I shook my head. "I couldn¡¯t even heal a small cut."


    "Doesn¡¯t matter," he said. "You are here to learn."


    His calm certainty made something ache deep inside me.


    Elder Ren cleared his throat softly. "You said earlier," he began, ncing at Kieran, "that she healed you once before, yes?"


    Kieran nodded. "She did. I... had a cut on my hand. She healed itpletely in less than a minute."


    "Hmm," Elder Ren hummed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Then I understand what needs to be done."


    He motioned for the vigers to wait. "Just a moment, everyone. I¡¯ll be right back."


    Curious and uneasy, I followed as he guided us back into the clinic. The vigers outside began to talk quietly among themselves again, while inside, the air felt heavier, quieter.


    <fnace4> Fresh chapters posted on find?novel</fnace4>


    Elder Ren moved toward the kitchen counter and picked something up - something I couldn¡¯t quite see from where I stood. Still, a faint metallic glint caught the light.

 Chapter 434: It’s About Believing

    <h4>Chapter 434: It¡¯s About Believing</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Alpha," Elder Ren said softly, ncing at him.


    Kieran gave a small, wordless nod, as if he already understood.


    Before I could ask what was happening, Elder Ren turned... and in one swift motion, he drew a small dagger and sliced it across Kieran¡¯s palm.


    The sound of steel meeting skin made my heart stop.


    "Kieran!" I gasped, rushing forward as blood welled up from his palm, dark and thick.


    He didn¡¯t flinch. Didn¡¯t even make a sound. He just stood there, eyes locked on mine, calm even as crimson dripped down his hand.


    Panic surged through me. "What are you doing?!"


    I grabbed his injured hand, my breath shaking, and instinctively pressed both my palms over the wound. The moment I did, the familiar warmth exploded beneath my skin - pure, powerful, unstoppable.


    Light shimmered between my fingers, and within seconds, the wound sealedpletely. The blood vanished, leaving behind smooth, unbroken skin.


    I stared, breathing hard.


    Then realization hit me. I turned on Elder Ren, anger ring hot in my chest. "You hurt him!" I snapped, stepping protectively in front of Kieran. "You-"


    "Think," Elder Ren interrupted calmly, raising a wrinkled hand. "What were you thinking when you tried to heal the boy? And what were you thinking just now?"


    I froze, his words slicing through my anger like a de through silk.


    "When you healed the boy," he continued gently, "you wanted to help him, but you doubted yourself. You hesitated. But when Alpha Kieran was hurt, there was no hesitation. No fear. Your will to heal him overpowered everything else... even your distrust in your own power."


    He smiled faintly. "That¡¯s why it worked."


    My mouth opened, but no words came.


    He was right. I hadn¡¯t even thought when I saw Kieran bleed. I just reacted, driven by pure instinct, pure need to take away his pain. There had been no space for doubt. No room for failure.


    My throat tightened.


    Elder Ren¡¯s smile turned softer. "A healer¡¯s power is as much heart as it is ability, child. You can¡¯t separate them."


    I still stood protectively in front of Kieran, my body half-shielding him as I red at the dagger in Elder Ren¡¯s hand. "Still, don¡¯t ever do that again," I said, my voice trembling between fear and frustration. "You could have hurt him seriously!"


    Elder Ren¡¯s eyes crinkled at the corners, and even Kieran¡¯s lips twitched slightly at my defensive stance.


    "I apologize," Elder Ren said sincerely, bowing his head slightly. "I promise I won¡¯t cross that line again."


    Only then did I exhale, realizing how tightly I had been gripping Kieran¡¯s arm.


    When I finally stepped back, Kieran¡¯s gaze softened as he looked at me - something unreadable flickering in those golden-green eyes.


    He didn¡¯t say anything. But he didn¡¯t need to.


    Because I could feel see all his emotions in his eyes. He wasn¡¯t innocent either. He was a partner-in-crime in Elder Ren¡¯s n.


    I just stared at him, letting him know just how unimpressed I was with his stunt. I appreciated his efforts in helping me learn about my power, but I would prefer it if he stopped hurting himself for it.


    After a while, the tension began to ease. Elder Ren ced the dagger back on the counter.


    "Come," Elder Ren said, motioning toward the back door again. "We have people waiting. Let¡¯s try again... with a clearer heart this time."


    I hesitated, ncing once at Kieran. He gave me a small, reassuring nod, and that was all I needed. My pulse steadied, my palms stopped trembling, and I followed Elder Ren outside.


    The vigers were still gathered in the yard, whispering among themselves. Some turned expectantly when they saw us return. Yao was chasing a chicken now, hisughter light and innocent,pletely healed.


    The sight made me smile despite the lingering embarrassment.


    Elder Ren pped his hands together, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. "Alright, my apprentice is ready to continue," he announced cheerfully. "Let¡¯s show her a little faith, shall we?"


    A few vigers chuckled good-naturedly, though I still felt their curiosity and quiet skepticism.


    He led me to a middle-aged woman sitting on a bench near the fence. Her arm was wrapped in a worn piece of cloth that was soaked with blood at one end. "She cut herself while chopping firewood," Elder Ren exined softly. "It¡¯s not deep, but she¡¯s in pain."


    I knelt beside her and gently unwrapped the cloth. The gash wasn¡¯t huge, but deep enough to make my chest tighten again. My fingers hovered above her arm as I closed my eyes.


    <i>No doubt,</i> I told myself. <i>Just trust. Believe.</i>


    I took a deep breath and let my power rise - not forcing it this time, just letting it flow. The warmth came more easily now, rippling through my hands in soft, steady waves.


    I focused on her pain, her injury, the steady pulse of her heartbeat beneath my palms.


    And then... the familiar glow appeared.


    Golden light spread from my fingers, soft but sure, wrapping around the wound like liquid sunlight. The woman gasped softly, her body trembling slightly as the torn skin began to knit together right before our eyes.


    When the light faded, the wound was gone.


    Completely gone.


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    The woman blinked, then flexed her arm with disbelief written all over her face. "By the spirits..." she whispered, her voice shaking. "The pain... it¡¯s gone!"


    The vigers began murmuring excitedly, and I couldn¡¯t help it... the smile that broke across my face was pure relief.


    Elder Ren chuckled, his voice brimming with pride. "That¡¯s it. That¡¯s the touch of a true healer."


    He motioned to another man, an elderly farmer with a limp. "Let¡¯s see how you handle fatigue and old wounds," he said, his tone turning a bit more testing.


    One by one, they came -"the farmer, a young woman with a sprained wrist, an old grandmotherining of headaches. Some of their ailments were mild, others required more focus, but with each healing, my confidence grew. My power responded quicker, the warmth spreading deeper each time.


    It felt... <i>alive.</i> Like a living thing that had been waiting for me to trust it.


    By the time I finished with thest patient, the sun had begun to dip below the mountains, painting the yard in warm hues of orange and gold. The vigers were all smiling now, bowing or thanking me before heading back down the path.


    Elder Ren stood beside me, hands folded behind his back, that knowing smile never leaving his face. "You see the difference now?" he asked quietly.


    I nodded, feeling tired but still smiling. "It¡¯s not about power," I murmured. "It¡¯s about... believing."


    "Exactly," he said, eyes twinkling. "A healer¡¯s gift doesn¡¯t obey fear or pride. It listens to the heart. You have both the gift and the heart, child. Never forget that."


    Before I could respond, Kieran appeared from the shade of the tree, slow andposed as ever. His expression was calm, but his eyes held something warm, almost proud.


    "You did so well," he said softly.


    I felt my cheeks heat up as I wiped a bit of sweat from my forehead. "Thanks to Elder Ren."


    Elder Ren chuckled. "Thanks to <i>yourself,</i> my luna. I only reminded you what you already knew."


    I met Kieran¡¯s gaze again, and for a brief second, the world seemed to quiet. The vigers¡¯ chatter faded, the rustle of leaves became a soft hum, and all I could see was the smile tugging at his lips.


    That tiny spark of pride shining in his eyes... it was worth every failure earlier.


    And somewhere deep inside me, I knew - this wasn¡¯t just about healing anymore. It was about trust. About connection.


    Between me... and my power.

 Chapter 435: The Secret In The Woods

    <h4>Chapter 435: The Secret In The Woods</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The soft purr of the car engine filled the silence as Kieran drove down the narrow forest road, shadows stretching long and deep beneath the canopy of old pines.


    <fnd88d> This update is avable on findnovel</fnd88d>


    The sun had already dipped below the horizon, leaving streaks of faint gold clinging to the edge of the world... like thest breath of warmth before night imed everything.


    We had just left Healer Ren¡¯s clinic. My body still hummed faintly with the lingering residue of the power I had used, but more than that, my heart felt oddly light. I had healed people. Watched the wonder in their eyes, the tears, the disbelief that pain could fade so quickly. It was... overwhelming in the best way possible.


    Kieran had noticed, of course. He didn¡¯t speak much, but every time his gaze met mine, there was something gentle there... something proud.


    We had bid Healer Ren goodbye with the promise to return on Sunday for another session. But now, as Kieran turned the steering wheel down a path that clearly didn¡¯t lead back to the Academy, curiosity began to rise in me again like a soft tide.


    The further we drove, the quieter the world became. No passing vehicles, no sound of other life except the asional whisper of wind and the rhythmic hum of tires against the uneven ground.


    I nced at him from the corner of my eye. His face was illuminated by the soft glow of the dashboard lights - all calm edges and silent thought.


    I wanted to ask him where we were going.


    But something told me he wouldn¡¯t answer. Or maybe I didn¡¯t want him to. There was a strangefort in letting him lead... in knowing that wherever we were going, he had a reason.


    So I just turned my gaze back to the window, watching the shadows of trees move like ghosts against the darkening sky.


    About twenty minutester, the car came to a stop at the foot of a high, rocky peak.


    The headlights cut through the darkness, revealing thick undergrowth and a trail that seemed to vanish between two massive oaks.


    I blinked. "We are... not lost, are we?" I asked softly, half teasing.


    He just smiled... that subtle, quiet curve of his lips that always made my heart skip a beat. "No."


    That was all he said before climbing out of the car and walking around to open my door. His hand extended toward me, steady and sure. I ced my hand in his without hesitation.


    The air here was colder, the kind that brushed against the skin like silk. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted.


    He didn¡¯t exin where we were or what he intended to do. He simply took my hand and led me through the tall grass toward the grove of trees. I followed quietly, my curiosity deepening with each step.


    And then I noticed the group of trees standing close together, ancient and enormous. Their trunks were so wide that several people could have easily hidden inside. But what drew my eyes most was one particr tree near the center.


    It had a massive hollow at its base - a dark, yawning gap that looked like the mouth of a secret.


    I stopped for a second, my heartbeat quickening. "Kieran..."


    He looked back at me over his shoulder, his expression unreadable but his grip on my hand firm. "Come."


    So I did.


    The darkness inside the hollow wasn¡¯t absolute... faint traces of light shimmered within, revealing a smooth floor and, to my surprise, a trapdoor hidden beneath a web of roots.


    Kieran knelt and brushed the roots aside, revealing a handle made of metal. The faint creak of hinges echoed as he opened it, and I caught sight of a staircase descending into dim light.


    It wasn¡¯t just a hiding spot. It was something built - deliberate, secret, safe.


    A thought crossed my mind... <i>This must be his secret ce.</i>


    Just like Draven¡¯s hideout among the cliffs, this too felt deeply personal. A ce no one else was meant to find.


    He went down first, his steps silent and sure. I followed, my fingers brushing the smooth wooden railing as we descended. The air grew cooler and carried a faint scent of earth and pine sap.


    At the bottom, a dimly lit hallway stretched before us, lined with soft, glowing stones embedded into the walls. The light they cast was golden - warm,forting.


    Kieran led me to the end of the corridor, where stood a small door. He unlocked it and pushed it open, gesturing for me to step inside.


    I did... and froze for a moment.


    The space opened into a cozy underground home - small, yes, but filled with quiet charm.


    A living room took up most of the space, with a low couch covered in dark gray fabric, a woven rug in front of a small firece, and books neatly arranged on wooden shelves carved into the wall itself. On one side was a tiny kitchen,plete with a counter, a few hanging pans, and a single wooden table with two chairs. There was a hallway leading deeper into the house where the bedroom might be.


    It was so Kieran. Practical, simple... and yet, somehow warm.


    "This is..." I trailed off, turning in a slow circle. "You built this?"


    He nodded slightly, a flicker of something soft crossing his face. "A long time ago. Before the Academy."


    I smiled faintly. "It¡¯s beautiful."


    I was still taking in the little details - the neatly folded nket on the couch, the scent of dried herbs hanging near the counter, the soft light filling the ce - when I felt his presence behind me.


    Warmth. Quiet. Steady.


    Then, his arms slipped around my waist from behind.


    I stilled, my breath catching softly as his chest pressed against my back. His head tilted slightly, his breath brushing the side of my neck as he murmured,


    "What do you want for dinner?"


    I blinked, my heart jumping for apletely different reason now.


    "Dinner?" I echoed, half turning my head toward him.


    "Mhm." His voice was low,zy, almost yful. "You must be hungry after our visit to Elder Ren. I¡¯ll cook."


    He said it so casually, as if his arms weren¡¯t wrapped tightly around me, as if my pulse wasn¡¯t racing just from the feel of his breath against my skin.


    I swallowed, forcing myself to look normal.


    His voice, his proximity, the faint smell of pine and smoke that clung to his clothes... everything made it impossible to focus. My hands instinctively gripped the edge of the counter in front of me, trying to anchor myself.


    He finally released me and stepped toward the kitchen, rolling his sleeves up in that calm, deliberate way of his. The movement revealed the veins on his forearms, and I found myself watching, unable to look away.

 Chapter 436: Staying The Night

    <h4>Chapter 436: Staying The Night</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The faint sound of the refrigerator door closing pulled me from my thoughts. I looked toward the kitchen to find Kieran moving with his usual calm precision.


    Since I hadn¡¯t answered his question about dinner earlier, he had apparently decided to make the choice himself. I watched as he began taking things out of the fridge - a few vegetables, some herbs, a packet of noodles, and what looked like marinated meat. He arranged everything neatly on the counter, his movements unhurried and deliberate, the way he did everything.


    But he paused after a moment.


    I hadn¡¯t moved from where I stood - still rooted a few feet away, half dazed by the strangeness of it all. The hidden home beneath the forest. The quiet hum of the lights. The warmth that came from him, filling every corner of the small underground space.


    He straightened slowly, his gaze sliding toward me. His eyes found mine, and for a long, wordless moment, he just looked. Then, without saying a thing, he walked over.


    I didn¡¯t realize I was holding my breath until his hand slipped into mine. His fingers were warm, firm, steady.


    "Come," he said quietly, leading me down the hallway.


    We walked together past the living room until he stopped by a door on the left. He switched on the lights, revealing a simple bedroom - clean, small, but beautifully arranged. There was a low bed with dark sheets, a smallmp on the side table, and a wooden closet in one corner.


    He released my hand and crossed the room, opening the closet door. I watched as he pulled out a ck shirt, a pair of boxers, and a fresh towel nestly folded.


    When he turned and walked back to me, the sight was strangely domestic... like this was something he had done a hundred times before.


    He held the clothes out toward me, his tone calm but final. "Shower. Put your uniform in the washing machine after."


    I blinked, ncing from the clothes in his hand to his face. "Wait... we are not going back to the Academy?"


    He shook his head. "No. We are staying here tonight."


    The quiet confidence in his voice made it sound less like a suggestion and more like a decision already made.


    Before I could think of another question, he leaned forward slightly and pressed a kiss to my forehead.


    It was so sudden, so gentle, that it caught mepletely off guard. My breath hitched softly, and by the time I managed to look up, he had already turned away, walking toward the door.


    "I¡¯ll start dinner," he said, his voice low. "Don¡¯t take too long."


    The door closed behind him with a soft click.


    - - -


    The bathroom was small but warm, steam already curling against the mirror as hot water poured from the showerhead. I stood under it for a long time, letting the water run over me, washing away the dust from the drive and the faint ache in my body from using my power.


    My mind drifted back to Kieran - the quiet way he moved, the steadiness in his eyes, the softness in his touch when he had kissed my forehead.


    There had been no hesitation in him. No uncertainty. He had known exactly what I needed - not words, notfort, just... peace.


    By the time I stepped out and dried myself, a faint warmth had settled deep inside me. I slipped into the clothes he had given me.


    The shirt was far too big, of course - the hem fell to mid-thigh, the sleeves nearly swallowing my hands. The fabric smelled faintly floral and something I could only describe as <i>him</i>. Comforting. Familiar.


    I paused by the mirror for a second, tugging at the hem, trying to convince myself it didn¡¯t look ridiculous. Then I sighed and threw my damp hair over one shoulder, deciding to just let it be.


    I tossed my uniform into the washing machine like he had said, pressed the start button, and then stepped back into the hallway.


    The smell of food reached me before I even entered the kitchen - savory, warm, mouthwatering. My stomach growled softly.


    Kieran stood by the stove, stirring something in a pan. The soft light from the overheadmp painted his profile in gold and shadow, the lines of his shoulders and back visible beneath his white shirt.


    I hesitated by the doorway, suddenly aware of how I must look - barefoot, hair still damp, wearing his shirt.


    Before I could decide whether to quietly sneak back into the room, he turned.


    And stopped.


    His gaze swept over me in one slow, deliberate motion. From my damp hair to the oversized shirt clinging faintly to my skin, down to my bare legs.


    He didn¡¯t say anything. But something changed in his eyes - a flicker, a spark that made my pulse skip.


    I froze, gripping the edge of the counter behind me. "I-uh... I hope this is okay. You said to wear-"


    He cut me off, his voice low and smooth. "It¡¯s perfect."


    The words rolled off his tongue like silk.


    And then he turned back to the stove, as though nothing had happened. But the small, almost invisible curve at the corner of his mouth told me he knew exactly what he had just done.


    I swallowed, trying to calm my heartbeat as I walked closer. "What are you making?"


    "Something simple," he said. "Stir-fried noodles. I used to make this when I stayed here alone."


    I leaned against the counter beside him, watching the easy rhythm of his movements - the way his wrist turned as he stirred, the precision in how he measured everything without needing to think.


    It was strangely mesmerizing.


    "Need help?" I asked softly.


    He shook his head. "Just keep mepany."


    I smiled faintly, resting my elbows on the counter. "That, I can do."


    He nced sideways at me, and for a moment, our eyes met. His gaze lingered a second too long... enough to make the air between us shift again.


    <fn0a85> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find~novel</fn0a85>


    The silence stretched. Comfortable, yet heavy with something unspoken.


    "Hungry?" he asked finally, his voice low.


    "A little," I admitted.


    "Good." He turned off the stove, grabbed two tes from the rack, and began serving the noodles. "It¡¯s ready."


    He handed me one of the tes and nodded toward the small table. I followed him there, taking the seat opposite his.


    The food smelled incredible. I twirled a bit of noodles around my fork and took a bite, and immediately blinked in surprise. "This is really good."


    He raised an eyebrow, a quiet smile tugging at his lips. "You sound surprised."


    "Not really. All four of you are incredible at cooking."


    He chuckled softly - a sound quite rare that I found myself staring at him. "Thank you."


    The warmth of the room, the soft clinking of cutlery, the faint hum of the underground lights... it all wrapped around us like a cocoon.


    For a while, neither of us spoke much. We just ate, and the silence felt easy.


    But every time I looked up, he was already looking at me. And every time he looked away, I found myself wanting to draw his gaze back.


    When I finally set my fork down, he leaned back in his chair, eyes half-lidded as he studied me.


    "You look tired," he murmured.


    "Maybe a little," I admitted. "It¡¯s been... a long day."


    He nodded slowly, then stood, walking over to the counter to pour two sses of water. When he came back, he ced one in front of me and lingered by my side instead of sitting back down.


    His hand brushed lightly against my shoulder... not quite a touch, more like a whisper. "You did well today."


    I looked up, meeting his eyes, and suddenly couldn¡¯t find any words.


    He smiled faintly - that quiet, knowing curve of his lips that always seemed to unravel me. "Finish your water. You should rest after."


    I nodded, my voice barely a whisper. "Alright."


    But I didn¡¯t move.


    And neither did he.


    The silence stretched between us again... filled with the soft hum of the air and the faint beating of my heart.


    Then, slowly, his fingers came up to tuck a damp strand of hair behind my ear. His touch was featherlight, lingering just a second too long.


    "Your hair¡¯s still wet," he murmured.


    "I... I didn¡¯t dry it."


    His lips curved slightly. "You¡¯ll catch a cold."


    "I¡¯ll be fine."


    He didn¡¯t argue... just gave a soft, resigned hum. But his hand didn¡¯t fall away. It stayed, his thumb grazing the side of my neck before he finally drew back.


    And as he did, his eyes met mine - steady, warm, unreadable.


    That look alone was enough to make the breath catch in my throat.


    Then, he suddenly pulled away and picked up the dishes to wash them.


    "Let me do it," I said, standing up with the ss of water and taking a big sip as I headed to him.


    He took the ss from my hand and signaled toward the bedroom. "Go and rest. I¡¯ll join you in a few minutes."

 Chapter 437: No Intention of Stopping

    <h4>Chapter 437: No Intention of Stopping</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The soft glow from the bedsidemp pooled across the room, wrapping everything in a sleepy golden hue. My phone buzzed onest time before I sent a quick reply to Mallory¡¯s frantic text - something about Kyros threatening to send a search party if I didn¡¯t answer soon.


    <i>I¡¯m fine. Just went out somewhere with Kieran. </i>


    I hit send, then sighed, leaning forward on the desk, elbows resting on its cool wooden surface. My hair slid down over my shoulders like a silver curtain, pooling beside my arms as I typed onest message.


    The underground house was warm and quiet, so quiet that I could hear the faint hum of the washing machine somewhere down the hallway.


    The door opened softly behind me. I didn¡¯t even need to look to know who it was. His footsteps were calm, measured... the kind that didn¡¯t need to announce themselves to be felt.


    "You are still awake?" Kieran¡¯s voice was low, threaded with that steady calm that could both soothe and unsettle me at the same time.


    "I was just texting Mallory," I said, not turning around. "They were about to send a rescue team."


    There was a quiet sound behind me - the faint rustle of fabric, the subtle shift of air as he moved closer.


    "You should be in bed," he murmured, the edge ofmand softened by something else... something heavier, warmer. "You said you were tired earlier."


    I smiled faintly, still staring at my phone screen as I checked the photos of others Mallory just sent "I was," I admitted. "But after dinner, I don¡¯t know... I feel oddly awake."


    It was supposed to sound casual, harmless... but the silence that followed told me it hadn¡¯tnded that way. I was just about to turn when I felt him.


    He stepped in behind me, his presence folding over mine like a shadow. His hands came down on either side of me, palms pressed against the desk, caging me in. My breath caught. The faint heat of him seeped through the air between us... barely an inch, maybe less.


    "So," his voice came, a whisper against my ear, rich and low. "You are feeling awake?"


    The air left my lungs in a slow, shaky exhale. The shift in his tone sent a tremor down my spine. It wasn¡¯t teasing... not entirely. It was a kind of hunger that was quiet, restrained, and yet... burning.


    I tried to straighten, but his hand came to rest gently but firmly on my shoulder, keeping me where I was.


    "Stay," he whispered.


    I froze.


    His other hand brushed against the back of my thigh... just above the hem of the shirt I was wearing. <i>His</i> shirt. The realization hit me like a storm - the loose fabric, the bare skin underneath, the way I had bent over slightly while leaning on the desk.


    Heat rushed to my face.


    <fnc68d> Updates are released by f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fnc68d>


    It wasn¡¯t intentional. None of this was supposed to be. But the way his touch trailed up, pausing just at the edge of my waist... it was enough to scatter every thought I had.


    "Kieran..."


    "Do you have any idea what you look like right now?" His voice was unsteady, a blend of restraint and want. "You... leaning over my desk, wearing my shirt, your hair down like that..."


    He let out a quietugh... low, breathy, the kind that came from someone losing control.


    "I didn¡¯t know it was possible to crave someone this much," he whispered.


    The words alone made my heart stutter.


    My body reacted before my mind could. I tilted my head slightly, enough for our gazes to meet from the corner of my eye. His were dark - not in color, but in intensity. There was no professor in that look, no quiet schr. Just the man... my mate... fighting himself.


    He leaned in, his breath brushing the edge of my ear.


    "Should we continue what you started this afternoon?" he whispered.


    My pulse jumped.


    His teeth grazed my ear, just a faint nip - yful and dangerous all at once. My fingers curled against the desk to keep myself steady. Every inch of me was trembling, alive in a way that made it impossible to think.


    I opened my mouth to say something - maybe a yes, maybe a no - but he didn¡¯t wait.


    In one swift move, he turned me around. His strength was effortless. The world blurred until my back hit the desk. Before I could catch my breath, his lips were on mine.


    The kiss wasn¡¯t gentle.


    It was hungry - a collision of heat and longing, of everything we had both been holding back since that moment in the car, since the very first time we had crossed that fragile line between curiosity and need.


    I felt the desk dig into the small of my back, but I didn¡¯t care. His hand came to my waist, the other sliding behind me as if afraid I might slip away. He kissed me harder, deeper, until my knees threatened to give in and all that kept me grounded was him.


    I reached for his shirt, my fingers tangling in the fabric, but he caught both my wrists midair and pinned them gently behind me. The move sent a rush of helpless heat through me.


    His lips slowed... no less deep, but softer now, exploring, memorizing. His thumb traced slow circles along my wrist, easing the tension he had just created.


    The world fell away - the desk, the quiet hum of the underground house, the faint scent of earth and pine outside the walls - everything disappeared until there was only him.


    When he finally pulled away, both of us were breathing hard.


    His forehead rested against mine, our breaths mixing in the tiny space between us. His voice came out rough, hoarse, like he was holding back every instinct that told him not to stop.


    "Love," he whispered, his eyes staring right into mine, "Do you want to stop? Because if we continued..."


    He leaned closer until his mouth was right next to my ear, and when he spoke, his voice was deep... and carried promises.


    "... I have no intention of stopping."

 Chapter 438: Make Your Own

    <h4>Chapter 438: Make Your Own</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Slightly Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I could have told him to stop. I knew that. One word from me and he would have pulled back, even if it killed him to do so. But I didn¡¯t want to.


    Not even for a second.


    My heart pounded so hard it felt like the world itself might hear it. The air between us burned, thick with tension and unspoken need. My throat felt dry, my thoughts scattered, yet my body knew exactly what it wanted.


    I turned my face slightly and pressed my lips to his cheek, whispering against his warm skin, "You should finish what I couldn¡¯t."


    The moment those words slipped out, his breath caught... and then he kissed me.


    There was nothing soft about it... again. His lips crashed against mine like a storm meeting the shore - hot, desperate, consuming. I gasped, my fingers curling against the hard wood as if I could ground myself, but the world tilted anyway.


    His lips moved with a hunger that stripped everyyer of my restraint. He kissed me as though I were air itself and he had been suffocating for years.


    When his tongue brushed my lips, I parted my lips, giving him the entrance he sought. The second our mouths parted, he deepened the kiss - urgent, wild, iming. A small sound escaped me, one I hadn¡¯t meant to make, but he swallowed it like it was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted.


    His hands, which had been holding my wrists, finally released me... only for them to slide down to my waist, strong and possessive. Before I could even steady my breath, he lifted me effortlessly.


    A startled gasp left me as my body instinctively clung to him - legs wrapping around his waist, arms around his neck. My heart was pounding against his chest... I could feel his every heartbeat in return.


    He closed the small distance to the bed and lowered me slowly, his lips never leaving mine, his breath mingling with my own. It was dizzying. Even when he broke the kiss to breathe, he didn¡¯t go far. His lips traced a burning trail down my jaw, over my neck, until they found the curve of my shoulder.


    I hadn¡¯t realized until then that the shirt had slipped down on one side. His breath grazed my bare skin, and my pulse skipped. When his mouth found that familiar mark on my neck - the one that once bound me to Draven - I couldn¡¯t stop the moan that tore from my throat. The sound came from somewhere deep, raw, beyond my control.


    Every time one of them touched that mark, something inside me shattered and melted all at once. It was maddening - the way my body responded without permission, the way heat curled through me, fierce and consuming.


    My breath hitched as he lingered there, his tongue tracing the spot with deliberate, slow strokes that made every nerve in my body tremble.


    He drew back just enough to look at me. His eyes were darker than I had ever seen them, a storm of hunger and something deeper... something almost vulnerable.


    "Evaline," he breathed, my nameing out rough and low, like a plea he couldn¡¯t hold back.


    I swallowed hard, my voice trembling as I whispered back, "Don¡¯t stop."


    A muscle in his jaw flexed, and then he smiled - a dangerous, breathtaking thing. Without another word, he sat back slightly and began to unbutton his shirt.


    One button, then another. My breath caught as the smooth nes of his chest came into view. His movements were unhurried but filled with intent, each motion revealing another inch of perfectly sun-kissed skin, the kind that begged to be touched. When thest button came undone, he shrugged the shirt off and tossed it carelessly to the floor.


    I couldn¡¯t help myself. My fingers reached out, wanting to trace the sharp lines of his shoulders, to feel the heat radiating from him. But he caught my wrists again, pressing them gently against the mattress above my head, his gaze holding mine captive.


    <fn45a6> For original chapters go to F?ndNovel</fn45a6>


    "Patience," he murmured, his breath ghosting over my lips.


    Then he kissed me again... slower this time, deeper, as though savoring every heartbeat between us. His free hand trailed down, brushing the side of my thigh before sliding up along my waist. My pulse raced as his fingers found the buttons of the shirt I wore... and began undoing them one by one. The sound of each button slipping free echoed loud in the silence of the room.


    By the time he undid thest one, I could barely breathe. He paused, his lips close to my ear, whispering, "May I?"


    I nodded before my thoughts could catch up. He helped me sit up slightly, his fingers brushing against my back as he slipped the shirt off my shoulders. The cool air met my heated skin, making me shiver, though the warmth in his gaze nearly set me ame all over again.


    He leaned closer, his lips grazing my corbone, then lower. My hands trembled when they found his hair, soft and thick between my fingers. I tilted my head back, trying to catch my breath as his mouth moved over one of my nipples, slow and reverent.


    Every kiss he ced felt like a confession he couldn¡¯t voice.


    "Don¡¯t look away," he whispered against my skin, his voice rough. "I want you to see what you do to me."


    I met his gaze, my heart twisting painfully at the rawness in his eyes. For a moment, all the air left my lungs. There was hunger there, yes, but also something else... something fragile. Something real.


    He continued to kiss his way up my neck, then captured my lips once more. The kiss this time was different - tender, aching, full of emotion. His hand slid down my back, steadying me as if I might fall apart. Maybe I already was.


    When he finally pulled back, our breaths mingled in the space between us. "Do you have any idea," he murmured, pressing his forehead to mine, "how long I have wanted this?"


    My voice came out a whisper. "Maybe as long as I have tried not to."


    A low sound escaped him - halfugh, half groan - and then his lips were back on mine. Every movement felt like it carried a thousand unsaid things - longing, regret, desire. We had been circling each other for too long, caught between what we shouldn¡¯t feel and what we couldn¡¯t deny.


    His kisses grew gentler again, slower, tracing a path down my chin, my throat, my shoulder. I felt his breath tremble when he reached the mark again, but this time, instead of touching it, he pressed his forehead there and whispered, "I¡¯m really, truly happy for Draven, but I also kind of hate that he gets to leave his mark on you first."


    I cupped his face, my thumb brushing the edge of his jaw. "Then make your own," I said softly.


    He lifted his head, his gaze locking with mine, and for a long moment neither of us moved. Then, slowly, he leaned in and kissed the side of my neck, right beside the mark. It wasn¡¯t iming... it was something else entirely. Gentle. Devoted. A promise made in silence.


    When he pulled back, I saw the faintest smile curve his lips. His thumb brushed my cheek. "You are dangerous, dear mate," he murmured. "You make me forget who I am."


    "And you," I whispered back, "make me remember who I want to be."

 Chapter 439: I’m Sorry Professor

    <h4>Chapter 439: I¡¯m Sorry Professor</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    His lips hovered over mine, barely touching, yet the space between us thrummed with electricity. The air felt thick, like even a breath could set the world aze.


    I could feel the tremor in his chest where it pressed against mine... the kind that came from fighting something powerful inside himself.


    "Kieran..." I breathed his name, almost afraid to hear how much it trembled.


    He looked at me then... and his lips curved into a smile I could only describe as sinister. He inched closer until his lips were hovering right above mine. "It¡¯s Professor Kieran from now on, Miss Evaline."


    "Huh?"


    I stared at him as he pulled back enough to let me look into his eyes. What he said was direct and simple, yet my brain refused to ept the direction things were going.


    "Say it. Call me... <i>Professor.</i>"


    I couldn¡¯t. The same title I had used for nearly a year to address him out in public... I couldn¡¯t make myself say it as he waited. I didn¡¯t hesitate even when I used this same title to tease him earlier in the afternoon, but now... that word was stuck in my throat.


    <fn64d3> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? fin?novel</fn64d3>


    I watched as he started moving, trailing kisses down my body until he settled between my thighs. It one swift move, my borrowed boxers were gone, leaving mepletely bare.


    I inhaled sharply as he ced a kiss on my navel, and then continued to move further down until his hot breath fanned directly over my already wet folds. I expected to feel his mouth decent on my aching bud... instead, it moved to the side and found my inner left thigh where he ced a wet kiss.


    "Say it, Miss Evaline. Or I might not give you what you want desperately right now." He warned, cing another kiss on my other thigh... and not even sparing me a single nce.


    And I just stared at him in shock. I didn¡¯t expect him to have such a side as well... one he kept well-hidden, even from me.


    I opened my mouth, then closed it. He pressed another kiss, this one closer to my core and yet so far away. I knew better than to think he was just bluffing. I knew it - No matter how much he wanted me right now, if I didn¡¯t hive him what he wanted... he would actually pull away.


    This was one traitmon in all the brothers - they never bluffed with their demands sh warnings.


    He ced another kiss... even closer... and then looked up. His gaze found mine and he waited... for me to give in.


    I gulped and then opened my mouth again. "P-professor..."


    The moment it was out of my mouth, he smiled and whispered - "Good girl."


    And then I was gasping out loud as he closed the small gap between his mouth and my core. His lips pressed a soft kiss on my folds right before his to guess came out and parted its way through my folds, finding my throbbing clip.


    The contact had thousands of sparks dancing across my body. I arched into him as his tongue licked my clip again, forcing a sound past my parted lips that sounded like half cry and half moan.


    As if my reactions encouraged him, he grabbed hold of my thighs and his tongue continued to torture me in the most pleasurable way possible. He was merciless as he licked and sucked my little bud, making me forget everything but him and the pleasure he brought to me.


    I tilted my head back and moaned out loudly when I felt one of his fingers sliding inside me with ease. But I wasn¡¯t the only one losing my mind. My bond with him allowed me to feel just how insanely on edge he was as well.


    He added a second finger just momentster, sliding it in and out in perfect rhythm with his tongue.


    "Kieran... I-"


    I trailed off when he suddenly stopped. Everything went way too still that my body protested.


    He looked up, locking his gaze with mine. "What did you just call me?"


    <i>He can¡¯t be-</i>


    I licked my lips. "I¡¯m sorry... Professor."


    That small, knowing smile returned to his lips as he returned his attention back to my core. And all my thoughts flew away just like that. His fingers picked up their speed, and so did his tongue... pushing me closer to edge of the high cliff of pleasure he had built for me.


    My fingers curled into the sheets. My body arched into him as I waited for the fall... anticipated it.


    "Please... don¡¯t stop!"


    I cried out as I found myself merely seconds away from my release. A part of me was worried that he might follow the same lead as his younger brothers and stop right before I could find my release. Those two devils loved to do it.


    But fortunately, Kieran had no ns of stopping.


    All it took was one more hard pump of his fingers and another lick at my clit before I was screaming his name out loud... not caring that I was supposed to only address him as ¡¯Professor¡¯.


    He didn¡¯t stop as a wave of powerful pleasure burst through my core and spread across my body, leaving me breathless and dizzy for several long seconds.


    He pulled out his fingers and pressed kisses along my inner thighs as I rode the remaining waves of my orgasm, eventually returning to real world as the daze of ecstasy dispersed.


    I let go off the sheets I was fisting and grabbed his shoulders as he moved up my body, trailing a hot path of wet kisses from my core to my mouth.


    I tasted myself on his tongue as we kissed, moaning only for him to drawn that sound. My hands moved down his side, taking in his muscles and stopping on the waistband of his pants. I have it a light tug, and he pulled back from the kiss to look at me.


    "Time for you to take these off... Professor."

 Chapter 440: Chasing The Desire

    <h4>Chapter 440: Chasing The Desire</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I held my breath as I watched him take his pants off... followed by his boxers. For the second time today, I was staring at his already hard length that was standing proudly at attention.


    My throat went dry as he returned between my thighs, his erection pressed right over my core.


    His hands slid around my waist, drawing me close until there was no space left between us. Every beat of his heart seemed to echo through me, steady and fierce.


    The world narrowed to the feel of him - the heat of his skin, the roughness of his breath against my cheek, the warmth of his hands tracing slow, reverent paths down my back. His touch wasn¡¯t demanding anymore. It was pleading. Worshipful. As if every inch of me he touched was sacred.


    I tilted my head back, gasping softly as his lips moved from my mouth to my neck, down the curve of my shoulder, then lower. His breath was uneven from the desire that was burning him from deep within.


    He pressed another soft kiss on my lips before he straightened and I noticed the thing he was holding in his hand - a condom packet.


    My lips parted in shock as I realized how Ipletely forgot we needed one... or maybe more?


    When I looked up into his eyes, I found him looking at me with that familiar smile on his lips that said he knew exactly what I was thinking. He tore the packet open, and then slipped the condom on.


    One of his hands came to rest on the mattress on my side, and the other... it took hold of his length and he brushed the crown over my folds before slipping between them, finding its way to my sensitive clit.


    I moaned at the contact, using the support of my elbows to perch myself up a little so that I could see him entering me.


    "Stop ying around," I blurted out when he continued to rub his length over my clit, "I want you inside me, Professor."


    His gaze darkened at my demanding words, and then, before I even noticed him making the move... he was slipping inside me.


    The world seemed to stop when he finally entered me, burying himself to the hilt in one single thrust. Every heartbeat felt louder than thest, echoing in my chest until I could hardly breathe.


    A loud, deep growl left him. He lowered himself down, his body pressing over mine as he buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply as he struggled to contain his emotions just like me.


    We both were still for next few moments. My inner walls finally rxed around his length and he released a breath I didn¡¯t knew he was holding.


    "Why are you still so tucking tight, love?" He asked as he pulled back enough to look at me.


    Before I could speak, he was leaning in for a kiss. And we kissed for what felt like forever - slow, soft, and passionate.


    He finally started moving, still kissing me. He pulled out of me until only the head of his length was still inside me, and then he buried himself again in another swift thrust, forcing another moan past my lips.


    My breath hitched as he thrusted for a third time, then fourth, then fifth, and so on. The air trembled between us, thick with pleasure and love.


    His forehead fell against mine, and he exhaled shakily. "Evaline..." My name came out like a prayer, broken and reverent, as if just saying it could ground him.


    I cupped his face in my hands, tracing my thumbs along the sharp lines of his cheekbones. "You don¡¯t have to hold back anymore," I whispered, my voice trembling with truth. "Not with me."


    For a second, he just stared into my eyes. I could feel the tension in him - the conflict of desire and control - and then it snapped. His mouth crashed against mine, deep and desperate. It wasn¡¯t the rough hunger from before... it was something deeper. A need that went beyond the body... something that asked for more than just release.


    Our kiss grew hotter, fiercer, and I could feel him trembling, not from weakness but from the sheer intensity of holding back. My hands roamed over his back, feeling the taut strength beneath my fingertips, the warmth that made my skin tingle.


    His thrusts finally started picking up speed, hitting deep and strong. His hand slipped behind my neck, drawing me up to meet him as his lips left a trail of soft, burning kisses across my jaw and down my throat.


    My head tilted back instinctively, a soft gasp escaping when he found that spot just beneath my ear... the one that always made my pulse race.


    "Kieran..." My voice broke on his name.


    He groaned softly in response, a sound that vibrated through me. His body moved against mine in a rhythm that felt both ancient and new, pwerful yet filled with a gentleness. The air between us shimmered, heavy with warmth, each touch sending sparks up my spine.


    I could feel the world fading around us - the walls, the bed, even the room itself seemed to dissolve into nothingness. All that remained was the steady rise and fall of his chest against mine, the whisper of my name leaving his lips like a sacred chant.


    My fingers tangled in his hair, my body arching into his as if drawn by some invisible force. Heat coiled in my stomach, spreading through me like wildfire. Every sigh, every small sound that escaped either of us seemed to pull us deeper into the moment.


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    His thrusts grew more urgent, his breath roughening as he whispered my name again and again, each time softer, more pleading. His voice broke on it once - that was the moment I realized he wasn¡¯t just making love to me...he was losing himself in me.


    The rhythm between us changed - from searching to certain, from gentle to consuming. My heartbeat raced to match his, every nerve alive with the rush of it. His hands framed my face as he kissed me again, his lips trembling with intensity.


    I could feel the rising tide of emotion within him - the pull toward something primal, something binding. His body trembled as he tried to hold it back. "Evalime..." he murmured, his voice hoarse, "I don¡¯t think I can-"


    "Then don¡¯t," I whispered, cutting him off with a kiss. "Just feel."


    The words broke whatever restraint he had left. His arms tightened around me, and together we fell into that ce where thought no longer existed... only sensation, only the wild, unstoppable beat of two hearts finding the same rhythm.


    The sounds of our breaths mingled, uneven and quick. His name left my lips in a whisper, again and again, until it became a prayer. My fingers dug into his shoulders, searching for something solid as the world spun around us.


    The air thickened, filled with the heat of our bodies, the scent of skin, the quiet tremors of release building just beneath the surface.


    His control faltered. His thrusts grew desperate, erratic, his breath catching as if the air itself was too heavy to draw. I could feel it - the moment just before everything broke, that thin, fragile edge of pleasure and pain where the world seemed to hold its breath.


    He buried his face in my neck, his voice rough against my ear. "Evaline... stars..."


    And then... the world shattered.


    It wasn¡¯t sound or light or movement. It was feeling - raw and blinding. The kind that pulled the air from your lungs and left you trembling. I held onto him tightly, my fingers digging into his skin as waves of warmth crashed through me, leaving nothing but a deep, aching stillness in their wake.

 Chapter 441: Wrong Timing

    <h4>Chapter 441: Wrong Timing</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Thest waves of pleasure shuddered through me, leaving my body trembling and my heart racing in a rhythm that refused to slow. I could still feel Kieran¡¯s weight against me, his warmth seeping into my skin, his breath ragged against my neck.


    My mind floated somewhere between exhaustion and bliss as his lips began to move - softly, almost reverently - down the side of my neck.


    Each kiss was feather-light, tracing a path that made my skin tingle. I felt him pause just a breath away from Draven¡¯s mate mark... the mark that still glowed faintly whenever my emotions spiked. My pulse jumped, and anticipation flooded my veins. Just one touch, one press of his lips, and I knew the rush of pleasure that would follow would be overwhelming. I waited, breath caught in my throat.


    But instead of iming me there, his lips veered away, trailing upward again, kissing along my jaw before capturing my mouth in a deep, lingering kiss.


    The kiss was slow, tender, yet there was something else hidden beneath... restraint. His lips moved against mine with devotion rather than urgency, as though he wanted me to feel every unspoken word between us. I kissed him back, my hands brushing against his shoulders, trying to pull him closer. But then, just as the warmth between us began to rise again, he pulled away.


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    Kieran drew back slightly, his chest still heaving, and then he withdrew from mepletely. The sudden absence of him left me cold and disoriented. Before I could say a word, he climbed off the bed, disappearing into the bathroom without a nce back.


    For a moment, I justy there, staring at the ceiling, my heart still pounding, my thoughts spinning in confusion. When he returned, he was wearing pajama bottoms, his hair damp from where he must have sshed water on his face. And in his hand was a wet towel.


    My brows knitted together as he came to my side, his expression soft but unreadable. Without saying anything, he sat beside me and used the towel to gently wipe me clean. His touch was delicate - careful, even tender - but the quietness between us was deafening. I watched him, too stunned to speak, my chest tightening with each second that passed.


    When he finished, he pulled the nket over me, tucking it carefully around my shoulders like I might get cold. I blinked at him, still trying to make sense of what he was doing.


    Didn¡¯t I just ask him to mark me? Didn¡¯t he want to mark me?


    The question burned at the back of my throat, but no words came out. He stood again, taking the towel back to the bathroom, leaving me to stare at the empty space where he had been sitting. My fingers clenched the nket. Something inside me started to twist - a mix of worry and something painfully close to rejection.


    What happened?


    Why didn¡¯t he mark me?


    I turned toward the sound of his returning footsteps. He came back quietly and climbed into bed beside me. The mattress dipped under his weight, and before I could move, his arm slid around my waist, pulling me back against his chest. His warmth enveloped me instantly.


    He didn¡¯t say anything at first. He just buried his face into my hair, inhaling deeply, like he was trying to memorize my scent. Then I heard it - a low, rough sound that escaped his throat, something between a groan and a sigh.


    His lips brushed against my ear. "You smell like me now," he murmured, his voice deep and husky, sending a shiver down my spine.


    He pressed a kiss just beneath my ear, on that sensitive spot that always made me tremble. My body responded before my mind could catch up, a quiet gasp leaving my lips. His mouth continued its journey down my neck, slow and deliberate, each kiss more heated than thest until he stopped right above my throbbing pulse.


    My heart leapt to my throat. His teeth grazed my skin, lightly... testing, teasing. My breath hitched.


    <i>Oh. So that was it.</i>


    <i>He was going to mark me now.</i>


    My body tensed in anticipation, my fingers curling against his arm. The air felt charged, alive, like the universe was holding its breath.


    But just as I was about to close my eyes, waiting for that sharp, blissful pain of his bite, Kieran groaned and pulled away. His forehead dropped against my shoulder, his breath shaky, his entire body trembling as though he was fighting himself.


    The anticipation inside me shattered into confusion. I turned in his arms, pushing lightly against his chest until he lifted his head. His expression made my heart ache... his eyes were stormy with restraint, frustration, and something that looked a lot like pain.


    "Kieran..." My voice wavered. "Why do you keep stopping?"


    He flinched at my tone. "Evaline-"


    "Don¡¯t," I whispered, cutting him off. "I¡¯m not angry, I just... I don¡¯t understand. You said you wanted to mark me. So why won¡¯t you?"


    He exhaled slowly, his hands still holding me close. "Because if I do, I won¡¯t be able to let you go for days."


    I blinked. "What?"


    His lips curved into a sad smile, his thumb brushing against my cheek. "You must already know it from experience that marking a mate isn¡¯t something that ends in a moment, Evaline. Once I mark you, our bond will deepen. My wolf will take over for a while. We¡¯ll crave each other constantly - sex, touch, scent, everything. We¡¯ll barely be able to stay apart."


    His words sank in slowly, and I frowned. "And that¡¯s... bad?"


    He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Not bad. Not at all. But right now, it¡¯s bad timing."


    I stared at him, understanding slowly dawning.


    "The exams," he reminded gently. "You have got your assignments, projects, presentations - all of it due in the next three weeks. You just started catching up from the leave you took earlier. And I..." He sighed, leaning back slightly. "I have to finish supervising the assessments, prepare reports, and conduct the student evaluations. If I mark you now, love, we won¡¯t be able to focus on any of it."

 Chapter 442: A Sweet Morning

    <h4>Chapter 442: A Sweet Morning</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I opened my mouth, but the words didn¡¯te. His exnation made sense, too much sense, and yet a part of me still ached.


    He brushed his fingers through my hair, tucking a strand behind my ear. "If I mark you now, you¡¯ll end up missing a week, maybe more. And you know what happens when a newly marked pair can¡¯t stay together. It¡¯ll be chaos for both of us."


    I dropped my gaze, feeling a warmth spread through my chest that had nothing to do with embarrassment. "So you are saying... you are stopping yourself for me?"


    He smiled faintly. "For us."


    The sincerity in his voice broke something inside me. My chest tightened, and before I realized it, I was reaching for him, pressing my forehead against his. "You always think too much, you know that?"


    Heughed quietly, his arms tightening around me. "Someone has to, when you keep tempting me like this."


    I smiled despite the lingering ache in my chest. My fingers brushed over his jaw, tracing the light stubble there. "You are right," I said softly. "We can¡¯t afford distractions right now. Not when everything¡¯s so close. But..." I hesitated, feeling my cheeks heat up. "You¡¯ll mark me after that, right?"


    His eyes softened. "The moment exams are over," he promised. "I won¡¯t wait a single day longer."


    The way he said it - low, steady, with that glint of determination in his eyes - made my heart flutter. I believed him.


    He drew me closer again, resting my head against his chest. "Sleep now," he murmured, his voice vibrating through me. "You must be tired."


    I smiled against his skin, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear.


    His hand caressed my back, slow and soothing.


    And as the silence wrapped around us, the earlier confusion melted into something softer, calmer. I still wanted his mark, wanted to be bound to himpletely... but for now, this was enough. His arms, his warmth, his promise.


    I closed my eyes, letting his scent lull me into peace. Thest thing I felt before sleep imed me was his lips brushing the top of my head, followed by a whisper so quiet I almost thought I dreamed it.


    "I¡¯m already yours, Evaline... even without the mark."


    * * *


    When I opened my eyes the next morning, the clock on the bedside table showed it¡¯s already half past eight.


    Kieran¡¯s arm was wrapped around my waist, his breath slow and warm against the back of my neck. I could feel the rise and fall of his chest pressed against my spine, the quiet rhythm of his heartbeat in perfect sync with mine.


    For a long while, I justy there, unmoving, soaking in the peace of the moment. The memory ofst night lingered like heat under my skin - every look, every whisper, every heartbeat that had bound us closer than ever before.


    His fingers stirred against my stomach, tracingzy circles that made my breath catch.


    "Good morning," he murmured, his voice still rough with sleep.


    "Morning," I whispered back, turning slightly so I could see him. His hair was a mess, falling over his forehead, and his eyes held that same tenderness that made my chest ache.


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    He smiled faintly. "You look beautiful like this."


    Iughed softly. "My hair¡¯s a mess."


    "And I love it."


    He leaned in before I could respond, pressing a soft kiss to my lips - gentle at first, then deeper, slower. His warmth spread through me like a quiet me. That kiss carried the same intensity as the night before, but there was something different too. It wasn¡¯t just hunger. It was connection.


    The world faded to nothing but the two of us - the way his hand tilted my chin, the way my fingers brushed the line of his jaw. One moment I was lying in his arms, the next he was above me, and our breaths mingled as the air grew heavy with unspoken need.


    "Can we do it raw?" He asked, his gaze searching mine. "I¡¯ll make sure to pull out in time."


    A smile formed on my lips as I nodded my head, approving his request. His own lips curved with a smile and he leaned in to kiss me again.


    He pulled back and took off his pajamas, settling between my legs. I held on my breath as he positioned himself at my entrance. Our gazes were locked as he entered me, burying himselfpletely deep inside me.


    Both of us groaned together. He whispered my name like a vow, and when our bodies met again, the world seemed to pause. There were no words after that, only our moans and the sound of flesh hitting flesh again and again.


    His lips were everywhere, his thrusts deep and fast. And when he finally spilled his seeds on my belly, I was shuddering from the overwhelming pleasure of my third orgasm of the morning.


    Kieran held me close, his forehead resting against mine, our breaths uneven but peaceful.


    Neither of us said a word. We didn¡¯t need to.


    * * *


    The sound of the shower running was what pulled me from the haze of warmthter. Kieran was already in the bathroom... I could hear the faint ssh of water and the low hum of his voice.


    I smiled to myself as I slipped out of bed, wrapping the sheet loosely around me before padding toward the bathroom.


    When I pushed the door open, steam rolled out, curling around me. Kieran turned at the sound, droplets of water running down his shoulders, his hair slick and wet. His eyes softened when he saw me.


    "Join me," he said simply, holding a hand out.


    I hesitated for half a heartbeat, then let the sheet fall away and stepped into the warmth with him. The water cascaded over us, washing away the traces of the night before and this morning, but nothing could wash away the way I felt when he looked at me like that... as if I was his entire world.


    His hands slid to my waist, pulling me closer. The steam wrapped around us like a secret, and when he kissed me under the running water, it was both tender and consuming.


    It wasn¡¯t long before that same warmth between us ignited again, quiet and slow, building into something that left me breathless. The shower filled with the sound of water, mingled with faint sighs and the soft rhythm of bodies moving together in silent harmony.


    When it finally ended, we stood there for a while, arms around each other, just breathing.

 Chapter 443: Back For Her

    <h4>Chapter 443: Back For Her</h4>


    <strong>Damian:</strong>


    The forest around the Silver Moon Academy had an unsettling stillness to it - too quiet forfort, too alive to ignore. The wind that brushed through the trees carried scents of wet soil, pine, and something far more intoxicating.


    <i>Her</i> scent.


    It had been more than twenty-four hours since I had been watching the house hidden behind the Academy grounds, crouched in the shadows of the thick woods. A full day and night of silence, of nothing but waiting, breathing, and remembering. I hadn¡¯t moved much, except to shift positions when my legs grew numb or my back ached from leaning against the rough bark of the tree. My body had grown used to the difort... what I couldn¡¯t get used to was the way her scent made my blood hum.


    Evaline Greystone.


    My dear, sweet, beautiful sister.


    It had been a month since that night in the forest - the night everything changed. I left with those filthy rogues, pretending to run, pretending to flee, but I never forgot. That faint trace of her essence that lingered on the wind... it had followed me even after I had left. I knew it couldn¡¯t have been a mistake. I knew she was here.


    But getting back hadn¡¯t been easy.


    The Academy¡¯s security was like a fortress now. Patrols at every corner. Scouts along the cliffs. Even the forest paths were guarded. The Rogue Alpha¡¯s men were crawling all over the northern ranges, searching for the rogues. I had been forced to hide with those useless, trembling cowards for days, enduring their noise, their fear, their pathetic attempts at overthrowing Rogue Alphas¡¯ power.


    It wasn¡¯t until two days when I finally parted from them, and finally reached this forest again.


    And when I did... the scent was long gone. But instead of giving up, I decided to keep searching. And then, I picked it up again. The scent was faint at first, hidden underyers of earth and moss. But it was there. Familiar. Precious. Hers.


    It pulled me deeper, leading me straight to this house - a modest building tucked behind the Academy, surrounded by trees and guarded by warriors. The moment I inhaled deeply near that house, I knew.


    Evaline.


    Her scent was everywhere here - clinging to the soil, the flowers, the very air I breathed.


    She had been here.


    Maybe she still was.


    But I didn¡¯t rush. Not this time. I waited, crouched in the same spot from dawn till the next sunrise. I didn¡¯t dare blink too long. Every shadow that moved behind the curtains, every sound of footsteps on the porch made my pulse race with the faint hope that I would see her... those long silver strands, that quiet poise she always had, that innocence I once loved and despised all the same.


    But she didn¡¯t appear.


    Not even once.


    Instead, I saw the Rogue Alphasing and going. There were also warriors, servants, strangers. Her scent lingered among theirs, faint but recent, as if she had been here not long ago. But she wasn¡¯t inside now. That much I could tell.


    By the twenty-fourth hour, my patience was wearing thin. My muscles were tight, my throat dry, and I knew I couldn¡¯t stay much longer. Someone would notice eventually - a warrior, a scout, or worse, one of those Rogue Alphas.


    So, I moved.


    Carefully, quietly.


    Every step through the underbrush was measured, every breath controlled. The shadows were my cover, and the trees were my shield. I stayed downwind, making sure no scent of me traveled toward the house or the Academy walls.


    The closer I got to the Academy, the stronger her scent became again.


    By the time I reached the edge of the forest, I knew.


    She was a part of Silver Moon.


    The realization made my chest tighten and a bitter smile curved my lips. My sweet little Evaline... hiding in the very heart of this Academy.


    Somehow... she had managed to get in.


    That amused me.


    No wolf, no pack, no strength to call her own... and yet she had made her way here. How? And more importantly... why?


    How had my fragile, trembling little sister, who used to cry at the sound of my footsteps, ended up among the Academy¡¯s warriors and schrs? And how was she involved with the Rogue Alphas? Why hadn¡¯t they killed her? Or sent her in exile with the rest of my family?


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    I needed answers.


    So I waited again, keeping my distance near the Academy¡¯s outer wall. Students moved in and out of the gate, chatting andughing,pletely unaware that a predator was watching them.


    Her scent clung to the path, faint but distinct.


    I followed it discreetly, trailing it all the way toward the main entrance before turning away.... too risky to go any farther.


    Later, when a small group of students headed toward the nearby town, I followed.


    The town was lively, full of chatter and movement. The market square was buzzing with noise - vendors calling,ughter ringing, footsteps echoing on the cobblestone streets. It was the perfect cover.


    I approached a group of students, keeping my tone casual, my expression friendly.


    "Excuse me. Are you all from Silver Moon? I heard the entrance exam will be taking ce this August," I said. "Thinking of taking the entrance exam myself. Hard to get in?"


    The boys looked up, surprised but not suspicious. One of them - a tall, brown-haired one with an eager grin - shrugged. "It¡¯s not easy, but also not impossible. As long as you are ready and give in your best, you might make it."


    I smiled faintly. "Ah. I see."


    They went on talking, not realizing I was guiding them where I wanted.


    "What about the current first years?" I asked. "Any standouts?"


    That got their attention.


    They startedughing and tossing around names - sons and daughters of alphas or betas, all predictable. But then one of them leaned closer, his tone dropping slightly.


    "There¡¯s this girl," he said, ncing at the others. "Kinda famous now. Doesn¡¯t have a wolf, but still acing every ss."


    My pulse quickened.


    He went on. "And she¡¯s absolutely breathtaking. She¡¯s got long silver hair and these dazzling amber eyes. Some say she¡¯s cursed. Others say she¡¯s... special."


    My lips curved slowly.


    "What¡¯s her name?" I asked.


    "Evaline," one of them replied. "She¡¯s from the Roguemunity."


    The world seemed to still around me.


    The noise of the town faded. Theughter, the chatter... it all disappeared into the background as my mind locked onto that single word.


    Evaline.


    So it was true.


    She was alive.


    Alive and thriving inside the Silver Moon Academy.


    I almostughed.


    A mix of pride and rage twisted in my chest. My baby sister... she survived. She defied the odds, the world, me.


    But she belonged to me.


    She always had.


    No one else deserved her - not those rogues, not those teachers, not anyone in that Academy.


    She was mine.


    And I would get her back.


    I spent the rest of the day near the town, gathering what I could. The Academy was opening for new admissions in August. That gave me time - months, maybe - to prepare. To train, to n, to infiltrate.


    If she was inside, I would find a way in too.


    My goal was clear.


    Silver Moon.


    And once I was in...


    Once I had her in front of me again...


    I would make sure she never slipped away again.


    I would make her remember who she truly belonged to.


    I stood at the edge of the forest again that night, looking at the silver glow of the moon hanging over the Academy. The wind carried her scent again - faint, teasing, like a whisper that refused to fade.


    My fingers clenched. My heart pounded.


    <fn8419> For more chapters visit findnovel</fn8419>


    "I¡¯ming for you, baby sis," I murmured, the words curling with dark promise.


    The shadows around me seemed to answer.


    "I¡¯ll find you. And this time... I¡¯m never letting you go."

 Chapter 444: The Unstoppable Mates

    <h4>Chapter 444: The Unstoppable Mates</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Sunday came far too quickly, and apparently, so did my training schedule.


    I barely had time to breathe before Kieran was standing by the doorway, arms crossed and that familiar unreadable expression on his face that told me there was no use in arguing.


    By the time I was done with the breakfast, he had already packed a small bag for me and was waiting near the door.


    "Elder Ren is expecting us," he said simply, and that was that.


    I bid my little boy and my mates goodbye before following Kieran out of the house.


    The car ride was quiet. Outside, the early morning mist still clung to the trees and fields. The air was crisp, cool enough that I could see faint puffs of my breath on the window. I tried to rx, watching the scenery glide by, but my thoughts wouldn¡¯t settle.


    Kieran nced my way once, his hand resting loosely on the wheel. "You didn¡¯t sleep enoughst night."


    I turned toward him, trying to sound light. "How could I, when your brothers wouldn¡¯t let me?"


    His lips curved faintly, a teasing glint shing in his eyes before returning to their usual calm. "I didn¡¯t hear youin then."


    "No," I said softly, looking out the window again, "I didn¡¯t."


    When we reached Elder Ren¡¯s clinic, the familiar scent of herbs hit me immediately. The old healer greeted us with a smile that didn¡¯t quite hide his sharp gaze.


    "Good, you are here," he said, motioning for me to follow him inside. "Let¡¯s see how your control has improved since Friday."


    Kieran again found his spot under the old tree in the backyard. He never interfered when Elder Ren trained me, but I could always feel his eyes on me - watchful, protective, sometimes a little too intense.


    Once again a line of vigers was waiting in there. Some were old, some young, all with injuries or ailments that needed attention. I swallowed, suddenly feeling the weight of their expectant eyes.


    "Start with her," Elder Ren said, nodding toward a young woman with a bandaged arm. "Remember what I told youst time - focus your intent first, not your power. And trust your power."


    I nodded and knelt in front of the woman. Her arm trembled slightly as I reached out, peeling the edge of the bandage away. The wound underneath was deep but clean, already healing. Still, the pain was clear in her eyes.


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    I took a deep breath and ced my hand gently over the wound. Warmth spread from my palm, faint and golden at first, then brighter, pulsing with my heartbeat. The air around us shifted, thickened. The familiar hum of my power grew in my veins... soft at first, then stronger, demanding, exhausting.


    The woman gasped softly as her skin began to knit together beneath my touch.


    When it was done, she flexed her hand in disbelief. "It¡¯s... gone."


    I smiled weakly. "You¡¯ll still need to rest it for a day or two."


    Elder Ren nodded approvingly but didn¡¯t let me rest. He brought the next one - a child this time, coughing harshly. Then another, a man with a burn on his leg. Then another.


    By the time I finished the sixth, my vision had started to blur around the edges. My hands were trembling. The energy that had burned so warmly at first was now fading fast, draining from me with every touch.


    Elder Ren must have noticed, because he handed me a cup of bitter tea. "Drink this. You are pushing too hard."


    I took a sip, grimacing at the taste. "Feels like I have been running for hours."


    "That¡¯s because you are trying to heal without pacing yourself," he said calmly. "You can¡¯t pour from an empty vessel, child. Rest for a moment."


    I nodded and looked toward the tree, where Kieran still stood. Our eyes met. He tilted his head slightly, silently asking if I was all right.


    I managed a faint smile. "I¡¯m fine."


    He didn¡¯t look convinced, but he stayed quiet.


    We continued until the sun reached its peak. By then, sweat clung to my skin, and I could barely keep my eyes open. My power was still responding to my call, but sluggishly, like a candle burning itsst me. When Elder Ren finally told me to stop, I nearly sagged in relief.


    "That¡¯s enough for today," he said firmly. "You have done well."


    Kieran stepped forward then, cing a steadying hand on my back. "Are we done?"


    Elder Ren nodded. "For today. She¡¯ll need rest and food. I might have a theory about her power, but we will need to test it further."


    "We will see you next weekend, Elder." Kieran said before guiding me toward the car.


    - - -


    But rest, as I found outter, was apparently not part of my destiny.


    Barely had I fed Lioren and put him down for his nap when River appeared by the door, arms folded, his expression somewhere between amused and impatient.


    "Ready?" he asked.


    "Ready for what?" I asked warily, already suspecting the answer.


    "Training," he said simply. "Oscar¡¯s already waiting outside."


    I groaned softly. "Can I at least pretend I didn¡¯t hear that?"


    His lips twitched in thatzy half-smile that always made it impossible to stay annoyed with him. "You could. But then I would have to carry you out there myself."


    I gave him a look. "You wouldn¡¯t."


    "Try me," he murmured, leaning closer. His voice dropped to a whisper near my ear. "You forget, little mate, I like it when you struggle."


    My face warmed instantly, and he chuckled before straightening and opening the door for me.


    Oscar was already in the backyard, his shirt gone, sparring staff in hand. Thete afternoon sun cast a golden sheen over his skin, highlighting his tattoo, and his eyes lifted when he saw me.


    "Took you long enough," he said.


    "Maybe because someone didn¡¯t tell me we were training today," I muttered, stepping into the grass.


    He smiled faintly, that infuriatingly calm, perfect expression he always had. "You should be used to surprises by now."


    River joined him, tossing me a wooden staff. I caught it clumsily, and he raised a brow.


    "Your stance first," Oscar said, walking around me, assessing. "Feet apart. Center your bnce."


    I did as told, adjusting my position. The first few rounds went well enough - simple parries, blocks, and steps. But the exhaustion from earlier was still lingering. My muscles burned with every move, and my focus started slipping.


    River noticed, of course. He always noticed.


    "You are holding back," he said, blocking my next strike easily. "Stop thinking. Move."


    "I¡¯m trying-"


    "Don¡¯t try," he interrupted, his tone low, firm. "Do."


    Something about the way he said it - steady,manding - sent a shiver through me.


    I exhaled, adjusted my grip, and this time when he lunged, I dodged and countered in one swift motion. The staff met his with a sharp crack that echoed across the yard.


    He smiled. "Better."


    Oscar leaned against a tree, watching us with an unreadable expression. "You should spar with her next," River said, not taking his eyes off me.


    Oscar grinned. "dly."


    I didn¡¯t even have time to protest before River stepped back and Oscar took his ce. Unlike River, who fought with precision and calm, Oscar moved like water - fluid, unpredictable, teasing. Every time I thought I had him cornered, he would slip away, only to appear behind me.


    At one point, he caught my wrist mid-swing and twisted, pulling me closer until his breath brushed my ear. "You are tired," he murmured. "I can feel it."


    "I¡¯m fine," I said, panting.


    Heughed softly. "You are stubborn."


    His grip loosened slightly, and before he could blink, I spun and brought the staff to his side, stopping just short of hitting him. His brows lifted.


    "Hmm," he said, stepping even closer, the staff now trapped between us. "Maybe not that tired."


    "Maybe not," I whispered back.


    He leaned down, eyes gleaming. "Careful, dear mate. I might start thinking you are trying to seduce me mid-spar."


    Before I could respond, River cleared his throat behind us. "If you two are done flirting, maybe we can continue the lesson?"


    Oscar smirked, stepping back. "You are just jealous brother."


    River didn¡¯t dignify that with a response, though I caught the faint twitch of his lips.


    The sessionsted for full two hours before I was finally rescued by Draven.


    * * *


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    The book has underperformed badly these past two months. So from now on, I¡¯ll try to upload more Chapters daily. In return, please help the book reach 2000 unlocks in Win-Win so the book can get some promotions to bring in new readers.


    Thank you!

 Chapter 445: Exhausting Weeks

    <h4>Chapter 445: Exhausting Weeks</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    If someone had told me a few months ago that the weeks leading up to exams at Silver Moon Academy would make battle training with River feel like a vacation, I would haveughed. Now, I knew better.


    Every day felt like running a marathon - except instead of a finish line, there were tests, assignments, quizzes, and presentations piling up faster than I could breathe. It was as if the professors had joined forces to see how much a student could handle before copsing.


    Morning sses bled into afternoonbs. Group projects stole the evenings. And the rare, precious moments in between were devoured by reports that had to be handwritten, illustrated, or both.


    If I wasn¡¯t in ss, I was in the library, my table buried under mountains of parchment, quills, and books thicker than my arm. If I wasn¡¯t there, I was in the study hall with my friends, all of us equally drowning in notes.


    "Do you think Professor Elira secretly enjoys watching us suffer?" Mallory muttered one afternoon, flipping through her History notes as if the pages themselves were responsible for her misery.


    Kyros snorted. "Secretly? She practically grins every time she assigns an essay."


    Rowan yawned loudly, his chair tipping dangerously back on two legs. "I haven¡¯t seen my bed in three days."


    "Then how are you still alive?" Ria asked without looking up, quill scratching rapidly across parchment.


    "Pure spite," Rowan replied solemnly.


    Even through the exhaustion, we allughed. That was the only thing keeping us sane - each other.


    Sometimes, I would catch Noah dozing off mid-sentence, or Selena doodling spell circles instead of note-taking, and I would realize just how much we had all changed. We weren¡¯t just ssmates anymore. We were a team. A strange, sleep-deprived team, but a team nheless.


    Still, no amount of teamwork could make the days feel any longer. Because when the sun went down and my friends dragged themselves back to their dorms for whatever little rest they could manage, my night would only just begin.


    Every night, without fail, I slipped away.


    Once the halls grew quiet and the clock neared midnight, I would sneak past the guards and leave the Academy through the secret passages. The night air always felt colder after a long day, brushing against my skin as if to remind me I was alive.


    Lioren was always waiting.


    The moment I entered the house, I could hear his soft whimpers. Sometimes Kieran would already be pacing the room, his eyes tired but gentle as he held our little boy. Sometimes River would be there instead, shirt half-unbuttoned, humming under his breath to soothe Lioren back to sleep.


    And every time, the instant my baby caught my scent, he would turn toward me, his small fists curling in the air as if demanding I hold him right that moment.


    Thosete hours were my refuge. My world.


    Feeding him, feeling the tiny weight of his body settle against my chest - it erased everything else. The pressure, the exhaustion, the endless cycle of sses and training - it all faded the second his warm little fingers curled around mine.


    When he fell asleep, I would sit quietly by his crib, pumping enough milk for the next day. It was tedious work, but necessary. I couldn¡¯t risk him waking hungry while I was trapped in the Academy. Kieran always insisted he could handle it, that they could bottle-feed him, but some part of me felt guilty every time I wasn¡¯t there.


    <fn16d3> The source of th?s content is Find_Novel(.</fn16d3>


    After that came my second kind of bonding... one I didn¡¯t tell anyone about.


    Sometimes, when the house was silent and the others had gone to bed, I¡¯d let my power flow through my fingertips and rest them against his chest. Just a whisper of healing energy. Not enough to do anything visible, just enough for him to feel it. It was my way of ensuring he would always know my touch, even if I wasn¡¯t there.


    And then, before dawn, I would sneak back to the Academy.


    It was exhausting. Maddening, even. Some days I thought I would copse halfway up the dorm stairs. But I couldn¡¯t stop. I wouldn¡¯t.


    Because as hard as it was, I was still getting stronger.


    My training with Elder Ren continued during weekends. He pushed me further each time, forcing me to face my hesitation until there was none left. I learned to summon my power faster, sharper, to focus without losing myself to exhaustion. My healing was stronger now... cleaner, more controlled.


    Even River noticed the difference.


    Duringbat sessions, he no longer held back. He and Oscar both tested me ruthlessly, sparing no mercy when it came to discipline or focus. But there was a strange rhythm to those sessions now, a pulse that existed somewhere between pain and... something else.


    Flirtation, maybe.


    "Your stance is slipping again," Oscar murmured one evening, circling behind me as we sparred. His breath brushed the back of my neck, sending goosebumps racing across my skin.


    "I¡¯m tired," I muttered, raising my staff again.


    "Then you¡¯ll learn to fight tired," he said softly, his tone far too smooth for the words to beforting.


    He moved suddenly, disarming me in one swift move and catching me before I fell. His arm wrapped around my waist, holding me just close enough that I could feel his heartbeat against my back.


    "Better," he whispered.


    River, watching from nearby, just shook his head. "You are supposed to be teaching her bnce, not distracting her."


    Oscar grinned without looking away from me. "Distraction builds focus. Don¡¯t you agree, little healer?"


    I turned my head slightly, trying - and failing - to hide my smile. "I think you just like having an excuse to touch me."


    "Always," he murmured, low enough for only me to hear.


    Those moments - light, teasing, charged - made the exhaustion bearable. Between Elder Ren¡¯s endless lessons and the brothers¡¯ relentless training, I barely had time to breathe. Yet somehow, I could feel myself improving - physically, mentally, magically.


    Maybe I was finally learning how to bnce both worlds.


    By the timest week before exam arrived, the Academy was buzzing like a hive of anxious bees. Everyone was either studying, panicking, or pretending not to panic.


    The library became my second home.


    Tonight was no exception. The grand hall was quieter than usual, most students having already returned to their dorms. Only a few dimmps lit the first and ground floor, leaving most of the space cloaked in a soft golden darkness.


    I had been studying alone for hours, surrounded by stacks of notes, a single candle burning low beside me. My neck ached, my eyes burned, and the faint tick of the library clock told me it was almost eleven thirty. Curfew was in thirty minutes.


    I rubbed my eyes, closing my notebook. "Enough," I muttered to myself. "One more page and I¡¯ll start dreaming about potion equations."


    Gathering my books and papers, I tucked them into my bag and slung it over my shoulder. The library was nearly empty now... eerily so. The only sound was the faint rustle of pages turning somewhere below, probably from one of the night schrs.


    As I walked through the rows of shelves, my footsteps echoed faintly against the marble floor. The air smelled faintly of parchment and candle wax, and the silence pressed around me like a thick nket.


    Just as I reached the second-floor balcony, ready to descend the staircase, something shifted in the air.


    A faint rustle.


    My eyes had just started to adjust to the darker section when...


    A hand shot out of the shadows.


    Before I could react, it mped around my arm and yanked me hard into the narrow space between the shelves.

 Chapter 446: In The Darkness of Library

    <h4>Chapter 446: In The Darkness of Library</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t gasp. I didn¡¯t pull back.


    Because I already knew.


    The scent - sharp, deep, and edged with the faintest trace of forest - wrapped around me before I even collided with the solid wall of muscle behind me. My back met the familiar firmness of his chest, and the breath that escaped me wasn¡¯t fear. It was relief.


    Draven.


    Of course it was him.


    I had felt his presence from the moment he had entered the library. His presence was like a quiet ripple under my skin - impossible to ignore once I had sensed it. He hadn¡¯t approached me then, though. He had lingered in the dark, patient and silent, as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Typical him.


    A smile tugged at my lips even before I turned to face him. "You do realize, sneaking up on me doesn¡¯t really work anymore, right?" I whispered.


    His reply came in a low murmur right beside my ear, warm enough to make my pulse stumble. "Maybe not. But it¡¯s still worth trying."


    Before I could answer, another familiar warmth appeared behind me - softer this time, yful. Strong arms circled my waist, and a chin restedzily on my shoulder.


    "Oscar," I breathed, half exasperated, half amused.


    He chuckled against my neck, the sound sending tiny shivers down my spine. "You take all the fun out of it now, sweetheart. You sense us before we even get a chance to surprise you."


    I turned my head slightly to meet his teasing grin in the darkness. "Maybe because you two always smell like trouble."


    Draven stepped closer until I was pressed between both of them, his body solid at my front, Oscar¡¯s warmth firm at my back. Draven tilted his head, his expression unreadable in the shadows, though I could see his smirk. "She¡¯s not wrong," he muttered.


    Oscarughed softly. "Says the one who started this."


    I rolled my eyes and reached up, knocking my knuckles against Oscar¡¯s forehead - not too hard, but enough to make him blink. "You are getting influenced by his stupid ns," I said, folding my arms with mock severity.


    That earned me a look of wounded pride from Draven. "Stupid ns?" He echoed, a handnding over his heart in feigned offense. "It seems like you have forgotten how my ns have made some very... memorable moments for you, little star."


    His voice dipped low at the end, enough to make my stomach tighten.


    He leaned in, close enough that the space between us barely existed. My breath caught as his lips hovered just inches from mine. "Remember?" he murmured, his tone softer now, carrying something unspoken - a history only we shared.


    And of course, I remembered.


    I remembered every single one.


    I tried to keep my expression neutral, but I could feel the heat crawling up my neck, betraying me. "I don¡¯t know what you are talking about," I said, aiming for steady and failing miserably.


    Oscar chuckled behind me, his breath brushing the side of my neck. "Oh, you know exactly what we are talking about."


    I swatted lightly at the arm around my waist, even though I didn¡¯t really want him to let go. "You two are impossible," I murmured.


    Draven¡¯s eyes gleamed faintly in the shadows. "And you love us for it."


    He wasn¡¯t wrong.


    But I still tried to protest. "It¡¯s almost midnight. I need to get back to the dorm before curfew."


    That only earned me twin looks of disbelief - one from the front, one from behind.


    Draven arched an eyebrow. "You do realize we all know about the secret tunnels now, right?"


    Oscar¡¯s hold tightened slightly as he added, "So what¡¯s the real excuse, darling?"


    I looked from one to the other and sighed, feeling cornered in more ways than one. "Fine. I¡¯m tired, okay? sses, training, exams... I just want to sleep."


    But my voice faltered when Draven brushed a strand of hair from my face. The gesture was gentle, almost reverent... the kind of touch that carried a thousand unspoken things.


    <fnd86f> Latest content published on find?novel</fnd86f>


    "Then sleep," he said quietly, "after this."


    Before I could ask what this was supposed to mean, his lips brushed the edge of my jaw. Not quite a kiss... just a whisper of warmth, fleeting and soft.


    And then another, lower, at the side of my neck.


    Oscar followed suit on the other side, his lips tracing the curve of my shoulder where the fabric of my blouse had slipped. My knees nearly gave out from under me.


    "I thought you two were just here to tease me," I managed, though the words came out more like a sigh than aint.


    Oscar¡¯sugh was low, his lips still against my skin. "Maybe we are."


    Draven murmured, "Or maybe we missed you too much."


    The world around us seemed to fade into silence. The library¡¯s quiet felt thicker now, filled with the rustle of breath, the soft brush of hands and the faint thud of my racing heart.


    I didn¡¯t even remember closing my eyes, but I must have, because the next thing I felt was Draven¡¯s hand cupping the side of my face. His thumb brushed over my cheekbone, tilting my chin just slightly.


    "Eva..." he whispered... not demanding, not coaxing, just there.


    And when our lips met, it wasn¡¯t urgent. It was slow - drawn-out, searching. A kiss that spoke of too many missed days and too little time. I melted against him, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt.


    Oscar¡¯s hold stayed steady at my waist, grounding me, his touch firm butforting. I could feel his heartbeat pressed against my back, matching mine beat for beat.


    When Draven finally pulled back, barely an inch of distance between us, his breath mingled with mine. "You still taste like trouble," he murmured.


    Iughed softly, the sound barely audible. "That¡¯s rich,ing from you."


    Oscar¡¯s chuckle rumbled against me. "We should probably let her go before she¡¯s caught breaking curfew."


    "Five more minutes," Draven muttered, earning a yful smack on the arm from me.


    "You said thatst time," I reminded him, but even as I said it, my voice softened.


    He smiled - that rare, fleeting smile that made the rest of the world disappear. "Then maybe this time I mean it."


    And so, for five stolen minutes more, I let them keep me there - between warmth and darkness, between two heartbeats that had somehow be my own rhythm.


    When they finally let go, I was breathless but lighter, a quiet ache reced by something softer, steadier.


    As I descended the stairs, the clock struck five minutes before midnight.


    I nced back once... at the shadowed aisle where they still stood, watching. Draven¡¯s hand lifted in a silent wave, Oscar¡¯s grin flickering in the faint light.


    I smiled back, whispering to the empty air, "Goodnight."

 Chapter 447: One Enemy Less

    <h4>Chapter 447: One Enemy Less</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The morning air carried the faint scent of rain-soaked earth, the kind that made Silver Moon¡¯s stone walls gleam faintly under the cloudy sky. The Academy felt different today - quieter somehow, the usual rush of students dulled to soft murmurs and the asional footsteps.


    It was the calm before the storm. The morning before the first day of exams.


    <fna100> Updates are released by find?novel</fna100>


    No sses, no training, no early lectures... just time to rest or cram whatever we could before facing the week that would decide everything.


    I had barely managed four hours of sleep. Betweente-night revision and sneaking through secret passages to meet my son, my brain felt like it was being kept awake purely by stress. Still, I forced myself to smile as I joined my friends, all of us walking toward the dining hall together.


    The chatter around me helped drown out the fatigue - Kyros was quizzing Ria on potionbinations, Noah was making bets on how many students would faint during tomorrow¡¯s Runes practical test, and Selene looked like she would rather skip the exams altogether and join the warriors¡¯ ranks immediately.


    We were halfway across the central courtyard when I saw her.


    Celeste.


    And, of course, her ever-present group of admirers - three girls and two boys, all dressed impably even on a rest day. They were walking from the opposite side of the courtyard, the rhythmic click of Celeste¡¯s high heels echoing faintly against the stone.


    For a heartbeat, I considered pretending not to notice. But it seemed fate enjoyed watching me walk straight into awkward encounters.


    Both groups came to a halt, facing each other almost perfectly at the courtyard¡¯s midpoint.


    The air thickened.


    Celeste¡¯s gaze swept over me, slow and deliberate, from head to toe. But the usual flicker of disdain I had grown used to seeing in her eyes wasn¡¯t there. In fact, there was something else, something almost... thoughtful.


    I braced myself for whatever snidement she would throw next.


    But instead, she smiled.


    A real smile.


    "Good luck on your exams, Evaline," she said. Her tone was calm, even polite.


    Then, before I could even react, she turned and walked past me with her friends, her hair swaying behind her like a banner of truce.


    For a moment, all I could do was blink.


    Her friends followed, though not without a few of them stealing nces back at me - some openly admiring, others with that kind of look that made me want to hide behind Rowan.


    When Celeste and her group finally turned the corner and disappeared, silence lingered for a beat too long.


    Then Noah¡¯s voice broke through, incredulous and loud enough to make a few nearby students look at us.


    "Okay, what in the actual moon was that? Did <i>Her Highness</i> just wish you good luck? Are we in an alternate dimension right now?"


    Kyros stifled augh, and Selena nearly choked on thin air.


    "I¡¯m as shocked as you are," I admitted, still staring at the spot where Celeste had stood seconds ago. "I was fully prepared for an insult. I hadebacks ready."


    Mallory, however, didn¡¯t seem half as surprised. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her usual analytical expression settling in. "Actually," she said thoughtfully, "I think I know what¡¯s going on."


    We all turned to her.


    She crossed her arms, her voice taking on that tone she used when she was piecing together theories. "Think about it. Celeste¡¯s little rivalry with you started when you were working as River¡¯s intern, right? She was obsessed with him. But ever since you stopped working for River and... well, since those rumors started about you and Draven..."


    Her eyes flicked meaningfully toward me.


    "Her hostility toward you has been fading. Maybe she doesn¡¯t see you aspetition anymore."


    Noah nodded slowly. "So you are saying she¡¯s stopped hating Eva because she thinks she has nothing to do with River anymore?"


    "Exactly," Mallory said. "And since Celeste¡¯s set to graduate after these exams, she probably doesn¡¯t care enough to start another feud now."


    It made sense.


    Actually, it made perfect sense.


    I let out a quiet sigh, relief slipping through me. "That would exin why she¡¯s been ignoring metely instead of ring holes through my back."


    "Honestly," Selene added with a grin, "I¡¯m kind of sad. Watching her fail at being subtle was fun."


    Ria giggled. "Oh, just wait until she finds out you are more than just friends with you-know-who. And the others." She leaned closer, eyes gleaming mischievously. "Imagine that look of horror on her perfect face."


    That made the whole groupugh, even I couldn¡¯t hold back my smile.


    The tension that had hovered earlier melted away as we finally resumed walking. I shook my head, smiling faintly. "Let¡¯s not wish her emotional trauma before exams. As a final year student, she has enough to study for."


    The dining hall was already half full when we entered - students scattered around, textbooks and scrolls sprawled across tables as they studied between bites of breakfast. The scent of warm bread, honey, and spiced tea drifted through the air, making my stomach grumble audibly.


    We made our way toward our usual table near the window. I had just set my tray down when I felt it... his gaze.


    Draven.


    I didn¡¯t need to look to know where he was sitting. His energy had always been impossible to ignore, like a storm humming just beneath the surface. Still, curiosity got the better of me, and I risked a nce toward the far end of the hall.


    There he was, surrounded by his group of friends. Dressed in casual dark clothes, sleeves rolled to his elbows, hair a little tousled as if he hadn¡¯t bothered to fix it that morning. His eyes, however, were sharp and fixed... on me.


    I tried to focus on my breakfast, tried to listen to Noah and Kyros arguing about whether the theory section of Herbs and Potions would be harder than the practical, but my attention kept drifting back to Draven.


    Then, suddenly, there were movements.


    He and his friends were walking toward us.

 Chapter 448: The Confrontation in the Corridor

    <h4>Chapter 448: The Confrontation in the Corridor</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My fork froze halfway to my mouth.


    Conversations across the hall began to quiet down as the group approached, led by Draven himself. Every step he took carried the kind of unintentionalmand that made people instinctively move out of the way.


    He stopped beside our table, ncing at my friends first. "Mind if we join you?"


    I could almost hear the collective <i>what?!</i> in everyone¡¯s heads.


    There wasn¡¯t even a single empty chair. But of course, that didn¡¯t stop my friends.


    "Of course not!" Noah said quickly, practically beaming. "Sit wherever you like!"


    And as if that invitation was magic, the students at the next table - who had been quietly eating - caught Draven¡¯s brief nce and immediately stood with their trays in hand, fleeing as though chased by devil. Within seconds, the table was empty.


    My friends scrambled to make space. Ria, who had been sitting to my left, stood up so fast her chair scraped against the floor. "Here, Draven," she said with a polite smile. "You can sit here." Then she moved to the newly emptied table nearby.


    I blinked at her, then at Draven as he took the offered seat beside me.


    Every eye in the dining hall seemed to be on us. Conversations had quieted again, reced by the faint tter of silverware and low murmurs.


    Draven didn¡¯t seem to notice... or maybe he just didn¡¯t care. He set his tray down, looking calm as ever, and nced sideways at me. His lips curved slightly. "Morning, sweetheart."


    I stared at him for a heartbeat too long, still processing how casually he had just invaded my breakfast. "Morning..." I finally managed. "What are you doing here?"


    He leaned back slightly, his tone smooth and unbothered. "Having breakfast. With you."


    Simple words, but they had my pulse racing all the same... because I wasn¡¯t the only one hearing his responses, the entire dining hall was.


    Across the table, Mallory hid her grin behind her cup, and Noah was doing a terrible job pretending not to be amused.


    Draven just picked up his fork and started eating as if it were the most normal thing in the world,pletely ignoring the weight of the entire dining hall¡¯s collective attention.


    On the other hand, I wasn¡¯t sure whether tough, hide, or melt right into the floor.


    I was still lost in my thoughts when he suddenly covered my hand with his own - the one resting on the table and in clear view of several people. His fingers brushed mine casually, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. But the simple touch sent a wave of murmurs rippling across the room. My heart raced. I could sense my friends trying not to stare, their eyes darting between us and the other curious students pretending not to watch.


    Draven¡¯s hand stayed on mine, warm and firm. "Eat," he murmured, low enough for only me to hear, his thumb tracing slow circles on the back of my hand. "You barely touched your food."


    "I¡¯m not hungry," I whispered back, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my neck.


    "Hmm." His lips curved faintly. "Then at least pretend. You don¡¯t want everyone thinking I starve my girlfriend, do you?"


    That word - girlfriend - made me froze. And around us, gasps spread like wildfire. My friends gawked openly now. I heard Ria¡¯s faint giggle somewhere to my left, and Noah muttering something under his breath.


    Draven leaned closer, his shoulder brushing mine. "You look exhausted," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that only I could hear. "Did you sleep at allst night, sweetheart?"


    My lips parted, but no sound came out. The pet name. The warmth in his tone. The absolute audacity of doing this here, in front of everyone.


    He reached over and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing the side of my neck - deliberate, teasing. I could practically hear a few girls choking on their food.


    "Eat," he repeated softly, as if his touch hadn¡¯t just made my entire face go up in mes.


    And because I had no idea what else to do, I obeyed. I focused on my te, pushing food around just to give myself something to do. He didn¡¯t look away once. Not even when someone dropped a tray across the room or when whispers rose like buzzing bees. He wanted people to see this... to see us.


    When I finally finished, I muttered a quiet, "I¡¯ll see youter," and stood before anyone could stop me. I could still feel the stares following me out the dining hall door.


    The corridor outside was blissfully quieter... until it wasn¡¯t.


    "Evaline," a familiar voice drawled, dripping with satisfaction.


    I didn¡¯t even need to look up. Nadine and her little entourage were waiting halfway down the corridor, looking like a pack of wolves smelling blood.


    Nadine crossed her arms, a smug little smile ying on her lips. "Well, well. Looks like the rumors were true after all."


    I met her gaze calmly. "Good morning to you too, Nadine."


    Her smile widened, her eyes glinting. "I must say, I¡¯m impressed. Draven Thorne, huh? You certainly know how to aim high."


    Her tone wasn¡¯t mocking for once... if anything, it was oddly satisfied. She didn¡¯t look angry. Probably because she thought my involvement with Draven meant I was no longer a threat to Kieran.


    But her friend Mary... her expression was another story. If looks could kill, I would have been six feet under already. The hostility in her eyes was sharp enough to cut through steel.


    I didn¡¯t respond. I just tried to walk past them, not wanting to create a scene, especially the day before exams.


    That is, until one of the girls reached out and grabbed my arm. Hard.


    "Hey-"


    Before she could even finish, I twisted sharply, grabbing her wrist and turning it just enough to make her gasp and stumble. "Don¡¯t," I said evenly, meeting her wide, shock-filled eyes. "Ever touch me like that again."


    Her friends stared, shocked. I let go instantly... I hadn¡¯t really hurt her, just made my point.


    "I¡¯m not in the mood to entertain anyone today," I added, my voice low but steady. "So stay out of my way."


    I turned to leave again, but Mary¡¯s voice stopped me.


    "Don¡¯t get toofortable, Rogue," she hissed, stepping forward, her wordsced with venom. "Just because you are dating Draven doesn¡¯t mean anything. You think you are special? You are just a pretty distraction. He¡¯ll get tired of you soon enough."


    I tilted my head, meeting her re with a faint smile. "Oh?"


    She sneered. "Once he finds someone better, someone real, he¡¯ll drop you without a second thought. Guys like him don¡¯t stay with girls like you. You are nothing but-"


    "Careful," I cut in softly, my eyes narrowing. "You are talking about my boyfriend."


    Mary froze.


    I smiled sweetly, letting her words hang there before adding, "But by all means, keep dreaming. Maybe one day you¡¯ll be lucky enough to even talk to him."


    Nadine¡¯s gaze hardened a little. While Mary clenched her fists.


    I took a small step closer, lowering my voice to a whisper just for Mary. "And if you are that curious... yes," I said, smiling wider, "he tastes absolutely amazing."


    <fna42b> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? F¦Énd£Îovel</fna42b>


    Her jaw dropped.


    But before I could turn to walk away, a familiar throat cleared behind me.


    My breath hitched.


    I turned slowly... and there he was.


    Kieran.


    The hallway went dead silent.


    And my heart? It skipped several beats all at once.


    <i>Perfect</i>, I thought faintly. <i>Just perfect</i>.

 Chapter 449: Long Days of Exams

    <h4>Chapter 449: Long Days of Exams</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The first thing that hit me when I turned and saw Kieran standing there wasn¡¯t shock... it was mortification.


    <fnd1db> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find?novel</fnd1db>


    Every word I had just said to Mary echoed back in my head with perfect rity, especially the part where I had told her how Draven <i>tasted</i>.


    Oh Moon above...


    My body went still, the air suddenly feeling too heavy to breathe. Kieran¡¯s eyes were locked on me, unreadable yet sharp enough to make the girls around us shrink in on themselves. I could practically feel the waves of tension rippling through the hallway.


    Nadine¡¯s attention, predictably, wasn¡¯t on me at all anymore. She was staring at <i>him</i> - her lips slightly parted, her posture straightening just enough to make her chest push forward. I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes.


    I drew in a slow breath and forced my expression into calm neutrality. <i>Don¡¯t react. </i>That was the key.


    So I did the only thing that felt right. I turned to Nadine and her group, gave them a polite - almost too sweet - smile, and said softly, "See you girls around."


    Then I looked back at Kieran, schooling my face intoposure despite the heat creeping up my neck. "Good morning, Professor."


    He didn¡¯t reply right away, just kept looking at me, his gaze steady and assessing, before finally nodding once. I didn¡¯t dare meet his eyes for more than a heartbeat.


    I kept my expression straight and walked past all of them, head high, refusing to let them see how flustered I actually was inside. Behind me, I heard faint whispers - Mary¡¯s nervous stammer, Nadine¡¯s low murmur, and the ufortable shuffling of feet. Apparently, realizing they¡¯d been caught gossiping about Draven by his brother had been enough to drain the fight out of them.


    I turned the corner, exhaling only when I was sure I was out of sight. A momentter, I spotted Mallory, Noah, Selene, Ria, Rowan, and Kyros heading toward me, clearly searching for where I had gone.


    "There you are!" Ria said, slightly out of breath. "What happened? You just bolted out of the hall."


    "Nothing," I said, managing a smile. "Just ran into Nadine¡¯s group."


    The grimace that passed through everyone¡¯s faces was almostical.


    "Again?" Noah groaned. "Those girls seriously need a new hobby."


    "Please tell me you punched one of them this time," Mallory teased.


    "Almost," I muttered. "But I controlled myself."


    That made themugh, easing the tension in my shoulders. Together, we made our way back toward the dorms, talking about the uing exams, the endless revisions we still had left to do, and the general anxiety that was settling over every student on campus.


    - - -


    The ten days that followed were pure torture.


    From sunrise to midnight, every hour of my life seemed dictated by books, study guides, and notes. My friends and I practically lived in the library - surviving on coffee, determination, and the asional motivational lecture from Kyros whenever one of us started spiraling.


    The written exams were brutal. Silver Moon Academy didn¡¯t believe in going easy, especially on first-year students who had to prove their worth. Every subject, be it theoretical tests or practicals, pushed us to our limits.


    The days blurred together, marked only by sunrise, exhaustion, and the asional moments ofughter with my friends when we dared to dream about holidays that felt so far away.


    By the tenth day, it finally felt like the end of a war.


    The subject was - Lunar Energy and Moon Cycle - one of the most difficult yet fascinating topics. The exam was held from six in the evening to nine, during the peak of the waxing moon. The silvery light filtering through the enchanted ss ceiling made the entire examination hall glow faintly blue.


    I took my seat, inhaling deeply as I looked down at the parchment before me. The first few questions were theoretical, but as the minutes passed, the problems grew increasingly intricate. I lost track of time, lost in calctions and energy-flow diagrams.


    When the bell finally rang, signaling the end, a collective sigh of relief rose around the room.


    "It¡¯s over," Mallory whispered behind me, slumping in her chair.


    Noah leaned back, stretching his arms with a groan. "If anyone asks me what the moon means ever again, I swear I¡¯ll start howling."


    That made everyoneugh - even the professor monitoring us smiled faintly before reminding us to leave quietly.


    We filed out of the examination hall into the cool night air, a sense of freedom settling over us for the first time in weeks.


    The Academy grounds were alive with chatter. Students wereughing, some even shouting with joy, a few copsing onto the grass in mock exhaustion.


    Ria looped her arm through mine. "Dinner?" she asked, her eyes shining.


    "Definitely," I said, smiling for what felt like the first time all week.


    The dining hall buzzed with noise when we arrived. Students from all years were there, celebrating the end of exams. The tension that had gripped the Academy for the past ten days seemed to have vanished, reced byughter, music, and the clinking of sses.


    Our group found our usual table, though this time, we didn¡¯t even bother with study notes or discussions. We just... rxed. Ate. Talked about everything except academics.


    Somewhere across the hall, I caught sight of Draven and his friends. His gaze met mine briefly, and he lifted his ss in silent acknowledgment.


    I smiled faintly and turned back to my friends. Tonight wasn¡¯t about politics, power, or whispered rumors. It was simply about surviving.


    As the meal went on, students began talking excitedly about the week ahead.


    The Academy had announced that the holidays would begin in one week, giving everyone time to unwind before heading home. The day before the break, the final exam results would be announced, followed by the ¡¯End of Year Ball¡¯, where students would celebrate their aplishments and, as tradition demanded, dance under the light of the half moon.


    It was going to be the first ball I¡¯d ever attend at Silver Moon Academy.


    And as I listened to my friends making ns - Ria gushing about dresses, Noah joking about avoiding dance lessons, Mallory already debating hairstyles - I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    For the first time in a long while, life at the Academy felt almost... normal.


    <i>Almost...</i>

 Chapter 450: Cheers and Congratulations

    <h4>Chapter 450: Cheers and Congrattions</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The white fabric of my dress caught thete morning light streaming in from the dorm window, glowing faintly against my skin. I turned in front of the full-length mirror, smoothing my palms over the fitted waistline onest time.


    The dress was elegant - simple but graceful - with its soft flow that brushed against my legs when I moved.


    Behind me, Mallory was fussing with thest curl of my hair. "There," she said finally, stepping back and tilting her head. "Perfect. You look like a snow goddess."


    I smiled faintly. "You have been saying that since you started curling my hair."


    "Because it¡¯s true," she insisted, folding her arms and eyeing me with an exaggeratedly approving look. "Honestly, Eva, if you don¡¯t end up stealing the whole ceremony, I¡¯ll be shocked."


    I turned back toward the mirror. The reflection that looked back at me made even me pause. The white of my dressplemented the silver of my hair so seamlessly that I almost looked ethereal... like I didn¡¯t quite belong to this world. The simplicity of the look made it even more striking.


    My makeup was light, just enough to entuate my features. A little gloss, a faint shimmer on my eyelids, and a dusting of blush that Mallory insisted on because, in her words, "You need to look alive, not like some divine ghost."


    My jewelry was minimal too - just a pair of small pearl earrings and the charm bracelet I always wore.


    I wasn¡¯t one to preen in front of mirrors for long, but I couldn¡¯t deny it. I did look nice. And, perhaps, a small part of me was happy knowing that Draven had helped pick this dress out.


    He had been oddly quiet that day while I¡¯d tried on different outfits, but his gaze had lingered the longest when I stepped out wearing this one. He had only said one thing - <i>That¡¯s the one.</i>


    Now, as I stood here an hour before the ceremony, I could understand what he meant.


    "Ready?" Mallory asked, grinning at my reflection.


    "As I¡¯ll ever be."


    She sped her hands together. "Good, because if I have to sit through another hour of speeches on an empty stomach, I¡¯m dragging you out halfway through."


    Iughed. "You can¡¯t do that. The whole Academy will be there."


    "Doesn¡¯t mean they can stop me," she said under her breath, earning a snort from me.


    When we stepped out of the dorm, the corridors were already buzzing with students dressed in their finest. Some were nervously adjusting ties, others were huddled in small groups, whispering predictions about who would win which awards. The anticipation was infectious.


    The auditorium had been transformed for the day - soft golden lights lined the walls, the Academy¡¯s crest shimmered on the massive banner behind the stage, and a low hum of chatter filled the air. Long rows of chairs had been arranged neatly, and the scent of polished wood and freshly cut flowers hung faintly.


    The ceremony began promptly at ten. The moment Kieran walked in with the rest of the professors, the entire hall quieted, the sound of apuse echoing like thunder.


    He looked effortlesslyposed in his dark formal attire, his posture straight andmanding. But when his eyes briefly met mine from across the crowd, I caught the faintest flicker of warmth there.


    The ceremony began with the older years first.


    For each year, the top three students were called to the stage. As they went up, speeches were made about their dedication, growth, and achievements. Proud cheers erupted from their friends, teachers smiled from the front rows, and camera shes went off in intervals.


    The fourth-year toppers were introduced first - students who had spent their years preparing for leadership, for the packs they would soon return to or the institutions they would join. Apuse followed each name, a blend of pride and bittersweet farewell.


    And I wasn¡¯t the slightest bit surprised to hear Celeste¡¯s name among them.


    Then came the third years, then the second. I pped with a big smile when Draven got up on the stage to ept his award foring at top in his year.


    And finally, the Head of the Student Council took the stage to announce the first-year top scorers.


    "The following students have not only demonstrated exceptional academic performance," he began, his voice carrying over the hall, "but have also shown remarkable perseverance, discipline, and adaptability through their first year here at Silver Moon Academy."


    I took a slow breath. I wasn¡¯t nervous... exactly. But my hands still fidgeted slightly in myp.


    "In first ce," he continued, "Miss Evaline."


    The apuse that followed was loud... louder than I expected. My friends were on their feet instantly, cheering and whistling as I rose. My heart pounded with a strange mix of pride and disbelief.


    As I walked toward the stage, the crowd blurred a little. I caught sight of Oscar in the front row with the other faculty and guests, his expression unreadable but his gaze fixed solely on me.


    <fnaf88> Fresh chapters posted on FindN0vel</fnaf88>


    The two visiting Alphas - Alpha Raine and Alpha Morgan - stood on the stage, both offering me warm smiles. I had met them before during my internship at the Council headquarters.


    "Well done, Miss Evaline," Alpha Raine said as he handed me the certificate and a small crystal que engraved with my name.


    "Thank you," I managed, smiling.


    "Bncing the Council work and your studies couldn¡¯t have been easy," Alpha Morgan added. "You have done exceptionally well, youngdy."


    "Thank you, Alpha," I said again, bowing my head slightly.


    When I turned to face the audience for the photograph, I could feel the warmth of their pride... and something heavier, too. A weight of expectations.


    But for the first time in a long time, it didn¡¯t feel suffocating.


    Kyros and Nadine joined me on stage soon after. Kyros looked confident as ever, shing me a grin, while Nadine¡¯s smile was smaller, more subdued.


    The apuse echoed once more as Kieran took the podium, and then the hall fell into silence again.


    "Every year," he began, his deep voice carrying across the space, "Silver Moon Academy takes pride in nurturing the brightest minds and the strongest hearts of our kind. But brilliance and strength mean little without discipline, humility, andpassion."


    His gaze swept across the crowd, sharp yet calm. "This year has tested us more than any before. We have faced a lot. Yet here we stand - resilient, united, and stronger."


    There was a brief pause. His eyes found me again. "To our students, especially those who have ovee challenges beyond measure... you have my respect."


    Something in my chest tightened.


    Apuse followed again, louder than before.


    He concluded the speech by thanking the faculty, congratting the students, and inviting everyone to the dining hall for the luncheon. The rest of the noon passed in a pleasant blur ofughter, chatter, and congrattions.


    Everywhere I turned, people were smiling, teachers stopping me to say kind words.


    It was all... surreal.


    And now, it was time for the Year End Ball.


    * * *


    <strong>Author¡¯s Note:</strong>


    I hope you all don¡¯t find these Chapters dragging. Though I do want to speed up the plot, I just can¡¯t erase these important moments of Eva¡¯s life as a student at Silver Moon. But worry not, I have something really crazy prepared for you all :)

 Chapter 451: Alone in Misery

    <h4>Chapter 451: Alone in Misery</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    I never understood why people enjoyed such events. The lights, the music, the polite chatter that was neither honest nor interesting... it all made my skin crawl.


    The ballroom gleamed with golden chandeliers and mirrored walls, the orchestra ying a soft waltz in the background, the scent of polished wood, perfume, and wine blending into something that felt suffocating.


    I stood near one of the tall columns, with a ss of something fizzy in hand that I hadn¡¯t touched in ten minutes, and smiling politely at the group of instructors gathered around me. They were talking about something or other... but my attention had long since drifted. My mind was elsewhere.


    To be more specific, it was near the ballroom entrance.


    Every few seconds, my gaze flicked toward those double doors. I did it subtly, of course, but not subtly enough to fool anyone who might have been watching closely.


    Draven was nowhere to be seen... not surprising, since my younger brother usually arrived fashionablyte. Kieran, on the other hand, stood across the hall, deep in conversation with Alpha Raine and Alpha Morgan. As headmaster, it was his duty to entertain the chief guests, and I knew better than to hope my older brother woulde rescue me from the tedium of small talk.


    Still, that didn¡¯t stop me from silently begging for it.


    I nodded absently to ament from Professor Halloway, pretending to listen while my eyes again darted toward the entrance. Nothing. No trace of <i>her</i>.


    My jaw tightened.


    Where was she?


    I had been waiting since I stepped inside the ballroom about fifteen minutes ago. Waiting for that one moment... when she would walk through the doors and my world would just... stop.


    I didn¡¯t even bother lying to myself about it anymore. She had that effect on me. She always had.


    A light tap on my shoulder pulled me out of my thoughts.


    "Waiting for someone, Instructor Thorne?"


    I turned and found Professor Varys studying me with a knowing smile. The older man¡¯s sharp eyes missed nothing, apparently... not even my not-so-subtle nces toward the door.


    "Hmm?" I yed it off smoothly, giving the man a cool, polite smile. "Just wondering when the students will finally start arriving so this whole thing can begin."


    Professor Varys chuckled. "And end, I assume?"


    I allowed myself a wry smirk. "You know me too well, Professor."


    "Indeed I do." The man¡¯sughter was low and knowing. "You have never been one for social gatherings. Though I must admit, you look like you would rather be anywhere but here."


    "You are not wrong," I replied dryly.


    Before Varys could respond, a new voice interrupted us.


    "Instructor Thorne," came the calm tone of Instructor Corey. "If I may steal you for a moment. We need to finalize the dispatch orders for the warriors during the break."


    I almost sighed aloud but managed to school my features. "Of course."


    The conversation was all duty - numbers, locations, patrol schedules, the uing security arrangements for the holidays. My responses were crisp, efficient, and detached, as always. But even as I spoke, something inside me stirred.


    A quiet, familiar pull.


    I felt her before I saw her.


    It was always like that. A subtle shift in the air, a flutter deep in my chest, a sudden awareness that belonged only to her.


    I turned my head slowly toward the entrance just as the grand doors of the ballroom were pushed open.


    A small group of students stepped inside,ughing softly, the sound swallowed by the music. But my gaze didn¡¯t linger on any of them... only <i>her</i>.


    Evaline.


    And Moon Goddess help me, she was breathtaking.


    For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.


    She wore ck. A sleek, off-shoulder gown that clung to her like a shadow carved from moonlight. The fabric shimmered faintly with every step she took, flowing effortlessly around her legs until the high slit revealed a glimpse of pale skin, smooth and wless beneath the soft glow of the chandeliers. The neckline dipped just enough to be daring, bnced by the long line of her neck and the elegant curve of her shoulders.


    Her hair - those silvery curls she had styled this morning - was now swept to one side, cascading like liquid starlight down her back. And speaking of her back... the gown¡¯s dangerously low cut revealed far too much for my sanity. The contrast between her pale skin and the dark fabric drew every eye in the hall, mine included.


    I swallowed hard.


    Her makeup was subtle - just a sweep of eyeliner, a whisper of shimmer around her eyes, and lips painted the faintest shade of rose. But it was her eyes that killed me. The warm amber of them reflected the lights, calm yet alive, confident yet unguarded.


    My mate.


    Every instinct in me screamed to move, to cross the distance between us, to pull her into my arms, to remind her and everyone else in this cursed room who she truly belonged to.


    But I couldn¡¯t.


    I couldn¡¯t ruin the illusion.


    Because to everyone else, she wasn¡¯t mine.


    She was Draven¡¯s.


    The thought barely formed when my younger brother appeared, emerging from the crowd like the devil himself. Draven¡¯s stride was unhurried, confident, but the look in his eyes when he saw her was enough to tell me that my brother was just as undone as I was.


    Draven didn¡¯t hold back.


    Within seconds, he reached her, his hand sliding around her waist in a way that made my chest tighten painfully. The entire hall turned to look, whispers rising immediately - half awe, half envy. And Draven, damn him, looked proud of it. Proud of her. Proud that everyone knew she was with him.


    My grip on my ss tightened, my knuckles whitening.


    I wasn¡¯t angry at Draven - not truly. I couldn¡¯t be. My brother was just ying the part the world expected him to. Protecting her in his own way.


    But still, it bothered me.


    Because while Draven was allowed to touch her, allowed to look at her like that, allowed to show the world what was his... I had to stand in the shadows, silent. Watching.


    I saw the way the other men looked at her too - the hunger, the awe, the admiration. Everyst one of them. I could almost read their thoughts, their wandering eyes, and each one ignited something possessive and primal inside me.


    I wanted to break every single gaze.


    To make them look away.


    To remind them she wasn¡¯t for them to admire.


    <fna8ca> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on f?ndnovel</fna8ca>


    My restraint hung by a thread.


    "Beautiful, isn¡¯t she?" came a voice beside me.


    I turned slightly. Professor Aldric had appeared, watching the same scene with a smile.


    "Draven and Evaline," the professor continued, shaking his head in mild amusement. "They look quite good together, don¡¯t they?"


    I forced my lips into a smile. "They really do."


    Aldric nodded, seemingly unaware of the storm brewing behind my calm eyes. "Young love. It¡¯s refreshing to see among all the politics and pressure."


    I hummed in response.


    I was happy for Draven... truly. But that didn¡¯t stop the ache. The longing. The silent yearning to hear someone say<i> ¡¯you and Evaline look good together¡¯.</i>


    I wanted to see herugh with me like that in public. To be the one she smiled at across the room. To have her look at me the way she was looking at Draven now.


    A low exhale slipped past my lips, quiet and controlled. I lifted his ss and took a slow sip, more for the sake of having something to do than any real thirst.


    Then, across the room, movement caught my eye.


    Kieran.


    He stood near the Alphas, his expression unreadable as ever. But I knew him too well. I could see it - the faint tightness in Kieran¡¯s jaw, the flicker of emotion he couldn¡¯t quite hide. His gaze was fixed on her too.


    For once, the sight didn¡¯t make me feel so alone in my misery.

 Chapter 452: The Year-End Ball

    <h4>Chapter 452: The Year-End Ball</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The ballroom glittered like a thousand stars had descended upon the Silver Moon Academy that night. Chandeliers shimmered with moonlight, crystal reflections dancing across the marble floor. Music drifted through the air - soft, elegant, timeless.


    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a small breath of wonder as I stepped in, surrounded by my friends.


    This was it - the night everyone had been waiting for.


    The moment we entered, the entire ballroom seemed to hum with energy. I could feel eyes turn toward us, but I didn¡¯t let it get to me. Instead, I smiled, clutching Mallory¡¯s arm as we made our way deeper into the crowd. My heels clicked softly against the floor, and for once, I didn¡¯t mind being in the center of attention. After all, everyone was dressed to impress tonight.


    Mallory¡¯s gown shimmered gold under the lights, while Selene looked ethereal in shades of lc. Ria¡¯s red gown red dramatically every time she turned, and Kyros, Noah, and Rowan looked surprisingly dashing in their suits.


    "Alright," Mallory whispered mischievously, leaning close once Draven stepped aside to talk to his friends. "Let¡¯s start by tasting everything that looks remotely edible before the seniors take over the tables."


    Iughed, shaking my head. "You are incorrigible."


    "Thank you," she replied with mock grace before pulling me toward the refreshment table.


    The air smelled sweet with the aroma of chocte fountains, vani pastries, and sparkling fruit punches. I grabbed a ss of sparkling water and then a small te of strawberry tarts.


    Noah joined us a minuteter, bncing two tes full of snacks. "Don¡¯t judge me," he said before stuffing a bite-sized pastry into his mouth.


    <fn20bc> The rightful source is FindN()vel</fn20bc>


    "Toote," I teased, and he grinned back at me.


    For a while, it was perfect. Weughed, gossiped, and teased each other, the music surrounding us like a dream. I could almost forget the chaos of exams, the nights of exhaustion, and even the three men who had their gazes fixed on me.


    Almost.


    Because no matter how much I tried to focus on my friends, my gaze... traitorous as ever... kept wandering.


    It didn¡¯t take me long to find him.


    Oscar stood near one of the marble pirs, dressed in ck that matched the shadows themselves. He wasn¡¯t doing anything special - just standing there, hands tucked in his pockets, talking to a few instructors. And yet, hemanded the entire room¡¯s attention. My heart skipped a beat every time his eyes flicked toward me, every time our gazes met for half a second too long before one of us looked away.


    And then there was Kieran - standing near the Alphas, calm and dignified as ever, hisposure masking the quiet intensity in his eyes. His ck suit was perfectly fitted, his green tie glinting faintly under the lights. When I caught him looking at me, my breath caught. He didn¡¯t smile... but there was a softness in his gaze, one that melted my chest.


    I quickly turned away, pretending to be invested in whatever Noah and Selene were arguing about.


    By the time the first set of upbeat music began, most of the students had gathered on the dance floor. Mallory grabbed my hand and pulled me with her before I could refuse.


    "Come on, it¡¯s thest night! You can¡¯t just stand there being pretty and mysterious," she scolded.


    Iughed, giving in. "Fine. But only if you don¡¯t step on my toes."


    "No promises!" she said cheerfully.


    And just like that, we were spinning and twirling,ughing so hard we could barely breathe. Selene and Ria joined us midway, theirughter echoing through the hall. Kyros was dragged in next and then Rowan, who ended up bumping into Mallory, nearly knocking her into the dessert table.


    We were chaos and joy and youth all rolled into one glittering moment.


    As the music changed to something softer, I excused myself to catch my breath, sipping on my drink again. My heart was still racing... not just from dancing, but from the fact that every time I looked up, I found one of them watching me.


    Oscar¡¯s gaze was heavy, almost tangible, burning across the room. Kieran¡¯s was more subtle - quiet admiration mixed with restraint. And I... I didn¡¯t know what to do with the way it made me feel.


    "Busy fantasizing about your men."


    The deep, familiar voice broke through my thoughts.


    I turned, and there he was... Draven.


    He looked unfairly good tonight. His suit was midnight blue, perfectly cut, but with no shirt underneath. The fabric clung to his shoulders, the deep V of his chest exposed enough to make my heart flutter. His hair was tousled just enough to look effortlessly perfect, and his emerald eyes were fixed on me in a way that made my pulse race.


    "How about including me in your fantasy?" he said, his voice low.


    I felt heat rise to my cheeks, even as I tried to y it cool. "Stop talking nonsense."


    He grinned, offering his hand. "Dance with me?"


    I smiled and ced my hand in his. "Always."


    The crowd parted slightly as we stepped onto the dance floor. The music slowed, the melody turning soft and romantic, and Draven¡¯s arm slipped around my waist. I ced my hand on his shoulder, feeling the warmth of his skin through the fabric.


    We swayed gently to the rhythm, his thumb brushing against the back of my hand. His scent surrounded me, familiar andforting all at once.


    "Everyone¡¯s staring," I murmured.


    "Let them," he whispered, leaning closer. "I want them to know you are mine."


    Before I could even respond, his lips were on mine.


    It wasn¡¯t a soft kiss. It was slow, deep, and filled with a kind of hunger that made the world around us blur. Gasps echoed through the ballroom, but I didn¡¯t care. I could only feel his hand at the small of my back, pulling me closer, and the steady thud of his heartbeat against my palm.


    For a moment, there was no Academy, no titles, no expectations... just us.


    When we finally pulled apart, breathless and dazed, the hall was alive with whispers and stares. Some faces looked shocked, others envious, and a few... like my friends... were practically glowing with excitement.


    Draven chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. "You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that."


    "I think you just made history," I teased, trying to steady my heartbeat.


    But before I could bask in the warmth of the moment, something strange caught my eye.


    Just below his corbone, where his jacket gaped open, I saw it... thin, ck veins running along his skin, dark and unnatural. My smile faltered.


    "Draven..." I whispered, frowning slightly. "What is that?"


    He followed my gaze, thenughed softly. "That? Probably just a bruise. I might have overdone my training session yesterday."


    I shook my head. "That doesn¡¯t look like a bruise. It¡¯s... I don¡¯t know how to even exin this."


    He brushed it off easily, his tone light. "Hey, don¡¯t worry. I feel fine. No pain, no weakness. Maybe it¡¯s just something minor."


    But I couldn¡¯t shake the unease curling inside me. If it was a bruise, it should have healed within minutes. Besides, it looked nothing like a bruise.


    "Still," I said softly, "it doesn¡¯t look right."


    He smiled, his fingers brushing my cheek. "You worry too much, sweetheart."


    Maybe I did. But something deep in my chest... something instinctual... whispered that this wasn¡¯t nothing. That whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t ordinary.


    And as he pulled me back into the dance, smiling as if nothing was wrong, I couldn¡¯t help but nce again at the ck veins, glinting faintly under the golden lights.


    They looked like shadows crawling beneath his skin.


    And no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, the uneasy feeling settled in my chest like a storm waiting to break.

 Chapter 453: Shadows Beneath the Skin

    <h4>Chapter 453: Shadows Beneath the Skin</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Everything was packed - my uniforms, clothes, daily necessities, my electronics... all now neatly tucked away in my suitcase. My bed was stripped bare, my shelves empty. The room that had been my little haven for months looked strangely unfamiliar now.


    I zipped my bagpack and exhaled, straightening up. My hands rested on my hips as I scanned the room one final time, making sure nothing was left behind. My heart felt oddly heavy, even though part of me was thrilled to go home - to the Thorne estate, to my mates and my son.


    It was officially the start of the 72-day holiday break. Nearly half the students had practically bolted right after breakfast... as if the gates were the doors to freedom. The rest had trickled out in groups through the morning, theirughter and chatter fading down the corridors until silence reced it.


    Now, only a few dozen students and a handful of faculty members remained behind. The usually vibrant campus felt like a ghost of itself - still beautiful, still grand, but eerily calm.


    Kieran had promised to drive us home, though he was still wrapping up somest-minute work. He always liked to make sure everything was in order before leaving, and since he was the Headmaster, I couldn¡¯t exactlyin.


    I sat on the edge of my bed, absently swinging my legs as I waited.


    Selene and Noah had already left right after breakfast. Kyros had left an hour after them, driving with Ria.


    I walked out of my room right as Mallory opened the dorm door and Jasper stepped inside.


    The moment she saw him, Mallory had squealed so loud I thought she would burst my eardrums.


    "Promise you¡¯ll call, okay?" she said for what must have been the tenth time as she pulled me into a tight hug.


    "Mal," Iughed, hugging her back just as tightly. "If you say it one more time, I¡¯ll actually start doubting that you <i>want</i> me to call."


    She grinned, her eyes shimmering. "Of course I do! You are my best friend, dummy. Now don¡¯t forget FaceTimes, random texts, and-"


    "-and gossip updates. I know, I know," I interrupted, smiling even as my throat tightened a little. "I¡¯ll miss you."


    Her voice softened. "I¡¯ll miss you too, Eva."


    We hugged once more before she finally left with Jasper. And then... it was just Rowan and me.


    He leaned casually against the doorframe, watching me in silence as I fiddled with my suitcase handles.


    "You don¡¯t have to wait with me, Rowan," I told him after a while. "Really. Kieran will be here soon, and I¡¯ll be fine."


    He raised a brow, his tone light but firm. "I¡¯ll stay. Someone has to make sure you don¡¯t decide to go back to the library for the sixth time to check if you left something."


    I let out a shortugh, shaking my head. "I¡¯m sure I went there just twice."


    He smirked. "Is that so?"


    I rolled my eyes, but I didn¡¯t argue further. Truthfully, his presence wasforting. The room felt less empty with him there.


    That peacested all of five minutes before a soft knock sounded on the door.


    I didn¡¯t even need to check who it was. My pulse quickened instantly... I could feel him through our bond before I even reached for the handle.


    When I opened the door, Draven stood there, his familiar smirk curving his lips, that dark, effortless confidence rolling off him like heat.


    "Hey," I greeted, smiling before I could stop myself. "Why haven¡¯t you left yet? I thought you were on your way hours ago."


    "Was about to," he said, leaning against the doorframe with thatzy charm that always made my heart skip. "But I wanted to see you before I go."


    He looked good... too good, honestly. His casual ck t-shirt clung to him perfectly, sleeves pulled up to his forearms, the dark shadows beneath his eyes barely noticeable. But something about him still made me uneasy. Maybe it was because I hadn¡¯t stopped thinking about that strange patch of ck veins I had seenst night.


    Behind me, Rowan straightened, greeting Draven with a nod.


    "Thanks for staying with her," Draven said, ncing at him. "Appreciate it."


    Rowan¡¯s response was curt. "I¡¯m not doing it for you."


    Draven¡¯s grin widened slightly, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Fair enough."


    And with that, Rowan muttered something about needing to make a call and stepped out, leaving me alone with Draven.


    The second the door clicked shut, I turned back to him, my smile fading.


    He raised an eyebrow. "What?"


    "You know exactly what," I said, taking a step closer.


    He blinked, clearly caught off guard by my tone. "Uh, I don¡¯t?"


    Without answering, I reached forward and tugged at the hem of his t-shirt.


    His smirk returned instantly. "Eva, if you wanted to jump me before I left, all you had to do was ask."


    I gave him a re sharp enough to make him chuckle, but he didn¡¯t resist when I pulled the cor of his shirt down slightly.


    And there it was.


    The ck veins.


    They were still there... much more obvious in the morning light. They looked darker, more defined, creeping just a little further than they hadst night.


    My heart dropped.


    "Draven," I whispered, my fingers trembling slightly as I reached out. "It¡¯s worse."


    He sighed, clearly trying to y it off, but there was a flicker of unease in his eyes before he masked it with a grin. "It¡¯s fine, love. Really. Probably just some weird bruise or something."


    "That¡¯s not a bruise," I said sharply. "You don¡¯t get <i>veins</i> like that from a bruise."


    "Then maybe it¡¯s a mark from training-"


    "Draven." My voice was quiet but firm. "If it was indeed just a bruise, it should have healed already. Let me check."


    He hesitated. I didn¡¯t wait for permission. My fingers brushed his skin lightly, right where the veins were visible, and I closed my eyes, calling on my healing power... the warmth that had always answered me without fail these past few weeks.


    But this time... nothing happened.


    The silence inside me was deafening.


    Panic red. My power always responded when it came to someone important to me... but now it was like reaching into a void. My connection to the source of my healing felt severed, distant.


    I tried again, harder this time, my hand trembling against his chest. "Come on," I whispered, desperate. "Please-"

 Chapter 454: The Hollowing Stillness

    <h4>Chapter 454: The Hollowing Stillness</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Before I could push myself any further, Draven¡¯s hand came up, warm and firm, covering mine. His fingers gently stilled my trembling ones.


    "Eva," he said quietly, his voice calm but weighted. "Hey... look at me."


    I lifted my gaze to his, and the steady intensity there almost undid me. For once, he wasn¡¯t smirking or brushing my worry away with that careless charm. He looked serious.


    "You need to calm down," he said softly. "You are shaking."


    "I can¡¯t," I whispered, my chest tight. "Draven, something¡¯s wrong. My power... it¡¯s not reacting. I just can¡¯t shake this weird feeling off."


    He squeezed my hand. "I know. And I promise, we will tell my brothers about this once we are hometer today. Let¡¯s decide what to do about this... mark... then."


    His tone was calm, steady, meant to ground me, but the promise didn¡¯t soothe the storm raging inside me.


    "Later?" I repeated. "You want to wait untilter to tell them? What if it gets worse by then, Draven? What if-"


    He sighed, brushing a thumb across my cheek. "Eva, I can¡¯t go to Kieran right now. I have to give my friend a ride home. He¡¯s waiting for me downstairs."


    I wanted to argue, to drag him out by the hand and straight to Kieran¡¯s office. Every instinct in me screamed that we shouldn¡¯t wait, that whatever this ck marking was... it wasn¡¯t something that could be ignored.


    As if sensing my thoughts, he added quickly, "I¡¯m not dismissing it anymore, alright? I can tell it¡¯s not normal."


    His eyes softened as he spoke. "But I also don¡¯t want you worrying yourself sick before we even know what it is. I¡¯ll drop him home,e straight back, and then we¡¯ll talk to Kieran and others. I promise."


    There was something in his tone, something that told me he really meant it this time. Whether because he too could feel that wrongness beneath his skin... or because he simply didn¡¯t want to see me fall apart with worry, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    But when he cupped my face, his touch gentle and grounding, I found myself nodding.


    "Alright," I murmured, though the words tasted hollow.


    He smiled faintly, the tension in his shoulders easing. "That¡¯s my girl."


    Even then, a pit remained in my stomach. Every minute that passed without doing something felt like a risk I couldn¡¯t name. But before I could try again to convince him, his phone buzzed on the desk.


    He nced at the screen and exhaled. "That¡¯s him. He must already be heading downstairs."


    Of course he was.


    Draven silenced the call, then turned back to me. "I have to go."


    I wanted to say <i>Don¡¯t</i>. I wanted to grab his wrist and not let him leave until Kieran saw those marks. But instead, all that came out was a faint, "Be careful."


    He smiled softly... almost tenderly. "Always."


    And then, instead of turning toward the door, he took one step closer. His hand found my waist, the other sliding up to the back of my neck, and before I could even blink, his lips were on mine.


    It wasn¡¯t like the yful kisses he often stole in quiet hallways or the teasing ones that made me roll my eyes. This one was slow, deep... achingly full of something unspoken. The kind of kiss that left me dizzy, his taste and warmth wrapping around me like a promise and a plea all at once.


    My hands fisted in his t-shirt, clutching him closer. For a moment, time didn¡¯t matter. The quiet of the dorm, the muted hum of the Academy outside... it all faded until there was only him.


    When we finally pulled apart, I was breathless, my lips tingling, my heart caught somewhere between warmth and dread.


    He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead before pulling me into his arms again.


    "I love you," I whispered against his chest, clutching him tightly.


    His arms tightened around me. "I know," he murmured, his voice low. "I love you too."


    And then... he let go.


    I stood there, frozen in the doorway, watching him walk away down the corridor until he disappeared around the corner. Only when I could no longer sense his presence clearly did I realize I was still holding my breath.


    - - -


    Kieran arrived an hourter, exactly as he had said.


    I had spent most of that hour pacing, sitting, standing, pacing again - every tick of the clock scraping against my nerves. Rowan, bless him, had stayed with me, pretending not to notice how many times I nced at my phone or stared at the door like Draven might suddenly reappear.


    When Kieran finally arrived, he apologized immediately for beingte.


    "I know you have been waiting," he said as he helped me carry my suitcase down the hall. "There were too manyst-minute things to wrap up before we close the Academy for the break."


    "It¡¯s alright," I said, managing a small smile. "You don¡¯t need to apologize. I wasn¡¯t bored."


    Rowan gave a little snort. "That¡¯s because I was here."


    Iughed softly. "That¡¯s true."


    We stopped by the front gates, where Kieran¡¯s car was already waiting. He gave Rowan a nod of acknowledgment as we loaded my bags.


    "Lakeshire first, right?" Kieran asked.


    Rowan nodded. "Yeah, my bike¡¯s parked near the Pink Bloom inn."


    The drive was quiet but peaceful. The air outside shimmered faintly with summer warmth, the trees arching along the road like a painted canopy of green. For a while, I almost managed to forget the weight in my chest. Almost.


    After dropping Rowan off in town, Kieran and I continued toward the Thorne estate.


    He spoke now and then - mostly about ns for the holiday - but I wasn¡¯t really listening. My thoughts kept drifting back to Draven.


    Had he reached safely?


    Did he notice any change?


    Were the veins spreading?


    I stared down at my phone more times than I could count, but it stayed stubbornly dark until five minutes before we reached home.


    Then, finally, it buzzed.


    <strong>Draven</strong>: <i>On my way back. Should be there soon.</i>


    I exhaled, tension melting from my shoulders as I read the message. I typed a quick reply - <i>Okay. Drive safe</i>. - and pressed send.


    He was fine. Everything was fine. It had to be.


    But the unease didn¡¯t fade.


    The Thorne estate came into view soon after. Kieran parked in front of the porch, and we stepped out together. Thete afternoon sun glinted off the windows, bathing the mansion in gold.


    As I followed Kieran up the front steps, my mind was still half elsewhere. Maybe he noticed it... he always did... because he nced at me and asked, "You have been quiet since I picked you up."


    I forced a small smile. "Just tired."


    He hummed in response, clearly unconvinced.


    We reached the front doors, and he paused before stepping inside. His turned to face me, his eyes scanning my face carefully.


    "You are not upset that I waste," he said slowly. "This is something else."


    I froze.


    He always had a way of seeing right through me. And for a moment, I debated brushing it off... just saying I was fine. But the worry I had been bottling up sincest evening was pressing too hard against my chest to ignore anymore.


    "I need to tell you something," I began, my voice quiet but firm. "It¡¯s about Draven. I think-"


    But the words never finished.


    Because before I could even draw another breath, <i>it</i> happened.


    A sudden rush... like a wave of cold air mming through me from the inside out. It wasn¡¯t just painful, it was extremely wrong. Like someone had just reached into my chest and pulled my very soul out of me.


    My knees went weak. The world tilted, colors blurring into shadow.


    Kieran¡¯s startled voice echoed faintly through the ringing in my ears. "Evaline!"


    I tried to look up at him, tried to say something... anything... but the words never came.


    Then everything went ck.

 Chapter 455: Something Terribly Wrong

    <h4>Chapter 455: Something Terribly Wrong</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    One moment there was only pitch darkness - cold, endless, suffocating - and the next, I gasped, sitting up with a violent jolt.


    Air rushed into my lungs as if I¡¯d been drowning for hours. My hand flew to my chest, pressing over my heart, only to freeze when I felt it... an unbearable emptiness.


    It wasn¡¯t pain. It wasn¡¯t even physical. It was worse.


    It felt like something... or someone... had reached right through my chest and pulled my heart out, leaving behind a hole where it once beat. My pulse was there, my body alive, but the hollowness within me made no sense. My chest rose and fell too fast, my fingers trembling against my skin as I tried to understand what had happened.


    And then...


    "Evaline..."


    The familiar voice snapped my head up. Kieran.


    He was sitting beside me, his expression drawn and pale, eyes shadowed with exhaustion. He reached for my hand, his touch gentle but desperate. "Hey, easy... just breathe, alright?"


    On my other side, Oscar was there too, holding my other hand firmly, his thumb stroking small circles against my skin. His eyes carried the same worry, the same tiredness that made my chest tighten further.


    At the foot of the bed stood River, tall and tense, his gaze locked on me like I might vanish again if he looked away.


    "Kieran... what-" My voice came out hoarse and broken. I swallowed hard, trying again. "What happened?"


    They exchanged looks before Kieran spoke, his voice low, steady. "You fainted. At the entrance. We-" He cut himself off, his jaw tightening as if the memory hurt.


    I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of it all. "I..." My fingers brushed against my chest again. "It felt like something was ripped out of me. I don¡¯t-"


    But my words faltered when my gaze swept across the room once more.


    Draven wasn¡¯t here.


    Panic shot through me so fast I nearly doubled over. "Where¡¯s Draven?"


    No one answered.


    "Where <i>is he</i>?" I repeated, this time my voice sharper, more frantic. The effort made me cough, and Kieran instantly lifted a ss of water to my lips. I took a small sip, my hands trembling too much to hold the ss.


    Still... silence.


    River looked away, Oscar dropped his gaze, and Kieran¡¯s jaw worked as though he was physically holding something back.


    The growing dread in my stomach turned to full-blown panic. I reached for the nightstand, finding my phone. "If you are not going to tell me, I¡¯ll just call him myself."


    But when I pressed the button... nothing. The screen stayed ck.


    "It¡¯s off?" I frowned, pressing again. "Why is it off?"


    Oscar sighed quietly. "We didn¡¯t think to charge it. It must have run out of battery."


    "That¡¯s impossible," I snapped, my voice trembling. "It had thirty percent when I got home. It can¡¯t-"


    "Love," Kieran interrupted softly. His voice wasn¡¯t calm this time. It was careful. Too careful. "It¡¯s been four days."


    I froze.


    For a long moment, I could only stare at him. "What?"


    He met my gaze, his eyes heavy with something I could only describe as guilt and pain. "You have been unconscious for four days, Evaline."


    My mind went nk.


    Four days.


    That hollowness in my chest twisted violently as I tried to process his words. "No," I whispered, shaking my head. "No, that¡¯s not possible. It was afternoon when we got home, I remember that. I-"


    But then the fragments began to piece together - thest thing I remembered was walking into the mansion beside Kieran, trying to tell him about Draven¡¯s ck veins... and then... darkness.


    My throat tightened. "You are saying I was unconscious for four entire days?"


    "Yes." Kieran¡¯s voice broke slightly.


    My heart was pounding loudly, but not from fear of what had happened to me.


    "Where¡¯s Draven?" I demanded again, looking between them. "If it¡¯s been four days, then he must havee home already, right?"


    The silence that followed made my blood run cold.


    My eyes darted between them, but all three kept avoiding my gaze. The air in the room suddenly felt too heavy, too still.


    "Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?" My voice cracked. "Where is he?"


    When none of them spoke, I did the only thing left... I reached for him through our bond.


    Or at least, I tried.


    The moment I did, a painful gasp escaped me. The bond... our bond... was barely there. What had always been an electric, bright, living thread pulsing between our souls was now... weak. Faint. So thin it almost hurt to touch it.


    "Draven..." I whispered.


    The silence in return was deafening.


    Something inside me broke.


    "Where is he?" I screamed this time, shoving the nket aside. My body felt weak and dizzy from having just woken up, but none of that mattered. I stumbled across the bed, my knees hitting the floor as I tried to stand. The world tilted dangerously, but before I could fall, River¡¯s arms were around me.


    "Eva-"


    "Don¡¯t you <i>dare</i> tell me to calm down!" I cried, gripping his shirt in my fists. "Tell me where he is! What happened to him? Why can¡¯t I feel him?"


    Tears blurred my vision, hot and fast. My voice broke somewhere between anger and terror. "He left the Academy four days ago... he said he was on his way back! He said he would be fine! So why can¡¯t I feel him anymore?!"


    Oscar took a slow step forward, his usualposure fractured, his voice quieter than I had ever heard it. "You need to breathe, Eva. Please."


    But I couldn¡¯t.


    How could I breathe when the world suddenly felt like it was missing its most vital piece?


    The bond wasn¡¯t gone, but it was fading... fading so fast it felt like sand slipping through my fingers.


    River¡¯s hands gripped my shoulders firmly, his tone low but steady as he finally spoke. "We¡¯ll take you to him."


    I froze, lifting my gaze to his. "W-what?"


    He nodded once, his expression unreadable but eyes soft. "We¡¯ll take you to Draven."


    For a heartbeat, I couldn¡¯t even react. The words hit me like a physical blow, stealing what little strength was left in my body.


    He didn¡¯t say <i>we¡¯ll call him</i>, or h<i>e¡¯ll be here soon.</i>


    He said - <i>we¡¯ll take you to him</i>.


    Which meant only one thing.


    Something was terribly, horribly wrong.

 Chapter 456: He’s Gone

    <h4>Chapter 456: He¡¯s Gone</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Everything blurred after that moment when River said,<i> "We¡¯ll take you to Draven."</i>


    I hardly remembered the part where I tried to walk. I think I made it two steps before my knees gave out and the floor tilted dangerously. The next thing I knew, I was in River¡¯s arms - his heartbeat loud against my ear, his grip firm yet trembling slightly as if even he was fighting to stay steady.


    No one spoke while he carried me out of the room. Not Kieran, not Oscar, not even River. The silence was unbearable, stretching between us like a thick fog that refused to lift.


    Outside, the world looked dim. Maybe it waste evening, or maybe it was just my vision that had dulled, drained of color and light. The cold wind brushed against my skin as River settled me into the backseat of the car. Kieran took the driver¡¯s seat, Oscar climbed in beside him, and River stayed in the back with me - his hand on my shoulder the whole time, like he knew I¡¯d break apart if he let go.


    The car started moving.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if the drivested for hours or mere minutes. My thoughts were too loud, and yet too empty at the same time. Every heartbeat echoed with the same desperate question - <i>where are you, Draven?</i>


    I pressed on our bond again and again, calling out to him silently.


    Once.


    Twice.


    A hundred times.


    But there was nothing.


    Not even the faintest whisper. Not even the tiniest flicker of warmth.


    It was like screaming into a void.


    By the time the car slowed to a stop, my heart felt heavy enough to crush me.


    We were parked in front of a house tucked so deep in the mountains that the trees seemed to guard it. The sky above was an endless grey, heavy with clouds. I climbed out of the car, my legs wobbling slightly, and followed River as he guided me toward the house.


    The front door opened before we even reached it.


    Inside, the faint smell of herbs, burning incense, and disinfectant filled the air. It reminded me of Elder Ren¡¯s clinic... but sharper, colder. My eyes widened when I saw the two healers sitting in the living room - Elder Ren and his son.


    The father and son looked... exhausted. Their eyes were rimmed red, dark shadows hollowing their faces. Cao Ren¡¯s usually neatly styled hair was messy, and Elder Ren¡¯s posture sagged like he was carrying the weight of something too heavy to bear.


    They both stood when we entered.


    "Alpha," Elder Ren greeted River, but his gaze immediately found me. The moment his eyes met mine, his expression shifted from weary to something else entirely... pity.


    My stomach twisted violently.


    He didn¡¯t need to say anything. I already knew.


    Still, when he finally spoke, his voice broke the silence like a de. "He¡¯s inside."


    He gestured toward a door on the far side of the room.


    I didn¡¯t wait. I didn¡¯t breathe. I didn¡¯t think.


    I ran.


    The door mmed open as I pushed past it, my breath catching painfully in my throat.


    And then I froze.


    The room was small, but it felt enormous, like every inch of space between us was a distance I would never cross. There was a faint hum of energy in the air... the kind that filled healing wards... and the faint scent of crushed herbs and elixirs burned at the back of my throat. Monitors were there, and so was an IV stand.


    And on the bed, surrounded by too much stillness,y Draven.


    My heart stopped.


    He was lying perfectly still, his chest barely moving. His skin was pale... too pale... and his lips had lost their color. His face, that beautiful face that never failed to light up when he smiled at me, was calm now. Too calm.


    I didn¡¯t need to ask what was wrong. I didn¡¯t need someone to tell me.


    I had seen that expression before.


    He wasn¡¯t injured.


    He wasn¡¯t asleep.


    He was gone.


    Not dead.


    Not alive.


    <i>Soul dead.</i>


    "No..." The word left me as a breath, barely audible. Then louder. "No!"


    Something inside me shatteredpletely.


    I stumbled forward, reaching the bed in a rush, my knees hitting the floor beside him as I grabbed his hand. His skin was cool beneath my fingers, his pulse steady but empty of his essence. "Draven," I whispered, shaking him. "Draven, wake up."


    He didn¡¯t move.


    "Please," I begged, my voice cracking. "Please, open your eyes. Look at me."


    Nothing.


    I shook him harder, gripping his shoulders, his arms, desperate to see any reaction. "You promised you woulde back!" My voice rose, echoing in the silent room. "You <i>promised</i>!"


    Tears blurred my vision, spilling freely down my cheeks as I shook him again. "You can¡¯t do this to me, Draven. You can¡¯t-" My voice broke entirely, dissolving into sobs. "You can¡¯t just leave me like this!"


    I pressed my forehead against his chest, clutching at his shirt like I could hold him here by sheer force of will. "Please, please..."


    The room swayed around me, the sound of my own cries too loud, too raw.


    Somewhere behind me, I heard footsteps - Kieran, Oscar, River - but I couldn¡¯t look. I couldn¡¯t stop touching Draven, couldn¡¯t let go. If I did, I was afraid he would disappear entirely.


    "Evaline..." Kieran¡¯s voice was low, trembling despite his attempt to sound calm.


    I shook my head violently. "Why-? How did this-?"


    River knelt beside me, hisrge hand resting on my shoulder, steady but gentle. "You know that he¡¯s not gone," he reminded me softly. "He¡¯s still breathing. His heart¡¯s still beating."


    "But I can¡¯t feel him through the bond anymore, River!" I shouted, lifting my tear-streaked face toward them.


    No one answered.


    I looked at Oscar then, hoping... begging... for him to tell me it wasn¡¯t what I thought. But he just closed his eyes, his jaw clenched, and that was enough.


    "He¡¯s... soul dead, isn¡¯t he?" I whispered.


    The silence that followed was louder than any confirmation.


    My body went numb. The sob that tore out of me next wasn¡¯t loud, but deep... one that came from somewhere too far inside. It hurt. Stars, it <i>hurt</i>.

 Chapter 457: Giving In Her All

    <h4>Chapter 457: Giving In Her All</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My knees gave out beneath me. I would have hit the ground had Kieran not caught me, pulling me against his chest. But even his warmth couldn¡¯t reach me. It felt like someone had dug a hole in the center of my chest and scooped everything out - heart, soul, breath, life... all gone.


    "Evaline, sweetheart, breathe... please breathe," Kieran whispered into my hair, but I couldn¡¯t.


    How was I supposed to breathe when Draven wasn¡¯t... at least not like I wanted him to?


    The world blurred around me. I couldn¡¯t hear, couldn¡¯t think... just the sound of my pulse roaring in my ears, and the unbearable stillness of the man on the bed.


    He looked so peaceful. So still. Too still. His chest rose and fell only faintly... the healers¡¯ powers keeping his body alive... but his soul... it was gone. I didn¡¯t need anyone to confirm it, I could feel it. The bond that once burned so fiercely between us now hung by a thread, cold and faint, like thest flicker of a dying star.


    "Why?" I choked, the tears streaming down my face. "Why him? Why now? He was... he was fine... he promised he¡¯de back."


    "Evaline..." River¡¯s voice broke somewhere behind me, low and strangled.


    I turned, and it shattered me all over again - seeing my strong, steady River looking so broken, his eyes rimmed red from sleeplessness. Oscar stood beside him, rubbing his face with both hands, silent tears cutting down his cheeks. And Kieran looked like he had aged years in four days.


    None of them said anything because there were no words. There was only grief.


    I pulled away from Kieran, moving back to Draven. My fingers trembled as I touched his cold cheek. "You said you would never leave me," I whispered. "You said..." My voice cracked as the sob rose again, wracking my entire body. "You lied."


    Kieran crouched beside me, his hand on my back, gentle but firm. "Evaline, listen to me," he said, voice rough but steady. "We haven¡¯t lost himpletely. He¡¯s still here. His body... his energy... it¡¯s holding on."


    He was repeating the same words before, and this time... I did hear him.


    Oscar crouched on my other side, his handsing up to cup my face. His thumbs brushed away my tears, his expression full of desperate hope. "You - of all people- can still reach him, love. You can¡¯t break down like this."


    Their words struck something deep inside me... like a bell ringing in a hollow room.


    I could still reach him.


    I could still <i>try.</i>


    My eyes fell back to Draven. The bond between us might be faint, but it was there. Barely. Flickering. Weak... but not gone.


    But this hope also came with the memory of how my power had recoiled when I had tried to heal those ck veins. A part of me was afraid that my power wouldn¡¯t respond again.


    Still, if there was even the smallest chance that I could bring him back, I¡¯d take it.


    I pressed my trembling hand against his chest, right over where his hearty still beneath his skin. "Please," I whispered, closing my eyes. "Help me... please."


    At first, nothing happened.


    Then I felt it - the familiar tingle of warmth beneath my skin, the quiet hum of my gift stirring in response. It was faint at first, hesitant, like a frightened bird... but it answered.


    And when it did, I almost sobbed again - not from pain this time, but relief.


    The light bloomed from my palm, soft and golden. It seeped into Draven¡¯s skin, threading through his veins, spreading from his chest to his shoulders, down his arms. The glow filled the room, and for the first time in days, hope filled it too.


    Healer Ren took a cautious step forward but didn¡¯t interrupt. Kieran¡¯s hand on my back went stiff. River and Oscar stayed close as they watched. No one spoke. No one dared break the fragile moment.


    The power flowed through me like a river. I poured everything I had into him... every drop, every ounce of strength and love. It was draining, terrifyingly so, but I couldn¡¯t stop. I wouldn¡¯t.


    "Come back to me," I whispered. "Please, Draven... pleasee back."


    His body didn¡¯t move. Not a flicker.


    But I kept going.


    Seconds passed. Or maybe several long minutes... or hours... I couldn¡¯t tell anymore. The world narrowed to the pulse of power between us. My head spun, my vision dimmed at the edges, but I still clung to his hand, still kept pushing my healing into him.


    He took it all. Every drop. Like an endless pit, drinking it in without a hint of response.


    "Evaline." River¡¯s voice came softly first, cautious. "You are pushing too hard."


    I shook my head weakly. "I can do it," I murmured. "Just a little more..."


    Kieran moved closer, his hand wrapping around my wrist. His voice was hoarse, begging. "Love, you have done enough. Please, you are hurting yourself."


    "No." My voice cracked. "Not yet."


    Oscar¡¯s hand joined his, his touch trembling. "Eva, look at him. Nothing¡¯s changing. You¡¯ll drain yourself dry."


    But I couldn¡¯t stop. I wouldn¡¯t. The moment I stopped, I would have to face the truth, and I wasn¡¯t ready for that.


    My vision blurred further. The room began to sway. My heartbeat was loud in my ears, but faint... distant. My chest ached, my head pounded. The warmth that once surged through me began to turn cold.


    Still, I didn¡¯t let go.


    "Come back..." I whispered again, my voice fading. "Please, Draven..."


    I didn¡¯t feel the tears slipping down my cheeks anymore. I barely felt the hands on me - Kieran¡¯s arm around my shoulders, River¡¯s fingers gripping my other hand, Oscar¡¯s steadying me from the side. Their voices blurred into the same desperate chorus.


    "Eva, stop!"


    "Sweetheart, please-"


    "You are killing yourself-"


    Even Healer Ren was saying something.


    But I couldn¡¯t hear them clearly anymore. Everything was fading, the world dipping in and out like a flickering light.


    My power kept flowing even when I had none left to give.


    Until the light around my hand began to dim, flickering once, twice... then fadingpletely.


    I swayed, the strength leaving my body entirely. Someone shouted my name, and then everything went dark again.


    Thest thing I felt before I lost consciousness was Kieran catching me, his arms strong and trembling around me.


    Thest thing I <i>heard</i> was River¡¯s broken whisper... raw, full of despair.


    "She¡¯s gone under."


    And thest thing I <i>felt</i> was Draven¡¯s hand still cold beneath mine.


    He hadn¡¯t woken up.

 Chapter 458: Fractures Beneath the Surface

    <h4>Chapter 458: Fractures Beneath the Surface</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    My world had already fallen apart once four days ago. Watching it happen again tonight... seeing Evaline copse lifelessly in my arms... felt like living that nightmare all over again.


    I caught her just in time, her body limp and cold against me, her head lolling weakly to the side. Her hand still clung to Draven¡¯s even as her consciousness faded away. I could barely breathe. My throat burned from holding in a sound I didn¡¯t want anyone to hear.


    "Evaline!" I whispered her name, shaking her gently, but she didn¡¯t stir. Hershes fluttered once and then went still.


    Behind me, River swore quietly, his voice breaking in a way I¡¯d never heard before. Oscar stood frozen, his fists trembling at his sides.


    "She¡¯spletely drained," Cao Ren said, his usually calm face pale. "She¡¯s been pouring out her essence directly. Her soul¡¯s exhausted. She needs rest before her body gives out."


    Rest.


    Right.


    As if that word hadn¡¯t be poison to me in thest four days.


    I gathered her in my arms and pressed my cheek to her forehead. It was mmy, but at least there was still warmth. She was breathing. For now, that was enough.


    But as I carried her out of that cursed room where Draveny unmoving, I couldn¡¯t help but feel it - the same damn helplessness that had eaten away at me since the moment everything fell apart.


    Four days ago.


    The memory was still too raw, too vivid.


    Evaline had fainted right on our porch. I still remembered how my arms caught her just in time, how my heart stuttered violently in my chest.


    I didn¡¯t even remember crossing the distance between us. One moment she was falling, the next she was in my arms. Her pulse was erratic, her breathing shallow.


    By the time servants rushed out, I already had her pressed against my chest, whispering her name like a prayer. Iid her in bed and I called Cao Ren, my hands shaking so badly that I nearly dropped the phone.


    "She just copsed," I had told him. "I don¡¯t know why-she was fine-just help me, Ren, please."


    He hade within minutes. Said her energy levels were critically low, that her system was reacting as if it had suffered something deep, unseen.


    At that time, I thought maybe it was because she had been training too hard, pushing her gift past its limits. But there was this strange, gnawing ache in my chest... a heaviness that wouldn¡¯t let me breathe right. A dull pressure right beneath my ribs.


    I thought it was just the bond reacting to her fainting.


    Until my phone rang again an hourter.


    It was one of the patrolling warriors, his voice trembling, uneven.


    "Alpha-" he¡¯d started, and something in his tone made my blood run cold. "It¡¯s... it¡¯s Alpha Draven. We found him... unconscious... in the woods near the northern perimeter. We have brought him to the city hospital."


    I didn¡¯t hear the rest. The phone slipped out of my hand.


    The next thing I knew, I was in my car, River and Oscar on their way. Everything after that blurred together - screeching tires, shing lights, the smell of antiseptic filling the hospital air.


    When we saw Draven lying there... stars, I thought I had lost my mind.


    He wasn¡¯t wounded. There was no blood, no injuries... just that same stillness that didn¡¯t belong to someone alive. His chest rose faintly with shallow breaths, but his soul... I could feel the emptiness even before Healer Ren said the words.


    Soul death.


    I remember Oscar losing it first - shouting, mming his hand against the wall, demanding the healers try again. River had gone quiet, too quiet, his hands shaking as he touched Draven¡¯s wrist.


    And I...


    I just stood there. Watching. Useless.


    Elder Ren¡¯s voice had been a distant echo, exining how Draven¡¯s body was still holding on, and how his soul connection was gone but not severedpletely.


    River snapped out of it first. He always did. Even when the world was falling apart, he was the one who could still think straight.


    He sealed the entire hospital immediately, forbade anyone from speaking a word. The warriors who had found Draven were silenced under oath. Allmunication lines were locked down. No one beyond the four of us... and the Ren family... was allowed near Draven.


    Then River had ordered the transfer.


    We moved Draven to the safe house in the mountains... the one even our own betas didn¡¯t know existed.


    Elder Ren and Cao set up the room there, trying everything they could to revive a soul-dead body. But nothing worked.


    For the first day, I barely slept. I sat beside Draven¡¯s bed, watching his chest rise and fall, pretending it meant something. That he would wake up any second.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    And Evaline...


    She slept through it all. Four days straight,pletely unresponsive. Cao Ren said her fainting and Draven¡¯s condition were linked... that the mate bond had taken a blow when his soul copsed.


    We didn¡¯t know what would happen when she woke.


    Or how we would tell her.


    Every hour that passed, my heart grew heavier.


    And when she finally opened her eyes earlier today, when she looked at us with that hopeful, innocent confusion... stars, I wished I could have lied to her. Wished I could have told her he was fine. But she saw it in our faces before we could say a word.


    And when she broke...


    When she crumpled to the ground, crying his name like it was herst breath...


    That¡¯s when I realized the truth I had been avoiding.


    This wasn¡¯t just my brother bing half dead. This was our soul fracturing - hers, mine, all of ours... splintering at the same point.


    And now, hourster, I was right back where I started. Holding her unconscious body. Watching helplessly as everything I loved slowly slipped beyond reach.


    "We¡¯ll keep her here," River said quietly. His voice was raw, but steady enough to hide the grief beneath.


    I looked up once I had settled Eva down on the bed beside Draven. Her hand immediately reached out to find his in her sleep, fingers loosely curling around his motionless ones. The sight made something twist painfully in my chest.


    River continued, "If she wakes up and he¡¯s not there, she¡¯ll panic. It¡¯s better this way."


    Cao Ren nodded from across the room. "She¡¯s safest here for now. Her power¡¯s unstable. If she wakes up somewhere else, the shock might trigger another copse."


    I brushed a loose strand of hair from her forehead. She looked so small like this. Too pale. Too still.


    Oscar leaned against the wall, his voice barely above a whisper. "She¡¯s not going to sleep for another four days, is she?"


    "I don¡¯t know," I said truthfully. "I just... hope not."


    Because I couldn¡¯t go through that again.


    River stepped forward, cing a hand on my shoulder. "You did what you could," he said softly.


    Iughed bitterly under my breath. "No. I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t do anything. I couldn¡¯t protect Draven. I couldn¡¯t stop her from draining herself. I couldn¡¯t even-"


    "Kieran," River cut in firmly. His eyes were sharp despite the fatigue. "Stop. We all failed. But now¡¯s not the time to drown in guilt."


    His words were logical, but logic didn¡¯t touch the ache in my chest.


    Only if I had tried harder to solve the Soul Death cases earlier. Only if I had paid attention to the pattern, or kept Draven from going out that morning. Only if-


    "Kieran." Oscar¡¯s voice was gentler this time. "You are not alone in this. We¡¯ll find out a way to fix this. We have to."


    I looked between them - my brothers, my strength - and nodded, even though the words barely sank in.


    All I could do was sit down beside Eva¡¯s bed. I reached out,cing my fingers through hers, and with my other hand, I held Draven¡¯s.


    The contrast between them was terrifying - her warmth against his stillness.


    "I just need you to wake up," I whispered. "Both of you."


    But neither stirred.


    Outside, the wind howled through the mountains. And inside the quiet room, surrounded by silence and pain, I sat holding onto both of them - my mate and my brother... praying to stars I wasn¡¯t sure existed anymore.

 Chapter 459: It All Means Nothing

    <h4>Chapter 459: It All Means Nothing</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The first thing I felt when I woke up again was the coldness of a hand under my own.


    Myshes fluttered open slowly, the ceiling above me swimming in soft, golden light before my eyes adjusted. The scent of herbs and medicine still lingered faintly in the air, mingled with the crisp mountain breeze drifting through a half-open window.


    It took me only a second to realize where I was - the same room, the same quiet that pressed down like a weight on my chest. And then I turned my head to the right.


    Draven.


    He was still there, lying motionless on the bed beside mine, the same serene expression carved into his face. His chest rose and fell faintly, as if he was just... sleeping. But I knew better. I felt better.


    My fingers tightened weakly around his hand.


    The moment my eyesnded on him, memories came flooding back - my helpless attempts to heal him, the way my power had given everything and still failed to bring him back.


    And the moment I remembered, the tears started.


    Not loud sobs this time, just quiet, endless streams that slipped down my face like they belonged there. There was no sound in the room except for my soft, ragged breaths and that of the monitor.


    I thought I had run out of tears after the first time, after watching him lying there like that. But apparently, grief didn¡¯t end when you stopped crying. It just sank deeper, settled inside you until it became something else... something heavier, something hollow.


    The emotional pain was so unbearable that it made every physical wound I had ever had feel insignificant. There was noparison, no measure to it.


    I pressed Draven¡¯s hand to my cheek and whispered his name, my voice breaking on it.


    Nothing.


    No warmth through the bond. No answering spark. Just that haunting silence where his presence used to be.


    After that... everything blurred.


    The next few days... or maybe hours, or weeks, I couldn¡¯t tell anymore... merged together into one long, endless stretch of time that made no sense.


    I refused to move away from him.


    Every time someone entered the room, I stayed exactly where I was, sitting or lying beside Draven¡¯s bed, holding his hand. Sometimes I would talk to him, just a whisper here and there. Sometimes I just stared, waiting for a twitch, a flicker, anything.


    My mates came and went, their voices soft and careful.


    Kieran tried the most - asking me to eat, to drink, to at least step outside for fresh air. River would stand silently at the door for long stretches, like he was watching over both of us but too afraid to say anything. Oscar... he didn¡¯t say much either. His eyes spoke enough.


    They were all breaking too, in their own ways. I could feel it through the bonds, their pain, their exhaustion, their guilt. But I couldn¡¯t do anything for them when I couldn¡¯t even breathe without feeling like my chest was splitting open.


    Every time someone ced a tray of food or water beside me, I ignored it. I didn¡¯t have the strength to eat when Draven was lying right there.


    What kind offort could I allow myself when he was still trapped in that cold stillness?


    Sometimes I med myself until it hurt to think.


    What if I had stopped him from leaving that day? What if I had dragged him to Kieran the moment I saw those ck veins?


    Those ck veins...


    The memory made my stomach twist. I could still see them so clearly, creeping just beneath his skin. I couldn¡¯t stop wondering if they had something to do with what happened to him.


    But I couldn¡¯t focus on that for long. Every time I tried to think, my mind drowned in grief all over again.


    Hours, days, weeks... time meant nothing anymore.


    All I knew was the rise and fall of Draven¡¯s chest, the silence of his still form, and the ache that refused to fade from my chest.


    It must have been daytime again - the faint light from the curtained window told me that much. I was lying on my side, facing Draven, my hand loosely holding his. The air smelled stale, the room dim and heavy.


    Then, suddenly, the door opened.


    I didn¡¯t move.


    I didn¡¯t care who it was anymore - my mates, the healers, anyone. The same scene had repeated so many times I had stopped reacting.


    But then, the soft shuffle of footsteps came closer. Someone crossed the room, and then, all at once, the curtains were yanked open.


    The blinding sunlight burst into the room like an explosion, so bright it stung my eyes. I gasped, blinking rapidly as tears spilled again from the sudden brightness.


    "Why..." My voice came out hoarse, weak. "Why would you-"


    But my words died when I finally turned to look.


    "R-Rowan?"


    He stood there, framed by the sunlight, the same tall, steady figure I¡¯d always known.


    He nced at Draven once, his jaw tightening. Then his gaze returned to me... unreadable at first, but full of something that made my throat close up.


    Shadow of a pain that mirrored my own.


    Before I could say anything, he crossed the room in two strides and dropped to his knees beside my bed. Then his arms were around me, warm and strong, and the dam inside me broke all over again.


    I hadn¡¯t realized how much I needed that... the feeling of someone just holding me without saying anything, without trying to fix what couldn¡¯t be fixed.


    He didn¡¯t speak. He didn¡¯t tell me to stop crying. He just held me tighter as my body shook with sobs that refused to end.


    I cried until I couldn¡¯t breathe, until my throat burned and my hands clutched helplessly at his shirt. And still, he didn¡¯t move.


    When I finally had no tears left, when all that came out were shallow, trembling breaths, he finally leaned back enough to look at me.


    His eyes were moist as if he was holding back tears, but calm in that quiet, grounded way only he could manage. He reached for the table nearby, poured a ss of water, and pressed it into my hands.


    "Drink," he said softly.


    I stared at the cup for a long moment before taking a small sip. Then another. The warmth of the water slid down my throat, grounding me more than I expected. Before I knew it, I¡¯d finished the whole ss.


    It was the first thing I had willingly swallowed in what felt like forever.


    He silently watched me the whole time. When I lowered the cup, he took it from my hands and set it aside carefully.


    For a moment, neither of us spoke. The sunlight poured across Draven¡¯s bed, highlighting the stillness that had once been filled with life.


    Finally, Rowan turned back to me. His expression shifted slightly... still soft, but determined.


    "Eva," he said quietly, his voice carrying a gravity that made my heart stutter. "It¡¯s time you listen to what I have to say."

 Chapter 460: When Grief Learns to Breathe Again

    <h4>Chapter 460: When Grief Learns to Breathe Again</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    For a long while after Rowan¡¯s words, silence filled the room again... heavy, still, and suffocating.


    I could hear the faint creak of wood beneath his boots as he shifted, the quiet rustle of the curtains swaying in the breeze. Outside, birds chirped faintly, the world cruelly normal while mine had stopped moving altogether.


    When he finally spoke again, his voice was low, steady... the kind of calm that could cut through a storm.


    "You know," he said, gaze resting on Draven¡¯s unmoving face, "I understand why you don¡¯t want to move. Why it hurts so much you can¡¯t even breathe without him. Because I have been where you are, Eva."


    I turned toward him, but he didn¡¯t look at me yet. His jaw was tight, his eyes distant... like he was seeing a ghost only he could see.


    He took a slow breath. "It¡¯s been one and a half years..." He said, swallowing hard, the faintest tremor flickering through hisposure. "I have been visiting her every week since then. Sitting by her bed, talking to her like an idiot, hoping she would wake up."


    He gave a humorlessugh. "But she never did."


    My breath caught. "Rowan..."


    "So... I know exactly how you feel right now," he continued, finally looking at me. His gaze was unwavering - steady, deep, and full of that quiet understanding I didn¡¯t even realize I had been craving. "That ache that never goes away. The constant voice in your head saying you should have done something more. The helplessness when you realize you can¡¯t."


    My lips trembled. "You... you went through all that, and you still-"


    "Still standing?" He gave a small, sad smile. "Barely. But I learned something from it, Eva."


    He reached out to hold my hands. "Lyra wouldn¡¯t have wanted me to destroy myself waiting for her. And Draven... he wouldn¡¯t want that for you either."


    My throat closed up again, fresh tears blurring my sight. "I can¡¯t just walk away from him, Rowan. Not when he¡¯s-"


    He shook his head, cutting me off gently. "You are not walking away. You are standing up."


    Before I could respond, he added quietly, "Kieran called me, you know."


    That made me blink through the tears. "Kieran?"


    "Yeah." Rowan¡¯s gaze softened. "He said they have all been trying everything to reach you, but nothing¡¯s worked. So he came to me. He told me you needed someone who knew exactly what you were feeling, someone who¡¯s lived through it. He drove me here himself. And before I came inside, he told me one thing... that they were all counting on me to bring you back."


    I shook my head immediately, panic wing up my chest. "No, I can¡¯t leave him, I-"


    His voice firmed, not loud, but sharp enough to still my protest. "Eva."


    I froze.


    He leaned closer, his eyes locking with mine, unflinching. "I promised Kieran I¡¯d make sure that by the time I was finished talking to you, you would walk out of this room with me. And I don¡¯t break my promises."


    I opened my mouth to argue again, but he lifted a hand, silencing me before I could form the words.


    "You are not the only one hurting," he said quietly. "Draven has three brothers, Eva. Three men who love him just as much as you do. They are breaking too. You have seen it... they haven¡¯t slept or eaten properly in days. They spends hours sitting outside this room, afraid you¡¯ll copse. They are dying inside. All three of them."


    His voice softened, but his words hit hard, each one sinking into the guilt I had buried beneath my grief.


    "They have already lost one brother. And now they are terrified of losing you too. You are making them watch it happen all over again, Eva."


    My breath hitched. I hadn¡¯t thought about that... not really. Every time they hade to check on me, I¡¯d just looked through them, lost in my pain. But I remembered the way Kieran¡¯s voice had cracked, the way River¡¯s hand had trembled when he had ced a nket over me, the way Oscar had stood at the door too long, silent, like he was afraid to blink.


    Rowan¡¯s voice grew gentler, almost a whisper now. "You think you are honoring Draven by staying here, but all you are doing is breaking the people he loves... including you."


    The words tore through me like lightning... painful, but true.


    "I..." My voice faltered. "I didn¡¯t mean to..."


    "I know." His tone softened even more. "Grief makes us blind. It convinces us the world stopped moving when our hearts did. But that¡¯s not true. It never is."


    He paused then, studying me for a long moment before speaking again.


    "And then there¡¯s Lioren."


    At the sound of my son¡¯s name, my entire body stilled. My heart... or what was left of it... seemed to stop.


    "Lioren..." I whispered, my voice cracking.


    Rowan¡¯s eyes held mine, firm but kind. "He hasn¡¯t seen you in almost a week, Eva. He cries at night for his mother. Your mates try to soothe him, but it¡¯s not the same. He needs you."


    The guilt hit like a physical blow. My breath left my lungs in a sharp gasp as the memories surged... Lioren¡¯s tiny fingers curling around mine, his soft coos, his sleepy smiles. My baby. My little boy.


    And I had forgotten him.


    Tears spilled again, hot and heavy, but this time they weren¡¯t just grief... they were guilt, raw and crushing. "Oh stars... what kind of mother am I?"


    Rowan shook his head quickly, pulling me into his arms before I could crumble again. "You are not a bad mother, Eva. You are just a heartbroken one. But you need to remember... he¡¯s your reason to stand up now. If not for yourself, then for him. For all of them."


    I stared at our joined hands, trembling. The warmth of his grip anchored me, pulled me back from the edge I hadn¡¯t realized I was hanging over.


    He took a deep breath and went on. "If you keep staying here, if you keep fading like this, you won¡¯t be able to help Draven. You won¡¯t find answers sitting beside his bed. What he needs isn¡¯t your tears... it¡¯s your strength. Someone has to go out there, investigate these Soul Death cases, find a cure. That someone could be you."


    The words struck something inside me... a faint ember under all the ashes of my grief. The first spark of purpose I¡¯d felt since that night.


    "But what if..." My voice trembled. "What if there¡¯s no cure?"


    Rowan¡¯s hand squeezed mine gently. "Then at least you¡¯ll know you tried. And I know Draven well enough to tell you this... he would rather you fight for him than waste away waiting."


    For a long while, I couldn¡¯t answer. My gaze drifted back to Draven, to his still, beautiful face that looked almost peaceful under the morning light.


    I reached out, brushing my fingers over his cheek. "You would want that, wouldn¡¯t you?" I whispered. "You would want me to fight."


    Something inside me cracked then... not in pain this time, but in release.


    I took a shaky breath, then another, until my lungs finally remembered how to work again. My body felt weak, but for the first time in days, I wanted to move.


    Rowan watched me quietly, a small, approving smile flickering across his face.


    When I finally looked at him again, my voice was barely a whisper. "I¡¯ll go... but not while he¡¯s here. Not this far away."


    He nodded immediately. "I thought you¡¯d say that. Don¡¯t worry... your mates have already arranged everything. They are moving Draven back to the estate. He¡¯ll be right there with you, surrounded by his family. You won¡¯t be apart from him."


    My lips parted in disbelief. "They are... moving him?"


    "Yes." Rowan stood, offering his hand to me. "And now it¡¯s your turn, Eva. Time toe out of this room. He needs you to keep going."


    For a heartbeat, I hesitated... staring at Draven onest time, memorizing every inch of his face. Then, slowly, I slipped my hand into Rowan¡¯s.


    The world outside the door waited... painful, uncertain, but real.


    As Rowan led me toward it, my heart thudded weakly in my chest. My steps were unsteady, but each one felt like reiming a piece of myself I had lost.


    When the door opened, warm sunlight spilled in... and there they were.


    Kieran. River. Oscar.


    All three of them stood just outside, exhaustion etched into their faces, eyes red from sleepless nights, hearts broken but still beating.


    When they saw me, their expressions changed... from shock to something else. Relief. Hope.


    I didn¡¯t say anything. I couldn¡¯t.


    But when I stepped out of that room - when I finally breathed the fresh air again - it felt like the first step toward something new. Not an ending.


    A beginning.


    For Draven. For my family. For me.

 Chapter 461: Finally Back Home

    <h4>Chapter 461: Finally Back Home</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The world outside the car blurred past me - green, grey, then gold - but I barely saw any of it. My eyes were open, yet my mind was a million miles away, trapped between guilt and exhaustion.


    Rowan drove quietly beside me, his gaze focused on the winding road that led down from the mountains. The steady hum of the engine and the faint thrum of tires on gravel were the only sounds between us.


    Draven¡¯s face lingered in my thoughts, pale and peaceful, his chest rising in slow, mechanical rhythm. The image had burned itself into the back of my eyes... even when I blinked, I could see him lying there, surrounded by herbs, machines, and silence.


    I pressed my hand over my heart, fingers trembling slightly. The ache was still there - sharp, cold, unrelenting - but now there was something else underneath. Something Rowan had left me with. Purpose.


    I had promised myself I wouldn¡¯t fall apart again. I couldn¡¯t afford to.


    The drive down the mountain felt longer than it probably was. Every turn made me think of my mates still behind, still tending to Draven. River¡¯s face - calm but tight with control - shed in my mind. He had been the one to make the decision to keep it all secret. I couldn¡¯t even me him for it.


    If this got out, if anyone learned that Draven Thorne - one of the Rogue Alphas - had fallen to Soul Death, panic would spread through every pack, every vige and town. Worse, their enemies could use it... twist it, weaponize it.


    River was right.


    He always was when it came to protecting the people he loved.


    By the time we reached the gates of the Thorne estate, the afternoon sun was already dipping low, spilling streaks of gold across the stone walls. The sight of the familiar mansion - its towering facade, the sprawling gardens - filled me with something between relief and dread.


    Home.


    I hadn¡¯t been here in what felt like forever.


    The car hadn¡¯t evene to a full stop before I pushed the door open and stepped out. My legs felt weak, my knees wobbling fromck of food and sleep, but I didn¡¯t care. My heart was pounding, my instincts screaming one name over and over.


    Lioren.


    I didn¡¯t wait for Rowan. I ran.


    The mansion doors flew open as I burst inside, the familiar scent of polished wood and lc-scented air wrapping around me. The echo of my footsteps followed as I rushed past the foyer and toward the grand staircase.


    And then... I heard it.


    The soft, broken cry of my son.


    My chest constricted painfully, the sound slicing through me like a de.


    I didn¡¯t remember how I climbed the stairs. I just did... breathless, frantic, my heart in my throat. Servants called after me, startled, but I didn¡¯t stop to answer. My hand mmed against the nursery door, pushing it open with a force I didn¡¯t know I had.


    Inside, chaos met my eyes.


    Madam Elira was pacing beside the crib, her arms outstretched, trying to soothe the small, red-faced baby wailing in her embrace. Vanessa and Sera were nearby, rocking rattles, whispering soft lubies that clearly weren¡¯t helping.


    The moment they heard the door crash open, they all turned... startled gasps filling the room.


    "My Lady!" Madam Elira eximed, her eyes widening in shock before softening with relief. "You are finally here!"


    I didn¡¯t answer her. I couldn¡¯t.


    My legs carried me forward on their own, toward the only thing that mattered... the tiny, trembling bundle in her arms. I reached out, hands shaking as I took my son back where he belonged.


    "Give him to me," I whispered, my voice breaking halfway.


    Madam Elira didn¡¯t hesitate. The moment Lioren was in my arms, his cries softened into small hups. I pressed him to my chest, burying my face against his downy hair as I breathed him in... that soft baby scent that felt like warmth, home, and everything good in the world.


    "I¡¯m here, my little one," I murmured, kissing his temple over and over. "I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m here now."


    His tiny fingers curled weakly into the fabric of my blouse, his cheek pressed against my heart. Within seconds, his cries stoppedpletely... the silence that followed was heavy with relief.


    Behind me, I heard soft sighs - Madam Elira, Vanessa, and Sera all releasing breaths they had probably been holding for days.


    "He¡¯s been crying for hours, My Lady," Madam Elira said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "He wouldn¡¯t stop no matter what we tried."


    I just nodded, still swaying gently, rocking Lioren like I used to before everything fell apart. My eyes stung again, tears gathering but not falling this time. I had cried enough.


    It wasn¡¯t until Rowan entered the nursery that I realized how silent the room had gone. He stood at the doorway, watching quietly, and then turned to Madam Elira.


    "Would you please prepare something light for her?" he asked softly. "She hasn¡¯t eaten in days."


    Madam Elira looked at me with worried eyes but nodded quickly. "Of course, Master Rowan."


    Within seconds, she and the other two maids hurried out, leaving the nursery quiet once again.


    Rowan approached, his steps slow, deliberate. His gaze softened as he looked at Lioren, now fast asleep against my chest. "He missed you," he said.


    "I missed him more," I whispered, my throat tight.


    He gave me a small, gentle smile. "Let¡¯s take him to your room. You¡¯ll both rest better there."


    I nodded numbly and followed him.


    The corridors felt longer than I remembered. Every portrait, every candle flicker, every piece of furniture whispered memories of better days. Lioren stirred once, but I shushed him softly, pressing a kiss to his tiny forehead until he rxed again.


    Once inside my room, Iid Lioren down gently on the bed, staying close, afraid to even blink.


    He looked peaceful now, hisshes brushing his cheeks, his little chest rising and falling steadily.


    Not long after, Madam Elira returned with a tray in hand... a bowl of porridge, steaming and fragrant, and a ss of water. She ced it on the side table before leaving us alone again.


    Rowan took the bowl and pulled a chair closer. "Eat," he said simply.


    "I¡¯m not-"


    "Yes, you are," he interrupted gently. "Please, Eva."


    Something in his tone made it impossible to argue.


    So I let him feed me, spoon by spoon, the taste nd butforting. Every mouthful seemed to wake something inside me... my body remembering what it was to feel alive. When the bowl was empty, I leaned back against the pillows, exhaustion weighing down every part of me.


    "You should shower," Rowan said softly, setting the bowl aside. "I¡¯ll stay with him."


    I hesitated, my eyes flickering to Lioren¡¯s tiny sleeping form.


    "I promise," he added quietly. "I won¡¯t let him out of my sight."


    I nodded then, trusting him, and walked into the adjoining bathroom.


    The moment the warm water hit my skin, it felt like everything - the dirt, the fatigue, the tears - began to wash away. The grime of seven sleepless days faded down the drain, but the ache in my chest lingered. Still, it felt good to feel clean again. Alive again.


    When I stepped out, wrapped in a robe, I caught sight of myself in the mirror. The woman staring back at me looked hollow - pale skin, dark circles, dull eyes. But beneath the weariness, there was a flicker of something faint but real. Determination.


    I dried my hair and stepped out quietly.


    Rowan was still sitting by the bed, one hand resting protectively near Lioren. He looked up when I approached, smiling softly.


    "He didn¡¯t even stir," he said. "He¡¯s been waiting for you."


    I smiled faintly, climbing into bed beside my son. The moment Iy down, he shifted instinctively, rolling toward me until his tiny body pressed against mine.


    My heart melted all over again.


    I wrapped my arm around him, pressing my lips to his forehead. His warmth seeped into my skin, easing the ache that had hollowed me out.


    Rowan pulled the nket up to cover us both. "Sleep," he murmured, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. "You need it."


    For the first time in days, I didn¡¯t argue. My eyes fluttered closed, and for a moment, I simply breathed... the scent of my son, the warmth of home, the safety of knowing that even in pain, I wasn¡¯t alone.


    As sleep began to pull me under, Rowan¡¯s voice reached me onest time... soft and steady.


    "He¡¯ll be home soon," he said quietly. "They are bringing Draven back."


    And with that, I finally let go.

 Chapter 462 462: For Our Family

    Evaline:


    When I woke up, it wasn''t just the warmth of my son pressed close to my chest that greeted me. There was another familiar heat - steady, grounding, and achingly gentle -ing from the other side of the bed.


    For a moment, I thought I was still dreaming, lost somewhere between the tenderness of the past and the aching emptiness of the present. But when I blinked my eyes open, the soft golden hue of amp light told me otherwise.


    Oscary on Lioren''s other side, one arm draped loosely over our son, his hand resting right on top of mine. His breathing was slow, even, and peaceful... something I hadn''t seen from him in days.


    The exhaustion carved into his handsome face was still there, faint shadows under his eyes and a faint frown that never quite disappeared. But right now, he looked... calm. For the first time since Draven''s copse, he looked like he had managed to find a brief moment of peace.


    My chest tightened painfully at the sight. I didn''t want to disturb him, but the urge to touch him, to reassure myself that he was real, alive, and here with me... it was too strong to resist. I turned my hand just enough to hold his.


    I didn''t expect that simple movement to wake him.


    His fingers twitched, and hisshes fluttered open. Those familiar green eyes, tired but so full of depth, found mine almost immediately.


    I froze, guilt flooding me. "I''m sorry," I whispered softly, cupping his cheek. "Go back to sleep, love. You need it."


    But instead of obeying, his hand came up to cover mine, holding it against his skin. He turned his face slightly, pressing a kiss to my palm.


    "I''ll sleepter," he murmured, his voice still thick with sleep. "I wanted to see you first."


    A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it. His thumb brushed it away instantly, but his gaze softened even more.


    And then, between us, Lioren stirred.


    Our son made a tiny noise... somewhere between a coo and a sigh... and blinked his bright eyes open. For a second, he just stared between us, as if confused to find his parents watching him so intently. Then, with a happy squeal, his small hands waved in the air.


    Oscar chuckled, the sound low and rough but beautiful. "Looks like someone doesn''t want to be left out."


    "Of course not," I said, smiling through the tears. I leaned closer and kissed my baby''s forehead. "Did you miss Mama?"


    He giggled in response, that sweet, bubbling sound that filled the hollow corners of my heart with warmth I thought I had lost.


    We stayed like that for a while... the three of us... cocooned in our quiet world of peace and fragile smiles.


    By the time we finally got out of bed, the sky outside was filled with stars. I had fallen asleep around half-past four in the afternoon, and now it was nearing eight. Rowan had left before I woke, but Oscar told me he''d promised toe back tomorrow.


    I made a mental note to thank him again. Without him, I wasn''t sure I would have made it out of that room.


    After washing my face in the bathroom, I felt lighter - the porridge and the few hours of sleep had revived me more than I expected. My reflection still looked pale, my eyes still exhausted, but at least I didn''t lookpletely broken anymore.


    When I came out, Oscar was already holding Lioren, bouncing him gently in his arms. The sight made my heart swell.


    "Ready to go downstairs?" he asked, smiling faintly.


    I nodded. "Let''s go."


    We made our way down together, Lioren giggling as Oscar made funny faces along the way. For the first time in days, there was a trace of genuine joy in the air - fragile, yes, but it was there.


    As we reached the living room, the familiar hum of quiet conversation and soft footsteps filled the space. River was on one of the couches, aptop open on his knees, his fingers typing rapidly as his brows furrowed in focus.


    Across the hall, Kieran stood near the entrance of dining hall, a phone pressed to his ear. His voice was low, his tone firm - the kind he only used when discussing important matters. But the moment we stepped into the room, both of them looked up.


    River''s eyes softened, and Kieran ended the call almost instantly.


    They both looked... put together, in the way they always did. Clean clothes, hair styled perfectly - as if the weight of the world sitting on their shoulders couldn''t break them. But their eyes¡­ stars, their eyes told another story. The same sleepless exhaustion, the same pain, the same desperate hope.


    I smiled softly, pretending not to notice the cracks. "I hope we are not disturbing," I said.


    River shook his head, closing hisptop. "Never," he said quietly. "You look better, love."


    I nodded, a little smile tugging at my lips. "I''m trying."


    Before any of us could say more, Sera appeared from the hallway. "Dinner is ready, my Lady," she said, her smile warm.


    "Thank you, Sera," I said softly.


    The five of us - me, my three mates, and our son - sat down at the dining table.


    None of us spoke much, but the silence wasn''t empty or awkward. It was... peaceful,forting in its own way. The clinking of cutlery, the aroma of food, and Lioren''s cheerful giggles filled the air.


    He was in his crib between me and Kieran, ying with the little star-shaped toys hanging above. Every time one jingled, he let out a delighted squeal that made us all chuckle.


    For a brief moment, everything felt normal.


    After dinner, we gathered in the living room. River was the first to scoop Lioren out of his crib, lifting him high in the air, earning another happy squeal. "Look at you, little alpha," River murmured, smiling softly.


    Kieran leaned against the armchair, watching them with that quiet fondness he rarely showed. "He''s growing fast," he said, his voice warm.


    Oscar sat beside me, his hand resting on my knee, grounding me. "He''s going to start crawling in no time," he added, smiling at our son.


    I just sat there, watching the three of them y with our child - River bouncing him gently on his knee, Kieran making faces that had Lioren giggling uncontrobly, and Oscar asionally reaching over to tickle his tiny feet.


    Theughter that filled the room was soft but genuine, wrapping around me like a nket.


    I leaned back, sipping the warm milk Sera had brought earlier, and watched them quietly. There was still grief in all of us... an ache that refused to fade... but tonight, there was something else too. A spark of strength. Of determination.


    We were all still broken in our own ways, but we were mending... together.


    For Draven.


    For Lioren.


    For our family.

 Chapter 463: The Night of Healing

    <h4>Chapter 463: The Night of Healing</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I wanted to keep Lioren with me tonight.


    To feel his warmth, his heartbeat, his tiny breaths against my skin.


    But when I nced at my mates, saw the faint lines around their eyes, the fatigue in their faces, I changed my mind. They had been carrying too much, for too long... me, our son, our home, our grief. They deserved at least one night where they didn¡¯t have to pretend they were fine just to keep me from breaking again.


    So when it was time to put Lioren to bed, I took him to the nursery with Vanessa following us.


    Lioren gurgled, kicking his little legs as Iid him on the changing table. The smell ofvender oil filled the air as I warmed some between my palms and began massaging his tiny arms and legs, humming softly. His eyelids fluttered halfway, heavy with sleep, but he was fighting it.


    "You are such a sweetheart," I murmured with a quietugh.


    When I finished, I changed him into soft nightclothes, kissed his temple, and fed him slowly, watching the way his small fingers curled around mine. Those few minutes were peace itself. The kind of peace I had been starving for.


    When his breathing grew soft and even, I gentlyid him in his crib. Vanessa stepped forward, adjusting the nket over him.


    "I¡¯ll take care of him, My Lady," she said softly.


    "I know you will," I whispered. "Thank you, Vanessa."


    I stood there a while longer, watching my son sleep... his little chest rising and falling steadily.


    And then, with onest kiss to his forehead, I turned and left the nursery.


    When I came downstairs, the air was quiet - heavy, but not suffocating anymore. The faint golden glow of the chandeliers painted everything in a soft light.


    I found Oscar sitting on the couch in the living room, a half-empty cup of coffee on the table beside him. His posture was rxed, but his gaze was distant... somewhere far away, buried under thoughts he would never speak out loud.


    "Where are the others?" I asked quietly as I walked closer.


    He looked up, his eyes finding mine. "Kieran stepped out to take a call," he said. "River just went to his room. I think he needed a moment."


    I nodded slowly. Of course he did. River never liked showing when things got too heavy - he¡¯d retreat, process, thene back as if nothing happened. But I knew better.


    For a moment, I wondered if I should just let them all rest. They deserved that peace. Maybe I should just head to my own room and call it a night.


    But then I looked at Oscar again. The curve of his shoulders, the quiet strength in his eyes, the small tremor in his fingers from exhaustion... and I knew I couldn¡¯t just let the night end like this.


    So, I stepped closer until I was standing right beside him. I leaned down and whispered something in his ear - words that made his eyes widen slightly before a small smile bloomed on his lips.


    He nodded once, standing up almost immediately, that faint spark of warmth lighting his face again. I didn¡¯t need to say anything else, he knew what to do.


    While he left to fetch the others, I made my way upstairs to River¡¯s room.


    When I knocked, his deep voice came through softly. "Come in."


    I opened the door and stepped inside.


    He was standing near the tall ss wall that looked out at the vast, moonlit forest stretching beyond the Thorne estate. His posture was tense, one hand in his pocket, the other resting against the ss. The faint reflection of his face looked even more tired under the silver wash of moonlight.


    He turned when he heard me, surprise flickering across his face before something softer took over. His expression warmed instantly.


    "Evaline," he said quietly, his voice like velvet. "You should be resting."


    But instead of answering, I simply crossed the room and wrapped my arms around him.


    For a moment, he went still... like he didn¡¯t know what to do. Then, slowly, his arms came up to hold me back, firm and steady. The tension in his body eased, his heartbeat a steady rhythm against my ear.


    I pressed my chin lightly against his chest, tilting my head up to look at him. His face was inches from mine, shadowed by moonlight and exhaustion. I reached up, cupping his jaw, my thumb brushing against the light stubble there.


    "You are starting to look like an old man," I murmured, trying to sound serious, but the corners of my mouth betrayed me with a small pout. "At this rate, you¡¯ll have gray hair before Lioren learns to walk. That¡¯s... not exactly the image I had in mind for my mate."


    It took him a second... but then, a low, heartfeltugh rumbled from his chest. The kind of sound I hadn¡¯t heard from him in so long. He shook his head, his hands tightening gently at my waist.


    "And even if I do turn old and wrinkled," he said, leaning closer, his voice deepening, "I¡¯ll still only be yours. You would better be prepared to love me with all my gray hairs."


    I blinked, thenughed. . an actualugh, not a broken one. "You have no idea how unfairly charming you sound right now."


    He smirked lightly. "I know."


    I was about to reply when a knock sounded on the door. Before River could move, I called softly, "Come in."


    The door opened, and Oscar stepped in, followed closely by Kieran, who looked slightly confused, his brows furrowed as his gaze flicked between us.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Kieran asked, his voice wary.


    I still had one arm around River¡¯s waist, and with my free arm, I reached out toward them. "Come here."


    Kieran didn¡¯t need another word. His steps were quick, and in seconds, he was in my embrace, followed by Oscar, who wrapped his arms around both of us.


    The four of us stood there... tangled together in one silent, warm, steady hug.


    For a long time, none of us said a word. We just breathed... together.


    Their scents surrounded me, making me feel truly at home.


    I could feel Kieran¡¯s heartbeat against my shoulder, strong but erratic, like he was holding back everything he didn¡¯t want me to see. Oscar¡¯s breath was shaky against my neck, and River¡¯s fingers tightened slightly at my waist... as if he was silently reminding himself I was real, that I was here.


    It hit me then, how deeply they had been hurting. Not just for Draven, but for me too. For the version of me that had shut them out, that had stopped smiling, stopped living.


    And yet, they never left.


    They stayed.


    The tears I¡¯d been holding back since leaving the safe house finally spilled again, but this time, they weren¡¯t born of despair. They were warm... soft... almost healing.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I whispered against them. "For everything. For locking you all out. For making you all worry."


    Kieran pulled back slightly, his hands cupping my face, his thumb brushing away my tears. "You don¡¯t need to apologize," he said softly. "We just wanted you back."


    "You never lost me," I murmured, looking at each of them in turn. "I just... forgot how to breathe without him. But I¡¯ll remember. For you. For Lioren. For Draven."


    Oscar¡¯s hand came to rest over my heart. "Then we¡¯ll breathe together," he said, smiling faintly. "Until hees back."


    River bent his head and kissed my temple. "We¡¯ll find a way. We always do."


    And in that quiet, moonlit room, surrounded by my mates, for the first time since Draven fell... I believed it.

 Chapter 464: The Words...

    <h4>Chapter 464: The Words...</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The afternoon sun filtered through my bedroom windows in soft golden sheets, the light warm but not enough to ease the heaviness inside my chest. My fingers moved automatically as I scrolled through the pages of yet another soul-death report, the characters blurring for a moment before sharpening again.


    Dates.


    Times.


    Locations.


    The exact same conditions.


    The same chilling conclusion stamped across every medical file:


    No wounds.


    No energy loss.


    No poisoning.


    No curse detected.


    Cause of soul absence... unknown.


    My jaw tightened.


    Unknown.


    Unknown.


    Unknown.


    Every file mocked me with the same answer.


    Just then, the bedroom door opened with a soft creak.


    I looked up.


    Rowan stepped in, the soft thud of his boots muffled by the carpet. He carried a tray in his hands with two ss cups, steam rising in gentle swirls from the herbal tea inside them, and a bowl filled with salted potato chips.


    "It¡¯s tea time," he announced softly with a smile, nudging the door shut with his foot.


    I couldn¡¯t help returning the smile, even if faintly.


    He ced the tray on the study table, settled into the chair next to me, and poured the herbal tea into the tiny ss cups. The soothing scent of mint and lemongrass drifted up instantly.


    "Here," he murmured, cing my cup gently in front of me.


    "Thank you," I said quietly.


    He hummed, picked up a chip, and leaned forward, peering at myptop screen.


    "So?" he asked, crunching down on the chip as he narrowed his eyes. "Anything stand out? Any clue? Anything our dear professor might have overlooked?"


    I shook my head, letting out a long, weary sigh. "Nothing. Not a single damn thing."


    He grimaced. "That bad?"


    "Worse," I muttered, tapping one of the reports on the screen. "These reports... they are just stating things we already knew. Time, ce, circumstances. All useless. No cause. No exnation. All the investigations leading to dead ends."


    His brows furrowed deeper. "No curse marks?"


    "None."


    "No tampering?"


    "None."


    "No indication of spiritual residue or-"


    "Nothing, Rowan," I said, rubbing my forehead. "Literally nothing."


    For a moment, all we could hear was the quiet ticking of the clock on the wall and Rowan¡¯s steady, annoyed crunching of another potato chip.


    He let out a slow breath, leaning back. "So Kieran¡¯s team really had gone through all this."


    "Yeah," I whispered. "And for once, I hate that he was right."


    Rowan smiled humorlessly. "It stings, doesn¡¯t it?"


    "Very."


    But despite our disappointment, we worked in silence for the next hour, diving into the next folder of the old cases from nearly four centuries ago. These were ancient files, grainy scans of handwritten notes.


    "Look at this," Rowan said, scrolling through. "No exact date of the first case. No details about how they stopped. No mention of a cure."


    His voice softened at thest part.


    And my heart clenched painfully.


    "Nothing about whether they woke up," I whispered, my throat tightening.


    That silence... that absence of an answer... it terrified me more than the worst possibility.


    Because if they never woke up...


    I swallowed hard.


    No.


    I refused to ept that.


    "There has to be a cure," I said, my voice trembling but firm. "There has to be. There¡¯s no way this just... ends with them never waking up. There has to be something. Some lead. Some clue. Something they overlooked."


    "I know," Rowan murmured, cing his hand briefly over mine. "We¡¯ll find it. Even if these files won¡¯t help, we¡¯ll find it."


    But the disappointment between us felt suffocating.


    We went through every page, every record, every old reference... and still found nothing.


    Nothing that could save Draven.


    Nothing that could save any of them.


    Eventually, Rowan left and the rest of the day passed by in a blur. None of my mates asked if I found anything in the reports, probably because they all knew the answer all along.


    Andter in the night, sleep refused to grace me.


    Iy on my side, staring at the ceiling, frustration knotting in my stomach. The beautiful view of the bright moon outside the ss wall did nothing to quiet my thoughts.


    Oscar slept beside me, his breathing soft and even. His arm was draped around my waist, protective even in unconsciousness. I carefully slipped out from under his arm, making sure not to wake him, and sat up.


    My mind felt like a storm... chaotic, restless, desperate.


    If the reports had nothing...


    If the old records had nothing...


    Then where was I supposed to look next?


    I nced at my phone on the nightstand.


    It was nearly midnight.


    I didn¡¯t want to disturb my friends. So instead, I opened the gallery.


    And my heart instantly softened when the first image was of Lioren - his gummy smile, his bright eyes, his chubby hands reaching for the camera.


    I exhaled, some of the tension easing as I scrolled through the dozens of pictures and short videos. Him wrapped in a nket, him chewing on his toys, him sleeping with one arm across his forehead like Kieran, him giggling into Oscar¡¯s chest, him frowning just like River.


    But after the Lioren folder came another category - screenshots, document snippets, study notes, random pictures I had meant to sort through and delete after the term ended.


    Well... I wasn¡¯t sleeping anyway. Might as well sort through them.


    I started deleting old screenshots, useless notes, repeated pictures.


    Swipe. Delete.


    Swipe. Delete.


    And then...


    I paused.


    I came across the photos I had taken from the old soul-death archive when I visited the abandoned council headquarters.


    Even looking at them brought a sharp, bitter taste to my tongue.


    "Useless," I muttered, opening the first image only to delete it immediately.


    Then I opened the second photo - ready to delete it - but my thumb froze... and so my blood.


    I stared at the words that had somehow caught my attention even though I wasn¡¯t paying any.


    Words that shouldn¡¯t have been there.


    Words that stopped my breath.


    My hand trembled, thumb hovering over the screen as my heart mmed against my ribs.


    "No..." I whispered.


    I zoomed in, pulse roaring in my ears.


    There was no mistake.


    It was there.


    The words I hadn¡¯t seen in ANY of the soul-death reports earlier.


    My heart pounded so hard it hurt. The world around me seemed to sharpen, then blur, then sharpen again.


    "Oh my god..."


    I stared at the words again.


    And again.


    And my entire body went cold.

 Chapter 465: A New Finding

    <h4>Chapter 465: A New Finding</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The world around me was silent... too silent... while the only sound I could really hear was the uneven thud of my own heartbeat. My hands were still trembling where they clutched the phone, my eyes glued to the words staring back at me from the old report.


    Words I didn¡¯t expect to see.


    Words that changed everything.


    My breath hitched.


    My pulse spiked so sharply that I knew... knew my mates would feel it.


    And of course...


    Oscar stirred.


    His shifting weight dipped the mattress slightly, and his hand slid across the sheets until it found my thigh. Then he froze... clearly sensing my emotional state... and instantly jolted awake.


    "Eva?" he whispered, his voice thick with sleep but sharpened by worry. He sat up so fast the nket fell from his shoulders. "What¡¯s wrong? What happened?"


    I didn¡¯t answer.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    The report held me hostage.


    My eyes skimmed the lines again, searching, re-reading, disbelieving... but the words didn¡¯t disappear. It stayed right there... ink faded, letters warped with age, but unmistakably present.


    Oscar reached for my arm. "Eva-"


    Footsteps thundered outside. And the bedroom door burst open.


    Kieran strode inside first, bare-footed, shirt half-buttoned, hair wild as if he had literally run out of his room the second my emotions hit him. River was two steps behind him, face hard but eyes frantic.


    "What happened?" Kieran demanded, crossing the room in seconds.


    "Angel, what¡¯s wrong?" River echoed, his voice tight.


    They stopped next to the bed, hovering with fear that had be far too familiar these past weeks.


    Oscar looked just as lost, his gaze darting between me and the brothers.


    But I couldn¡¯t speak.


    I couldn¡¯t even lift my eyes from the screen.


    The numbness spreading through me was too vast, too heavy, too consuming.


    Kieran lowered himself onto the edge of the bed. "Evaline. Hey... look at me."


    I forced myself to blink and dragged my gaze up.


    He sucked in a breath... my expression must have terrified him.


    "What is it?" he whispered.


    My lips parted... but no words came. Instead, I whispered the only thing I could...


    "I... I need to see Draven."


    All three of them froze.


    They clearly thought I wanted to see Draven because I was missing him... aching for him... which was true... but that wasn¡¯t why I asked.


    Still, not one of them tried to question me.


    Not one of them tried to stop me.


    Oscar stood immediately and grabbed his jacket for me, draping it over my shoulders without a word.


    Kieran brushed his thumb over my cheek, then nodded once.


    River reached for my hand, gently helping me off the bed.


    And together - silent, tense, confused - they led me down the stairs.


    We crossed the darkened hallways of the estate, heading toward the west wing - the part of the mansion only open to the brothers... and now me. My heart pounded harder with every step.


    Down the staircase.


    Through the sound-proofed corridor.


    Past thest, heavy steel-lined door.


    At the very end of the long, dim hallway stood the familiar door.


    I didn¡¯t wait for anyone.


    I pushed it open.


    The low light glowed softly across the room, illuminating the bed where Draveny motionless - too still. Too pale. Too quiet.


    The sight nearly buckled my knees again.


    But I forced myself forward, straight toward him.


    "Lights," I whispered.


    River flicked on the overhead controls immediately and the room brightened at once.


    I reached Draven¡¯s bedside and... without allowing myself to hesitate... I began unbuttoning his gown shirt with shaking hands.


    Oscar¡¯s voice came from behind me, gentle but confused. "Eva...?"


    Kieran stepped closer, tense. "Love, what are you-"


    I didn¡¯t stop.


    I didn¡¯t answer.


    I pulled the fabric aside...


    And froze.


    My hands fell limp to my sides.


    The breath punched out of my lungs.


    The ck veins...


    <i>Were gone.</i>


    Completely.


    The dark, jagged, unnatural streaks that had been crawling up his chest the night of the ball... the veins my power had recoiled from... the veins he and I had agreed to tell the others about once we returned home...


    Gone.


    Erased.


    As if they had never existed.


    River gently ced a hand on my shoulder. "Evaline... what is going on?"


    I swallowed hard and turned to face them.


    Their expressions were torn between shock and deep confusion.


    "I saw them," I whispered, pressing a hand over Draven¡¯s chest. "The night of the ball. I noticed them while we were dancing. There were ck veins spreading under his skin - ck, thick, wrong."


    All three of them stiffened.


    I forced myself to continue.


    "I tried to heal them," I said quietly. "My power reacted... badly. It recoiled. Like it was refusing to touch them. Like whatever those veins were... they weren¡¯t right."


    A breathy, horrified sound escaped Oscar.


    "He told me he didn¡¯t feel any pain," I went on, my voice growing smaller. "We agreed we would tell you all once we returned home but... we never got the chance."


    The room fell into stunned silence.


    River¡¯s hand slipped from my shoulder.


    Kieran¡¯s jaw clenched so hard I heard it crack.


    Oscar looked like he was struggling to process everything.


    Then Kieran exhaled shakily and stepped forward.


    "So," he murmured, his voice low and controlled, "you think these ck veins might have something to do with Draven ending up soul-dead?"


    I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the truth settle heavily inside me.


    "I didn¡¯t know," I whispered. "At first, I thought they were just... something dangerous. Something foreign. Something I didn¡¯t understand."


    I opened my eyes again and lifted my phone with trembling fingers.


    "But then..."


    I couldn¡¯t finish.


    Kieran stepped closer, his hand brushing my arm.


    "Evaline. Continue," he urged softly, eyes locked on mine. "Please."


    I raised my gaze, meeting all three of theirs.


    Their breaths were held.


    Their bodies rigid.


    Fear.


    Hope.


    Dread.


    And I finally said it.


    "I just found the description of those same ck veins," I whispered, my voice shaking, "in an old soul-death report from four centuries ago."

 Chapter 466: A Mole in Alpha’s Team

    <h4>Chapter 466: A Mole in Alpha¡¯s Team</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I watched Kieran¡¯s expression harden as he took my phone from my hand. His fingers brushed my palm - warm, steady, grounding - but my heart still hammered unsteadily in my chest.


    He lowered his head, his eyes scanning the words on the screen with a growing stillness that was far more unnerving than panic. River leaned in first, then Oscar, their shoulders brushing Kieran¡¯s as they read. The three of them were so silent that even the soft hum of the basement lights felt loud in the background.


    I remained where I stood beside Draven¡¯s bed, hands curled tightly at my sides as I watched them absorb what I had just discovered.


    This particr screenshot was of a full page... a long one.


    It stated how one of the victim¡¯s mate confessed to have noticed weird, unusual dark veins on the victim the very night before they were found soul dead. But when the healers checked, there was no sign of such veins.


    Initially, it was ignored as there was no evidence to prove the family member was speaking the truth... until another person imed to have seen simr marks on their son and once again the healers found nothing on the victim¡¯s body.


    However, further investigation proved that family members or friends of some other victims had also noticed these marks. Out of thirty-two recorded cases, eight if them seemed to have marks that were noticed by their family or friends.


    But the investigation led to no other new findings. There was no origin recorded of these ck markings or any exnation on how they kept disappearing from the victims¡¯ bodies. Everything was left unexined.


    And the description of these marks was exactly of the back veins I saw on Draven¡¯s chest... exactly the night before his incident.


    Kieran finished first. The moment his eyes reached the end of the paragraph, he stopped, blinked once, and slowly lifted his gaze to mine.


    He was clearly shocked. But there was also something else in his golden-green eyes... something tense and dark and quietly furious.


    "Evaline," he said softly, "where did you get this?"


    I closed my eyes for a second, steadying myself. "It¡¯s one of the screenshots I took back when Oscar and I broke into the old council headquarters." My voice came out lower than I expected. "I was going through my gallery just now... deleting things. I wasn¡¯t even paying attention until I saw the words ¡¯ck veins¡¯."


    A muscle ticked in his jaw.


    River exhaled sharply. Oscar¡¯s hand brushed my back as if sensing how cold my skin had suddenly be.


    Kieran didn¡¯t look away from me. "There¡¯s no such thing in the reports I read."


    I nodded at once. "I know. Rowan and I went through the ones you gave me today. Every page, every line. We didn¡¯t find anything about dark veins there either... because it wasn¡¯t there."


    He went still.


    Completely still.


    Like someone had frozen every muscle in his body.


    "And you are saying," he murmured, voice low, controlled, "that this entire section was present in the original documents you saw?"


    "It was," I whispered. "It is. I still have the screenshot. And now I know why we found nothing today. Someone removed this part from the copy you had."


    There it was.


    The truth hung between us, thick and suffocating.


    Someone tampered with the records.


    Not the original ancient records.


    No.


    The only version that had been altered was the file Kieran¡¯s team put together.


    And just like that, the realization hit every single one of us at the exact same time.


    Someone on Kieran¡¯s team... someone currently working under him... someone with full ess... had intentionally erased the information.


    My stomach sank.


    The basement felt colder suddenly.


    I took my phone back as Kieran silently handed it to me. My fingers shook only once before I steadied them and went into the recently deleted folder. I restored every image I had trashed earlier of the records, then began scrolling through them one by one.


    There were twenty-two screenshots in total.


    Some blurry, some crooked, some half cut off because I had taken them in a hurry.


    But every word mattered now.


    The men didn¡¯t speak as I read through them. They waited... Oscar sitting on the armchair, River leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, and Kieran... Kieran standing utterly still beside Draven¡¯s bed.


    He wasn¡¯t pacing.


    He wasn¡¯t frowning.


    He wasn¡¯t even blinking normally.


    He was thinking.


    Dangerously.


    After nearly fifteen minutes of silence, I finally lowered the phone. "There¡¯s nothing else," I said quietly. "No mention of the veins anywhere else except that one page. But... that page is missing from the version your teampiled."


    Kieran closed his eyes for a moment.


    He didn¡¯t speak.


    He didn¡¯t curse.


    He didn¡¯t panic.


    He just looked... disappointed.


    Deeply.


    Almost painfully.


    Not at me.


    But at the implications.


    River straightened. "So someone on your team tampered with the records."


    Oscar¡¯s hands clenched around the armrest. "They didn¡¯t just tamper," he muttered. "They erased one of the most crucial information... something that could have probably helped us in saving Draven."


    A beat of silence passed between us.


    I swallowed, my voice barely above a whisper. "Kieran..."


    He finally looked at me. His eyes were calm... too calm... but the storm underneath was unmistakable.


    "What are you thinking?" I asked gently.


    He didn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, he nced at Draven¡¯s still, peaceful body, his expression tightening for just a second.


    Then he looked back at me.


    And for the first time since I met him, I felt something that sent a shiver down my spine... because the look in his eyes was anything I had ever seen before, or even considered ever seeing.


    His voice came out low and rough when he finally spoke. "It means what I feared is true."


    I held his gaze.


    Then, quietly, trembling but steady enough to speak the truth aloud, I voiced the thought that had been growing in all our minds...


    "There¡¯s a mole in your team."

 Chapter 467: Thorne Brothers’ Endless Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 467: Thorne Brothers¡¯ Endless Secrets</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The silence that followed my words stretched until it felt like the entire room was holding its breath.


    <i>A mole in Kieran¡¯s team.</i>


    The statement lingered in the air like a dark cloud, heavy and impossible to ignore. For a long moment, no one moved. No one even shifted their weight. Each of us was frozen in the same horrible realization - someone with ess, someone trusted, someone close - had deliberately erased crucial information.


    Information that could have possibly helped other victims... and saved Draven.


    I exhaled shakily, my heartbeat echoing in my ears. Through the bond, a wave hit me... sharper than fear, deeper than anger.


    Kieran.


    His emotions surged fast and hard, like a tsunami crashing under the surface. On the outside he remained perfectlyposed... his brow smooth, expression controlled... but inside...


    Inside he was a storm.


    His jaw had tightened so subtly that no one else would have noticed, but I did... and so did his brothers. Through our shared bond, I felt every tremor of fury he was suppressing, every tight coil of disbelief, every instinct telling him to tear something apart.


    I stepped closer without thinking.


    His shoulders were rigid, tension locked down his spine like iron. Slowly, gently, I reached out and gave his arm a light squeeze.


    It wasn¡¯t much.


    Just a simple touch.


    But I felt him respond. He didn¡¯t look at me, didn¡¯t move his head, didn¡¯t speak... but his hand shifted and returned the squeeze, his fingers brushing mine in a silent - <i>I¡¯m here. I hear you. I¡¯m not going to break. Not yet.</i>


    Oscar was the one who found his voice first. It came out rough, edged with anger. "It has to be someone from the team who went to copy the originals," he said. "Someone who saw the old documents firsthand... who had the chance to hide this before bringing back the files."


    I shook my head gently. "Maybe. But it could also be someone who tamperedter... when the report was being finalized before it reached Kieran."


    All three brothers turned to look at me.


    Oscar frowned. "Why do you think that?"


    "Because if someone had ess to the original old cases at the old council headquarters," I exined carefully, "why not destroy the page entirely? Why leave the ck-veins information intact in the originals? Why take the risk of someone... anyone... finding it again?"


    A chill passed through River, and I felt Oscar¡¯s breath hitch beside me. Even Kieran went utterly still, his expression unreadable.


    I continued softly, "Whoever did this... they possibly didn¡¯t get to touch the originals. They only tampered with the version being prepared for Kieran."


    Kieran¡¯s eyes darkened, the storm inside him sharpening into something sharper. "Because they assumed no one would double-check the originals," he said quietly.


    I met his gaze and nodded. "Not even you."


    His breath left him in a silent exhale... almost augh, but without humor. Because it was true. He hadn¡¯t gone back to the original archive. He trusted his team to gather urate information. He trusted thempletely.


    My chest tightened. That trust had been used against him.


    Against us.


    Against Draven.


    The room went silent again, but this time it was heavier. Darker.


    Because now the implications were undeniable - anyone involved inpiling the report was suspicious.


    Every person Kieran had handpicked.


    Every researcher.


    Every investigator.


    Every shadow warrior who apanied the team.


    One of them... or worse, more than one... was a mole.


    The thought made my stomach twist, because I knew just how much faith Kieran had in his people.


    Oscar muttered a curse under his breath. "This is... this is insane." His hand ran through his hair as he paced once. "Now we can¡¯t even trust our own people."


    "We can¡¯t," River agreed quietly, though his voice had taken on a steel edge. "At least not until we are done running a thorough check through all our teams and have dug out the mole."


    He pushed away from the wall, his eyes burning with intent. "I¡¯m going to the old headquarters," he said firmly. "Tonight. Right now. I want to see the original reports with my own eyes and confirm everything."


    The decision was sharp, decisive... pure River.


    His gaze found mine. "You didn¡¯t get to go through all the original records at the archive. So maybe there¡¯s more than just the ck veins information that was taken out."


    Instantly, before anyone else could speak, I moved toward him and wrapped an arm around his, clinging instinctively. "You are right. I¡¯ming with you."


    He looked down at me in surprise, then softened immediately. "Angel-"


    "No." My voice didn¡¯t shake even though I noticed the new endearment he had already used twice tonight. "I¡¯ming. I need to see the files again. I won¡¯t stay back while you go digging into something this important."


    Oscar stepped forward. "Then I¡¯ming too."


    Kieran remained silent... but only for a moment. But when he did speak, it was final.


    "And I¡¯m not letting any of you out of my sight."


    River nodded. "Then we leave now."


    Kieran took onest look toward Draven before turning away. His voice dropped low, almost a whisper too soft for anyone else... but I caught it.


    "We¡¯ll find out who did this," he murmured. "I swear on my life... we¡¯ll find them."


    The four of us walked out of the basement together, steps quick, breath tight, hearts pounding.


    Something had shifted tonight.


    The mystery of the Soul Death cases was no longer distant, confusing, or unsolvable.


    No.


    Tonight, for the first time...


    We had a lead.


    A real one.


    And that lead pointed to betrayal.


    A mole inside Kieran¡¯s team.


    We all returned to our rooms to get ready. I changed out of my pajamas into all ck. Grabbing Oscar¡¯s ck leather jacket to keep myself warm, my phone, and a cap, I headed out of my room to meet my mates.


    Instead of using the main gate, we all headed back to the basement... and I got to know that I was still far from learning all of the Thorne Brothers¡¯ secrets.

 Chapter 468: New Leads

    <h4>Chapter 468: New Leads</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Nearly a year ago.


    That¡¯s when I first stepped foot into the Thorne estate for the first time. And I had spent quite a while living here. Long enough to know every corridor, every room, every wing, every hallway... even the underground dungeon where I spent my first night in this ce.


    Or at least... I thought I knew everything.


    Turned out, I didn¡¯t know even half of it.


    When River guided us past Draven¡¯s private wing and continued deeper into the basement, I thought he was just taking a longer route to another exit. But instead, he pressed his thumb to a panel beside a reinforced metal door I had never seen before.


    A hidden door.


    Again.


    A soft beep echoed, followed by a shift of gears and grinding metal. The huge b of steel slid aside smoothly, revealing...


    A ramp.


    Arge, sloping ramp disappearing downwards.


    I felt my mouth part open. "Wait-"


    River didn¡¯t stop.


    Oscar didn¡¯t blink.


    Kieran didn¡¯t look surprised in the slightest.


    My shock grew with every step.


    We descended in silence until the ramp widened into what looked like... no, was... aplete underground parking lot. Rows of cars sat quietly, shadows stretching around them. The ce was spotless, lit with overhead strips of white LED lighting.


    "This is..." I whispered, stunned, pointing uselessly at everything. "This is a parking lot?"


    Oscar smirked. "One of them."


    "One-?!" I sputtered. "You have multiple underground parking lots?!"


    Oscar¡¯s grin widened like a child proudly showing off a secret fort. "We brothers like being prepared."


    "Prepared?" I threw my hands up. "You are all insane. Absolutely insane."


    River walked past me, deadpan as ever, but I caught the faint curve of his mouth. "We call it being efficient."


    "No." I red at all three of them. "It¡¯s officially insane. First the hidden Academy tunnels... plural... then the safe house, then the private basement wing, and now this?" I gestured around wildly. "What¡¯s next? A secretke under the kitchen? A dragon pit? A teleportation chamber?"


    Kieran actually chuckled. "Teleportation would save us a lot of time."


    "Oh Moon Goddess." I pped a hand over my face. "You have hollowed out more of this mountain than the Academy builders have!"


    Theirughter filled the wide underground room, echoing off concrete - warm, surprising, a perfect contrast to the tension that had strung all of us tight since midnight.


    River walked ahead and hit a button on the wall. Metal groaned like something huge was waking up. Then, slowly...


    A tunnel door opened.


    A massive tunnel door.


    Wide enough for two vehicles to drive side by side.


    Oscar swung the car keys. "Come on, sweetheart." He tossed me a wink. "You can marvel at our genius on the way."


    I rolled my eyes but followed him into the back seat beside Kieran while River climbed into the front. Oscar took the wheel.


    The moment the car rolled into the tunnel, I pressed my face to the ss like a child.


    A long, stone-lined passage stretched ahead, lit by embedded wall lights, smooth and impably maintained. After what felt like several long minutes, the tunnel angled upwards. My heart thrummed as a trapdoor opened.


    And then...


    We emerged.


    The car burst out into open forest behind the Academy, headlights slicing the darkness. The dirt road beneath us was narrow but clearly maintained, winding through tall pine trees and thick undergrowth.


    I stared.


    Speechless.


    "You are kidding me," I whispered.


    Oscar chuckled, the sound filled with mischief. "Wee to Tunnel Two."


    "Tunnel-? There¡¯s a number?" I raised my hands helplessly. "Of course there is. Why wouldn¡¯t there be?"


    Kieran¡¯sugh was soft but very real, and River shook his head, amused.


    The car sped down the dirt path until the trees parted ahead... and suddenly we were back on the main mountain road, heading down toward the towns.


    Had we really just exited the Thorne estate without a single servant, guard, or patrolling warriors realizing?


    Yes.


    Exactly as we needed.


    And still... I couldn¡¯t help whispering, "Insane."


    Oscar wiggled his eyebrows. "We know."


    Despite everything - the lingering pain, the looming betrayal, the ck veins - we wereughing. And the lightness eased something cold and brittle inside me, even if just for a moment.


    Forty minutester, Oscar parked outside the old headquarters. The overgrown greenery surrounding the ce was more than enough to keep the car mostly hidden unless someone came close enough to notice it. And the cloud covered sky above only aided us further.


    The real entrance was further ahead. But River walked straight past it, leading us toward a broken patch of stone floor that might have once been part of a courtyard.


    He knelt, brushed aside fallen leaves, and lifted a square metal frame.


    The very familiar trapdoor.


    It was a narrow descent with metal steps and damp stone walls. The air smelled old - dust and forgotten time.


    River took out an ess card and pressed it against the scanner. The next second, the metaltch clicked.


    We entered the building and made our way straight to the archive room.


    Rows and rows of high steel shelves filled the long room, packed with document boxes, ancient dossiers, ss cases holding sealed scrolls, and hundreds of thin leather-bound reports.


    It was just as overwhelming as I recalled it from my previous visit.


    River switched on the lights. Kieran and Oscar spread out without needing to discuss anything. I pulled out my phone and opened the scanning app.


    And then the hours began.


    Quiet. Focused. Heavy.


    The only sounds were pages turning, papers rustling, and the asional beep from my phone as each document was scanned and saved.


    I took pictures, then created a new folderbeled Old Soul Death Reports ¨C Originals.


    The deeper we read, the more apparent the truth became -


    Only one page had been removed from the version Kieran received.


    Just one.


    One single sheet of paper in hundreds... containing the mention of ck veins.


    A subtle change.


    A tiny omission.


    Easy to overlook.


    And exactly why no one ever noticed.


    Hours passed. My fingers felt cramped. My shoulders ached. My eyes burned. But we kept going until we were sure... absolutely sure.


    Oscar stretched his back, groaning. "Well... that confirms it."


    River closed thest scroll. "Everything except the ck veins section is identical."


    Kieran rested his hands on the table, his expression hard and unreadable. "Someone deliberately removed only one page. One crucial detail."


    Two new leads now stood before us - clear, strong, and terrifying.


    "One," I said softly, almost whispering. "The ck veins... they are connected to soul death. They have to be."


    River nodded grimly.


    "And two..." Oscar added, his voice low, "there¡¯s a mole in Kieran¡¯s team."


    Kieran didn¡¯t speak. He simply stared at the pile of original documents... the ones no one had bothered to tamper with... or probably hadn¡¯t the ess to do it.


    Something deep and dangerous flickered in his eyes.


    I reached for his hand and curled my fingers around his.


    "We can work with this," I whispered. "We finally have a direction."


    He looked at my hand, then up at me, and some of the tension eased.


    I squeezed lightly. "Next steps are clear - we track down the families and friends of the current victims. Ask if they saw ck veins."


    Oscar nodded. "If even one of them confirms it, we know we are on the right path."


    "And then..." River added, his voice dropping, "we find the mole."


    Kieran¡¯s fingers tightened around mine.


    His voice was soft.


    Deadly.


    "We are going to find them."


    I believed him.


    Because tonight, for the first time in months... we finally had real leads.


    And the darkness was starting to crack.

 Chapter 469: A Great Performance

    <h4>Chapter 469: A Great Performance</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The strangest part about discovering a possible mole in Kieran¡¯s team was how easily the next morning pretended nothing had happened.


    Sleep had note to me peacefully. I remembered lying awake between Kieran and Oscar, feeling their breaths, their warmth, their arms wrapped around me... but the shadows of our findings lingered. And yet, when dawn finally bled through the curtains, they all woke as if our world hadn¡¯t tilted dangerously on its axis just hours ago.


    If this was how they wanted to y it, I was more than happy to follow.


    We had ate breakfast in the vast dining room,te morning sunlight warm on the table, the clinking of cutlery almost offensively normal. The staff moved around with polite bows, their expressions unreadable, but I noticed more eyes lingering on me now.


    Half of them personally witnessed my "meltdown". And the other half had learned about it from the first.


    Good. Because it saved us the trouble of exining.


    After breakfast, we headed toward the living room, and Oscar subtly nudged my shoulder as a reminder.


    It was showtime.


    The first thing I did was to call Draven¡¯s number, and with each unanswered call, I pretended to get angry.


    After fifth try, I threw my phone on the couch and exhaled dramatically, pitching my voice loud enough to travel across the hallways for any prying ears, and nted my hands on my hips. Oscar crossed his arms and stared me down with an exasperation so authentic that if I didn¡¯t know him, I would have thought he meant it.


    "I¡¯m telling you now, Oscar," I snapped, "I¡¯m not apologizing to Draven. He can stay wherever he wants. I¡¯m done chasing him."


    Conversation among the nearby staff quieted instantly.


    Oscar raised a brow. "I know you are angry, love. But you didn¡¯t exactly hold back your words that day. You both need to calm down-"


    "I don¡¯t care." I tossed my hair with regal annoyance I absolutely did not feel. "He thinks he¡¯s right? Fine. Let him stay away the entire holidays for all I care. I hope he realizes how wrong he is and begs me on his knees when he returns."


    One of the maids gasped softly. Perfect.


    Oscar let out a long, dramatic breath. "You two are impossible."


    Kieran and River appeared in the hallway, ying their roles beautifully - River with the stern alpha disapproval, Kieran with the slightly amused older-brother exasperation. Both were careful with their expressions, but the mate bonds betrayed the amusement rolling under their skin.


    The performancested only a few more lines, but by the time we finished, the room was buzzing. We didn¡¯t need the staff to spread rumors purposely. They would do it on their own.


    We needed a story to not only exin Draven¡¯s sudden absence, but also my copse upon my return to estate.


    Smartly, the brothers made sure to keep their emotions sealed within the walls of their home to not let anyone notice anything had gone wrong over the past couple of days.


    When thest servant drifted away, Oscar leaned close and whispered in my ear, "You deserve an award."


    I smirked. "I know."


    River ced a hand on my waist as we walked out, stepping into the front garden where Lioren was soaking in the warmth of sunlight. "Convincing performance."


    Oscar slid his arm across my shoulders, voice low, warm. "If I didn¡¯t know the truth, I had think you and Draven actually had a lovers¡¯ quarrel."


    I elbowed him softly. "Don¡¯t make me add you to my list."


    His chuckle rumbled through me.


    - - -


    Jasper was the only one outside the four of us and the two healers who knew the actual situation. I met him briefly in the hallway that noon before he left the estate for one of his "errands." He bowed his head to me respectfully, his expression calm but eyes sharp.


    Though we wanted to not involve many people, we had no choice as there were way too many things needed to be taken care of. And Jasper was loyal. Was he the only one? That was the real question.


    The possibility of a mole in Kieran¡¯s team cast a shadow over every hallway, every passing guard, every casual greeting. Anyone could be hiding a knife behind a smile. Even River and Oscar were doing a thorough investigation of their own teams and the staff at the estate to make sure everyone was clean and could be trusted.


    Later that afternoon, before the sun dipped too low, I traveled to Lakeshire Town to meet Rowan.


    The town¡¯s crisp air felt cleaner than the estate¡¯s heavy tension-filled atmosphere, and seeing Rowan waiting outside the flower shop almost made my shoulders loosen.


    "Eva," he called, relief softening his features. "You look... better."


    I offered him a smile. "I have been trying."


    He hugged me gently, pulling away to study me with those perceptive elder-brother eyes.


    "Did you find anything new?" he asked.


    My breath left me in a slow exhale. "Yes. And no. But I found... enough."


    We walked behind the store, away from crowd. Rowan crossed his arms, waiting patiently.


    "Lyra," I started quietly. "Did she ever mention anything about some ck veins to you? Or... strange marks on her body before her incident? Did you saw anything like that on her?"


    My words confused him for a moment, but before I could borate, his expression shifted.


    He stiffened and his eyes widened. "Actually, she did." He swallowed. "Though she didn¡¯t say it¡¯s... veins, she did tell me she had a weird bruise on her chest. Like... a dark mark. She was irritated by it because she didn¡¯t know how she ended up getting it."


    My pulse quickened. "When?"


    "I think... it was the evening before her incident."


    That confirmed everything.


    "But howe you learned about it? Is there anything unusual about that mark?" He asked, noticing the shift in my expression at his confirmation.


    I told him about the ck veins I saw on Draven. About the screenshot and those same ck veins being mentioned in the original report. About the missing page in the report we just went through yesterday. And finally... about the possibility of a mole.


    At this point, I held nothing back from Rowan. He was the person who had always known all my deep, dark secrets from the very day I arrived at Silver Moon and started the second Chapter of my life. And nearly a yearter, he¡¯s still the one who knew everything about me.


    I expected panic. Or disbelief.


    Instead, Rowan¡¯s jaw clenched. "So someone knew."


    "Or someone didn¡¯t want us to know," I corrected softly.


    He dragged a hand through his hair. "Eva... be careful. If there¡¯s a mole in even Kieran¡¯s team, that means whoever is behind these incidents has eyes everywhere."


    I nodded. "I know. That¡¯s why we are pretending everything is normal."


    "Good." He looked at me, his eyes heavy with worry. "Just... don¡¯t disappear on me too."


    I hugged him tightly. "I won¡¯t. I promise."


    We talked for a few more minutes before we had to part ways as it was gettingte.


    Later that night, after I kissed my son a sweet ¡¯good night¡¯, I headed to my room to shower and change into pajamas.


    The brothers were in the study at that time, but when I stepped out of the bathroom several minutester, I found all three of them in my bedroom.


    Kieran stood with his back against the window, his arms crossed. He turned to face me when he felt my presence.


    "I have handed the task of checking with the victims¡¯ closed-ones to Mark," he updated me. "He needs a day to verify with each family. But he¡¯ll get the answers."


    Oscar lounged on the edge of the bed, tension running through every line of him. "With Rowan¡¯s confirmation, it¡¯s already confirmed that the ck veins are involved this time as well. But let¡¯s wait for Mark¡¯s report."


    River was pacing, his hands behind his back, and his face calm as always.


    I leaned against the headboard, watching all three.


    It was frightening how quickly this had turned from a mystery into a hunt.


    And still, somehow, they made sure I felt safe - protected - even when the world around us was anything but.


    River stopped pacing and looked at me. "We¡¯ll handle everything. Just keep doing what you are doing. Stay normal. Stay close."


    Oscar winked. "And keep acting like Draven offended you deeply."


    Kieran smirked and then added to my surprise. "Maybe add some tears next time."


    I threw a pillow at both of them.


    But despite the humor, the truth hung thick in the air:


    A mole existed.


    Someone had altered official records.


    Someone had hidden information that could have changed a lot of things.


    And now... that someone was being hunted by us.


    I exhaled shakily.


    Normal days...?


    Not a chance.


    But pretending?


    That, at least, we could do.


    For now.

 Chapter 470 470: A Day Out With Friends

    Evaline:


    I knew this moment wasing.


    I even rehearsed it in my head on the drive here, on the walk to the restaurant, and even while hugging each of them when we met. I knew exactly how the girls would react, how their eyes would narrow, how their voices would rise to that distinct pitch they used whenever they were just one with me.


    And yet¡­ I still wasn''t ready when Selene actually did it.


    She mmed her palm on the table, leaned forward, and pointed a finger directly at my face.


    "You," she dered, her voice carrying across the entire small restaurant, "disappeared the moment holidays started! It''s been two weeks, Eva. Two full weeks. And only now we hear from you!"


    Every head in our private booth turned to me. Rowan looked resigned. Kyros looked amused. Mallory, Ria, and Noah all just stared like waiting spectators at a drama they had paid for.


    Before I could even open my mouth-


    "That''s not fair."


    Mallory lifted her chin, ready for battle. "She finally returned home to her four gorgeous mates and her cute little son. It''spletely understandable she would go missing for a while."


    Heat bloomed in my cheeks before the meaning of her words even fully settled.


    But the moment Mallory said it, an ache twisted deep in my chest... an instinctive, pulling pang that dragged my thoughts to Draven.


    To the fact that he wasn''t home... not in the way I wanted him to be.


    To the fact that he wasn''t fine.


    To the fact that he wasn''t resting with us, teasing me, touching me, speaking to me.


    I shoved the ache down quickly before it could show on my face.


    The others, of course, took Mallory''s words and ran with them.


    Ria leaned forward, her eyes gleaming wickedly. "Honestly, if I had four rogue Alpha mates? I wouldn''t leave the house either. Maybe not even the bed."


    "Ria-" I tried, but she kept going, shameless.


    "In fact¡­" She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "What does it feel like to be with all four at once?"


    My entire soulbusted.


    I choked on air. Noah nearly fell off the booth from how hard he wasughing. Mallory pped the table. And Selene covered her mouth to hide her grin.


    And Kyros... sweet, awkward Kyros... went crimson from ears to cor.


    "That is enough," he snapped with surprising authority. "Stop embarrassing her."


    "No, no," Ria teased, unfazed. "Purely for research purposes-"


    "Ria," Rowan warned, "don''t make me gag you with your own scarf."


    She huffed but finally shut up.


    I tried to stop blushing, but my face felt like someone had set it on fire.


    "Well," Mallory added with a wink, "now she definitely won''t disappear again. She has to show her face just to prove she hasn''t drowned in mating marks."


    "Mallory-!" I groaned.


    Her grin only widened.


    Despite the blush, despite the ache in my chest, despite everything¡­ seeing themugh, tease, and act normal felt like an anchor.


    A reminder of a world outside secrets and soul deaths and possible moles.


    A reminder that I still had friends who made me feel rxed, happy, included, and carefree in theirpany.


    With theirints about my absence taken care of, we shifted to lighter topics about what the rest of them had been doing these past two weeks.


    Kyros reported first, sounding half proud and half exhausted. "I have been training with Instructor Oscar''s warrior team during the holidays. They opened admission for new recruits during holidays and I couldn''t possibly miss the opportunity. But... it''s really intense."


    Rowan patted his back proudly. "He''s doing well. Better than he thinks."


    Kyros ducked his head with a small smile.


    Rowan himself looked calmer than usual, his shoulders rxed. "Working during weekdays feels good." His gaze found mine then. "Oscar is a really great boss sh teacher. He''s strict and intense, but he''s also patient and nice."


    I smothered a smile. Oscar respected Rowan so much he practically treated him like a younger brother, even if Rowan didn''t realize it yet.


    Selene leaned back in her chair, stretching. "I''m resting. And helping my siblings with their school projects. That''s my entire holiday n. If one more teacher assigns them a volcano experiment, I''m burning the school down."


    Mallory snorted. "You want help?"


    "No," Selene said tly. "You will make things explode."


    "Only sometimes."


    Ria shrugged when it became her turn. "No ns."


    Noah chimed in. "Same. Just vibes."


    "How about you, Mal?" Ria asked once it was just Mallory left who hadn''t disclosed her holiday ns yet.


    Mallory suddenly looked slightly flushed. She cleared her throat. "I... I''m spending most of my time with Lily... and her father."


    The reaction from everyone was quick, and even I couldn''t help myself from chiming in as this was news to me as well.


    "Not bad, Mal. Learning to be a good mate and mother. Huh?" Noah teased and all of us chuckled while Mallory just blushed.


    We spent the next hour eating,ughing, catching up, and taking photos. Rowan tried to hide his smile every time I caught him staring at me like he was checking if I was okay.


    He didn''t ask. He didn''t force me to talk about how I have been doing the past few days. He just¡­ watched. Just in case.


    It meant more than he knew.


    After lunch, we walked around the little valley town, stopping at street stalls and tiny shops. Selene''s pack territory was smallpared to others, but the view alone made it feel magical.


    The valley dipped low and wide, filled with golden sunlight and crisp air. The houses were painted pastel colors. Kids ran around, ying andughing. The air smelled faintly of sweet breads cooling somewhere nearby.


    I held Mallory''s arm.


    Kyros carried bags for all of us even though we bought useless trinkets.


    Ria dragged Noah into shops he absolutely didn''t want to enter.


    And Rowan stayed close, quiet but warm.


    My heart still tugged painfully at missing Draven... but theughter around me softened the ache.


    Then Mallory stopped walking so suddenly that we all bumped into her.


    "What''s wrong?" Selene asked.


    Mallory pointed toward the street.


    I followed her line of sight and a smile immediately bloomed on my lips once I realized what caused her to stop in her tracks.


    Oscar stood beside his car, leaning against it casually with one hand in his pocket, wearing ck jeans and a white vest that left his muscr arms on disy. His eyes were fixed right on me like he had been waiting since forever.


    He looked¡­ devastatingly handsome.


    And very much like someone on a mission.


    Selene whispered, "Oh yeah. I would disappear for two weeks too."


    "Selene-!" I hissed as my face heated again.


    Mallory fanned herself dramatically.


    Rowan cleared his throat loudly. "Okay, Eva''s ride is here."


    Kyros tried not to smile. "He looks impatient."


    I groaned and hugged each of them quickly, promising to see them again soon and ignoring Ria''s whispered, "Ask him if the other three are waiting at home shirtless."


    "No," I hissed.


    She grinned. "So it''s a yes."


    I shoved her lightly and hurried to the car before they killed me with embarrassment.


    Oscar opened the passenger door for me, his eyes warm with fond amusement.


    "Have fun?" he asked lightly.


    "I''m never talking again," I muttered as I slid in.


    He chuckled and walked around the car.


    We had barely left the valley town when he spoke again, his tone shifting from teasing to serious.


    "There are two things you need to know," he said.


    I straightened instinctively.


    "First - we have finished checking our teams, our warriors, and the estate staff." His fingers tapped the steering wheel once. "Everyone is clean. No suspicious behavior. No gaps in movement. Nothing damning."


    A soft sigh escaped me. "That''s¡­ good."


    "It is," he agreed. "Kieran''s almost done checking his own team. He''ll find the mole soon."


    My stomach tightened. That meant we were close. Very close.


    "And the second thing?" I asked carefully.


    His lips curled in amusement.


    "River is waiting for you to start your training."


    I groaned so loudly the birds outside probably heard me.


    "Noooo. Oscar. Save me."


    "No," he said instantly.


    "Please?"


    "No."


    "Pretty please?"


    "No, sweetheart." His grin turned wicked. "I''m actually looking forward to it."


    I stared at him. "Why?!"


    "Because," he drawled, "once River trains you properly, you''ll dominate everyone in my physicalbat ss, and then I get the pleasure of praising you loudly in front of the entire group."


    I dropped my face into my hands. "You are evil."


    Heughed, full and shameless.


    "And you love me for it."


    I peeked at him through my fingers.


    Unfortunately¡­ yes.


    Hopelessly.


    He reached over, took my hand, and lifted it to his lips.


    "Don''t worry," he murmured. "We''ll all make sure you enjoy the training. One way or another."


    My face heated again.


    And the car sped toward home... toward River, toward training, toward the investigation tightening its noose... while Oscar''s warm fingersced through mine.

 Chapter 471 471: Back To Training

    Evaline:


    The moment I stepped out of the car, the first thing I noticed was the sky.


    The clouds had gathered low and heavy, swollen with the promise of rain. The wind smelled wet, like the earth was already preparing for it. The entire mansion -rge, serene, and surrounded by trimmed hedges - looked darker than usual under the shifting skies.


    Oscar stretched, nced upward, and shed me a victorious grin.


    "Well, looks like the Moon Goddess heard your plea," he said smugly. "Storm''sing. So yeah¡­ seems like you finally get to skip training today."


    A relieved noise escaped me before I could control it. "Thank the Goddess," I whispered dramatically. "I''m saved."


    Heughed at my misery,pletely unhelpful, and ced his hand lightly on my lower back as we stepped inside. I had half a mind to shove him yfully for making so much fun of me.


    And as we entered the living room... we saw him.


    River.


    Standing like a carved statue, arms crossed, expression unreadable, but eyes too sharp for myfort.


    He flicked his gaze at us the moment we entered.


    "Evaline," he said in a clipped tone. "Get changed and meet me in the training room."


    "What-wait-River-" I tried, but he was already walking away, not giving me a single extra second to protest. His long strides carried him toward the hall and he disappeared around the corner without so much as a backward nce.


    I remained rooted, dumbfounded.


    Slowly, I turned toward Oscar, with betrayal painted across my entire being.


    "Training room?" I hissed. "There''s a training room too?!"


    Oscar winced, then did the world''s worst job pretending innocence.


    "Ah¡­ right. That. I may have forgotten to mention it."


    "You may have... are you serious?"


    He patted my head like I was an adorable angry puppy instead of a woman contemting homicide.


    "You''ll be fine," he said sweetly. "Just take out all your frustration on River during training."


    I gaped at him.


    He leaned down and kissed my forehead, gentle and warm.


    "Good luck, sweetheart."


    Knowing there was no saving me, I changed into my training clothes grumpily. I wasn''t mentally prepared. I wasn''t emotionally prepared. I would never be physically prepared for River''s training sessions.


    But he didn''t care about any of that.


    The ''training room'' turned out to be another surprise waiting for me... one that had me blinking as I stepped inside. It was massive, almost the size of the ballroom I had once seen in one of the estate''s wings. But instead of chandeliers and polished floors, there were targets, mats, weapon racks, reinforced walls, and an arena-like open space in the center.


    River stood there, already barefoot on the mat, rolling his wrists like he had been waiting for hours.


    "You arete," he said.


    "It''s been two minutes."


    "Two minuteste."


    I narrowed my eyes at him.


    He smirked knowingly.


    And that was how the torture began.


    He never went easy on me. Not once. And today was no exception.


    He attacked without warning... he always attacked without warning... forcing me to keep my mind sharp and my body sharper. But unlike my first days of training, I wasn''t iling anymore. I wasn''t helpless. I wasn''t even scared.


    I was learning.


    Fast.


    He swung a punch toward my shoulder, and I ducked, sliding to the side, my fingers brushing his ribs as I passed. He pivoted instantly, foot sweeping at my ankles. I jumped.


    Barely.


    But I jumped.


    His brows lifted a fraction... approval.


    "Good," he said. "Again."


    I groaned. He had been saying "again" for the past forty-five minutes.


    This time when he attacked, I managed to block his elbow with both forearms and pivot my weight the way he had taught me. I followed his momentum, tried the hip-throw he drilled into me for days.


    And for the first time ever...


    River''s foot lifted off the mat.


    Only for a second. Half a second. But it counted.


    Because he actually stumbled.


    Because his eyes widened a fraction.


    Because he - River, the storm in human form - was surprised.


    A wild rush of achievement burst inside me like fireworks.


    He steadied himself, and his lips curled slowly.


    "Very good."


    I felt warm. Giddy. Embarrassingly pleased.


    But he wasn''t done.


    He lunged again, and this time I barely dodged in time, my heart racing, lungs burning. But I kept moving... kept blocking, kept countering. Every sess was tiny, but he saw it. He acknowledged it.


    At one point, he caught my wrist and twisted lightly... not enough to hurt, but enough to immobilize.


    "Your stance dropped," he said.


    "It dropped because I''m dying," I muttered.


    He ignored that. "Again."


    I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to sleep.


    Instead, I attacked.


    Fists clenched, muscles burning, hair sticking to my forehead, sweat trailing down my spine.


    And somewhere between my tenth fall and twentieth near-sess, I realized something... I was starting to love this.


    Not the pain. Not the exhaustion.


    But earning his praise.


    Earning the progress.


    Earning the confidence.


    River dodged my punch effortlessly and hooked my ankle. I fell... but caught myself with one hand before my face could hit the mat.


    River paused.


    "Excellent recovery," he said quietly.


    My chest tightened with pride.


    Another hourter... I was finally allowed to copse on the mat, limbs trembling, lungs barely functioning.


    River''s shadow fell over me.


    "You are improving rapidly."


    I looked up at him, squinting. "¡­Are you saying that to make me get up again? Because if you are, I swear-"


    "It wasn''t apliment," he said tly. "It was an observation."


    I groaned loudly.


    He crouched beside me, his expression finally softening by a degree.


    "You are doing well, Angel," he said. "Better than well."


    My heart squeezed, and for a moment, I forgot to breathe.


    When he extended his hand, I took it. He pulled me up effortlessly, and said,


    "Training continues tomorrow."


    I wanted to fall back down.


    He must have read my thoughts from my expression because his lips lifted in that infuriatingly, evil... yet so charming smile.


    I was really, really not looking forward to more training. Forget about the praises.

 Chapter 472: Wrapped in Family

    <h4>Chapter 472: Wrapped in Family</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I groaned loudly the moment the hairdryer clicked off.


    My arms dropped to my sides as if they no longer belonged to me.


    "Why... why do I have so much hair?" I muttered at my own reflection.


    My long, thick silver hair - shiny, silky, and annoyingly beautiful - fell in a heavy curtain down my back. I loved it. Truly. But on nights like this, after a draining training session with River, the simple act of blow-drying it felt like a battle I barely survived.


    And to make matters worse?


    Lioren had recently discovered a deep, passionate love for my hair.


    Every time I breastfed him, his chubby little fingers would automatically reach out,tch onto a thick lock, and start curling my hair around his tiny fist. Sometimes he tugged. Sometimes he stroked. Sometimes he simply held onto it like it was a treasured security nket.


    He seemed to love my hair just as much as his fathers did.


    "Why am I a walking hair toy?" I muttered again.


    Still, once my hair was done - smooth and soft and practically glowing - my irritation faded. I applied my nightly skincare creams, massaged them gently into my skin, and took a deep breath, letting the warm bathroom air calm the soreness in my muscles.


    Finally ready for bed, I opened the bathroom door and stepped out...


    And froze.


    My breath caught somewhere between my ribs and throat.


    Right in the center of the bedroom, bathed in the soft glow of the bedsidemps, stood a very shirtless Kieran - broad shoulders, sculpted torso, and hair falling down his shoulders. And in his arms?


    A very awake, very active Lioren.


    Both father and son turned toward me at the same moment... as if they felt my presence enter the room.


    And both smiled.


    Identical smiles.


    Identical eye colors, warm enough to melt me into a puddle on the spot.


    My chest tightened too fast, too suddenly. I blinked once, twice, then exhaled, the tension melting into helpless affection.


    "What are you two doing awake?" I whispered, stepping closer.


    Kieran adjusted our squirming son with ease. "You put him to sleep," he said, "but he woke up crying. So I brought him here."


    I reached out and brushed my fingers over Lioren¡¯s soft cheek.


    "And instead of putting him back to sleep in his room..."


    "He and I," Kieran said, looking unreasonably smug, "agreed that we will sleep here tonight."


    I arched a brow. "He agreed?"


    "Yes. He nodded. Don¡¯t argue with us."


    Despite the teasing, his voice held something softer underneath. Something warm. Something... iming.


    My lips curled. "Well then," I said, "I would be honored to have both of you."


    Kieran¡¯s answering smile made my heart flip.


    Within minutes, the three of us got cozy on the enormous bed. Kieran leaned back against the pillows, hisrge body rxed and warm. One strong arm held our son safely against his chest. The other wrapped securely around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.


    I melted into him with zero resistance, resting my chin on his shoulder while facing Lioren.


    Our son, however, was not ready for sleep. He stared at both of us with big bright eyes, arms iling as if he was conducting a tiny orchestra only he could hear.


    Then... without warning... he suddenly leaned down andtched his mouth onto Kieran¡¯s nipple.


    Kieran froze.


    I blinked.


    And then Kieran let out a startledugh that shook his entire chest.


    "Well... that¡¯s not milk, little one."


    I snorted before I could stop myself.


    The sound must have startled Lioren, because he let out a sudden, tiny giggle.


    Both of us stopped breathing.


    Because this was new.


    Very new.


    "Did he-?"


    "He did," Kieran whispered, his eyes wide. "He giggled."


    Lioren did it again... this time louder, showing off his newest skill as if he was proud of himself.


    I felt my heart squeeze so hard thought it might burst. I pressed my forehead to Kieran¡¯s shoulder,ughter and joy mixing in my chest like sunlight.


    Kieran ced a kiss on the top of my head, his voice low.


    "His first giggle... with us."


    I nodded, my throat tight with happiness.


    Eventually, Lioren¡¯s excitement tapered off. His eyes grew heavy. His tiny hand curled into Kieran¡¯s skin as he slowly drifted off, cheek pressed against his father¡¯s warm chest.


    I reached out and gently brushed Lioren¡¯s soft hair.


    "He¡¯s asleep," I whispered.


    Kieran hummed in agreement and continued running his fingers through my hair - slow, soothing strokes that sent shivers down my spine.


    That¡¯s when he said it.


    "We found the mole."


    My entire body went still.


    "What?"


    His fingers paused briefly before resuming their gentle motion.


    "We caught him," he said quietly.


    My breath quickened.


    "But you didn¡¯t tell me-you didn¡¯t mention anything all day-"


    "It happened just before dinner," he exined. "He¡¯s one of my warriors. He joined a year ago, performed well enough to never be questioned. Too well, actually."


    The faint rawness in his voice made my heart ache.


    I ced a soft hand on his chest, near where Lioren slept.


    "Kieran..."


    He didn¡¯t speak for a long moment.


    "When I choose people for my team," he finally said, his voice low, "I trust them. Genuinely. Completely. Maybe too much."


    I slid my hand upward, rubbing my thumb gently over his skin in slow circles.


    "You trusted someone who didn¡¯t deserve it," I said softly. "That¡¯s not a w."


    His jaw tightened... but not in anger. In hurt.


    I hated that hurt.


    "We are questioning him in the morning," he said.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate.


    "I¡¯ming."


    He turned his head and met my gaze.


    "You don¡¯t have to," he said quietly.


    "I¡¯m not staying behind," I replied firmly. "This is about Draven. About Lyra. About all the victims. And about you. I¡¯m involved. I¡¯m not stepping back now."


    He stared at me... really stared... his eyes glowing faintly under the dim lights.


    Then...


    "Good," he whispered. "I wasn¡¯t nning to stop you anyway."


    My heart squeezed again.


    Because in those few words, I heard it all-


    his pride,


    his trust in me,


    and his relief that I wanted to stand beside him.


    I shifted closer until my forehead pressed lightly to his jaw.


    His arm around me tightened just a little, pulling me against him and Lioren both... like he needed us anchored to him.


    The room grew quieter.


    Rain began tapping against the windows again, this time soft and steady.


    Lioren slept peacefully, tiny breaths warm on Kieran¡¯s chest.


    And Kieran...


    Kieran held me like I was something fragile and precious and powerful all at once.


    Tomorrow, everything could change.


    But tonight?


    Tonight I let myself sink into the warmth of my mate, my son, and the gentle rhythm of Kieran¡¯s hand moving through my hair - slow, steady, protective.


    I fell asleep that way.


    Wrapped in my family.

 Chapter 473 473: Interrogating The Mole

    Evaline:


    By the time breakfast ended, tension had already settled thick in my bones.


    I didn''t speak. My mates didn''t speak.


    We didn''t need to.


    We all knew where we were going.


    We were going to face the mole.


    After clearing the dishes and handing Lioren to Madam Elira, we headed outside. The cars were already waiting for us.


    Oscar and Kieran got into one.


    River jerked his chin at the second car.


    "You are with me."


    I slipped into the passenger seat while River settled into the seat beside me. A momentter, the engine came alive beneath his hands, and the car smoothly pulled away from the estate.


    I watched as he drove us out of the estate and onto the road leading away from the mansion.


    He noticed.


    "What," he asked dryly, "is that look on your face?"


    I didn''t hide it. "I just haven''t seen you driving often. This is... the second time."


    One dark brow rose slowly. "And?"


    "And I think you look absolutely stunning while driving." I answered,pletely unashamed.


    For a few seconds, he looked genuinely stunned.


    Not the usual nk River-stun.


    A real, human, what is wrong with this woman stun.


    Then he exhaled through his nose and shook his head.


    "You are impossible."


    I grinned. "Thank you."


    "I wasn''tplimenting you."


    "Mmhmm."


    He shot me a side-eye so sharp it could have sliced stone.


    But his lips twitched at the corner.


    I saw it.


    And yes, I took that as a win.


    - - -


    We drove for nearly twenty minutes, gradually moving deeper into the forested mountain trails. Oscar and Kieran''s car stayed ahead of us, navigating the rough, unpaved path like they had done it a hundred times.


    Which, knowing them¡­ they probably had.


    Eventually, the trees thinned out and a two-story building came into view. It was a harsh structure of stone, steel, and reinforced walls.


    My steps halted the second I stepped out of the car.


    I had seen safe houses before. Secret tunnels. Hidden doors.


    But this ce?


    This wasn''t a safe house.


    This looked more like a... prison.


    "Why does this look like-"


    "A prison?" Oscar finished, stepping up beside me. "Because it is."


    I blinked at him.


    "¡­You have a prison."


    "Several," he corrected casually.


    "Several?!"


    "It''s a big mountain," he said with a shrug.


    I looked between the brothers, and finally asked what I had been wondering for a while now.


    "What is going on with all these random buildings you have built all over the mountains?"


    Oscar answered easily, falling into exnation mode.


    "The Rogue pack is located at the western foot of the mountain. Our estate is on the north side. The Academy''s in the middle."


    He gestured vaguely to the vast scenery around us.


    "But the rest of the mountain and surrounding valley fall under our territory. So¡­"


    "So you built an entire country''s worth of hidden facilities," I deadpanned.


    "Essentially, yes."


    I stared at him.


    He looked proud.


    God help me.


    River ced a hand on my back. "Come on, Angel. Time is ticking."


    Inside, the air was cold, quiet, and thick with the lingering metallic sting of blood.


    I noticed there were a few warriors stationed around the building, each one armed and alert.


    We walked to the end of the main hallway when Jasper appeared, bowing his head respectfully.


    "Alphas, My Lady," he said. "Follow me."


    We took stairs heading to the basement, then walked down a long hallway, deeper into the belly of the building.


    My instincts sharpened long before the scent hit me.


    Blood.


    Pain.


    Fear.


    The moment Jasper opened the final door, Oscar moved quickly, stepping directly in front of me.


    Blocking my view of the cell.


    "Stay out here," he said softly. "You''ll still hear everything."


    His tone was careful. Protective.


    Which only confirmed one thing...


    It was bad inside.


    I inhaled slowly.


    "Oscar," I said quietly, "I want to go in."


    He hesitated.


    I didn''t.


    "I need to," I added, firmer this time. "Let me."


    There was a pause, then a small exhale.


    And he nodded.


    When I stepped past him and into the dim cell, both River and Kieran turned sharply at the sound.


    Their shocksted a heartbeat.


    Their re at Oscarsted longer.


    River''s voice was sharp. "Why is she in here?"


    "She wanted toe in," Oscar replied with a shrug. "And I''m not one to stop her."


    Neither River, nor Kieran looked happy. But before either of them could speak again, I raised a hand.


    "I can handle this," I said quietly. "You keep forgetting¡­ I wasn''t raised in warmth and safety. I have seen uglier things than this."


    A heavy silence followed.


    River was the one who finally nodded.


    "Stay behind us," he said simply.


    I stepped closer.


    And the sight inside the cell came into full view.


    The warrior was tied to a reinforced chair, wrists bound with silver cuffs. His face was bruised, split in several ces. Blood ran down from a cut at his brow. His breathing was shallow... strained... but alert.


    Jasper had clearly interrogated him already.


    And my mates¡­ were about to finish what Jasper started.


    River stood before the prisoner, expression empty, voice low and cold.


    "Last chance. Who are you working for?"


    No answer.


    Kieran stepped forward next, his fingers curling around the man''s chin, forcing him to look up.


    "Who told you to tamper with the reports?"


    Silence.


    Oscar leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, voice deceptively light.


    "The one you are protecting won''t protect you."


    Still nothing.


    Kieran''s voice dropped lower.


    "We know you removed the page about the ck veins. Why?"


    The warrior''s mouth twitched.


    Not in pain.


    Not in fear.


    In something disturbingly close to satisfaction.


    Kieran''s jaw clenched.


    River grabbed the man by his hair and jerked his head back. "Talk."


    The man didn''t.


    And that''s when River switched methods.


    The next half hour blurred into a haze of harsh words, sharper threats, and painful consequences.


    My mates didn''t hold back.


    Not when Draven''s life was on the line.


    Not when several others were still out cold.


    Not when someone dared betray them from within.


    But no matter what they did... the warrior remained silent.


    Completely.


    Perfectly.


    Unnaturally silent.


    His eyes, however¡­ they weren''t emotionless.


    They were empty.


    Like something inside him had been scraped out, leaving only obedience behind.


    Then finally... after what felt like forever... he spoke.


    Not in fear.


    Not in pain.


    But in a hollow whisper that made my skin crawl.


    "You can''t stop it."


    We all froze.


    The warrior lifted his head slowly, his eyes unfocused but burning with some strange conviction.


    "No one can."


    That was it.


    No other answers.


    No name.


    No motive.


    No exnation.


    Just that one warning spoken with bone-deep certainty.


    "You can''t stop it."


    And then, he threw his head back, screamed so loud I had to cover my ears. Oscar immediately wrapped his arms around me.


    And then... the man went silent.


    Dead silent.


    Familiar, ck veins covered his face to point they were visible in his eyes... dead eyes.


    He was... dead.

 Chapter 474 474: It Might Not Be a Person

    Evaline:


    The mole''sst words kept echoing in my mind long after the three of my mates carried his lifeless body away.


    "You can''t stop it. No one can."


    It.


    Not him.


    Not her.


    Not them.


    Just¡­ it.


    I sat in what looked like a meeting room on the ground floor - a in rectangr table, a few chairs, a metal filing cab with numbers scratched into the paint, and a flickering bulb that buzzed every few seconds. My elbows were on the table, fingers rubbing the ache forming between my eyes.


    There were too many questions, but barely any answers.


    And the little we did know only made the entire thing darker.


    Whoever... or whatever.. was behind the Soul Death cases had been ying this twisted game far longer than any of us had realized. And every time we found a lead, it dissolved in our hands like sand.


    The mole hadn''t broken.


    Not even when River let his temper slip, or when Kieran''s voice turned icy, or when Oscar''s patience finally snapped.


    He had chosen death over the truth.


    I exhaled slowly, staring down at the cold metal surface of the table.


    The moment the body was secured and handed over to their warriors for transport, we all headed back to the cars. No one spoke. Not even Oscar... and he always had something to say.


    The drive home was silent in a way that felt almost unnatural. Like all of us were trapped inside our own minds, reying the same useless scenes, hoping something new would magically appear.


    By the time we reached home and locked ourselves inside the study, tye brothers looked ready to tear the mountain down stone by stone if it meant finding answers.


    The heavy silence stretched until Oscar finally broke it.


    "We got nothing." His voice was lower than usual, a growl vibrating beneath every word. "Absolutely nothing. After all our work¡­ we are still exactly where we started."


    Kieran pushed a frustrated hand through his hair. "Every time we get close, every damn time, we hit another dead end. Whoever this mastermind is¡­ they are always a step ahead."


    River sat on the edge of the desk, his arms crossed, eyes darkening. But for once, he wasn''t the one talking. He was studying us... studying me... and I could feel his gaze on me even though I was staring at the floor.


    I didn''t say anything.


    Not because I didn''t have thoughts.


    I did... too many of them.


    My brain had been racing nonstop since I stepped out of that cell.


    It was River who finally asked, "What are you thinking, angel?"


    I blinked and looked up.


    Three pairs of intense, expectant eyes rested on me.


    My gaze shifted to the whiteboard standing in the corner. I stood up without answering and dragged it across the room until it faced them. Then I grabbed a marker and uncapped it.


    "Let''s start with what we do know."


    I wrote 1 and circled it.


    1 - The Secret Academy Group.


    "They are involved," I said, turning slightly. "Maybe not directly behind the Soul Deaths, but they know something. They are connected. They have to be after what I heard that night."


    Kieran nodded, his lips pressed into a hard line.


    2 - The victims have no pattern.


    No ties.


    No shared activities.


    No visible link.


    "Which makes it impossible to predict who''s next," I murmured.


    Oscar exhaled sharply... agreement mixed with irritation.


    Then I wrote 3.


    3 - ck veins = warning sign.


    They appear roughly a day before the victim ends up Soul dead.


    "Whether they are caused by something parasitic, magical, or engineered¡­ we don''t know yet." I looked at them. "But if we can at least get people to report these signs - without using the words ''Soul Death'' and causing widespread panic - we could monitor possible victims in real time."


    River nodded slowly. "That part''s workable. I can talk to the council about a low-alert health advisory. But¡­" His eyes sharpened. "Doing this might alert our enemy. They''ll know we are catching on."


    "I know," I said softly. "But right now, we are always reacting. Never preventing."


    I took a breath and wrote 4.


    This time I didn''t speak right away. Momentster, I finally turned toward Oscar.


    "You are wrong about the mole not giving us anything."


    Confusion flickered across all of their faces.


    I tapped the board.


    "He didn''t say ''him.'' He didn''t say ''her.'' He said it. Like¡­ like he wasn''t talking about a person at all."


    River shifted, uncrossing his arms. "Meaning?"


    "A force," I whispered. "Or something ancient. Something non-human? Something that doesn''t belong to this world or hasn''t been awakened in centuries."


    Silence.


    A cold, heavy silence.


    I continued anyway.


    "Think about it. These cases first showed up four hundred years ago. If it was a person¡­ they would have to survive unnaturally long. Because neither werewolves nor the witches lives this long."


    "Unless there are two masterminds," Oscar said, frowning. "One in the past, one now."


    "Yes. Possible." I nodded. "But something about this doesn''t feel¡­ human. I keep thinking... what if all this time, we have been chasing a person when really, it''s a force? A power that someone is harnessing, or trying to control, or trying to release?"


    Kieran''s jaw ticked. "A force capable of ripping a wolf from someone''s soul."


    River murmured, "Or capable of corrupting it."


    I nodded. "The ck veins. The sudden copses. The identical symptoms across victims who have nothing inmon¡­" I swallowed. "It feels like something unseen is spreading. Like it''s moving from body to body. Like a¡­ like a dark current."


    Oscar leaned back in his chair. "If that''s true, then our ''enemy'' might not even be a person."


    "Exactly."


    All three of my mates went quiet.


    The air in the room seemed heavier now. More suffocating. As if the walls themselves realized the gravity of the theory.


    Kieran was the first to speak. "We need confirmation. We need evidence."


    "We will get it," I said, trying to steady my voice. "But no matter what the truth is¡­ human or force¡­ they want something. And they are willing to kill for it."


    "Or wipe out entire souls," River added quietly.


    My fingers tightened around the marker.


    "We need to find out what ''it'' is before more people die."


    Kieran nodded once - a sharp, decisive movement. "Then that''s what we''ll do."


    Kieran pushed off the desk, walked over, and took my wrist, gently lowering the marker from my hand.


    "You are brilliant, little mate," he murmured, a ghost of a smirk appearing. "Terrifyingly so."


    I would have rolled my eyes if the situation wasn''t so grim.


    But being wrapped in the warmth of his voice - despite everything - steadied something inside me.


    He then turned to face his brothers. "How about we track down the graduated students? Maybe we could locate the ones who were part of the secret group. Though the chances are slim, we should take a chance."


    We all collectively nodded.


    "And I''ll contact the council," River added. "See how we can discreetly issue a warning about ck veins."


    Oscar pointed a finger at me. "And you," he said firmly but gently, "need to rest. You have training lessons in... less than three hours."


    I opened my mouth to argue.


    Three sets of narrowed eyesnded on me.


    I shut my mouth again.


    "Fine," I whispered, already picturing the three hours of torture awaiting me.

 Chapter 475 475: Time For Desperate Measures

    Evaline:


    I didn''t even realize when an entire month slipped past me.


    One whole month.


    A month since I holidays started.


    A month since Draven''s¡­ incident.


    And even now, the pain hadn''t dulled. It didn''t fade. It had just gone quiet.


    I wasn''t the shattered mess I had been four weeks ago - crying on and off, unable to sleep, barely eating, feeling like my soul was bruising from the inside out. No, I had somehow climbed out of that suffocating darkness, but the ache remained. A deep, quiet wound that reopened at the slightest touch.


    But life had changed drastically in these few weeks.


    I got to spend real time with my son... hours and hours with Lioren that filled ces inside me I didn''t realize existed. I was now officially a member of the Soul Death Investigation Team, doing actual work beside my mates instead of being left behind. And my training lessons - stars, those lessons - had made me improve so much.


    But with all the progress, I had also grown to absolutely hate every single hour of the exhausting routine they put me through. My healing sessions left me mentally and emotionally drained, andbat training squeezed the little energy left out of my bones.


    And the worst part?


    I hadn''t received a single day off in three whole weeks.


    My body was done. My mind was done. My soul - with all its protesting - was screaming for a break.


    So when River texted me this morning-


    No physical training today. Oscar and I are leaving for the council. Enjoy the rest, Angel.


    I was on cloud nine.


    Floating. Practically glowing.


    I even hummed while feeding Lioren.


    And then - like a bucket of ice water dumped straight on my head - Kieran looked up from his te during lunch and said casually, "We''ll do two hours of healing practice today."


    Two hours.


    Not usual sixty minutes.


    Not seventy.


    Two. Whole. Hours.


    I stared at him like he had personally betrayed my ancestors.


    Misery didn''t evene close to describing the emotion that hit me.


    As the clock ticked closer to training time, my chest tightened. I couldn''t waste such a rare chance to skipbat training only to be tortured for double the usual time in healing sessions.


    No.


    Absolutely not.


    I needed to do something.


    And that thought pushed me onto my feet, out of the room, and down the hallway.


    I found Kieran in his room.


    I knocked once and his deep voice answered, "Come in."


    The moment I stepped inside, the warmth of the room enveloped me. Soft lighting. A faint scent of cedar and clean linen. Kieran sat on the wide couch,ptop open on the table in front of him.


    An empty coffee cup sat beside it, telling me he had been at this for a while.


    His dark green shirt had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing veiny forearms that should honestly be illegal. His reading sses rested perfectly on his nose. And his shoulder-length hair was loose, falling around his face in soft, golden strands.


    He looked devastating.


    And deeply focused.


    He nced up the moment he sensed me. "Evaline?" A flicker of curiosity crossed his eyes. "You need something?"


    Instead of answering, I walked straight toward him and... ignoring the shock on his face... sat down on the thick rug right between his legs, my back almost brushing his shin.


    His hands paused above the keyboard.


    His eyes widened slightly.


    But he didn''t say anything.


    Pretending innocence, I tilted my head. "What are you working on?"


    "Writing a report," he answered, still staring at me like he wasn''t sure whether tough or scold me.


    Without warning, his hand reached out... his fingers sliding gently through my hair once, brushing the strands away from my shoulder. A soft, absentminded touch that sent a warm shiver down my spine.


    Then he leaned forward again, returning his hands to theptop, continuing to type.


    The sound of keys clicking filled the room. And the warmth radiating from him surrounded me.


    I turned slightly to look up at his face.


    He arched a brow at me, clearly amused, before returning his attention to his screen like nothing was odd about me sitting between his legs on the floor like some clingy cat.


    "Is the report urgent?" I asked casually.


    "No." His tone was distracted. Focused.


    He kept typing, his voice calm as he added, "But I want to finish another page before we begin training."


    I froze.


    There was barely half an hour left before we were supposed to start.


    If I didn''t change his mind soon, I would be stuck practicing until my body melted. If it was just healing part, I could have handled it, even enjoyed it, but these days most of my healing lessons were filled with reading, writing, taking tests, and... a little bit of healing. It was really draining.


    No. No, no, no. Not happening.


    It was clearly time for desperate measures.


    I reached forward and rested my forearms on his knee, leaning slightly into his space... just enough to get his attention but not enough to be obvious.


    He paused again.


    His eyes dropped to look at me over the rim of his sses.


    "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously.


    "Nothing," I said sweetly.


    He narrowed his eyes.


    Damn it.


    He always noticed everything.


    I reached up and gently tugged one of the loose strands of his blonde hair. "You look good with your hair down."


    His fingers halted over the keys.


    He stared at me like I had just spoken in an unknown ancientnguage.


    "¡­Thank you?" he said slowly.


    I smiled innocently.


    I leaned back again, pretending I wasn''t nning treason against today''s training session.


    "You worked a lot today," I murmured. "Maybe you are tired?"


    "No." He resumed typing immediately. "I''m perfectly fine."


    Ugh.


    Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn man.


    Fine. It was time for n B.


    It''s the Kieran Thorne I was dealing with. Of course, I had to put in extra work to tame him.

 Chapter 476 476: She Lost The Game

    Evaline:


    I curled my fingers around his calf through his pants, lightly tracing the muscle beneath. His entire body went still for a second.


    His jaw tightened.


    He slowly lowered hisptop screen.


    Then he looked down at me with the absolute ttest expression.


    "Evaline."


    "Hm?"


    "Are you-" His voice sounded strained. "-attempting to seduce me to avoid training?"


    Silence.


    I blinked.


    He blinked.


    "¡­No?" I lied shamelessly.


    He let out a long, slow inhale through his nose. "Liar," he murmured like a warning.


    But his voice had already softened.


    He reached down, cupping my chin gently between his fingers, forcing my eyes to meet his.


    "You don''t like long sessions?" he asked quietly.


    "No," I admitted instantly. "I hate them. I''m tired. I haven''t had a day off in three weeks."


    His thumb brushed my cheek, slow and warm.


    I leaned into it without thinking.


    He sighed, a soft exhale that ruffled the strands of hair near my forehead.


    "You should have told me earlier."


    "I''m telling you now," I whispered.


    He studied me for a moment - my face, my tired eyes, probably the tension in my shoulders. And like always, he saw right through me.


    "You are overworked," he said softly. "You are improving, yes, but we have been pushing you too hard."


    Finally, someone said it.


    "So¡­" I asked hopefully, "¡­no two-hour training?"


    His lips curved.


    A small, warm, absolutely unfair smile.


    "No two-hour training," he murmured, leaning forward until his forehead touched mine. "You can rest today. Go. Enjoy. Rx. Do whatever you want."


    I melted.


    Absolutely melted.


    But then he added in a teasing murmur...


    "And seduction tactics are not allowed during negotiation, little one."


    I gasped. "I did no such thing!"


    He chuckled.


    "Of course not," he teased. "You simply sat between my legs, touched my hair, and traced your fingers down my leg out of pure innocence."


    I opened my mouth, then closed it and turned back to face hisptop. "I don''t know what you are talking about."


    "Sure." He chuckled again as he returned his attention to work.


    For next five or so minutes, I just sat there in silence while he worked.


    But now that my wish was fulfilled and the looming two-hour torture session had officially been cancelled, my mind was already cooking something else.


    Something dangerous.


    Something fun.


    Something that involved Kieran''s self-control - which, as I had previously discovered, was not as unshakable as he liked to pretend.


    I turned around slowly, pretending to stretch my neck, and looked up at him again.


    He ignored me.


    Or at least tried to.


    His fingers were moving across the keyboard, eyes narrowed in concentration. Perfectly calm. Perfectlyposed.


    So I did the only reasonable thing.


    I moved.


    One second I was simply leaning back against his knee.


    The next... I pushed up on my hands and leaned toward him, closing the distance so suddenly that he froze.


    His breath caught.


    His head dipped toward mine, expecting... clearly expecting a kiss.


    I could practically feel the anticipation rolling off him.


    Just when his lips were a breath away from mine¡­


    I turned my head.


    And instead of kissing him, I buried my face in his hair.


    "Mmm."


    It really did smell good.


    Warm. Floral. Clean.


    Like he had walked through a field of night-blooming flowers.


    I inhaled dramatically, then pulled back with the sweetest, most innocent expression I could muster.


    "I knew it," I announced softly. "There was a nice scenting from your hair."


    His entire body went rigid.


    I blinked up at him. "Let me check your shampooter, okay?"


    Then I settled back down between his legs as if absolutely nothing had happened, just in time to catch his fingers clench around theptop''s edge.


    Oh, he was disappointed.


    Beautifully, deliciously disappointed.


    It took everything in me not to grin like a maniac.


    I was liking this game far too much.


    I let another minute or two pass... long enough for him to attempt regaining hisposure, long enough for his focus to return to work again... before turning my head up at him once more.


    This time, I rested the back of my head against his knee, forcing him to look down to meet my gaze.


    He didn''t at first.


    But then¡­ slowly¡­ he tore his eyes away from theptop and looked right at me.


    Directly into my eyes.


    I held his gaze for a breath.


    Then another.


    Then, very deliberately, I let my eyes drop.


    To his lips.


    His breath hitched.


    My own lips parted slightly.


    I looked back up at him.


    One beat.


    Two.


    He leaned in.


    Slowly.


    Drawn in like I had hooked him with invisible fingers.


    So close¡­


    Closer¡­


    I waited for the perfect moment...


    And right when I felt the faint brush of his breath on my skin...


    I turned my head. Again.


    And calmly picked up my phone from the coffee table.


    "Anyway," I said, pulling away from him just a little, "you can continue working. I''m going to call Mallory-"


    I didn''t even finish the sentence before a firm hand closed around my wrist.


    And in one sharp, effortless pull, I was dragged right back into ce - my head once again resting on his knee, my body caged between his legs.


    He looked down at me with an expression that sent a thrill¡­ and a warning¡­ down my spine.


    Game over.


    His voice dropped, deep and dangerous and thick with restrained patience.


    "Enough."


    My mouth opened - probably to argue, probably to pretend innocence a little longer... but I didn''t get a single word out.


    His hand slid behind my neck.


    Warm. Possessive. Unyielding.


    And then he leaned down and kissed me.


    Hard.


    The world fell away.


    His mouth imed mine with a hunger that stole the air from my lungs.


    His fingers tightened at the nape of my neck, holding me exactly where he wanted me as he deepened the kiss without hesitation - no restraint left, noposure, nothing but raw, heated desire.


    I gasped into the kiss and he swallowed the sound, his lips moving over mine in long, consuming strokes that made my toes curl and my heart race.


    He kissed me like he had been starving. Like every tease, every dodge, every stolen breath I had denied him was now being collected in full.


    My fingers fisted in the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer.


    He went willingly.


    More than willingly.


    He followed me down as I sank back against the rug, his body lowering until he hovered over me. His hair fell forward, brushing my cheek, his breath warm against my lips as he kissed me deeper... slow and then fast, soft and then demanding, as if he couldn''t decide what he wanted more - to devour me or savor me.


    His weight braced above mine, his arm caging me in as his mouth moved against mine with a passion I could feel all the way down to my bones.


    There was no doubt left who had won the game.


    He had.


    But stars¡­


    I didn''t mind losing at all.

 Chapter 477 477: Tangled On The Rug (I)

    Warning: Mature content in the chapter


    - - - - -


    Evaline:


    Kieran kissed me like he had been starving for this¡­ for me.


    And stars, I was starving too.


    Ever since Draven''s incident, I hadn''t kissed any of them... not like this. There had been no intimacy. No letting myself sink into the warmth of someone else''s body. Just hugs. Cuddles. Their constant, gentle presence always wrapping around me like a promise.


    But this...


    this kiss...


    lit me up like my body had been cold for weeks and he was the first spark that dared to touch me.


    A moan slipped out of me the moment his mouth pressed harder against mine. I felt him jerk slightly at the sound, as if it slipped under his skin and did something to him. My arms snaked around his neck before I could think, pulling him closer, dragging him deeper into the kiss he had started but was nowhere near ready to end.


    His mouth left mine only for a heartbeat...


    just long enough for me to gasp...


    before he trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses down my throat.


    "Oh-Kieran¡­" I whispered, arching helplessly as his lips brushed over that sensitive spot beneath my jaw.


    He made a low sound - like a half-growl, half-groan - and it vibrated straight into my bones.


    My top''s thin straps left most of my shoulders bare, and he took full advantage of that. His lips dragged slowly across my corbone, soft then suddenly hungry, kissing, tasting, breathing me in like he needed this more than air. And when his mouth closed around the bare skin of my shoulder, warm and wet and hot enough to melt me from the inside out... I swear my heart tripped in my chest.


    I felt alive.


    Too alive.


    Like my body had been dormant and he was the first one to touch the switch.


    He returned to my lips with a sound that felt like surrender and possession tangled together. The kiss was even harder this time, deeper, his tongue slipping past my parted lips with a hunger that stole every coherent thought out of my head.


    I kissed him back just as fiercely, my fingers tightening in his hair, my thighs clenching around nothing as his hand slid down my waist in a way that made me tremble.


    I couldn''t think.


    Couldn''t breathe.


    Couldn''t want anything but him.


    His hands were everywhere - over my waist, my ribs, my hips, drifting higher, then lower, and each touch was deliberate, slow, maddening. Like he wanted to rediscover every part of me he had been denied for too long.


    The kiss deepened again, and again, and again...


    until I was dizzy


    until my body was burning


    until my breath broke into whimpers he swallowed greedily.


    Just when I was on the verge of losing myself... truly losing myself... letting everything else fall away so there was only his mouth and his hands and this heat making me feel alive again...


    He suddenly pulled back.


    My mindgged behind, still humming with the taste of him.


    He sat upright, breathing hard, chest rising and falling like he had been running. His eyes¡­ Stars. That look alone could have unraveled me.


    All I saw was...


    Hunger.


    Restraint.


    A heat so sharp it made my skin tighten.


    "What-?" I whispered, blinking, confused.


    His jaw flexed. "I''m sorry, love. You said you wanted to rest. I shouldn''t¡­ I shouldn''t be doing this to you when you are tired."


    I stared at him.


    Then blinked.


    Then stared again.


    This stupid, noble, too-understanding man...


    Before he could finish his unnecessary self-denying apology, I moved, sitting up myself.


    I didn''t even give him time to realize what I was doing.


    I swung a leg over him and straddled him, grabbing the cor of his shirt with both hands and yanking him closer until our noses almost touched.


    "Kieran," I said slowly, clearly, "shut up."


    His breath hitched.


    And then I kissed him.


    Hard.


    Deep.


    Hungry.


    Like I had wanted him every day since the night he promised to mark me the moment exams would be over.


    For a second or two, he froze... too stunned, his breath caught.


    Then his hands snapped to my waist, pulling me flush against him as he kissed me back with zero hesitation. And the moment he did, I knew... he wouldn''t be stopping again.


    We were past that point.


    Way past.


    We didn''t have patience for forey.


    Not right now.


    Not with weeks worth of want tightening every inch of our bodies.


    He lifted my top and I unbuttoned his shirt - our clothes discarded wherever they fell, neither of us caring. Our mouths remained glued together, breath mixing, hands roaming with a desperation that had been dormant too long.


    He kissed me for a long time - slow, deep, teasing, then suddenly rougher, needier.


    His lips trailing down my body, over my skin, leaving heat everywhere he touched. My back arched, my breathing in broken, helpless sounds I couldn''t swallow.


    Iy gasping on the thick rug beside the couch, with my skin flushed and pulse racing so hard it echoed in my ears. He hovered over me for a moment... just looking.


    My chest rose and fell.


    His eyes moved over every inch of me with a reverence so intense it almost stole the air from my lungs.


    He leaned down and kissed me again - slow this time, devastatingly slow - like he wanted to memorize my mouth before anything else.


    Then he pulled back,pletely.


    For a moment, I thought he had changed his mind again when he stood up and moved toward the bed. But then I saw him opening the drawer of the bedside table and pulling out a couple of condom packets.


    I swallowed when his eyes met mine - darker than usual, focused, hungry.


    He returned to me immediately, dropping down onto the rug. His body was warm and solid above mine.


    There''s no bed.


    No distance.


    No hesitation.


    Just the two of us, tangled on the rug, breathing hard as he hovered over me again, kissing me like he just couldn''t get enough.


    And the moment his lips met mine again¡­


    I pulled him down fully, needing every inch of him against me.


    Needing him.


    And he gave me exactly that.

 Chapter 478: Tangled On The Rug (II)

    <h4>Chapter 478: Tangled On The Rug (II)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My breath hitched in a helpless rush as Kieran dragged the swollen head of his erection slowly over my throbbing clit. It wasn¡¯t the explicit touch itself that unraveled me... it was the deliberateness of it. The way he watched me, every small reaction, every shiver he drew out of me as if he was memorizing it all.


    The teasing contact had my stomach tightening, heat coiling low and intense. He pulled back slightly, only to repeat the action - sliding his length between my already wet folds.


    Stars! I was so ready for him.


    My body begged him to fill me with his presence.


    My soul ached to feel his.


    And I knew he could see my need for him in my eyes.


    He reached for one of the condom packets he had dropped on the couch beside us. He tore the packet open with his teeth, while his eyes were still locked on mine.


    And the wild contrast - the careful slide of his erection over my clit while his mouth worked the thin foil - made my pulse stumble.


    But the teasing was short-lived.


    Before I fully processed it, he set the unopened packet aside and guided himself to my entrance. The shift in his expression - hunger melting into something raw and hauntingly tender - stole the ground from under me.


    "Evaline..." he breathed.


    And then he pressed into me in one long, deep glide... bare, unshielded, nothing between us.


    I gasped, my hands flying to his shoulders as my body weed him instinctively. His breath broke against my cheek, a low, rough sound vibrating through both of us as he stilled, fully sheathed inside me.


    The closeness, the heat, the way our bodies fit so perfectly... it was overwhelming in a way that stole my breath. Like he was inside the ces in me that had been empty for so long... which was actually the truth.


    He lowered his forehead to mine as he stilled, giving both of us time to get used to his presence inside me.


    Neither of us spoke.


    Neither of us had to.


    The quiet was filled with our uneven breathing, with the sound of our hearts finding each other again after too long.


    Then he moved.


    Slowly at first... drawing nearly out before sinking back into me, each movement more confident, more consuming. The pressure, the rhythm, the friction - it wasn¡¯t something I needed described in stark detail. It was the feeling of my body rising to meet his, my breath catching helplessly, his broken groans against my ear, the way my fingers clung to his back and hair.


    After a few thrusts, he found his pace, strong and deep, making my thoughts scatter like sparks. Every movement felt like a im, a promise, and a plea all at once.


    Weeks of distance.


    Weeks of grief.


    Weeks of wanting someone to pull me back into the world.


    And here he was... doing exactly that.


    I held on to him like he was the only solid thing in the universe. He kissed me between breaths, desperate, grateful, almost reverent, his mouth finding mine again and again until the room spun.


    The pleasure built fast... embarrassingly fast... sharp and bright, curling through me until I couldn¡¯t hold it back. The tension snapped, and I shattered beneath him, my release pulling a gasp from my throat as my whole body trembled around him.


    He slowed just enough to let me ride the waves, but it didn¡¯t take long before I noticed his restraint fraying, his movements growing rawer. Each breath he took vibrated with need. Every time he exhaled near my skin, it sent a shiver of anticipation through me.


    He was close... I could feel it in the way his rhythm faltered, in the way his hands tightened on my hips, in the subtle tremor racing up his spine.


    And yet, despite the haze of pleasure fogging my thoughts, reality crept in. I wasn¡¯t ready to be pregnant again. Not so soon. Not now.


    I opened my mouth to tell him...


    But he saw it already.


    His gaze locked with mine, full of that uncanny, infuriating awareness he always had.


    "Evaline," he murmured, his voice rough and strained, "if you allow it... I want to keep going raw. I¡¯ll pull out in time. I promise."


    My heart thudded at the vulnerability beneath the desire - he wanted this closeness so badly, but he wasn¡¯t going to take it without my consent.


    I nodded immediately, still breathless.


    He kissed me in a fierce, relieved rush and started moving again - faster, deeper, his hand sliding between our bodies to stroke my sensitive clit, drawing out everyst bit of pleasure he could coax from me.


    The sensations built even hotter this time, tangled with the heat of his body, the sound of his voice breaking near my ear, the way he whispered my name like he was starving for me.


    I couldn¡¯t hold myself together.


    My second climax crashed through me hard enough to arch my back off the rug, my cry muffled against his shoulder as I clung to him, trembling.


    That was all it took.


    He pulled out just in time, shuddering as his release spilled across my belly, his breath shaking, his forehead pressed desperately to mine.


    He copsed over me, not heavy, just... surrounding. His hands framed my face like he needed to feel every part of me to believe this was real.


    We stayed like that for a while - our breaths tangled, our bodies still shaking, the room spinning around us - until he finally lowered himself beside me.


    But before the moment could settle, he leaned over again, bracing one arm on the rug, hovering above me.


    His lips brushed mine, soft and lingering, as he whispered my name like a prayer he had waited too long to say.


    I was expecting it to be the end.


    He stood up first, grabbed the tissue box and wiped me clean before picking me up in his arms and taking me to the bed.


    In no time, I was surrounded by the warmth of his bare body and and coldness of the sheets, but all that melted away when I felt his warm breath right over Draven¡¯s mark.

 Chapter 479: Claiming Her

    <h4>Chapter 479: iming Her</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I had barely finished wiping her skin clean when I noticed her shiver. Something inside me shifted - subtle, instinctive, primal.


    I picked her up easily, her arms wrapping around my neck like second nature, and carried her to the bed. The rug was still warm from our bodies, but the sheets were cold, untouched, and she shivered when her back met them.


    Iy down behind her immediately, pulling her into my chest so she wouldn¡¯t feel even a second of that cold. The moment her bare back met my front, heat unfurled through me like a living thing. Her breathing was soft, still uneven from what we had just shared.


    But when I bent my head and pressed a slow, reverent kiss to the faded imprint on her skin - the spot where Draven¡¯s mark used to sit - her entire body went still.


    My arms tightened around her.


    I reached for her hand, gently threading my fingers through hers. She rxed, inch by inch, her back fitting against my chest once again. My other hand wrapped around her waist, holding her close while my lips brushed her shoulder. A soft sound slipped from her throat... almost a sigh, almost a moan... and it vibrated straight through my ribcage.


    I kissed the side of her neck next, slow, lingering, worshipping.


    Then just under her ear.


    And when I took the soft lobe between my lips and gave it a light, teasing nip, she breathed out my name in that broken, sweet sound that made every part of me react - hard, fast, uncontroble.


    I exhaled shakily against her skin.


    My hand on her stomach drifted upward, brushing along the warm lines of her until I cupped her breast. Her breath hitched, her body tightening in my arms as I brushed my thumb across the hardened nipple - slowly, deliberately.


    Her head tipped back onto my shoulder, exposing her throat, her pulse racing beneath delicate skin.


    Stars, she was beautiful like this.


    Lost in me.


    Trusting me.


    Letting pleasure carry herpletely.


    I kissed the ce where her neck met her shoulder, drawing in the faint, familiar scent of her hair. Then, gently but firmly, I shifted my arm from beneath her and guided her to roll onto her back. She blinked up at me, flushed and dazed, lips parted as I hovered over her.


    "I want to see your face," I told her, my voice low, rough. "When I mark you."


    Her eyes widened. Her lips parted. And then the most breathtaking smile bloomed across her face, bright and full and so impossibly hers.


    She had wanted this.


    Just as much as I had.


    Just as much as my wolf had.


    My wolf pressed hard against the surface of my control, snarling with joy and demand and desperation. I forced him back... barely.


    <i>Trust me</i>, I told him. <i>Just a little longer.</i>


    But he wasn¡¯t having it.


    He growled at me internally.


    Because he had heard this promise before.


    Over and over.


    Wait. Trust me. Later.


    And every time, circumstances tore that promise away from him.


    I drew a shaky breath and lowered myself, capturing her mouth with mine.


    Slow.


    Deep.


    Thorough.


    Her fingers slid into my hair instantly, tugging me closer, her body arching against mine as her warmth, her scent, her need wrapped around me like a spell. The kiss grew heavier, hotter, until we were both breathing like we had run miles.


    This time... because the stars knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to think if I felt her bare skin to skin again... I reached for the condom sitting on the bedside table. I took it out and slipped it on.


    Her gaze flicked downward for a heartbeat, heat rushing to her cheeks, and then she pulled me back down to her by my shoulders, kissing me again - hungry, urgent, needy.


    I sank into her slowly, my forehead falling against hers as her breath trembled out. Her fingers clutched the back of my neck, her legs tightening around me as I entered her until I waspletely buried inside her.


    Her soft gasp against my lips nearly undid me.


    I closed my eyes, breathing her in.


    Savoring the moment.


    The unity.


    Her body met mine perfectly, as if carved to fit me, as if the past month of distance had been building toward this exact moment of closeness.


    We moved together, not fast at first, but deep - her hands sliding from my neck to my shoulders, her hips lifting to meet mine with a shudder that made every muscle in my body clench.


    Her lips found mine again, and the kiss turned messy, breathless, consuming.


    She arched beneath me, her fingers digging into my shoulder des as tension built inside her.


    Her lips parted against my throat, her breath warm on my skin as she whispered my name with a tremor that went straight through my chest.


    Her body tightened...


    her breath caught...


    and she shattered beneath me, pulling me under with her warmth and the sound of her soft, broken cry.


    I groaned against her skin, fighting my own release, fighting the instinct topletely lose myself in her.


    She was still trembling when I pulled back slightly, brushing damp strands of hair from her forehead. Her fingers came up to cradle my face, her touch gentle, loving, grounding.


    And then I knew.


    It was time.


    Past time.


    I slid my hand along her hip, up her waist, then to her shoulder, gently tilting her head to the side so I could reach the ce I was meant to im.


    Her breath hitched.


    Her fingers tightened around mine.


    Her heart raced.


    "May I?" I whispered through thest fragment of restraint that I had.


    Her eyes met mine - steady, bright, unwavering.


    "Kieran... yes."


    That was all I needed.


    I kissed her onest time, long and deep... feeling her body soften beneath mine, feeling her trust, her love, her eptance... and then lowered my mouth to her skin.


    Right beside the faded mark.


    Right where my wolf had wanted to im her for nearly a year.


    Right where she wanted me.


    I pressed my lips to her skin... soft at first... then with growing pressure as instinct took over, as my wolf surged up in a roar of raw need. My teeth scraped her skin gently, preparing for the mark.


    Her breath trembled out.


    Her fingers tangled in my hair.


    Her body arched toward me with a sound that shook me to my core.


    And just as pleasure tightened low in my spine, just as her own tension began to rise again, glowing hot and fast...


    I bit down.


    iming her.


    Binding her.


    Marking her as mine.

 Chapter 480: Marking Her

    <h4>Chapter 480: Marking Her</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    The moment my teeth broke her skin, my entire world snapped inward, copsing into a single, blinding point of sensation.


    Evaline.


    My mate. My woman. My everything.


    Her name wasn¡¯t just in my mind anymore. It was through me - pouring, flooding, roaring through every vein.


    And her reaction...


    Stars.


    Her body jerked under mine, not in pain but in a kind of overwhelming shock, a pleasure so fierce it made her gasp my name like a prayer. Her hands shot up, gripping my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin as if she needed something solid to hold onto before she shattered.


    As our souls linked, I started feeling everything she was feeling.


    Every shiver.


    Every wave of pleasure.


    Every beat of her heart hammering in her chest.


    Every desperate pulse of love.


    Every emotion she tried... and failed... to hold back.


    Her soul hit mine like a lightning strike.


    And my wolf - my furious, restless, demanding wolf - fell silent for the first time in years. Not calm. Not tamed.


    Home.


    Her breath rushed out against my throat, warm and uneven. Her legs tightened around me instinctively, pulling me closer, needing me deeper. Her pleasure rolled up the bond in thick, hot waves... so strong I staggered above her, barely able to breathe.


    The bond sealed.


    And pleasure - raw, consuming, dizzying - hit us both.


    Her emotions crashed through me until my vision blurred.


    Her love was bright and steady.


    Her trust was painfully pure.


    Her joy was so strong it made my wolf bow its head.


    I pushed inside her again, deeper than before, and she arched up with a sound that vibrated straight down my spine. The pleasure took her apart... took us apart... and the newly sealed bond amplified it until it was impossible to tell where her pleasure stopped and mine began.


    She came undone first - loud, breathless, trembling. I felt her inner walls squeeze around me, drag me under with her. Her head fell back, lips parted in a silent cry, her hands clutching me like I was the only thing tethering her to the world.


    Her pleasure hit me through the bond - white-hot, overwhelming - and I followed her over the edge with a groan against her neck, our bodies locking together as we both spiraled into release at the exact same moment.


    <i>Mate.</i>


    <i>Mine.</i>


    <i>Forever.</i>


    For minutes... long, endless minutes... lwe didn¡¯t move.


    I stayed inside her, my forehead pressed against hers, our breaths tangled, our bodies slick with sweat. I could feel her heartbeat still racing under her skin. I felt her calm slowly settling. Felt her love pulsing through the bond like a warm glow.


    Her fingers stroked the back of my neck slowly, tenderly. I lifted my head to look at her, and her eyes... those beautiful amber orbs were soft enough to break me.


    She lifted a hand to my jaw, thumb tracing my cheekbone, and whispered, "You finally marked me."


    I didn¡¯t say anything. I couldn¡¯t. I leaned down and kissed her instead.


    Slow.


    Deep.


    iming.


    Her lips were soft and warm, opening under mine as my hand slid down her side, over her hip, and pulled her closer. My other hand cupped her cheek, angling her head as I gently pushed my tongue past her lips. She met me eagerly, kissing me back with the same fire that always managed to undo me.


    She tasted like the bond - warm and sweet and dangerously addictive.


    I pressed deeper into the kiss, tilting my head so our mouths fit perfectly, her breath catching when my thumb stroked the underside of her jaw. She slid her hands into my hair, pulling me closer, her chest rising against mine as the kiss deepened into something slow and consuming.


    By the time I finally forced myself to pull back, she was flushed, lips swollen, breathing unsteady.


    Reluctantly... stars, so reluctantly... I withdrew from her. She whimpered softly at the loss, and my wolf growled in agreement. I pressed a kiss to her temple before getting up, discarding the condom, and then scooping her into my arms.


    She curled against me instantly, small and warm and still trembling slightly. I carried her to the bathroom, nudging the door open with my foot and setting her gently on the counter.


    "Stay," I murmured.


    She nodded, watching me with that soft, glowing smile that sent heat curling through my chest. I turned the tap on, adjusting the temperature until steam began rising. The bathtub slowly filled, the water warming the air around us.


    When I turned back to her, she lifted her arms toward me without a word. I stepped between her legs and lifted her, lowering her into the tub before stepping in behind her. She settled against my chest with a quiet sigh.


    The moment my arms wrapped around her, she turned her head and pressed a kiss to my jaw. I cupped her face, guiding her lips back to mine.


    This kiss was different.


    Not hungry.


    Not urgent.


    Warm.


    Lazy.


    Possessive.


    Her hands slid over my shoulders, down my chest, tracing every line of muscle slowly as if memorizing me anew. I angled her chin, deepening the kiss, our lips moving in slow, unhurried sync. Her tongue brushed mine... gentle, teasing... and I gripped her waist under the water, pulling her firmly back against me.


    A soft, satisfied sound escaped her.


    I kissed her again. And again. And again, each kiss slower and deeper than thest, until the water sloshed quietly around us and the only sound in the room was the soft, wet slide of our lips and her faint, breathy moans.


    We didn¡¯t speak.


    We didn¡¯t need to.


    The bond spoke for us.


    And it said everything we both needed to say or hear.


    Though I had heard stories about how men could hardly separate from their mates after marking her, and even saw Draven going through it when he marked our mate, it was only now I understand what it really implied... as I slipped inside her once again...!

 Chapter 481 481: Alpha Ezekiel’s Offer

    Evaline:


    I let out a deep sigh as thest useless email vanished from my inbox.


    Two hundred.


    Two hundred meaningless, annoying, space-wasting emails.


    Gone.


    Finally.


    My thumb hovered over the refresh icon out of habit... another one of those little routines I had built for myself over the year. I liked things organized. I liked things clean, sorted,belled, in their ce. Chaos unsettled me, and after everything that had happened in past forty or so days, I was barely starting to breathe through - my life had been one chaotic pile.


    A few days ago, I had finally cleaned up my gallery. Today it was the mailbox''s turn.


    I was about to put my phone away when a new mail notification slid across the top of the screen.


    I frowned.


    Probably another shopping app. Or that one site that kept pretending I abandoned my cart even though I didn''t add anything in the first ce.


    But when I saw the sender''s name, I froze.


    Orion Brown


    Beta of Alpha Ezekiel ¨C Midnight Moon Pack.


    My eyebrows shot up.


    What?


    Curious now, I tapped the mail open.


    And then blinked.


    And read it again.


    And again.


    Beta Orion was writing on Alpha Ezekiel''s behalf - apparently the Alpha had been impressed by my performance during my internship at the Council, and also by how I handled myself during my first year at Silver Moon Pack.


    I felt a flicker of heat in my cheeks.


    Of all the things I expected¡­ this wasn''t one of them.


    The mail went on about how Alpha Ezekiel had assembled a temporary team to digitally record and preserve ancient texts, records, cases, and histories - a project involving mostly students and interns under two senior supervisors. And he wanted to offer me a ce on that team for the remaining days of my holidays.


    My breath caught.


    One month of diving into ancient texts?


    One month of learning things that weren''t even avable to most academies?


    One month of knowledge that could¡­ honestly help me understand so much about pack histories,ws, ancient practices, and so many other things?


    It was tempting. Extremely tempting.


    And I liked Alpha Ezekiel. I didn''t know Beta Orion well, but Alpha Ezekiel¡­ yes, I remembered him clearly.


    I had met him several times - both during my Council internship and at gatherings I attended only because of River.


    He was a middle-aged man with warm eyes, a calm presence, and a surprisingly friendly temperament for an Alpha. During our brief encounters, he had always spoken to me with respect, genuine interest, and patience. There was something reassuring about him.


    Still¡­


    I had been looking forward to spending the rest of my holidays with my son and my mates. We''d finally settled into a peaceful rhythm after everything that had happened. After Draven. After the pain. After the mark that finally, beautifully, blessedly tied me to Kieran.


    Five days.


    It had only been five days since he marked me... five days of warmth, tenderness, and a bond that now hummed under my skin like a melody only we could hear.


    I exhaled slowly, running my thumb along the phone''s edge.


    I wanted the job.


    I wanted the learning.


    But I also wanted my family.


    So I decided to talk to my mates at dinner. Hear them out. They always respected my choices, but still... this was our time together.


    I closed the mail and switched to the group chat.


    Mallory, Selene, and Ria were blowing up the chats again.


    Mallory:


    Girls'' time after forever. Eva, don''t even think of saying no.


    Ria:


    Yeah, you areing even if we have to drag you.


    Selene:


    We won''t need to drag her. She wants a break from being smothered by four overgrown wolves.


    I snorted.


    I typed back quickly -


    I''m in. Just need to let my mates know.


    The teasing arrived in three seconds.


    Mallory:


    Aw, "let my mates know" - look at you, queen of permission slips.


    Ria:


    Should we get you a bell so they can summon you?


    Before I could reply, Selene swooped in like a hawk.


    Selene:


    Mallory, weren''t you the one who said the exact same thing yesterday when I suggested this idea? "I''ll check with Jasper first"?


    Iughed so loudly I startled myself.


    The next two minutes were filled with Mallory''s sputtering attempts to defend herself and Ria sendingughing emojis that could probably fill my entire screen.


    When the chat quieted down, I set my phone aside and leaned back.


    The room was quiet.


    Soft.


    Calm.


    But then... a familiar presence brushed against my senses.


    Warm.


    Strong.


    Impossible to mistake.


    Kieran.


    I sensed him even before I heard the soft knock.


    "Come in," I called, already smiling.


    The door opened.


    And there he was.


    My mate.


    My Alpha.


    My undoing and my sanctuary wrapped into one impossibly perfect being.


    Five days after he marked me and I still felt that soft, glowing rush in my chest every time I looked at him. The bond pulsed gently, a rhythmic whisper of him - his emotions, his warmth, his contentment - blending with mine.


    He stepped inside, making his way to me.


    "Come on, love. It''s time for training."


    I pouted but stood up, closing the remaining distance between us. He immediately pulled me in his arms, and the next thing I knew, his lips were on mine.


    His mouth captured mine - slow at first, exploring, coaxing, deepening. His hand cupped the back of my head, the other drifting from my waist to lower, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us.


    I melted into him.


    I opened my mouth to him, and he responded instantly. His lips moved with deliberate, confident passion against mine. His tongue brushed mine in a slow stroke that sent heat pooling low in my stomach.


    I clutched his shirt, pulling him closer.


    He groaned softly into the kiss, the sound vibrating against my lips and sending a warm rush through the bond.


    When he finally pulled back, I was breathless.


    He smiled softly, brushing a strand of my hair away from my face. He then reached out for my hand and entangled our fingers together, walking toward the door... and I followed him silently.

 Chapter 482 482: Stolen Kisses

    Evaline:


    I bent down and pressed a sweet, loud kiss to my son''s cheek.


    "Mama needs to go out for a while, don''t give too much stress to Aunt Vanessa behind my back. Okay?" I said, smiling when he smiled like he''s already plotting something.


    But the moment I straightened, my smile froze.


    Because two steps away... standing like two perfectly carved statues... were Oscar and Kieran.


    Both staring at me.


    Both looking entirely too expectant.


    Both clearly¡­ in a line.


    My brain stalled.


    "Uh¡­" I blinked at them. "What are you two doing?"


    Oscar lifted his hand and pointed directly at me, then tapped his cheek with the most dramatic gesture ever.


    You have got to be kidding me.


    I shot him a half warning re, but he just grinned like a devil in human skin.


    Under any other circumstances, I wouldn''t mind giving them a kiss. But...


    I subtly nced left.


    Madam Elira, Vanessa, Sera, and two other staff members were present in the living room¡­ and while they all pretended to be busy with their own things, I knew they had all their attention on us.


    Great.


    Fantastic.


    Wonderful.


    Exactly the audience I needed while my mates behaved like toddlers at a candy counter.


    But one look at Oscar with his arms crossed, eyebrow raised, and Kieran with his hands in pockets, leaning casually but eyes burning holes through me... and I knew they weren''t letting me escape.


    And worst of all?


    River was already waiting in his car outside, and he hated beingte to work.


    Fantastic. Just fantastic.


    With my cheeks heating up, I exhaled slowly and walked toward Oscar first... because he was the one who started this mess.


    He beamed as if I''d brought him the moon when I kissed his cheek. Then he cupped my face so gently that my knees actually wobbled, and he kissed my forehead.


    "I''ll be waiting at home with our son," he murmured warmly.


    My heart gave a little squeeze. Then I turned around and walked straight into Kieran''s chest.


    He smelled like midnight and heat and something that made my pulse skip inconveniently fast.


    "My turn," he said softly.


    I swallowed.


    I pushed myself onto my tiptoes, intending to deliver the world''s shortest, simplest cheek kiss...


    But the man had other ns.


    His hand slid around my waist, the other cupped the back of my head, and he pulled me in.


    And then he kissed me.


    Not a peck.


    Not a quick kiss.


    A real one.


    Long.


    Deep.


    And unmistakably involving tongue.


    My entire body turned into a live wire of embarrassment and heat.


    I heard someone choke on air behind me... probably Vanessa... and someone else''s muffled coughing. And I knew... knew everybody was watching.


    By the time Kieran finally let me go, I was redder than a tomato.


    I didn''t wait another second.


    I spun around, practically fled out the door, and half-ran toward the ck car waiting right in front of the porch.


    I yanked the door open and sank into the backseat, burying my face in my hands.


    River didn''t look up, his eyes still on the tablet in his hands. But his lips twitched.


    Oh no.


    He definitely saw everything.


    The living room''s outer wall was ss.


    He saw everything.


    He didn''t say anything though, just cleared his throat and tapped the tablet, a silent "seatbelt" reminder.


    I buckled it on, still trying to cool my burning face.


    The drive began quietly - soft, peaceful, with only the sound of the engine humming in the background. And as minutes passed, I felt my shoulders loosen and my embarrassment fade into a gentle calm.


    It felt nice - returning to the ce where I had spent months working. A ce that had shaped me.


    And today¡­ I had a purpose.


    I was going to meet Beta Orion Brown.


    Talk about the job.


    See if the schedule would work.


    If everything aligned, I would join Alpha Ezekiel''s team.


    My fingers drummed lightly on my bag in excitement.


    The Council Headquarters appeared in the distance - tall, sleek, the sigil shining on the ss facade. Familiar andforting.


    When the car came to a stop, River finally set his tablet aside and looked at me.


    "Before you go," he murmured, leaning slightly toward me.


    I blinked. "What-"


    He stole a kiss.


    Quick but warm... the kind of kiss that made my pulse flutter.


    By the time I recovered, he was already smirking.


    "Lipstick," he reminded.


    Oh.


    Right.


    I immediately pulled out a small tube from my bag and checked my reflection in the car''s window. My lips were definitely¡­ missing half the color.


    He watched me reapply it with a look that was far too satisfied.


    "Done?" he asked.


    I shot him a re. "Yes."


    "Good. Go."


    I let out a soft sigh and stepped out of the car.


    Inside the HQ, everything was familiar - the polished floors, the expensive scent, and the familiar faces of the employees moving through their tasks.


    Beta Orion Brown met me near the research wing.


    He turned out to be a calm, polite, intelligent man with a slight smile that made him seem far more approachable than most Betas.


    "Miss Evaline," he greeted warmly. "This way please."


    I followed him to one of the lounge rooms and we talked for a while - about the project, the old records they were digitizing, and the people working on it.


    When I mentioned I wanted to work from 10 am to 4 pm, his brows lifted.


    "That works perfectly," he said. "We don''t require more than that. Sundays are off as well."


    My heart nearly jumped.


    "And the pay¡­" he mentioned the number - reasonable, especially for a temporary project like this. Better than anything I''d expected.


    "Since today is Friday," he finished, "you may start Monday, if that works."


    "That works perfectly," I said without hesitation.


    We shook hands, and excitement bubbled in my chest.


    Everything fit.


    Everything aligned.


    As I walked down the hallway toward the elevator, I felt light, relieved, happy.


    I was so caught in my thoughts that I didn''t notice someone turning the corner. And I bumped straight into him.


    Hard.


    The files in his hands flew in all directions, scattering across the floor.


    "Oh-!" I gasped, immediately crouching. "I''m so sorry-"


    But when I lifted my head to see who I''d run into¡­


    My breath caught.

 Chapter 483: The Silver Wolf Lineage

    <h4>Chapter 483: The Silver Wolf Lineage</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I almost forgot how to breathe.


    The young man standing in front of me was undeniably handsome - sharp cheekbones, smooth jaw, eyes the color of a clear morning sky - but that wasn¡¯t what made my lungs stop working.


    It was his hair.


    Silky, long strands of silver, falling over his shoulders like threads of moonlight.


    <i>Silver</i>.


    My heart skipped.


    In neen years of my life, I had known only two people with hair like that.


    My mother.


    And me.


    Silver hair wasn¡¯t just rare... it was almost extinct in our world.


    Only wolves born from the lineage of ancient Silver Wolf Pack carried it, and that pack... well, it had been hanging by itsst thread for as long as anyone could remember. My mother was one of thest three remaining members of that lineage. From her, I inherited these silver strands and her amber eyes.


    But not the wolf.


    I had been born without one.


    The disgrace of my pack.


    An embarrassment my father never bothered to hide.


    So standing here... staring into the face of another silver-haired wolf... my mind emptiedpletely.


    Until the man lifted an eyebrow and spoke.


    "You n to keep staring at me all day?"


    Oh Moon Goddess.


    Heat shot up my neck, flushing my face.


    "I-I¡¯m sorry!" I blurted, nearly dropping thest file I had scooped up. "I wasn¡¯t-I mean, I didn¡¯t mean to-um-I just-"


    <i>Stop talking, Eva. Please. Stop.</i>


    His lips twitched with the faintest hint of amusement, but he stayed silent, watching me struggle through my own tangled nonsense.


    Mortified, I grabbed the final document from the floor and stood, holding out the stack toward him with both hands.


    "Here."


    He epted the files, his expression smoothing into something calm and polite.


    "Thank you."


    I nodded quickly, ready... desperate... to escape this humiliation, when his voice stopped me again.


    "Before you go," he said lightly, "may I have the privilege of learning the name of the beautiful young woman who shares my wolf lineage?"


    I froze.


    His gaze wasn¡¯t inappropriate.


    Not overly warm, not flirtatiously bold.


    Just intrigued. Observant.


    Still, my cheeks heated again.


    "I¡¯m... Evaline," I managed, deciding to skip theck of family or pack name. No need to dig that hole today. "I¡¯m joining Alpha Ezekiel¡¯s team for a month-long project."


    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t react strangely. Didn¡¯t ask questions. Didn¡¯t give me the pitying expression others sometimes did when they sensed something "off" around me.


    Instead, he nodded slightly.


    "A pleasure, Evaline." Then he added, "I¡¯m Elion Grey."


    He introduced himself.


    And the name hit something in my memory.


    Familiar... but distant. Like a word you have read somewhere but can¡¯t ce.


    I must have frowned slightly because he tilted his head.


    "Are you new here?" he asked. "You look quite young."


    "Oh-no," I said quickly. "Not exactly. I interned at the Council for five months not long ago. Now I¡¯m back for another project."


    Something lit in his eyes.


    "Impressive," he said, sounding like he meant it. "Interning here once is already exceptional. Being invited again means you are quite capable."


    I blinked.


    I... didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. Compliments still felt foreign, like clothes tailored for someone else... especially when it came from total strangers and still felt genuine.


    Before I could find words, he spoke again.


    And this time, hepletely derailed my brain.


    "Do you have a boyfriend, Evaline?"


    "Huh?"


    I stared at him, stunned all over again.


    He seemed utterly calm, as if he had asked what time it was.


    I shook my head automatically. My mouth opened... my brain intent on telling him, <i>Actually, I¡¯m already mated</i>... but before I could get a single word out, he continued smoothly.


    "Good," he said. "Then I¡¯ll look forward to seeing more of you in theing days."


    I blinked.


    What.


    "I wasn¡¯t too thrilled abouting to the headquarters," he added lightly, "but now, with you here... I might not mind it as much."


    My brain fully short-circuited.


    Was he...


    What?


    Who even flirted like that with a straight face?


    Or was that flirting?


    Was I imagining things?


    Was he just naturally like this?


    Why am I sweating?


    Ding.


    The elevator behind him chimed open.


    Before either of us could speak again, a voice called out.


    "Alpha Grey!"


    My stomach dropped.


    Alpha?


    He¡¯s an Alpha?


    I whipped my head toward the elevator... and sure enough, a group of Alphas stepped out.


    And among them...


    River.


    His expression was unreadable.


    His eyes?


    Not even a little unreadable.


    They were locked on the silver-haired Alpha standing in front of me.


    And they were dangerously cold.


    Alpha Elion Grey nced back at the group, then shot me a quick wink before turning away.


    A wink.


    A wink!


    The audacity...


    My heart flew to my throat as the group approached.


    I hurriedly dipped my head in a polite bow to the Alphas. River¡¯s gaze never left the man until the very second I moved.


    Then those deep green eyes snapped to me.


    My face burned.


    I needed to get out of here.


    Immediately.


    The elevator doors were still open. I slipped inside quickly, hitting the first floor button.


    As the doors slid shut, I caught onest glimpse of River - his jaw tight, shoulders tense, eyes flicking between me and Alpha Grey.


    And Alpha Elion Grey... he was staring right at me with that barely present smile on his lips. Either he was genuinely not aware of River¡¯s deadly re, or he didn¡¯t care.


    I hoped it was the former, because if by any chance it was thetter... things were going to be really bad.


    Wonderful.


    Absolutely wonderful.


    Just what I needed.


    The doors closedpletely, and I finally let out the breath I had been holding since the moment those silver strands first hit my eyes.


    Whoever that Alpha was...


    He had just turned my day upside-down.


    And I had this very terrible feeling that this wasn¡¯t going to be thest time.

 Chapter 484: Alphas Being Territorial

    <h4>Chapter 484: Alphas Being Territorial</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t think a simple article could make me p like an excited seal, but apparently, that¡¯s who I was now.


    I hit the space bar again, scrolling down the biography page on myptop, and grinned.


    Now I finally remembered where I had heard the name before - Elion Grey. As I finished reading the article, the puzzle pieces finally clicked in my head.


    Elion Grey.


    The prodigy.


    The boy-wonder Alpha.


    He was actually one of thest two remaining wolves of the Silver Wolf lineage.


    Just thinking that made something deep in my chest stir... an odd mix of wonder, curiosity, and something unfamiliar I couldn¡¯t quite name. I wasn¡¯t excited for him. I was excited because of...


    Silver hair.


    Just like mine.


    And my mother¡¯s.


    I finally knew someone who shared the same wolf lineage as my me and my mother.


    I leaned closer to myptop screen, scrolling through the article.


    Elion Grey was the current Alpha of Lunaris Pack. But he had always been in the spotlight.


    Top of his ss every year.


    Graduated Silver Moon Academy as the highest-ranking student two years ago.


    And now he¡¯s the youngest Alpha in modern pack history at the age of 22 - a record previously held by River until Elion took it six months ago.


    My eyes softened as I read about his father.


    Alpha Aiden Grey was killed during a Rogue Siege six months ago, and that¡¯s when I first heard about Elion as he took over the position of the new alpha of the second most powerful pack in existence.


    That¡¯s why the name felt so familiar earlier.


    That... and the hair.


    I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t even realize I was being watched.


    ... not until I finally sensed the presence behind me - dark, intense, and radiating territorial heat.


    Then a hand - cool, long-fingered, and familiar - closed around mine just as I tried to shut theptop.


    My heart almost leapt out of my chest.


    River.


    Of course it had to be River.


    He didn¡¯t yank or squeeze. He just held my wrist, his thumb brushing my skin with a deceptively calm gentleness. But his voice... oh, his voice...


    "Close theptop," he murmured, "and you¡¯ll be earning yourself an extra hour of training for next one month."


    That warning was enough for my very soul to freeze.


    "I-I wasn¡¯t hiding anything!" I blurted.


    Why was I trying to defend myself?


    Why did I try lowering theptop in the first ce?


    Why was River looking at me like he had caught me red-handed cheating on him?


    It was like my brain abandoned me the very moment I needed it to y smart.


    Before I could try another useless exnation, two more people appeared behind my couch like giant, nosy guardian wolves.


    Wonderful.


    I snapped theptop shut anyway because apparently I did want tond myself in further mess than I was already in.


    River didn¡¯t let go of my hand.


    Kieran¡¯s voice was immediate and sharp.


    "What were you reading?"


    Oh no.


    He was standing right behind me - tall, warm, leather-d, and radiating jealousy so thick it practically cast a shadow over my entire being.


    Oscar leaned over from the other side, his brows raised.


    "What¡¯s making River¡¯s eyes do that weird twitch thing?" he asked casually... but even he looked concerned.


    I swallowed.


    Hard.


    Because none of them were smiling.


    None of them even blinked.


    And all of them were staring down at theptop like it was a live bomb.


    "I..."


    Deep breath.


    This wasn¡¯t helping.


    "I was reading an article."


    River hummed like a predator who already knew the answer but wanted to hear me say it.


    Kieran crossed his arms, and despite my situation... I was unable to keep my eyes from following the movement of his biceps under that dark blue shirt.


    Oscar just squinted at me, as if saying - you better not lie.


    I closed my eyes.


    "About Elion Grey."


    Silence.


    Deep, prolonged, heavy silence.


    Then-


    "Who?" Oscar blinked.


    But River didn¡¯t blink.


    He didn¡¯t breathe.


    He didn¡¯t even move.


    He just said, his voice dangerously soft, "The Alpha who flirted with you."


    My face med.


    "He didn¡¯t flirt with me!"


    "He asked if you had a boyfriend," River snapped. "On your first meeting."


    "That¡¯s not flirting-!"


    "And then told you he wouldn¡¯t minding to HQ because you were there."


    "That could mean anything!"


    "It meant exactly what it sounded like," Kieran muttered.


    Oh! This was going all wrong.


    Oscar scratched his cheek. "Wait, wait... is this the same silver-haired guy you bumped into earlier today at the headquarters? The one who winked? The one River almost murdered with his eyes?"


    "Yes!" I said, then turned to look at him with questioning eyes and asked, "Where did you learn about that?"


    Not much to my surprise, he signaled toward his eldest brother.


    River sat on the armrest beside me, still holding my wrist, while Oscar moved around to sit on the other couch.


    But Kieran...


    Kieran came around to stand directly in front of me.


    He crouched and leveled his golden-green eyes with mine.


    And he ced both hands on either side of my knees on the couch, caging me in.


    Not touching.


    Just leaning.


    Towering.


    Powerful.


    Jealous.


    Oh no.


    "K-Kieran..." I whispered.


    His voice was a low growl.


    "You came home and then looked up a total stranger on inte. Why?"


    "B-because he¡¯s a stranger!"


    "You were looking him up all this time," he repeated, "instead of spending your precious time with us."


    "It¡¯s because I was curious about his hair!"


    He blinked, momentarily thrown.


    I exhaled.


    Then, quietly, I exined.


    "He¡¯s the third silver-haired person I have ever met. He¡¯s from the same lineage as my mother... the lineage I was supposed to be born into but wasn¡¯t. That¡¯s all."


    Kieran¡¯s shoulders loosened... slightly.


    But not enough.


    River didn¡¯t loosen at all.


    Oscar just looked thoughtful.


    But then, Kieran leaned closer... too close.. his breath brushing my lips.


    "You are ours," he whispered. "Not some random Alpha¡¯s. Not anyone else¡¯s."


    My pulse stuttered.


    His fingers brushed a strand of my hair, tucking it behind my ear - slowly, deliberately.


    "And you don¡¯t need to read about other men. Ever."


    My mouth fell open.


    "That¡¯s not fair-"


    "I don¡¯t care about fair," he murmured.


    Oscar scoffed softly. "She¡¯s not a possession."


    "Never said she was," Kieran countered, and then his gaze flicked back to me. "But she is my mate."


    I swallowed.


    "Ours," River corrected.


    "Fine," Kieran snapped, "ours. Which makes it worse that another Alpha had the audacity to-"


    His jaw clenched.


    "-to look at you like that."


    I didn¡¯t know what "that" meant.


    But River did.


    Oscar did.


    Kieran did.


    Even I did, a secondter.


    Because Elion didn¡¯t look at me like a council intern.


    Or like a stranger.


    He looked at me like we shared something rare... something only two members of the same dying lineage could ever understand.


    And that was enough to send my mates into a tailspin.


    River stood up abruptly.


    "Give me theptop."


    "No."


    "Evaline."


    "River."


    We stared each other down until Oscar clicked his tongue. "Just show him the article," he told me.


    River shot him a re. "I don¡¯t need her to show me anything. I already know he¡¯s interested."


    "He¡¯s not interested!" I protested.


    "He asked if you had a boyfriend."


    "WHAT IF HE WAS JUST MAKING SMALL TALK?!"


    "The only time an Alpha asks that," Kieran spoke, "is when he wants the answer to be no."


    My breath caught.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong.


    But I also wasn¡¯t wrong - Elion didn¡¯t feel predatory or intrusive. He felt... curious? Maybe even confused by seeing someone with the same rare trait.


    Then River leaned forward... lowered his mouth to my ear... and whispered in a voice made of honey and fire.


    "If he ever does that again... I¡¯ll remind him very clearly who you belong to."


    My entire face went nuclear red.


    Oscar whistled, but Riverpletely ignored him, and so did Kieran. For once, thetter two were on the same page. Honestly, these two ended up teaming together more often when it came to me.


    River tugged theptop from myp and ced it aside.


    Then he cupped my jaw... gently, but firmly... and tilted my face up.


    "Next time someone with silver, blue, or pink hair approaches you," he murmured, "I want you to think of me first."


    I whispered, "Why?"


    And he whispered back, "Because the only man I ever want to see reflecting in your eyes... is me. Of course, my brothers being the only exception."


    My breath caught.


    Then, unexpectedly, Oscar flopped onto the couch beside me, slinging an arm around my shoulders.


    "Well," he said brightly, "looks like our Eva¡¯s got a fanclub outside the house too."


    River shot him a re.


    Kieran growled.


    I buried my face in my hands.


    I was never... ever... going to hear the end of this.

 Chapter 485 485: Girls Day Out

    Evaline:


    If someone had asked me yesterday what a "girls'' day out" looked like, I would have said something simple. Maybe brunch. Maybe shopping. Maybe gossip while doing face masks.


    I would not have guessed¡­ whatever this was.


    Because apparently, Mallory, Ria, and Selene''s idea of a girls'' day out included:


    Leaving home at ten in the morning.


    Driving to Mapleton Town.


    Watching a movie that made all four of usbust withughter and tears.


    Eating lunch at a tiny-but-fancy restaurant where Ria almost cried because her dessert "looked too pretty to eat."


    Shopping until our feet begged for mercy.


    Having dessert again at a cozy bakery because Selene said the universe would implode if we didn''t try the chocte mousse.


    And then...


    "Camping night!" Mallory announced with her usual enthusiasm, her arms thrown wide as our car rolled to a stop on the cliff.


    I blinked, slightly dazed.


    "Camping," I repeated. "As in¡­ outdoors?"


    "Well, notpletely outdoors," Selene said, pointing ahead.


    That was the moment I saw the two camping vans parked at the cliffside.


    These were the camping vans that were spacious enough for all seven of us, equipped with tiny kitchtes, adjustable lights, heating, and... thank the moon goddess...fortable beds.


    We weren''t "roughing it."


    We were "softening it."


    Iughed as I climbed out of the car.


    And then myughter grew, because three familiar figures stepped out of one of the camping vans.


    Kyros.


    Rowan.


    Noah.


    "Oh goddess, finally!" Noah eximed the moment he spotted us. He practically sprinted toward me, arms wide. "Do you have any idea how much suffering I endured knowing you were enjoying a whole day without me?"


    He wrapped me in a hug that lifted my feet off the ground.


    I smacked his arm. "We literally spoke on the phone three hours ago!"


    "Three hours," he repeated dramatically. "That''s practically a millennium."


    I shook my head but couldn''t hold back the smile.


    Kyros approached next, grabbing Ria and me at the same time and pulling us into a big brother¨Clike hug.


    "You girls look exhausted," he noted, raising a brow.


    "We shopped," Ria replied with a deadpan expression. "For four hours."


    "That exins it." Kyros chuckled.


    Then Rowan stepped forward.


    I didn''t realize how much I had missed him until I hugged him.


    "It feels like it''s been forever," I murmured.


    "Just eight days," he said, patting my hair. "But yeah¡­ I missed you too."


    Warmth bloomed in my chest.


    Even though I saw them often and we texted every day, being with them in person always felt different.


    Like stepping back into a safe, loud, chaotic piece of my past.


    We moved toward the camping vans, the cliffside air brushing cool wind across my face. The scene was stunning - the cliff overlooked a vast forest, stretching endlessly under thete afternoon sunlight.


    Below us, the trees rustled like they were whispering secrets. Above us, clouds gathered... dark and heavy, hinting at rain.


    Mallory pped her hands.


    "Alright, girls, duty calls! Time to set up the fire!"


    Ria groaned. "Teach me again how not to burn my eyebrows off."


    "You only burned them once," Noah said supportively. "And honestly, it wasn''t that noticeable."


    Ria punched his shoulder.


    Iughed as I pulled out my phone to message my mates before joining the chaos.


    Reached Mapleton Cliffside Camping Site, and the boys are here too.


    Signal might get weak if it rains. Will callter.


    Within seconds, Oscar texted back.


    Send pics, sweetheart. I miss you.


    Next text came from Kieran.


    Have a great time and look after yourself.


    I smiled and pocketed my phone, warmth blooming in my chest. Even with all their possessiveness and jealousy, my mates always made my heart feel full.


    "Eva! Are you helping or daydreaming?" Selene called.


    "Coming!" I jogged toward them.


    We gathered around a metal fire ring, and with some teamwork... mostly Kyros, honestly... we got the fire going.


    Soon, the scent of marinated chicken filled the air.


    The sky grew darker, not just with evening shadows but with iing storm clouds.


    The wind picked up, cool andforting.


    "Why does grilled chicken taste better outdoors?" Mallory wondered out loud.


    "Because air seasoning exists," Noah dered withplete confidence.


    Rowan snorted. "That''s not even a thing."


    "It is now."


    Ourughter merged with the crackling of the mes.


    I sat cross-legged on a nket, a te bnced on my knee, savoring the warmth of both the food and the people around me.


    Roasted chicken.


    Spicy corn.


    Warm bread.


    Selene''s mother''s homemade dip.


    And the faint rumble of thunder in the distance.


    Perfect.


    Absolutely perfect.


    After dinner, we gathered all the tes and cleaned up.


    The sky fully darkened now.


    "We should head inside before it rains," Ria said.


    "Agreed," Rowan replied.


    We split into two groups - girls in one van, boys in the other.


    The soft pitter-patter started just as we closed the door.


    Light at first.


    Gentle.


    Almost musical.


    I made myselffortable on the bed in the back corner of the van, plugging in my charger and flopping onto my stomach.


    "Want to call the babies?" Mallory asked with a teasing grin.


    "Only one baby," I corrected, smiling.


    I opened the video call.


    Oscar''s face appeared instantly, his eyes brightening.


    "Finally!" he said. "We all have been waiting."


    He then turned the camera and Lioren''s face filled my screen.


    My heart melted into a puddle.


    "Oh sweetheart¡­"


    I kissed my fingers and pressed them to the screen.


    "How''s my little boy?"


    He giggled.


    Oscar leaned closer. "Just missing you."


    "I miss you guys too," I said softly.


    We talked for few more minutes before I ended the call.


    The rain had grown louder by now.


    Stronger.


    Steady and soothing.


    The soft orange lights inside the van made everything feel warm and calm.


    Ria was already half-asleep.


    Selene was writing something in her journal.


    Mallory was organizing the snacks like a general preparing for war.


    And me?


    I tucked myself under the nket, listening to the storm.


    The rhythmic tapping eased the tension in my body.


    The warmth of the van wrapped around me like a hug.


    And slowly¡­ gently¡­ peacefully¡­


    I drifted off to sleep.


    Thest thing I heard was thunder rolling softly in the distance... like the sky itself singing a luby.

 Chapter 486: The Guy From Mapleton

    <h4>Chapter 486: The Guy From Mapleton</h4>


    <strong>Ev</strong>aline:


    The morning after the rain was the kind of morning poets wrote about.


    Cold.


    Fresh.


    Crisp enough that every breath felt like sipping cool mint water.


    I woke up to the soft glow of dawn filtering through the curtains of the camping van, the quiet breathing of the girls around me, and the lingering scent of night¡¯s rain and pine.


    It was a few minutes past six.


    "Ugh... why are mornings legal?" Ria groaned as she sat up, her hair sticking out like a startled owl.


    Selene yawned so wide her jaw cracked. "Because the moon goddess hates us."


    Mallory stretched like a cat. "No, because the goddess rewards early risers."


    I snorted. "Yeah, that¡¯s why she gave us all dark circles."


    But even with our whining, there was something soothing about waking up with your friends on a cliff that smelled like rain-soaked earth and wet leaves.


    We changed, packed our bags, and cleaned the vans. The girls moved like zombies... the boys, surprisingly, were worse. Noah nearly brushed his teeth using sunscreen. Rowan put on mismatched shoes. Kyros burned his tongue on hot tea and insisted he was fine while clearly dying.


    At seven thirty, two men from the rentalpany arrived to pick up the vans. We handed over the keys, took onest look at the cliff view, and piled into the cars.


    By eight fifteen, we were back in the town for breakfast.


    We picked one of the coziest-looking cafe on the street. And fortunately, it was already open for business. It weed us with warm light, brick walls, fresh pastries, and hot drinks.


    The moment I tasted their honey-butter pancakes, I nearly moaned.


    Two cups of hot chocteter, Mallory and I stepped out into the street to wait for the others while they finished thest of their drinks.


    It was then that we stumbled onto a scene that made us both freeze.


    "Um... Eva?" Mallory whispered, grabbing my cardigan sleeve.


    "Yeah?"


    "Are... are you seeing what I¡¯m seeing?"


    I nodded slowly.


    Because how could I miss it?


    Right across the street, in front of a small bookstore, a tall young man was being cornered by three older men.


    And not just cornered.


    Pushed.


    Intimidated.


    Surrounded.


    The boy looked like he was trying to apologize his way into shrinking out of existence.


    "Sir-please-I really didn¡¯t mean to bump into you-" he said in a soft, almost trembling voice.


    But the man in front of him shoved him again.


    The young man wasn¡¯t a fighter, that was clear.


    He wasn¡¯t even standing like one... he was standing like someone used to staying unnoticed.


    His hands clutched a stack of thick books to his chest... books that looked important.


    A pair of thin, round sses was slipping down his nose.


    His brown hair fell over gentle hazel eyes.


    He had a small healing bruise near his jaw.


    His clothes were simple but neat, giving him almost a nerd¡¯s vibe.


    Soft.


    Gentle.


    Not meant for confrontation.


    "Watch where you are going," the man growled.


    "I-I said I was sorry-"


    "And what good is sorry, huh?" another sneered, grabbing the boy¡¯s cor.


    Okay. No.


    Absolutely not.


    Mallory muttered under her breath, "Nope. Nope. Over my dead body."


    And before I could even react, she stormed forward.


    I followed instantly.


    "Hey!" Mallory called out, her voice sharp as ice. "What do you think you are doing?"


    The three men turned.


    Their eyes raked over Mallory dismissively... until they saw me next to her, arms crossed, jaw tight.


    One of them scoffed. "This isn¡¯t your business."


    Mallory tilted her head. "Oh? That¡¯s funny. Because it looks exactly like our business."


    "Yeah," I agreed calmly. "Considering you are ganging up on someone who¡¯s already apologized and wants to leave."


    The boss-like guy red. "Stay out of it."


    "No," I said.


    The boys inside the restaurant woulde out any second... but honestly, Mallory and I didn¡¯t need them.


    The man tugged the boy¡¯s cor again. "This runt needs to learn manners."


    That was it.


    I stepped closer, voice low and steady.


    "Let him go."


    Something in my tone must have worked because they hesitated.


    A momentter, Rowan¡¯s voice rang from behind us, hard and cold.


    "Is there a problem?"


    Kyros and Noah were right behind him.


    The three men immediately stepped back, hands up as if they were the victims here.


    "We were just talking to the kid."


    Rowan¡¯s eyes sharpened. "It didn¡¯t look like talking."


    Kyros took one step forward. "Leave."


    They left.


    Fast.


    And then all eyes turned to the boy who¡¯d been cornered.


    He stood absolutely still.


    Clutching his books like they were life support.


    Eyes wide behind his sses.


    Mallory crouched to pick up the book that had fallen near his feet.


    "This yours?" she asked gently.


    He nodded quickly.


    "Y-yes... thank you."


    His voice was soft.


    Really soft.


    Like he wasn¡¯t used to being listened to.


    He adjusted his sses nervously, shifting his books.


    "I¡¯m so sorry," he said, bowing his head slightly. "I didn¡¯t mean to cause trouble."


    "You didn¡¯t cause anything," I assured him. "Those guys were jerks."


    His hazel eyes met mine... and that was the moment something shifted.


    He didn¡¯t look afraid anymore.


    Still shy.


    Still hesitant.


    But something warm flickered - gratitude, maybe?


    Or surprise that someone helped him.


    "Thank you," he said again, softer this time. "Really."


    Mallory introduced herself first.


    "I¡¯m Mallory. And this is Evaline. And those idiots are our friends."


    "Idiots?" Noah gasped. "Excuse me-"


    "Not now," Mallory snapped.


    The boy smiled. It was small but genuine, the kind of smile that made people around him smile too, warm without trying.


    He shifted the books again. "My name is... Charles."


    Charles.


    The name suited him.


    "Are you okay?" I asked.


    "Yes," he said quickly. "Just... embarrassed."


    "You don¡¯t have to be," Mallory said firmly. "Those men were picking on you."


    Charles lowered his gaze, his cheeks slightly red.


    "I... tend to attract that sometimes."


    My chest tightened.


    He wasn¡¯t weak... just gentle.


    A soft person in a world that wasn¡¯t always kind to soft people.


    I could understand him because I was just like him untilst summer.


    Rowan stepped closer, calmer now.


    "You live around here?"


    Charles nodded. "Yes. I volunteer at the Mapleton Library on weekends. I was just picking up some books to return."


    Of course.


    He was exactly the type to volunteer at a library.


    He looked at all of us with a warm, grateful smile. "Thank you again," he whispered, clutching his books.


    His gaze shifted to me for a second before he turned around and walked away.


    And for some weird reason... I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I would see him again.

 Chapter 487: First Day of Work

    <h4>Chapter 487: First Day of Work</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I was going to strangle Rowan.


    If he didn¡¯t get himself strangled first.


    "Don¡¯t do anything stupid!" I hissed sharply into my phone, keeping my voice low as I pressed myself deeper between the tall cabs of the archive room. If someone found me hiding behind a shelf whispering like this on my first day of the new project... yeah, that would be fun to exin.


    It was barely my second hour here in the new HQ.


    Second hour.


    And I was already yelling at Rowan for attempting the exact kind of reckless idiocy I feared he would attempt someday... he¡¯s just like me after all.


    My pulse pounded violently. "Rowan, I swear to the Moon Goddess, if you get caught-"


    "I won¡¯t," he whispered, but he sounded breathless, the kind of breathless that came from either running or hiding. Knowing Rowan, it was both.


    I squeezed my eyes shut. "Rowan, they are students. Graduates or not, they are not warriors. They are sneaking around like idiots. This doesn¡¯t automatically make them connected to the secret academy group or the Soul Death cases."


    "Well, maybe, but Eva-listen-" Rowan breathed quickly. "Two of the guys who graduatedst year met up with three who graduated this semester. They weren¡¯t talking like old friends. They were whispering. Checking their surroundings. And one of them mentioned Carson¡¯s name."


    My heart stilled.


    Carson.


    The same senior student from Silver Moon who was found Soul Dead over a year ago. The case that started everything... the reason Kieran and the rest of the council began digging I¡¯m the first ce.


    Rowan continued, his voice tight, "The moment Carson¡¯s name slipped, the others shoved him against a wall to shut him up. And then they checked the entire alley like they thought someone would jump at them."


    Okay. That... was suspicious.


    Really suspicious.


    But still-


    "Rowan, you can¡¯t follow them alone. What if they are involved in something dangerous?" My whisper rose in panic. "Even though you are strong, you still can¡¯t handle them alone-"


    "I know," he whispered back. And I hated that he sounded calm. Rowan was only calm like that when he was about to do something catastrophically stupid. "But I can¡¯t lose them, Eva. They seemed to be leaving this ce now. If I wait, they¡¯ll disappear."


    "Rowan!" I hissed again, but I heard movement on his end - shuffling footsteps, maybe the guys whispering. Possibly Rowan ducking behind something.


    He didn¡¯t give me a chance to argue further.


    "I¡¯ll keep distance. Promise. But I need to follow them now. What if we end up missing something important just because I hesitate?"


    "Rowan!"


    "I¡¯m going."


    That was it. Final. I knew him better than to think I could change his mind. I finally knew why Oscar said Rowan was my male version - we both were stubborn with our decisions.


    Since I couldn¡¯t stop him from following those people, I needed to make sure he¡¯s not going to end up in trouble. "Fine. But first share your live location with me. I¡¯ll talk to my mates and get you help as soon as I can. Just don¡¯t do anything reckless until then. Okay?"


    He didn¡¯t promise, but at least he agreed with my n. "I¡¯ll share it now- there. Got it? Okay. I gotta-"


    The call cut.


    I stared at my screen in horror as the tiny blinking dot of Rowan¡¯s live location appeared on the map.


    He was already on the move.


    "Oh my stars," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "He¡¯s going to be in trouble. I swear I¡¯m going to kill him once he¡¯s safely back."


    I quickly exited the archive room... only to freeze.


    The project senior was right outside.


    Of course he was.


    I pasted a harmless intern-smile on my face.


    "Uh, Alpha Thorne wants to see me," I said with enough confidence to sound believable.


    His eyes widened a little - probably wondering why <i>the</i> Alpha Thorne would want to see me on my very first morning - but he still nodded quickly.


    "Return as soon as you are done," he said, clearly too afraid to question anything involving River.


    I nodded and tried to walk toward the elevator like a normal person instead of sprinting like I wanted to do. On my way there, I messaged River.


    <i>Where are you? </i>


    The reply came within seconds.


    <strong>River: </strong><i>My office.</i>


    Thank the Goddess.


    He was still in HQ.


    I didn¡¯t waste a second. I jabbed the elevator button repeatedly... like that ever helped... and bounced on my toes as it ascended.


    "Come on...e on..."


    The elevator chimed open and I stepped in, mming the button for River¡¯s floor. My foot tapped uncontrobly as I tried to steady my breathing.


    Rowan. Of all people.


    He was smart, yes, but... he was also Rowan.


    My favorite person in the world besides my mates and son, yes.


    But also the most curiosity-led trouble ma in existence.


    The elevator crawled upward with all the urgency of a dying turtle.


    "Faster," I muttered at the doors.


    When they finally opened, I dashed out, nearly colliding with a Beta who stepped aside just in time.


    "Sorry!" I yelled behind me without slowing down.


    River¡¯s office was at the end of the hallway, a tall and imposing wooden door blocking my way. Normally I would knock. Normally I would breathe. Normally I would act like a civilized creature.


    But nothing about today was normal.


    I pushed the door open without knocking...


    ... then froze mid-step.


    Two sets of eyes looked up at me.


    One deep and green... River, who was seated behind his desk.


    And the second...


    Dazzling blue.


    Alpha Elion Grey stood beside River¡¯s desk, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a cup of coffee. His silver hair fell effortlessly over his shoulders like moonlit silk.


    My breath hitched.


    Of all people to walk in on...


    And of all conversations to interrupt.


    River¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    Elion¡¯s lips curved... politely, but unmistakably amused.


    Great.


    Just. Great.

 Chapter 488: Trusting Jasper

    <h4>Chapter 488: Trusting Jasper</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had approximately three seconds to pull myself together before sheer panic would swallow me whole. Both River and Alpha Elion Grey were staring at me like I had walked in with fireworks strapped to my chest.


    Right. Deep breath.


    "I¡¯m so sorry, Alpha Thorne... Alpha Grey." I blurted, standing straighter and trying very, very hard to look like someone who wasn¡¯t losing her mind internally. "I shouldn¡¯t have barged in without knocking."


    River¡¯s eyebrow twitched... he knew me well enough to sense something wasn¡¯t right. Elion, on the other hand, looked pleasantly unfazed, the faintest curve of a smile on his lips.


    I swallowed and forced professionalism onto my face. Maybe if I pretended hard enough, the ground would open and swallow me before things got worse.


    Trying to keep my voice steady, I turned slightly toward River. "Alpha Thorne, if you could spare a momentter, may I speak with you about something? Once you are free."


    I nced briefly at Elion. Just a second, wondering whether to add that it was urgent. But held myself back, hoping River would pick on the my urgency through our bond.


    And he did.


    He straightened and looked about two seconds away from kicking Elion out through the nearest window so he could deal with whatever was wrong.


    But before River could open his mouth, Elion spoke... smooth, calm, unhurried.


    "Of course," he said politely, inclining his head toward River. "We can continue our discussionter."


    Then he looked at me... looked... with that gentle, friendly smile that made absolutely no sense considering we wereplete strangers.


    River¡¯s jaw flexed.


    Elion nodded at me once more, soft and courteous, then walked toward the door, his posture rxed and elegant in a way I didn¡¯t think anyone else other than my mates could manage.


    He left the office with quiet, almost soundless steps.


    I didn¡¯t breathe until those steps faded into the hallway.


    And I didn¡¯t turn until I heard the elevator doors close.


    Only then did I finally face River.


    He was already out of his chair.


    Already in front of me.


    Already looking at me with eyes sharp with worry.


    "What happened?"


    I didn¡¯t even try to pretend. The moment he asked, everything spilled out.


    "It¡¯s Rowan," I blurted, my voice breaking with the panic I had been holding back. "He-he found something. Or someone. A group of students. Graduates. He thinks they are connected to Carson somehow. They were meeting in secret, and they mentioned Carson. And now Rowan¡¯s following them alone-"


    River¡¯s eyes darkened instantly.


    Before I could spiral further, he turned and grabbed his phone with a speed that made my stomach tighten with relief.


    He dialed immediately.


    "Jasper," he said the moment the call connected, "find Rowan. Now."


    My hands shook as I motioned for River, and he passed me the phone so I could speak to Jasper directly.


    "Jasper-please-" My voice cracked embarrassingly. "He shared his location with me. I¡¯m sending it. Please get to him quickly. He¡¯s alone and I don¡¯t know where he¡¯s following them to-"


    "Send it," Jasper said, his voice firm and grounding. "I¡¯m on my way."


    That steadiness was exactly why I had learned to trust him over the past year. Jasper didn¡¯t panic. Jasper didn¡¯t make mistakes. Jasper didn¡¯t fail River.


    I sent Rowan¡¯s location instantly and Jasper hummed in understanding. "I¡¯ll update Alpha once I have him."


    The call ended.


    I released a breath so shaky it almost hurt.


    River gently cupped my face with both hands, his thumbs brushing my cheeks. "He¡¯ll be safe."


    "I know," I whispered, even though every part of me felt like a taut wire ready to snap. "I know Jasper is capable. I just... couldn¡¯t stand it if Rowan got hurt."


    River¡¯s eyes softened, even though worry still lingered there. "You did the right thinging to me."


    "Go back to work," he said gently. "I¡¯ll handle the rest. Jasper will find him. And I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the underground parking lot at four."


    I nodded slowly, breathing in deeply to settle my shaking nerves.


    He was right. I had done all I could.


    Now I had to trust him.


    And Jasper.


    "Okay," I whispered. "I¡¯ll go."


    His thumb brushed my jaw one more time, lingering just long enough to steady me, then he stepped back so I could leave.


    I forced myself to walk out of the office with steady steps and not look like someone fighting their panic.


    Back in the elevator, I sagged against the wall, gripping my phone so tightly my fingers hurt.


    The descent felt long. Too long.


    I walked back into the archive room, bowed my head slightly to the senior like nothing was wrong, then immediately sat down and opened myptop again.


    And then I started checking my phone every five minutes.


    Okay, maybe every three.


    Each time I didn¡¯t see a notification from Rowan or Jasper, my stomach twisted tighter.


    <i>Focus, Eva.</i>


    <i>You are supposed to be working.</i>


    <i>You are supposed to be normal.</i>


    But Rowan was out there. And if those students were really involved with Soul Death...


    I clenched my jaw and tried to force myself to read the next set of documents.


    Isted two minutes.


    Then three.


    Then five.


    Then almost eight.


    My fingers trembled slightly as I refreshed my messages again.


    Nothing.


    I swallowed hard, rubbing my forehead.


    I knew Jasper was good. I knew River wouldn¡¯t lie to me. I knew Rowan wasn¡¯t stupid.


    Just when my nerves threatened to snap...


    Ding.


    I nearly dropped my phone as I snatched it up.


    It was from Rowan.


    <strong>Rowan</strong>:


    <i>I¡¯m alive. Don¡¯t freak out. I¡¯m with Jasper and two other warriors. He found me pretty fast. They are keeping watch while pretending not to. I¡¯m not allowed to follow the students anymore. Jasper said you would panic if I got hurt so he¡¯s "preventing unnecessary chaos." Tell River thanks. Also please don¡¯t murder meter.</i>


    A strangledugh escaped me.


    My lungs finally loosened.


    My shoulders dropped.


    And my heart... the poor thing... finally stopped trying to w its way out of my chest.


    I typed back quickly.


    <i>I¡¯m so d you are okay. Please don¡¯t do that again. I can¡¯t handle this level of stress.</i>


    <strong>Rowan: </strong>


    <i>No promises, but I¡¯ll try.</i>


    I shook my head, smiling weakly.


    Finally... finally... I could breathe again.


    Rowan was safe.


    And Jasper was now following those students.


    For the first time in nearly an hour, I felt my pulse slow from frantic to merely anxious.


    Only then did I return to the project files, my body rxing into my chair as the worst of the morning¡¯s panic began to fade.

 Chapter 489: Improvements

    <h4>Chapter 489: Improvements</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I ced a soft kiss on the back of Draven¡¯s hand, my lips brushing against the coldness of his skin. That familiar chill... unmoving, unchanged... was something I had grown used to over the past weeks.


    It had been over a month since he had closed his eyes and drifted into a sleep that wasn¡¯t really sleep at all.


    Over a month since everything inside me cracked open.


    I pressed my lips there a moment longer, memorizing that cold... because somehow, it grounded me. Reminded me he was here. Still breathing. Still alive, even if I hadn¡¯t heard his voice in forty-two days.


    "Hi," I whispered against his knuckles before pulling them against my cheek. His hand felt heavier than it used to. Or maybe it was just the weight in my chest that made everything heavier.


    The room was dim - Healer Cao said low light soothed unconscious patients - but the faint glow from thenterns along the wall was enough for me to see Draven¡¯s face clearly. And it was pale, too pale. Hisshes still dark against his skin, his lips colorless without the warmth that used to curve them every time he smirked at me.


    I pulled my chair closer until my knees touched the side of his bed. My other hand smoothed over his forearm, tracing faint lines of muscle still visible under the sheet.


    It had be routine now -ing here after my day ended. Almost every night.


    Sometimes I talked to him about my day.


    Sometimes I told him about all the antics Lioren had been learning somehow.


    Sometimes I talked about my past - though there wasn¡¯t much good in that file - but he always listened when he was awake, and some foolish part of me believed he was listening even now.


    And sometimes... sometimes I justid my head on his chest, listening for the faintest sound of his heartbeat. Slow. Unchanging. Like a clock ticking under water.


    Tonight wasn¡¯t any different.


    Except I was exhausted enough to sink straight into the floor.


    "I don¡¯t think I have stopped moving since morning..." I murmured, resting my chin lightly on his hand. "I have had a long day, Draven. A very long day."


    It started with paperwork... mountains of dusty records that needed to be digitized. The archive room felt like an ancient crypt, and by noon, I had inhaled enough dust to be considered partially embalmed.


    Then Kieran and Healer Cao decided today was perfect for an "intense practice session."


    But something had changedtely.


    My power had started to respond again.


    For weeks after Draven fell, my ability had felt sluggish, dimmed, like someone had thrown a heavy nket over it. Elder Ren insisted there was a reason - probably my emotions, my stress, my fear?


    And I knew he wasn¡¯t wrong. It was hard to breathe, let alone heal, with the memory of Draven unconscious burned into my soul.


    But the past two weeks... my power had sparked again. Stronger. Sharper. Less hesitant.


    Healer Cao even let me help with the patients today at his hospital. Deep wounds, feverish bites, poisoned bloodstreams... things I hadn¡¯t tended to before.


    And I healed them. Not perfectly. Not easily. But I did.


    And Cao had stared at me with something dangerously close to pride before forcing me to stop.


    "Then," I continued softly, "because apparently I like living dangerously, I went tobat training."


    I huffed a tinyugh.


    "And I fought a warrior from Oscar¡¯s new recruits."


    My fingers tightened on Draven¡¯s hand as warmth prickled behind my eyes.


    "You should have seen River¡¯s face," I whispered. "He was pretending to be calm but I know him. His soul was hovering three inches above his body."


    The warrior had gone easy on me at first.


    Bad mistake.


    I wasn¡¯t the girl I used to be. I wasn¡¯t fragile. I wasn¡¯t helpless.


    I didn¡¯t have a wolf, but I had speed, focus, sharper instincts, weeks of relentless training, and the kind of stubbornness that would make even River swear under his breath.


    When I disarmed the warrior and pinned him to the mat, his stunned blink had been priceless. The proud nod River gave me afterward felt even better.


    "And then he saluted me," I muttered, shaking my head. "An actual salute filled with acknowledgement."


    It was a good day overall despite the fatigue.


    After the training, I had showered until the hot water washed the sweat and aches off my skin, until my muscles loosened, until I could breathe again.


    Then I came here before dinner, and all my exhaustion almost melted away.


    "Look at you," I whispered, brushing a strand of hair away from his forehead. "Missing all my heroic moments. You owe me."


    His chest rose and fell with that soft, steady rhythm that made my heart unclench just a little.


    I leaned closer, resting my forehead lightly against his arm.


    "I miss you," I whispered. "More than I know how to exin. More than I thought was possible."


    My throat tightened.


    "I¡¯m doing better," I admitted quietly. "I really am. I¡¯m stronger. My control is improving. I even healed someone with a deep venom wound today. Healer Cao said my power is stabilizing again."


    I lifted my head and looked at his sleeping face.


    "But none of it feels enough. Not unless you are here to see it."


    The silence in the room was thick, but it wasn¡¯t empty. It was filled with him. The scent of him. The echo of his energy. The memory of his strong hands holding my waist. His voice calling my name. His smirk when he teased me. His tenderness.


    I pressed his hand against my cheek again.


    "I¡¯ll find a way," I whispered fiercely. "I don¡¯t care how long it takes, or what it costs. I¡¯ll find a way to bring you back. To me. To your brothers. To our son. To your family."


    My voice trembled.


    "I¡¯m not giving up on you, Draven. Not now. Not ever."


    A small part of me always hoped he would squeeze my hand. Open his eyes. Whisper something.


    He didn¡¯t.


    But his heartbeat stayed steady under the machines.


    And that... that was enough to keep the fire inside me alive.


    I bowed my head, resting it gently on his arm. My fingers threaded through his.


    For a long while, I simply stayed like that, breathing with him, letting exhaustion slip through my limbs and peace settle over my bones.


    Eventually, it was time for me to head for dinner.


    I lifted his hand onest time and pressed another kiss to his knuckles.


    "I¡¯ll be back tomorrow," I whispered and stood slowly, my heart pulling like something was tethered to his chest.


    Then I turned toward the door.


    Just before leaving, I nced back again.


    "Goodnight," I whispered.


    And even unconscious, he felt like home.

 Chapter 490: Warrior Academy

    <h4>Chapter 490: Warrior Academy</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment I stepped into the Warrior Academy¡¯s massive grounds, a wave of cool, crisp morning air hit my lungs. Maybe it was the altitude, or maybe it was just the weight of what this ce meant.


    Warrior Academy.


    I let out a long exhale, trying to steady the nerves buzzing under my skin. I had trained for months under River and Oscar. I had faced a few of their warriors. I had learned to hold my ground. I had even won a few times. But the anxiety creeping up my spine now wasn¡¯t about thebat.


    It was the eyes.


    The recruits... dozens and dozens of them. Talented, ambitious, fierce. All trained or raised with the dream of bing warriors. And today I was expected to spar among them.


    A warm palm gently pressed against my lower back, grounding me. Oscar¡¯s voice followed, soft enough for just me.


    "Don¡¯t overthink it," he said, leaning closer. "You are going to do great. I have seen you train. You are more than ready for this."


    I managed a small nod, drawing a breath deep enough to push my shoulders back.


    "I¡¯m not worried about losing," I murmured. "I just... I have never fought in front of so many people. And most of them probably think it¡¯s ridiculous that someone without a wolf is here."


    Oscar chuckled under his breath. "That¡¯s precisely why River and I decided to make you join the recruits for the rest of the holidays."


    I blinked. "...What?"


    He smirked. "You¡¯ll get used to the eyes if you are constantly around them."


    I groaned. "That sounds awful."


    "That¡¯s the point," he said, walking ahead. "Nowe on. Go change. River¡¯s leading the first half of today¡¯s session, and he¡¯ll want you there on time."


    I stepped into the changing room, inhaling the faint scent ofvender detergent that clung to the academy uniforms hung neatly in rows. After changing, I tied my hair into a tight braid, smoothing loose strands in the mirror.


    I was sliding the band into ce when the air shifted behind me and I felt his presence - warm,manding, achingly familiar.


    My heartbeat immediately picked up.


    River closed the door behind him without a word, the soft click echoing in the small room. When I met his eyes through the mirror, he was already standing close... so close I could feel the heat radiating from him even though he wasn¡¯t touching me.


    My breath hitched.


    He didn¡¯t speak. Neither did I.


    His gaze traced the line of my braid, down my exposed neck, lingering at the curve of my corbone where the academy uniform dipped slightly. That look... stars. He had been giving me that look for days. Weeks.


    As if he wanted to devour me whole.


    As if he was waiting... challenging me... to make the first move.


    And I... I was doing the exact same.


    The tension between us had turned into something thick, electric, impossible to ignore. Every nce, every brush of fingers when he handed me something, every moment he stepped just a bit too close during training... it all added up to a heat that curled low in my belly.


    But neither of us crossed the line.


    He stood behind me now... close enough that my back warmed, but still keeping a sliver of distance, almost painfully.


    "You are nervous," he finally said in a low voice.


    I swallowed. "I am."


    His eyes softened, though the intensity never faded. "You¡¯ll be fine."


    "I know," I whispered. "I trust my training."


    He nodded once. "Good."


    But he didn¡¯t step back. Didn¡¯t look away.


    And suddenly, the tiny room felt even smaller.


    I turned around slowly to face him. His gaze dropped briefly... to my lips... and then snapped back up, controlled but burning.


    Stars.


    I felt my pulse between my ribs.


    Neither of us moved.


    Then he exhaled... rough, quiet, as if keeping himself in check.


    "You look good in the academy uniform," he murmured, his eyes tracing the lines of it with a hunger he didn¡¯t bother to hide.


    Heat rushed to my cheeks.


    "And you..." I swallowed. "You are doing that look again."


    "What look?" he asked, innocent in tone, sinful in expression.


    "The one that makes me feel like..."


    My voice faded. I couldn¡¯t finish that sentence withoutbusting.


    He stepped closer.


    Barely an inch this time.


    Just enough that our breaths mingled.


    "That¡¯s because I haven¡¯t forgotten what you taste like," he said softly.


    My knees genuinely threatened to give out.


    Before I could form a response, a distant whistle sounded. It was Oscar calling recruits to the training ground.


    River didn¡¯t move.


    Neither did I.


    "Go," he said finally, though his voice was thick. "I¡¯ll see you out there."


    I nodded, though I stayed still a moment longer, my heart pounding loud enough to drown out everything else.


    I forced myself to step around him and walk toward the door. When my fingers touched the handle, he spoke again.


    "Angel."


    I turned.


    His eyes were molten.


    "Try not to make your opponent cry," he said, his mouth lifting slightly. "We need them functional for the rest of the day."


    Despite everything, Iughed - soft, but real.


    "I¡¯ll try."


    Then I stepped out, leaving the charged air of the changing room behind me.


    - - -


    The training ground was massive... open-air, surrounded by tall stone walls covered in vines. The recruits stretched in rows, chatting, adjusting wraps, swinging practice des.


    Oscar stood at the center, his arms crossed as he watched the students with a hawk-like attention.


    River stepped onto the tform momentster, and the shift in atmosphere was immediate.


    Recruits straightened. Their voices hushed and attention snapped forward.


    I joined Kyros near the edge, ignoring the curious stares.


    Oscar gave me a little nod from across the field, his expression confident. Warm. Reassuring.


    River didn¡¯t look at me... but I felt him. Felt his awareness tracking me even when he addressed the recruits.


    "Today," River began, his voice strong andmanding, "we are focusing on adaptivebat. Unpredictability. Improvisation. And endurance." His gaze swept the groups. "We also have a new trainee joining us today, Evaline."

 Chapter 491: A Worthy Opponent

    <h4>Chapter 491: A Worthy Opponent</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment River introduced me, a wave of whispers rippled across the training ground. Not subtle ones either... tant, questioning murmurs. I caught fragments.


    "I heard she¡¯s wolfless?"


    "Why is she here?"


    "She doesn¡¯t even have a wolf..."


    I didn¡¯t flinch. I didn¡¯t me them. If I were in their ce... if I had met the Eva from a year ago... I would wonder too. I would question what a weak girl with no wolf, no background, and no confidence was doing standing among warriors-in-training.


    But that Eva was gone.


    Oscar¡¯s voice cut clean through the noise.


    "Today, every trainee will face two opponents," he announced, his tone firm andmanding. "This is an adaptive-endurance drill. You will be challenged beyond yourfort zone. Don¡¯t expect an easy round."


    The murmurs died instantly.


    I exhaled, sitting beside Kyros on the stone bench lining the perimeter. He nudged me lightly with his shoulder.


    "Nervous?" he whispered.


    "No," I whispered back. "Just... taking everything in."


    And I was.


    The first pair stepped into the center ring. Two boys... both tall, both already in fighting stances before Oscar even finished signaling the start.


    I leaned forward, eyes narrowing, my mind instantly shifting into the mode River had drilled into me over months.


    Observe first.


    Understand second.


    Act third.


    The two recruits lunged at each other with clean, refined precision. Their footwork was sharp, but I noticed small things... one favored his left leg too much, nting a half-second slower on his right. The other telegraphed punches with a tightening jaw and shoulder twitch.


    Weaknesses. Patterns. Openings.


    They might be young, but they were well-trained... stronger than I had expected. Stronger than me physically, definitely. But strength wasn¡¯t everything.


    My eyes darted over every detail - their stamina, their breathing patterns, how quickly they recovered from near falls. I pictured myself in the ring with each of them, reying different scenarios in my head.


    If I step left when he shifts his weight...


    If I duck under that punch...


    If I twist and use his momentum...


    If I drop and sweep...


    Kyros snorted augh beside me.


    "You are doing that thing," he whispered.


    "What thing?"


    "Your scary thinking face."


    I elbowed him lightly, refusing to look away from the fight.


    One boy pinned the other sessfully, ending the round.


    Oscar motioned for the next pair.


    A girl and a boy stepped up this time... both faster, sharper. Their movements were less predictable. I watched the girl¡¯s immacte bnce, and the boy¡¯s impressive speed. The girl¡¯s stamina faltered first and the guy capitalized.


    Somewhere behind me... across the field... I felt it.


    A gaze.


    Like a physical presence grazing the back of my neck.


    River.


    And though I didn¡¯t dare turn my head, I felt his approval... because I was doing exactly what he had taught me.


    Observing. Learning. Preparing.


    More trainees took their turns. My pulse kicked up with each one. My hands flexed at my sides, itching to move. To fight. To prove myself.


    And then...


    "Evaline," Oscar called.


    Kyros bumped me with his elbow again. "Go show them what you have got."


    I rose to my feet, inhaling once, long and steady, and stepped toward the center mat.


    My opponent stepped in at the same time.


    A tall guy with broad shoulders and muscles that screamed years of training. He wasn¡¯t sneering, but he didn¡¯t hide the way his eyes scanned me... calcting, dismissive... and that slight approval of my looks.


    He thought this would be easy.


    I bowed politely. He did the same.


    Oscar raised his arm.


    Kyros cupped his hands around his mouth.


    "LET¡¯S GO EVA!"


    The whistle blew.


    The boy lunged first - fast, aggressive. He went straight for the shoulder grab, trying to overpower me immediately.


    ssic mistake.


    He thought brute strength would win. He hadn¡¯t fought someone like me before... someone who wasn¡¯t trying to match strength with strength, but technique with precision.


    I twisted under his arm, palms grazing the mat as I dropped and slid out of range. He spun fast, but I was already popping to my feet.


    I saw the flicker of surprise in his eyes.


    Good.


    He attacked again, sweeping his leg to knock me over. I jumped, barely clearing it,nding into a low crouch.


    "Stop holding back," Kyros yelled.


    The boy grunted, clearly annoyed now. He charged again, this time aiming high with a hook that would have knocked me t if itnded.


    I ducked, rolled under him, and jabbed my elbow sharply into his ribs as I passed. He coughed, stumbling.


    I didn¡¯t wait.


    I pivoted, catching his momentary disorientation, andunched myself upward. My knee hit his chest just enough to knock him backward.


    He regained footing. Strong. Resilient.


    But slower now.


    He tried closing in again, but I was ready. I sidestepped, grabbed his arm, twisted my torso, and used his own momentum to flip him over my hip.


    He hit the mat with a thud loud enough that the entire training ground went silent.


    He wasn¡¯t done. He rolled, trying to trap me in a leg lock. I dropped, slid out, countered with a sharp palm strike to his shoulder joint, then hooked his ankle, yanking him off bnce.


    Before he could recover, I nted my knee on his chest, one forearm pressed lightly... but firmly... against his throat in the universal signal of victory.


    Silence.


    Utter silence.


    Then-


    "YESSS EVA!!" Kyros exploded.


    pping spread rapidly. Shocked pping at first... hesitant, disbelieving. Then louder. Real.


    The guy beneath me exhaled, staring up at me inplete shock. "You are... damn... good... for someone without a wolf."


    I stood, offering him a hand. "You are strong," I said sincerely. "You pushed me."


    He hesitated, then took my hand, and I hauled him up.


    Before I could even catch my breath... River¡¯s voice sliced through the air.


    "Kyros," he said. "You are next."


    I blinked.


    Kyros? Against me?


    Kyros stretched his neck as he stepped forward, grinning wide. "Apologies in advance," he said.


    I snorted. "You are not going to go easy on me, are you?"


    "Not even a little."


    River¡¯s eyes were on both of us like a hawk. "Begin."


    Kyros moved fast... faster than my first opponent by miles. He didn¡¯t waste time circling. He lunged straight for my center, forcing me on the defensive.


    I blocked, barely. My arms trembled from the force.


    Still, I countered, sweeping low. He jumped effortlessly.


    "Good!" he called.


    "Shut up and fight," I snapped.


    Heughed... and then attacked harder.


    We exchanged blows - punches, kicks, dodges, counters - all a blur. Twice I managed to catch him by surprise - once with a shoulder feint into a hook, once with a drop-spin that almost knocked him down.


    The recruits cheered both times.


    But Kyros was still Kyros.


    The best of them.


    Eventually, he caught my wrist mid-strike, twisted, and swept my legs out from under me. I hit the mat hard, breath leaving me.


    Before I could roll away, he tapped my shoulder - the signal.


    End.


    Iy there a few seconds, panting, staring up at the sky. Kyros offered his hand with a grin.


    "You did amazing," he said. "You almost had me."


    I took his hand, letting him pull me to my feet.


    And for the first time since arriving, I realized... no one was looking at me with pity anymore.


    No one was whispering doubts.


    No one saw the wolfless girl anymore.


    They saw a fighter.


    A worthy opponent.


    Exactly what I came here to be.

 Chapter 492: Left With No Choice

    <h4>Chapter 492: Left With No Choice</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time Oscar finally dismissed the morning training session, the recruits looked like they were two breaths away from copsing. Sweat, groans, and the faint sound of someone muttering "I think I can see the ancestors..." filled the arena.


    I wasn¡¯t much better off - my arms felt like noodles, and my entire body was sore and protesting.


    Kyros fell into step beside me as we walked toward the cafeteria, both of us dragging our feet.


    "Did you see how that new kid swung that spear?" Kyros grumbled. "A hazard. A walking hazard. I¡¯m filing aint. For my safety."


    I snorted. "You¡¯ll survive. Probably."


    "Probably," he echoed, narrowing his eyes at me in mock betrayal.


    When we walked into the cafeteria, theforting smell of warm bread, roasted chicken, herbs, and something sweet - maybe honeyed oats - hit me like a hug.


    Rowan sat tucked in the far back corner, waving us over with the energy of someone who had slept a full ten hours.


    "Look who survived," he teased as we approached.


    "The Rogue Alphas tried to murder us," Kyros dered. "They are upgrading their torture techniques."


    I plopped into the seat next to Rowan and immediately reached for the tray of food the cafeteria staff had already set out. Roasted vegetables, herb rice, a big piece of grilled meat, and soup. It was the melt-in-your-bones kind of food.


    Apparently, warm food worked miracles. Within minutes, the three of us were chatting about utterly useless things... Rowanining about paperwork, Kyros ranting about the morning duel, and meughing at both of them while making sure they ate enough.


    For a few minutes, everything felt normal.


    Comfortable.


    Safe.


    But safe wasn¡¯t a word that belonged to my vocabry these days.


    When we were done with lunch, Kyros stretched, cracking his neck. "We have got time before training resumes. Walk?"


    I nodded, swallowing thest spoonful of soup. The idea of moving again made my legs cry out in protest, but sitting still made my mind restless. A walk sounded perfect.


    The academy grounds were beautiful after noon - sunlight filtering through tall oaks, earth still damp from yesterday¡¯s rain, the air crisp and clean. Recruits lounged on benches, enjoying their break. Some practiced stances on the grassy patches, others simply napped under trees.


    We walked aimlessly, talking about everything and nothing.


    But I noticed it - the subtle nces Rowan gave me. The way he slowed down slightly when Kyros spoke. The way he kept opening his mouth and then closing it again.


    He wanted to talk.


    And Kyros... sensed it.


    I swear that man was half wolf, half emotional radar.


    He suddenly halted. "Oh look... I forgot I promised to help Liam check something in the east wing."


    Rowan blinked. "You... what?"


    Kyros waved both of us off with the worst acting I had ever seen. "Urgent stuff. Crucial. Top secret. I¡¯ll meet you on the training field, Eva."


    He disappeared around a corner like he was fleeing a crime scene.


    Rowan stared after him. "Did he really-?"


    "Yes," I sighed. "He absolutely did."


    A beat.


    Then Rowan chuckled under his breath. "He¡¯s more perceptive than people give him credit for."


    "Annoyingly so."


    We kept walking until we reached a quieter path behind one of the training halls. No recruits. No instructors. Just the rustle of leaves and Rowan rubbing the back of his neck, clearly debating how to begin.


    I spared him the struggle.


    "What happened with the lead? The graduated students - did you guys find something new?"


    His shoulders rxed. "Actually... yes."


    That pulled my focus immediately.


    He lowered his voice. "Jasper and his people tracked them... and confirmed them being part of the secret student group. We might soon find out who are the rest of the members of this group."


    "How?" I asked, anxious to know more.


    "Apparently the group stopped meeting within the academy grounds after Carson¡¯s case. Both because some students graduated and also because they knew it¡¯s no longer safe to continue their meetings. So they have been gathering off-grounds."


    I just stared at him, stunned by the piece of news. All this time, it never urred to any of us that these people might be meeting off-campus.


    "And guess what?"


    "What?" I waited to hear what more he had to reveal.


    "Their next meeting is five days from now, and everyone is seemed to being."


    My pulse quickened. "Rowan... that¡¯s-that could be huge."


    "It could," he agreed. "Kieran wants us to capture them during the meeting. Interrogate them together before they can coordinate lies. We are preparing ordingly."


    For the first time in weeks, hope flickered inside me.


    Real hope.


    But as quickly as it came, it twisted into worry.


    "What if they are just pawns again?"


    Rowan didn¡¯t deny the possibility. His expression hardened. "Then we keep pushing. Someone up the chain will slip eventually."


    I nodded. This was what we had... the only path forward.


    But Rowan¡¯s gaze shifted, turning more serious.


    "That¡¯s not the only thing. You said River had a meeting with the council on Wednesday. Did he manage to convince them?"


    I let out a slow breath. This part... was heavier.


    "Yes," I said quietly. "He convinced them to issue an alert."


    Rowan¡¯s brows shot up. "An alert? For what exactly? We still can¡¯t tell the public about the soul deaths... it¡¯ll cause mass panic."


    "I know," I said. "So the council found a middle path."


    "They are releasing a health advisory through the Healers¡¯ Guild. A public notice stating that a new type of blood-infection has been detected in several regions. Symptoms include strange ck vein patterns appearing on the skin, fatigue, dizziness... all just vague enough to be believable."


    Rowan¡¯s eyes sharpened.


    "That¡¯s... smart."


    "They¡¯ll warn packs that anyone who sees ck veins must immediately report to their nearest healer for testing," I continued. "Not because it¡¯s life-threatening, but because it could be ¡¯highly contagious.¡¯"


    Rowan let out a low whistle. "Fear of contagion without panic of death."


    "Exactly. People will take it seriously without imagining doomsday."


    He nodded slowly. "It¡¯ll get people into healer clinics fast... faster than we ever could by waiting for someone to copse."


    "I just hope it¡¯s fast enough."


    We shared a look - the kind that held far too many fears and not enough answers.


    Because we both knew something the public didn¡¯t -


    Even if victims reached healers on time... we didn¡¯t know if they could be saved.


    Rowan exhaled, rubbing his jaw. "This announcement... it might spook the enemy."


    "I know."


    "They¡¯ll know we are onto them."


    "I know," I repeated.


    "But we don¡¯t have a choice," he finished for me.


    "No," I whispered. "We really don¡¯t."


    Silence settled between us... not ufortable, but heavy. Purposeful.


    Because despite everything, we were fighting.


    Pushing.


    Trying.


    That had to count for something.

 Chapter 493: Other Man’s Scent

    <h4>Chapter 493: Other Man¡¯s Scent</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Oscar drove the car past the massive iron gates, the sky finally gave up its restraint.


    Sheets of rain mmed against the windshield hard enough to blur the world into silvery streaks.


    Just an hour ago, it had been warm and bright... practically cheerful. Now, at barely three in the afternoon, the world looked like dusk had arrived hours early.


    Oscar barely finished parking when I shoved the door open and sprinted toward the house. I still got hit by icy droplets, cold enough to sting where they touched my bare skin.


    I burst inside, breathless, hair slightly wet.


    Oscar was right behind me.


    Before I could wring out my braid, a maid hurried over with a towel. Oscar plucked it from her hands with a polite nod and stepped in front of me. His palm slid to the back of my neck as he gently tilted my head forward.


    He dried my hair himself.


    "You are cold," he murmured in a low voice, like almost a reprimand.


    "A little rain never killed anyone," I whispered, but my voice wasn¡¯t steady. He had that effect on me... quiet intensity that turned the simplest action into something dangerously hot.


    His eyes flicked to mine. "Go shower, sweetheart. Hot water. Now."


    "I¡¯m going to check on Lioren first."


    Before I could move, the maid spoke gently, "Young master is sleeping, My Lady."


    I exhaled.


    Oscar¡¯s mouth tilted. "Then you should shower... unless you need me to drag you there."


    Normally I would flush and wave him off.


    But the storm outside had crawled under my skin, mixing with the residual adrenaline ofbat training and the ache of missing him... and suddenly I wasn¡¯t shy at all.


    I lifted my chin.


    "Join me, then."


    He froze.


    His eyes widened just a fraction - shock first, then dark amusement, then hunger, unmistakable and unfiltered.


    He stepped closer.


    "Are you sure you know what you are inviting?"


    My heart thudded, heat curling low. "Do you think I¡¯m being clueless?"


    His throat bobbed with a hard swallow.


    "Eva..." He leaned in - one more inch and his lips would have brushed mine...


    And then his phone rang.


    Of course.


    He closed his eyes, exhaling through his nose in a way that told me he was seconds away from throwing the damn phone into the rainstorm. He finally answered in a clipped voice.


    "Yeah, River..."


    The moment River¡¯s name left his mouth, his expression softened. He was still annoyed, but just a little since it¡¯s his brother.


    His free hand slid to my waist, pulling me closer for a moment as he listened to his brother. He pressed a lingering kiss to my forehead before reluctantly pulling away.


    "I¡¯ll be in the study," he mouthed silently, brushing his thumb across my jaw.


    Then he disappeared down the hallway.


    I headed up the stairs, climbing slowly, my pulse still racing from the near-moment that had almost turned into something very different.


    But the second I reached the topnding, I felt him.


    Kieran.


    He leaned against the wall near my room, arms folded, looking beautiful in that dangerous, untouchable way only he could manage. His eyes softened when he saw me.


    Then... he inhaled.


    Just one breath.


    And everything about him changed.


    His shoulders tensed. His nostrils red, and his eyes darkened.


    His gaze locked onto the jacket around my shoulders.


    Kyros¡¯ jacket.


    Wait! He couldn¡¯t be-


    His jaw flexed.


    "You are wrapped in someone else¡¯s scent."


    His voice wasn¡¯t loud. But the quietness... raw and clipped... hit harder than shouting ever could.


    "Kieran, it¡¯s Kyros¡¯-"


    "I don¡¯t care," he murmured, stepping forward.


    He didn¡¯t look angry... not exactly.


    Possessive. Fierce. A little unravelling.


    And absolutely done with pretending he didn¡¯t want more.


    "He gave you his jacket," he continued, his eyes moving slowly over the fabric. "And you walked the entire way home smelling like him?"


    "It was windy," I muttered. "And freezing. He was just being nice."


    "He¡¯s a good kid," Kieran said darkly. "But you are mine."


    Before I could react, before I could take a breath... he was on me.


    His hand slid around my waist, firm and deliberate. The wall came up behind my back as he backed me into it gently... but with a rity that made my pulse jump.


    The jacket slipped from my shoulders and fell to the floor in a soft thud.


    He braced one arm above my head, the other tracing the side of my face before sliding into my hair.


    "Mine," he repeated, softer this time but his voice was still rough like gravel dragged over velvet. "And my brothers¡¯."


    Heat flooded through me, hot and dizzying. My fingers curled into the front of his shirt on instinct.


    His forehead dropped to mine.


    "You have no idea how hard it is for me to be away from you," he whispered, his breath warm against my lips. "You think I don¡¯t feel it every damn day - wanting you this close? Wanting to pull you against me and kiss you until you can¡¯t breathe?"


    My breath hitched.


    "Kieran..."


    "Evaline." My name on his lips was a plea and amand all at once.


    He angled my face up... and then he kissed me.


    Stars.


    It wasn¡¯t gentle.


    It wasn¡¯t testing.


    It wasn¡¯t hesitant.


    It was consuming.


    His mouth nted over mine with a hungry, breath-stealing intensity that made every nerve in my body re awake at once. His hand tightened in my hair, tilting me exactly where he wanted me, deepening the kiss in a way that made my knees tremble.


    I gasped softly against his lips... just enough for him to slip in deeper, taking the sound with him.


    He swallowed every breath, every soft whimper.


    His thumb traced my jawline, slow but iming, while his other hand slid to my hip, pulling me flush against him, anchoring me in ce as if he feared I would disappear.


    Heat unfurled through me... slow at first, then rushing like wildfire.


    My fingers fisted in the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer, answering his intensity with my own. His lips moved against mine in a rhythm that grew hotter, hungrier - each kiss deeper than thest.


    The storm roared outside.


    But the one inside the hallway was louder.


    He broke the kiss only for a second... just long enough to breathe against my lips, voice low and shaken.


    "Tell me you don¡¯t want this," he whispered, "and I¡¯ll stop."


    My heart mmed against my ribs.


    I met his eyes - darkened, burning, vulnerability hidden beneath all that fierce possessiveness.


    "I want you," I breathed.


    Something in him snapped.


    With a soft groan he kissed me again... deeper, slower this time but somehow even more intense, a kiss that curled my toes and stole every coherent thought from my mind. His lips explored mine with a reverence that contrasted the hunger - a perfect, devastating mix of both.

 Chapter 494: Claiming What Is His

    <h4>Chapter 494: iming What Is His</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    She stirred before she woke.


    I had been standing there long enough to recognize the exact moment her breathing shifted - slow, warm exhales turning into something lighter and more conscious. The storm had passed, leaving the room dim and soft, lit only by the bedsidemp I had switched on earlier when I came to check on her.


    I half expected her to drift back to sleep.


    But then hershes fluttered.


    Her eyes opened slowly, hazy at first, adjusting to the warm glow around her. For a heartbeat she looked peaceful... then her gaze drifted, scanning the room.


    And then itnded on me.


    She blinked, just once. A tiny flicker of surprise crossed her face before she smiled... small but sweet, enough to punch a breath out of my lungs.


    Until the realizations began.


    I watched the shift in her expression like a sequence of falling dominos.


    First, she felt the warmth at her back.


    Her brows pinched, and she slowly turned her head just enough to peek behind her shoulder.


    Kieran.


    A very naked Kieran.


    Asleep. Very much wrapped around her like he had no intention of ever letting go. One arm heavy over her waist, the other under her pillows, his face buried in her hair.


    The second realization hit her like a wave.


    I could see the exact moment memory returned to her - the blush that climbed her cheeks, the way her lips parted, the way her breath caught.


    She remembered everything that happened before sleep imed her.


    And then came thest realization.


    Her gaze dropped... and stopped.


    The nket had slipped low. Too low.


    Both her breasts were exposed to open air... and to me.


    Her eyes widened. A strangled sound nearly escaped her throat before she yanked the nket up, pulling it to her chest in a rush.


    I lifted an eyebrow.


    I didn¡¯t say anything, but she caught the message clearly in my mind.


    <i>Why hide what I have already worshipped?</i>


    <i>What I already know is mine?</i>


    Her lips parted, maybe to exin or make some flustered noise.


    But I had given her enough time to overthink.


    I pushed off the wall.


    Her eyes followed me - wide, startled, glued to every move - as I walked toward the bed. My fingers worked at my shirt buttons as I moved.


    One. Two. Three.


    Her breathing picked up.


    Four. Five.


    The shirt slipped from my shoulders in one easy motion.


    Her eyes followed every single move.


    Good.


    Then my hands went to my belt.


    Her mouth opened... finally finding her voice.


    "Oscar-"


    But the sound broke when my belt hit the floor.


    And then my pants... along with my boxers.


    Her breath hitched - loud enough for me to hear even over the quiet hum of the room. She stared at me openly, her eyes trailing down my body before she could stop herself.


    And when her gaze finally reached mine again...


    Stars.


    The way she looked at me - shocked, flustered, drawn in despite herself - ignited something deep and possessive in my chest.


    I didn¡¯t wait for her to ask what I was doing.


    I climbed into the bed.


    The mattress dipped beneath my weight as I slid under the covers, turning fully to her, closing thest bit of distance.


    Only then did she manage words.


    "What are you doing?"


    Her voice was a whisper - thin, breathy, already affected.


    My hand found her waist first, her skin warm under my fingers.


    My other hand rose to her face, cupping her cheek with a tenderness that contrasted sharply with the heat building inside me.


    My thumb brushed her lips.


    Slowly.


    Deliberately.


    "iming what is mine," I whispered.


    Her breath caught.


    And I kissed her.


    She inhaled sharply against my mouth, a soft, startled sound that melted instantly into something warmer. She kissed me back almost immediately. There was no hesitation, no doubt... her lips parting beneath mine, weing me with a heat that shot straight through my veins.


    I shifted closer, deepening the kiss, letting every ounce of restraint fall away. Her hand curled into my shoulder, gripping me as if she needed the anchor.


    I felt my brother finally waking up behind her, his arm still drapedzily over her waist, but right now her attention was fully, wholly on me.


    Her lips were soft and warm, moving with mine in a rhythm that made my pulse pound. I tilted her chin up gently, savoring the small sound she made when I did, savoring the way she leaned toward me without thought.


    Stars, she tasted like warmth and want and everything I had been craving since the moment I walked into the room and found her curled against my brother.


    I kissed her with everything I had... with all my love, care, yearning, jealousy, and possessiveness poured into it.


    And she kissed me back like she couldn¡¯t get enough of me.


    My mouth moved slowly at first, savoring, then with growing hunger, with the kind of intensity that made her fingers tighten on my arm. Her breathing grew uneven, her body pressing into mine subconsciously as the kiss deepened and deepened.


    I could feel the moment she stopped thinking entirely.


    When her lips followed mine without hesitation.


    When a soft sigh escaped her.


    When she melted into my touch like her body remembered mine just as vividly as mine remembered hers.


    I drew back only when we needed to breathe, my forehead resting lightly against hers.


    Her lips were swollen.


    Her cheeks flushed.


    Her eyes half-lidded, warm, wanting.


    I didn¡¯t speak.


    I didn¡¯t have to.


    I kissed her again... slow this time, lingering, as if sealing something between us.


    Then my mouth drifted lower.


    To her jaw.


    Then beneath her ear.


    Then to the curve of her neck.


    She shivered.


    My hand slipped from her waist... slowly, deliberately... downward, tracing the line of her hip, then lower until it touched the soft skin of her inner thigh.


    Her breath hitched.


    Then hitched again as my fingers eased higher, brushing the sensitive skin there, coaxing her thighs to rx, to open, to let me closer.


    I nipped lightly at her neck.


    "Oscar..." she whispered.


    Her voice trembled.


    I smiled against her skin.


    And kept moving my hand upward.

 Chapter 495: Between Her Mates (I)

    <h4>Chapter 495: Between Her Mates (I)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The sound that left me wasn¡¯t something I meant to make.


    It slipped out of me - low, unsteady, helpless - when Oscar¡¯s fingers moved with a slow, devastating certainty, as if he knew exactly how to unravel me without even trying. Heat curled inside me in a way that made thought dissolve.


    His mouth was maddening in its own way - warm, soft, worshipful - gliding over my throat, my corbone, the slope of my shoulder. A kiss here, a lingering press of lips there... then suddenly gone, only to appear somewhere else and pull another shiver from me.


    I didn¡¯t know where to turn or what to cling to. Everything was just sensation.


    I barely noticed the shift in the bed until a warm breath touched the hollow beneath my ear. My eyes flew open.


    Another mouth. Another presence. Another familiar energy wrapping around me from behind.


    Kieran.


    Only then did I fully register the heat along my back, the strong arm braced behind me, the bare skin pressed to my spine. I realized I waspletely surrounded, cocooned between two very naked, very territorial men... two of my mates.


    My breath stuttered.


    "I-"


    The word never made it out.


    Oscar slipped a finger inside me... and the sound that reced my attempt at speech was embarrassingly soft, embarrassingly needy. I clutched the sheets, my face heating so fast I thought the entire bed could feel it.


    "Easy," Kieran murmured behind me, his voice roughened with sleep and something else entirely. His fingers brushed the side of my hip in a firm, grounding stroke. "She¡¯s sore."


    Mortification lit every nerve in my body.


    "Oh goddess-" I whispered, burying my heated face in Oscar¡¯s shoulder. "Kieran-"


    Oscar¡¯s quiet chuckle vibrated against my lips. His forehead rested against mine, his thumb caressing the corner of my mouth.


    "Are you embarrassed, love?" he asked softly, too perceptive for his own good. Then, with entirely too much confidence, "You shouldn¡¯t be."


    "I-It¡¯s just-" I stammered.


    "It¡¯s not the first time you have been between two of your mates," he added, his voice warm but edged with teasing. "Though clearly we haven¡¯t done a good enough job helping you get used to it."


    I squeezed my eyes shut.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. Yes, there had been a couple of moments where I found myself between two of the brothers, but that had been ages ago. And I still wasn¡¯t used to... this. Being watched, touched, wanted from more than one direction at once. The heat, the intensity, the overwhelming awareness of every heartbeat around me... it left me feeling shy in a way nothing else did.


    Before my spiraling thoughts could take root, something in Oscar¡¯s touch changed. His hand shifted... gentle but certain... and my inhale snagged in my throat. The tension I had been fighting scattered like it never existed.


    And then, he added a second finger, stretching my inner walls further.


    Kieran¡¯s hands traveled upward, brushing over my ribs, higher, until his fingers curved around my breasts with a familiarity that pulled another tremor out of me. Then his mouth found the sensitive mark on my neck - the one he ced there weeks ago - and I felt everything inside me melt. The nip, the warmth, the slow, iming pull of his lips... it sent heat rushing through me with humiliating ease.


    My fingers curled into Oscar¡¯s shoulder just as he kissed me - slow at first, soft, then deepening with careful, iming intent that stole my breath. I leaned into him without thinking. The world narrowed to the press of his mouth, the warmth of his hands, the steady heat behind me, the strength on both sides of me. I was suspended in them... wrapped in them.


    When Oscar finally drew back, his breathing was uneven, his forehead resting lightly against mine as though he needed the touch to steady himself too.


    "Condoms," he said hoarsely, without taking his eyes off me.


    Kieran didn¡¯t hesitate. His hand left my body for a moment and he pulled back to grab one of the packets from the bedside table on his side, returning a secondter to offer it to his brother. Oscar took the small silver packet and tore it open with a sharp flick of his fingers.


    My breath caught. The room felt suddenly warmer.


    His gaze locked with mine as he prepared himself... slowly, deliberately... never breaking eye contact, like he wanted me to feel every second of what he intended. When he leaned in again, his knuckles brushed my cheek.


    "I promise I¡¯ll pleasure your bodyter," he murmured, his voice low, reverent. "But right now... I need you. I need to be inside you, love."


    Heat red low in my stomach, stronger than before, deeper than before. I didn¡¯t even have time to answer... not with words... because Oscar¡¯s hands were already guiding my hips, tilting them as he shifted closer. His breath hitched softly, mine sharper, anticipation coiling almost painfully tight.


    And then...


    Everything inside me pulled taut, breath suspended, the world narrowing to a single, overwhelming moment as he entered me in one smooth, sure movement that made my fingers dig into his arms.


    He didn¡¯t stop until he had buried himselfpletely inside me.


    I gasped... quiet but shaken... and Oscar¡¯s jaw clenched as though the sound went straight through him. His hands framed my face again, his thumbs stroking my flushed cheeks with something achingly tender.


    Behind me, Kieran tightened his hold around my waist, his lips brushing the back of my shoulder in a kiss that was all heat and restraint.


    We stayed like that... a breathless, trembling stillness... before Oscar leaned in, capturing my mouth again, slow, deep, consuming, until I felt myself yield entirely into the moment.


    The kiss built -yered, hungry, iming - while his hand slid down my waist, lower, with intimate purpose.


    At the same time, he started moving, pulling back before hitting home again.


    And when his fingers finally slipped between my thighs again, guiding, coaxing...


    I forgot how to breathe.

 Chapter 496: Between Her Mates (II)

    <h4>Chapter 496: Between Her Mates (II)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I don¡¯t know when the air in the room shifted... only that one heartbeat, I was still catching my breath from the way Oscar had hauled me against his chest, and the next, I was surrounded by heat. Their heat. Kieran behind me, Oscar in front of me, both watching me like I was something they had waited a long, long time to touch.


    My pulse skittered.


    Oscar leaned in first. His breath brushed my lips, slow and iming.


    "Eva," he murmured, like saying my name anchored him. "Look at me."


    And I did, looking into his emerald orbs.


    "We are right here," he said softly. "Both of us."


    My breath caught as Kieran¡¯s arms folded around my waist from behind, drawing me back into him. There was strength in the way he held me - gentle, but firm enough to make my stomach tremble. His mouth lowered to my shoulder, pressing slow, warm kisses along my skin.


    Then I felt Oscar pulling out of me...pletely.


    "Get on your all four," he whispered against my ear.


    A rush of heat swept through me - sharp, instinctive, impossible to ignore.


    I moved without thinking, bracing my palms on the mattress, my knees sinking into the soft covers. The position made my heart thud so hard I could hear it in my ears.


    Kieran moved with me, settling directly in front. He cupped my face with both hands, his thumbs brushing my cheekbones.


    "Keep your eyes on me," he murmured.


    I tried... but the moment Oscar¡¯s hands slid along my hips from behind, a shiver rippled up my spine, breaking my focus. Kieran only smiled, leaning closer until his forehead touched mine.


    "You are doing fine," he whispered, and then his mouth met mine.


    The kiss wasn¡¯t rushed... it was slow and deep, like he wanted to draw every sound from my throat, every breath from my lungs.


    I felt Oscar¡¯s hands anchor me, guiding my hips back toward him. And then he slipped back inside me with ease. The contact - solid, sure - sent a jolt through my whole body. My fingers curled in the sheets. My breath shook against Kieran¡¯s lips.


    "Oscar-" I gasped without meaning to.


    He answered with a low sound against my spine, his touch growing more certain, more demanding. And then he began thrusting. His body moving with mine, each motion pulling a new sound from my lips. Kieran swallowed those sounds greedily, kissing me deeper, his fingers threading into my hair, holding me steady while my breath broke apart between them.


    It was overwhelming - heat behind me, warmth in front of me, their hands grounding me when my body began to tremble. Oscar¡¯s pace grew more focused, every movement purposeful, drawing tension higher and higher inside me until I could barely breathe.


    "Eva," Oscar¡¯s voice came, rough at the edges, "I want to hear you."


    My head tipped back instinctively, a quiet cry escaping before I could stop it.


    Kieran¡¯s palms slid down my arms, steadying me as if he knew exactly what wasing.


    I shattered first.


    The release hit me so hard my elbows nearly buckled. My whole body tightened, then broke apart in waves - warm, breath-stealing waves. My forehead fell against Kieran¡¯s chest. I felt Oscar¡¯s grip mp around my hips as he followed me, his movements stuttering, a soft groan slipping from him as he found his release too.


    For a moment, none of us moved.


    My breathing was ragged.


    My body felt boneless, trembling, overwhelmed in the best way.


    But Oscar wasn¡¯t finished.


    His hands slid up my sides, urging me upright. When I turned, he kissed me... slow, iming... before guiding me gently toward Kieran.


    Kieran was already reaching for condom from the nightstand. His movements were sure, practiced, but his eyes stayed locked on me the whole time - checking, asking, waiting. When he tore the wrapper open, my breath hitched.


    I didn¡¯t need him to ask.


    I nodded.


    He slipped on the protection quickly, then sat back against the headboard, his palms open, inviting.


    "Come here," he said, his voice low.


    My legs still felt shaky, but Oscar¡¯s hands steadied me, guiding me toward Kieran¡¯sp. I climbed onto him, straddling him. The heat of his hands on my thighs made my skin flutter. He helped lift me, positioning me slowly, carefully.


    I gasped softly as my body settled onto his - filled again, differently this time. Kieran exhaled sharply, his grip tightening around my waist, but he didn¡¯t move until I did.


    Oscar joined us on the side, his fingers tracing my ribs, my stomach, the undersides of my arms, my nipples - touches that made my breath stutter and my back arch. He pressed kisses along my shoulder, my corbone, the curve of my throat. Each one sent another tremor through me.


    Kieran held my hips, guiding my movements, letting me set the pace. He kept his forehead pressed to mine, whispering quiet encouragements in the spaces between my breaths.


    "You are amazing."


    "Just like that."


    "I have got you."


    And Oscar... stars... he made it harder to think at all. His lips traveled wherever they wanted - my neck, my jaw, the top of my chest - never lingering in one ce long enough for me to anticipate it. His hands cupped my waist, sliding around to help Kieran steady me when my legs trembled again.


    The three of us found a rhythm that felt almost unreal... my movements guided by Kieran beneath me, my body bracketed by Oscar beside me, their warmth surrounding mepletely.


    I didn¡¯t know which of them made the sound first - Kieran¡¯s breath breaking, or Oscar¡¯s voice growing rougher - but the room suddenly felt full of heat and tension again. Kieran¡¯s hands tightened on my hips. Oscar¡¯s fingers curled around my side, holding me closer as he kissed the corner of my mouth.


    "Evaline..." Kieran groaned softly.


    That trembling rush hit me again - too intense, too fast. My nails dug into Kieran¡¯s shoulders. Oscar¡¯s arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back into him just as the second wave crashed through me.


    This one shattered me even harder.


    I pressed my face into Oscar¡¯s neck, shaking, barely able to breathe as the release tore through me. Kieran followed momentster, copsing against the headboard with a low sound that made my whole body melt. His arms wrapped around my back, pulling me into his chest as he trembled with me.


    Oscar stayed close the whole time, his lips brushing my temple, his touch grounding me while I tried to remember how to breathe.


    When the trembling finally slowed, I slumped against Kieran¡¯s chest, exhausted, overwhelmed... and deeply, stupidly happy.


    Oscar stroked a hand down my back.


    "You okay?"


    I managed a weak nod. "Better than okay."


    Kieranughed softly, still breathless, and kissed the top of my head.


    "Good," he murmured. "Because we ae nowhere near done with you."


    I didn¡¯t know if I could survive whatever "nowhere near done" meant... but in that moment, with both of them holding me?


    I wanted to try.

 Chapter 497: Between Her Mates (III)

    <h4>Chapter 497: Between Her Mates (III)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I barely had time to catch my breath before Oscar slid his arms under me and lifted me clean off Kieran¡¯sp.


    "I¡¯m carrying her," Oscar announced, like Kieran might argue.


    Kieran only smirked, still breathless. "As long as you share."


    I didn¡¯t even have the strength to react or ask what they were nning to do next. My body felt like warm jelly - floating, buzzing, bonelessly satisfied - but my heart thudded when Oscar headed straight for the bathroom.


    Oscar set me down gently, brushing a kiss across my cheek. "Stay here."


    He stepped into the shower first, turning on the hot water. Kieran slipped in behind me, sliding his arms around my waist from behind.


    "You good?" he murmured against my ear.


    I nodded. "Better than good. Just... trying to stay conscious."


    He chuckled softly, pressing a slow kiss to the back of my neck.


    "That¡¯s our fault."


    When Oscar called, "It¡¯s warme in," Kieran guided me forward.


    The hot spray hit my skin like a sigh from the universe itself.


    I closed my eyes, letting the warmth melt whatever tension was left inside me.


    Oscar stood to my right, water sliding down his chest, droplets clinging to his eyshes. He watched me like I was something he wasn¡¯t done admiring.


    Kieran pressed against my back, his hands smoothing over my hips under the falling water.


    "This is trouble," I muttered.


    Both of themughed under their breath... low, knowing.


    Usually, I found my shower area spacious, but with these two giants here with me, the space felt far smaller.


    Oscar reached for my hand first, lifting it to his lips.


    "You look too tempting when you are wet."


    I shot him a look. "Are you two nning something?"


    "Yes," they said at the same time.


    My stomach flipped.


    Oscar stepped closer, the heat of him blending with the heat of the water. His hands slid along my sides, slow and deliberate, following every curve with reverence. Not grabbing. Not rushing. Just learning me again, mapping everything he had touched earlier.


    Kieran did the same from behind - his palms moving over my waist, my stomach, my breasts - touches that were gentle but filled with intent. The kind that made my breath shiver out of me.


    It wasn¡¯t hurried this time.


    It wasn¡¯t frantic.


    It was slow, sensual, deliberate.


    Their mouths brushed over my shoulders, my neck, the back of my ear, like they were taking turns. Water streamed over all of us, turning every touch into a glide, every kiss into something that lingered longer than it should have.


    Oscar tilted my chin to face him, kissing me under the falling water.


    Heat pooled low in my stomach again, embarrassingly fast.


    "Already?" he teased softly.


    "Shut up," I muttered.


    He kissed me again, deeper this time... slow and consuming... while Kieran¡¯s hands traveled down my thighs, smoothing along the back of them. He whispered something against my shoulder, a warm hum that sent goosebumps all the way down my spine.


    They guided me between them, one in front, one behind, the water cascading over our bodies as they touched me in a way that made every nerve feel too awake.


    And then... it shifted.


    Oscar turned me slowly so I faced Kieran.


    Kieran cupped my jaw, leaning down to kiss me as the water slid down his hair and along his corbone.


    Behind me, Oscar¡¯s hands settled on my waist, pulling me back into him with a low breath that vibrated through my spine.


    The heat between us thickened.


    Not rushed... just deliberate, hungry, inevitable.


    Kieran¡¯s hand moved to my thigh and he lifted one of my legs. And before my brain registered it, he slid inside me with ease.


    I moaned as his hard length stretched my sore inner muscles. It felt both exhausting and exhrating to have him inside me.


    He didn¡¯t wait or chose a slow rhythm, instead, he picked up his speed instantly, thrusting into me as his mouth found mine. I moaned into the kiss as I felt Oscar¡¯s hand sliding between our bodies and finding my clit.


    The closeness, the slow rhythm of their bodies guiding mine, theirbined efforts building my pleasure, and the way the steam made every breath feel heavy...


    It didn¡¯t take long before my legs trembled again.


    The moment I gasped, Kieran¡¯s forehead dropped to mine, his voice soft but strained...


    "That¡¯s it... you are doing so well. Let go..."


    Oscar held me tight from behind, his lips against my shoulder, his breath roughening in a way that sent a hard shiver through me.


    It was overwhelming.


    Hot water.


    Their hands.


    Their bodies.


    Their voices grounding me as another wave built inside me, unstoppable and sharp.


    I came apart against Kieran¡¯s chest... again... my hands gripping his shoulders as my whole body went weak.


    They both caught me, holding me as Kieran pulled out just in time before his release hit him hard too.


    He dropped his head on my shoulder as pleasure washed over him. His lips pressed against his mark and his hands gliding over my arms just when I felt Oscar enter me from behind.


    "Fuck!" I groaned at the invasion. My body could hardly continue and yet it shuddered in pleasure as he thrust deep and hard.


    Oscar chuckled, his voice low and deep, "That¡¯s the exact n, sweetheart."


    He pulled back while Kieran held me against his chest. Oscar wasn¡¯t slow or soft either, his rhythm just as fast as his brother¡¯s.


    I clung to Kieran as I felt my pleasure building all over again, taking me byplete surprise.


    It didn¡¯t take too long before both of us were groaning as our releases rocked our bodies.


    And somewhere between my shuddering breath and the water pounding around us, Oscar followed - soft groans, tight grip, body trembling with mine.


    When everything finally stilled, the three of us just stood there under the running shower - breathing, touching, holding.


    Oscar pressed a long kiss to my temple.


    Kieran wrapped his arms around me, holding me against him as my legs refused to cooperate any further.


    None of us spoke.


    There was no need.


    The water did the talking for us - warm, steady, washing everything else away.

 Chapter 498: The Secret Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 498: The Secret Meeting</h4>


    <strong>Third Person¡¯s Pov:</strong>


    The night wrapped itself around the old inn like a shroud.


    Far beyond the bustle of Willowpeak Town, far even from the outskirts where thenterns dimmed and the forest thickened, an abandoned structure crouched in the wilderness - its roof sagging, its windows boarded, its porch cracked under years of neglect.


    A dirt path led to it, overgrown and nearly swallowed by weeds, as though the world had long forgotten this ce existed.


    But tonight, something moved.


    A shadow broke away from the treeline and sprinted across the clearing - silent, swift, purposeful. Then another. And another.


    Three figures approached the inn, checking their surroundings before slipping through the warped front door. They moved unhesitatingly, as if they had done so many times before.


    The interior was as dpidated as the outside - dust, broken stools, a cracked bar counter - but they didn¡¯t spare it more than a nce.


    Their destinationy below.


    The wooden floorboards gave a faint groan as they approached the trapdoor at the far end. One of them lifted it, revealing a narrow staircase descending into darkness.


    Minutester, two more arrived. Then a group of five. And the night continued pulling wolves into its shadows.


    Outside, hidden in the wilderness,y more than twenty warriors - camouged, silent, and alert. They were positioned in strategic clusters around the building, weapons sheathed,ms active. Their expressions were tight with readiness, awaiting only the signal.


    Leading the operation were River, Oscar, and Jasper. The three crouched low behind a thick cluster of shrubs. River¡¯s expression remained calm as he listened through the small device in his ear, his finger periodically adjusting the frequency.


    Oscar was still, deadly calm, but tension radiated off him like heat. Jasper was crouched beside them, scanning the perimeter.


    Inside the estate¡¯s study, far away yet connected through the same live feeds, Eva, Kieran, and Rowan listened as well. The study was dim, the only lighting from the screens and the smallmp behind Eva. She sat forward, elbows on the table, gaze locked on the audio monitor.


    Kieran leaned against the desk behind her, arms crossed but jaw tight. Rowan stood near the screen, one hand t on the desk, listening with sharp attention.


    On the other side, below the inn, the students gathered deeper into the basement.


    The basement was the only part of the inn that had been cleaned - swept of dust, walls wiped, and a few candles lit to offer dim, flickering illumination. About two dozen students were already there - some familiar faces who had graduated, others still third or fourth year students at Silver Moon.


    They weren¡¯t excited to be here.


    In fact, most of them looked uneasy, shifting from foot to foot, whispering among themselves.


    "When is <i>that </i>person getting here?" one boy hissed, ncing toward the staircase as though expecting footsteps at any moment.


    "Rx," another muttered. "He alwayses. Just wait."


    "Easy for you to say," the first boy shot back. "I don¡¯t want to stay one more second in this creepy ce."


    In Thorne estate¡¯s study, Eva narrowed her eyes. This was the second time she¡¯s hearing the students of this secret group talking about a certain someone.


    River¡¯s voice crackled in her earpiece.


    "Keep listening. We can¡¯t miss any possible lead."


    She nodded even though he couldn¡¯t see her.


    One girl hugged her jacket tighter around herself as she whispered, "I just want him toe, collect the offerings, and let us all leave. I hate it here."


    <i>Offerings.</i>


    Eva¡¯s spine stiffened.


    Kieran looked at her immediately. Rowan moved closer.


    "What offerings?" Eva murmured.


    No one answered... because no one knew.


    Outside the inn, Oscar exchanged a sharp nce with River.


    "Offerings," he repeated in a low voice. "That¡¯s new."


    "Keep listening," River said again, but even he sounded strained.


    What none of the students in the basement realized was that seven of them were carrying secrets of their own... without even knowing it.


    Five of their phones had been bugged over thest few days. Silent, untraceable, woven into the hardware by Jasper¡¯s best technicians.


    And three others had bumped into a stranger in an alley in Lakeshire Town earlier that day - all three were with different people and bumped at different times.


    They had been bugged too.


    They hadn¡¯t noticed the faint brush against their clothes.


    They hadn¡¯t noticed the tiny fleck of metal being stuck to underside of their coats.


    But every word they spoke now...


    Every whisper...


    Every nervous breath... was being heard by River and others.


    Back in the basement, tension deepened.


    "How long do you think he¡¯ll take?" a second-year boy muttered.


    "Stop asking," another snapped. "You think any of us want to stay?"


    "What choice do we have?" someone else whispered bitterly. "If we stop delivering the offerings-"


    "Don¡¯t say it," the girl beside him cut in quickly. "Just don¡¯t."


    The fear in her voice was unmistakable.


    Eva¡¯s fingers tightened around the edge of the desk.


    What were they offering?


    And who demanded it?


    The candles flickered as a cold gust stirred the air... followed by the soft thud of footsteps upstairs.


    Everyone went still.


    A momentter, a cloaked figure appeared at the bottom of the basement stairs.


    He swept into the room with a controlled, confident stride, the hood of his dark cloak shadowing his face. Every student immediately straightened, standing taller, more rigid... fear tightening their shoulders.


    When the man finally pushed back his hood, the basement went dead silent.


    He wasn¡¯t someone they didn¡¯t know.


    He was familiar.


    A senior.


    One of their own.


    A face that had once disyed charm and politeness in the Academy hallways, now twisted into something smug and quietly superior.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting," he said... without an ounce of true apology in his voice.


    He looked at each student in turn, gaze sharp and expectant.


    "Do you all have the offerings?" he asked.


    Most nodded immediately, eager to appease.


    One boy, however - the same boy who hadined earlier - lifted his chin and dared, "For how long do we have to keep doing this? I-I can barely keep up..."


    The temperature in the room seemed to drop.


    The cloaked man turned to him slowly, his expression shifting into something colder, sharper.


    "Oh?" he drawled, his voiceced with sarcasm. "You are already struggling? Then by all means, stop."


    The boy shivered.


    The man leaned forward just slightly, his voice turning deadly soft.


    "Go ahead. Stop your offerings. And see if <i>the Great Evil</i> allows you to live long enough to regret it."


    The basement fell into silence.


    Even the candles seemed to hold their breath.


    Inside Thorne estate¡¯s study, Eva flinched.


    Kieran¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Rowan straightened.


    Outside the Inn, River¡¯s head jerked up, his eyes shing.


    Oscar¡¯s fingers tightened around the branch he was gripping.


    Jasper muttered under his breath, "What is this Great Evil now?"


    The students in the basement swallowed their fear, none daring another question.


    The cloaked man finally rxed... just a fraction.


    "Good," he said, pulling arge ck bag from beneath his cloak. "If there are no moreints, ce your offerings in here."


    He dropped the bag onto the table in the middle of the basement.


    The students obeyed hesitantly.


    While River, Oscar, Jasper, Eva, Kieran, and Rowan tried to understand what¡¯s going on.


    <i>Offerings.</i>


    <i>The Great Evil.</i>


    It was time to act...!

 Chapter 499: The Plan Continued

    <h4>Chapter 499: The n Continued</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    For a few seconds, all I heard through the earpiece was shuffling.


    Quiet, muted, almost indistinguishable footsteps. The faint rasp of fabric. Breathing. Someone adjusting their stance. But no voices... none of the students spoke anymore.


    Whatever this "offering" ritual demanded, it seemed to silence thempletely the moment they approached that man.


    I pressed the earpiece a little more firmly into my ear, leaning closer to the desk as if that might somehow sharpen the sound.


    "Come on," I whispered to myself, straining to catch even a sliver of conversation. "Just say something. Anything."


    But there¡¯s nothing.


    Only the faint shuffling sounds, footsteps, and other movements.


    There were no further words spoken. No clues.


    Just... silence full of fear.


    I nced back at Kieran and Rowan, both watching me carefully while they too tried to catch any sort of further talking between the students.


    Rowan stood near the bookshelves, arms folded across his chest, eyes fixed on the screen that showed thest recorded audio spectrum. Kieran was seated on the couch behind me, elbows on his knees, shoulders tight with tension he rarely showed.


    "Do either of you have any idea what these offerings could be?" I asked, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice but failing slightly. "Anything at all?"


    Both men exchanged brief looks.


    Rowan shook his head first. "No. Whatever they are handing over, they are guarding the secret tightly even now."


    Kieran exhaled slowly, jaw clenching. "And if it¡¯s connected to that thing they keep calling the ¡¯Great Evil,¡¯ it won¡¯t be something simple."


    Great. So we all were clueless.


    "I just hope it¡¯s not something... bad." Rowan spoke a secondter.


    Before I could speak, the voice of the mystery man finally returned through the earpiece - smooth,posed, and far too self-assured.


    "That will be all for tonight," he said. "I¡¯ll leave first. The next offerings are due in two months. Be prepared."


    A chorus of subdued murmurs echoed faintly through the connection, followed by hurried steps as the students acknowledged his words.


    My pulse picked up.


    The trap was ready to snap shut.


    A secondter, River¡¯s voice came through, calm but edged withmand.


    "Oscar, wait for him to exit the inn. Don¡¯t engage until he clears the door. Jasper and I will enter the basement once he¡¯s out."


    "Copy," I heard Oscar reply distantly through the feed.


    My breath hitched a little. My hands curled into fists against the desk. This was it. The moment everything depended on.


    Then River spoke again, this time directly to me.


    "Angel," he said, "I¡¯m ending your connection now. I¡¯ll contact you once we have everything under control."


    "Wait-River, leave it on for a litt-"


    But the line cut instantly.


    A sharp <i>click</i> rang in my ear, reced by silence so final it almost ached.


    I let out a long, frustrated sigh. "Damn it."


    Kieran leaned back slightly, watching me with a slight twitch on his lips as if he was unable to hold back his amusement at my misery. Rowan lowered himself onto the edge of the desk, his fingers tapping once against the wood.


    Without themunication link, the seconds stretched like hours. Every sound in the room felt too loud. Every tick of the clock on the wall made my nerves coil a little tighter.


    We waited.


    Two minutes.


    Three.


    Four.


    Five.


    Rowan suddenly straightened, pushing himself off the desk. "I need some air."


    Before either of us could respond, he strode out of the study, his footsteps echoing faintly down the hallway.


    I couldn¡¯t me him... I felt suffocated too.


    I stood abruptly, energy sparking beneath my skin as I started pacing from one end of the room to the other. The silence ate at me. The waiting gnawed at every frayed thought. My wolf paced inside me as restlessly as my body did outside.


    Round one.


    Round two.


    Round three.


    Round four.


    I didn¡¯t notice the tension in my steps until I passed Kieran for the fifth time, and his hand shot out, catching my arm and pulling me down...


    Right onto hisp.


    I let out a startled gasp, my palmsnding on his chest as I stared down at him. "Kieran! What-?"


    He looked up at me with maddening calm. "Watching you pace is making me restless."


    My eyebrows shot up. "<i>You</i>? Restless? Since when?"


    A slow smile tugged at his mouth, the kind that flickered warmth into his eyes even in this tense moment.


    I opened my mouth to tease him further, but the sudden vibration and chirp from my phone cut sharply through the air.


    River.


    My heart lurched.


    I scrambled off Kieran¡¯sp so quickly I nearly tripped. Rowan reentered the room at the exact same moment, breath slightly brisk as if he had hurried back the second he heard the ring.


    I snatched my phone off the desk.


    "River?" I answered immediately.


    Kieran stood behind me. Rowan hovered on my right. Both close enough to hear every word.


    River¡¯s voice came through steady but carrying a weight that made my stomach tighten.


    "We have everything under control," he said. "Jasper and I are going to question the students now. Oscar got the man who took the offerings. But since he tried to shift, they had to drug him. He¡¯s out cold now, so we will need to wait for him to wake up before we could question him. For now, he¡¯s detained under Mark¡¯s watch."


    A breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding escaped me.


    But before relief could settle, River continued. His voice was taut, disbelieving, almost dark.


    "Also, we got our hands on the offerings he came here to collect tonight..."


    He paused.


    And in that pause, I wasn¡¯t sure what to feel. I couldn¡¯t even start to guess what these ¡¯offerings¡¯ possibly could be.


    "And?" Kieran asked when River didn¡¯t continue immediately.


    "And you are not going to believe," River spoke finally, "what the offerings turned out to be."


    The line crackled softly.

 Chapter 500: The Secret Group (I)

    <h4>Chapter 500: The Secret Group (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stared at River, waiting for him to repeat himself because surely I had misheard.


    I couldn¡¯t believe he made us wait hours just to mess with us by ying a joke of this kind. He¡¯s not the type to do that. And yet, I couldn¡¯t believe he was being serious right now.


    "Money?" I asked again, louder this time, because my brain absolutely refused to ept it.


    River only nodded.


    Rowan looked just as stunned as I felt, jaw slightly dropped, eyes wide. Kieran was the only one who lookedposed, though even he had a faint crease between his brows... his version ofplete disbelief.


    "Money," River confirmed again, running a tired hand down his face.


    I blinked. Twice. Then a third time.


    "Are you trying to say the so-called ¡¯offerings¡¯ turned out to be money?" I asked, my voice climbing higher with each word.


    "Apparently so," Oscar replied from where he sat slumped on the couch, looking like he could fall asleep mid-sentence.


    It was nearly half past two in the morning. Yet none of us had even thought about sleeping. Tonight¡¯s operation had started at six in the evening, and only now... hourster... River and Oscar had returned after handling the capture, questioning, and initial sweep.


    My brain was still stuck on that one ridiculous revtion.


    Money.


    <i>The Great Evil</i> was extorting pocket money from students.


    If I weren¡¯t so tired, I might haveughed. Or cried. Or screamed. Possibly all three.


    Instead, I let out a long, defeated sigh and shook my head. "I just can¡¯t believe this."


    Kieran took the lead, leaning forward slightly. "What have you found out so far?"


    That was River¡¯s cue.


    "It turns out," River said, his eyes narrowing in irritation, "that the student who acted as the ¡¯leader¡¯ of the group - Marcus Lee - has been collecting offerings from the members of this secret group ever since Carson¡¯s soul death incident."


    "How much?" Rowan asked.


    River didn¡¯t even blink. "So far... the number has crossed Millions."


    My mouth fell open.


    Millions.


    From students.


    Kieran stiffened beside me. "How in the realms were they getting that kind of money?"


    Oscar answered with a snort. "Stipends, saved allowances, money taken from home without permission, extra cash they got from bullying weak wolves during weekends..." He shrugged. "And some from actual wealthy families."


    Rowan looked horrified. "Why were they paying him? What did he tell them to make them pay so much as offerings?"


    Oscar leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Because somehow this Marcus guy convinced them that by giving offerings, they wouldn¡¯t end up like Carson."


    I stared at him, stunned all over again.


    "And they believed that?" I asked, incredulous. "He just... told them, and they believed him?"


    River shook his head. "He didn¡¯t just tell them. He made sure they would."


    The tone of his voice snapped all three of our attentions toward him.


    "What did he do?" I asked slowly.


    River exhaled. "The students confessed that Marcus was the one who told them about Carson¡¯s soul death."


    I frowned. "But Carson¡¯s case was immediately kept confidential. The Academy never released details."


    "Exactly," River said. "Which made Marcus¡¯ ¡¯insider information¡¯ even more believable. Especially since most of the students in that secret group were convinced Carson was dead because of what they had seen that night."


    "That... night?" Rowan prompted.


    Oscar nodded. "Just to let you all know, this secret student group has been around almost as long as the Academy - six years. It started as a small club for rule-breaking and mischief. Sneaking out, ditching sses, pranks... teenage stupidity."


    His gaze shifted to me as he continued, "Originally, there were only seniors in this group. But in recent years, more and more students joined. They liked the thrill."


    I frowned. "What does this have to do with Carson?"


    River leaned back before he revealed what he and Oscar had learned from the students.


    "On the evening of Carson¡¯s soul-death incident, Marcus and Carson sneaked out. They were supposed to bring booze for a secret party nned for the next night. Kind of a routine for the group. But when Marcus returned around midnight, he was panicked... babbling that Carson was dead."


    I stiffened. Rowan¡¯s expression darkened.


    "At first," River continued, "the others thought Marcus was joking. Or ying a prank to mess with them. But then they realized he was genuinely terrified."


    Oscar took over. "A few senior-year and third-year students followed Marcus to the forest. To where he said he had left Carson¡¯s body."


    I felt a knot tighten in my stomach.


    "But when they got there," Oscar said quietly, "patrolling warriors had already found Carson."


    "The students panicked," he continued. "They ran back to the Academy, making a pact not to say a word. They waited for the Academy to announce Carson¡¯s death... but obviously that didn¡¯t happen."


    "So they assumed," Rowan said slowly, "that the Academy covered it up."


    River nodded. "And because they were already involved in sneaking out, breaking rules and all that stuff- they didn¡¯t try to find out what happened. They were scared. Guilty. And they stayed silent."


    "That exins why no one came forward despite knowing about his incident," Kieran muttered.


    I rubbed my temples. "But how did this lead to Marcus extorting money?"


    "That¡¯s the part," River said, "that gets interesting."


    He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, the tension in the room rising as he continued.


    "The secret group almost disbanded after Carson¡¯s incident. Members were scared. And ording to them, their secret meetingspletely stopped after that incident. There were no more rule-breaking. Most wanted to forget it ever happened."


    He paused.


    "But then..." he said, his voice turning low, "during the third week of the new term, they received a message."


    My breath caught. And I felt a cold hush settle in the study.


    Kieran¡¯s expression hardened. Rowan crossed his arms, jaw clenched.


    I asked, barely above a whisper, "What message?"


    River¡¯s eyes met mine.


    "A message summoning the group for a meeting."

 Chapter 501: The Secret Group (II)

    <h4>Chapter 501: The Secret Group (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Rowan exhaled sharply. "Let me guess... that message must have been from Marcus."


    River gave a single nod. "It was."


    Of course it was. Who else would have the nerve... and the stupidity... to summon an entire secret group after something like Carson¡¯s incident?


    River continued, his tone steady as always. "Everyone in the group received the message. And when they arrived for the meeting, Marcus told them Carson wasn¡¯t dead... but soul dead."


    He stopped just enough to let us process the information. Then he went on, "Marcus told them how he overheard some of the elite warriors talking about two patrolling warriors found unconscious earlier that morning... also soul dead, just like <i>Carson</i>."


    "Elite warriors were talking about it?" Rowan asked, frowning.


    Oscar shook his head immediately. "They weren¡¯t being irresponsible. They were discussing the case privately in their camp. Marcus was sneaking around outside and overheard."


    That... sounded exactly like something he would do considering the kind of group he was part of.


    River continued, "He heard them saying the council and academy were keeping the soul-death cases confidential. And even though being soul dead didn¡¯t mean the victims were entirely gone... there was no known cure."


    A cold chill ran through me.


    Marcus must have known how that information would hit those students - panic, fear, confusion, guilt. The perfect soil to nt whatever lies he wanted.


    "Wait." I leaned forward slightly. "All of this still doesn¡¯t exin how he turned that into extorting money."


    If they were offering anything else, maybe I would have believed this Great Evil nonsense. But the moment I learned it was money, I knew he tricked them.


    I looked at River, then Oscar.


    "How? How did he convince that many students to hand over money?"


    Oscar straightened slightly, rubbing his forehead as if preparing for the absurdity he was about to recount.


    "The students confessed that Marcus told them there was this... <i>Great Evil</i>... after their group," he said. "And unless they found a way to keep this Great Evil happy, it woulde for all of them next."


    I blinked.


    "You are kidding," I muttered.


    No oneughed.


    Of course no oneughed.


    Oscar went on, "Naturally, they didn¡¯t believe him. They told him he was bluffing."


    "That¡¯s normal," Rowan murmured. "Even scared students have limits."


    Oscar nodded. "Exactly. They were suspicious and scared after Carson, but believing some Great Evil was specifically after them? They weren¡¯t going to swallow that easily. So they all decided to walk out."


    My brows lifted. "So then?"


    Oscar sighed.


    "The moment the first student stepped out of the old ssroom they were using it as their meeting spot, he fell unconscious."


    I straightened instantly. "What?"


    Oscar nodded. "That¡¯s right. He opened the door, barely stepped forward, and boom... copsed to the floor."


    A ripple of unease ran through me.


    Kieran¡¯s eyes narrowed. He had been silently taking in everything so far, but it seemed like even he had reached his limit.


    "And Marcus," Oscar continued, "immediately dered that it was the Great Evil¡¯s doing."


    Of course he did.


    I folded my arms. "Did no one try to help the kid?"


    "They did," Oscar said. "Or at least Marcus pretended to. He shook him, pped him lightly... but nothing worked. Then he dropped to his knees and started begging the Great Evil to release him."


    I stared. "Begging?"


    "That¡¯s not the best part," Oscar said dryly. "He started offering whatever he had in his pockets. He emptied everything on the floor - candies, a few trinkets. Nothing worked."


    "And then?" Kieran asked.


    "And then," Oscar said, "he emptied the money from his wallet. The moment the notes hit the floor, the unconscious student twitched."


    My eyebrows shot up. "Twitching isn¡¯t waking."


    "No," Oscar agreed. "He didn¡¯t wake. But Marcus pointed dramatically at that twitch and told everyone it was proof the Great Evil wanted money."


    I buried my face briefly in my hands.


    Rowan muttered, "Unbelievable."


    Oscar leaned back. "Still, the group didn¡¯t buy it. A third-year girl walked toward the door saying she wasn¡¯t scared of Marcus¡¯ theatrics. The moment she crossed the threshold... she copsed too."


    My jaw almost hit the cold floor. "What the-?"


    Oscar continued, "That¡¯s when panic really sat in. Marcus yed terrified, kept insisting the Great Evil was angry. He begged the others to offer money. But no one moved. They were too shocked."


    "So what changed?" I asked quietly, already dreading the answer.


    Oscar¡¯s voice turned tight. "Fear."


    He rubbed his temple. "The students were so rattled by the second copse, by Marcus¡¯ hysterics, by Carson¡¯s case, that logic vanished. They started crying, panicking... and finally, one student pulled out his money and ced it on the desk."


    "Then another," River said. "And another. And another."


    Soon, apparently, they all emptied whatever cash they had.


    "Marcus then told them all to step out into the hallway and wait," Oscar added. "They did. And within a minute... both unconscious students walked out of the room."


    My heart stuttered.


    "They woke up?" I asked.


    Oscar nodded. "They looked confused. Terrified. iming they didn¡¯t remember copsing. And when the group went back inside the ssroom-"


    "The money was gone," River finished.


    I inhaled sharply. "So the Great Evil supposedly epted the offerings."


    "Exactly," Oscar said.


    I leaned back, utterly stunned.


    "And from that day," River said, "the students have been offering a fixed amount every two months to keep the Great Evil satisfied."


    "And Marcus?" Rowan asked.


    "Apparently," Oscar said with a grim smirk, "he ¡¯heard¡¯ what the Great Evil wanted and acted as the middleman. Very generously."


    I let out a stunned breath.


    "Millions," I whispered. "He collected millions through this... borate scam."


    River nodded.


    Oscar shrugged, exhausted. "The students were scared. Superstitious. Traumatized. And Marcus yed every emotional string he could."


    "And the ¡¯unconscious¡¯ students?" I asked. "Were they in on it?"


    River shook his head. "We did interrogate those two and it seems like they were genuinely unconscious. Both of them have also been paying their offerings as well. Jasper also ran a check on their bank ounts. Nothing suspicious so far. They also don¡¯t seem close with Marcus or anything. But we can¡¯tpletely dere them innocent yet."


    This only added to the confusion. "Then why did they fell unconscious and then woke up once the offering was made? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s really to do with the Great Evil."


    "Maybe he drugged them or something?" Rowan provided his thoughts but even he didn¡¯t seem much convinced with his theory. Why only those two? And how?


    "Not drugged," Oscar corrected almost immediately. "More like a spell device. A pre-set trigger."


    I looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

 Chapter 502: The Secret Group (III)

    <h4>Chapter 502: The Secret Group (III)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Oscar looked at me in the eyes as he exined, "There¡¯s this theory that Marcus might have set a trigger near the door. So whoever tried to step out... fell unconscious under the spell."


    A spell?


    It could be a possibility. But if it was indeed a spell, then it meant a witch was involved in this matter... and that... was a problem. A big one.


    "If it¡¯s indeed a spell then it could make sense why the unconscious students woke up right after the offerings were made. He could have controlled the effect of the spell unlike if it a drug." Rowan spoke, more to himself as if he was trying to put two and two together and make sense out of thisplete nonsense.


    Kieran let out a deep sigh, running his hand down his face. "How long before that kid wakes up? We need him to spill the truth."


    Instead of answering, River spared Oscar a nce which made thetter almost wince.


    "What is it?" I asked, shocked by Oscar¡¯s reaction.


    "Well... he tried to shift into his wolf... and we needed to capture him... and we were also told to not harm him... so we might have used a little bit extra sleeping drug on him to knock him unconscious."


    I stared at Oscar, amused at how defensive he looked and sounded. On the other hand, Kieran just shook his head.


    The heaviness in the atmosphere lifted for a few seconds.


    "Let¡¯s hope he wakes up soon." Rowan said before adding, "That man... is dangerous."


    No.


    That man was maniptive, cunning, and reckless.


    And he had fooled over twenty students for more than a year.


    I rubbed my forehead, a rush of both anger and exhaustion washing over me.


    A scam.


    A year-long scam.


    Fueled by fear and fed by money.


    Unbelievable.


    The study fell into a heavy, weighted silence.


    Not thefortable kind we sometimes shared after long days of work... but the stunned, disbelieving kind that settled in after one too many revtions, the kind that made your mind feel both overloaded and strangely empty.


    I stared at nothing in particr, trying to wrap my head around everything we had uncovered tonight.


    A rumored Great Evil.


    The secret student group.


    These students being aware of Soul Death cases... at least two of them.


    And all of it... all this chaos... was because a single student decided to run a scam.


    I rubbed my temples. "I don¡¯t think any of us saw thising."


    Kieran hummed thoughtfully beside me. Rowan snorted softly, his expression equal parts amusement and disbelief. River remained serious, but I could see the exhaustion in his eyes.


    Honestly, part of me wanted to question the collective IQ level of the students who fell for such an obvious scam. A Great Evil being bribed with money? Really?


    But then I remembered the circumstances - the fear they might have felt after Carson¡¯s case, the confusion, the secrecy, the panic Marcus had manipted so expertly. And the well-nned stunt with the unconscious students. The timing. The theatrics.


    It was stupid... yet understandable.


    Fear made people believe extremely stupid things.


    I exhaled slowly. "I guess none of them stood a chance once Marcus staged that whole unconsciousness act."


    Rowan was the one who finally broke the silence fully. He leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head. "What are you nning to do with the students?"


    Oscar answered first. "They have all been safely dropped off at their houses by my warriors. And we warned them to keep tonight¡¯s events confidential."


    "That much is expected," Rowan said.


    Kieran nodded. "I¡¯m not nning on expelling them."


    The brothers looked at him in mild surprise, but Kieran continued calmly.


    "They aren¡¯t part of Marcus¡¯ scheme... not willingly, at least. And they have nothing to do with the soul-death cases." He paused. "But they <i>were</i> part of a secret group that broke academy rules repeatedly. And their actions indirectly created a huge mess. So yes, they will be punished."


    I gave him a look. "Punished how?"


    "A full disciplinary hearing when the term starts," Kieran replied. "Point deductions. Mandatory service hours. And for those who already graduated, their result points can be re-evaluated and lowered."


    Rowan winced. "That¡¯s harsh."


    "It¡¯s fair," Kieran said simply.


    And truly, it was.


    They weren¡¯t criminals, but they had been irresponsible. Reckless. The kind of reckless that caused situations like tonight.


    River nodded in approval. "It¡¯s justified."


    I let out a quiet breath. "And Marcus?"


    River¡¯s expression sharpened. "He¡¯s detained. Officially. And unlike the others, he will not be going home."


    Oscar added, "We will question him as soon as he wakes up. His future depends on what he knows... and what he admits."


    A chill tugged at me.


    Because something about Marcus still lingered in my mind like smoke... shifty, evasive, unclear.


    He had orchestrated this scam brilliantly. Too brilliantly for someone with no experience.


    I leaned forward slightly, voicing the thought that had been nudging at my mind ever since we learned the offerings were just money.


    "So now that we know the Great Evil was a lie," I said slowly, "and none of the students have any real connection to the soul-death cases... does that mean we are back to square one?"


    River and Kieran exchanged a brief look.


    Not reassuring.


    I continued, "Unless Marcus knows something... unless he saw something the night Carson ended up soul dead... how else are we going to find leads?"


    River rubbed his jaw. "We¡¯ll question him about Carson. Thoroughly. He was thest person to see Carson conscious that night. And he clearly knows more than he has admitted to other students."


    Oscar folded his arms. "But whether he¡¯ll cooperate is another matter."


    That didn¡¯tfort me at all.


    Instead, a buzzing unease moved through me.


    "Do you think Marcus is involved in the soul-death cases?" I asked softly.


    The room grew still again.


    Kieran spoke first. "Unlikely. His scheme doesn¡¯t match the pattern of the soul-death attacker. His setup was theatrical, childish, greedy. The real culprit is methodical and dangerous."


    "Still," Rowan said, "Marcus saw Carson that night. He might have noticed something."


    River nodded. "Exactly. Even a small detail could be useful."


    I nodded slowly, but the heaviness in my chest didn¡¯t ease.


    And now, everything depended on Marcus waking up... and hoping he was willing to talk.

 Chapter 503: A Present from the Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 503: A Present from the Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I tried... honestly tried... not to use every single curse word I had ever known in all neen years of my life as I stepped out of the bathroom. Steam rolled out behind me like a dramatic exit, but sadly, the hot bath had failed me. My muscles still felt like they had been run over by a truck... twice... and then stomped on by River for good measure.


    He was in a bad mood today, and everyone at training paid the consequences.


    Including me.


    To be fair, I understood why he was frustrated. Questioning Marcus kept going nowhere. Every time the healers checked on him, Marcus was either still unconscious or waking only to drift off again. And the few minutes they had managed to question him earlier? Useless.


    Still, understanding River did NOT make my body hurt any less.


    I winced as I walked into my walk-in closet, my fluffy towel wrapped tightly around me. After changing into somethingfortable - a baby blue night set, soft and cute and definitely not meant for an audience - I grabbed my body lotion and sat in front of the vanity. My legs were sore, and rubbing the lotion in felt like my only surviving therapy.


    "Stupid, overpowered, beautiful menace," I muttered under my breath as I massaged my calves.


    I had just started on my thighs when a knock echoed from my bedroom door.


    I froze for half a second.


    Tonight was a "sleep alone" night.


    Which meant... none of them were supposed to be here.


    The door opened a momentter, and I felt it even before I saw him... the unmistakable pull of the bond, warm and consuming, slipping across my skin like the whisper of a storm.


    River.


    He stepped into my room, and since I had left the door of the walk-in closet open, he knew where to find me.


    I was standing there in my short pajamas, bare shoulders, bare arms, bare legs, smelling like vani lotion and looking extremely unprepared to face the strongest, most intense male I knew.


    I kept my back to him, pretending I wasn¡¯t suddenly hyper-aware of every inch of exposed skin.


    "What brings you here?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral as I resumed rubbing lotion on my arms.


    I could feel his eyes on me. Heavy. Warm. Hot enough to melt the lotion bottle in my hand.


    The air around us tightened as he stepped closer. Slow, deliberate footsteps that sent shivers over my spine. He came to a stop right behind me... so close his heat brushed the back of my shoulders.


    When I finally dared to nce up, his dark green eyes were already meeting mine through the mirror.


    "Are you sore?" he asked quietly.


    Understatement of the century.


    "A bit."


    He raised a brow.


    "Fine. A lot."


    His lip twitched, almost a smile.


    The tension between us felt different tonight... but then it had been like this for as long as the holidays hadsted. Something sharper. Focused. Intent.


    Before I could look away, he pulled his hand from behind his back.


    "I brought you something."


    I blinked.


    "A... present?"


    He nodded once.


    "Why?" I blurted. "It¡¯s not my birthday. It¡¯s not... anything."


    His eyes held mine through the mirror... steady, unblinking, consuming.


    "I don¡¯t need a reason to give you something," he said. "You are my mate."


    My heart skipped a beat... traitor.


    Then he extended the velvet box toward me.


    A small, elegant, deep emerald-colored velvet box.


    I turned in my chair, facing him properly, and he opened it with a soft click.


    My breath left me.


    "Oh," I whispered.


    Insidey the most beautiful jewelry set I had ever seen in my life - a ne and earrings crafted with sparkling diamonds surroundingrge emeralds. They shimmered under the vanity lights like pieces taken from ancient royalty.


    "River..." I swallowed. "This is-this is too much."


    "It isn¡¯t."


    His tone was final. Confident.


    But more than that... gentle.


    I shook my head quickly. "I can¡¯t take this. It¡¯s too expensive. I have never even touched something like this... let alone owned it. I¡¯d be terrified of breathing near it."


    He stepped closer, lowering the box but not closing it.


    "Evaline," he murmured, his voice settling into that deep, velvety tone that always made my stomach flip, "you are not a charity case I¡¯m trying to decorate."


    I looked at him sharply, but he continued before I could protest.


    "You are my mate. You are the future Luna of the Rogue Community. You should have things that befit your ce... and your worth."


    My throat tightened.


    I hated how easily he could do that... say something that melted me and disarmed me at the same time.


    "But it¡¯s still too much¡¯"


    "It¡¯s not."


    His gaze softened.


    "And I will give you things like this whenever I feel like it. Not because of duty. Not because of status. Because I want to."


    The words hit like a warm wave.


    He paused, leaning slightly closer, lowering his voice even further.


    "And you¡¯d better get used to it."


    Heat crept up my neck.


    "River..."


    He tilted his head.


    "Do you not like it?"


    "It¡¯s not that," I breathed. "It¡¯s beautiful. It¡¯s... unbelievably beautiful."


    "Then let me put it on you."


    My chest tightened.


    My pulse skittered.


    He stepped behind me again, and I felt him gently brush my hair aside. His fingers barely grazed my shoulders, but it was enough to send tingles all down my spine.


    He picked up the ne and fastened it around my neck, his fingers lingering for a moment longer than necessary.


    The cool metal settled against my warm skin, and suddenly I felt...


    Seen.


    Adorned.


    Cherished.


    When he finished, he met my reflection again.


    "It suits you," he said quietly.


    I swallowed, unable to speak.


    I wasn¡¯t used to expensive things.


    I wasn¡¯t used to someone looking at me like I was worth adorning with them.


    "Thank you," I whispered.


    His eyes darkened slightly... not with lust, but with something deeper. Something protective. Something that wrapped around my chest and squeezed.


    Then he spoke again, softer this time.


    "You deserved a good moment today, after the hell I put you through in training."


    I blinked, surprised to hear him acknowledge it. Then, before I could change my mind, I asked, "Are you free tomorrow evening?"

 Chapter 504: The Teasing Game

    <h4>Chapter 504: The Teasing Game</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I watched as he lifted his brows at my sudden question... slow, elegant, assessing.


    As if he could hear all the unspoken meaning wrapped inside that tiny question.


    He didn¡¯t respond immediately, which made my stomach twist with nerves.


    Then, in that deep, unwavering voice of his, he said, "I will be free for you."


    My heart stuttered.


    I rushed to add, "I mean... you don¡¯t have to rearrange anything. If you have important work-"


    "Angel."


    That endearment silenced me.


    He stepped closer, gaze steady and far too intense for someone who had just gifted me jewels worth more than my entire closetbined.


    "I said," he repeated, "I will be free for you tomorrow evening."


    Warmth bloomed in my chest... embarrassingly fast, embarrassingly strong.


    He didn¡¯t say he was free.


    He said he <i>would be free</i>.


    Meaning he wasn¡¯t, but he was choosing to be.


    For me.


    Before I could react, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.


    A woman¡¯s familiar voice answered... polished, crisp, clearly ustomed to dealing with River¡¯s schedules.


    "Cancel everything after six tomorrow," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.


    "No, not postponing. Cancel. I need to be with someone very important."


    My breath caught.


    Thest word... <i>important</i>... rolled off his tongue like it carried weight.


    Meaning.


    Intention.


    And he said it while looking directly at me.


    By the time he ended the call, any lingering annoyance about his ridiculous training session had evaporated.


    This man.


    This infuriating, intense, breathtaking man... was going to be the death of me.


    First, the present.


    Now this?


    Only if he could agree to thest thing I needed from him tonight... then he would truly be the perfect mate.


    Before my doubts could talk me out of it, I stood up from the vanity stool and stepped into his space. His breath hitched... barely, but I noticed. His eyes flickered down, taking in the way my pajama straps brushed my shoulders and how close I was standing.


    I lifted my arms and looped them around his neck.


    His hands didn¡¯t touch me... he kept them at his sides like he was restraining himself with visible effort.


    Good.


    Because I was trying not to melt into him.


    I rose onto my toes, my voice soft, hopeful, nearly pleading as I asked, "Can I... have a day off from training tomorrow?"


    His entire demeanor changed in an instant.


    The warmth vanished.


    The soft edges hardened.


    The alpha reced the mate.


    "No," he said immediately.


    I barely kept myself from groaning aloud.


    "I need tomorrow to prepare," I argued quickly.


    "Your training is more important."


    "River," I said, tilting my head, letting my thumbs brush the back of his neck in gentle circles, "I haven¡¯t had a break in over ten days."


    His eyes narrowed slightly.


    "You have trained for weeks without a day off before."


    "That¡¯s not the point," I muttered.


    "Then what is the point?"


    "I need time to get everything ready," I insisted. "Tomorrow is important."


    "For what?"


    His voice was low. Curious. Suspicious.


    "Just... stuff," I hedged, refusing to give him more ammunition.


    He crossed his arms now - oh wonderful, the full stubborn alpha stance.


    "There¡¯s only one week left before you return to the Academy," he reminded me. "Your training stops after that. We need to make the most of it."


    I rolled my eyes. "I will literally have physicalbat ss every day at the Academy."


    "Weekends," he said, deadpan.


    I blinked.


    "What?"


    "You¡¯ll get weekends off there. No physicalbat sses."


    I stared at him.


    He stared back like he had just delivered the winning argument.


    Ugh.


    He was too good at this.


    The debate was slipping through my fingers, so I dropped logic entirely and reced it with a tactic that always <i>nearly</i> worked.


    I let my eyes soften.


    I tilted my head just slightly.


    I let my arms slide from his neck to his shoulders, fingers brushing down the firm line of muscle.


    "Don¡¯t ruin tomorrow for me," I whispered.


    His nostrils red.


    Good.


    I leaned closer, but made sure to still not closing thatst inch between us, yet enough that I felt the tension coil tight between us.


    "I want everything to go perfectly," I murmured. "Please?"


    He closed his eyes.


    Another good sign.


    I pressed on, my tone low and coaxing, every word dipped in warmth.


    "One day, River. Just one. You have already done so much for me tonight. Don¡¯t take this one thing away."


    He let out a long, slow exhale... the sound a man makes when he knows he¡¯s losing.


    When he opened his eyes again, they were darker.


    Softer.


    Defeated.


    "Angel ..."


    He rubbed his hand over his jaw.


    "You are impossible."


    "I know," I said sweetly. "But I¡¯m your impossible."


    He groaned... actually groaned.


    Victory tingled through me.


    I pushed once more, hands gently cupping the back of his neck, my lips an inch from his.


    "Say yes."


    He hesitated only for another heartbeat.


    Then...


    "Fine."


    I smiled. A bright, triumphant, borderline smug smile.


    "Just tomorrow." He reminded.


    "Deal."


    We stood there like that, suspended in the thickest tension imaginable.


    His eyes dropped to my lips.


    Mine flicked to his.


    Just one inch apart.


    One breath.


    One slip of control.


    But... neither of us moved.


    This had be a game - one neither of us admitted, but both desperately yed.


    Who would break first?


    Who would be the one to close the distance?


    Not tonight.


    Not yet.


    But tomorrow...


    Tomorrow everything would change.


    At least... I nned to make sure it did.


    River finally stepped back - slowly, reluctantly, like pulling himself away required actual effort.


    He nced at the emerald ne on my throat, then at my face, then back to my lips.


    His voice was rougher when he spoke.


    "Goodnight, Angel."


    I swallowed. "Goodnight, River."


    He turned, walking out of the closet with a steadiness that betrayed nothing... except the subtle clench of his jaw and the way his fingers curled once at his side.


    He paused at the doorway, looking back onest time.


    That look...


    Stars, that look.


    Like he wanted to return.


    Like he wanted to push me against the wall and kiss me breathless.


    Like he was struggling not to.


    Then he left.


    The door clicked softly behind him.


    And with that, the teasing game that had been going on all holiday continued.... stretched tight, coiled, waiting for the final snap.

 Chapter 505: Her Down Payment

    <h4>Chapter 505: Her Down Payment</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I wasn¡¯t sure what reaction I expected when I finally gathered Oscar and Kieran in my bedroom and told them I needed their help... but Oscar looking at me as if I had personally insulted his ancestors was NOT on the list.


    He crossed his arms, leaned back on the couch, and fixed me with the most dramatic stare I had ever seen on a grown Alpha. "So let me get this straight," he said slowly, as if summarizing a crime scene, "you want help nning a surprise... but just for River. Nothing for us. And you want us to help you with it."


    His tone wasn¡¯t jealous. Not genuinely.


    But it was definitely Oscar... which meant he was going to make this as difficult as physically possible just because he could.


    I winced. "I know how it sounds-"


    "Oh, it sounds worse," he cut in immediately, shifting to face me better. "It sounds like deep favoritism."


    Beside him, Kieran sat... looking calm,posed, and annoyingly observant. He nced at me with quiet amusement in his eyes. He wasn¡¯t saying anything yet, but that only meant he was waiting for Oscar to burn out before delivering his own judgment. He always did that. Silent, and with deadly efficiency.


    I sighed internally.


    I deserved this.


    "...okay, fine," I said, "but I have good reasons."


    Oscar wiggled his eyebrows at me in a dramatic<i> go on, exin yourself, traitor</i> gesture.


    I exhaled sharply. "You two know that once I¡¯m back at the Academy, I¡¯ll barely see River, Draven, and Lio during the weekdays."


    Their expressions shifted instantly.


    Not jealousy.


    Not irritation.


    Just... understanding.


    And the tiniest pinch of guilt hit my chest because I knew they weren¡¯t truly mad. They were simply... men. My men. And sometimes that meant they acted ridiculous for fun. Or for attention. Or both.


    We were not moving Draven to the house behind the Academy as there was no hidden room there. Also, Elder Ren said moving him too much wasn¡¯t safe. So he¡¯s staying here at the mansion and River would stay here as well. This meant Lioren obviously couldn¡¯t stay at the new house alone with just staff and warriors.


    With a soft sigh, I continued, "I¡¯ll be in the dorms. And River will be here. And I¡¯ll only get to see him on weekends."


    Oscar¡¯s expression softened... just a bit... but he still grumbled, "Still rude of you to give him a surprise."


    There it was again.


    That exaggerated sulkiness.


    He wasn¡¯t upset. He was just... filling in Draven¡¯s absence by reacting just like how the two of them would have reacted.


    I was starting to feel a tiny bit bad, so I crossed the distance between us and ced my hands on his shoulders. He blinked up at me, clearly not expecting physical affection as payment.


    "Fine," I murmured.


    And I leaned down.


    First, I kissed his right cheek... slow enough to make his eyes widen slightly.


    Then his left.


    Then the middle of his forehead... and that made his breath hitch just a little.


    Then the very tip of his nose.


    Then the sharp edge of his chin.


    Then... slowly, deliberately... I leaned down toward his neck and pressed my lips against the warm skin just above his cor, right where his pulse jumped.


    His breath stuttered.


    By the time I pulled back just enough to brush the corner of his lips with mine, his entire dramatic act melted like warm butter.


    He stared at me, dazed. "Okay. Fine. You win. I¡¯m in."


    A satisfied smile curled on my lips as I stepped back.


    But then my gaze shifted to Kieran.


    And I realized with genuine dread that I now had to deal with him.


    He was so quiet, leaning back against the armchair, hands rxed on the armrests, expression unreadably calm.


    Which was never a good sign.


    Because Kieran, when calm, was ironically the most unpredictable among them.


    I approached him cautiously.


    "Kieran-"


    Before I could even finish, he reached up, slid one hand behind my head, and pulled me slowly, deliberately down toward him.


    My breath caught.


    I knew what he was going to do.


    And yet... I still wasn¡¯t prepared for it.


    He kissed me... fully, on the lips... and there was nothing soft or teasing about it. It was slow. Certain. iming. A kiss that said <i>you don¡¯t have to pay me, but if you insist, this is my currency.</i>


    Heat shot through my stomach and up my spine.


    I felt Oscar watching.


    I felt my heart racing.


    And I felt Kieran¡¯s fingers tighten ever so slightly at the back of my head.


    When he finally pulled away, the room felt warmer.


    Much warmer.


    He looked up at me with a calm, satisfied expression that didn¡¯t match the heat simmering in his eyes. "Down payment received," he said quietly. "Now I¡¯m ready to help."


    I let out a shaky breath, narrowing my eyes at him. "You are impossible."


    "Yes," he agreed without hesitation.


    I shook my head and stepped back before either one of them decided to up their game.


    "So," Oscar said, finally sounding like himself again, "what do you need us to do?"


    I cleared my throat and folded my arms. "I need the house to myself this evening. From six to ten. Just four hours."


    Oscar blinked.


    Kieran tilted his head.


    "...That¡¯s it?" Oscar asked.


    "That¡¯s it," I confirmed. "Just take Lioren out. He¡¯ll enjoy it."


    Kieran nodded. "Done."


    Oscar nodded too. "Fine. But if River gets a surprise... we expectpensationter."


    I flushed. "Compens-?!"


    "Compensation," Oscar repeated, eyes twinkling mischievously. "Of the affectionate variety. I ept kisses, cuddles, and possibly-"


    "Kieran," I cut in, "please control your brother."


    Kieran looked mildly amused. "I can control monsters. Not Oscar."


    Oscar ced a hand on his chest. "I¡¯m honored."


    I groaned.


    Theyughed.


    And yet... warmth bloomed in my chest.


    They were ridiculous.


    And dramatic.


    And impossible.


    But they were mine.


    I exhaled, feeling lighter already. "Thank you. Both of you."


    Kieran nodded once. "Whatever you are nning... River will like it."


    Oscar smirked. "He¡¯ll love it. He already looks at you like you hung the moon."


    My cheeks warmed.


    They didn¡¯t know how true that statement felt.

 Chapter 506: Blindfolded Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 506: Blindfolded Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror, letting my eyes travel slowly from head to toe. For a moment, I didn¡¯t quite recognize the woman standing there. A knowing smile tugged at my lips as the thought crossed my mind - <i>River is going to stop breathing when he sees me</i>.


    I had spent nearly two hours getting ready.


    A long, hot bath with rose oil.


    Skin scrubbed to baby-softness.


    Lotion massaged into every inch until my skin glowed and smelled faintly of vani and clove.


    A light dusting of makeup - shimmery lids, flushed cheeks, glossy lips.


    My long silver hair... usually a waterfall down my back... was swept up in a high bun that showed off my neck, with a few artfully loose strands framing my face.


    And then there was finishing touch... the diamonds River had given me the previous evening - beautiful, breathtaking, and sparkling on my throat like frozen stars. The matching earrings caught every movement, glimmering whenever I turned my head.


    But it was the dress that had my heart beating fast with excitement.


    It was a familiar ck gown.


    The same one he had gifted mest Christmas.


    The same one I had worn to the year-end ball.


    But tonight... tonight would be the first time he would see me wearing it ever since he gifted it to me.


    The off-shoulder neckline swept smoothly across my corbones, dipping just low enough to be daring but not vulgar. The fabric hugged my body like it had been designed solely for me, shimmering with the slightest movement. The skirt fell fluidly around my legs until, with a shift of my hips, the high slit revealed a glimpse of pale skin and the length of my silver heels.


    I inhaled slowly.


    Composed myself.


    Smiled again.


    That was when knocking sounded at my bedroom door.


    I stepped out of the walk-in closet just in time for Sera to enter. The moment her eyesnded on me, she frozepletely... her lips parting, her eyes widening, and her entire face blooming with awe and surprise.


    "Oh..." she breathed, hand lifting to her chest. "My Lady..."


    Her reaction made heat rush to my cheeks. I smoothed the gown over my hips, suddenly unsure.


    "Do I look alright?"


    "Alright?" she repeated, scandalized. "You are WAY past alright. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Alpha River doesn¡¯t stand a chance."


    "Sera," I hissed under my breath, though I couldn¡¯t hide my smile. "Don¡¯t say things like that."


    She only chuckled. The woman had changed so much from when we first met. Now she spoke to me with warmth, loyalty, and genuine fondness. Somewhere along the way, she had be someone I trusted without hesitation.


    "We have done exactly as you asked," she reported proudly. "He¡¯s ready. The moment he finished getting dressed, we blindfolded him and escorted him to the empty hall on the third floor. He¡¯s waiting in the corridor."


    A flutter of anticipation stirred in my chest.


    It was really happening.


    "Good," I murmured, gathering my confidence like fabric around me. "You may all retire for the night, Sera. You too. I want the house empty. Just River and me."


    Her smile widened knowingly, but she bowed obediently. "Of course, My Lady. Enjoy your evening."


    With that, she slipped out of the room.


    I exhaled, suddenly aware of my heartbeat pulsing at the base of my throat. Then I lifted the skirt slightly with both hands and headed out.


    - - -


    The third floor was quiet. The soft glow ofntern sconces along the walls cast warm pools of light over the polished floor. Each step of my silver heels echoed lightly through the hallway.


    And then I saw him.


    River stood outside the closed double doors of the hall, tall and impossiblyposed despite the green silk blindfold tied neatly over his eyes. Even blindfolded, he radiated power in a way no other man could.


    He wasn¡¯t wearing his usual tailored CEO suit.


    Instead... a silk white shirt clung to his shoulders, crisp and elegant. The top two buttons were undone, exposing a faint triangle of skin. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing strong, veiny forearms and the sleek watch sitting on his wrist. His ck trousers fit him unfairly well, highlighting the length of his legs.


    His hair had grown a little, it brushed his nape, styled neatly yet soft enough that I could already imagine running my fingers through it.


    Even dressed casually, he looked breathtaking.


    Maybe more than usual.


    And definitely more dangerous.


    As though sensing me through our bond, he turned slightly in my direction.


    "Angel." His voice was low, smooth, andced with something like suspicion. "What are you up to? What¡¯s with all the secretiveness... and the blindfold?"


    I smiled, unable to stop myself.


    He sounded curious... and equally suspicious.


    Closing the distance between us, I reached forward and slipped my hand into his.


    The moment my fingers touched his palm, his breath hitched.


    He squeezed gently, instinctively.


    And heat unfurled in my chest.


    "Be patient," I whispered.


    I stepped alongside him, my shoulder brushing his arm, and pushed open the double doors with my free hand. The hall beyond was dimly lit, quiet, empty... just the two of us. The air smelled faintly of jasmine from the candles I had ced earlier.


    Guiding him forward, I led him inside.


    His steps were slow, cautious because of the blindfold, but trusting... because it was me holding him.


    "Angel," he murmured, his voice dropping even lower. "You are making me nervous."


    I smiled, squeezing his hand as I led him toward the center of the room.


    "Good. That¡¯s the idea."


    He exhaled a breathyugh. "I swear, if this is some kind of revenge-"


    "It¡¯s not," I cut in, biting back a grin. "Just... trust me."


    Another few steps and we were exactly where I wanted him.


    I let go of his hand.


    He instantly tensed. "Evaline?"


    "Don¡¯t move," I instructed softly. "Just stand there."


    Silence settled between us... quiet, fragile, full of suspended breath.


    For a moment I simply looked at him.


    His broad frame.


    The way the soft candlelight slid across his cheekbone.


    The way he stood with that natural strength... confident, steady, and yetpletely open to me.


    This man.


    This impossible, infuriating, breathtaking man... was <i>mine</i>.


    My fingers trembled slightly as I reached toward him.


    "Ready?" I whispered.


    "For what?" he asked, confused.


    I slipped my hands behind his head, untied the knot of the green velvet scarf, and slowly... very slowly... lifted the blindfold away from his eyes.

 Chapter 507: The Candlelit Dinner

    <h4>Chapter 507: The Candlelit Dinner</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment the cloth dropped to the floor, hisshes fluttered open.


    And then he saw me.


    His breath left him so abruptly that I almost stepped back.


    His eyes widened.


    Darkened.


    Roamed over me with a stunned, aching slowness.


    "Evaline..." His voice broke... literally broke... into a rough, disbelieving whisper.


    Heat flooded my cheeks, but I held my ground and lifted my chin. "Surprise."


    His eyes traveled down the curve of my shoulders to the ne, across the shimmering ck gown, lingering at the slit, and then returning to my face with such intensity my knees almost gave out.


    I had wanted to leave him breathless.


    And I had seeded.


    He took one step forward.


    Then another.


    His gaze never wavered... like he couldn¡¯t look away even if he tried.


    "You..." He swallowed hard. "You are breathtaking."


    I smiled, my heart fluttering. "You have seen me in this dress before."


    He shook his head slowly. "Not like this. Not... like <i>you</i>."


    His hand lifted... hesitant, reverent... and brushed a strand of hair that had slipped loose from my bun.


    "You did all this... for me?"


    "Yes."


    The word left my lips in a soft sigh.


    Simple. True.


    Something shifted in his expression then... something warm and unbearably tender. His fingers slid down from my hair to my cheek, tracing my jaw with the lightest touch.


    "Angel," he whispered, his voice trembling at the edges, "you are going to kill me."


    Iughed softly, leaning into his touch. "That¡¯s not the n."


    He stepped closer until our bodies were separated by only inches. His hand moved to the small of my back, guiding me gently into his space. My heart fluttered wildly as his breath brushed my lips.


    "I still want to know what this is for," he murmured. "The dress. The secrecy. The blindfold. All of it."


    "Because I want tonight to be ours." I whispered, fingers curling lightly around his cor.


    His forehead touched mine.


    A soft exhale.


    A quiet surrender.


    "Anything you want," River said. "Anything."


    The moment stretched between us... warm, fragile, filled with unspoken promises.


    And then he pulled me into his arms.


    Held me.


    Not with possession.


    Not with power.


    But with something infinitely simpler and infinitely greater.


    Love.


    His thumb stroked my back as he whispered against my hair:


    "Tell me how I got this lucky."


    I smiled into his shoulder, letting myself melt into him. "You didn¡¯t," I whispered yfully. "I let you."


    Hisugh vibrated through my chest... low, warm, entirely his.


    Pulling away, I once again slipped my hand in his and murmured, "Come with me."


    He didn¡¯t even hesitate. His fingersced with mine, warm and steady, and I guided him toward the middle of the big room where waited a round dining table for two.


    It was covered with a pristine white tablecloth and sitting on it were...


    Crystal sses.


    Tall red candles burning softly between them.


    And tes of steaming food arranged beautifully... everything he loved.


    His steps slowed until he came to a full stop. And his gaze finally took in his surrounding.


    The entire hall glowed.


    Soft golden lights hung from the ceiling in delicate strands, like fallen stardust. Dozens of candles flickered gently along the walls and on the long windowsills, filling the air with the warm scent of jasmine and sandalwood. Therge windows were draped in sheer white curtains that swayed lightly in the night breeze.


    "...Angel."


    The way he used the endearment... quiet, stunned, almost reverent... made my heart do a ridiculous little flip.


    I squeezed his hand once more before releasing it and walking ahead to pull out his chair.


    "Sit," I said softly.


    He didn¡¯t move for a moment. He just kept staring around the room, taking everything in - the flowers, the dim lights, the carefully folded napkins, the champagne cooling in the crystal bucket, the gentle glow of the candles reflecting off the polished floor.


    "You did all this?" he finally asked, his voice rough.


    I smiled. "With a little help. I nned it myself."


    He slowly sank into the chair, his eyes still moving around the room as though afraid to blink. As I walked to my seat across from him, his gaze followed me the entire way... quiet, focused, intense enough to warm my cheeks.


    The soft music I had set up in the far corner began to y as I used my phone to start it - gentle piano mixed with soft strings. I watched as his shoulders rxed, the tension slowly melting away.


    He inhaled deeply, the faintest smile touching his lips. "It smells incredible."


    "That¡¯s because you love these dishes," I said, lifting the silver cover of the te closest to him. "I helped make everything."


    He blinked and then something warm flickered in his eyes.


    We began to eat, slowly, quietly. He took his first bite and froze. A slow, genuine smile spread across his face... one of those rare ones he tried to hide but never quite managed to.


    "This is perfect," he said.


    "Good." I nced at him over the rim of my ss. "I wanted tonight to be perfect."


    His gaze softened again. "It is."


    The dinner moved gently, wrapped in a warmth that needed no words. Every time our fingers brushed while reaching for something, a soft spark shot up my arm. When I refilled his champagne, his eyes lingered on my face more than on the ss. Whenever heplimented the food or the decorations, it was the tone... low, husky, sincere... that made my pulse flutter.


    He wasn¡¯t just... looking at me.


    He was <i>studying</i> me.


    Holding me quietly in his eyes.


    As though he wanted to memorize every expression.


    And I felt every second of it.


    After we finished, I rose slowly from my chair, smoothing the fabric of my gown. He watched every movement, his gaze slipping down the length of the dress before returning... unmistakably... to my eyes.


    I walked around the table, feeling his attention... follow. When I extended a hand to him, his brows lifted slightly.


    "What are you doing?" he asked softly.


    I tilted my head, letting a small smile y on my lips. "Asking my mate for a dance."


    His eyes darkened... not with desire, but with something deeper, softer.


    He didn¡¯t look away.


    Didn¡¯t even blink.


    Just reached up silently and slid his fingers into mine.


    As he stood, his hand tightened gently around mine, his thumb brushing against the back of my wrist in a way that sent warmth curling through my stomach.


    There were no kisses.


    No embraces.


    No rushed movements.


    Just a slow, undeniable pull between us.


    Leading him toward the open space in the center of the hall, I felt his presence behind me... strong, warm, attentive. When we reached the candlelit clearing, I turned to face him.


    The music swelled softly, filling the quiet.


    River took one slow step closer, lifting our joined hands between us.


    "Angel," he murmured, his voice deep and warm, "if this is a dream... don¡¯t wake me."


    My breath hitched the faintest bit.


    "Then don¡¯t stop dancing," I whispered.


    He smiled and ced his free hand gently at my waist.


    And just like that, we began to sway... slow, close, perfectly in sync.


    The night felt like it belonged to us alone.


    The world could wait.


    Right now, all that existed was the soft glow of candles, the whisper of music...


    and the man holding me like I was something precious.

 Chapter 508: End of the Game?

    <h4>Chapter 508: End of the Game?</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River¡¯s hand settled gently at my waist as I lifted our joined hands, guiding him into the first slow sway of our dance. Soft music drifted through the candlelit hall, delicate and warm, like the night itself had breathed out a sigh and rxed around us.


    His palm was warm against my waist, his fingers syed lightly, not gripping, not demanding... just there. Present. Anchoring me in a way that felt as natural as breathing. I let my other hand rest lightly on his shoulder, feeling the subtle flex of muscle beneath the fabric of his shirt as he drew me just a little closer.


    Neither of us spoke.


    The quiet between us wasn¡¯t empty. It was charged... filled with the weight of everything we had been holding back for months now.


    His thumb brushed over my waist in a slow arc, almost subconscious. Yet, the slight touch sent a soft ripple through me.


    I leaned into him just enough to feel the steady warmth of his body. His gaze never left mine, deep and unreadable, though I knew him well enough to see the flickers of emotion he tried... and failed... to hide.


    He swallowed once, sharply. I smiled.


    So he wasn¡¯t asposed as he pretended to be.


    After a moment, his voice - low and shaded with curiosity - broke through the soft haze.


    "Angel," he murmured, leaning closer, "are you going to tell me why you nned all this?"


    We continued to sway, our bodies brushing with every shift, every breath.


    I purposefully let silence stretch for a moment before sliding my arms up his shoulders and loosely around his neck.


    His breath caught.


    Not visibly. Not dramatically.


    Just a tiny pause.


    But I felt it.


    My fingers brushed the nape of his neck lightly in a barest touch, but enough to feel the warmth there.


    "I wanted to see," I whispered, "how long you nned to keep ying this game with me."


    He huffed a soft, amused breath through his nose. "Game?"


    "Yes," I said simply.


    He lifted an eyebrow, feigning innocence so poorly that I nearlyughed.


    "Angel," he said, "I have no idea what you are talking about."


    "Mm."


    I smiled.


    He really thought he could bluff his way out of this?


    Still swaying to the quiet music, I lifted one of my hands, tracing the curve of his ear with the gentlest brush of my nail. A tiny, involuntary reaction rippled through him... so faint that anyone else would have missed it.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    And he knew I didn¡¯t, because the second he felt himself react, he caught my wrist... careful, precise, but undeniably quick.


    "Evaline," he warned softly, though there was no real warning in it. His thumb circled the inside of my wrist, betraying more than he said aloud. "Behave."


    I pulled my hand free anyway, slow and controlled, watching his eyes widen just slightly. Then I brought that hand up again... this time to his jaw. His breath deepened as I tilted his chin slightly upward with two fingers.


    I traced down the line of his throat, slow and deliberate.


    He swallowed.


    I felt it.


    I didn¡¯t hide my satisfaction.


    His other hand slid from my waist to the small of my back, holding me just a breath closer. The warmth of his palm spread through the thin material of my dress, sending a shiver up my spine. My body melted toward him instinctively, and he curved protectively around me.


    He leaned down, just enough that his breath brushed my cheek.


    "Evaline..."


    "River," I answered, matching his tone, matching his closeness.


    We swayed like that, wrapped in warm candlelight and something far more dangerous. Every shift of his hand, every glide of my fingers, felt heavier than simple dancing. The space between us shrank until I could hear his breathing, soft and uneven.


    His gaze dropped to my lips for a fleeting second, lightning-quick.


    But I felt it.


    I always felt him.


    He looked away instantly, his jaw tightening a fraction, as though he had betrayed some unspoken rule. As though he wasn¡¯t supposed to give in first.


    Toote.


    For a while we danced without speaking, letting the tension coil between us, letting it thrum quietly with every touch.


    It had been like this for weeks...


    No, months.


    Both of us pushing, pulling, tempting, teasing.


    Both stopping just before the final step... just before this inevitable moment.


    Finally, I broke the silence.


    "You are really going to pretend?" I asked, my voice soft but unmissable.


    His eyes found mine again, darker than before, the softness reced by something deeper. "That depends," he murmured. "Are you done pretending too?"


    I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding.


    "Completely."


    Something shifted in him.


    Something subtle but undeniable.


    His hand at my back slid fractionally higher, drawing me closer.


    "We have been ying this game," he said quietly, "for two months."


    "I know."


    "And you want to end it?"


    I looked up at him through myshes, the candlelight catching the silver strands that had fallen from my bun.


    "I think," I whispered, "we both do."


    His response was a slow exhale that warmed my cheek.


    The music softened, fading into a quieter rhythm that felt designed for exactly this moment. Our dance slowed with it. We were no longer swaying, but drifting, our bodies aligned, breaths touching.


    He leaned forward.


    Just a little.


    Just enough.


    I felt the warmth of him, felt the air between us tighten, felt everything in me spiral toward him like the world had narrowed to this single, inevitable point.


    My hand slid back up to his neck, my fingers threading into the hair at his nape. His own hand lifted, brushing my jaw with the back of his knuckles, tracing a line that made my breath catch.


    "Evaline," he whispered in a low and unsteady voice, "if I kiss you... I¡¯m not stopping."


    My heart thudded hard.


    Slow.


    Certain.


    "I know."


    His forehead brushed mine.


    My lips parted just slightly, my breath mingling with his.


    This was no longer a dance.


    No longer a game.


    No longer teasing.


    This was the moment we both have been aching for.


    He tilted his head, lowering his face toward mine.


    Our noses brushed.


    Our breaths tangled.


    Our lips hovered just a whisper apart.


    Just one tiny movement would close the distance.


    One choice.


    One breath.


    I closed my eyes.


    He leaned in...


    And then...


    <i>his phone rang.</i>

 Chapter 509: Perfect In Its Own Way

    <h4>Chapter 509: Perfect In Its Own Way</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    For a heartbeat, neither of us moved.


    The sharp ringing of River¡¯s phone sliced into the moment like a cruel joke from the universe, echoing through the candlelit hall. I blinked, still caught in the haze of almost-kissing him. Our foreheads were still nearly touching, and his hand was curled at my waist, warm and steady.


    I tried to pull back... not because I wanted distance, but because someone clearly needed to answer that damn phone.


    But River¡¯s arm tightened around me before I could take a full step.


    "Don¡¯t," he murmured.


    He didn¡¯t even pretend to hide the frustration vibrating through him.


    He simply dragged me right back into his arms as though refusing to ept reality.


    He tilted his head down again, determination shing in his eyes, clearly intending to kiss me this time without hesitation.


    I pressed two fingers lightly to his lips, stopping him just in time.


    "River," I whispered, the barest breath of augh escaping me, "your phone."


    His jaw clenched. "Forget it."


    The phone kept ringing insistently from the dining table.


    I raised one eyebrow.


    "Your phone."


    He leaned closer anyway, ignoring it entirely. "Evaline-"


    The ringing cut off abruptly.


    He exhaled through his nose like someone had just handed him victory.


    I didn¡¯t press the topic further.


    Honestly? I didn¡¯t want to.


    The sharp interruption was gone, and the atmosphere - the soft music, the warm candlelight, the heat of him - began curling back around us like a slow-moving tide.


    I wasn¡¯t sure who moved this time.


    Him or me.


    It didn¡¯t matter.


    My heart picked up its rhythm again, and his hand slid up the small of my back, guiding me closer. Our lips aligned... just a whisper apart. Our breath mingled. My fingertips brushed his neck, feeling the warm shiver he tried so hard to hide.


    I closed my eyes...


    RING.


    I jumped back as though struck by lightning.


    River went absolutely still, murder shing through his expression so clearly the candles themselves seemed to flicker away from him. Without a word, he marched toward the dining table, each step radiating pure alpha-level fury.


    He snatched the phone off the table. "Jasper," he growled, low and deadly, "you better have a good enough reason to disturb me, or you might want to start praying to the Moon Goddess for protection."


    His voice didn¡¯t rise.


    It didn¡¯t need to.


    The quiet, controlled anger in it was far more terrifying.


    I pressed a hand over my mouth to hide my smile, because yes - my mate was furious, and yes - he was murderous, but the reason behind it was almost ttering.


    Almost.


    But my amusement slipped the instant Jasper¡¯s voice reached my ears - low, urgent, apologetic in a way he rarely was.


    "Alpha, I¡¯m truly sorry," Jasper said quickly. "But the situation is extremely urgent. I swear to you, I wouldn¡¯t have disturbed you otherwise."


    My chest tightened.


    River¡¯s entire demeanor shifted - anger freezing, sharpening, rearranging into something far more serious.


    "What happened?" He asked, his voice no longer dangerous with irritation, but dangerous with authority.


    There was a pause. Then Jasper said the words that snapped River straight into alpha-mode.


    "There¡¯s trouble in Nightshade Pack."


    River¡¯s eyes lifted to mine.


    And I nodded once immediately.


    He breathed out, epting my unspoken understanding.


    "I¡¯m on my way," he said into the phone.


    When he hung up, he turned toward me slowly, the guilt already darkening his expression. His steps were quick as he closed the distance between us.


    "Angel," he said, his voice soft in a way that could break me, "I¡¯m sorry. You spent so much time and effort preparing-"


    "River."


    I ced a hand on his chest to stop him.


    "You don¡¯t need to apologize."


    "But-"


    "You can make it up to me another time." I smiled gently, trying to ease that tightness in his shoulders. "Right now you need to go."


    Some of the guilt eased, though it didn¡¯t vanishpletely. He cupped my face with both hands, brushing his thumbs gently over my cheeks. His eyes softened... so full of emotion it made my throat tighten.


    "I¡¯ll make it up to you," he promised in that deep, earnest way he rarely showed openly. "I swear it."


    I whispered back, "I know."


    He leaned forward and pressed a warm kiss to my forehead - soft, lingering, filled with everything he hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to say tonight.


    Then he pulled back, his hand sliding down my arm before he reluctantly released me, and he turned toward the door.


    I watched him leave... tall, determined, powerful. The candles flickered as the door shut behind him, and I stood there in the quiet, letting the music fill the space he had just walked out of.


    The moment was gone.


    But not ruined.


    Just... postponed.


    Time passed quietly, the weight of the night settling into something softer and calmer.


    By the time Oscar, Kieran, and Lioren returned half an hourter, the mansion was dark and I had traded diamonds and silk for soft pajamas. The expensive gowny folded somewhere in my closet along with those painfully high heels.


    I was curled on therge couch in the living room, wrapped around a plush cushion like it was some kind of emotional support relic. A movie yed on the massive TV in front of me, though I barely registered what was happening on-screen.


    Lioren giggled the moment he saw me, his chubby hands waving excitedly in Kieran¡¯s arms.


    Oscar stopped in the doorway first.


    I braced myself.


    He was definitely going to tease me.


    About how my carefully nned night ended with me hugging a cushion instead of kissing my mate.


    But he did nothing like thst.


    Instead, he crossed the room in three quick steps, sat down beside me, and pulled me fully into hisp like it was the most natural thing in the world. His arms wrapped around me instantly, strong and warm, caging me with a wall offort.


    I blinked, startled.


    "Oscar-?"


    He hugged me tighter, resting his chin lightly on my head.


    "Don¡¯t speak," he murmured. "Just let me hold you."


    The tension I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d been clinging to slowly melted from my spine. I exhaled, sinking into his warmth, into the steady heartbeat beneath me. Kieran sat on my other side, gently cing Lioren in myp.


    My son squealed happily, grabbing at my pajama top with tiny fists.


    Lioren¡¯s familiar weight, Kieran¡¯s quiet presence, Oscar¡¯sforting embrace... it all wrapped around me like soft, invisible threads of family.


    My eyes stung.


    Not from sadness.


    From the overwhelming fullness of being loved by them.


    Seen by them.


    Held by them.


    "Thank you," I whispered.


    Oscar¡¯s arm tightened a little. "Always."


    The movie continued ying softly in the background. Lioren babbled happily against my chest. Kieran kissed the top of my head and leaned back, rxing.


    And I let myself rest.


    Tonight hadn¡¯t ended the way I nned.


    But wrapped in the warmth of my family, with River out there handling what only he could handle...


    It still felt perfect in its own way.

 Chapter 510: Summoned By Alpha Grey (I)

    <h4>Chapter 510: Summoned By Alpha Grey (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I finished thest sip of my tea, letting the warmth settle in my chest before pushing myself off the stool.


    Stepping out into the empty corridor, I made my way back to the elevator for fifth floor. Merely momentster, I was pushing open the tall double doors of the archive hall.


    The familiar scent of parchment and wooden shelves washed over me instantly - warm, earthy, and oddlyforting. The archive hall stretched across the entire fifth floor, vast enough that even after weeks of working here, the sight continued to make me pause.


    It was magnificent.


    Columns carved with runic vines supported high ceilings,nterns glowing with warm light floatedzily above each section. Rows upon rows of shelves ran endlessly in every direction, housing everything from ancient scrolls brittle enough to crumble at touch, to modern records neatly stacked inbeled folders.


    And at the center stood the old tree... my favorite part of the entire ce.


    It was a towering, silver-barked elderwood that grew straight through the heart of the hall, its branches spreading across the ceiling like veins of light. Around its massive trunk spiraled a narrow stone staircase that led to the upper level - the restricted area. The ce I was absolutely forbidden to enter. Naturally, the ce that fascinated me the most.


    Every time I walked past it, I felt the faintest tug in my chest... curiosity, intrigue, something else I couldn¡¯t name. But I had long learned the wisdom of ignoring urges that tried to drag me toward trouble.


    Instead, I turned right... toward the disaster zone.


    The final, unorganized ten percent of the archive hall.


    It looked like a war between books and dust storms had taken ce there. And the dust storms had won.


    When I first arrived weeks ago, this area was deceptively innocent - just rows of empty shelves, desks, couches, and hundreds of sealed archive boxes. Now, with the boxes opened, contents spread, and each team member taking on a stack of work... well.


    Chaos was the only fitting word.


    Parchmentsy half-sorted on tables. Ancient scrolls rested open beside scanning machines. Volumes bound in cracked leather or embroidered silk were piled on desks. And amid it all was the one area that gave me pride... the west wall.


    Those shelves were clean, organized, full. Every scroll, every file, every book sat perfectly aligned... their digital versions already archived.


    It was the result of our one month¡¯s hard work and dedication.


    And now that I only had four days left before returning to Silver Moon Academy, I wanted to finish onest piece. Something meaningful.


    I headed straight to the newest opened carton, barely touched as it was still heavily covered in dust. I brushed the particles off the top and looked inside.


    Scrolls. Loose papers. Folders. A few old journals.


    And then...


    "Oh," I breathed.


    My fingersnded on something heavy. Solid. Bound in thick, darkened leather, the cover etched with faded symbols I recognized instantly - healing crests.


    Carefully, I lifted it out. The book felt ancient, its weight sinking into my palms with a sort of reverence, as though it carried centuries¡¯ worth of knowledge and stories.


    Turning it over, I read the handwritten script on the title page:


    <strong>A Complete Comption of Herbs, Elixirs, and Healing Concoctions - by High Healer Morrigan Varell</strong>


    Three hundred and seventy-three years old.


    A smile bloomed across my face before I could stop it.


    A herb and potion book. As myst assignment here.


    Perfect.


    Absolutely perfect.


    I dusted off the cover tenderly, making sure not to disturb the delicate leather more than necessary. Then I turned toward the far corner of the area where my favorite desk sat - tucked between two tall shelves that created a cozy little nook. Quiet. Private.


    My feet moved lightly, almost excitedly, across the room. I ced the book gently on the wooden table, my fingers trailing over the cover once again.


    I still couldn¡¯t believe I only had three days of work left.


    Soon, I would return to the Academy for my third semester - second year already. The thought filled me with a conflicting mix of joy and a sharp ache.


    I loved learning. Loved the library, the professors, the lessons, the constant discoveries, being with my friends. But this time... this time I wasn¡¯t returning as the same girl who joined the Academy a year ago.


    This time I had a family.


    A son.


    Lioren was barely five months old, still small enough that his entire hand wrapped around just one of my fingers. Still soft and warm and smelling like baby oil and wolf pup. Still wanting to be held every chance he got.


    I blinked rapidly as the ache settled heavier in my chest.


    I would have to spend weekdays away from him. Away from River and Draven too.


    Five days a week without hearing River¡¯s calm voice. Without Draven¡¯s quiet, steady presence. Without the warmth of my little boy¡¯s tiny body curled against me.


    But it was necessary.


    So I would endure it.


    Pushing the emotion aside gently, I pulled my chair closer and settled down, ready to open the old records and dive into its secrets.


    The moment my fingertips reached for the leather cover.


    "Miss Evaline?"


    I blinked.


    Turning slightly, I saw one of the junior archivists standing hesitantly a few steps away, shifting nervously from foot to foot.


    "Yes?" I asked softly.


    She swallowed. "You are being summoned."


    "Summoned?" My brows dipped. "By whom?"


    "Alpha Elion Grey," she replied quickly. "His beta left the message for you to stop by Alpha Grey¡¯s office."


    It took me a moment to process the name.


    Why was Alpha Grey summoning me?


    I exhaled slowly, my eyes drifting once more to the ancient book waiting on my desk... the one I had been so excited to open.


    Of course the universe wouldn¡¯t let me have nice things without interruption.


    "All right," I murmured, standing up and moothing the front of my skirt. "I¡¯ll go now."

 Chapter 511: Summoned By Alpha Grey (II)

    <h4>Chapter 511: Summoned By Alpha Grey (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time I stepped into the elevator, my mind had stopped behaving like a responsible organ and had chosen chaos instead.


    The seventh floor.


    Of course it had to be the seventh floor.


    The same floor as River¡¯s office. It was the floor where the most powerful Alphas of the region kept their offices. It made sense strategically and politically... but for me, it just meant trouble. Thest thing I needed was passing by River¡¯s office looking like a guilty teenager sneaking into someone else¡¯s house.


    And if River had been here today instead of Nightshade Pack...


    Moon Goddess, I would never hear the end of it.


    River wasn¡¯t jealous. Not exactly.


    He was... territorial.


    Possessive.


    Overprotective to the point the word itself felt too small.


    And nothing brought that possessiveness out faster than Elion Grey.


    I groaned under my breath as the elevator doors slid open.


    Why in the world had Alpha Grey summoned me?


    I went through the past month in my mind, searching for any incident that might have triggered this. Every memory came up nk.


    Except for the first two encounters - my humiliating stumble into him in the hallway, and then barging into River¡¯s office only to find him standing there like some ethereal sculpturee alive.


    But after that?


    Nothing.


    We had crossed paths a few times in the hallways. I always greeted him politely, and he returned the gesture with equal politeness. No lingering stares, no awkward interactions, no tension.


    And I had made it a point... an iron rule... to keep my distance. Not because Elion Grey had ever done anything inappropriate. He hadn¡¯t. He was the definition of respectful.


    But I didn¡¯t want to test River¡¯s patience unnecessarily. My mates were powerful, dominant alphas who tolerated far less than people believed. And Elion Grey, being young, powerful, handsome, and the only other silver-haired in existence besides me...


    Well.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to know why River kept a close eye on him.


    My footsteps slowed as I reached the end of the corridor. Frosted ss doors lined each side, the nametes glinting.


    <i>Alpha Rodric Hale</i>


    <i>Alpha Brian Voss</i>


    <i>Alpha Saxton Pierce</i>


    And then there it was...


    <i>Alpha Elion Grey</i>


    I stopped in front of the door, inhaled deeply, and raised my hand to knock...


    Except before my knuckles met the ss, the door swung open.


    I blinked.


    Alpha Grey¡¯s secretary - a man in his fifties, with kind eyes and a posture so upright he could have been carved from discipline itself - bowed his head politely.


    "Miss Evaline." His voice held the warmth of someone who¡¯d spent decades serving Alphas but somehow never lost his gentleness. "The Alpha is waiting for you inside."


    "Thank you," I murmured and stepped in.


    This was my first time inside his office. And I didn¡¯t know what I expected.


    My gaze immediately went to the massive mahogany desk dominating the left side of the room. It looked... immacte, organized, intimidating.


    But empty.


    There was no sign of Alpha Grey there.


    Before I could question it, the faint clink of ss came from the right. I followed the sound, my eyesnding on him instantly.


    Alpha Grey sat on the leather couch, leaning over a low coffee table as he poured steaming water into two ss cups. His movements were calm, precise, like the entire world slowed down to match his pace.


    He didn¡¯t look up as he spoke.


    "Come, Miss Evaline. Please, have a seat."


    His voice was smooth and deep enough that it echoed through therge office without him raising a single decibel.


    I managed a nod and approached slowly, sitting down on the couch opposite him.


    Without hesitation, he pushed one of the cups toward me.


    "For you."


    "Oh-I just had my afternoon tea," I blurted, trying to decline gently. "I don¡¯t want to-"


    But something in his expression made me instantly change my mind. Not annoyance, not insistence... just a softness. A quiet request, perhaps.


    I swallowed.


    "Thank you," I murmured and epted it.


    The warmth seeped into my hands, settling my nerves fractionally.


    He lifted his cup and took a slow sip, his eyes drifting briefly toward the window as if appreciating the taste. The lighting caught the strands of his silver hair, making them shimmer like frost in the sunlight.


    And that¡¯s when I made the mistake.


    I looked at him.


    Really looked at him.


    At the ck tailored suit that fit him like a second skin. The coat was draped neatly over the chair at his desk, leaving him in a ck shirt rolled up to the elbows. His tie hung loose around his neck, the top two buttons open just enough to reveal a hint of his corbone.


    He looked... effortless.


    Powerful, but calm.


    Young, but impossiblyposed.


    His long silver hair... stars, that hair... fell over his shoulders perfectly, the exact shade of silver as mine. It had caught my attention the very first day and had continued doing so every time since.


    We shared a heritage recorded in history as something really sacred... a lineage of wolves nearly wiped out by time.


    Maybe that¡¯s why my eyes always betrayed me around him.


    ...Which is exactly what they did now.


    I didn¡¯t even realize I was staring until...


    He cleared his throat.


    Softly. Politely.


    Mortification mmed into me like a freight train.


    My cheeks heated so violently I was sure the temperature in the room rose ten degrees. I dropped my gaze instantly, mentally smacking myself. Hard.


    Great.


    Just perfect.


    Caught red-handed staring at a man I wasn¡¯t even supposed to look at for more than three seconds. No wonder River didn¡¯t trust me around him... not that he had any reason to worry. My heart was loyal to my mates.


    But my eyes?


    Those traitors clearly needed discipline.


    I opened my mouth to apologize, to say anything...


    But he spared me.


    He didn¡¯t tease.


    Didn¡¯t smirk.


    Didn¡¯t make the situation worse.


    Instead, he simply set down his cup and got straight to the point, his tone turning serious.


    "Miss Evaline," he said quietly, meeting my eyes with an expression I couldn¡¯t quite read, "I have an offer for you."


    My breath stilled.


    An offer?


    From Elion Grey?


    Why?


    For what?


    My pulse jumped in my throat as a hundred possibilities shed in my mind.


    But the Alpha said nothing more.


    Not yet.


    And I could only sit there... waiting for him to continue.

 Chapter 512: Summoned By Alpha Grey (III)

    <h4>Chapter 512: Summoned By Alpha Grey (III)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I waited.


    Patiently at first.


    Then... less patiently.


    Then with the kind of silent desperation of someone internally shaking a man by the shoulders and saying, <i>Please speak before my heart escapes my ribcage and runs away.</i>


    But Alpha Elion Grey seemed perfectly content sipping his tea as though the world moved at his pace alone. The silence stretched, and stretched, and stretched...


    Until, finally, I lifted one brow.


    Just slightly.


    A small, polite questionyered neatly behind an expression that said - <i>If you don¡¯t speak, I might cry from anxiety.</i>


    He noticed.


    And a faint smile curved on his lip... subtle but undeniably amused.


    "My apologies," he said atst, setting his cup down gently. "I was gathering my thoughts."


    I didn¡¯t interrupt. My fingers tightened around my tea instead.


    He inhaled softly, his gaze steady and earnest.


    "I looked through your internship reports," he began, "as well as your academic performance during your first year at Silver Moon Academy."


    My heart skipped.


    He had... researched me? That was unexpected.


    "And," he continued, "I have observed your work over the past month here in the archives."


    A breath hitched in my throat.


    Observed? When? How had I not noticed?


    "I am very impressed, Miss Evaline," he finished simply. "Extremely."


    I blinked. "Thank you... Alpha."


    He nodded, but didn¡¯t pause.


    "And because your work here ends in three days, I have a new offer for you."


    I waited.


    He looked at me with that calmposure only people both powerful and confident possess.


    "I want you," he said, "as my assistant."


    ...


    My brain stopped working.


    Just stopped.


    A soft buzzing filled my ears as if someone had pressed mute on the world. I stared at him, sure my face betrayed every drop of shock flooding me.


    His assistant?


    I snapped myself out of the daze, straightening my spine as I scrambled to collect whatever dignity I had left. I cleared my throat softly.


    "T-thank you," I said, praying my voice didn¡¯t crack. "It means a lot that you would consider me capable enough for such a position."


    He inclined his head again, his expression unreadable.


    "But... I¡¯ll have to decline," I added quickly... politely, firmly.


    Not rudely. He didn¡¯t deserve that.


    There was a moment of silence.


    Not awkward.


    Just... quiet.


    Then he leaned back slightly, the perfect picture of unruffled grace.


    "May I know why?"


    His tone wasn¡¯t sharp or demanding. Simply curious.


    I sped my hands together in myp. "I¡¯m starting my new semester in four days. I won¡¯t have the time to work properly."


    To my surprise, he didn¡¯t look remotely discouraged.


    Instead, he nodded slowly, as though he expected exactly that answer.


    "You would only need to work Saturdays," he replied, "and half of Sundays. The remaining half of Sunday would be yours."


    My chest tightened.


    That was... extremely considerate.


    He didn¡¯t stop.


    "There may be rare asions... very rare... when I might need you to apany me on a weekday or an evening." His voice remained steady. "But in such cases, I would personally speak to the Academy and ensure you are granted leave."


    My mouth parted slightly.


    He continued, unhurried.


    "You will also receive a full month of paid leave during your exam periods."


    At this point, I was just staring at him.


    The more he spoke, the more shocked I became. It almost felt like he was designing the job around my life, my needs, my schedule.


    Tailored.


    Perfectly.


    Too perfectly.


    I shook my head quickly, finding my voice again.


    "Alpha, I really appreciate how flexible you are trying to make this... but I have to decline." I forced a small smile. "I don¡¯t want anything interfering with my studies."


    For the second time, he didn¡¯t look disappointed.


    Or frustrated.


    Just thoughtful.


    And persistent.


    "Your second year will not be as demanding as your first," he said calmly. "I say this from personal experience. As you might know I graduated from Silver Moon myself."


    Of course he had. And that too with honors.


    He folded his hands loosely, hisposure impable.


    "You managed an internship during your first year. As Alpha River Thorne¡¯s assistant, no less." His voice held the faintest touch of amusement. "You fulfilled those responsibilities well."


    "Barely," I muttered under my breath before I could stop myself.


    His lips twitched, but he didn¡¯tment.


    "My offer," he continued, "is far more flexible than the position you held before. And you handled that well enough to impress even one of the strictest Alphas in the region."


    Okay. He had a point.


    But still-


    "I¡¯m sorry," I said gently, "but I can¡¯t ept."


    His gaze didn¡¯t waver.


    And then...


    He revealed the sry.


    And the bonus.


    My heart almost fell off its axis.


    My mouth went dry. The numbers echoed in my head like someone ringing a bell inside my skull. I swallowed hard, trying not to show how tempted I suddenly felt.


    It wasn¡¯t that I needed the money. Not now. I had four mates more than capable of providing for me and my son.


    But that wasn¡¯t the point.


    The first day I took the internship nearly a year ago, I made a promise to myself - to always have my own independence. My own money. My own stability.


    Life had taught me the cost of depending on others.


    And even though River, Draven, Oscar, and Kieran would never let me fall, the instinct to stand on my own two feet was carved into my bones.


    So I forced myself to breathe.


    And then...


    "I¡¯m truly grateful," I whispered, "but I still can¡¯t ept."


    A quiet pause followed.


    I expected disappointment this time.


    Maybe irritation.


    Maybe a sigh.


    Instead, Alpha Grey set his cup down again, his blue eyes lifting to meet mine with startling rity.


    "What¡¯s the real reason?" he asked softly.


    I blinked.


    "Real... reason?"


    He nodded, leaning forward slightly - not invading my space, but focusing with the intensity of someone who could see straight through lies without effort.


    "You are not declining because of your studies."


    My breath caught.


    "You have already proven you can handle academic pressure alongside work. You are organized, dedicated, and capable." His voice remained calm. Gentle. "So there is another reason. And I believe I deserve to hear it."


    My pulse hammered.


    "Miss Evaline," he said quietly, "what is the actual reason you won¡¯t ept my offer?"


    The room fell utterly silent.


    And I...


    I didn¡¯t know how to answer.


    What was I supposed to say - <i>Sorry, I can¡¯t ept the offer because River won¡¯t be happy?</i>

 Chapter 513: Summoned By Alpha Grey (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 513: Summoned By Alpha Grey (IV)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I couldn¡¯t drag River into this. Not even as a lie, not even as an excuse. Bringing him into Alpha Grey¡¯s very determined little negotiation would onlyplicate things further.


    So I took a slow breath, forced my spine straight, and sifted through my options until one finally felt...usable.


    When I lifted my eyes to his, I made my expression calm... steady, almost serene. A kind of truth, even if not the whole truth.


    "You may or may not know this," I began gently, "but I¡¯m dating Draven Thorne."


    If I was expecting even a flicker of surprise, a twitch of an eysh, the slightest shift of tension across his shoulders...well, I was disappointed. Elion Grey didn¡¯t react at all. Not even a blink. He was harder to read than River on his best brooding day. For a moment, I almost admired him.


    I continued, "And because of that, my loyalty currently lies with him. With him and the Rogue Community. So if you are offering me your assistant¡¯s position... aren¡¯t you worried I might reveal important information about your pack to him or his brothers?"


    Of course I wouldn¡¯t do that. Ever. Even thinking about it felt wrong.


    But that wasn¡¯t the point. The point was giving him a reason strong enough for him to finally let this go.


    However, he didn¡¯t even hesitate. His lips softened into the faintest smile before he said, with annoying confidence, "You wouldn¡¯t do anything of the sort."


    I froze.


    I actually forgot to breathe for a second.


    He reached beside him, picked up a folder, opened it, and slid it across the table toward me.


    I stared down.


    There were eleven profiles inside - names, photos, evaluations, notes - and beside each name were little boxes, some checked green, most crossed red.


    Eleven candidates.


    And only one had every single box checked green.


    Mine.


    "You are not the only one I have considered," he said, his voice warm but matter-of-fact. "I have been looking for a reliable assistant since the day I became Alpha. Months of searching, background checks, observation, vetting..."


    My heart hammered at the word observation. How much had he seen? What exactly had he read in my file? How deeply had he followed my work?


    He rested an elbow on the arm of the couch, leaning slightly forward.


    "And after all this time," he continued, "you are the only candidate who meets every requirement. Including loyalty."


    Heat crept into my cheeks - confusion, shock, some mix of pride and defensiveness all tangled together.


    He trusted me?


    More than those ten others?


    His expression gentled further. "I¡¯m not asking you to dive into pack politics or secrets. Not immediately. Not even soon. You¡¯d handle the work here, at the Council Headquarters. Mostly shifter-world governance, welfare, security - nothing that involves my pack¡¯s internal issues. I¡¯m not putting that weight on you."


    His words were careful, deliberate. He sounded almost... reassuring me.


    It made things worse.


    Because I really didn¡¯t have another reason to give him.


    I exhaled, my shoulders drooping a little as I surrendered. "I just... I don¡¯t think Draven would like it if I took the job."


    I silently apologized to Draven for dragging his name into this.


    For the first time, Alpha Grey¡¯s expression actually changed. His right eyebrow arched... not dramatically, just a subtle rise filled with meaning.


    "Does it matter," he asked quietly, "if your boyfriend likes your job?"


    "Yes," I replied instantly.


    No pause. No thinking. Nothing but truth.


    And then he stunned me again.


    "Should it matter to you what your boyfriend wants... more than what <i>you</i> want?"


    The air left my lungs.


    I felt it. Like someone had reached into my chest and pressed right where the bruise was.


    And he wasn¡¯t done.


    "You haven¡¯t declined this offer even once for a reason that belongs to you." His voice wasn¡¯t unkind. Just firm. "Not one reason that shows you don¡¯t want the job. Every reason you have given is tied to someone else. Your studies, your boyfriend, his brothers, what someone might think, what someone else might want."


    My throat tightened.


    He kept going.


    "I can already tell you are interested. You would have considered it seriously... maybe even epted it already... if it were offered by someone else. That¡¯s why this is unfair. To me..." His eyes met mine, steady, intense. "...and to yourself."


    The worst part was that he wasn¡¯t wrong.


    I <i>was</i> interested.


    The challenge. The trust. The responsibility. The opportunity.


    And yes... the money. The independence.


    I wanted all of it.


    But wanting something didn¡¯t erase the tangled knots of my life.


    Could I really add <i>¡¯working under another Alpha¡¯</i> to the chaos?


    Alpha Grey suddenly leaned back, easing the tension in his posture as if sensing he had pushed enough for now.


    "Miss Evaline," he said softly, "I won¡¯t pressure you. I won¡¯t ask again right now."


    Relief washed through me... but only for a second.


    "However..." he added, and damn him, I felt my body tense all over again, "...I have onest offer for you."


    I stared at him warily.


    He didn¡¯t smile, didn¡¯t soften, didn¡¯t look away. He just spoke, very calmly, as if he were stating something inevitable.


    "Secrets of our heritage."


    I blinked. "What?"


    He folded his hands loosely together. "Like how you have healing abilities even though you weren¡¯t born a healer. Why that is possible. What it means."


    My breath lodged halfway in my chest.


    What...?


    He watched the shock spread across my face. He must have known exactly what kind of reaction his words would cause because there was something nearly sympathetic in his gaze.


    I opened my mouth. "Alpha Grey-what do you mean by-"


    He stood.


    Just stood, simple and smooth, cutting off everything I was about to demand.


    "We¡¯ll talk," he said, "once you have an answer for my offer."


    I rose halfway from my seat, heart thudding. "Alpha, wait-exin what you-"


    "That¡¯s all for today, Miss Evaline." He moved toward the office door and opened it for me, polite but unmoving. "Go. Think. Decide."


    I wanted to grab his cor and shake the exnation out of him.


    I wanted to understand what the hell he knew.


    But his expression... unreadable, calm, resolute... told me the conversation was over.


    "At least tell me how you-"


    "Once you have the answer I need." His voice was soft. Certain. "Only then."


    I clenched my fists, furious and shaken and overwhelmingly curious all at once.


    He gestured again, silently, waiting for me to step out.


    I did.


    Because I had no choice.


    And as the door closed behind me, all I could hear was the soft, maddening echo of hisst words:


    <i>Secrets of our heritage.</i>


    <i>How you have healing powers despite not being born a healer.</i>


    And now... he expected me to choose.

 Chapter 514: What She Wants

    <h4>Chapter 514: What She Wants</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    By the time I finishedying out everything that had happened inside Alpha Grey¡¯s office, my bedroom fell into a silence so thick I could almost taste it. The kind that presses at your lungs,presses your ribs, and makes you aware of every passing second.


    I didn¡¯t me them.


    The things Elion had said...


    The offer...


    The heritage...


    The implication that he knew more about me than even I knew about myself...


    Even I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it.


    Truthfully, I doubted I had spoken in apletely coherent order. My mind had been a whirlpool ever since the moment I stepped out of Elion Grey¡¯s office. Thoughts circling, crashing, choking. The shock of his persistence. The worry over what River might say. The temptation - sharp and shameful - of discovering the truth behind my healing ability. All of it mixed into a storm that refused to calm.


    River had been away at Nightshade Pack.


    Oscar and Kieran were at the base camp, busy with the entrance exams for Silver Moon¡¯s new students.


    That left me alone with my spiraling thoughts for hours.


    And when the three of them finally returned home around dinner... they noticed immediately. Of course they did. It took them only five minutes to corner me in the bedroom once I had tucked Lioren into his crib in the nursery.


    I hadn¡¯t been trying to hide anything... not really. I just... didn¡¯t know how to say it. How to bring up Elion Grey of all people. And certainly not how to exin everything he had offered.


    Now the room was heavy and unmoving.


    River stood with arms crossed, leaning against the floor-to-ceiling ss wall.


    Oscar sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees.


    Kieran leaned against the back of the couch, his expression sharp and unreadable.


    For a long moment, nobody spoke.


    It was Oscar who broke the silence.


    "Why," he said slowly, "would Alpha Grey use something like that to make you agree to his offer?"


    Three pairs of eyes shifted instantly toward River.


    I did too.


    He was the ruling Alpha of the Rogue Community, a council member as well. He interacted with Alpha Grey more than any of us. He would know... if anyone did.


    River exhaled quietly, brushing his thumb across his jaw as though collecting his thoughts.


    And I braced myself.


    I expected him... especially him... to tell me to reject the offer. To stay away from Elion Grey. To forget everything he had said.


    But instead... River was calm. Thoughtful. Almost startlingly objective.


    "He¡¯s smart," River said finally. "Very smart. Smarter than most people realize. And he doesn¡¯t waste time with strategies that don¡¯t serve a purpose. If he revealed something as big as that to Evaline... something he shouldn¡¯t logically know.... it wasn¡¯t random."


    The room seemed to tighten around us.


    River looked up at me then, his gaze deep and probing. "I have worked with him enough to understand this much - Elion Grey doesn¡¯t take risks unless he¡¯s sure of the oue. If he¡¯s this persistent about making you his assistant... then he must believe there¡¯s something unique about you that he needs. Or values."


    He paused.


    Amd went quiet.


    Too quiet.


    "Unless..." he said, then stopped.


    But Oscar, of course, didn¡¯t let it slide. He chuckled. "Unless he¡¯s interested in our mate."


    My head snapped toward him. "He¡¯s not."


    "I¡¯m just saying what River looked like he was thinking."


    "I wasn¡¯t thinking that," River muttered... but his ears turned a very faint shade of red.


    I pressed my fingers to my forehead. "Oh my goddess..."


    Honestly, they were impossible sometimes.


    But the truth was - I hadn¡¯t felt even a flicker of romantic interest from Elion Grey. Not once. Yes, he was handsome. Very handsome. That tall, clean, quietly intense kind of handsome that was almost unfair. But beautiful men weren¡¯t new to me. And nothing in the way he looked at me felt... like <i>that</i>.


    This was strategic.


    Purposeful.


    Calcted.


    But why?


    Kieran cleared his throat softly, pulling us back to the real issue. His voice was calm, but beneath it I sensed tension... threads pulled too tight.


    "How did he even know?" He asked. "About your healing powers?"


    I had been asking myself the same question.


    "Either he investigated you and someone talked," Kieran continued, "or he somehow infiltrated our circle."


    River shook his head. "Elion isn¡¯t sloppy. If he infiltrated anything, we would have noticed it. And if he investigated her... it might have reached us already, especially after we recently cleaned our teams."


    "Or..." Oscar added quietly, "...he might know something we don¡¯t."


    That thought sent a shiver through me.


    Because if Elion Grey had answers about my healing power, then he had ess to information that even we didn¡¯t understand.


    My fingertips tingled.


    And despite the uncertainty twisting in my stomach... there was something else inside me too.


    Curiosity.


    Hope.


    A desperate, sharp longing.


    "What if," I whispered, "he really does know something... something real?"


    River¡¯s eyes softened when he looked at me. "Evaline..."


    I swallowed.


    "I have wanted answers ever since I got this power," I said, my voice trembling before I steadied it. "I have wanted to know about my mom¡¯s lineage ever since I was little."


    None of them spoke.


    None of them interrupted.


    They just listened, truly listened.


    And I realized something that made my chest ache... they weren¡¯t trying to push me away from the decision.


    Not even River.


    They were letting me think for myself.


    I sat down on the edge of the bed beside Oscar, clutching the nket between my fingers.


    "I don¡¯t want to walk into someone else¡¯s pack politics," I admitted. "But if Elion actually knows something about my bloodline... about why I can heal-" My voice cracked. "I can¡¯t ignore that."


    Kieran moved first, stepping closer until he stood directly in front of me.


    "Then don¡¯t," he said softly. "Just don¡¯t rush."


    Oscar nodded. "We are not saying go. We are not saying don¡¯t go. But don¡¯t make the choice in haste."


    River crouched down in front of me, taking my hands gently into his.


    His touch always grounded me.


    "You don¡¯t owe Elion anything," he said. "But you also don¡¯t owe us the sacrifice of something important to you. Whatever you choose, we¡¯ll support it."


    My chest tightened again... this time with warmth.


    With love.


    With the quiet certainty that whatever storms came next, I wouldn¡¯t be facing them alone.


    I looked at all three of them, my voice barely audible.


    "What if epting his offer changes things? What if it turned out a trap or something?"


    River squeezed my hands. "Then we¡¯ll deal with everything. Together."


    I exhaled shakily.


    Their words didn¡¯t erase the uncertainty.


    But they did something gentler.


    They steadied me.


    And deep inside... beneath the confusion, the anxiety... something small and fragile whispered...


    <i>You know what you want, Eva.</i>


    And maybe I did.


    Maybe the truth of who I was mattered more than the fear of what might happen.


    But it was still worrying.

 Chapter 515: Late Night Visit To Alpha’s Room

    <h4>Chapter 515: Late Night Visit To Alpha¡¯s Room</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stood outside River¡¯s bedroom door for a long moment, my fist hovering inches away from the wood. The corridor was quiet, bathed in the dim glow of the nightmps, the rest of the house wrapped in deep sleep. Midnight had long passed, yet my heart refused to slow, my thoughts racing in circles no matter how many times I told myself to rest.


    I had tried.


    I really had.


    I hadin in bed staring at the ceiling, listening to the distant hum of the wards around the house, counting sheeps, reying Elion Grey¡¯s words again and again until they blurred together into something heavy and suffocating.


    <i>Secrets of our heritage.</i>


    It felt like a hand curled around my chest, squeezing just enough to keep me awake.


    So here I was.


    Needing River.


    I knocked softly, instantly regretting it the moment my knuckles touched the door. What if I woke him? What if he was finally sleeping peacefully after everything with Nightshade Pack? I should have turned around. I could talk to him in the morning. I <i>would</i> talk to him in the morning.


    I shifted my weight, already preparing to leave...


    The door opened.


    River stood there, hair slightly tousled, bare chest exposed, sleep still clinging to him in a way that made my heart twist. One look at his face and I knew I had woken him up.


    "I-" guilt rushed in instantly. "I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to wake you. It¡¯s not urgent, really. I can go back-"


    I didn¡¯t finish the sentence.


    He stepped forward and pulled me straight into his arms.


    My face pressed against his chest before I could react, the warmth of his skin seeping into me instantly. His scent wrapped around me like a shield. Onerge hand came up to cradle the back of my head as his fingers ruffled my hair gently.


    "Why aren¡¯t you wearing slippers?" he murmured sleepily, his voice low and rough from being woken up.


    I blinked.


    "I-what?"


    Only then did I realize my feet were bare against the cool stone floor. I hadn¡¯t even noticed when I left my room.


    Before I could respond, River¡¯s arms tightened.


    And then the ground vanished.


    I gasped softly as he lifted me up effortlessly, my instinctive reaction making my legs close around his waist. His hold was secure, familiar, like he had done this a hundred times before and would do it a hundred times more.


    He nudged the door closed with his foot, locked it, and carried me inside as if this were the most natural thing in the world.


    My heart thudded painfully - not from surprise, but from the way he made me feel so safe without even trying.


    Heid me gently on the bed, his mattress warm beneath me, and joined me immediately, pulling me back into his arms before tugging the nket over both of us. His body curved around mine protectively, one arm wrapped around my waist, the other cradling my head against his chest.


    Just like that, the chaos inside me softened.


    I stayed there for a while, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my ear, letting his fingers run through my hair in slow, soothing strokes. Each pass of his hand smoothed another jagged edge inside me. My breathing slowed, my muscles rxed, and for a moment... I thought I might actually fall asleep.


    Then his voice broke the quiet.


    "What¡¯s keeping you awake, Angel?"


    I sighed softly and shifted, pulling back just enough to look at him. His eyes were heavy-lidded but attentive,pletely focused on me despite having been dragged out of sleep.


    "Are you... really okay with it?" I asked quietly.


    "With what?" he murmured, though I knew he already understood.


    "With me taking Alpha Grey¡¯s offer."


    Before he could answer, the words rushed out of me, tumbling over one another as if I¡¯d been holding them back for hours.


    "I know I¡¯m your mate," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "And I know that means I should make sure I¡¯m not doing something that makes you worry or upsets you. I know that. I have thought about it over and over. But I haven¡¯t been able to forget what Alpha Grey said - that I shouldn¡¯t decline the offer because <i>I</i> don¡¯t like it."


    I swallowed.


    "Because the truth is... I <i>do</i> like it. I was tempted almost the moment heid it all out. If it had been anyone else offering it to me, I would have said yes without thinking twice."


    I ced my hand over his chest, feeling the steady strength of his heart beneath my palm.


    "I need you to trust me," I said softly. "I have never felt anything romantic from him. Not once. And if I ever do... if that ever changes... I promise you, River, I¡¯ll walk away on my own. I won¡¯t hesitate. I won¡¯t care what secrets he knows about my bloodline or my healing powers. I just... need you to trust me."


    Silence followed.


    But it wasn¡¯t heavy.


    River had listened to every word without interrupting, his gaze softening with each sentence. When I finished, there was the faintest smile ying on his lips... the kind that wasn¡¯t amused, but deeply affectionate.


    He covered my hand with his own, pressing it gently against his chest.


    "I have always trusted you," he said simply.


    Emotion tightened my throat.


    "I never once felt that Elion was attracted to you in that way," River continued.


    I blinked.


    He sighed quietly. "What he feels toward you... it isn¡¯t desire. It¡¯s admiration. Respect. For your performance at the Academy. For your work here. And for what you are."


    "What I am?" I echoed.


    "One of thest three living members of the Silver Wolf bloodline."


    His thumb brushed gently over my knuckles. "I knew from the first day you noticed his hair that your curiosity wasn¡¯t personal. It was instinct. Blood recognizing blood. It¡¯s been about answers."


    He fell silent for a moment, his jaw tightening ever so slightly before he spoke again.


    "Even without romantic feelings involved... what you and Elion share has the potential to be something deep. Something important." His eyes met mine, honest and vulnerable. "That¡¯s what makes me jealous."


    I stared at him, surprised.


    "I don¡¯t like the idea that there¡¯s another man out there - someone who isn¡¯t me or my brothers - who might know more about you than we do. About your past. Your blood. Your power." He huffed softly. "It¡¯s irrational, I know."


    "No," I said quickly. "It¡¯s not."


    His gaze softened even more.


    "I trust you more than I trust myself," he said quietly. "And I respect your decision. You deserve to know the answers you seek."


    Warmth flooded my chest, overwhelming and fierce.


    I shifted closer, pressing my forehead to his. "Thank you."


    His arm tightened around me. "I¡¯m always here for you, Angel. Always."


    And for the first time since stepping out of Alpha Grey¡¯s office, my heart finally began to calm.


    Wrapped in River¡¯s arms, surrounded by trust instead of fear, I let myself breathe.


    And eventually... I fell asleep in his warmth, love, and trust.

 Chapter 516: Her Final Decision

    <h4>Chapter 516: Her Final Decision</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I pouted at the screen as I finished typing the one hundred and twenty-third page of the herb and potions record book.


    One hundred and twenty-three.


    The number stared back at me like a quiet usation.


    Three days ago, when I had first dusted off the heavy tome and carried it to my table, I had briefly worried that I wouldn¡¯t be able to finish digitalizing the entire book within my remaining working days. Back then, it had felt like a reasonable concern, something I could push aside with determination and hard work.


    Now?


    Now, as I leaned back in my chair and stared at the progress bar mocking me from the bottom of the screen, the truth settled heavily in my chest.


    Nearly two hundred Chapters still remained.


    Two hundred.


    I sighed, letting my forehead rest against the cool edge of the desk for a second.


    It wasn¡¯t just disappointment... it was grief in the smallest, nerdiest sense. This book had been everything I loved wrapped into brittle pages and faded ink. Ancient herbalbinations. Forgotten potion bases. Marg note scribbles from a healer who had lived three hundred and seventy-three years ago and thought future readers deserved honesty instead of polish.


    I had been so excited.


    And now, in less than two hours, I would have to say goodbye to it.


    It was myst day at work.


    The realization made my chest ache in a way I hadn¡¯t fully expected. This ce... the chaos of sealed boxes, the smell of old parchment, the quiet satisfaction of turning centuries-old knowledge into something permanent and essible... had be part of my routine.


    I nced at the book resting beside myptop, its spine cracked with age, its pages yellowed and fragile.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I murmured under my breath, ridiculous as it sounded. "I really wanted to read you."


    Shaking my head, I straightened and ced my fingers back on the keyboard. Self-pity wasn¡¯t going to get the next page done. If I couldn¡¯t finish the book, at least I could make sure I left it better than I found it.


    As I typed, my thoughts drifted back to thest two days.


    Chaotic didn¡¯t even begin to cover it.


    All thanks to Alpha Elion Grey.


    The day after he had sent me away from his office with unanswered questions and a pounding heart, I had gone back. Not immediately - no, I had needed an entire night of pacing, talking, thinking, and arguing with myself first. But when my shift ended the next day, I found myself standing outside his office again.


    This time, I had been prepared.


    "I¡¯ll ept your offer," I had told him calmly once I was seated. "But I have conditions."


    The faintest flicker of surprise had crossed his face... so subtle I might have imagined it... but he hadn¡¯t interrupted.


    I hadid them out carefully.


    First - I would never work past eight in the evening during those exceptions he mentioned. Not even during emergencies. Eight was my limit.


    Second - I needed at least one full weekend off every month.


    Third - If I ever felt threatened, pressured, or forced... directly or indirectly... I could walk out and resign without penalty.


    And fourth...


    "You tell me everything," I had said, meeting his gaze steadily. "EVERYTHING you know about our bloodline. About my healing power. No half-truths. No omissions."


    Once I had finished, he had taken his time to respond.


    For a moment, I had wondered if I¡¯d pushed too far. But then he had nodded... slowly, thoughtfully... and agreed.


    Just like that.


    No arguments. No negotiations. No attempts to weaken my terms.


    Still calm. Still unreadable.


    Which somehow made him even more unsettling.


    The contract had arrived the next day - printed, clean, professional. I had taken both copies straight to River, watching his sharp eyes scan every line, every use. When he finally handed it back to me with a nod, something inside me had settled.


    I signed it and handed it to him this morning.


    The decision was real now.


    My future had shifted.


    I shook my head, forcing myself back into the present. The cursor blinked patiently on the next page, waiting.


    I started typing again.


    I hadn¡¯t even reached the middle of the page when it happened.


    The sensation rolled through me without warning - warm, familiar, deeply grounding.


    My fingers stilled over the keyboard.


    The mate bond hummed softly, recognition blooming through my chest like sunlight breaking through clouds.


    <i>Kieran</i>.


    I lifted my head just as he stepped into the northest section of archive hall... exactly where I was currently working.


    He was with a group of people, including the senior overseeing our project.


    And his presence made the entire floor change.


    There was no other way to describe it.


    Kieran owned the space the moment he entered it.


    His presence radiated authority and calm power, the kind that didn¡¯t need to announce itself to be felt. Conversations died mid-sentence. Typing slowed. Heads lifted.


    Eyes followed him.


    Some gazes held surprise, others awe. Admiration. Curiosity.


    And some... many... were openly melting.


    I swallowed hard.


    He looked... devastating.


    Dressed in tailored ck cks and a dark charcoal shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his long blonde hair tied neatly in a bun. He wore his headmaster persona like a second skin. His posture was straight, his expressionposed, his steps unhurried.


    He looked every bit the Alpha.


    Every bit the professor.


    Every bit the man who already belonged to me...pletely and irrevocably.


    It took everything in me not to smile. Not to stand. Not to cross the floor and throw myself into his arms like a lovesick fool.


    Professional, Eva.


    Be professional.


    I stayed seated, hands folded neatly on the desk, heart racing traitorously as his gaze swept the hall.


    And then... inevitably... it found me.


    The mate bond thrummed stronger, recognition sharpening into warmth. His eyes softened for just the briefest fraction of a second... so quick no one else could have caught it.


    But I did.


    Always.


    Then his expression returned to neutral as he continued walking, the senior beside him speaking animatedly.


    Straight toward me.


    Oh.


    I straightened instinctively, smoothing my top and pushing my chair in slightly. My pulse picked up as they stopped beside my desk.


    The senior cleared his throat and turned to Kieran. "Headmaster Thorne, you must already know Miss Evaline as she¡¯s one of your students. She is the one working on the herb and potions records you requested."


    My heart skipped.


    Requested?


    I nced down at the heavy tome, then back up at Kieran, curiosity ring bright and sudden.


    He met my gaze steadily.


    "Yes," he said calmly, pointing his gaze at the book sitting on my desk. "That¡¯s the one."

 Chapter 517: In River’s Office

    <h4>Chapter 517: In River¡¯s Office</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    The confusion on my mate¡¯s face almost made me smile.


    Almost.


    If I weren¡¯t so practiced at keeping my expression carefully neutral in public spaces, I might have given myself away right then. But years of standing before lecture halls full of sharp-eyed students and council chambers filled with power-hungry Alphas had taught me restraint. So I kept my faceposed, my posture rxed, my tone professional... just as she was doing, despite the clear questions swirling behind her dazzling amber orbs.


    The moment her project senior mentioned the herb records she was working on, I noticed it.


    Her gaze flicked instinctively to the heavy book resting behind her on the desk, fingers twitching faintly as if she wanted to protect it, before she lifted her eyes to meet mine. It was brief... barely a second... but it was there. A silent question filled with curiosity.


    Then she looked away.


    Good.


    Professional Evaline was holding.


    Before anyone else could speak, I stepped in.


    "I would love to take a look through the record book for a moment," I said calmly, letting my gaze settle on the ancient tome. "And thinking about it, I would also like to borrow Miss Evaline for a while, considering she¡¯s already read nearly one-third of it. Considering her interest in Herbs and Potions, I¡¯m sure she has some insight on the record to share. She can also tell me if there¡¯s any other worthy records on herbs and potions here that she might have noticed."


    The wordsnded exactly as intended.


    The senior overseeing the project immediately straightened, clearly pleased. "Of course, Headmaster Thorne. Miss Evaline has been doing exceptional work. She will surely not disappoint you."


    Director Calix, one of the highest-ranking administrative officers in the headquarters... nodded in agreement. "If you require anything at all, Miss Evaline will assist you."


    Evaline turned slightly, surprise flickering across her face before she masked it. "Of course," she said politely.


    As she bent to lift the book and herptop, I stepped forward without hesitation.


    "I have got it."


    She blinked, startled, as I took the heavy tome andptop from her hands with ease. The weight was nothing to me, but I felt the subtle tension in her shoulders ease as she straightened.


    Director Calix gestured toward the hallway. "We have a private office prepared for you on the fourth floor, Headmaster Thorne."


    I followed him out of the archive hall, Evaline walking beside me. Every step was measured. Every movement intentional. I was acutely aware of the eyes still lingering on us, the whispers that would no doubt follow once we were gone.


    Power invited gazes... and whispers - both good and bad.


    At the end of the hallway, just before we reached the designated office, I spoke again.


    "Actually," I said, stopping. "I would prefer to work in my brother¡¯s office."


    Calix paused, surprised for only a fraction of a second before recovering. "Alpha Thorne¡¯s office?"


    "Yes. I won¡¯t be disturbed there." I met his gaze evenly. "At least not for an hour. If I need anything, I¡¯ll let you know."


    There was no arguing with my tone.


    "Of course," he said quickly. "I¡¯ll make sure no one interrupts."


    He turned to Evaline. "You are in charge of assisting the Headmaster."


    She nodded. "Understood, Director."


    Calix left, his footsteps fading down the hall.


    The moment we stepped into the elevator, the doors slid shut with a soft chime... and silence wrapped around us.


    Not ufortable.


    Just... heavy.


    Evaline stood beside me, her hands folded neatly in front of her, her eyes fixed on the glowing numbers as the elevator rose. I could feel her awareness of me like a living thing, humming faintly through the mate bond. She was thinking. Overthinking.


    I said nothing.


    When the doors opened on the seventh floor, we stepped out and she led us to River¡¯s office where she stepped aside withoutment, giving me space to enter the passcode to my brother¡¯s office even though I knew she knew it just as well as I did. But there were cameras watching us in the hallway. And protocol mattered.


    The door slid open.


    I held it for her, waiting until she stepped inside before following and locking it behind us.


    Only then did I move to River¡¯s desk, setting the book andptop down carefully.


    The silence finally broke as she spoke.


    "Kieran," she said, her voice low but controlled, "what are you doing?"


    I turned.


    Really turned this time.


    She stood a few feet away, arms loosely crossed, her eyes sharp with curiosity and something softer beneath it. The tension she had been holding finally cracked just enough to show through.


    I didn¡¯t answer with words.


    I reached out for her, my hands finding her waist as easily as if they belonged there... because they did. Before she could protest or even inhale, I lifted her effortlessly and settled her onto the desk.


    Her breath hitched.


    Good.


    I stepped in close, bracing my hands on either side of her, trapping her gently but decisively. Her knees brushed my hips, warmth radiating between us, the mate bond ring bright and alive.


    Then I kissed her.


    Not rushed.


    Not restrained.


    Just enough to remind her exactly who I was to her.


    Her lips were soft, warm, familiar in the way that sank straight into my bones. She froze for half a heartbeat... surprise, reflex... before melting into me, her fingers curling into the front of my shirt as she kissed me back.


    The world narrowed to the space between us.


    To the quiet hum of the wards around the building.


    To the truth I hadn¡¯t been able to say in front of others.


    When I finally pulled back, just enough to rest my forehead against hers, my voice was low and steady.


    "That," I murmured, "is why I¡¯m here."


    Her breath was unsteady, eyes wide and searching.


    "And the book?" she whispered.


    I smiled then... slow, knowing, unapologetic.


    "The book," I said, brushing my thumb gently along her jaw, "is exactly where everything begins."

 Chapter 518: A Gift For River (I)

    <h4>Chapter 518: A Gift For River (I)</h4>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    Her surprise hit me first.


    It was subtle - the way her brows lifted, the faint widening of her eyes - but through the mate bond, it rang loud and clear. She stared at me as if a piece had finally fallen into ce, one she hadn¡¯t even realized she¡¯d been holding.


    "You are here because of the record book that <i>I </i>wanted?" she asked slowly.


    I hummed, confirming her doubt.


    She shook her head, disbelief giving way to something softer. "I was just telling you yesterday how badly I wanted to read itpletely," she murmured. "How I won¡¯t be able to finish it before my work here ends." Her voice dipped. "And now you are... here."


    For a moment, she looked touched.


    And then... there it was.


    Her eyes narrowed, lips pressing into a thin line as she crossed her arms. "Wait. Did you seriouslye to the headquarters and pull rank just to get that book for me?"


    Ah.


    I knew that look. Evaline didn¡¯t like favors that leaned too heavily on power. Especially when that power wasn¡¯t hers.


    "Kieran," she continued, usation sharp but not unkind, "you are using your authority for my personal need. That doesn¡¯t feel right. It doesn¡¯t feel... nice."


    I smiled.


    Not mocking. Not amused.


    Soft.


    I lifted my hand and gently bopped her nose with the back of my finger.


    Her scowl broke instantly, eyes widening in offended surprise. "Hey!"


    "First," I said calmly, "you are allowed to want things."


    She opened her mouth, likely to argue, so I continued.


    "Second, after listening to you talk about that record book for two straight nights," I added, "I got interested in it too."


    Her expression faltered.


    "I¡¯m actually here to collect a few ancient herb and potion records," I exined. "I¡¯m writing new curriculum books for the Academy. Updated ones. So I¡¯ll be needing such old records."


    Her shoulders rxed a fraction.


    "So no," I finished, meeting her gaze steadily, "I didn¡¯te here <i>just</i> for you."


    She nodded slowly, guilt easing from her features, reced by that adorable thoughtful look she got when she realized she had jumped to conclusions.


    "Oh," she said quietly.


    That look... soft eyes, lips parted just slightly... was my undoing.


    Before she could blink, I caught her chin gently between my fingers and leaned in, stealing another kiss.


    She gasped against my mouth, surprised again, fingers gripping my sleeves. I kept it brief but deliberate, enough to leave her breathless and flustered.


    She pulled back first, her eyes darting toward the door. "Kieran... we are at the headquarters."


    I chuckled, leaning in close enough that our foreheads brushed.


    "In River¡¯s office," I corrected.


    Her lips parted.


    "There are cameras," she pointed out weakly.


    "Yes," I agreed smoothly, "and only River has ess to them."


    Meaning - this office was the safest, most private ce in the entire building... especially for us to mess around.


    She opened her mouth, but then closed it. Seemed like she was at a loss for what to say.


    She nced at her wristwatch then, grounding herself, and shifted slightly on the desk. "We don¡¯t have much time," she said, gesturing toward the book andptop beside her. "So if we are doing this, we should hurry and go through the records."


    She tried to push against my chest to slide off the desk.


    I didn¡¯t let her.


    Instead, I caught her wrists and pinned them gently behind her back, stepping in close enough that our bodies nearly collided.


    Her breath hitched sharply.


    "Kieran-"


    Her eyes were wide now, bright with surprise and confusion. I could feel it through the bond... her trying to reconcile my words with my actions.


    The records sat untouched.


    And I wasn¡¯t even looking at them.


    I leaned in, my mouth brushing the shell of her ear as I spoke again, slower this time.


    "My fault. Let me rephrase my words... I¡¯m not here for the records."


    Her breath stuttered.


    "I¡¯m here for <i>you</i>."


    The words sank deep.


    "I¡¯m done with the entrance exams," I continued quietly. "The Academy¡¯s ready for the new semester. For the first time in a whole week, I¡¯m free."


    My grip loosened just enough to let my thumbs trace slow, grounding circles over her wrists.


    "And I missed you."


    She exhaled... a soft, relieved sound... and slipped her hands free from my hold with ease, immediately sliding them over my shoulders, her fingers curling into my cor.


    "What do you want to do now then?" she asked, her voice low... but innocent.


    I leaned back slightly and looked around the office as if considering something important.


    "What¡¯s River¡¯s favorite part of this ce?" I asked casually.


    She blinked. "What?"


    My eyes stopped on the long couch across the room.


    She followed my gaze, confusion flickering again. "The couch," she answered slowly. "Why?"


    I smirked.


    "Thought so."


    Before she could process that, I lifted her again, one arm securely under her thighs. She yelped softly, instinctively wrapping her legs around my waist.


    "Kieran!" she whispered. "What are you doing?"


    I started walking toward the couch, unhurried.


    "Leaving River a gift."


    Her breath caught, heat ring through the bond as realization dawned.


    I set her down on the couch gently, crowding in immediately, hands braced beside her as I leaned over her. Her eyes were brighter now, pulse fluttering visibly at her throat.


    "This," I murmured, brushing my knuckles down her arm, "is my brother¡¯s favorite ce to sit and pretend he¡¯s not overworking himself."


    She swallowed.


    "And today," I continued, my lips curving, "it¡¯s going to smell like you... like <i>us</i>."


    Her gasp was quiet but delicious.


    I didn¡¯t kiss her again... didn¡¯t cross that line.


    Instead, I lingered there, my forehead touching hers, breath mingling.


    "Rx," I whispered. "We are behaving."


    Her lips twitched. "This doesn¡¯t feel like behaving."


    I smiled against her temple.


    "It is," I said. "Because wanting you doesn¡¯t mean taking more than you are ready to give."


    Her fingers tightened in my shirt.


    The records could wait.


    For now, I had exactly what I came for.

 Chapter 519: A Gift For River (II)

    <h4>Chapter 519: A Gift For River (II)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    I watched her.


    That was always where my undoing began.


    Evaliney beneath me, hershes fluttering as she bit down on her lower lip, doing her absolute best to keep quiet... fighting the sounds she always tried so hard to restrain. It was a habit born from years of discipline, of control, of never wanting to draw attention to herself.


    But stars, she never had to hold back with me.


    I shifted closer, letting my presence alone steal her breath. I pulled out my fingers only to insert them back, and used my thumb to massage her clit at the same time. As I moved, my touch deepened and the rhythm changed, her control shattered just enough for a soft sound to escape her.


    There it was.


    I stilled, lifting my gaze to her face, memorizing the way her brows drew together, the way her fingers curled into the fabric of the couch beneath her.


    "Kieran," she whispered, half-warning, half-plea.


    That was my cue.


    I changed the pace again... deliberate, unrelenting... and her breath brokepletely. A sharp gasp slipped free, echoing softly through the office, followed by a sound she couldn¡¯t stop this time.


    I leaned down immediately, stealing the moan right from her mouth before she could think to quiet herself again.


    The kiss was slow at first, deep and unhurried, meant to ground her... but it didn¡¯t stay that way for long.


    She melted into it, her lips parting instinctively as if she had been waiting for me to im them again. I poured everything into that kiss... every moment I had spent missing her, every unspoken want, every promise I hadn¡¯t said out loud yet.


    It hadn¡¯t taken us long to get rid of our clothes... neatly folded and resting on the coffee table.


    She nowy bare under me, her body ready and begging for me. The sight... had me cursing under my breath.


    It was such a fierce battle to push back my wolf and not im her already. I wanted to get her ready first, to watch her shatter under immense pleasure.


    I kissed along her jaw, down her throat, lingering where her pulse raced beneath my lips. She arched slightly, giving me ess without a word, trusting mepletely.


    The trust hit harder than desire ever could.


    My other hand followed where my mouth led.


    I let my tongue ran over my mate mark, earning another sweet moan from her.


    I left my mark slowly with kisses pressed into her skin, reverent and iming all at once. She shivered beneath me, her breath turning uneven as sensation built and built, wave after wave rolling through her until she was gripping my shoulders just to stay anchored.


    Her world narrowed to feeling.


    And I stayed with her through all of it.


    When her body finally tipped over the edge, it was unmistakable... her breath breaking apart, her back arching, my name falling from her lips like a confession. I held her through it, murmuring low, grounding words until the tremors eased and she sagged against the cushions, glowing and spent.


    I pulled back just enough to look at her.


    Her eyes were unfocused, lips parted, chest rising and falling as she came back to herself. For a moment, we simply breathed together.


    Then I reached for my wallet on the coffee table beside us. From inside, I pulled out a familiar looking packet.


    She noticed immediately, one brow lifting despite her daze. "You seem... prepared," she murmured.


    I smiled, leaning down to brush a soft kiss to her temple. "I like being responsible."


    A breathyugh escaped her.


    I took my time, making sure everything was right. I tore the packet open, slipped on the condom while never once breaking eye contact as I settled between her legs again. The moment I lined myself against her entrance, anticipation rippled through the bond so sharply it stole my breath.


    Instead of entering her immediately, I started sliding my length between her folds, brushing my tip against her clit that had her closing her eyes and moaning softly.


    I repeated the move several times... until my length was covered in her juices... only then did I align myself against her opening once again.


    When I finally pushed forward, the sensation hit us both at once.


    She gasped, her fingers tightening around my forearms, and I groaned just as deeply, the sound pulled from somewhere instinctive and raw. Every inch felt likeing home.


    I moved slowly at first, letting us adjust, letting the connection settle. The bond hummed... alive, electric. Each movement synced us closer until there was no separation left, no hesitation.


    Only us.


    I leaned down and kissed her on the lips before burying my face in the crook of her neck.


    Her hands traveled from my arms to my back, her nails pressing into my skin as I increased the pace of my thrusts, her body meeting mine without thought, without restraint now. Every sound she made fed straight into my chest, every breath pulling me closer to the edge with her.


    I kissed her again, forehead to forehead, mouths brushing, breaths tangled.


    "Look at me," I whispered.


    She did.


    "Kieran... I-I¡¯m close..." she whispered momentster.


    I looked into her eyes, sensing my own release around the corner. "Let go then." I told, kissing her again on the lips.


    My thrusts were so fast and deep that it took merely another minute before the first wave of pleasure washed over her. And the way her inner muscles immediately squeezed around my length... was enough to push me over the edge.


    We both broke together, our release hitting us in the same breath, the same heartbeat.


    It was explosive.


    It was overwhelming.


    Like gravity had finally imed us both.


    I copsed in her waiting arms, making sure to not crush her under my weight. This time, her lips found mine first - eager, hungry, and iming.


    Ending the kiss, I pulled back and stared at her with a smile.


    "How about a second round?"

 Chapter 520: What Punishment?

    <h4>Chapter 520: What Punishment?</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "No."


    River¡¯s voice was loud, sharp, and final.


    The word hit the room like a mmed door.


    I blinked, momentarily stunned, my mouth still half-open from where I had been about to exin myself further. For a second, the only sound in the living room was the faint ticking of the clock on the wall and the hum of the staff working around the mansion.


    "I¡¯m not letting you meet Marcus," River continued, his tone firm, Alphamandyered beneath it. "Absolutely not."


    I turned fully toward him, disbelief sparking in my chest.


    "River-"


    Before I could even finish his name, Oscar spoke up.


    "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea."


    All eyes snapped to him.


    Oscar leaned back against the arm of the couch, arms crossed, his expression calm but thoughtful. "I mean refusing her, not the idea."


    River¡¯s jaw tightened. "Oscar-"


    "Let me finish," Oscar cut in, surprisingly gentle but unyielding. "You know I¡¯m not against protecting Eva. None of us are. But every single time we have stopped her from getting involved in the investigation, it¡¯s backfired."


    That gave me pause.


    He continued, "Every time we thought we had covered everything. Every time we were sure there was nothing left to see. And every time... she found something we didn¡¯t."


    The room fell quiet.


    I swallowed, suddenly very aware of the weight of his words.


    He wasn¡¯t exaggerating. Only now did I realize how true his words were... for whatever reason.


    The first real soul death victim. The ck veins. Even the missing page from the old records Kieran had - things the four of them had overlooked for one reason or another... were discovered by me during my investigation in the cases.


    My gaze shifted between my mates. That¡¯s when Kieran nodded slowly. "He¡¯s right."


    He pushed himself off the armrest he had been sitting on, hands sliding into his pockets. "I don¡¯t like the idea of her being anywhere near Marcus either," he admitted. "But she has a way of... seeing people. Not just what¡¯s on the surface and avable to be seen."


    With both him and Oscar speaking in my supporting, only River was left.


    All three of us turned to him.


    River hadn¡¯t moved.


    His gaze was fixed on the floor, his jaw clenched and shoulders rigid. The bond between us hummed uneasily, a low vibration that told me he was thinking hard... overthinking, really.


    It had been over a week since they captured Marcus and had been constantly questioning it, but so gar he hadn¡¯t revealed anything of importance. If we didn¡¯t know better, we would have believed by now that he actually knew nothing... especially when even going through torture left him repeating the same sentence he had been saying from the first day - <i>that he knew nothing.</i>


    So, I wanted to try my luck too and see if I could get anything out of him.


    I took a hesitant step closer.


    "River," I said softly.


    Still nothing.


    I reached out and tugged gently on the sleeve of his shirt, tilting my head up to look at him, deliberately making my expression as harmless and pleading as possible. I hated doing it... but stars, it worked on my mates more often than not.


    "Please?"


    He closed his eyes.


    A soft sigh left him, heavy with resignation and something else I couldn¡¯t quite ce.


    "Fine," he said atst. "Tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll take you to see Marcus before I drop you off at the Academy."


    Relief flooded through me so fast it almost made me dizzy.


    A bright smile bloomed on my face before I could stop it. Kieran gave me a subtle nod of approval, his lips twitching, while Oscar let out a low chuckle and winked at me.


    But my happiness didn¡¯tst.


    When I looked back at River, my smile slowly faded.


    He was staring directly at me now.


    Not angry.


    Not amused.


    Unreadable.


    A strange chill crawled up my spine.


    The Alpha in him felt... alert. Focused. Dangerous in that quiet way that meant I had unknowingly stepped onto thin ice.


    For half a second, the thought of quietly excusing myself and retreating to the safety of my bedroom sounded like an excellent idea.


    I took one step back.


    But it was already toote.


    "It¡¯s time for your punishment," River said calmly.


    I nearly choked on thin air.


    "Pun-what?"


    Oscar¡¯s brows shot up. "Punishment?" He looked between the two of us, clearly lost. "What punishment?"


    I cleared my throat far too loudly. "I have absolutely no idea what he¡¯s talking about."


    River¡¯s gaze never left mine.


    Oscar opened his mouth again, clearly intending to interrogate further... but Kieran stood up from the couch before he could.


    "Come on," Kieran said, grabbing Oscar by the arm and pulling him to his feet. "I¡¯ll exin."


    Oscar protested immediately. "Exin what? Kieran, what is going on?"


    "You¡¯ll find out soon," Kieran replied calmly, shooting me a knowing look that made my stomach drop. "Trust me."


    "Kieran-Eva-River-" Oscar tried again.


    Toote.


    They were already halfway out of the living room, Kieran dragging Oscar along with far too much ease. The two of them disappeared way too quickly, leaving me behind with River.


    "Wait-!" I called, hurrying after them.


    I barely made it two steps before River blocked my path.


    He didn¡¯t touch me. Didn¡¯t need to.


    His presence alone was enough to stop me cold.


    "Where do you think you are going?" he asked quietly.


    I forced a smile. "Anywhere that isn¡¯t... here?"


    His lips curved... not into a smile, but something far more dangerous.


    "You are not going anywhere."


    I swallowed.


    "River," I tried, "I really don¡¯t think-"


    He stepped closer.


    The air shifted. The bond tightened.


    He leaned down until his mouth was so close to my ear that I could feel his breath against my skin, warm and deliberate.


    "Have you already forgotten," he murmured, his voice low and intimate, "what you did in my office earlier today?"


    My heart skipped.


    Once.


    Twice.


    Oh.


    Oh no.


    I froze.


    Because suddenly... I knew there was no running away from River.

 Chapter 521: His Breaking Point

    <h4>Chapter 521: His Breaking Point</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River took another step forward.


    Instinctively, I took one back.


    I wasn¡¯t even sure <i>why</i>... only that every nerve in my body was screaming to keep whatever little space remained between us. My heartbeat was loud in my ears, my pulse skittering wildly as I retreated until my back hit something solid.


    Wood.


    A shelf.


    I was trapped.


    I looked up at him, my breath already uneven, and forced myself to speak before my brainpletely short-circuited.


    "If you are mad," I said, trying for calm and failing miserably, "you should go talk to your brother instead of-"


    River ced both his hands on the shelf, one on either side of my head.


    And then he leaned in just enough to steal the air from my lungs.


    "Who told you I¡¯m mad?" he asked quietly.


    I blinked.


    "What?"


    His brows lifted slightly, his gaze sharp and unreadable. "You keep thinking that I¡¯m mad about what you did in my office."


    His mouth curved, just barely. "I never said that."


    Confusion scrambled my thoughts.


    "Then why," I asked, genuinely lost now, "are you talking about... punishment?"


    This... <i>this</i>... was the moment my brain officially surrendered.


    In situations like these, when one of my mates decided to flirt or tease or assert dominance with terrifying confidence, my mind always gave up first, letting me know it¡¯s not capable of keeping up with them.


    Just like right now.


    River watched my confusion with open amusement now, something soft and dangerous glinting in his dark green eyes.


    "Angel," he murmured, "you really think punishment onlyes from anger?"


    I swallowed.


    A small smile touched his lips as he stared down at me, and stars... his eyes were doing far more talking than his mouth ever could. There was warmth there. Hunger. Control held back by threads that were already fraying.


    He lifted one hand from the shelf and tilted my chin up with two fingers.


    The movement was slow. Deliberate.


    My breath hitched.


    He leaned down until his mouth hovered just a breath away from mine.


    I could feel him. The heat of his body. The faint brush of his breath against my lips, against my skin. When he spoke, his voice was low, intimate, his words wrapped in warmth.


    "If this was Kieran¡¯s idea," he asked softly, "then why did you go along with it?"


    I barely heard the question.


    All I could see was his mouth.


    That mouth I hadn¡¯t tasted all summer.


    That mouth I had been avoiding, teasing, denying myself with ridiculous stubbornness while pretending I didn¡¯t crave him every second of every day.


    Stars, I had missed him.


    It didn¡¯t make sense... because we had spent almost every day together for the past seventy-something days. Side by side. Laughing. Working. Arguing. Existing in the same spaces.


    And yet...


    I had missed him like madness.


    This stupid, infuriating, intoxicating cat-and-mouse game we had been ying had stretched the yearning into something unbearable. Every nce that lingered too long. Every brush of fingers that never turned into more. Every almost-kiss that ended in restraint.


    My body ached with it.


    With <i>him</i>.


    All I felt was his closeness now. His warmth. The tension coiled between us, tight and ready to snap. I needed him so badly it almost hurt. I wouldn¡¯t have cared if he imed me right here, right now, in the middle of the living room with the whole world watching.


    I wanted him.


    Desperately.


    It would have been so easy.


    So easy to close the gap, to lift myself onto my toes and press my lips to his. To end this ridiculous game and finally have what I wanted.


    What we <i>both</i> wanted.


    But doing that would mean losing.


    It would mean surrendering.


    And as stupid as it was... call me petty, call me childish... I didn¡¯t want to give River Thorne the satisfaction of winning.


    Not him.


    If it were Oscar or Kieran or even Draven, I might have given in without a second thought.


    But River?


    No.


    Not when he looked at me like this.


    Not when I knew exactly how much control he was exercising.


    So instead of closing the gap, instead of kissing him like every cell in my body was screaming for me to do, I forced my gaze away from his lips and met his eyes.


    And then I smiled.


    Slow.


    Tempting.


    Dangerous.


    "I might have gone along with it," I said softly, my voice steady despite the chaos inside me, "because I wanted to see if it would finally push you over your limit."


    I felt it.


    The subtle shift.


    The way his eyes sharpened just a fraction.


    Encouraged, I continued.


    "I wanted to see if it would finally make you snap."


    That alone surprised him... but not enough.


    I knew him better than that.


    So I added the final strike.


    "Also, if you want to watch next time," I murmured, my tone dripping with deliberate provocation, "you don¡¯t need to do it through a screen."


    His jaw tightened.


    "You could juste to our bedrooms," I finished sweetly. "And watch from there."


    I hit the mark.


    His hand left my chin and wrapped around my throat.


    Not painfully.


    Not cruelly.


    But authoritatively.


    iming.


    My breath caught, my pulse exploding beneath his fingers as he leaned in closer, his body pressing into mine.


    His eyes were wild now.


    Not angry.


    Hungry.


    Desire burned there, raw and barely restrained. His gaze flicked from my eyes to my lips, and my heart nearly burst from my chest when he started to lean down.


    This was it.


    The breaking point.


    And then.


    His phone rang... again!


    The sound was loud.


    Jarring.


    Infuriating.


    River cursed under his breath, the word sharp and vicious as he pulled the phone from his pocket.


    I didn¡¯t wait.


    I shoved against his chest, forcing space between us, my eyes zing as I red at him... and then at the offending device in his hand.


    "Unbelievable," I snapped.


    Before he could say a word, before he could even react, I turned on my heel and stormed away.


    Damn him.


    And damn his stupid phone.

 Chapter 522: Sleeping Together

    <h4>Chapter 522: Sleeping Together</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I took the stairs to the second floor two at a time, my chest tight with frustration, my head still buzzing with River¡¯s voice, his hands, his damn phone.


    Every step felt like I was trying to outrun the lingering heat of that moment... outrun the disappointment, the anger, the aching want that had nowhere to go.


    When I reached the top, I stopped short.


    Oscar was there.


    He stood in the hallway, one hand on his bedroom door, clearly about to step inside. He froze the moment he heard my footsteps. When his gaze lifted andnded on my face, his eyebrows rose instantly, confusion giving way to concern as he took in my expression - my clenched jaw, the sting behind my eyes, the frustration I hadn¡¯t bothered to hide.


    I didn¡¯t give myself time to think.


    I ran straight toward him.


    "Oscar-"


    That was all I managed before I threw myself into his arms.


    He reacted without hesitation. Strong arms wrapped around me, lifting me effortlessly as if I weighed nothing. I wrapped my arms around his neck, my legs instinctively circling his waist, clinging to him like he was the only solid thing in a world that had suddenly tilted off its axis.


    He didn¡¯t ask questions.


    Didn¡¯t tease.


    Didn¡¯t even speak.


    With one hand holding me securely, the other reached back to push his bedroom door open. He stepped inside, kicked the door closed behind us, and locked it with a soft click.


    The room was dark, but he didn¡¯t falter for a second. With his wolf eyesight guiding him, he moved confidently through the space until he reached the bed. He lowered me gently onto the mattress, making sure I was steady before pulling back just enough to switch on the bedsidemp.


    Warm light filled the room.


    Soft. Golden. Safe.


    He looked at me then... really looked at me... and his voice dropped into that gentle tone that always unraveled me.


    "Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"


    I nodded so fast it was almost embarrassing.


    "Yes."


    A small smile curved his lips. He reached out and patted my head affectionately, grounding me even more.


    "Alright," he said softly. "Let me get changed first, okay?"


    I nodded again, curling my fingers into the edge of the mattress as I watched him turn and walk into his closet.


    Momentster, he came back out holding a tank top. He was already in his pajama bottoms, his upper body bare, muscles rxed and familiar and achinglyforting.


    He reached me and lifted the tank, about to slip it on.


    Before he could, I reached out and grabbed it from his hands.


    "You don¡¯t need that," I said casually.


    He paused, one eyebrow arching as he looked down at me.


    "Oh?" he murmured.


    I smiled up at him, slow and deliberate. "Can I borrow it instead?"


    Something warm flickered in his eyes. He nodded once.


    I didn¡¯t waste a second.


    I stood up, pulled off my night top, then my pajama bottoms. I slipped out of my bra next,pletely unbothered by his presence or hus fixed gaze on me, leaving only my panties on. I didn¡¯t rush. I didn¡¯t hide. I simply existed in front of him,fortable and unflustered.


    Then I pulled the tank over my head.


    It slid down my body, soft cotton skimming bare skin before settling mid-thigh. It covered me just enough... loose, long, familiar... leaving me both wrapped in him and exposed at the same time.


    Perfect.


    Oscar exhaled slowly.


    He climbed onto the bed then, his movement unhurried. The moment he was close enough, his hand fisted in my hair, tilting my head back. His mouth brushed my throat, then pressed a kiss there - warm, possessive - before he pulled back slightly.


    "You have be a dangerous tease," he murmured.


    I smiled, proud and unapologetic.


    He smiled back.


    Then hey down and tugged me with him, pulling me into his arms and covering us both with the nket. I settled against him immediately, resting my head on his shoulder, my body molding to his in a way that felt instinctive and right.


    His arm wrapped around me, strong and protective.


    I sighed.


    Peace washed over me, deep and steady. My fingers traced the familiar lines of the tattoo on his chest, following the inked patterns slowly, lovingly. Each curve felt like a map I already knew by heart.


    As my fingers wandered, one brushed dangerously close to his nipple.


    Mischief immediately stirred in me. And before I could change my mind, I flicked my nail lightly over it.


    Oscar¡¯s reaction was instant.


    His hand caught my wrist mid-motion, fingers closing firmly but gently. His voice dropped, rich and warning as he spoke my full name.


    "Evaline Greystone."


    I looked up at him, unsatisfied, pouting slightly. "Don¡¯t call me that," I said. "I don¡¯t like that surname."


    He studied me for a moment, something thoughtful in his gaze.


    "Then," he asked quietly, "how about being called a Thorne?"


    The world stopped.


    My breath caught in my throat. My heart stuttered, then raced. Every thought evaporated, leaving only the weight of his words hanging between us.


    "Are you... proposing? Like this?" I whispered.


    He didn¡¯tugh. Didn¡¯t deflect.


    Instead, he tilted his head slightly. "Do you have any ideas about your proposal?"


    I blinked, startled by the question.


    "I..." I thought about it honestly. "I never really pictured one for myself. But I have read some in books. Seen some online. Some of them are really romantic."


    His eyes softened. "Tell me your favorite."


    So I did.


    I told him about quiet moments and heartfelt words. About proposals that weren¡¯t about spectacle but about meaning. About being chosen in a way that felt certain and warm and safe.


    As I spoke, his thumb traced slow,forting circles on my arm.


    By the time I finished, my voice had softened, my body heavy withfort. Sleep tugged at me gently.


    I was almost drifting off when he spoke again.


    "Eva."


    I hummed sleepily. "Hmm?"


    "You still haven¡¯t answered me."


    I smiled, nestling closer into his chest.


    "It¡¯s a yes."

 Chapter 523: Leaving Them Behind

    <h4>Chapter 523: Leaving Them Behind</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I squeezed Draven¡¯s hand gently, my fingers wrapped around his cold ones as if warmth alone could will him back to me.


    I had been sitting beside his bed for nearly half an hour now, long enough for the silence to feel heavy, long enough for the ache in my chest to deepen instead of dull. I hade down here to bid him farewell... to tell him goodbye, to promise I would see him again during the weekend.


    But my feet refused to move.


    Every time I told myself - <i>just one more minute</i> - that minute stretched into another. And then another.


    So here I was, still perched on the small stool beside his bed, still holding his hand like letting go might mean losing him all over again.


    Draveny there exactly as he had for the past two months - too still, too quiet, his chest rising and falling softly. His face was calm, almost peaceful, as if he were merely sleeping after a long, exhausting day. If someone didn¡¯t know better, they might think he was dreaming.


    I knew better.


    My thumb brushed slowly over his knuckles, memorizing the feel of him as if my body feared forgetting. "I¡¯ll be back before you know it," I whispered, even though he couldn¡¯t hear me. "You better wake up soon... I don¡¯t like doing all the talking alone."


    My throat tightened.


    The door behind me opened softly.


    I didn¡¯t need to turn around to know who it was.


    River¡¯s presence wrapped around me even before his hand came to rest on my shoulder, warm and grounding. His voice was gentle when he spoke, but firm in the way that told me he had already waited as long as he could.


    "Angel," he said quietly. "It¡¯s time for us to leave."


    My heart clenched painfully.


    I nodded, though every part of me resisted the motion. I didn¡¯t want to leave. Not Draven. Not this room. Not the fragile sense of closeness I felt just by sitting here with him.


    River stepped closer to the bedside, his movements careful, respectful. He reached for the small table beside Draven¡¯s bed and pulled open the middle drawer. The soft scrape of wood against wood echoed too loudly in the silence.


    He pulled something out.


    The moment I saw it, my breath hitched.


    It was Draven¡¯s favorite keychain.


    The one he always carried with him. The one he used to fidget with absentmindedly when he was thinking. I had seen it hanging from his bag more times than I could count.


    River took my hand gently and ced the keychain into my palm.


    "Keep it with you," he said softly.


    I curled my fingers around it immediately, as if afraid it might disappear. The metal was cool against my skin, familiar in a way that made my chest ache all over again.


    I stood slowly, my legs unsteady. Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to Draven¡¯s cold lips, lingering there for just a second longer than necessary. I cupped his cheek with my free hand, my thumb brushing his skin.


    "We are going to bring you back," I promised, my voice trembling despite my effort to keep it steady. "All of us. So you better be ready."


    Then I turned away.


    If I stayed even a second longer, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave at all.


    River guided me out of the room, his hand firm around mine, steadying me as the door closed behind us with a quiet finality.


    When we reached the ground floor, Madam Elira was waiting in the living room.


    And she was holding Lioren.


    The moment my son saw me, his entire face lit up, a bright, innocent smile stretching across his tiny features. The sight of it hit me harder than I expected.


    "Oh...e here, my love," I breathed.


    I took him into my arms immediately, cradling him close. His small body fit against me perfectly, his warmth seeping into my chest. I kissed his cheek again and again, inhaling his scent like I needed it to survive theing days.


    "I¡¯m going to miss you so much," I whispered into his soft hair. "Mama loves you. So, so much."


    I rested his face against my corbone, holding him tighter than necessary,mitting the weight of him to memory.


    After a long moment, I forced myself to pull back and handed him gently to Madam Elira.


    "Take good care of him," I said, my voice thick.


    She smiled warmly. "Always, mydy. I promise."


    River patted Lioren softly on the head before he took my hand then, his grip reassuring, and led me toward the front doors. Every step away from Lioren felt wrong, like my body was protesting a separation it didn¡¯t understand.


    Outside, he opened the back door of the car for me. I slid inside, ncing back at the mansion onest time before he joined me. The driver started the engine, and the car rolled forward, slowly pulling away from the estate.


    I stared out of the window as the gates loomed ahead, my reflection faintly visible in the ss... my eyes shining with unshed tears I refused to let fall.


    Leaving Lioren behind hurt in a way I hadn¡¯t been prepared for. Knowing I wouldn¡¯t be home until the weekends, that I would miss his small changes, his expressions, the little moments that would nevere back... it tore at something deep inside me.


    River¡¯s hand came to rest on my thigh, squeezing gently.


    "I¡¯ll take care of him," he said quietly. "And Draven too. You have my word."


    I looked at him and nodded, swallowing hard.


    After a moment, he nced at me again. "Are you still mad at me aboutst night?"


    I huffed softly, turning my gaze back to the window. "Don¡¯t talk about it."


    Just thinking about it made my frustration re all over again. I had been so close. <i>So close.</i>


    He smiled faintly but said nothing more.


    The rest of the ride passed in afortable silence. Eventually, the car slowed and came to a stop in front of the prison building.


    River led me inside, down cold stone corridors and into the dungeons. The air grew heavier with each step, the weight of what I was about to do settling over me.


    When we reached Marcus¡¯s cell, I stopped.


    "Wait here," I told River, turning to face him.


    He opened his mouth to protest, but one look from me had him sighing in resignation.


    "I¡¯ll be right outside," he said. "Call me if you need me."


    I nodded and only then did he open the door for me.


    I took in a deep breath... and then stepped inside.

 Chapter 524: Her Plan (I)

    <h4>Chapter 524: Her n (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had braced myself for something ugly.


    But nothing could have prepared me for the sight that greeted me when the dungeon door closed behind me with a hollow thud.


    The cell was steeped in darkness, the kind that clung to the skin. Only a single candle burned on a small wooden table in the far corner, its weak me flickering as if even it was tired of being here. Shadows crawled along the stone walls, stretching and bending, swallowing most of the room whole.


    And in the middle of it all sat Marcus.


    Chained to a chair.


    My breath caught.


    He looked... smaller. Not physically - he was still broad-shouldered, still built like a warrior - but something about him seemed shrunk inward. His posture was stiff, his head slightly bowed, his wrists bound behind the chair with thick restraints made of silver. His clothes were rumpled, stained, torn in ces.


    Thoroughly investigated, indeed.


    The moment the door shut, he looked up.


    Our gazes collided.


    Confusion flickered across his face first, sharp and immediate. Then fear crept in, slow and unmistakable, tightening his features as he took me in... my clothes, my stance, the way I stood there unflinching in his hell.


    For a long second, neither of us moved.


    I studied him openly, my eyes adjusting to the dimness, cataloguing details without mercy.


    And he watched me like a cornered animal, clearly trying to figure out who I was... and why I was here.


    I took a step closer.


    He flinched.


    Not subtly. Not guardedly.


    He recoiled... shoulders tensing, breath hitching, his body pulling back against the chair as if he expected pain to follow my movement.


    I froze.


    Just for a second.


    Something twisted ufortably in my chest, sharp and unexpected.


    I hadn¡¯t meant to scare him.


    Slowly, deliberately, I closed the distance between us. I reached for the only other chair in the room, its legs scraping loudly against the stone floor as I dragged it closer and ced it directly in front of him.


    Then I sat.


    Marcus¡¯s eyes never left me.


    I wasn¡¯t afraid of him. Not even for a moment. River had made sure he was secured well enough that even the strongest wolf wouldn¡¯t break free. The silver chains, the bindings... they were thorough. Professional.


    Letting out a quiet breath, I leaned forward slightly and let my eyes roam over him.


    He wasn¡¯t broken beyond recognition. Not beaten bloody. But he had clearly taken hits.


    A cut marred his brow, crusted and red. His cheek bore a fresh scrape, his lower lip split. Bruises bloomed along his bare arms - dark purples and sickly yellows - while scratches traced angry lines across his skin. His wrists were the worst of it... raw, bruised, bleeding in ces where silver had bitten into flesh.


    And I could feel it.


    Whatever they were feeding him... it wasn¡¯t normal.


    Somethingced into his meals suppressed his wolf, dulled its healing.


    I sighed softly and raised my hand toward his face.


    He flinched again, sharp and instinctive, his breath stuttering as he turned his head away.


    I stopped immediately.


    "Rx," I said quietly, my voice calm. "I¡¯m not here to hurt you."


    He hesitated.


    Then... slowly... his shoulders loosened just a fraction.


    It was enough.


    I reached out again, gently brushing his hair aside to get a better look at the cut on his brow. It wasn¡¯t deep. Painful, yes... but manageable. My fingers were careful, precise, as I examined him piece by piece.


    His cheek was scraped but it had already started to scab. His lip was split. His arms were bruised and scratched from ces. His wrists were even worse.


    And then there was his left shoulder.


    The way he held it unnaturally still. The subtle tremor in his muscles every time he shifted.


    It was clearly dislocated.


    "Idiot," I murmured under my breath.


    When I finished assessing him, I stood abruptly and walked to the door. Pulling it open, I met River¡¯s stare head-on.


    "I need a first aid kit," I said, and watched him arch one of his eyebrows before he dropped a very expected - "No."


    I didn¡¯t even blink. "Then I¡¯ll heal him myself."


    That got his attention.


    His eyes widened just a fraction. "Eva-"


    "You either give me the kit," I cut in coolly, "or I use my power. Your choice."


    For a heartbeat, he just stared at me. Then his gaze slid past me... over my shoulder... andnded on Marcus.


    The temperature in the room seemed to drop.


    I felt Marcus flinch behind me.


    I shot River a warning look, sharp and unyielding.


    He exhaled slowly, clearly displeased, before signaling to a nearby warrior. "Get the kit."


    Satisfied, I closed the door and returned to my seat.


    Marcus watched me the entire time. Not with fear now. But with confusion. Like a lost child watching an adult bend the rules of the world he thought he understood.


    The warrior returned within minutes. I took the kit without a word and set to work immediately.


    The next stretch of time passed in quiet efficiency.


    I cleaned his cuts carefully, applied herbal solution that stung but healed, wrapped his wrists to protect them from further damage. Marcus barely made a sound, his jaw clenched, eyes following every movement of my hands.


    When it came time to fix his shoulder, I paused.


    "I need to untie you," I said evenly.


    His eyes widened. "You are... not afraid I¡¯ll run?"


    I didn¡¯t even look at him as I loosened the restraints. "You can try."


    Something flickered across his face... something like disbelief.


    He didn¡¯t move.


    Not when his hands were free. Not when pain etched lines into his face as I reset his shoulder with a swift, practiced motion. He hissed, breath shuddering, but he stayed right where he was.


    Obedient.


    When I tied his hands again - this time in front of him, looser, more humane - he didn¡¯t resist.


    When I finished, I packed up the kit and stood.


    I turned toward the door.


    "Wait."


    His voice stopped me.


    I turned back slowly, meeting his gaze. He looked... different now. Less afraid. More uncertain. Vulnerable in a way I hadn¡¯t expected... but wanted. Needed.


    I didn¡¯t ask why he stopped me. I simply waited.


    His fingers tightened around the chain binding his wrists, his knuckles whitening. "Can we... talk?"

 Chapter 525: Her Plan (II)

    <h4>Chapter 525: Her n (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I tilted my head just a little.


    Not enough to be curious. Not enough to be sympathetic. Just enough to acknowledge that I had heard him.


    "What do you want to talk about?" I asked.


    My voice was level... almost bored.


    Marcus swallowed.


    I could see it in the way his throat bobbed, in the way his fingers tightened around the chain binding his wrists. My calm unsettled him more than anger ever could have. He had likely braced himself for rage, threats, perhaps even cruelty just like what he had received since the day he got captured by River.


    Instead, he got indifference... and a pinch of kindness.


    It took him a painfully long moment to gather his thoughts. His gaze darted briefly to the candle, then back to me, as though drawing courage from its weak me.


    "The... the Soul Death matter," he finally said.


    Ah.


    Finally.


    I waited.


    No gasp. No sharp intake of breath. I gave him no visible reaction at all.


    In fact, the corner of my lips curved... just barely. A smirk so faint it might have been imagined, but it was very much real.


    "If that¡¯s what you want to talk about," I said calmly, "then you are speaking to the wrong person."


    His brow furrowed.


    "There¡¯s someone far more appropriate for that conversation," I continued, turning slightly toward the door. "Alpha River Thorne. You can talk to him when you see him again."


    I let my gaze slide back to him, cold and assessing. "And frankly, Marcus, if you actually had anything useful to say about the matter, you wouldn¡¯t be sitting here looking like this."


    The wordsnded exactly where I intended them to.


    He flinched.


    I turned away, one hand already reaching for the door.


    "Wait-!"


    His voice cracked.


    Desperation seeped through it, raw and unfiltered.


    I paused.


    A quiet sigh escaped me as I turned back to face him again. This time, he didn¡¯t hesitate. Panic had stripped him of pride.


    "I do," he said quickly. "I do have information. About the Soul Death cases. About what happened to Carson. Real information."


    I studied him in silence.


    I took my time with it, letting the quiet stretch until his difort was palpable. He shifted in his seat, chains clinking softly, sweat breaking along his hairline.


    "If that¡¯s true," I said atst, "then tell me something, Marcus."


    I leaned back slightly, folding my arms.


    "Why didn¡¯t you tell Alpha Thorne?"


    His lips parted... but I wasn¡¯t finished.


    "And why," I continued coolly, "did you let yourself get beaten and dragged through interrogations instead?"


    My eyes sharpened. "Why tell me now?"


    For a moment, he didn¡¯t answer. But then his shoulders sagged.


    "I was waiting," he admitted quietly.


    "Waiting for what?"


    "To use it."


    I blinked once.


    "To get money," he rified, his eyes dropping to the floor. "From Alpha Thorne."


    Something inside me twisted... not with shock, but with disgust.


    He continued, clearly oblivious to the shift within me. "I thought since he hadn¡¯t handed me over to the council, I still might get away from this unharmed. I didn¡¯t think he would go as far as exiling me without a proper trial. Yesterday, when he said it... I thought it was just a threat."


    His gaze snapped back up to mine. "But today... I told the warriors that I wanted to see him, but no one listened to me. Not even when I told them I wanted to confess. And even now he stayed outside and let only youe in... all this made me realize he might actually do it. Send me away without another chance to speak to him."


    Heughed weakly. "And I can¡¯t risk that."


    I stared at him.


    Really stared.


    The more he spoke, the harder it became to maintain the calm mask I had been wearing since stepping into this cell. My fingers curled against my arms, my nails digging into the fabric of my pastel blue shirt.


    This man.


    This pathetic excuse of a man.


    People were lying unconscious. Wolves torn from their bodies. Families broken. Lives suspended in endless waiting... and here he was, still thinking about squeezing out more money.


    I felt the urge rise fast and violent.


    One step forward.


    One sharp movement.


    And I could dislocate the shoulder I had just fixed. The irony of it almost made me smile.


    Almost.


    But I didn¡¯t move.


    Instead, I exhaled slowly through my nose and turned back to the chair. I sat down again, deliberately, crossing my legs and folding my hands in myp.


    "Speak," I said simply. "Tell me what you know."


    Relief shed across his face.


    Then greed followed it.


    "I will," he said, licking his lips. "But first... I want something in return."


    Of course he did. I expected nothing less from him.


    "I want you to talk to River Thorne," he continued, emboldened by the fact that I hadn¡¯t shut him down yet. "I want you to make sure I¡¯m spared from punishment."


    I wanted to ask what made him think I had the power to negotiate with an Alpha... and that too Alpha Thorne of everyone.


    But I said nothing.


    I let the silence answer him first.


    Seconds passed.


    Then I spoke.


    "If the information you provide turns out to be useful," I said evenly, "I can negotiate for you not to be exiled."


    His eyes lit up...


    "And that¡¯s where it ends," I cut in calmly.


    His expression faltered.


    "You will still pay the fine," I continued. "And you will serve probation. Community hours. Months of them."


    I leaned forward slightly, my gaze unwavering. "You will not walk away clean. That is the best I can offer."


    He opened his mouth to argue.


    "You either take it," I added coolly, "or you get nothing."


    I stood.


    And he froze.


    I took a step toward the door.


    "Wait," he said quickly, panic flooding back into his voice. "Wait-please."


    I paused again but didn¡¯t turn around.


    He hesitated.


    I could almost hear the calctions in his head. The weighing of pride against survival. Greed against fear.


    Another second passed.


    Then another.


    I reached for the handle.


    "Fine," he blurted out. "I¡¯ll take it."


    I turned back slowly.


    His shoulders slumped as he nodded. "I ept."


    Good.


    "Then talk," I said, my voice cool and unyielding.

 Chapter 526: Carson’s Discovery

    <h4>Chapter 526: Carson¡¯s Discovery</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Marcus opened his mouth.


    Then closed it again.


    He stared at the candle as if it might whisper the right words to him, his fingers twitching faintly against the chains. For someone who had been so eager moments ago, he now looked utterly lost... like a man standing at the edge of a cliff, suddenly unsure whether he wanted to jump.


    I watched him for a few seconds.


    Then I decided to help.


    "Start from the beginning," I said calmly. "The night you sneaked out of the Academy with Carson."


    His gaze snapped to mine.


    "I need every detail," I added. "Don¡¯t decide what¡¯s important and what¡¯s not. Tell me exactly what happened."


    He nodded, swallowing hard.


    "After dinner," he began, his voice rough but steadying as he spoke, "Carson and I sneaked out through Academy¡¯s back gate. It was nothing unusual. We had done it several times before."


    "For what purpose?" I asked even though I already knew the answer.


    "To get booze," he admitted. "From Lakeshire Town. Our group was nning a secret party the next night. Nothing... big. Just stupid student stuff."


    I didn¡¯tment.


    "On the way back," he continued, "Carson started acting strange."


    My fingers tightened slightly in myp.


    "He said his chest hurt," Marcus said. "At first, it looked like difort. He rubbed at it,ined that it felt tight. That¡¯s when I noticed... these weird ck lines."


    Wait...


    "ck lines?" I echoed quietly.


    He nodded. "Veins? If that makes sense. Or maybe something that looked like veins. Carson said he noticed those earlier in the morning, faint but visible. He thought it was a bruise or something and didn¡¯t pay it much attention. But it looked nothing like a bruise to me. Those lines... they were really scary... almost like a curse moving right under his skin."


    My heart began to beat faster... but my face remained unreadable.


    "What happened next?" I asked.


    "The pain got worse," Marcus said. "We had just crossed into the forest line around the Academy. That¡¯s when he stopped walking."


    He exhaled shakily.


    "He started breathing hard. Then the pain turned... violent. He was clutching his chest... right above those ck lines... like something was tearing him apart from the inside."


    I had seen the victims... including Draven.


    Unconscious. Empty. Their wolves gone.


    "I tried to get him back," he said quickly. "I swear I did. I thought if I could just get him to the healer-"


    "But you couldn¡¯t," I said.


    He shook his head.


    "He copsed. Right there. Just... fell. I tried shaking him, calling his name. But nothing worked."


    His voice cracked despite himself.


    "I panicked. I didn¡¯t know what else to do, so I ran back to the Academy and got the others. We thought if we went back together, we could carry him... but when we arrived there, the night patrol had already found him."


    Silence filled the cell.


    Every word he had spoken so far aligned perfectly with what River and Oscar had already found out during questioning the rest of the members of the secret student group. The timeline. The forest. The unconscious body.


    There was nothing new... except for the ck veins.


    But it hardly helped with the case.


    I leaned back in my chair, and kept my tone even as I spoke, "You have just repeated what we already know."


    His head jerked up. "I know... but-"


    "There¡¯s nothing new here," I continued calmly. "No additional detail that changes anything. I don¡¯t think I can help you at all."


    Marcus clenched his jaw.


    "But Carson was up to something," he said suddenly.


    The words cut through the air.


    I didn¡¯t react, even when my pulse spiked almost instantly at the words.


    "Exin," I said calmly.


    He hesitated, then spoke carefully. " Carson and I shared a dorm room during the final semester. And one april night, I found Carson sneaking back inside the dorm building right before dusk."


    I watched him, waiting to hear what was so different about Carson sneaking in and out of the dorm.


    "I got curious immediately because there was no scheduled group meeting that night. Neither any other n of sneaking out of the Academy."


    "Did he say where he was going?"


    "No," Marcus replied. "Every time I asked, he would brush me off. Joke about it. Change the subject. At first I thought he probably sneaked out to meet a girl or something. But then he started going out way too often and I got worried that he might get caught and bring trouble to all of us."


    I stayed silent.


    "So one night," Marcus continued, "I followed him."


    The candle flickered. And I waited.


    "That night, I learnt that there was actually a secret underground passage built under the Academy. Carson found that passage right before seventh semester ended. I followed him through the passage and realized... he had been going to the abandoned West Tower all this time."


    I couldn¡¯t keep a straight face even if I wanted.


    West Tower? Why would he be going there?


    The questions began to flood my head, anxiety tapped in as well, but I forced myself to stay silent and wait for him to continue on his own.


    And he did.


    "Carson was kind of a leader of our secret student group, and he had been searching for a new ce for our secret meetings. That¡¯s how he first ended up entering the West Tower. But the reason he kept going there... it¡¯s... it¡¯s just..."


    "What?" I asked, keeping my tone calm even though I wanted to shake all the information out of him at this point.


    Marcus looked at the candle¡¯s flickering me, his gaze unfocused though as if he was recalling the past.


    "I never saw it for myself, but after he found me following him, he told me about this great discovery of his."


    His gaze focused and he turned to look at me, and I almost felt like he was staring right into my soul as he spoke the words...


    "He said there¡¯s a great power sealed under the Academy and he¡¯s going to release it and be it¡¯s new master. He called it... <i>the Great Evil.</i>"

 Chapter 527: The West Tower’s Secret

    <h4>Chapter 527: The West Tower¡¯s Secret</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The words hung in the air long after Marcus finished speaking.


    <i>The Great Evil.</i>


    For a moment, I did nothing but breathe.


    That name sent a cold ripple down my spine, not because it was unfamiliar, but because it wasn¡¯t. I had heard it before. Whispered. Weaponized. Used like a threat sharp enough to make people bleed money and silence.


    Marcus had used it.


    Against other students of his group.


    Back then, we had assumed it was nothing more than a fear tactic. A fabricated monster born from greed and cruelty. A lie meant to extort money and obedience.


    But now...


    Now I realized Marcus hadn¡¯t invented the name at all.


    He had borrowed it.


    Stolen it from a truth far darker than we had imagined.


    I tilted my head slightly, schooling my face into neutrality even as my mind raced ahead, weaving threads together at a terrifying speed.


    "The Great Evil," I repeated calmly. "What exactly do you know about it?"


    Marcus hesitated.


    "Everything Carson told me," he said finally. "And nothing beyond that."


    "Then start there," I said. "How did Carson even learn about something like that?"


    He exhaled slowly, as if bracing himself.


    "Right before the seventh semester exams," Marcus began, "Carson found something."


    "What kind of something in the library?" I asked.


    "A piece of parchment," he replied. "Old. Torn. Faded around the edges. And it had a secret underground tunnel mapped on it... half of it."


    My fingers twitched.


    "Where?"


    "Behind the third-year dorms," Marcus said. "There¡¯s a stone wall there covered in thick ivy. That¡¯s where the map showed the mouth of the secret tunnel."


    I stayed silent, trying to recall if I had ever used that tunnel before with the brothers but there¡¯s no such recollection.


    Marcus continued, "However, the map wasn¡¯tplete. There was merely half of it. But it showed at least one end of the tunnel."


    Marcus stopped to grab his breath before he began again. "After finding out such a secret, Carson couldn¡¯t let it go. He became obsessed with figuring out where it led. But the semester was almost over so he didn¡¯t get the chance."


    I leaned back in my chair, folding my arms loosely.


    "So once the final semester began," I said, "he went looking."


    Marcus nodded.


    "The first chance he got. He found the wall. Found the hidden opening. And it turned out the tunnel was real."


    Of course it was.


    "And it led to the West Tower," I said.


    "Yes," Marcus confirmed. "Straight into its basement."


    So that¡¯s how he ended up in the West Tower in the first ce.


    But Carson hadn¡¯t stopped there.


    Marcus¡¯s voice lowered. "Once he knew the tunnel was real, curiosity wasn¡¯t enough anymore. He started searching the tower itself. Every inch. Every shadow."


    I waited. Trying to be as patient as I ever could.


    A hint of unease flickered across Marcus¡¯ face as he revealed - "And that¡¯s when he found the trapdoor."


    I stilled.


    "There was a hidden trapdoor in the basement floor," he continued. "Concealed so well you¡¯d walk over it a hundred times and never notice. It led even further down."


    "How far?" I asked.


    "I don¡¯t know," he said. "Carson never said. Just... deep."


    I let the silence stretch, letting the weight of his words settle.


    "And Carson went down there," I said finally.


    "Yes," Marcus replied. "Again and again. A secret ce no one else knew about. He used it as his hideaway. Somewhere to be alone. To rest and y."


    "Did you ever go there?"


    Marcus let out a sigh. "He never told me all this on his own. I actually followed him one night and saw him entering the tunnel. Then I waited until the night he had to sneak out of the Academy because of the group¡¯s ns and that¡¯s when I entered the tunnel and found the basement. But that¡¯s all. I never found any trapdoor or anything else."


    I stared at him, trying to see just how much truth he¡¯s telling.


    "Then how did you learn about the trapdoor and the secret room? He told you?" I asked.


    "When I found nothing in the basement, I lost my interest. But then something changed," Marcus went on. "One night, Carson came back... shaken."


    I straightened slightly.


    "He told me he heard a voice," Marcus said quietly.


    The candle flickered violently, as if reacting to the words.


    "A voice?" I echoed.


    "Yes," he said. "Faint at first. Barely more than a whisper. He thought he was imagining it. That the ce was ying tricks on him."


    "But..."


    "It kept calling to him. Every time he went down there. Day after day."


    I felt a familiar dread coil in my chest.


    "And the voice," I said, "told him about the Great Evil?"


    Marcus nodded slowly.


    "It told him it had been trapped beneath the West Tower for centuries," he said. "Bound there by ancient magic. Forgotten. Starved."


    My fingers curled into my palms.


    "And it needed something," Marcus whispered. "Blood."


    I closed my eyes for half a heartbeat.


    "Alpha blood," he continued. "Offerings. Rituals. Sacrifices."


    I felt sick.


    "And in return?" I asked.


    Marcus swallowed.


    "It promised him power," he said. "Unmatched power. Strength beyond any Alpha in the world."


    I opened my eyes and fixed him with a steady gaze.


    "It promised to make him the strongest Alpha in existence. And Carson believed it. Completely." Marcus said. "He was... consumed by it. Obsessed. Every thought, every n revolved around it."


    "And you?" I asked.


    Heughed bitterly.


    "I thought he was losing his mind," Marcus said. "I didn¡¯t believe a word of it."


    He fixed his gaze on mine. "I went there again to find that secret room under basement. And I still found nothing. No chamber. No voice. No Great Evil."


    I studied him carefully. Then leaned back and exhaled slowly.


    "So you assumed Carson was delusional," I said.


    "Yes," Marcus admitted. "Or lying. Or both."


    "But he wasn¡¯t," I murmured.


    Marcus looked away.


    "I don¡¯t know," he said. "All I know is he believed it. With everything he had."


    "And that belief," I said quietly, "is what got him..."


    I didn¡¯t finish. I didn¡¯t need to.


    Silence stretched between us again.


    Then I stood slowly, my chair scraping softly against the stone floor.


    Marcus looked up at me, fear creeping back into his eyes.


    "Is that all?" I asked.


    He nodded quickly. "That¡¯s all I know. That¡¯s all he ever told me."


    I turned toward the door, my hand hovering over thetch.


    Behind me, Marcus¡¯s voice trembled.


    "Do you believe him?" he asked. "About the Great Evil?"


    I paused.


    Then, without turning back, I said, "Thank you for your cooperation."


    Then I opened the door and stepped into the hallway... where River stood waiting, his posture tense, his eyes sharp.


    We finally had a new lead - the West Tower.


    And it guarded a nightmare that¡¯s either waking up... or already had.

 Chapter 528: Something To Overthink

    <h4>Chapter 528: Something To Overthink</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t even realize how deep I had sunk into my thoughts until warmth wrapped around my fingers.


    I blinked, my gaze snapping down to where River¡¯s hand hade to rest over mine.


    The car wasn¡¯t moving.


    Confused, I looked out the window and realized we were pulled over on the side of the mountain road, the world outside quiet and vast - pine trees standing like silent witnesses beneath a sky slowly bruising into evening. The leaves rustled in the soft wind, the only sound grounding me in the present.


    River unbuckled his seat belt and turned fully toward me, his movements unhurried, deliberate. His fingers slipped between mine,cing our hands together with practiced ease, as if this was where they belonged. The warmth of his skin seeped into me, steadying something that had been spiraling since the moment I had stepped out of Marcus¡¯s cell.


    "Angel," he said softly. "You need to stop overthinking."


    I arched an eyebrow at him, slow and pointed.


    He caught it immediately.


    A quiet sigh left him, his lips curving into something that was half amusement, half resignation. "Okay," he corrected. "That was stupid. You don¡¯t <i>stop</i> overthinking. I know that."


    I didn¡¯t say anything, but the corner of my mouth twitched.


    His thumb brushed over my knuckles. "What I mean is... I need you to promise me something."


    That got my attention.


    "I want you to promise," he continued, his voice firm but gentle, "that you won¡¯t go digging into the West Tower. Not alone. Not secretly. Not even a little."


    My heart skipped, not from fear... but from the weight of the request.


    Though I wasn¡¯t thinking about doing anything like that, she couldn¡¯t deny that she¡¯s vert much capable of doing so... especially on whim.


    "I¡¯ll talk to my brothers," he said. "I¡¯ll tell them everything Marcus told you today. And then <i>we </i>will decide what to do next. Together."


    I studied his face, the sharp lines softened by concern. "You promise you won¡¯t leave me out?"


    "I swear it," he said without hesitation. "But in return... you don¡¯t go ying hero on your own."


    I nodded slowly. "Alright."


    Relief immediately flickered across his features.


    Then, unexpectedly, a smallugh escaped me.


    He frowned. "What?"


    "I just think it¡¯s funny," I said. "Not long ago, I was the one begging you to include me in the investigation. And now look at you... practically begging me to stay out of it."


    A smirk tugged at his lips. "Enjoy it while itsts."


    "I am," I teased.


    He chuckled softly, then searched my face. "So... are you done looking like you are carrying the weight of the world?"


    I shook my head honestly. "I can promise not to investigate. But thinking? That¡¯s harder. Especially when I don¡¯t have anything else to distract me."


    He was quiet for a moment. Then his gaze darkened... just slightly.


    "What if I gave you something else to think about?" he asked.


    Before I could ask what he meant, he released my hand and leaned closer. I felt the click of my seat belt releasing, the subtle shift of his body invading my space. One of his hands settled on my thigh, warm and grounding, sending a shiver racing up my spine.


    "River-" I started, my breath hitching.


    His face stopped inches from mine, close enough that I could feel his breath brush my cheek. His eyes searched mine, intense, unreadable, as his thumb traced a slow, deliberate path along my skin.


    My thoughts scattered instantly.


    Every nerve in my body seemed to wake at once.


    I grabbed his wrist... not to push him away, but because I needed something to hold onto. "We are... on the road," I whispered.


    "I know," he murmured.


    The car felt impossibly small even though it was anything but small. The air charged with everything we had been avoiding for months. His presence was overwhelming in the best and worst ways, his closeness unraveling me with terrifying ease.


    He didn¡¯t kiss me.


    Instead, his lips brushed near my cheek, my jaw, my neck... never quite touching, never giving me what I wanted most. It was torture, deliberate and controlled, and he knew exactly what he was doing.


    But on the other hand, his fingers had already slipped under my panty, easing their way into my core while his thumb brushed over my clit.


    I gasped out loud. My gaze fixed on his as he pulled both his fingers out only to thrust them in. His pace was fast... unrelenting and deep that had me digging my fingers in his arms.


    My breaths came faster, my pulse loud in my ears. The world outside the car faded until there was only him... his warmth, his scent, the way he made me feel like gravity had shifted.


    "River... I-I¡¯m close..."


    "Thene for me, love." He whispered, his warm breath fanning my lips. "Don¡¯t hold back."


    It¡¯s as if my body had been waiting just to hear him speak these words. All it took was one more deep thrust of his fingers, and it tipped me over the edge.


    The orgasm was so strong it shook mepletely and left me breathless. When the moment finally crested, I sagged back against the seat, breathless, heart racing, utterly undone.


    River rested his forehead briefly against mine, his breathing just as unsteady.


    "There," he said softly. "Now you have something else to overthink."


    I let out a shakyugh, still catching my breath. "You are insufferable."


    He smiled.


    I looked up at him, my eyes searching his. "Are you still not going to kiss me?"


    Something serious crossed his face then... something deep and unyielding.


    "When I finally kiss you," he said quietly, "it won¡¯t be a game anymore."


    My heart skipped.


    "It¡¯ll be the day I mark you as mine," he continued. "For eternity."


    The words settled into my chest like a promise.


    And this time... I didn¡¯t feel frustrated.


    I felt imed already.

 Chapter 529: Second Year

    <h4>Chapter 529: Second Year</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The heat hit us the moment we stepped out of the building.


    Not brushed. Not kissed.


    Hit.


    It wrapped around my skin like an overenthusiastic lover I absolutely did not want, thick and suffocating, clinging to every inch of exposed flesh. I barely made it three steps before I felt sweat gathering at the back of my neck, my shirt sticking ufortably to my spine.


    Stars above, it was <i>hot</i>.


    It was Wednesday - second day of the new term - and yet the Academy felt oddly sluggish, like even the walls were too tired to pretend otherwise. sses had been... light. Professors usually went easy during the first week or two, an unspoken apology for the absolute torture they inflicted during the final five weeks of every term.


    Still, "easy" didn¡¯t mean "optional."


    So there we were. Trapped by schedules, uniforms, and the merciless early-September sun.


    I tugged at the cor of my shirt, grimacing. Fall was practically begging to arrive - cool mornings, crisp winds, golden leaves - but after the early morning rain, the sun had decided to rise with a vengeance. No wind. No mercy. Just humidity so thick it felt like breathing through soaked fabric.


    And as werewolves?


    We were suffering.


    "Wow," Noah drawled beside me, wiping his forehead dramatically. "I never thought I would see the day."


    I nced at him. "The day what?"


    "The day our ss President and ss Keeper both give up on their picture-perfect Academy image."


    Kyros scoffed immediately. "This isn¡¯t giving up. This is survival."


    I couldn¡¯t help the smallugh that escaped me.


    Noah wasn¡¯t wrong, though.


    Both Kyros and I had ditched our uniform zers entirely. Our ties hung loose around our necks, top buttons undone, sleeves rolled up to our elbows. Kyros¡¯ usually immacte hair was slightly disheveled, strands clinging to his temple.


    As for me?


    I¡¯d pulled my shirt out of the waistband of my skirtpletely, hoping... foolishly... that it would let some nonexistent air circte.


    "Uniform order can kiss my ass today," Kyros added tly.


    Mallory groaned. "Can we <i>please</i> talk about how we still have to walk all the way to the dining hall? That¡¯s a full ten minutes walk under the scorching sun."


    Ria let out a distressed sound. "I didn¡¯t even bring my sunscreen. I was supposed to reapply after second period."


    Noah took one step out of the tree shade we were all gathered under and immediately stepped back. "I vote we stay hungry. Hunger is temporary. Heatstroke is forever."


    He wasn¡¯t exaggerating.


    We weren¡¯t the only ones suffering either.


    All around the building, students lingered desperately in whatever shade they could find - pressed against walls, hiding beneath overhangs, clustered beneath the sparse trees dotting the courtyard. First-years and second-years alike looked equally miserable, their usual excitement dulled by sweat and sun.


    Only a handful of brave... or foolish... souls attempted the direct route across the gardens toward the dining hall, and even they looked like they were regretting every step.


    I squinted toward the open stretch of sunlit grass. "Yeah... no."


    Mallory followed my gaze and shuddered. "Absolutely not."


    That¡¯s when it hit me.


    "There¡¯s a back corridor," I said suddenly.


    Everyone turned to look at me.


    Rowan clicked his fingers. "The patrolling corridor?"


    "Technically," I nodded. "It runs behind the east wing and connects straight to the main building. It¡¯s longer, but it¡¯s shaded the entire way."


    Ria¡¯s eyes lit up. "You are an angel."


    Noah sped his hands together dramatically. "Lead us to salvation, oh wise one."


    We pivoted immediately, abandoning the courtyard without a second thought.


    The moment we stepped into the corridor, the temperature dropped just enough to make breathing easier. Stone walls rose on either side, cool and dark, blocking the sunpletely. The floor was slightly damp from the morning rain, the scent of moss and old pines lingering in the air.


    I let out a sigh of relief. "See? Worth it."


    Noah nodded. "We can have enjoy both the food and AC now."


    Mallory stretched her arms overhead. "I might actually survive now."


    Our footsteps echoed softly as we walked, the corridor winding gently, branching asionally into smaller paths that led to storage rooms, staff passages, and rarely used gardens.


    It was quiet here. Peaceful.


    Almost too peaceful.


    We were halfway through when Noah slowed, his expression shifting.


    "Uh," he said. "Is it just me... or does that sound wrong?"


    I listened.


    At first, I heard nothing but our footsteps.


    Then...


    Laughter.


    Not the light kind. Not the kind that carried joy or warmth.


    Thisughter was sharp. Cutting. Mean.


    I stopped walking.


    "So it¡¯s not just me," Mallory murmured.


    The sound drifted from one of the side paths... a narrow archway partially hidden by ivy-covered stone. Beyond it, sunlight filtered through leaves, illuminating what looked like a small, secluded garden.


    Kyros frowned. "There¡¯s a garden over here?"


    Anotherugh echoed. Followed by a shaky, muffled voice.


    My stomach tightened.


    "Let¡¯s check," I said, already moving.


    The others followed without question.


    As we stepped closer, the scene came into view... and my blood went cold.


    A group of students stood in a loose semicircle, their backs partially turned to us. There were at least six of them. One leaned casually against a stone bench. Another twirled something metallic between his fingers.


    And in the center... stood a single student.


    Pinned.


    Cornered.


    My heart dropped straight into my stomach.


    I realized not only what was happening, but even found him familiar.


    He was smaller than the others, shoulders hunched inward, arms wrapped around himself like a shield that wasn¡¯t doing much protecting. His uniform was rumpled, zer missing, hair disheveled like someone had grabbed it earlier.


    "Come on," one of the students said mockingly. "We are just asking a question."


    "Yeah," another chimed in. "Why so quiet all of a sudden?"


    The boy flinched and a familiar memory hit me.


    That was all it took.


    My vision sharpened, my pulse roaring in my ears.


    I knew that face.


    I knew that posture.


    I knew that fear.


    And suddenly, the heat didn¡¯t matter anymore.

 Chapter 530 530: A Familiar Face

    Evaline:


    Rowan reacted before any of us could even fully process what we were seeing.


    "Hey!" he called out sharply, his voice cutting through the garden like a de. "What do you think you are doing?"


    The effect was immediate.


    The group of students froze midughter, mid-mockery, mid-cruel amusement. One of them actually flinched before they all turned around, eyes widening when they took in the sight of us standing at the garden''s entrance.


    For a split second... just one... their faces reflected something raw and honest.


    Panic.


    But it vanished almost instantly, reced by practiced,zy smiles.


    "Oh," one of themughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Nothing much. We were just joking around."


    "Yeah," another chimed in quickly. "Just having fun with our ssmate."


    As if to sell the lie, one of them slung an arm around the boy in the middle and pulled him closer, squeezing his shoulder like they were the best of friends.


    I felt my jaw tighten.


    If they thought we were stupid enough to believe that, they were gravely mistaken.


    Not after what we had heard.


    Not after what we were seeing.


    The boy''s hair was a mess, strands sticking out at odd angles like someone had grabbed it roughly. His uniform shirt was wrinkled and half untucked, his pocket visibly torn. His hands trembled at his sides, fingers curling inward like he didn''t know where to put them.


    And his eyes...


    His eyes were wide, ssy, and terrified.


    That wasn''t the face of someone joking around with friends.


    That was fear. Raw and unfiltered.


    Kyros stepped forward.


    The shift in him was subtle, but unmistakable.


    Moments ago, he had been the sameposed, slightly exasperated ss Keeperining about the heat. Now, something colder surfaced beneath his calm exterior. His shoulders squared, his posture straightened, and his gaze hardened into something sharp enough to cut.


    "Jokes?" Kyros asked mildly, though there was nothing mild about the way his presence suddenly filled the space. "Interesting. Would you like me to join in?"


    The students stiffened.


    Kyros tilted his head slightly, his eyes glinting. "I have a lot of experience with¡­ games."


    Anyone who didn''t know Kyros well might still mistake him for a harmless softie. But those of us who did... who knew his lineage, his training, the quiet strength coiled beneath his politeness... understood exactly what he was capable of.


    And judging by the way the first-years paled?


    They understood too.


    The arm around the boy''s shoulders dropped immediately.


    "We... we are sorry," one of them blurted out. "We didn''t mean anything by it."


    "Yeah," another added hastily. "We were just messing around. It won''t happen again."


    Rowan crossed his arms, his expression stern. "It better not."


    He nced at each of them in turn, making sure they felt the weight of his words. "Because if it does, you''ll be exining yourselves to the discipline office. And trust me... you don''t want that in your first month at Silver Moon Academy."


    They nodded so fast it was almostical.


    "Yes. Yes, of course."


    "We promise."


    Without waiting for further permission, they turned and bolted, nearly tripping over each other as they fled the garden and disappeared down the path.


    Silence settled in their wake.


    Only then did I realize I had been holding my breath.


    The boy stood there, frozen, as if he wasn''t quite convinced it was over. His gaze darted around the garden, scanning the ground frantically.


    "Hey," Noah said gently, stepping closer. "It''s okay. They are gone."


    He didn''t respond.


    Then I saw what he was looking for.


    His ssesy on the stone path near the bench, its lens smudged with dirt. He hurried over and crouched, hands shaking as he picked them up. He wiped them on his sleeve and slid them back onto his nose.


    I watched his shoulders sag in visible relief.


    "They are not broken," he whispered, almost to himself.


    Mallory suddenly snapped her fingers. "Wait."


    We all turned to her.


    "I knew he looked familiar," she said, her eyes widening as realization struck. "Eva... don''t you remember? Mapleton Town. The morning after our camping night?"


    My heart skipped.


    Mapleton.


    The memory surfaced instantly -  me and Mallory walking out of the restaurant after finishing breakfast only to notice a boy being cornered by others across the street.


    "Oh," I breathed. "That''s right."


    Everything clicked into ce.


    That was why he had looked familiar the moment I''d seen him. Why something about his posture, his fear, had felt hauntingly familiar.


    He had been bullied then too.


    The boy lifted his head slowly, his eyes flicking between us as if seeing us properly for the first time. Then his gazended on me.


    And his eyes widened.


    Recognition dawned.


    "You," he said softly, his voice barely audible. "You were there."


    I nodded. "We were."


    Selene stepped closer, her expression gentle. "What was your name again?"


    The boy swallowed. "C-Charles."


    "That''s right," Selene said with a small smile. "Charles."


    Noah let out a low whistle. "Wow. I can''t believe you ended up here too. Silver Moon Academy of all ces."


    He grinned, clearly impressed. "That''s some coincidence."


    But Charles didn''t smile.


    In fact, he looked like he was on the verge of falling apart.


    His gaze dropped to the ground again, panic creeping back into his features. He spun around suddenly, eyes scanning the garden once more until he spotted something lying near the bushes.


    His zer.


    He rushed over and picked it up.


    The moment he noticed its state, his breath hitched.


    "Oh no," he whispered.


    My gazended on the zer and I notice the ripped fabric, threads hanging loose. His fingers trembled as he clutched it to his chest.


    And then...


    He broke. A sob tore from his throat, raw and uncontroble.


    We all froze.


    * * *


    Author''s Note:


    Hello everyone!


    Hopefully, you all are having amazing holidays.


    I''m here to apologize for not releasing more than one chapter/day this month. A lot was going on in my personal life and I just couldn''t write. I thought I''ll be able to write more during holidays but it was only my wishful thinking. But I''m still trying.


    I''ll make sure to give you guys a mass release for new year. Please look forward to it.


    Thank you!

 Chapter 531 531: Familiar Fate

    Evaline:


    For a moment, none of us moved.


    We just stood there, staring at Charles as he sobbed, confusion and shock written clearly on every face in my group. It wasn''t the loud, dramatic kind of crying that drew attention... it was worse. Quiet. Broken. Like he had been holding everything in for far too long and something small had finally shattered the fragile wall keeping it all together.


    I felt something twist painfully in my chest.


    I took a slow breath, steadying myself, and stepped toward him.


    "Charles," I said softly.


    He flinched, as if my voice alone startled him out of his misery. He scrubbed at his eyes quickly, wiping away tears with the back of his sleeve, and shook his head.


    "It''s nothing," he muttered. "I''m fine."


    But I knew that look.


    I knew it far too well.


    That hollow expression. The forcedposure. The way he straightened his shoulders like standing tall could somehow erase the pain wing at his insides.


    He wasn''t fine.


    And I doubted he ever truly had been.


    This was the second time I met him, and both times I found him being cornered, humiliated, reduced to someone small and defenseless in a world that worshipped strength above all else.


    And then there were the sses.


    Werewolves didn''t need them. Not unless something was wrong.


    Either his wolf was weak¡­ or he didn''t have one at all.


    The thought made my stomach churn.


    I prayed silently that it was neither... that maybe he just preferred wearing them just like Kieran and Kyros, that this was simply his choice. Because I knew exactly what life looked like for those who were different in our world. I had lived it. I had survived it.


    And I wouldn''t wish it on anyone.


    I hesitated for just a second before reaching out.


    Then I gently patted his shoulder.


    The moment my hand made contact, something strange happened.


    A sudden rush of energy surged through my palm... warm, sharp, and fleeting. It washed over my skin like a spark before vanishing just as quickly as it had appeared.


    I froze.


    That feeling¡­


    It was weird... but familiar.


    But before I could even begin to grasp it, before I could chase the thought down, Charles turned toward me, pulling me back into the moment.


    "What''s wrong?" I asked again, more firmly this time. "Tell me."


    He looked at me for a long second, as if debating whether he should say anything at all. Then his gaze dropped to the zer clutched in his hands.


    Slowly, he held it out.


    "This," he added quietly, gesturing to the torn zer. "I know it probably sounds stupid. Crying over a uniform."


    "It doesn''t," I said immediately.


    He let out a shaky breath. "My grandmother bought it," he continued, voice trembling. "She¡­ she saved for nearly a year. Ever since I told her I wanted toe here. She worked extra hours, skipped things she needed, just so I could afford this uniform."


    His fingers tightened around the fabric.


    "And now," he whispered, "it''s ruined. On the second day."


    Something inside me cracked.


    How could I not understand?


    Silver Moon Academy was prestigious. Ruthless. Everything here came at a cost... and none of it was cheap. The uniforms alone were worth more than some families earned in months.


    If it weren''t for Kieran, for the way he had quietly paid for everything when I first arrived, I would have never made it here. I wouldn''t have been able to afford the uniform, the supplies, the fees... any of it.


    I remembered how small I had felt back then. How terrified I''d been of damaging something I couldn''t rece. How every tear, every stain, every rip felt like the end of the world.


    Charles wasn''t foolish.


    He was hurting.


    I reached out and gently took the zer from his hands.


    He looked startled but didn''t stop me.


    I inspected it carefully, fingers tracing the tear along the sleeve. The fabric was still good. The damage wasn''t severe... just loose threads, pulled apart by rough hands.


    Relief bloomed in my chest.


    I looked up at him and smiled.


    "It''s okay," I said. "This can be fixed."


    His eyes widened. "R-really?"


    I nodded. "I know some needlework. It won''t even be noticeable once I''m done."


    He stared at me like I had just told him the sky was purple.


    "Leave it with me," I added gently. "I''ll bring it back to you tomorrow morning. Breakfast."


    His lips parted, disbelief written all over his face. "You¡­ you don''t have to-"


    "I want to," I said firmly.


    Then, softer, "And if you give me your shirtter, I can fix the pocket too."


    For a moment, he didn''t speak.


    Then his eyes filled with tears again... but this time, they were different. Less broken. Less hopeless.


    "Thank you," he whispered. "I-I don''t know how to repay you."


    "You don''t have to," I replied.


    Behind me, I felt my friends shift closer.


    Mallory crossed her arms, ring in the direction the bullies had run off. "Those idiots are lucky we didn''t do more."


    Kyros nodded. "If theye near you again, you tell us. Immediately."


    Noah offered him a small smile. "You are not alone here, Charles. You have got backup now."


    Charles looked overwhelmed, his eyes darting between us as if he couldn''t quite believe this was real.


    I recognized that look too.


    The disbelief that came when kindness felt unfamiliar.


    When you weren''t used to people standing up for you.


    My chest tightened painfully.


    "Come on," I said gently. "We were heading to lunch."


    He hesitated. "I-I don''t want to be a bother."


    "You are not," I said without hesitation.


    He finally nodded slowly.


    As we walked together through the corridor, I found myself watching him out of the corner of my eye. The way he kept his head slightly lowered. The way he flinched at sudden sounds. The way he tried so hard to appearposed despite everything weighing him down.


    It was like looking into a mirror of my past.


    The bullying. The istion. The quiet resilience.


    The desperate attempt to stay strong in a world that constantly reminded you of your weakness.


    I clenched my fists.


    No.


    Not again.


    Not to him.


    I didn''t know why fate had crossed our paths twice now. I didn''t know why that strange surge of energy had pulsed through me when I touched him.


    But one thing was clear.


    Charles wasn''t invisible anymore.


    And as long as I was here... he wouldn''t face this alone.

 Chapter 532 532: The Famous Seven

    Evaline:


    If Rowan hadn''t pointed it out, I would have missed himpletely.


    The dining hall was chaos... as it always was during breakfast hours. Students packed shoulder to shoulder, voices ovepping, cutlery clinking, the smell of freshly baked bread and hot meals filling the air. Everyone was trying to eat before rushing off to their morning sses, and the noise alone was enough to make my head throb.


    I scanned the hall once. Then twice.


    Nothing.


    My eyes finally followed Rowan''s subtle gesture toward the farthest corner at the very back of the hall.


    "There," he murmured. "Found him."


    And there he was.


    Charles sat at the most secluded table possible, tucked so far away that it almost blended into the shadows cast by the tall stone pirs. His shoulders were slightly hunched, his head lowered, as if he hoped the world would simply forget he existed.


    I knew exactly why he chose that spot.


    He didn''t want to be seen.


    The sight tugged painfully at something deep inside my chest. Every time I looked at him, it felt like staring at a version of myself I had finally buried - a girl who used to shrink herself smaller and smaller, hoping invisibility would keep her safe.


    It never did.


    The rest of my friends headed toward our usual table next to the giant ss windows, whereughter and familiarity waited. Rowan stayed back with me without a word.


    We walked toward Charles together.


    I didn''t lower my voice when I called out to him.


    "Charles."


    I was aware of the eyes that followed us. Curious nces. Whispered questions. People noticed when Rowan and I approached Charles.


    And I didn''t care.


    If being seen with us helped keep his bullies at bay, then it was worth every stare.


    Charles startled slightly, lifting his head in rm before his expression softened when he recognized us. Relief flickered across his face, and then... his gaze dropped to my arms.


    To the neatly folded zer resting there.


    For the first time since I had known him, a bright, genuine smile bloomed on his face. It was like watching the sun break through storm clouds.


    I smiled back without even realizing it.


    "Good morning," I said, stepping closer. "I told you I''d bring it."


    I handed him the zer.


    His fingers brushed the fabric reverently, as if he was afraid it might disappear. He unfolded it carefully, his eyes widening as he examined the sleeve.


    "It''s¡­ it''s perfect," he breathed. "You even-"


    "I had it dry cleaned," I said casually. "Figured it deserved a proper return."


    He looked up at me, his eyes shining. "Thank you," he said again, his voice thick with emotion. "I-I don''t know how to-"


    "You don''t have to," I interrupted gently. "Now," I added, holding out my hand, "your shirt."


    He froze.


    Completely.


    His smile faltered as he stared at my outstretched palm like I had just asked for something outrageous.


    "You¡­ you don''t need to do that," he said quickly. "You have already done so much. You  and your friends saved me yesterday... and before that too... and you even fixed my zer. I don''t want to bother you anymore."


    My heart clenched.


    I shook my head slowly. "Charles, listen to me. This isn''t a bother. Not even a little."


    He hesitated, fingers curling nervously around the edge of the table.


    "I''m already grateful," he continued softly. "I don''t want to take advantage of your kindness."


    I crouched slightly so we were closer to eye level.


    "Let me decide what''s too much for me," I said gently. "Okay?"


    He studied my face for a long moment, searching for something... pity, maybe, or annoyance. When he found neither, his shoulders finally rxed.


    "Oh," he murmured, embarrassed. "I-I brought it. It''s in my bag."


    "Good," I said with a small smile.


    He rummaged through his worn bag and carefully handed me the shirt, folded as neatly as he could manage.


    "I''ll bring it back tomorrow morning," I promised. "Breakfast again."


    His lips curved into a shy smile. "I''ll be here."


    As I straightened, my gaze drifted to the table.


    A ss of milk.


    A single piece of bread.


    That was it.


    No fruit. No eggs. No meat.


    I felt something sharp twist inside me.


    Silver Moon''s dining hall offered an abundance of food, options meant to nourish growing wolves and future warriors. Yet Charles sat here with the bare minimum, eating quietly like he didn''t want to draw attention even to his hunger.


    I masked my reaction carefully, but Rowan noticed.


    He always did.


    Before we left, Rowan leaned slightly closer to Charles, his tone calm but serious.


    "You might notice people approaching you more now," he said. "Some of your ssmates."


    Charles blinked. "Why?"


    "They''ll want to be friends," Rowan continued. "Or at least pretend to be."


    Charles frowned, confusion knitting his brows.


    "I''m not saying don''t make friends," Rowan rified quickly. "Just¡­ be careful. Not everyone has good intentions."


    Charles shifted ufortably. "I don''t think anyone would want anything from me."


    Rowan gave him a look. "You would be surprised."


    When Charles still looked lost, Rowan sighed softly.


    "I''m not bluffing about this," he said. "Our group is¡­ known."


    I opened my mouth to stop him, but he was already going.


    "We might not have done anything legendary yet, but people pay attention to us. Especially because of Eva... and Kyros."


    I felt heat creep up my neck.


    Rowan continued, either oblivious or not caring. "Everyone knows Evaline. Professors. Students. Nearly every Alpha out there. She''s the top academic performer of our year, the professors'' favorite, best intern at Council headquartersst year, and she did all that without having a wolf."


    Charles'' eyes widened slowly as he looked at me.


    "She''s been talked about since the entrance exams," Rowan added. "Admired by some. Envied by others. But everyone knows her. And because of that, people know us."


    "That''s enough," I cut in sharply.


    Rowan blinked. "I was just-"


    "I know what you were doing," I said, grabbing his sleeve. "And you are done."


    I turned back to Charles, who looked overwhelmed, his fingers gripping the edge of the table again.


    "Don''t listen to him," I said firmly. "You don''t need to think about any of that. Just¡­ eat your breakfast."


    He nodded slowly, though I could tell Rowan''s words had already sunk in.


    I offered him a small smile. "We''ll see youter."


    As I pulled Rowan away toward our table, he leaned closer and whispered, "What? It''s true."


    I shot him a re. "He doesn''t need to hear it like that."


    Rowan sighed but didn''t argue.


    As I took my seat with the rest of the group, my thoughts lingered on the boy sitting alone at the far end of the hall... quiet, careful, trying his best to survive in a ce that wasn''t built for people like him.


    People like me.


    And for reasons I couldn''t yet exin, I had a feeling Charles'' story was only just beginning.

 Chapter 533: First Combat Class

    <h4>Chapter 533: First Combat ss</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I could hardly keep the excitement from bubbling over.


    On the outside, I looked calm. Collected. Composed in the way I had learned to be over the past year - chin lifted, shoulders rxed, expression carefully neutral. It was a skill I had picked up from my mates without even realizing it. A mask that hid chaos, anticipation, fear, and joy all at once.


    Inside?


    I was vibrating.


    And the reason for it stood written on my schedule in neat, unforgiving ink:


    <i>Physical Combat - Instructor: Oscar Thorne.</i>


    It was friday morning and the fourth day of the new term.


    It was also going to be our first official physicalbat ss at Silver Moon Academy.


    And Oscar was going to be teaching us for the entire semester.


    I had barely seen any of my mates since I returned to the Academy five days ago. River and Draven were away at the Thorne estate. As the headmaster, Kieran was buried in his duties and wouldn¡¯t even start his sses until the third week of term.


    And Oscar... well, Oscar had been upied at the Warrior Academy, taking care of new warrior recruits and handling duties far above teaching a group of second-years how to throw punches.


    Until today.


    So yes... if my pulse felt too fast and my steps a little too light, I had every reason.


    Though I had been messaging and talking to them all these days, it was still nothingpared to finally seeing him in front of me.


    I finished changing faster than usual, tying my hair back into a tight braid and adjusting the fitted training uniform. It was simple - ck and gray, flexible fabric meant for movement - but it still felt strange wearing it for the first time.


    Mallory noticed immediately.


    "You look like you are about to burst," she teased, tying her shoces. "Firstbat ss nerves?"


    Ria snorted. "That¡¯s not nerves. That¡¯s excitement."


    Selene tilted her head, studying me with a knowing smile. "You have been waiting for this. Right?"


    I shrugged, pretending to be casual. "It¡¯s just a ss."


    None of them believed me.


    We filed out of the changing room together, joining the steady stream of students heading toward the training hall. The moment we stepped inside, the energy hit me like a wave.


    The hall was massive - high ceilings supported by dark wooden beams, wide stone floors marked with faint scuffs from years of training, and a raised stage at the front. Weapons lined the walls in locked cases, though we wouldn¡¯t be touching those anytime soon.


    The ce buzzed with anticipation.


    Students talked loudly,ughed nervously, stretched their arms and legs. Almost everyone was excited. Oscar Thorne wasn¡¯t just any instructor... he was a legend just like his brothers. An Alpha known across packs, a man whose name carried weight in our world.


    And he was about to teach us.


    We took our spots near the middle of the hall, just as the bell rang.


    The sound echoed... and then...


    The door pushed open.


    Silence fell instantly as Oscar stepped inside.


    He didn¡¯t rush. He never did. His presence alonemanded attention as he moved toward the stage, ckbat uniform fitting him like it had been forged rather than sewn. His dark hair was pulled back, his expression calm but sharp, eyes scanning the room with practiced ease.


    It felt like the air shifted.


    He climbed onto the stage and pped his hands once.


    "Good morning, second years," he said, his voice carrying effortlessly through the hall.


    "Good morning, sir!" forty-one voices echoed back.


    A faint smile tugged at his lips.


    "My name is Oscar Thorne," he continued. "I¡¯ll be your physicalbat instructor this semester."


    As if anyone here didn¡¯t already know that.


    "For some of you, this will be your first structuredbat training. For others, it¡¯ll be a continuation of what you already know. Either way, I expect discipline, respect, and effort."


    His gaze swept over us again.


    "Since this is our first ss, we¡¯ll keep things simple. Warm-up first. Then we¡¯ll end with a basic three-strike attack and defense round."


    Murmurs rippled through the hall.


    "Rules are straightforward," Oscar went on. "You¡¯ll pair up. One attacks, one defends. Three chances each. Whoever seeds twice wins. No werewolf strength unless I say otherwise."


    My shoulders rxed slightly at that.


    Without their wolf strength, the gap between me and my ssmates narrowed... but it didn¡¯t disappear. Wolves were born strong. Faster. Hardier. Even restrained, they still had an edge.


    I silently thanked River... for the endless drills, the bruises, the relentless training that had shaped my body into something capable of keeping up.


    "Warm-up," Oscar said. "Now."


    The next ten minutes were intense.


    Runningps. Stretching. Core exercises. But I was able to keep up without sweating much or my muscles burning since I had been doing far more intense workout the past several weeks.


    I wasn¡¯t the strongest.


    I wasn¡¯t the fastest.


    But I wasn¡¯t weak either.


    And that alone felt like a victory.


    Around me, students struggled andughed, some already panting, others showing off strength they weren¡¯t supposed to be using. Oscar¡¯s sharp voice cut through it all, correcting stances, calling out mistakes, pushing them harder.


    Every time he passed near me, my focus sharpened instinctively.


    When the warm-up finally ended, we gathered in front of the stage, sitting down in rows. My muscles ached in that satisfying way that told me I had worked hard.


    Oscar stepped onto the stage again.


    "All right," he said. "Before I let you loose on each other, I¡¯ll demonstrate how this round works."


    Excited whispers spread.


    "I¡¯ll need a volunteer."


    His eyes scanned the crowd.


    I felt it before it happened.


    That subtle shift. That instinctive awareness that made my spine straighten and my heart m harder against my ribs.


    His gaze stopped.


    And then locked.


    On me.


    For a split second, everything went quiet in my head.


    Then he spoke.


    "Miss Evaline."


    The sound of my name echoed through the hall.


    And just like that...


    Every eye turned toward me.

 Chapter 534: Alpha’s Choice

    <h4>Chapter 534: Alpha¡¯s Choice</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I froze.


    I didn¡¯t just hesitate... I genuinely,pletely froze where I sat, staring at Oscar as if my brain had forgotten how to process words.


    My name echoed in the training hall, bouncing off stone walls, settling into every corner of the room. Forty-two pairs of eyes snapped toward me, curiosity igniting instantly.


    I had wanted this.


    Stars, I had probably wanted this more than anyone else in the hall.


    And yet... I hadn¡¯t actually believed he would choose me.


    My heart mmed painfully against my ribs as reality caught up to desire. Oscar Thorne hadn¡¯t randomly picked a student. He had chosen me. Deliberately. Publicly.


    And that realization brought along another, far more dangerous thought.


    Among all four Thorne brothers, I had somehow managed to be publicly associated with three of them already.


    I was officially dating Draven... offending his fan girls by simply existing at his side.


    I worked as River¡¯s assistant... offending his admirers by being close enough to breathe the same air as him daily.


    And Kieran... Kieran had never hidden his fondness for me. Even without open romance, even without scandal, his attention alone had been enough to put a target on my back from those who idolized him.


    But Oscar?


    Oscar had been the one untouched name.


    The one brother whose name hadn¡¯t been whispered alongside mine.


    Until now.


    And judging by the way half the female poption of the hall had just stiffened, it seemed Oscar had decided... very publicly... to correct that.


    I was still sitting there, stunned, when Mallory elbowed my side hard enough to jolt me.


    "Eva," she hissed. "Move. Everyone¡¯s staring."


    That snapped me out of it.


    Heat rushed to my face as I realized just how long I had been frozen. I stood quickly, smoothing my clothes out of habit, and stepped into the aisle.


    The walk toward the stage felt far longer than it actually was.


    Oscar stood there, waiting, hands sped loosely behind his back, posture rxed. His face was unreadable... calm,posed... but my eyes caught it.


    That barely-there smirk at the corner of his lips.


    This damn man.


    He¡¯s enjoying this.


    Just as I reached the three steps leading up to the stage, a voice cut through the heavy silence like a de.


    "Oh, surely you must be mistaken, Instructor Thorne."


    I stopped mid-step.


    I didn¡¯t need to turn around to know who it was.


    Nadine.


    Her voice dripped with false politeness, the kind that barely concealed venom beneath silk. A few quiet chuckles followed from her friends.


    I slowly turned my head.


    Nadine sat near the front row, arms crossed, chin tilted upward as she looked at Oscar... not me. As if I wasn¡¯t even worth acknowledging directly.


    "A wolfless student," she continued smoothly, "hardly seems like an appropriate choice for abat demonstration. Especially in a ss meant to teach physical superiority and technique."


    Her eyes flicked toward me then, sharp and disdainful.


    "I would have thought you would prefer someone... capable."


    The wordsnded exactly as she intended them to.


    I felt it - the familiar echo of years spent hearing variations of the same sentence.


    But I didn¡¯t react.


    I didn¡¯t flinch, didn¡¯t re, didn¡¯t rise to it.


    I simply turned back toward the stage and climbed the steps.


    If that irritated her, she hid it well.


    Oscar, however, did not ignore her.


    He turned slowly, his gaze settling on Nadine with a calm that felt far more dangerous than anger.


    "Interesting," he said mildly. "Then tell me, Miss Nadine-"


    The way he said her name made the room go quiet again.


    "Who would you consider a better choice for this demonstration?"


    Nadine¡¯s lips parted, clearly expecting agreement... not a challenge. But before she could answer, Oscar continued.


    "Actually," he added, tilting his head slightly, "why don¡¯t you join us on the stage?"


    A ripple of excitement tore through the hall.


    Nadine blinked. Then her expression shifted... surprise melting into delight.


    "I¡¯ll give you this chance to prove to everyone that I picked the wrong person for demonstration." Oscar finished.


    The smile that spread across Nadine¡¯s face was sharp and triumphant.


    She didn¡¯t hesitate.


    She practically ran toward the stage, boots striking stone with eager steps, her confidence radiating from every movement. Whispers followed her, excitement buzzing like static in the air.


    I barely had time to process what was happening before she was standing across from me.


    Oscar turned to me then.


    "You¡¯ll have one chance to attack," he informed me, and the rest of the ss. "Make it count."


    My pulse roared in my ears.


    One chance.


    I nodded once.


    Nadine rolled her shoulders, smirking openly now. "Try not to embarrass yourself too much," she murmured.


    Oscar stepped back.


    "Positions," he ordered.


    We faced each other.


    She was taller. Stronger. And with an Alpha wolf.


    And she knew it.


    "Start."


    I moved.


    I didn¡¯t think... I reacted.


    River¡¯s voice echoed in my head, sharp and relentless.


    <i>Use their confidence against them. Wolves rely on power. Take their bnce.</i>


    Nadine lunged forward, clearly expecting me to retreat or block high.


    Instead, I stepped in.


    Low.


    Fast.


    My foot hooked behind her ankle as my shoulder mmed into her center of gravity. My hand twisted her wrist just enough... not to hurt, but to redirect.


    The move flowed through me like instinct.


    In one smooth motion, I pivoted and used her own momentum against her.


    Nadine left the ground.


    The sound of her body hitting the mat echoed through the hall.


    Shended t on her back, the impact knocking the breath from her lungs.


    Silence.


    Absolute, stunned silence.


    I stood there, frozen again... this time in disbelief.


    Did I just...


    Then...


    "OH MY GOD!"


    Mallory¡¯s voice exploded through the hall.


    "DID YOU SEE THAT?!"


    Rowan whooped. Kyrosughed openly. Selene pped, eyes wide with awe.


    The hall erupted.


    Laughter. Cheers. Gasps.


    Nadine stared up at the ceiling, horror etched across her face as realization sank in.


    She had been flipped.


    By a wolfless girl.


    In front of everyone.


    Oscar didn¡¯t hide his reaction this time. A proud, unmistakable smile crossed his face as he looked at me.


    "So I didn¡¯t make the wrong choice," he announced calmly.


    Theughter grew louder.


    And Nadine... she became the lesson.

 Chapter 535: The Three Rounds

    <h4>Chapter 535: The Three Rounds</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Theughter didn¡¯t die immediately.


    It rolled through the training hall in waves, echoing off stone walls, bouncing from student to student until even those who hadn¡¯t seen the flip clearly wereughing simply because everyone else was.


    Nadine scrambled to sit up, her face burning red, eyes darting around as if searching for a way to undo thest ten seconds of her life.


    There wasn¡¯t one.


    Oscar didn¡¯t even look at her again.


    His attention shifted fully to me.


    "Good," he said calmly, as if I hadn¡¯t just turned the social hierarchy of the second years upside down. "Now that we have established why assumptions are dangerous-"


    A few snickers followed.


    "-we¡¯ll proceed with the actual demonstration."


    Nadine opened her mouth, clearly ready to protest, but Oscar lifted one hand.


    "You are dismissed," he said tly.


    The words hit her harder than the floor had.


    She stood stiffly, jaw clenched, eyes burning holes into my back as she stepped down from the stage. The hatred rolling off her was almost tangible.


    I didn¡¯t look at her.


    I kept my eyes on Oscar.


    He turned slightly, rolling his shoulders as if loosening up.


    Then... very deliberately... he reached for the hem of his jacket and shrugged it off.


    The reaction was immediate.


    Gasps. Whispers. A few very unsubtle swoons.


    He ced the jacket aside, revealing a fitted ck tank underneath that clung to every line of muscle beneath it.


    Oh.


    Stars.


    I swallowed.


    Oscar Thorne had always been built like a warrior, but seeing him like this - rxed, confident, utterly unbothered by the attention - was something else entirely.


    Ria¡¯s sharp inhale echoed from somewhere behind me.


    "I¡¯m going to pass out," she muttered.


    Oscar nced over the ss, his expression neutral, though I caught the faintest glint of amusement in his eyes.


    "Focus," he said mildly.


    Then he turned to me.


    "You¡¯ll defend," he continued. "I¡¯ll attack."


    My heart skipped.


    Three rounds.


    Against Oscar.


    I nodded once.


    He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear.


    "Rx," he murmured. "I won¡¯t break you."


    I snorted quietly. "That¡¯s reassuring."


    His lips twitched.


    We moved into position.


    <strong>Round one.</strong>


    Oscar didn¡¯t rush me.


    He circled slowly, movements fluid, controlled. Every step was deliberate, testing my awareness, my bnce.


    I remembered River¡¯s training and lectures. Oscar¡¯s own words from past sparring sessions.


    <i>Watch the shoulders. The hips. Poweres from the core.</i>


    He lunged.


    Fast.


    I barely had time to block before his forearm collided with mine, the impact sending a jolt up my arm. He followed immediately, switching angles, forcing me back.


    I dodged left. He anticipated it.


    I ducked under his arm, twisting away just as his hand brushed my waist... light, fleeting, almost guiding rather than grabbing.


    It was subtle... but intentional.


    My pulse spiked.


    I recovered quickly, nting my feet, deflecting his next strike with my elbow, using momentum rather than strength.


    He pressed harder.


    Within seconds, he had me.


    His arm hooked around mine, twisting just enough to unbnce me before he stepped in and pinned me gently... but decisively... against his chest.


    Round one: his.


    He leaned in slightly, his voice still low.


    "Good defense," he said. "But you hesitated."


    He released me immediately and stepped back.


    I exhaled, steadying myself.


    The ss was silent now.


    Notughing.


    Watching.


    <strong>Round two.</strong>


    This time, I didn¡¯t wait.


    The moment Oscar moved, I mirrored him.


    He attacked high... I dropped low.


    He feinted right... I pivoted left.


    I didn¡¯t try to overpower him - I redirected.


    We moved faster now, a blur of motion and controlled force. His strikes were precise, relentless, but he wasn¡¯t holding back entirely either.


    I caught his wrist mid-swing and twisted, stepping into his space, using his own speed against him.


    For a split second, his bnce faltered.


    When I pushed, he stumbled back a step.


    And the hall erupted.


    Oscarughed softly... actuallyughed... as he recovered.


    "Well done," he said.


    Then he came at me again.


    Harder.


    I blocked, spun, ducked, my muscles burning, breath sharp in my lungs.


    I could feel the difference between us - his strength, his experience - but I refused to give ground easily.


    When he finally caught me again, it wasn¡¯t with brute force.


    It was with timing.


    He swept my legs.


    I hit the mat, rolling instinctively to soften the fall.


    Round two: his.


    He offered me a hand.


    I took it.


    His grip was warm. Steady.


    And just for a heartbeat longer than necessary, his thumb brushed my knuckles.


    No one noticed.


    <strong>Round three.</strong>


    My arms ached. Sweat clung to my skin.


    Oscar tilted his head, studying me with something like approval.


    "One more," he said. "Show them."


    I inhaled deeply.


    This time, when he attacked, I didn¡¯t retreat.


    I stepped in.


    I anticipated his move... his shoulder shifting, his weight transferring... and I moved before he fullymitted.


    I ducked, spun, and used his momentum to throw him off-line, slipping past his guard.


    My palm pressed against his chest.


    Not hard.


    Just enough.


    The whistle blew.


    Silence.


    Then...


    Oscar stepped back, his eyes bright.


    "Round three," he announced. "Evaline."


    The hall exploded.


    Cheers. Apuse. Whistles.


    I stood there, stunned, chest heaving, disbelief crashing into pride.


    Oscar raised his hand, signaling for quiet.


    When it came, he looked out over the ss.


    "Strength matters," he said. "Speed matters. But awareness, control, and discipline matter more."


    His gaze flicked to me.


    "A fight isn¡¯t about overpowering your opponent. It¡¯s about understanding them."


    Then he turned fully toward me.


    "You lost two rounds," he said evenly. "But you earned every second of that third."


    Respect.


    I felt it settle over me... not just from him, but from the room.


    Even Nadine, standing stiffly near the wall, couldn¡¯t hide the way her expression had shifted from hatred to something darker.


    Fear.


    Oscar pped his hands once.


    "Pair up," he ordered. "Three rounds. Switch roles after."


    The ss erupted into movement, students scrambling to find partners, buzzing with energy.


    As I stepped down from the stage, Mallory practically tackled me.


    "That," she hissed, her eyes shining, "was illegal."


    Noah grinned while Kyros nodded approvingly.


    And somewhere behind us, Oscar¡¯s voice carried calmly through the hall... already instructing the next pair.


    The lesson had begun.


    And this time... everyone was paying attention.

 Chapter 536: In The Showers

    <h4>Chapter 536: In The Showers</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment I stepped under the shower, my muscles finally began to loosen.


    Cold water cascaded down my shoulders, tracing paths along my spine, washing away the lingering sweat and a little of the sharp burn in my arms frombat ss.


    I tilted my head back, letting the water soak my hair, fingers working quickly through the strands. I wanted to be done fast... my body was exhausted, and all I wanted was to use the remaining half hour of the free period to rest.


    The shower hall had been empty by the time I arrived. Every other girl had already showered and left, theirughter and chatter long gone. Only the distant hum of pipes and the steady rush of water kept mepany.


    I had just rinsed the conditioner from my hair when I heard footsteps.


    I smiled faintly. "ra?" I called over the water, assuming it was her. She had been assigned cleanup duty of practice hall with me, Noah, and Bryan.


    There was no answer... but the footsteps didn¡¯t retreat. Instead, they moved deeper into the showers.


    Something shifted in my chest.


    A familiar awareness crept over me... slow, heavy, unmistakable. The kind that made my skin prickle and my breath hitch for all good reasons.


    I froze mid-movement.


    The water kept running, but my heart had begun to pound so loudly I was sure it could be heard through the walls.


    I knew that presence. I had felt it too many times before...


    Oscar.


    A soft knock sounded against the door of my cubicle.


    Once.


    My fingers curled against the tiled wall.


    I didn¡¯t move.


    Another knock... gentler this time, almost patient.


    My pulse thudded wildly as I reached for thetch. I hesitated for half a second longer than necessary before unlocking it.


    The door opened immediately and Oscar stepped inside.


    He closed the door behind him and turned the lock with a quiet, decisive click.


    The sound echoed far too loudly in the small space.


    I stared at him, water dripping from my hair, my mind scrambling to catch up.


    "What are you doing?" I whispered sharply. "Oscar-ra coulde in any moment."


    His eyes swept over me in one slow nce before locking onto my face. Dark. Intent. Hungry in a way that made my breath stutter.


    Without answering, he reached up and pulled his tank over his head.


    My throat went dry.


    He was already barefoot. His hands moved to his trousers next, unhurried, deliberate. I turned my face away, not trusting myself to look, heat flooding my cheeks.


    He hung his clothes neatly on the hooks inside the door... right beside my towel and bathrobe... before stepping closer.


    The space between us vanished.


    He crowded me back until my shoulders met the cool tile, his body blocking most of the water so it poured over him instead, sshing against my legs.


    "Oscar," I hissed, trying to sound stern and failing miserably. "This is dangerous."


    His hands came up, bracing against the wall on either side of my head.


    "That¡¯s the point," he murmured.


    Before I could argue, the outer door to the showers opened again, and footsteps echoed.


    My breath caught painfully in my chest.


    Someone else was here.


    Oscar¡¯s gaze flicked to our cubicle door for a split second before returning to me. He lifted one finger to his lips in a silent warning.


    <i>Stay quiet.</i>


    The footsteps moved toward the first few cubicles... far from ours at the end.


    A door opened. Then closed. And water started running momentster.


    My heart was racing so hard I thought it might give us away.


    Oscar didn¡¯t wait.


    He leaned in and captured my mouth with his.


    The kiss was deep, searing, and utterly unapologetic... stealing my breath, my thoughts, my resolve in one devastating sweep. His lips moved against mine with practiced confidence, slow at first, then more demanding, as if he had been holding back for far too long.


    I melted.


    I couldn¡¯t help it.


    My hands fisted in his shoulders, my nails digging into warm skin as he kissed me like he had been starving. His body pressed closer, heat and strength surrounding me, grounding me even as my knees threatened to give out.


    His hands slid down my sides, leaving sparks in their wake. He explored my body with a reverent thoroughness that made my head spin, thumbs brushing, palms steady, as if memorizing me all over again.


    I bit back a sound, pressing my lips together as he trailed kisses along my jaw, down my neck, lingering just long enough on Kieran¡¯s mark to make my breath shake.


    "Quiet," he breathed against my skin, his voice low and rough.


    I nodded, though my body was betraying mepletely.


    Every touch sent sensation spiraling, coiling tighter and tighter in my core. The danger of being discovered only sharpened everything - the closeness, the heat, the way my world narrowed to the man in front of me.


    His forehead rested briefly against mine, his breath uneven.


    "You have no idea," he murmured, "how hard it¡¯s been not to kiss you out there in the ss."


    I swallowed hard, my fingers clutching at him like an anchor.


    The water continued to fall, muffling soft sounds, hiding the way my breathing had grown unsteady, the way my body responded to his every movement.


    Time blurred as two of his fingers slipped inside my already drenched core. The world shrank to contrast between the cold water and the heat building inside me.


    When the water in the other cubicle shut off, I nearly panicked.


    But Oscar didn¡¯t slow down at all. Instead, his fingers only picked up their speed while his thumb found my aching clit. While his other hand moved to cover my mouth gently but firmly.


    Footsteps headed the exit.


    I barely dared to breathe.


    The door opened.


    Closed.


    And silence returned.


    Until a muffled moan escaped my lips as his tongue finally ran over Kieran¡¯s mark and pushed me over the edge of pleasure.


    He held me as the waves washed over me... powerful and intense.


    When he pulled back, his eyes were darker than usual, his expression unreadable... but his voice was steady.


    "This isn¡¯t over," he said quietly. "Find me in my quarters tonight."


    My heart skipped.


    "To finish what we couldn¡¯t," he added, his lips brushing my ear.


    I nodded, still breathless.


    I reached for my bathrobe and wrapped it around myself before unlocking the door. Peeking out, I scanned the empty showers.


    Clear.


    I nced back at him and nodded once.


    Oscar was already dressed when he stepped out,posed as ever, as if nothing had happened. He passed me without a word and stepped out of the showers.


    I stayed behind, leaning against the cool lockers, my heart still racing... and my mind already picturing the scenes of my time with himter tonight.

 Chapter 537: New Job at Council

    <h4>Chapter 537: New Job at Council</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The first raindrop hit the stone path just as I made it past the administration building.


    I felt it... cold and sharp... right on the back of my hand, and my heart jumped into my throat.


    "Of course," I muttered under my breath, tightening my grip on my bag as I picked up my pace.


    The sky had been overcast when I left the dorms, heavy with promise, but I had convinced myself it would hold off for a little longer. On the other hand, Rowan had not been convinced.


    <i>Don¡¯t forget your umbre</i>, he had said, once while I was heading to the showers.


    <i>Eva, umbre</i>, he had repeated when I was tying my shoces.


    I had forgotten it anyway.


    Now the rain was no longer pretending.


    By the time I broke into a run toward the Academy gates, the drizzle had turned into a steady downpour. My boots sshed against the ground as I sprinted.


    The ck car waiting just beyond the gates had never looked more beautiful.


    Mr. Wood stepped out the moment he saw me, opening the back door with practiced efficiency. I barely slowed as I slid inside, breathless andughing softly under my breath at my own poor nning.


    "Good morning, Miss Evaline," he greeted warmly, closing the door behind me before hurrying around to the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Good morning," I replied, brushing raindrops from my sleeves. "And thank you... for waiting."


    He chuckled as he started the engine. "That¡¯s my job."


    As the car pulled away from the Academy, I leaned back against the seat, finally allowing myself to breathe.


    It was saturday morning.


    While most of the Academy was still inside in the dorms, I was already on my way to the Council headquarters.


    It¡¯s my first official day at job.


    The thought sent a nervous flutter through my chest for obvious reasons.


    The rain intensified as we drove, drumming against the roof of the car, blurring the woods beyond the windows into streaks of green, red, and yellow.


    It took about half an hour before the familiar tall and imposing building of headquarters came into view. Relief washed over me when Mr. Wood pulled right up to the main entrance instead of stopping in the parking area.


    "Oh, thank the Moon," I murmured.


    He smiled in the rearview mirror. "Didn¡¯t fancy making you swim on your first day."


    "I appreciate that more than you know," I said sincerely.


    The moment he stopped, I pushed the door open and darted inside. The warmth of the building wrapped around me instantly, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief as the doors closed behind me.


    I was safe from the rain, dry, and on time.


    The storm outside was no longer my problem.


    The lobby buzzed with its usual restrained energy... employees walking briskly, Alphas on their way to their offices, warriors standing at attention. I nodded to the familiar faces as I crossed the marble floor, my boots echoing softly.


    I took the elevator straight to the seventh floor just like he messaged me to dost evening. And by the time the doors slid open, my nerves had returned full force.


    I stopped in front of his office door, inhaled deeply, and smoothed my expression into the calm,posed mask I had been learning to wear as well as possible.


    Then I knocked.


    "Come in," a woman¡¯s voice called.


    I blinked.


    That wasn¡¯t Alpha Grey.


    I pushed the door open slowly.


    A woman who seemed to be in herte thirties stood next to the long wooden desk, her dark hair pulled into a neat bun, sharp eyes scanning a tablet in her hands. She looked up immediately, her gaze assessing but not unkind.


    "You must be Evaline," she said,. "I¡¯m Mara Whitlock - Alpha Grey¡¯s secretary."


    "Oh," I said, stepping inside and closing the door behind me. "It¡¯s nice to meet you."


    She smiled, extending her hand. "Likewise. Alpha Grey asked me to get you settled today."


    I hesitated. "He¡¯s... not here?"


    Mara shook her head. "Not at the headquarters, no. And before you ask... no, I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll being in today."


    The wordsnded heavier than they should have.


    I nodded slowly, though unease crept into my thoughts.


    The deal I had made with Elion was simple - I work for him, assist him at the Council, and in return, he would answer my questions. About my bloodline. About my power.


    If he wasn¡¯t even here...


    The urge to pull out my phone and message him was immediate and strong.


    Where are you?


    Are you still honoring our deal?


    My fingers twitched, but I stopped myself.


    Jumping to conclusions had never served me well.


    Instead, I straightened my shoulders and met Mara¡¯s gaze. "What would you like me to start with?"


    Her expression shifted and approval flickered briefly in her eyes.


    "Since it¡¯s your first day," she said, gesturing toward a stack of files, "nothing too heavy. I want you to familiarize yourself with Alpha Grey¡¯s work since joining the Council. Past projects, ongoing initiatives, his areas of focus."


    I nodded. "And his schedule?"


    That earned me a raised brow.


    "Ambitious," she remarked. "But yes. I can provide that as well."


    The hours that followed passed in a blur of reading, note-taking, and quiet observation.


    Alpha Grey¡¯s work was... extensive.


    Policy reforms. Inter-pack negotiations. Resource allocation for border territories. Initiatives aimed at stabilizing smaller, struggling packs.


    I absorbed everything hungrily.


    asionally, I asked Mara for rification or additional records - future projections, pending approvals, council debates that had stalled progress. Each time, she seemed more impressed than surprised.


    "You are thorough," shemented once, handing me another folder.


    "I like knowing what I¡¯m walking into," I replied honestly.


    By mid-afternoon, the rain outside had faded into a distant memory. I was too deep into the work to notice much of anything beyond the papers in front of me.


    When I finally nced at the clock, my eyes widened.


    4:30 PM.


    Only half an hour left.


    I finished skimming thest file, jotting down a few final notes, when the office door opened.


    I looked up instinctively.


    And my breath caught.


    Elion Grey stepped inside.

 Chapter 538: The Three Questions (I)

    <h4>Chapter 538: The Three Questions (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Alpha Grey didn¡¯t say a word when our eyes met.


    He simply nodded once... slow, deliberate... before turning away and walking straight toward the seating area near the tall ss windows. He shrugged out of his coat as he moved, draping it over the arm of thergest couch before sitting down like he owned the entire space.


    Which, in many ways, he did.


    Only after settling backfortably did he lift his gaze to me again and gesture with two fingers for me toe over.


    The shock I had been standing in finally loosened its grip.


    I picked up the tablet from the desk, my movements automatic as I crossed the room. My heartbeat was loud in my ears, but my face remained calm.


    "Good afternoon, Alpha Grey," I said, cing ithe tablet on the coffee table in front of him and straightened.


    "I have gone through your work at the Council from the past six months," I began, slipping smoothly into professional mode. "Including the border stabilization initiative, the resource reallocation proposals, and the stalled negotiations with the Eastern Packs. I have also reviewed the projects currently in progress and-"


    "Sit."


    The single word stopped me mid-sentence.


    I blinked, surprised, before obeying and taking a seat on the couch opposite him.


    Elion leaned forward, picked up the tablet, and scrolled through the open slides I had left disyed - my notes, summaries, and cross-references neatly organized. His sharp eyes moved quickly, absorbing everything in silence.


    After a moment, he nodded and set the tablet aside.


    "Well done," he said simply.


    The words shouldn¡¯t have mattered as much as they did... but they did. Because I did put my everything into this work since morning.


    "You have taken on the work faster than any of the people working under me ever had," he continued. "And more thoroughly. It reassures me that I made the right choice in selecting you."


    I felt relieved hearing this.


    He studied me for a brief moment, his gaze unreadable, before asking, "Do you have any tasks left for today?"


    "I have finished everything Mara assigned," I replied. "And prepared notes for anything pending."


    "Good," he said, leaning back. "Then we can proceed."


    Proceed?


    My spine straightened instinctively.


    "I¡¯m here to keep my side of our agreement."


    For a second, I forgot how to breathe.


    I hadn¡¯t expected him to show up today at all... let alone offer answers on my very first day. My mind raced, scrambling to catch up with the shift in direction.


    But I forced myself to calm down.


    This was what I wanted. What I had waited for.


    Elion sped his hands loosely. "You can¡¯t ask everything at once," he said, as if reading my thoughts. "And I can¡¯t exin everything at once. So here¡¯s how this will work."


    I listened intently.


    "Every Saturday," he continued, "just before your shift ends, you¡¯ll be allowed to ask me three questions. No more. Unless something urgent prevents me from being here, in which case we¡¯ll resume the following week."


    Three questions.


    Once a week.


    It wasn¡¯t ideal.


    If I could, I would¡¯ve locked the doors and demanded he tell me everything... every truth, every secret, every fragment of my bloodline he was withholding... no matter how long it took.


    But reality didn¡¯t bend to desire.


    "...Alright," I said after a moment. "I agree."


    "For now," he added knowingly.


    I didn¡¯t deny it.


    "Then," he said, "you may ask your three questions. Choose wisely."


    Silence stretched between us.


    I had so many questions that my thoughts tangled over each other... about my bloodline, my parents, my powers, and even more.


    Where did I even begin?


    After a long breath, I asked the one that had haunted me since the day he had spoken those words so casually... so confidently.


    "How did you know," I said slowly, "that I have healing powers?"


    A soft smile curved his lips.


    As if he had been waiting for it.


    "I didn¡¯t," he admitted. "Notpletely."


    I frowned. "Then how-"


    "I suspected," he continued. "But I wasn¡¯t certain until the day I said it out loud."


    My confusion deepened. "You confirmed it... by my reaction?"


    "Yes."


    "That makes no sense," I said before I could stop myself. "Why would you even bring it up if you weren¡¯t sure? And why healing, specifically? There are other abilities... rare ones... but still-"


    "That," he said calmly, "is your second question."


    I opened my mouth to protest, but he didn¡¯t give me the chance.


    "When I saw you for the first time," Elion continued, "you caught my attention immediately."


    I stiffened.


    "Because of your... hair."


    My breath hitched.


    "In our world," he went on, "silver hair is not a coincidence. It¡¯s a mark. One that belongs to a bloodline on the edge of extinction."


    My fingers curled slowly into my palms.


    "The Silver Wolf lineage," he said.


    "And all my life, I have only known two people from this lineage other than me - my father and Elder Will," he admitted. "So seeing you that day took me byplete surprise."


    He let out a small sigh before continuing, "Once back in my office, I asked my Beta to look into you. That¡¯s when I learned... some interesting things."


    My heart pounded.


    What did he even mean by interesting things? Was he talking about my healing power?


    He watched me. And I stared back at him.


    The urge was right there to ask him <i>what </i>interesting things he talked about, but I held myself back because thest thing I wanted was for him tobel that as my third question.


    I couldn¡¯t take that risk, so I stayed silent. Because if this continued, I might never get the answers I sought from him... at least not any time soon. He might end up making me dance around this three questions rule.


    He probably realized that I wasn¡¯t going to make the same mistake again because a knowing smirk curved the corner of his lips.


    Then, he finally spoke - "The first thing I learned was about your internship here, and how you finished it with flying colors. Then there¡¯s your academic record. Your performance during entrance exams, and you being at the top of your ss."


    His gaze sharpened slightly. "I got to learn that you are wolfless... and a Rogue." He leaned forward, his gaze holding mine captive. "But ording to my knowledge, it didn¡¯t make any sense for a Silver Wolf heir to appear among the Rogues."

 Chapter 539: The Three Questions (II)

    <h4>Chapter 539: The Three Questions (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    For a moment, I almost forgot how to breathe.


    Ever since I took on the identity of a Rogue, it had been simple. Rogues were invisible. Unwanted. Unquestioned. No one ever bothered digging into their pasts because no one cared enough to.


    Over thest several decades, Silver Wolf Bloodline hadpletely disappeared from the memories of our world. Very few still knew about it and even they didn¡¯t know much.


    So when people came across my silver hair, they either dismiss it as colored instead of being natural, or they just admire the rare and beautiful color. But that was all. No one ever thought these rare silver hair had anything to do with one of the most rare and powerful wolf Bloodline to ever exist in our world.


    And I had relied on that.


    And also relied on the fact that the world had already buried Evaline Greystone of Shadowfang Pack.


    But Elion Grey was not the world. He was one of those few who shared my bloodline.


    And that changed everything.


    I stayed silent, my fingers digging into my palms hard enough that I was sure they would leave marks. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, but my face remainedposed.


    Elion watched me closely, missing nothing. I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of reaction he wanted from me, but I refused to give him any.


    "In the previous generation," he continued evenly, "there were only three Silver Wolves left."


    His voice was steady, almost conversational... as if he wasn¡¯t dismantling the carefully built walls around my identity brick by brick.


    "My father," he said. "Elder Will. And Marialle."


    I knew the name. Too well.


    "Elder Will never had children," he went on. "And I am my father¡¯s only son."


    His jaw tightened briefly before he continued.


    "That left Marialle."


    My throat felt tight.


    "When I looked into her," he said, "I found that she married Alpha Greystone of Shadowfang Pack. And that she gave birth to only one child before her death."


    I already knew what wasing. Still, my heart mmed painfully against my ribs.


    "A daughter," Elion said. " named Evaline Greystone."


    The name echoed in the room like a spell being spoken aloud.


    He leaned back, a faint smile curving his lips... not mocking, not cruel. Calcted.


    "See? Such a coincidence."


    I forced myself to speak before the silence swallowed me whole. "Evaline isn¡¯t exactly a rare name," I said calmly. Too calmly.


    Elion¡¯s smile widened just a fraction.


    "No," he agreed. "But silver hair is. Amber eyes are. Being wolfless is."


    His gaze sharpened.


    "Evaline Greystone had all three."


    My breath hitched.


    "And so do you."


    I said nothing.


    "You are the same age," he continued. "Both wolfless. Both silver-haired. Both amber eyed. One disappeared the night of Shadowfang Pack¡¯s annihtion only for another to appear shortly after at Silver Moon Academy."


    His eyes darkened.


    "Logically," he continued, "this left no possibility of a Silver Wolf heir appearing among the rogues. And when I put all this information and incidents together..."


    The room felt smaller. Heavier.


    "...my doubts were erased."


    I finally looked up at him.


    "You are Evaline Greystone of Shadowfang Pack," he said quietly. "The one who went missing the night her pack was destroyed."


    The words didn¡¯t feel like an usation.


    They felt like a verdict.


    For several long seconds, neither of us spoke.


    I could hear my own breathing - slow, controlled, deliberate. I refused to let him see me break. I had survived too much to crumble now.


    "You are very confident," I said atst.


    Elion studied me. "You haven¡¯t denied it."


    Because denying it would be pointless.


    Because some truths were too heavy to lie about.


    "There¡¯s no record of Evaline Greystone death in the official documents. Simrly, there¡¯s no record of her getting exiled like her step-family. No record of her being settled in some other Pack like the rest of Shadowfang Pack members. She just disappearedpletely."


    Elion went silent and watched me, as if he was waiting for me to say something... but I didn¡¯t. I just watched him back in silence until he chose to continue.


    "At first, I was surprised how could a young girl like you with no power managed to hide her information so well. There¡¯s clearly someone who made sure your information was well hidden. If not for the fact that I¡¯m one of the five ruling Alphas on the council, even I might have never been able to find information about the Shadowfang Pack and what happened to Greystone family members."


    He tilted his head a little and that spark returned in his eyes which told me he¡¯s about to reveal something he found really interesting.


    "But when you confessed to me you are dating Draven Thorne... things finally started making sense. I guessed that instead of just being your boyfriend, he¡¯s actually your mate."


    I stopped breathing this time. It was just impossible to pretend otherwise as my ears registered his words.


    And a smile of satisfaction bloomed on his lips.


    "It finally made sense why Evaline Greystone wasn¡¯t exiled, but instead given a new identity and even allowed to enter Silver Moon Academy. And why there¡¯s someone keeping all her information hidden. Thornes are more than capable of doing so... hiding information... even from the council."


    I inhaled deeply and fixed my gaze on him. When I spoke, my voice was even more calm and controlled than I expected.


    "You have talked so much, and yet, you haven¡¯t answered either of my questions, Alpha Grey."


    Elion chuckled, not in mockery but in genuine humor. Despite letting me know just how many of my secrets he held, he still didn¡¯t seem like he had any ns of revealing them to a third party.


    And this... only confused me further.


    What was his actual purpose behind all this?


    "Both your questions are rted. I guessed you have healing power after I looked into your past and confirmed your identity. As for why only healing... because it¡¯s the most sacred secret of our bloodline."

 Chapter 540: The Three Questions (III)

    <h4>Chapter 540: The Three Questions (III)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I opened my mouth.


    I was fully prepared to call him out on it... to tell him that what he had just said barely qualified as an answer and felt more like a beautifully wrapped excuse.


    But Elion beat me to it.


    "I <i>have</i> answered both your questions," he said calmly, as if this entire conversation wasn¡¯t deliberately designed to fray my nerves. "And you have only one question left."


    I stared at him.


    For a moment, I genuinely wondered if he was doing this on purpose... if pushing me to the edge of frustration was some sort of test.


    "You can¡¯t be serious," I said tly. "You barely told me anything."


    He leaned back against the couch, utterly rxed, and folded his arms across his chest.


    "I told you exactly what you asked," he replied. "You asked how I knew you had healing power. The answer is... because of the secret of our bloodline."


    I clenched my jaw.


    "You asked why I knew it was healing and not some other ability," he continued smoothly. "Same answer. Because of the secret of our bloodline."


    He spread his arms slightly, palms up, and shrugged.


    "There," he said lightly. "Both questions answered."


    I stared at him in disbelief.


    For a heartbeat, I was too stunned to even respond.


    "You-" I stopped myself, inhaled slowly, and forced my voice to remain steady. "That¡¯s not how answers work."


    His lips twitched. "It is when the truth itself is the answer."


    I let out a sharp breath through my nose, resisting the urge to throw something at him... preferably the tablet sitting innocently on the coffee table between us.


    "You are deliberately being vague," I used.


    "Yes," he agreed without hesitation.


    That only made it worse.


    "And you are doing this because...?" I pressed.


    "Because," he said evenly, "some truths cannot be handed over all at once. Especially not ones tied to ancient bloodlines and powers that have shaped the course of our world."


    I hated how reasonable he sounded.


    I hated even more that a part of me understood.


    Still, frustration burned hot in my chest.


    I had one question left.


    One.


    And there was nothing I wanted more than to demand the truth about this so-called secret... to finally understand why healing flowed through me like instinct, why my body responded to pain the way it did, why my existence felt like a contradiction in a world ruled by wolves.


    But there was something else.


    Something just as urgent.


    Maybe more.


    I studied Elion¡¯s face carefully - his calm expression, theck of hostility, the quiet intelligence in his eyes. He wasn¡¯t lying to me. Not entirely. But he also wasn¡¯t telling me everything.


    And if there was one thing my past had taught me, it was this...


    Information was power.


    And silence could be deadly.


    So instead of asking the question burning the deepest, I asked the one that decided everything else.


    "Are you nning to reveal my secrets?" I asked quietly. "To the Council... or to the world?"


    His expression shifted instantly.


    The humor vanished.


    The teasing ease disappeared.


    "No," he said firmly.


    I searched his face, looking for hesitation. For calction. For deception.


    I found none.


    "You expect me to just take your word for it?" I asked.


    "I expect you to listen," he replied calmly.


    When I didn¡¯t respond, he continued.


    "I have no interest in making enemies," he said. "Especially not with the Rogue Alphas."


    My shoulders stiffened slightly.


    "You are Draven Thorne¡¯s mate," he added. "You are part of the Thorne family... whether you acknowledge it publicly or not."


    His gaze hardened just a fraction.


    "I would never be foolish enough to provoke them."


    That... made sense.


    The Thornes weren¡¯t just powerful... they were untouchable. Crossing them wasn¡¯t a political mistake. It was a death wish.


    "And beyond that," he continued, "my curiosity was personal, not political."


    I frowned.


    "I didn¡¯t go digging into your identity to use it against you," he said. "I did it because I recognized my own bloodline."


    His voice softened slightly.


    "I just didn¡¯t expect to find what I did."


    I stayed silent, weighing his words carefully.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong about one thing - Elion Grey didn¡¯t strike me as someone reckless enough to stir chaos for no reason. Everything about him screamed control, calction, long-term thinking.


    That didn¡¯t mean I trusted himpletely.


    But it did mean I believed him... for now.


    "I won¡¯t expose you," he said again, more quietly this time. "Not to the Council. Not to anyone."


    I exhaled slowly, feeling a tension I hadn¡¯t even realized I was carrying loosen just a little.


    "All right," I said finally. "I¡¯ll take your word for it."


    A faint smile returned to his lips - not triumphant, not smug. Almost... approving.


    "That¡¯s all I ask."


    With that, he stood up smoothly, adjusting the cuffs of his coat.


    "Our agreement stands," he said. "Three questions every Saturday."


    He paused at the door and nced back at me.


    "Choose them wisely, Evaline Greystone."


    The sound of my name... my real name... sent a strange shiver down my spine.


    Before I could respond, he opened the door and left.


    Just like that.


    I remained seated on the couch long after he was gone, staring at the empty space where he had stood.


    My mind was a storm.


    Silver Wolves.


    Healing.


    Ancient secrets.


    Bloodlines nearly erased from history.


    And me... standing right in the middle of it all, with more questions than answers.


    Eventually, I gathered my things and left the office.


    The rain had started again outside, heavy and relentless, drumming against the ss walls of the headquarters. I paused near the exit, watching the world blur under sheets of water.


    I should have felt overwhelmed.


    Terrified.


    But instead, something else stirred in my chest.


    Resolve.


    Whatever the truth about my bloodline was... whatever secrets my healing carried... I wasn¡¯t running from it anymore.


    Evaline Greystone had survived annihtion.


    Eva had survived obscurity.


    And now?


    I was ready to face whatever came next.


    One question at a time.

 Chapter 541: Paying The Price

    <h4>Chapter 541: Paying The Price</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    I slipped inside the room carefully, letting the quiet of the room settle into my bones.


    The curtains were drawn halfway, allowing thete afternoon light to spill softly across the bed.


    My gaze found my mate. Shey on her side, her arm curved protectively around Lioren. Our son was tucked against her chest, his tiny fingers fisted into the fabric of her blouse as if even in sleep he feared the world might take her away. His lips parted slightly, a faint puff of breath escaping with every exhale.


    My chest tightened.


    No matter how many times I saw them like this, it never failed to undo me.


    I moved closer to the bed, careful with every step, as if the floor itself might betray me if I wasn¡¯t cautious enough. I adjusted the pillows she had stacked along the edge... her usual fortress against our restless baby... and made sure they were snug enough to keep Lioren safely nestled where he was.


    I brushed my knuckles gently across his forehead, smoothing back the soft silver strands that refused to stay in ce.


    He stirred, just barely, a tiny frown forming between his brows before he rxed again.


    I smiled.


    My gaze then drifted to Evaline.


    Her face was peaceful in sleep, the tension she carried so often finally eased away.


    I reached out, brushing the back of my fingers along her cheek.


    She was warm. Real.


    For a heartbeat, I let myself linger there.


    Then I pulled back.


    <i>I should leave them be</i>, I told myself. <i>Let her rest. Let them have this quiet moment without me disturbing it.</i>


    I turned toward the door.


    "River," she murmured.


    I froze.


    Her eyes were still closed, her voice soft and heavy with sleep.


    "Hold me."


    The words wrapped around me like a spell.


    I turned back instantly, my resolve crumbling without a fight.


    A smile tugged at my lips as I stepped closer again. "You want to cuddle?" I asked quietly, keeping my voice low so I wouldn¡¯t wake Lioren.


    Her head dipped in a small nod, her cheek brushing against the pillow.


    "Yes."


    I didn¡¯t even pretend to hesitate.


    But just as I moved to climb onto the bed, her voice came again... calm, almost casual.


    "Can you take off your shirt?"


    I stared at her.


    She looked so serene, so unbothered, as if she had just asked me to pass her a ss of water instead of casually dismantling what little self-control I had left.


    For a moment, I could only smile in stunned disbelief.


    Then I sighed softly, more at myself than at her.


    "Cruel woman," I murmured under my breath.


    I unbuckled my belt, slipped off my shoes, and unbuttoned my shirt before taking it off, setting everything aside as quietly as possible. The room felt warmer instantly, or maybe that was just me.


    Carefully, I climbed onto the bed behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her back against my chest.


    She turned toward me slowly, mindful of Lioren, and tucked herself into my embrace as if she had always belonged there.


    The moment her cheek pressed against my bare chest, something inside me settled.


    This... this was home.


    I rested my chin lightly against the top of her head, breathing in the familiar scent of her hair. My arms tightened just a little, holding her close without trapping her.


    She sighed softly, her body rxing fully against mine.


    I nced down at Lioren again, making sure he was still sleeping. He hadn¡¯t moved an inch, his expression blissfully unaware of the world.


    Satisfied, I turned my attention back to my mate.


    I brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, tucking them gently behind her ear. My fingers grazed her lobe, just barely.


    She stiffened.


    Not pulling away... just reacting.


    I felt it immediately.


    A quiet, dangerous smile curved my lips.


    I admired her face in the soft light... the curve of her cheek, the line of her nose, the faint crease between her brows that appeared even in sleep. The more I looked at her, the harder it became to keep my thoughts in check.


    How easy it would be to tilt her chin up.


    How tempting it was to capture her lips and remind her exactly how much she affected me.


    My wolf stirred restlessly, urging me forward.


    I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly.


    No.


    Not yet.


    I had made this harder for myself by starting that ridiculous game... this silent standoff where neither of us would be the first to give in. And now here I was, paying the price for my own pride.


    My wolf was not pleased.


    He growled softly in my chest, irritated with me for denying what we both wanted.


    <i>"I know," </i>I murmured internally, as if he could hear me.<i> "I know."</i>


    Evaline shifted slightly, her hand sliding up to rest against my chest, fingers syed over my heart.


    The contact sent a quiet jolt through me.


    Her thumb moved, absentmindedly tracing a slow circle.


    I clenched my jaw.


    She wasn¡¯t even awake enough to realize what she was doing.


    Or maybe she was.


    "Long day?" I whispered.


    She hummed softly, her forehead pressing closer to my corbone. "Busy," she murmured. "But... good."


    I smiled at that.


    Then she shifted again, her leg brushing against mine, and I felt my wolf bristle at the closeness.


    "River?" she murmured.


    "Yes?"


    "I love you," she said softly.


    I stilled.


    My arms tightened around her instinctively.


    "I love you too, Angel."


    She smiled faintly against my chest.


    Wey there like that for a long time, the three of us wrapped in a quiet bubble that felt untouched by the chaos outside these walls.


    Eventually, Evaline¡¯s breathing evened out again, deeper this time.


    She had fallen back asleep.


    I stayed awake, listening to the steady rhythm of her breath and the softer one of our son¡¯s.


    I pressed my face into her hair... careful, restrained... and rested my cheek against her head.


    For now, this was enough.


    For now, I would hold them and let the world wait.

 Chapter 542: Little Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 542: Little Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I woke slowly, drifting back to consciousness as warmth wrapped around me from all sides.


    For a moment, I didn¡¯t move. I simplyy there, letting the quiet sink in. The room was dim, bathed in a soft amber glowing from the bedsidemp - River must have switched it on at some point. Beyond the windows, the sky had deepened into shades of indigo and charcoal, the sun long gone. Tiny pinpricks of light.. stars... had begun to appear, shy and scattered.


    It was already evening.


    I shifted slightly, and immediately felt it... River stirring behind me. As if he had been awake already, waiting.


    I tilted my head up, and our eyes met.


    He was already looking at me.


    A smile curved his lips, slow and warm, the kind that always made my chest feel too full. I smiled back, unable to help myself, and instinctively snuggled closer to him. His arm tightened around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest, his warmth grounding me instantly.


    "Hey," he murmured softly.


    "Hey," I replied, my voice still thick with sleep.


    He reached past me toward the bedside table, careful not to jostle us, and picked up his phone. The screen lit up briefly before he locked it again.


    "Seven minutes past seven," he said quietly. "We slept longer than I thought."


    I hummed in response, content, my cheek pressed against his chest. It felt like we had been wrapped in time itself, suspended in a pocket of peace.


    Then I felt it.


    A tiny movement behind me.


    My senses sharpened immediately. I turned carefully, just in time to see Lioren stirring, his little body shifting. Hisshes fluttered, his tiny nose scrunching as he woke, and then... slowly... his eyes opened.


    He moved his limbs, stretching cutely.


    "Hey, my love," I whispered, leaning closer. "Mama¡¯s here."


    At the sound of my voice, his head turned toward me, and the moment his gaze locked onto my face, a bright, gummy smile spread across his lips. It was instant. Effortless. Like the world had snapped into ce just because I was there.


    My chest ached.


    "There you are," I cooed, brushing my fingers gently along his cheek.


    He responded with a happy little sound, his arms waving excitedly, his legs kicking against the sheets. River chuckled softly behind me, his chest vibrating against my back.


    "Someone¡¯s in a good mood," he murmured.


    Lioren let out another delighted babble, clearly agreeing.


    I shifted carefully, propping myself up on one elbow so I could face him properly. River adjusted his hold instinctively, supporting both of us without needing to be asked.


    "Did you have a good nap?" I asked Lioren, knowing full well he couldn¡¯t answer but asking anyway.


    He blinked at me, fascinated, then reached out with one tiny hand and grabbed a handful of my hair.


    "Ow-hey," Iughed softly, though I didn¡¯t try to pull away.


    River leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to Lioren¡¯s temple. "Easy there, Little Alpha," he teased. "Be kind to your mother."


    Lioren responded by squealing in delight.


    We spent the next few minutes like that -ughing quietly, talking to him, watching his expressions change with every sound and movement. River made ridiculous faces that had Lioren giggling, and I kissed his chubby cheeks until he protested with dramatic little noises.


    It was perfect.


    A soft knock on the door broke the moment.


    The door opened, and Kieran stepped inside.


    The moment his eyesnded on the bed, on Lioren awake and smiling between us, his face softenedpletely.


    "Well," he said warmly, closing the door behind him, "looks like I missed the best part of the nap."


    I smiled at him. "You are just in time."


    He crossed the room in a few long strides and joined us on the bed. He leaned in to press a gentle kiss to my lips. It was brief but full of affection, familiar and grounding. Then he bent to brush his lips against Lioren¡¯s forehead.


    "Hey there, little man," he murmured. "Did you wake up handsome?"


    Lioren stared at him for a second, then grinned again, clearly pleased by the attention.


    "He¡¯s been charming us for thest five minutes," River said fondly.


    Kieran straightened and smiled at me. "How was your day?"


    "Long," I admitted. "But I survived."


    "That¡¯s my girl," he said softly, squeezing my shoulder.


    River shifted behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist in a back hug, his chin resting lightly on my shoulder. The gesture was so natural, sofortable, that it made my heart flutter all over again.


    "Oscar called earlier," Kieran added casually. "He¡¯s still at the Warrior Academy. Training rante."


    I nodded. "He would be here for dinner though, right?"


    "Maybe in next half an hour or so," Kieran confirmed.


    As if on cue, Lioren let out a loud babble, waving his arms.


    River shifted, then carefully lifted Lioren, supporting him under his arms. "Come on, champ," he murmured. "Let¡¯s show them."


    He gently set Lioren down on the bed, sitting him upright.


    For a brief second, I was slightly lost... but then I saw it - Lioren sitting.


    On his own.


    His little back was straight, his hands resting on the mattress for bnce, his expression focused and proud.


    "Oh my God," I breathed. "He¡¯s really doing it."


    River grinned, unmistakably proud. "The two of us have been practicing. Look at him. He no longer needs back support."


    Kieran crouched down to Lioren¡¯s level, eyes wide. "That¡¯s incredible," he said. "You are growing up too fast."


    Lioren wobbled slightly, then steadied himself, clearly pleased with the attention.


    I leaned forward and kissed the top of his head. "You are amazing," I whispered.


    After a few more minutes of admiration... and ensuring Lioren didn¡¯t tip over... we lifted him again, cuddling him between us.


    About twenty minutester, the four of us finally headed downstairs just as Oscar¡¯s car pulled up in the driveway.


    Everything was so nice and sweet... but there¡¯s no denying the hole in my heart and the absence of one of us.

 Chapter 543: All Four Together

    <h4>Chapter 543: All Four Together</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I handed Lioren over to Vanessa with a reluctant smile, brushing a kiss over his soft hair before stepping back.


    "I won¡¯t be long," I promised him quietly, even though he had already turned his attention to Vanessa¡¯s blouse, tiny fingers clutching one of the buttons with fierce determination.


    Vanessa chuckled. "Rest assure, My Lady. He¡¯ll be perfectly fine with me."


    I nodded and turned away, my steps already carrying me down the familiar corridor toward the study.


    I didn¡¯t need to be told where my mates were. I could feel them... three steady presences pulling at me like gravity. They had slipped away minutes ago, all casual excuses and vague smiles, which immediately told me they were up to something.


    I stopped in front of the study door, lifted my hand, and knocked once.


    "Come in," River¡¯s voice called.


    I slipped inside and closed the door behind me.


    All three of them were seated on the couches - River and Kieran on one, Oscar sprawledzily on the other. The room was lit warmly, but the atmosphere felt... heavy. Tense.


    I moved forward and settled onto the big couch beside Oscar, close enough that our thighs brushed. I leaned back, folding my hands in myp, my gaze sweeping over them with open curiosity.


    "So," I said lightly, "what¡¯s the n?"


    Three pairs of eyes flicked to me.


    And then came... guilt.


    It was subtle, but unmistakable. River¡¯s jaw tightened. Kieran looked away a fraction too quickly. Oscar shifted beside me, suddenly far more alert than he had been a second ago.


    I narrowed my eyes.


    "What is it?" I asked slowly.


    Oscar cleared his throat, then scooted closer, his arm sliding around mine as if nothing was wrong. "Love," he said, voice deliberately casual. "You look tired. Wanna take a break? We could go for a swim. The pool¡¯s heated."


    I stared at him.


    Then I turned my head toward River and Kieran.


    That¡¯s when it clicked.


    Oh.


    I gently but firmly pulled my arm out of Oscar¡¯s hold. Not harshly... but decisively. The yful expression on his face faltered.


    "I¡¯m not leaving this room," I said, my voice calm but unyielding, "until you are done finalizing your next move in this investigation."


    Silence fell instantly.


    I straightened and fixed my gaze on River. "And you," I added pointedly, "promised me a week ago that I would be a part of this. No more trying to keep me out. I held myself back the entire week just because of that promise if yours."


    Kieran¡¯s head snapped toward River. "You promised her that?"


    River looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.


    He exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over his face before nodding. "I did," he admitted. "And I¡¯m not going back on my word."


    His eyes lifted to mine, filled with something dangerously close to frustration. "We are just... worried about you."


    I didn¡¯t hesitate. "I¡¯m worried about you."


    That stopped him.


    The words hung heavy between us, sharp and undeniable.


    "So," I continued softly, "we are on the same page."


    The study fell into tense silence, thick enough to choke on.


    Then Kieran leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Alright," he said, voice firm. "Here¡¯s my n. I¡¯ll go down to the West Tower basement on my own and-"


    "No."


    Three voices spoke at once.


    Kieran blinked.


    Oscar straightened. "Absolutely not."


    River shook his head. "Not happening."


    I crossed my arms. "You are not going alone."


    Kieran opened his mouth, clearly ready to argue, when River cut in.


    "Then I¡¯ll go."


    Again... immediate rejection.


    "No."


    "Not a chance."


    "River, don¡¯t even-"


    Another silence followed, heavier than thest.


    I let out a breath and leaned forward. "None of us will agree to just one person going down there alone," I said evenly. "And sending only warriors isn¡¯t an option either."


    I met each of their gazes in turn. "So the only solution is all four of us. Together."


    They didn¡¯t like it.


    I could see it in the way their expressions tightened, in the way Oscar¡¯s fingers curled into the couch, in how River¡¯s shoulders stiffened.


    But they also knew me.


    Dragging this out would only make things worse.


    Finally, River nodded. "Alright," he said. "Together."


    Reluctant agreement followed from the others, though Kieran still looked like he was swallowing a thousand objections.


    "Good," I said quietly.


    Kieran leaned back and shifted gears. "My team worked through the week. I already knew about the underground passage leading to the West Tower, so I had them pull the blueprints."


    He reached for the tablet on the table and turned it so we could all see.


    "The problem is... there¡¯s nothing beneath the basement. No mention of a lower level. No trapdoor. Nothing."


    Oscar frowned. "Which means it wasn¡¯t part of the original design."


    "Exactly," Kieran said. "So whatever¡¯s down there was either addedter... or predates the Academy entirely. I just don¡¯t understand how it¡¯s even possible."


    A chill slid down my spine.


    "The only way to find it," Kieran continued, "is to go down there ourselves."


    He paused before adding, "Also Marcus¡¯s ounts have all been tracked. He used nearly half of the money he had been extorting from students to buy a house and a car. The other half was sitting untouched."


    Oscar nodded. "The house and car are already listed. Once sold, the money will be returned."


    "And the council?" I asked.


    "They have been informed," River replied. "For now, the term continues. Unless we confirm something is indeed wrong with the West Tower, they won¡¯t shut the Academy down."


    Relief and worry tangled inside me.


    "I hope it doesn¡¯te to that," I murmured. "Closing the Academy would cause panic."


    "But safetyes first," Kieran said.


    I nodded, then frowned. "When the Academy was being built... did anything seem off about the West Tower?"


    Kieran shook his head. "Nothing significant."


    Then he paused.


    His brow furrowed.


    "... But there was an incident."


    All eyes snapped to him.


    "Was there?" Oscar asked, clearly unaware of any such incident.


    "One of theborers got injured," Kieran said slowly with a nod. "It wasn¡¯t serious, so I never mentioned it to you guys."


    We all went quiet.


    Too quiet.


    Then Kieran¡¯s yes widened slightly.


    "...No," he murmured.


    My heart skipped. "Kieran?"


    He looked up at us, something dark and troubled dawning in his gaze.


    "I just remembered something," he said.

 Chapter 544: The Witch’s Warning

    <h4>Chapter 544: The Witch¡¯s Warning</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The silence that followed Kieran¡¯s words was suffocating.


    It pressed against my ears, my chest, my thoughts... heavy and unyielding.


    "Kieran," I said finally, my voice cutting through the stillness, "what are you talking about?"


    He didn¡¯t answer immediately.


    Instead, he leaned back against the couch, one hand rubbing his jaw as if he were trying to physically ground himself. His gaze drifted to the window, unfocused, distant. I could see it clearly now... the hesitation. The internal debate. Whether the thought that had just surfaced was worth voicing... or whether it was nothing more than coincidence dressed up as paranoia.


    He opened his mouth.


    Then closed it again.


    River shifted beside him. "Kieran," he called quietly, but firmly. "What is it?"


    That did it.


    Kieran lifted his head, his gaze moving between his brothers before finally settling on me. There was something almost apologetic in his eyes, as if he hated being the one to drag us deeper into uncertainty.


    "Do you remember the witch who helped us set up the ward around the Academy?" he asked.


    All three of us nodded at once.


    I remembered her well... though I had never met her personally. Kieran had told me about her before.


    "What about her?" Oscar asked, confused.


    Kieran let out a sigh as he confesses, "I just recalled that she said something to me the day they set up the ward."


    My pulse picked up.


    Kieran¡¯s fingers curled slightly against his knee. "At the time, I didn¡¯t think much of it. Witches have a way of speaking in riddles. Half-prophecies. Warnings that sound dramatic but never quite make sense until it¡¯s toote."


    He paused, then spoke again... his voice lower now, more deliberate.


    "If I¡¯m recalling it correctly, she said something along the lines, <i>¡¯Thisnd remembers what was buried beneath it. A power older than bone and blood sleeps here, bound by time and silence. Pray that it never wakes... for if it does, no ward will be strong enough to cage it again.¡¯</i>"


    The words sent a cold shiver down my spine.


    Wind blew outside the open window, the sound suddenly too loud in the quiet that followed.


    Oscar was the first to speak. "You think she was talking about the... Great Evil?"


    Kieran exhaled. "I don¡¯t know. But recalling it right now... it¡¯s the only thing that makes sense."


    I swallowed. "Back then... did you notice anything strange? Anything that could have pointed issues with the West Tower?"


    He shook his head slowly. "No. Not at all. When the Academy was being built, the West Tower was originally meant to house the astronomy wing."


    That caught my attention. "Originally?"


    "Yes," he said. "The ns changed midway through construction. The astronomy sses were moved to the East Wing instead."


    River frowned. "I remember that. The official reason was essibility issues, wasn¡¯t it?"


    Kieran nodded. "That¡¯s right. The West Tower was too remote. Too far from the main buildings. It would have made night sses difficult for students."


    He let out another sigh. "The tower was almost abandoned after that. Used for storage at first. Then eventually... nothing."


    "I didn¡¯t connect the dots back then," he continued quietly. "Why would I? The ward was holding. The Academy thrived. And witches... they say things like that all the time."


    "But now," I murmured, "with Marcus, Carson, the hidden passage, and whatever lies beneath the basement..."


    He nodded grimly. "Now it feels less like just a random ramble and more like a... warning from her."


    Oscar broke the tension by straightening. "Then maybe we should talk to her."


    All eyes turned to him.


    "The witch," he rified. "If she knew something back then, she might know more now. Or at least confirm whether this Great Evil is what she was warning about."


    River exchanged a look with Kieran before speaking. "I can try to reach out to her."


    Try.


    That word carried a lot of weight.


    "There¡¯s no guarantee she¡¯ll respond," River continued. "Or that she¡¯ll even agree to see us. Whatever debt she owed, she settled it when she ced the ward. Witches don¡¯t like getting involved in the affairs of packs, councils, or academies."


    "And they have been distancing themselves from the outside world for decades," Kieran added. "Some of thempletely vanished."


    "But you¡¯ll try," I said.


    River nodded. "I will."


    Silence settled again, though this time it was different. Heavier with possibility. With looming answers.


    I exhaled slowly and leaned forward. "When are we going down into the West Tower?"


    The question seemed to echo.


    The men exchanged looks, a silent conversation passing between them. Finally, Kieran spoke.


    "Not immediately."


    I frowned slightly but didn¡¯t interrupt.


    "I need time," he said. "Time to n this properly. There are too many variables. We don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll find - if we find anything at all. And if we do... it could be dangerous. Dangerous enough that we cannot risk the safety of the Academy."


    Understanding dawned on me immediately.


    "There are hundreds of students here," he continued. "Faculty. Staff. If something goes wrong... if whatever is down there reacts to our presence... we need to make sure no one else is caught in the fallout."


    "So what¡¯s the n?" I asked quietly.


    "I need to figure out a way to clear the Academy," he said. "At least temporarily. A reason believable enough that it doesn¡¯t cause panic. A window where the grounds are empty... or as close to empty as possible."


    Oscar let out a low whistle. "That won¡¯t be easy."


    "No," Kieran agreed. "But it¡¯s necessary."


    River nodded. "Let me know if you need help."


    "I will," Kieran said.


    I leaned back against the couch, my thoughts racing.


    A witch¡¯s warning. An abandoned tower. A hidden passage. An ancient evil sleeping beneath our feet.


    And us... four people standing at the edge of something far bigger than we¡¯d anticipated.


    I didn¡¯t like how neatly it all fit together.


    But more than that...


    I didn¡¯t like the feeling settling in my gut.


    The feeling that whatevery beneath the West Tower had been waiting.


    And that our search might be exactly what exactly it wanted

 Chapter 545 545: The Volunteers

    Evaline:


    My muscles burned in that familiar, satisfying way as I pivoted on my heel and ducked under my opponent''s arm.


    The training hall echoed with the dull thuds of bodies hitting mats, sharp exhales of breath, and Oscar''s asionalmands cutting through the chaos like a de.


    Sweat trickled down my spine, my tank clinging ufortably to my skin, but I barely noticed. My focus was locked entirely on the girl in front of me.


    She lunged.


    I sidestepped, caught her wrist, twisted just enough to throw her bnce off, and used her own momentum against her. With a sharp pull and a sweep of my leg, I sent her crashing onto the mat on her back.


    The bell rang at the exact same moment.


    A loud, metallic sound that signaled the end of the ss... and the end of our duel.


    For a second, we both justy there, breathing hard, staring up at the ceiling.


    Then Iughed.


    She did too.


    I pushed myself up and immediately offered her my hand. "That was impressive," I said honestly.


    She took it, letting me pull her to her feet. "You are fast," she replied, brushing stray strands of hair from her face. "I didn''t expect that flip just now."


    "I didn''t expect you to counter my hold like that either," I admitted. "You almost had me."


    She grinned. "Almost."


    We had gone two rounds - she won the first, I just won the second. A clean tie. No bitterness. No bruised egos. Just mutual respect.


    We bumped fists lightly before she jogged off toward her friends.


    I exhaled, rolling my shoulders as I scanned the hall. Students were already dispersing, grabbing their bags and towels,ughing and chatting as they headed for the exits.


    Since it was thest period of the day, most of us had decided to skip showering here and head straight to the dorms instead.


    Mallory caught sight of me from across the hall and waved enthusiastically, Selene beside her doing the same.


    Finally, I thought, relief washing over me. A long shower, clean clothes, and maybe-


    "Miss Evaline."


    I stopped mid-step at the familiar voice, and then, I slowly turned.


    Oscar stood right in front of me, arms crossed over his chest that made his biceps bulge. There was a familiar knowing smile ying on his lips - the kind that never meant anything good for me.


    "Yes?" I asked cautiously.


    "It''s your turn to clean the hall," he announced casually.


    I blinked. Once. Twice.


    "What?" I stared at him in disbelief. "No, it''s not. I already took my turnst week. There are at least-" I gestured vaguely around the hall, "-dozens of students who haven''t even done their first round yet."


    His smile widened.


    One look.


    Just one.


    That was all it took.


    I closed my mouth, my shoulders slumping as I let out a long sigh. I knew that look. Arguing further wouldn''t help him change his mind at all. Instead, it would only make me look bad in the eyes of my ssmates.


    Sometimes, Ipletely forgot he''s not just my mate but also my instructor and I needed to keep a grip on my emotions around him during our sses.


    "Yes, sir," I muttered, shooting him a quick re sharp enough to cut ss.


    Oscar looked entirely too pleased with himself.


    If he''s nning to do anything like what he did in the showers after our first physical ss, I would make sure he regert it.


    From the corner of my eye, I saw Mallory''s expression shift from excitement to sympathy as she realized what was happening. Selene mouthed a silent ''good luck'' in my direction.


    I waved them off weakly.


    Then... of course... things got worse.


    "Sir?"


    The voice was sweet. Too sweet.


    I stiffened before I even turned.


    Nadine stepped forward, her posture demure, her red painted lips curved into an innocent smile that would have fooled anyone who didn''t know her. Bianca and Violet nked her, mirroring her expression like loyal shadows.


    "I was wondering," Nadine said softly, batting hershes, "if my friends and I could join the cleaning team today."


    Oscar raised an eyebrow. "Volunteering?"


    "Yes," she replied smoothly. "We would like to help and do our part of the duty."


    I nearlyughed.


    Help. Right.


    A group of four students was always assigned to clean the hall after calssee. With Nadine and her two friends joining, that made a full team... with me.


    Oscar nced at me briefly, something unreadable flickering in his eyes, before turning back to Nadine.


    "I don''t see why not," he said.


    Even though he had long sensed there''s something off between me and Nadine, as our Instructor, he got no valid reason to say no to any volunteers.


    Nadine''s smile widened. "Thank you, sir."


    I clenched my jaw.


    Thest thing I wanted was to be stuck alone with Nadine and her group... even if it was just to clean the hall. I knew her all too well. She wasn''t here out of goodwill. She''s not the type to volunteer. She''s the type who would found a way to skip her own duty and dump the work on someone else.


    Or worse.


    There was nothing I could do about it either.


    I noticed Kyros and Rowan hadn''t left yet and seemed to be waiting for me.


    I caught their gazes and subtly pointed toward the cleaning supplies, then toward Nadine. Understanding dawned immediately, followed by looks of pure sympathy.


    I''ll survive, I mouthed.


    The hall emptied quickly after that. The echoes of footsteps faded, doors closed, and soon the massive training space was eerily quiet. Just the four of us remained.


    I headed to the supply room, grabbed the mop bucket and stepped back into the hall.


    That''s when they appeared.


    Nadine, Bianca, and Violet stood directly in my path, blocking the way forward.


    They hadn''t moved toward any of the cleaning supplies.


    Hadn''t picked up a single mop or broom.


    I stopped short and put down the bucket. Then slowly, I lifted my gaze to meet Nadine''s.


    Her innocent smile was gone. In its ce was something sharp. Calcting. Almost eager.


    So I was right.


    These girls weren''t here to clean at all.

 Chapter 546: A Warning For the Trio

    <h4>Chapter 546: A Warning For the Trio</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Nadine didn¡¯t waste another second pretending.


    The moment I stopped in front of them and put down the bucket, she tilted her head and let out a soft, humorlessugh.


    "You really are ying a smart game, Evaline," she said, her voice dripping with false admiration. "I¡¯ll give you that."


    I didn¡¯t respond. I simply stared at her, my expression nk, my grip on the mop handle steady.


    Her smile sharpened. "You know," she continued, slowly circling to my left while Bianca and Violet blocked my right, "people like you think they are clever when they believe no one notices their little tricks."


    I sighed inwardly.


    I seriously didn¡¯t want to deal with her right now. Not when the thing I wanted desperately was to get into shower as soon as possible.


    "Now that Draven is conveniently away," She went on, her eyes narrowing, "you seem to be... redirecting your attention."


    There it was.


    I finally set down the mop as well, careful, deliberate. Then I straightened and met her gaze.


    Still, I said nothing.


    Nadine mistook my silence for weakness.


    Her lips curved in satisfaction. "Don¡¯t act so innocent. You have always had a talent for that." Her eyes flicked pointedly over my shoulder, as if Oscar might appear at any second. "Getting close to Instructor Oscar. And always ying the good girl in front of Professor Kieran." Her tone darkened when she said Kieran¡¯s name. "You really don¡¯t waste time, do you?"


    It clicked fully then.


    This was about Oscar... and mostly Kieran.


    Of course.


    I remembered Bianca¡¯s face now... half-hidden behind a pir this Monday morning. I had noticed her only for a split second, just as I had stepped out of the underground parking area after Kieran. It had been early, too early for students to be already out of the dorms.


    But Bianca had been there. Turned out she was going for her precious morning run.


    And she was lucky enough to notice us.


    And I knew she had built an entire story around it.


    Nadine leaned closer. "You must think people are stupid," she scoffed. "But we are not blind, Eva. They treat you nicely because you are their brother¡¯s girlfriend, but you-" she stopped herself, her jaw tightening, "-you surely are trying to get much more out of it."


    I felt nothing.


    No anger. No embarrassment.


    Just... exhaustion.


    I opened my mouth, then closed it again.


    I had no desire to exin myself to them. No urge to defend, deny, or justify anything. They could think whatever fantasy they wanted to spin about me.


    As long as they stayed out of my way.


    I bent down, picked the bucket back up, and took a step forward, intending to walk past them.


    That was apparently uneptable.


    Nadine¡¯s expression twisted when she realized I wasn¡¯t going to react.


    "Oh?" she snapped. "Nothing to say?"


    I kept walking.


    Her voice rose. "Aren¡¯t you even afraid?"


    That made me pause.


    Slowly, I turned my head just enough to nce at her.


    "Afraid of what?" I asked calmly.


    Her eyes lit up, as if she had been waiting for that. "Of Draven finding out," she said sharply. "Or are you so confident he¡¯ll never know how desperate you are to crawl into his brothers¡¯ arms?"


    Biancaughed, high and cruel. "Seriously," she added, folding her arms, "how pathetic do you have to be? He¡¯s been gone for barely a week and you are already lining up recements."


    Something cold settled in my chest.


    Not because of their words.


    But because of how little they understood.


    Draven wasn¡¯t "away."


    But no one knew the truth, they just believed the lie River and Kieran had beautifully crafted - that Draven was away at Ice Shifter Academy on the other side of globe for this semester.


    I said nothing. I just turned again and took another step.


    That was when Bianca reached out.


    Her hand grabbed my arm.


    Hard.


    The world shifted.


    In a heartbeat, my calm snapped... not into blind rage, but into something far sharper. Controlled. Precise.


    Before Bianca could even register what happened, I twisted.


    Her fingers slid uselessly off my sleeve as I pivoted on my heel, my body moving on instinct, muscle memory taking over. My hand shot out and caught Nadine¡¯s wrist mid-gesture, twisting it upward and back in one swift motion.


    She screamed.


    At the same time, my other hand fisted into Bianca¡¯s hair, yanking her forward with enough force to make her stumble.


    The mop bucket ttered to the floor.


    Violet froze.


    Her eyes went wide, her feet rooted to the spot as if her body had forgotten how to move.


    Nadine gasped, her free hand wing at my arm as pain shot through her twisted wrist. "L-let go!"


    Bianca cried out, her hands scrambling uselessly at my grip in her hair. "Are you crazy?!"


    I leaned in, my voice low but carrying easily through the empty hall.


    "Touch me again," I said quietly, "and I promise you¡¯ll regret it for the rest of your lives."


    Silence fell.


    Heavy. Suffocating.


    Nadine¡¯s breathing turned shallow. I could feel the tremor in her wrist, the way her confidence shattered under the realization that she had miscalcted mepletely.


    "You think you can corner me?" I continued, tightening my grip just enough to make my point clear. "Intimidate me? use me?"


    I met Nadine¡¯s gaze, my eyes cold.


    "You don¡¯t know me," I said tly. "And you have no idea what you are ying with."


    Violet swallowed hard, finally finding her voice. "N-Nadine... maybe we should-"


    "Shut up," Nadine hissed through clenched teeth, though the edge was gone from her tone now. Fear had reced it.


    I released Bianca first, shoving her back a step. She nearly tripped over her own feet, hands flying to her scalp as she stared at me in disbelief.


    Then I let go of Nadine¡¯s wrist.


    She staggered back, clutching it to her chest, her eyes burning with humiliation and hatred.


    I straightened, smoothing my tank top as if nothing had happened.


    "This is your only warning," I said, my voice steady again. "Stay away from me. Don¡¯t follow me. Don¡¯t talk about me. And don¡¯t ever put your hands on me again."


    My gaze swept over all three of them.


    "Next time," I added softly, "I won¡¯t be this kind."


    For a long moment, none of them spoke.


    Then I bent down, picked up the mop bucket, and walked past them.


    This time...


    No one tried to stop me.

 Chapter 547: The Sudden Announcement

    <h4>Chapter 547: The Sudden Announcement</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had barely stepped back into the dorm, towel wrapped around my damp hair to absorb the excess water, when I realized something was... off.


    Mallory was standing near the cold firece, gulping down thest of her coffee like her life depended on it. Rowan was hopping around on one foot, struggling to pull on his shoe while muttering under his breath. Ria, on the other hand, had already grabbed her cardigan and was halfway toward the door before she froze and looked at me.


    The three of them were moving with purpose.


    Urgency.


    Now that I thought about it, I just walked past a group of my ssmates in the hallway who were in rush to go somewhere.


    Confusion flickered through me. "What¡¯s going on?" I asked, cing my toiletries basket on the shoe cab near the door.


    Ria didn¡¯t answer.


    Instead, she marched straight toward me, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me to the couch.


    "Sit," she ordered.


    Before I could protest, she had taken the towel off my hair and then plugged in the hair dryer. The loud hum filled the room as warm air sted against my damp hair.


    "Ria-" I started.


    "Nope," she cut me off, already lifting sections of my hair with her fingers. "You are not going anywhere with wet hair."


    Mallory appeared at my other side with another blow dryer, plugging it in with impressive speed. "The weather¡¯s not nice these days. And Assembly halls are cold," she added helpfully, as if that exined everything.


    I blinked at them. "Assembly hall?"


    Rowan finally managed to get both shoes on and straightened. "Yeah," he said, grabbing his jacket. "Emergency assembly. All students. Just came through the studentwork."


    "Emergency?" I echoed, my heart skipping.


    "Not emergency-emergency," Rowan rified quickly. "Just... sudden."


    I already knew.


    The realization settled quietly in my chest.


    Kieran.


    He must have finalized the n.


    This was it - the excuse, the distraction, the way to clear the Academy grounds without raising suspicion. He finally had made the n he had been working on sincest weekend.


    At least I believed this was all about that.


    I kept my face neutral, even as Ria aggressively dried the back of my hair.


    "Ohe on," I said lightly, trying to pull away. "We¡¯ll bete if you keep doing this."


    Mallory shook her head. "Five minutes," she promised. "Trust us."


    Ria nodded vigorously. "Exactly five."


    I sighed but didn¡¯t resist further.


    How could I?


    My heart warmed despite myself. Their concern was genuine, instinctive. They didn¡¯t know what was really happening, yet here they were... making sure I wasn¡¯t cold, wasn¡¯t rushed, wasn¡¯t ufortable.


    And Rowan, he was at my feet the vert next moment... holding my sneakers that he helped me put on.


    Five minutester... exactly as promised... both hair dryers clicked off.


    Mallory shoved a small, pocket-sizedb into my hand. "Emergency grooming," she dered.


    Iughed softly, quickly running theb through my now-dry hair as we hurried out of the dorm.


    The hallway was eerily empty.


    That was when we broke into a run.


    Our footsteps echoed as we rushed toward the elevators, only slowing when we reached the lobby and spotted other students spilling out of stairwells and lifts, equally hurried.


    "Okay," Rowan said, slowing down. "We are notte."


    Three minutester, we entered the assembly hall.


    The ce was already buzzing.


    I slipped theb into my pocket as we scanned the rows, quickly spotting Kyros, Selene, and Noah waving enthusiastically from the back. They had managed to secure a row with enough empty seats for all of us.


    We hurried over and dropped into our seats just as Professor Aldric stepped onto the stage.


    The hall gradually quieted.


    Only then did I notice the faculty. All of them were seated in the front rows... every professor, every instructor. That alone was enough to make whispers ripple through the students.


    Professor Aldric cleared his throat. "Thank you for assembling so quickly," he said warmly. "I apologize for the sudden call."


    A few groans echoed, quickly drowned out by curious murmurs.


    "But," he continued, a smile spreading across his face, "I promise... you are going to love what¡¯sing."


    The whispers grew louder.


    Beside me, Mallory leaned in. "If this isn¡¯t good, I¡¯m suing."


    I barely suppressed a smile.


    Professor Aldric lifted a hand. "Without further dy, I would d like to invite Headmaster Thorne to the stage."


    The hall erupted.


    Cheers. Apuse. And whistles that came mostly from the first years.


    Kieran stepped onto the stage, calm andposed as ever, his presence alone enough tomand silence. It took only a raised hand for the hall to quiet once more.


    "My apologies for the short notice," he began, his voice smooth and steady. "But I believe this announcement is worth it."


    He paused.


    Then...


    "Theing Monday morning, the entire Silver Moon Academy will be going on a three-day trip."


    For half a second, there was stunned silence.


    Then chaos.


    Cheers exploded around us. Students jumped to their feet. Conversations ovepped, excitement crackling through the air like electricity.


    Mallory grabbed my arm. "Did he say entire Academy?"


    "All of us?" Ria gasped.


    Kyros let out a low whistle. "That¡¯s insane."


    I smiled, pping along with everyone else, even as my heart beat with a different kind of anticipation.


    Kieran waited patiently for the noise to die down before continuing.


    "This is the first time in Silver Moon Academy¡¯s history that all four years will be traveling at once," he exined. "To ensure order... and enjoyment... we have selected four different destinations."


    That caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    "Each year will be assigned one destination," he went on, "and which year goes where will be decided through a game."


    The hall erupted again.


    A game.


    Of course.


    Kieran¡¯s gaze swept across the students. "Each year will need to choose a representative," he said. "One volunteer per year."


    The hall buzzed as students from each year began turning to one another, already debating who should represent them.


    "Volunteers," Kieran announced, "please step onto the stage."

 Chapter 548: The Volunteers

    <h4>Chapter 548: The Volunteers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Kieran asked for volunteers to step forward, I didn¡¯t even have time to inhale before I felt it.


    Every single one of my friends turned to look at me.


    Mallory¡¯s brows lifted expectantly. Ria¡¯s lips curved into a knowing smile. Rowan leaned back slightly, already convinced. Even Kyros, Selene, and Noah seemed to be waiting for me to stand.


    It was obvious what they wanted - me as Second Year¡¯s representative.


    I opened my mouth to protest... or at least to buy myself a second to think... when movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention.


    Someone else was already standing.


    Nadine.


    She rose from her seat two rows ahead, smoothing down her skirt as if she had rehearsed this exact moment a hundred times. Without once looking back to consult anyone from our year, she stepped into the aisle and began making her way down the stairs toward the stage.


    A ripple of murmurs spread through our section.


    I felt Mallory stiffen beside me.


    "Oh no she didn¡¯t," Mallory hissed under her breath, already leaning forward. "She didn¡¯t even ask-"


    I reached out and caught her wrist.


    "Mal," I whispered softly.


    She turned to look at me, her eyes nearly zing. "Eva, she can¡¯t just-"


    "Let it go," I murmured.


    Around us, Noah and Ria were also tensing, clearly ready to say something. I shook my head slightly, pressing a finger to my lips.


    "Please," I added quietly.


    They looked confused. A little offended, even. But they trusted me.


    Slowly, reluctantly, they settled back into their seats.


    Down below, Nadine paused for just a second and nced over her shoulder. And her eyes found mine instantly.


    A victorious smile curved her lips... small, smug, and deliberate... as if she had just proven something. As if this moment alone validated every ugly thought she had ever had about me.


    Then she turned away and continued toward the stage.


    The second years didn¡¯t look pleased.


    I could feel it in the air... the restrained irritation, the whispers that cut off the moment Nadine passed by. Plenty of students shifted in their seats, clearly unhappy that she¡¯d decided this on her own.


    But no one stopped her.


    Nadine was an Alpha¡¯s daughter.


    That title alone was enough to silence most people.


    Most.


    Mallory leaned in close, her voice low. "Why did you stop us?" she asked. "We wanted you to represent us."


    Ria nodded. "Yeah. You would have been perfect."


    Mallory hesitated before adding, even quieter, "And let¡¯s be honest... you would probably get us some extra benefits."


    I sighed softly, keeping my eyes on the stage. "Rx. Since she wants this badly. Let her have it."


    Noah frowned. "But Eva-"


    "If she wins," I continued calmly, "we get a great destination. And if she loses..." I shrugged. "Do you really think Professor Kieran would pick any bad options in the first ce?"


    Kyros leaned forward from behind us, grinning. "Honestly? It might be better if she loses."


    Selene snorted. "Watching her lose in front of everyone?"


    "And in front of Professor Kieran," Noah added gleefully. "That alone would make the trip worth it."


    I couldn¡¯t help the small smile that tugged at my lips.


    The representatives from the other years stepped forward soon after. A tall third-year boy with sharp eyes and an easy confidence. A quiet but focused first-year girl. And a fourth-year male who looked like he had already calcted every possible oue.


    Once all four stood on the stage, Kieran exined the rules of the game.


    "To keep things fair... and fun," he announced, "we decided against anythingbat-based or magically exhausting. Today¡¯s game will be simple."


    Behind him, several assistants rolled out a long table ced horizontally across the stage. On it were four identical wooden boards, each divided into neatly marked sections. Beside every board sat a small basket filled with smooth, rune-etched tiles and a leather-bound instruction card.


    "This game is called <strong>Path of Choices</strong>," Kieran exined. "Each of you will be given the same set of tiles. Every tile represents a different terrain - forest, mountain, river, in, storm, and sanctuary. Your task is to build the most bnced travel route using the tiles you are given."


    He paused, letting that sink in.


    "There is no single correct answer. Points will be awarded based on bnce, logic, and creativity."


    That immediately made the game feel... approachable. Interesting, even.


    The rules were simple:


    - Each representative had ten minutes.


    - They had to arrange their tiles into a continuous path from start to finish.


    - Certainbinations earned bonus points.


    - Overusing one terrain caused point deductions.


    This was all about thinking, nning, and presentation.


    Perfect.


    When the signal was given, the representatives got to work.


    Nadine surprised no one by taking the lead almost instantly.


    She worked with confidence, her long fingers moving swiftly as she arranged her tiles. Her posture was straight, her expressionposed... almost serene... as if this game had been designed specifically for her strengths.


    She nced up once, briefly, her eyes flicking toward Kieran before returning to her board.


    Of course.


    The third-year representative took a slower approach, pausing often, rearranging tiles more than once. The fourth-year leaned heavily into symmetry, clearly aiming for visual appeal. The first-year looked nervous but determined, biting her lip as she double-checked every cement.


    When time was up, the representatives were asked to exin their routes.


    Nadine volunteered to go first.


    She spoke clearly, confidently, exining how her path minimized risk while maximizing efficiency, how each terrain flowed naturally into the next. Her exnation was polished... almost rehearsed... and the professors nodded along appreciatively.


    Apuse followed.


    She smiled, clearly pleased.


    The third-year went next. His route wasn¡¯t as neat, but his reasoning was clever... he had built flexibility into his path, allowing detours and alternatives, and that had the professors exchanging thoughtful looks.


    Then came the second part of the game - Roubd Two.


    Arge board was moved on the stage, disying a series of hypothetical travel scenarios. Each representative had to choose one tile from their remaining set to respond to the situation.


    <i>Unexpected storm ahead.</i>


    <i>Supplies running low.</i>


    <i>Injuredpanion.</i>


    <i>Blocked mountain pass.</i>


    It was about quick thinking.


    Nadine did well again. Her answers were logical, safe, and efficient. By the end of the second round, she was clearly in the top two.


    I could feel Mallory shift beside me.


    "She¡¯s really trying to impress him," she muttered.


    I didn¡¯t respond.


    The final round was where things subtly shifted.


    The representatives were asked to swap one tile at random with another participant and then adjust their route ordingly... without changing the rest of their path.


    It was meant to test adaptability.


    Nadine received a storm tile. And I noticed how her smile faltered for just a fraction of a second.


    She adjusted her route, but I still noticed the slight hesitation. The flow she had built so carefully earlier didn¡¯t quite recover. Her exnation afterward was still confident... but less convincing.


    The third-year, on the other hand, adapted effortlessly.


    When the scores were tallied, the result was clear - third year took first ce. And the second ce went to Nadine.


    Nadine¡¯s expression stayedposed, but I saw it. The tightness in her jaw. The way her fingers curled slightly at her sides.


    She wanted first ce. She wanted to choose first. And more than that... she wanted Kieran to see her win.


    The disappointment was clear in her eyes, but she still held her head high as she stepped forward and picked the destination for our ss. Her eyes once again halting on Kieran¡¯s face longer than necessary.


    As she turned to leave the stage, her gaze swept the hall again... and found me.


    There was no smile this time.


    Just resentment.

 Chapter 549: Late Night Visit to Professor

    <h4>Chapter 549: Late Night Visit to Professor</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stood behind the painting, my breath shallow as I scanned the dimly lit hallway through the thin transparent slit onest time. The ce was empty, silent.


    Once I was sure no one¡¯s going to catch me wandering through the hallway of teachers¡¯ private quarters, I finally pushed the painting aside and stepped out into the hallway.


    Fixing the giant painting back in it¡¯s ce to hide the entrance of the secret passage, I turned my attention to my destination.


    My boots barely made a sound as I crossed the short distance to the nearest apartment door. I didn¡¯t hesitate and knocked once.


    The door flew open almost immediately.


    A hand wrapped around my wrist, firm and warm, and I was pulled inside before I could even take a full step. The door shut behind me with a soft but decisive click, lock sliding into ce.


    "Evaline?" Kieran¡¯s voice was low, confused, threaded with concern. "What are you doing here at this hour-"


    I didn¡¯t let him finish.


    I surged forward and kissed him.


    It wasn¡¯t a soft kiss. Not a slow one. This was heat and intent and possession wrapped into a single moment.


    My lips crashed into his, stealing the words right out of his mouth. I felt his sharp inhale against my lips, the surprise in the way his body stiffened for half a second before instinct took over. His mouth moved under mine, responding, opening, weing me even as confusion lingered in the tension of his shoulders.


    I kissed him like I needed him to remember.


    Like I needed <i>myself</i> to remember.


    My hands fisted into his shirt, pushing him back until his shoulders met the wall behind him. The stone was cool... his body was anything but. His lips were warm, firm, moving with mine as my tongue traced the seam of his mouth, demanding entry. When he let me in, the kiss deepened... slow at first, then hungry, our breaths tangling as my frustration bled into every movement.


    Kieran groaned softly into my mouth, the sound vibrating straight through me.


    His hands lifted, instinctively going for my waist - but I caught them mid-motion. I pressed his wrists back against the wall, holding them there, letting him feel exactly how serious I was.


    And he didn¡¯t fight me.


    That alone sent a sharp, possessive thrill through my veins.


    I kissed him harder, my lips moving against his with unrestrained urgency, my tongue sliding against his in a slow, deliberate stroke that made his breath hitch. I felt the tension coil through his body, felt the way he leaned into me even while letting me keep control.


    When I finally broke the kiss, it was only to trail my mouth along his jaw, down the side of his neck. I pressed my lips to his skin, breathing him in, tasting him. My teeth grazed his pulse, and I nipped gently... just enough to make my point.


    <i>Mine.</i>


    His breath shuddered.


    I lingered there, lips and teeth and breath, until I felt his hands move again... not to stop me, but to steady me. One slid around my shoulders, grounding me. The other cradled the back of my head, his fingers threading into my hair with quiet care.


    That was when the storm inside me finally started to ease.


    I rested my forehead against his neck for a second, breathing, letting the heat settle into something steadier. He didn¡¯t say a word. He didn¡¯t ask. He simply held me, letting mee back to myself at my own pace.


    And then...


    "Well," a familiar voice drawled from the side, amused and far too entertained, "Why do I feel like I just witnessed something definitely not meant for my innocent eyes?"


    I froze.


    Then slowly, I turned my head.


    Oscar stood a few steps away, leaning casually against the wooden shelf filled with all sorts of books on herbs and potions. His arms were crossed over his chest, a crooked smile ying on his lips, and eyes bright with curiosity.


    "What got into you, little mate?" he asked lightly.


    Kieran shifted beside me, his hands still resting on me, his expression a mix of surprise and something dangerously close to pride. His gaze dropped to my face, searching.


    I exhaled.


    "Nadine," I said simply.


    The word alone seemed to exin everything.


    I stepped back just enough to look at both of them properly. "I have never let it bother me before," I continued, my voice calmer now but still edged with honesty. "Women liking you. Wanting you. It¡¯s not your fault. None of you have ever given me a reason to worry about your countless fangirls."


    Oscar¡¯s smile softened just a little.


    "But today..." I shook my head. "Something about her. The way she kept looking at Kieran. The way she looked at me. Like I was something temporary. Something she could rece if she just tried hard enough."


    Kieran¡¯s brows drew together. "Love-"


    "I know," I cut in gently. "I know it¡¯s ridiculous. But it snapped something inside me. And I needed to remind myself... that you are not some fantasy she gets to entertain. That you are already mine."


    For a heartbeat, the room was quiet.


    Then Kieran smiled... a smile that was filled with shock and disbelief as if he couldn¡¯t believe there¡¯s someone who could be so possessive about him. He seemed like he wanted to say something but was struggling to find the right words to express his feelings.


    Oscar had me turning to him again when I heard him clicking his tongue.


    "Damn. Now I¡¯m feeling left out." He tilted his head, mock-pouting. "If I¡¯d known having a student fawn over me would earn that kind of attention, I might have encouraged it."


    I didn¡¯t even think.


    I grabbed his cor and yanked him forward, pulling him into my space so fast his eyes widened in surprise. I stared straight into his eyes.


    "Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know about your fangirls," I warned quietly. "You got just an equal long line as the rest of your brothers."


    A smile broke out on his lips as well. "I don¡¯t know," he said lightly. "I feel like they aren¡¯t doing a good enough job."

 Chapter 550: They Have an Audience

    <h4>Chapter 550: They Have an Audience</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stared at Oscar, my lips slightly parted as my brain finished processing the meaning behind his shameless words.


    For a moment, no sound came out of me. Then I opened my mouth... but he beat me to it.


    "Am I wrong?" he asked lightly, then added, almost as an afterthought, "Brother."


    The single word made my stomach drop.


    My gaze followed the tilt of his head toward the couches near the firece, and that was when I saw it.


    Theptop.


    Sitting innocently on the coffee table between the couches, its screen glowing softly in the dim room.


    And staring back at me through the screen... was River.


    A soft gasp escaped my lips before I could stop it.


    He was leaning back in his chair, one arm draped over the backrest, the familiar calm amusement clear on his face. His eyes were sharp, knowing, and far too entertained for myfort.


    "Oh," he said smoothly. "Don¡¯t stop on my ount."


    I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole.


    It all hit me at once.


    I was so overwhelmed with my jealousy and possessive fire when I had burst into Kieran¡¯s apartment minutes ago, that Ipletely failed to sense Oscar¡¯s presence or the fact that a third person had been watching everything in silence all this time.


    All three of them witnessed every second of the moment when I lost myposure and arrived here to... im what was already mine.


    Heat rushed to my cheeks, turning them pink as embarrassment finally caught up with the emotions that had dragged me here in the first ce.


    I straightened slowly, lifting my chin like dignity was something I hadn¡¯t just misced minutes ago.


    "Well," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady, "this is... awkward."


    Oscar chuckled. "Only if you make it."


    River¡¯s lips curved into a slow smile. "If it helps, you were magnificent."


    I shot him a re. "You enjoyed that way too much."


    "I enjoyed <i>you</i>," he corrected calmly. "There¡¯s a difference."


    Kieran cleared his throat softly beside me, though I could see the faint smile he was trying... and failing... to hide. His hand brushed mine, grounding without iming, letting me decide how to handle this.


    The three of them were amused.


    Satisfied.


    And worst of all... pleased.


    They liked finally catching a glimpse of this side of me. The jealous edge. The possessive fire. The reminder that I wasn¡¯t just calm andposed and endlessly understanding... I was theirs, and I knew it.


    I inhaled slowly, then exhaled.


    Fine.


    If they were going to watch, I wasn¡¯t going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me flustered.


    I shifted my weight and crossed my arms. "So," I asked, arching a brow as I looked between the three of them, "what exactly were you doing sote at night?"


    My gaze lingered on Oscar first - him being here at this hour was suspicious enough - then moved to Kieran, and finally to River on the screen.


    "I refuse to believe this was just a casual brothers¡¯ bonding session," I added. "It¡¯s almost midnight."


    For once, none of them looked caught. There was no look of guilt in any of their eyes which made me wonder if they were actually up to nothing for once.


    The idea only became stronger when Kieran answered easily, "We were talking about the trip."


    "The Academy trip?" I asked skeptically.


    "Yes," River said. "Logistics. Security. Timing."


    Oscar shrugged. "Making sure nothing explodes with so many students going on a trip together. We not only need to divide the professors and instructors properly to each year, but also the warriors."


    I narrowed my eyes at them. It was hard to believe them. "That was not convincing."


    Kieran smiled faintly. "We weren¡¯t nning anything behind your back, little mate."


    I studied their faces, searching for the tension, the guilt, the subtle signs they always gave away when they were hiding something from me.


    There was none.


    Reluctantly, I sighed. "Fine. I¡¯ll let it go."


    Kieran¡¯s smile softened. "Thank you."


    The silence that followed felt... different.


    Heavier.


    Charged.


    I nced at the clock on the wall and straightened. It was almost midnight. "I should head back to my dorm."


    I took a step toward the door.


    But Oscar moved faster.


    He stepped into my path smoothly, blocking my way without touching me at first. His presence alone was enough... tall, warm, familiar.


    "Leaving already?" he asked.


    "Yes," I replied. "I think I have caused enough chaos for one night."


    He smiled slowly and took one step closer.


    Then another.


    Until there was barely any space left between us.


    "Seems like a waste," he murmured.


    My breath hitched despite myself. "Oscar-"


    His hand came to rest on my waist, his fingers brushing the bare skin where my top ended and my skirt began. The contact was light, almost innocent.


    Almost.


    My pulse jumped.


    "You came all this way," he continued softly. "Stormed into Kieran¡¯s apartment. imed him like you owned him." His thumb traced a slow, deliberate arc at my side. "Leaving now feels... unfinished."


    I swallowed.


    Kieran didn¡¯t move to stop him. And I was fully aware of River¡¯s gaze on us.


    Oscar tilted his head slightly toward theptop. "Besides," he added, his voice dropping just enough to send a shiver down my spine, "we already have an audience."


    My eyes flicked to the screen.


    River¡¯s expression had changed... still calm, stillposed, but darker now. More focused.


    Oscar leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear. "Want to give him a good show?"


    The words sent a jolt straight through me.


    The idea of River watching while I spent the night between Kieran and Oscar... it was more than enough to make my knees weak. The explicit image already started forming in my head, stealing my breath and leaving me needy.


    Oscar was still waiting for my response, his lips just a breath away from my jawline. And though Kieran hadn¡¯t spoken a single word, I knew he wanted it too.

 Chapter 551: The Special Show (I)

    <h4>Chapter 551: The Special Show (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I kept my gaze fixed on River¡¯s through the screen as I nodded.


    The decision settled deep in my chest... heavy, thrilling, undeniable.


    Oscar didn¡¯t wait even a second.


    The moment my head dipped in agreement, his lips closed the remaining space between his mouth and my skin. And then he pressed a soft, deliberate kiss against my jawline, unhurried and intimate, like he was savoring the simple fact that I had said yes to his n of teasing his brother. My breath stuttered, the sensation rippling straight through me.


    His mouth didn¡¯t linger there for long.


    He followed the curve of my jaw, pressing stronger kisses down the side of my throat, each one sending warmth spreading under my skin. His hands came around my waist, firm and sure, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. I could feel the solid heat of his body, the strength in his frame, grounding and overwhelming me all at once.


    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, his voice joined the mix... low, calm, infuriatinglyposed.


    "Kieran," he said, still kissing my throat, not sparing his brother even a nce. "Set theptop so River can have a proper view of the bed."


    A shiver ran through me at how casually he said it, like this was the most natural thing in the world.


    Then, just as easily, he added, "And join us."


    My pulse thundered.


    I felt rather than saw Kieran move, the faint scrape of furniture, the quiet shift in the room. Oscar guided me backward, his hands never leaving my waist, until my legs brushed the edge of the bed. He stopped then, not yet getting on the bed.


    For a brief second, everything softened.


    He cupped my face in his hands and pressed a kiss to my forehead... slow, reverent, grounding. It was such a stark contrast to the heat burning between us that my chest tightened.


    Then he stepped behind me.


    With a smooth turn of his hands, he guided me to face the coffee table where theptop now sat angled toward the bed. My eyes lifted on instinct,nding on the screen.


    River was watching.


    He was sitting back on the couch in his room, one arm resting along the back, his posture rxed but his eyes sharp and intent. There was no smile on his lips now... just a quiet, focused intensity that made my stomach flutter.


    It was almost unexinable how after so long... after countless nights I spent naked under them... they still had the power to turn me into an anxious mess within seconds. Just like a year ago, the brothers could still easily make my heart race, my breathing sharp, and my cheeks flushed.


    Just like they were doing right now... even when it¡¯s not my first time with two of them or one of them being the audience.


    I got lost in my thoughts that I barely had time to process it before Oscar¡¯s fingers found the buttons of my blouse.


    Slowly. One by one. He started opening them.


    Each soft click of metal felt impossibly loud in the quiet room.


    There were only four buttons, but he treated each like it deserved its own moment, his knuckles brushing my skin with every movement. My breath came shallow, my shoulders lifting slightly as anticipation curled tight inside me.


    When thest button slipped free, he didn¡¯t rush.


    He slid the fabric down my shoulders, unhurried, exposing skin inch by inch. The cool air kissed my corbones, my shoulders, my back. Oscar¡¯s fingers moved on my back as he swept my hair forward, letting it fall over my shoulders, fully baring my back.


    And then, he eaned in, pressing his mouth against my nape, his lips warm where my hair had been moments ago.


    My awareness splintered in too many directions at once - Oscar behind me, River watching from the screen, and Kieran¡¯s presence closing in from the front.


    Oscar¡¯s hands moved again, this time to the fastening of my skirt. A gentle tug, pulling the zipper down, a soft sound, and then gravity did the rest. The fabric slid down my legs, pooling at my feet.


    I stepped out of it automatically along with my sneakers, my heart pounding.


    I was left in nothing but my matching dark olive set, the color suddenly feeling far bolder than it ever had before. Oscar still didn¡¯t rush to take it off.


    Instead, his hands traced slow paths along my sides, up my arms, across my waist, like he was reminding me... reminding all of them... that this wasn¡¯t about haste.


    It was about presence.


    His kisses followed the line of my shoulder, then my neck again, lingering at my nape. Each touch was deliberate, controlled, making my knees feel weak even as he held me steady.


    I caught a glimpse of River shifting slightly on the screen, his gaze never leaving me.


    And then...


    Kieran stepped in front of me.


    His hands came up to frame my face, his touch warm, familiar, steady in a way that made my chest ache. He didn¡¯t hesitate. He leaned in and captured my lips in a kiss that was firm but unhurried, grounding even as it deepened.


    The contrast between them was dizzying.


    Oscar¡¯s heat and control behind me.


    Kieran¡¯s calm,manding presence in front of me.


    And River... watching, witnessing, connected even from miles away.


    I melted into the kiss, my hands lifting instinctively to curl into Kieran¡¯s shirt, anchoring myself there. His mouth moved against mine in a way that spoke of restraint, of patience, like he was letting the moment build instead of rushing it.


    Behind me, Oscar¡¯s arms tightened just slightly, his mouth brushing my skin again, reminding me he was there.


    That I was surrounded.


    imed.


    Wanted.


    My world narrowed to sensation and breath and the quiet hum of shared intent.


    And when Kieran finally ended the kiss and pulled back to look at me, I took the chance to unbutton his shirt.


    "You guys are overdressed for the asion. Don¡¯t you think so?"

 Chapter 552: The Special Show (II)

    <h4>Chapter 552: The Special Show (II)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I didn¡¯t wait for either of their response. My fingers were already working on the fourth button of his shirt.


    Despite myself, I failed to slow down. But my fingers still did a fantastic job despite the rush.


    A quiet breath left Kieran as I pushed the fabric open, my palms ttening against his bare skin. Warm. Solid. Familiar in a way that made something deep inside me curl tight with need.


    I dragged the shirt down past his shoulders, letting it fall wherever it pleased, and then my hands were free... gliding over his chest, tracing the lines of muscle, dipping over his abdomen like I was memorizing him all over again.


    My arms slipped around his neck, pulling him down to me.


    The kiss I gave him this time was nothing like before.


    It wasn¡¯t restrained.


    It was hungry.


    My lips moved against his, teasing first, then demanding more. I bit down lightly, tugging on his lower lip just enough to make him exhale sharply before my tongue slipped past his defenses and met his.


    The kiss deepened instantly... slow and consuming, the kind that made the world tilt and narrowed everything down to heat and breath and shared hunger.


    Through the overwhelming sensations, I felt Oscar stepping back before I heard the faint sound of fabric shifting. I didn¡¯t have to look to know what he was doing. My pulse kicked harder, anticipation coiling tight in my belly.


    Secondster, proof pressed against my back.


    Bare skin.


    Solid muscle.


    Heat.


    Oscar¡¯s chest molded against me, his presence overwhelming in the best way possible. He reached around gently, turning my head just enough for him to capture my mouth in a kiss that matched the one I had just shared with Kieran... deep, confident, and utterly unrestrained.


    I melted into it.


    My hands instinctively reached back, my fingers curling into warm skin as if anchoring myself. The sensation of being kissed by Oscar while Kieran¡¯s presence still surrounded me was dizzying... too much and never enough all at once.


    And then Kieran moved.


    I felt his lips trail downward, leaving a line of warmth in their wake... along my jaw, my throat, my corbone. His kisses were slower now, unhurried, reverent, as if he was savoring every inch of me. My breath stuttered with every touch, my body responding instinctively.


    Oscar didn¡¯t stop kissing me.


    If anything, he deepened it, keeping me grounded as Kieran continued his slow exploration, his mouth pressing kisses along my torso until the air shifted and I realized he was no longer standing in front of me.


    He was lower.


    Much lower.


    A soft sound escaped me before I could stop it as his lips brushed my inner thigh... just once, barely there, but enough to send sparks racing through my veins. My grip tightened instinctively on Oscar, my knees threatening to give out as sensationyered upon sensation.


    Kieran¡¯s touch was maddeningly slow.


    Teasing.


    Measured.


    Like he was fully aware of exactly how close I already was to unraveling.


    I gasped when he guided one of my legs higher, settling it securely over his shoulder, giving him ess while keeping me steady.


    I sighed into the kiss as Kieran¡¯s fingers pulled my panty aside, baring my core to him right before he leaned in and his tongue licked a path between my folds. And the moment his tongue moved over my clit, I was gone.


    My head tipped back against Oscar¡¯s shoulder as sensation bloomed... sweet, overwhelming, impossible to ignore.


    Oscar¡¯s lips left mine briefly, only to trail lower, his mouth brushing my jaw, my throat, my shoulder. When he finally reached my spine, his attention was gentle but purposeful, he finally undid by bra, letting it join the rest of clothes on the floor.


    And then his tongue was circling my nipples that hardened instantly under his sweet attention.


    The two of them... they were in perfect sync... licking, sucking, teasing. They knew exactly what they were doing to me, and they were enjoying every second of it.


    Kieran slipped two of his fingers inside me, causing me to groan out loud. I reached out, curling my fingers into his long hair and tugging on it just enough to make him groan.


    He picked up his speed, his fingers thrusting deeper and faster while his tongue continued to lick my throbbing clit.


    And Oscar wasn¡¯t going easy on me either. If anything, his tongue and hands were pushing me closer to the edge.


    I was drowning in it.


    Every nerve felt alive.


    Every breath shaky.


    But just when I felt myself tipping too far... when the tension inside me stretched to the breaking point... Kieran stopped.


    They both stopped and pulled away as if they had it all nned.


    The sudden absence of their touches made me cry out softly. My body was still reaching for what was no longer there.


    I looked down, breathless, only to find Kieran rising smoothly to his feet, his gaze dark and deliberate.


    That look alone nearly undid me.


    Then I felt Oscar¡¯s hand on the small of my back. He helped me the rest of the way out of what little I had left on, his touch careful but sure as he guided me backward toward the bed. The cool sheets met my skin as Iy back, angled just enough that I knew River could still see us clearly from the screen.


    The thought sent another shiver through me.


    Oscar followed, settling between my legs with an easy confidence that made my pulse race. I watched him reach for the condom Kieran just pulled out from his bedside drawer. His movements were unhurried, almost taunting.


    His eyes lifted to mine, a slow, wicked smile curving his lips.


    "Well," he murmured, his voice low and teasing, "since our audience is watching... I think we should make this unforgettable... for all of us."


    And just like that, the air crackled... thick with promise, anticipation, and everything that had yet to happen.

 Chapter 553: The Special Show (III)

    <h4>Chapter 553: The Special Show (III)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Oscar finally straightened, his gaze never leaving mine, the world seemed to narrow down to just the two of us.


    There was something almost ceremonial in the way he took his time... deliberate, unhurried... like he wanted me to feel every second of anticipation. My breath came shallow as he settled between my legs again, one hand braced beside my hip, the other skimming slowly up my thigh.


    When he leaned down, our foreheads brushed.


    "You still with me?" he murmured, his voice low and warm, threaded with unmistakable intent.


    I nodded, unable to trust my voice. My fingers curled into the sheets beneath me as he lined himself against my entrance. I was so lost that I hadn¡¯t even noticed when he put on the condom.


    He ced a soft kiss on the spot between my eyebrows as he pushed himself in with ease, causing sensations to bloom everywhere in my body at once.


    And just like that... he was close, connected, filling the space between us in a way that made my back arch instinctively. A breathy sound escaped me before I could stop it, my body responding on pure instinct as he eased into a steady rhythm.


    His each thrust hit a sweet spot deep inside me, causing sweet sparks to erupt all over my body.


    The mattress dipped beside me, and suddenly Kieran was there... solid, grounding, his presence wrapping around me like a promise. He captured my lips before I could even turn toward him. His kiss was deep and consuming, as if he was anchoring me while everything else threatened to unravel.


    His hand roamed freely... over my side, my waist, the curve of my stomach, my sensitive nipped... touching me with a familiarity that made my chest ache.


    I could feel Oscar¡¯s movement, steady and sure, the rhythm building gradually, drawing quiet sounds from deep in my throat that I didn¡¯t even try to suppress. I was so close.


    Kieran¡¯s kiss softened, turning reverent.


    "Let go," he murmured against my lips. "We have got you."


    And I did.


    I didn¡¯t know when the tension first coiled tight inside me... only that it kept building, wave after wave, until my body no longer knew what to do with it. Oscar stayed perfectly attuned, his movements confident, unrelenting, his grip firm where it needed to be.


    The world fractured.


    Pleasure washed over me in a way that left me trembling, breathless, and clinging to Kieran as my body gave inpletely. I felt Oscar follow momentster, his forehead pressing briefly against my shoulder as the intensity finally ebbed.


    For a heartbeat, everything went quiet.


    There was just breath, just warmth, just the three of us tangled together in the aftermath.


    Oscar shifted first, brushing a kiss over my temple before easing away and letting Kieran take his ce between my legs. But instead of continuing immediately, Kieran slowed everything down.


    His hands gently moved down my sides, his attention entirely focused on me.


    He kissed his way down my body like he had all the time in the world.


    Every touch felt magnified, my nerves already sensitive, already humming from what had just passed. When he lingered at certain ces, when he took his time, the sensation became unbearable in the best way possible.


    And then... he was back between my legs, his tongue gliding over my clit. I arched my back as his tongue started ying with my sensitive bud, relentless, merciless.


    It didn¡¯t take too long before I felt the pleasure built deep inside me and threatened to break free.


    All it took was a sudden nip of his teeth and I wasing undone all over again.


    I gasped, my fingers tangling in his hair as he made mee apart... this time slower, deeper, until I was shaking beneath him, my voice breaking on his name.


    Only then did he finally rise, his golden-green orbs looked dark with hunger and devotion.


    Oscar rejoined us, settling beside me, pulling me gently into his arms so my head rested against his chest. His heartbeat was steady beneath my ear, grounding me as Kieran entered me.


    The connection this time was different... deeper, slower, deliberate.


    Kieran set a rhythm that stole the breath from my lungs, each movement drawing me closer to the edge again. I wrapped my legs around him instinctively, meeting him halfway, my body responding without thought.


    Oscar¡¯s hand slipped between our bodies and found my clit, his touch achingly precise, sending sparks straight through me. His lips brushed my hair, my temple, my cheek, before he gently tilted my chin to the side with his other hand.


    "Look," he murmured softly.


    I followed his guidance and lifted my gaze to theptop screen.


    River.


    He was still there... reclined on his couch, his eyes dark and fixed on me. And his hand... it moved slowly, deliberately... over his hard length. His expression was unreadable but intense, like he wasn¡¯t just watching... but <i>living</i> it.


    The sight sent a shock straight through me and a gasp escaped my lips.


    The intimacy of it, the vulnerability, the way I was being seen... it all hit me hard. At the same moment, everything intensified.


    Kieran¡¯s movements quickened just slightly, his breath warm against my neck. Oscar¡¯s lips found the sensitive spot just below my ear... right over the mark that bound me to Kieran... and he kissed it with slow, deliberate intent. His tongue leaving a wet trail behind.


    That was all it took.


    The sensation crashed over me all at once... too much, too perfect, too overwhelming to hold back. I cried out, my body arching as everything inside me shattered in waves of heat and light, my senses blurringpletely.


    I barely registered Kieran¡¯s voice... soft, reverent... calling my name.


    Barely felt Oscar tighten his hold, steadying me as thest tremors passed.


    When the world finally came back into focus, I was spent... warm, breathless, wrapped safely between them. Oscar pressed a kiss to my hair, Kieran resting his forehead against mine, their presence a cocoon around me.


    On the screen, River hadn¡¯t looked away once.

 Chapter 554: The Special Show (IV)

    <h4>Chapter 554: The Special Show (IV)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I knew I would forget the way River looked at me in that moment.


    The screen cast a soft glow across the room, pale and intimate, and I was still suspended somewhere betweenst waves of pleasure and catching my breath when my eyes met his.


    His posture had changed from rxed to taut, every line of him focused, intent. He wasn¡¯t rushing. He was watching me like I was the only thing anchoring him to the world.


    My body answered before my mind could catch up.


    Kieran was still there, still moving inside me, still grounding me with every slow, deliberate thrust. His forehead rested briefly against mine, his breath warm, uneven, his eyes dark with devotion and restraint.


    "Evaline," he whispered, like saying my name was a prayer he needed answered.


    Oscar¡¯s arms tightened around me, his chest solid against my side, his presence a constant warmth. His lips brushed my temple, then my cheek, then the corner of my mouth. He didn¡¯t say anything. He didn¡¯t need to. His hands were steady, reassuring, keeping me tethered while everything else threatened to dissolve.


    On the screen, River¡¯s breath hitched.


    I could see it... the way his jaw clenched, the way his eyes never left me. His hand moved with slow, deliberate intent over his length, but it was his expression that undid me. There was no embarrassment there. No distance.


    Only want.


    Only connection.


    The realization that he was unraveling simply by watching me... by seeing me like this, held and cherished andpletely open... sent another shiver straight through my spine.


    Kieran felt it.


    His rhythm shifted, deepening, growing more urgent, like he had sensed the exact moment my control started to slip again. His grip tightened at my hips, anchoring me as the tension inside me coiled tight once more.


    "Stay with me," he murmured, his voice rough now. "Just a little longer."


    I nodded, though I wasn¡¯t sure I could obey. My hands clutched at Oscar¡¯s arm, my fingers curling into his skin as sensation flooded every corner of me.


    The sensations were bing too much and a part of me wanted to ask Kieran to stop, but at the same time, I didn¡¯t want him to stop... not until he made mee onest time tonight.


    My breath came in broken gasps, my awareness split between the man inside me, the man holding me, and the man watching from miles away with my name etched into every line of his focus.


    River¡¯s lips parted.


    A soft sound escaped him... low, involuntary... and something about that broke thest fragile thread ofposure I had left.


    Kieran¡¯s breathing grew uneven, his movements losing their measured restraint as he followed me closer to the edge. His forehead dropped to my shoulder, his voice barely audible now, every word shaped by effort and need.


    When he finally came undone, it was with a quiet sound against my skin, his entire body tensing as he pressed closer, holding me like he might fall apart if he let go.


    On the screen, River followed secondster.


    I watched his head tip back, his eyes closing as he crossed that invisible line, his expression raw and unguarded in a way that made my chest ache. He said my name... softly, reverently... and that was it.


    The world shattered.


    I came apart with a gasp, my body arching instinctively, the sensation sweeping through me in waves that left me trembling, breathless, and utterly spent. Oscar tightened his hold just in time, his arms a safe ce to copse into as everything finally ebbed.


    For a long moment, no one spoke.


    We were all just breathing.


    Recovering.


    Existing in the quiet aftermath of something intense and shared.


    Eventually, River shifted on the screen, a slow smile tugging at his lips. It wasn¡¯t smug. It wasn¡¯t teasing.


    It was soft.


    Content.


    "Good night, love," he said gently. "Sleep well."


    My heart did something warm and stupid in my chest.


    "Good night, River," I replied, my voice still a little unsteady. "Sweet dreams."


    He lingered for half a second longer, eyes flicking briefly to his brothers before the call finally ended, leaving the room wrapped in a calmer, dimmer quiet.


    The shift was immediate.


    Kieran eased back carefully, his touch gentle now, reverent, like he was afraid of disturbing me. Oscar pressed a kiss to my hair, then another to my temple, his hands smoothing slowly over my arms in a grounding,forting motion.


    "You okay?" He murmured softly.


    I nodded, already melting into him. "More than okay."


    They moved with practiced ease after that... quiet, unhurried. Kieran pulled the covers up around us once he was done cleaning me up with the wet towel. Oscar adjusted the pillows so I wasfortable, supported on both sides.


    The academy bed was small, barely meant for two people, but somehow the three of us fit. I was cocooned between them, Kieran¡¯s arm draped protectively over my waist, Oscar¡¯s hand resting warm and steady against my back.


    Kieran pressed a lingering kiss to my forehead.


    "Still ours?" he murmured, a hint of teasing warmth beneath the vulnerability.


    I smiled, turning my face into his chest. "Always."


    Oscar chuckled softly, his breath brushing my ear. "Good. Because I¡¯m not done yet."


    Iughed quietly, the sound muffled between them, my body heavy with contentment and exhaustion. Their hands kept moving in slow, absent patterns... tracing my arm, smoothing my hair, grounding me with touch that asked for nothing in return.


    Just closeness.


    Just connection.


    My eyelids grew heavy before I even realized it. The warmth of their bodies, the steady rise and fall of their breathing, the quiet safety of being held on both sides... it all blurred together into something soft and irresistible.


    Thest thing I felt before sleep imed me was a kiss pressed to my temple... and then another to my shoulder... and the quiet certainty that I was exactly where I belonged.


    Wrapped in the arms of my mates.


    Safe.


    Loved.


    And drifting peacefully into sleep.

 Chapter 555 555: The Secret of Silver Wolf Bloodline (I)

    Evaline:


    I watched Elion as he signed thest of the files his secretary just brought in.


    And there were quite a few of them, each one ced with precision on the coffee table, their edges aligned as if chaos itself was not wee in this office.


    Elion''s movements were unhurried, graceful in a way that felt effortless, as though authority wasn''t something he wore but something woven into his very bones. When he finally set the pen down, he closed the folder and handed both to Secretary Nile.


    The man bowed... first to Elion, then to me... and headed out.


    The door closed softly behind him, leaving the office wrapped in a quiet that felt heavier than silence.


    Elion''s gaze shifted to me, assessing without being invasive. He gestured toward the couch opposite him with a simple tilt of his head.


    "Please," he said calmly.


    I nodded and moved as instructed, sitting down on the plush couch. My spine stayed straight, my hands folding together in myp as I tried to calm the restless energy thrumming beneath my skin.


    I had prepared myself for this moment, rehearsed questions in my mind again and again, but now that I was actually here... my thoughts felt like startled birds fluttering too close to my ribs.


    I watched as Elion began preparing tea.


    The moment he opened the small tin, faint scent of something floral drifted through the air.


    "I noticed," he said suddenly, not looking at me, "that you always prefer herbal tea."


    My eyes widened slightly.


    "When given the option," he continued, measuring dried petals into a porcin teapot, "you avoid coffee, milk tea, and cold drinks. Chamomile in the evenings. Mint during long discussions. Ginger when you are tired but pushing through it."


    He nced at me then, one brow lifting faintly. "Consistency like that is rarely idental."


    I blinked. "I-"


    "It intrigued me," he added calmly. "So I tried them myself."


    That earned a soft, surprised breath from me.


    "This one," he went on, "is lotus tea. Prepared properly, it calms the mind without dulling it."


    He poured the tea into two cups... steam curling gently upward... and carefully ced one on the table in front of me.


    "Tell me what you think."


    I hesitated only a second before lifting the cup. The porcin was warm against my palms. I took a small sip.


    The taste bloomed softly on my tongue... light, floral, almost ethereal. There was a faint sweetness to it, but nothing overwhelming. It felt¡­ grounding.


    I nodded without even realizing it. "It''s¡­ really good."


    A faint smile touched his lips.


    "I thought you would say that."


    Something in my chest loosened. The anxious knot I had been holding since he stepped this office eased, just a little. We sat there for a moment, sipping tea in quiet appreciation, the silence no longer oppressive but contemtive.


    Only minutes had passed since Elion entered the office, yet it felt longer. Not in a suffocating way, but in the way moments stretch when something important is about to be said.


    He set his cup down.


    "Go on," he said evenly. "Your first question."


    I didn''t waste the opening.


    I straightened, my fingers tightening briefly around my cup before I ced it down as well. I met his gaze head-on.


    "What is the secret of our bloodline?" I asked. "The one you keep referring to."


    The corner of his mouth curved upward, just slightly. As if he had expected nothing else.


    He took another measured sip of his tea before setting the cup asidepletely. His posture shifted... not dramatically, but enough that I felt the change.


    His eyes grew distant, reflective, as though he was looking far beyond the walls of the headquarters.


    "Once," he began, "we were one of the most powerful bloodlines to ever walk this world."


    I listened, almost holding my breath.


    "ording to ancient records," he continued, "the Silver Wolves were rumored to be blessed directly by the Moon Goddess herself. Whether that is myth or truth no longer matters. What matters is that the belief shaped us¡­ and perhaps, shaped destiny as well."


    He spoke with reverence, not pride.


    "We were known by our silver fur," he went on, "a shade so rare it reflected moonlight like polished steel. It wasn''t merely beautiful. It was a mark. A sign that even in the dark, we could not be overlooked."


    I could almost picture it... wolves moving through moonlit forests, silver coats glowing softly like living starlight.


    "Our strength surpassed others," he said. "Not just physical, but spiritual. Our wolves endured longer, healed faster, and bonded deeper with their human halves."


    He paused, then added quietly, "And then there was our gift... given only to a few blessed ones."


    I leaned forward slightly without realizing it.


    "The power of healing."


    The wordsnded softly¡­ and yet, they echoed in my mind.


    Healing?


    I stared at him, stunned.


    When I finally found my voice, confusionced every syble. "Healing? But¡­ there are healers everywhere. Nearly a hundred, at least. It''s rare, yes, but not unheard of. And none of them have anything to do with our bloodline."


    I shook my head slightly. "Being a healer is special, but not unique in the way you are describing."


    Elion didn''t interrupt me.


    He waited until I finished, his expression patient, almost knowing.


    Then he nodded.


    "That is where you are wrong," he said calmly.


    He leaned back slightly, intecing his fingers. "The healing power of Silver Wolves is not the same as what other healers possess."


    My brows furrowed.


    "Other healers," he said, "their power has limits, and it demands time, bnce, and rest."


    His eyes locked onto mine.


    "Our healing," he said, "was different."


    Different?


    "It was more powerful," he went on. "Immediate. Instinctive. Capable of restoring what other healers could only stabilize. Capable of healing any wound, any poison, any illness."


    My heart began to pound.


    "And most importantly," he said quietly, "it''s rare because..."


    I swallowed.


    His gaze softened, just a fraction, like a man about to speak of something long buried and heavy.


    "to gain this healing power¡­ its bearer had to sacrifice their wolf."

 Chapter 556: The Secret of Silver Wolf Bloodline (II)

    <h4>Chapter 556: The Secret of Silver Wolf Bloodline (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Elion¡¯s words fell heavy between us.


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t even breathe properly, let alone react. The office felt too quiet.


    <i>Sacrifice their wolf.</i>


    My mind snagged on the words, reying them again and again.


    It took my brain a few precious seconds to recover from the shock. And the moment it did, questions came crashing in.


    What did that even mean?


    And was that what happened to me?


    I opened my mouth, breath already drawing in for the question that burned the most-


    "What do you mean by-"


    "Miss Evaline."


    Elion¡¯s voice cut in smoothly, stopping me mid-sentence.


    Not sharply. Not unkindly. Just... decisively.


    I stopped.


    He met my gaze with that same calm, unreadable expression, his eyes steady. "That," he said, "would be your third question."


    The words hit me harder than his previous revtion.


    Third? Already?


    I blinked, momentarily disoriented. "What?"


    "You are already on yourst question," he reminded me gently. "Your third."


    For a second, I just stared at him.


    Then realization dawned.


    Slow. Reluctant. Painfully clear.


    I reyed the conversation in my head.


    First question: What¡¯s the secret of our bloodline?


    Second question: What made Silver Wolf bloodlines healing power rare?


    And somewhere between curiosity and revtions, I had already arrived at the third andst question of the weekend without even realizing it.


    My shoulders sagged slightly.


    Damn it.


    I let out a long, exasperated breath and leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling for a heartbeat as if answers might be written there. "You really do keep count," I muttered.


    I dropped my gaze back to him and found a faint smile ying on his lips. I felt torn between gratitude and frustration. Part of me appreciated the reminder. If he hadn¡¯t stopped me, I would have blurted out a random question and wasted myst chance entirely.


    The other part of me... arguably the louder one... wanted to shake him.


    If he didn¡¯t keep tabs so carefully, maybe he¡¯d identally reveal more than three answers.


    But that was wishful thinking.


    This was Elion Grey - sharp, controlled. There was no world in which he would "identally" slip.


    I pressed my lips together and forced myself to breathe.


    Onest question remained.


    And it had to count.


    My gaze drifted back to Elion, who was watching me quietly, giving me space to think. No pressure. No impatience. As if he knew exactly how much this mattered.


    I closed my eyes for a moment.


    Did I want to ask about the sacrifice?


    About whether it¡¯s rted to my situation?


    Or about a dozen other things that had been overwhelming my mind for the entire past week.


    The questions wed at me.


    But something else surfaced beneath them. Something deeper. More practical. More urgent.


    Knowledge.


    Understanding.


    Because no matter how horrifying the truth was, I couldn¡¯t afford to stumble blindly through it.


    When I opened my eyes again, my decision was made.


    I straightened and fixed Elion with a steady gaze.


    "Where," I asked calmly, "and how can I learn more about my healing power?"


    For the first time since this conversation began, he looked genuinely surprised. Not startled. Not shaken... but clearly caught off guard.


    His brows lifted slightly, and there was a brief pause... just a fraction of a second... before he leaned back in his couch.


    "That," he said slowly, "is not the question I expected."


    I tilted my head. "Disappointed?"


    "Surprised," he corrected.


    A faint, almost amused smile touched his lips as he studied me. "Tell me, Evaline... what will you do if the answer is simply... me?"


    The question was clearly meant to unsettle me.


    It didn¡¯t.


    Instead, I rxed back into the couch, folding one leg over the other and resting my hands loosely in myp. I met his gaze without flinching, without tension.


    "Then I would say you are lying," I replied honestly.


    That earned me a visible reaction.


    His eyebrows arched higher this time, genuine intrigue flickering in his eyes. "Is that so?"


    "Yes."


    There was no hesitation, no apology.


    "I don¡¯t think you know enough about the power itself," I continued evenly. "You know the history. The legends. The cost. The mystery surrounding it." I shrugged lightly. "But not the full extent of how it works. Or how to use it."


    Silence followed.


    Not the heavy kind.


    The considering kind.


    "And what," he asked atst, "makes you think that?"


    I tilted my head again, a small, helpless gesture. "Call it intuition."


    His lips curved slightly. "Intuition."


    "I have learned to trust it," I said simply. "Especially when it keeps telling me the same thing."


    He studied me for a long moment.


    I couldn¡¯t tell what impressed him... my answer, my confidence, or the fact that I hadn¡¯t wasted myst question chasing curiosity instead of rity.


    A part of me twisted with dyed nerves.


    What if I was wrong?


    What if this so-called intuition failed me now, of all times?


    I had just spent my final question of the week on an assumption.


    If Elion truly did know everything, then I had wasted my chance.


    The thought made my stomach tighten.


    Then he spoke.


    "You are not wrong."


    The tension in my chest released in a sharp, silent rush.


    He reached for his tea again, though he didn¡¯t drink this time. He turned the cup slightly between his fingers, his gaze thoughtful.


    "The answers you are looking for about your power," he said, "they belong to a book."


    A book.


    That was it.


    No title.


    No author.


    No location.


    Just... a book.


    I stared at him, incredulous.


    "That¡¯s your answer?" I demanded. "A book?"


    His expression remained infuriatingly calm. "You asked where and how. I answered."


    I clenched my jaw.


    Technically, he had.


    Barely.


    A hundred retorts shed through my mind. A few of them involvedunching my nearly empty tea cup straight at his perfectlyposed head.


    I didn¡¯t do it.


    My hands stayed firmly glued to myp, fingers curling into the fabric of my clothes instead.


    "You enjoy this," I used tly.


    "A little," he admitted without shame.


    I let out a breath through my nose. "You just won this ridiculous game of questions and answers... again."


    His smile deepened, slow and deliberate. "Games imply chance," he said. "This was strategy."


    I almost... almost... rolled my eyes.


    "So that¡¯s it?" I pressed. "You tell me the answers exist, but not where to find them?"


    "Yes," he said, setting his cup aside once again. He then leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "Unless you prove you are desperate to know the book¡¯s name right now... and don¡¯t want to wait until next Saturday."


    I stiffened. "What do you want?"


    His smile turned sharper. "I can tell you the name of the book right now... on one condition."

 Chapter 557: Alpha Grey’s Condition

    <h4>Chapter 557: Alpha Grey¡¯s Condition</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment he said the words, something inside me went still.


    Not tense. Not angry.


    Just... resigned.


    Any fragile spark of hope I¡¯d let myself feel died quietly in my chest. I didn¡¯t need to be a genius to see it for what it was. Elion Grey never gave anything freely. Every answer had a weight, every truth a price.


    And here it was.


    Another trap.


    I straightened on the couch, already preparing myself to end this conversation right now. I could walk out of this office with my dignity intact. I could wait another week. I¡¯d done it before. I could do it again.


    My fingers pressed into the cushion beside me as I shifted forward, breath parting to tell him exactly that...


    "You don¡¯t need tobel me a maniptor so quickly."


    I froze.


    My eyes snapped back to him.


    He was watching me with that infuriatingly calm expression, one brow lifted slightly, as if he had just caught me mid-thought.


    I didn¡¯t look embarrassed.


    I didn¡¯t look guilty.


    Instead, I arched my eyebrows slowly, meeting his gaze head-on. "Was I wrong?"


    The corner of his lips curved, subtle and knowing. "You are... predictable," he said lightly. "But not wrong often."


    He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands loosely in hisp. "If it reassures you, my condition does not vite our agreement. Not in spirit. Not in letter."


    I studied him closely.


    Every line of his posture spoke of control. Not dominance, but control. The kind that came from being certain of one¡¯s ground. From knowing exactly where the boundariesy and how close one could step without crossing them.


    "And yet," I said slowly, "you didn¡¯t ask me outright."


    "No," he agreed easily.


    "Which makes me wonder," I continued, "if this is something we already discussed during the agreement... why use myck of answers as leverage?"


    The question hung between us.


    He didn¡¯t deflect it, didn¡¯t evade.


    He considered it, before answering. "Because I want your help," he said simply. "And because I had a feeling you might say no if I asked without incentive."


    At least he was honest.


    "And before you ask," he added smoothly, "it¡¯s nothing bad. Nothing hical. Nothing that would put you at risk."


    I remained silent.


    Not because I didn¡¯t have a response.


    But because I was weighing him.


    Truth be told, he had never given me a concrete reason to distrust him. He was secretive, yes. Calcting. Always three steps ahead. But he hadn¡¯t lied to me. He hadn¡¯t broken our agreement. If anything, he¡¯d honored it more strictly than I expected.


    And yet...


    Trusting himpletely felt like stepping onto ice without knowing how thick it was.


    Finally, I spoke. "Say it."


    He inclined his head slightly. "Pardon?"


    "Your condition," I rified. "Say it out loud. Then I¡¯ll decide."


    He didn¡¯t answer immediately.


    Seconds passed. He nced toward the window, then back at me, as if ensuring the words he was about to speak were the right ones.


    "I want you," he said atst, "to apany me to a business party next Friday evening."


    I blinked.


    Once.


    Twice.


    A business... party?


    That was it?


    No ancient ritual. No morally questionable request. No dangerous errand or politicalndmine disguised as a favor.


    Just... a party.


    But the understanding hit me almost instantly.


    Of course.


    I exhaled slowly, leaning back again. "So that¡¯s why you framed it as a condition."


    "Yes."


    "You didn¡¯t want to ask."


    "No."


    "And you didn¡¯t want to give me the option of refusing."


    "That," he admitted, "as well."


    I shook my head, a soft huff escaping me despite myself. "You are unbelievable, Alpha Grey."


    His smile deepened, unbothered. "You agreed to such instances during the deal."


    "I did," I acknowledged. "But you also said they would be rare."


    "They are," he replied calmly. "This one simply arrived earlier than expected."


    My gaze narrowed. "Convenient timing."


    "Efficient timing," he corrected.


    I studied him again, this time with clearer understanding. He wasn¡¯t wrong. We had discussed it. asions where I might need to attend events with him, observe, assist, blend into his professional world.


    Still, the fact that he was invoking it on only my second weekend as his assistant was... bold.


    "Why me?" I asked. "You have two highly trained secretaries. A beta who follows you everywhere. And if you need a female presence, your secretary could easily fulfill that role."


    Elion didn¡¯t hesitate.


    "I know," he said. "And yet, I asked you."


    "Why?"


    He reached for one of the files still sitting on the coffee table, flipping it open casually. "Because I read your internship report."


    I looked down at the file.


    "It highlighted your observational skills," he continued. "Your ability to read people. To adapt socially without drawing unnecessary attention. To speak when needed and remain silent when not."


    His gaze held mine steadily. "Alpha Thorne thought highly of you in those settings and that¡¯s why he had you apany him in such events."


    "So," he concluded, "I want to see it for myself."


    For a moment, I said nothing.


    There was nothing inappropriate in his request. Nothing unprofessional. If anything, it aligned perfectly with my role as his assistant.


    What made it feel wrong was only the way he¡¯d presented it.


    As a condition.


    As leverage.


    I sighed, rubbing my temple lightly. "You could have just asked."


    "Yes," he agreed. "But this way, I was certain of your answer."


    I shot him a look. "That¡¯s maniptive."


    His lips twitched. "Strategic."


    I let out another sigh, but the edge was gone now.


    I thought about it properly this time.


    A business party. One evening. Observation, social navigation, assistance if required. No lines crossed.


    And in return... knowledge I desperately needed.


    I met his gaze. "I¡¯ll do it," I said slowly. "On one condition of my own."


    His brows lifted, interest sparking. "Go on."


    "You don¡¯t just give me the name of the book," I said. "You tell me how to get it. Where it is. Whether it¡¯s essible to me at all."


    There was a pause.


    Then, to my surprise, he nodded immediately. "Agreed."


    Just like that.


    No negotiation. No counter.


    Which told me more than he probably intended.


    I studied him carefully. "You agreed too fast."


    "I value fairness," he replied smoothly.


    I didn¡¯tment on that.


    Instead, I nodded once. "Then I¡¯ll apany you to the party."


    His expression softened into something almost... satisfied.


    "Excellent."


    He straightened in his chair, fingers intecing again, gaze sharpening with renewed focus.


    "Then," he said calmly, "it¡¯s my turn to fulfill my part of the bargain."

 Chapter 558: Records of Silver Healing

    <h4>Chapter 558: Records of Silver Healing</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I waited.


    Not patiently.


    Not calmly.


    I waited the way one does when every nerve is stretched tight and the answer they have been chasing feels close enough to taste.


    Unfortunately for me, Elion seemed to sense that.


    With infuriatingposure, he lifted the teapot again and refilled his cup with fresh lotus tea. The steam curledzily into the air, carrying that soft floral scent that had helped calm me minutes ago and now did absolutely nothing for my frayed nerves.


    He took a sip - slow, measured, painfully unhurried.


    My fingers curled against my thigh, my nails pressing into fabric as I forced myself not to urge him to speak. I refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how desperate I was.


    Then he reached for my cup.


    I lifted my hand immediately. "No, thank you."


    His gaze flicked up, faint amusement glimmering in his eyes. "You don¡¯t like it anymore?"


    "I like it just fine," I replied evenly. "I just don¡¯t want it right now."


    What I wanted was answers.


    He inclined his head, epting my refusal, and set the teapot aside. He took onest sip from his own cup, then finally ced it down with deliberate care.


    Only then did he look at me fully. His eyes met mine, sharp and assessing, as if he were deciding how much weight I could bear.


    "The book," he said atst, his voice calm, steady. "Is called Records of Silver Healing."


    The words echoed in my mind.


    <i>Records of Silver Healing. </i>


    Something in my chest shifted, a strange mix of anticipation and reverence washing through me. The name alone felt old. Heavy. Like it carried centuries of whispered truths and buried histories.


    I repeated it softly, almost to myself, "Records of Silver Healing."


    Elion nodded. "It is not amon text. Nor was it ever meant to be."


    He leaned back slightly, intecing his fingers as he continued. "The healing power bestowed upon the Silver Wolf bloodline was... exceptional. Not merely an extension of magic, norparable to the healing abilities of other healers."


    I stayed silent, listening.


    "Because of its rarity and strength," he went on, "the knowledge surrounding it was kept strictly within the pack. Every Silver Wolf sworn to secrecy. An oath bound not just by words, but by blood and magic."


    My breath slowed.


    "Only once every century," Elion said, "was a Silver Wolf born with that blessing. One healer. One bearer. No more."


    I frowned slightly. "Only one every hundred years?"


    "Yes."


    That alone made my skin prickle.


    "And because the power was so rare," he continued, "the second healer to ever manifest it made a decision that changed everything. Rather than allowing the knowledge to die with him, he recorded his experiences. His discoveries. His struggles. His failures."


    He paused for a second. "He wrote it all down. He intended it as guidance, a way to ensure that the next bearer would not walk the same path blindly. That they would understand what the power demanded... and what it would take from them. It¡¯s a record of lives and findings of every Silver Healer to ever exist since the second one."


    A chill slid down my spine as I realized just how much knowledge these Records held.


    "That book," he finished, "was passed from healer to healer. Generation after generation. Until there were no more healers left to pass it to."


    The room felt suddenly smaller.


    "What happened to it?" I asked.


    Elion let out a soft sigh. "Two decades ago, the book was handed over to the council."


    My heart skipped.


    "The council?" I repeated.


    "Yes," he said. "By Marialle."


    I stiffened at the name. My mother had the records?


    "Strictly speaking, the book was taken from her by the council," Elion continued, "under the pretense that it would be preserved. Studied. Digitized. Protected."


    My lips pressed into a thin line. "And was it?"


    A faint, humorless smile touched his lips. "That depends on your definition of protection."


    He went on before I could interrupt. "Those two employees who got the book from Marialle did record its arrival at the headquarters. Logged it. Sealed it. And locked it away."


    "Just like that?" I asked.


    "Just like that."


    My chest tightened. "And the council?"


    "They never followed up," Elion said tly. "Never studied it. Never analyzed its contents. Never asked the right questions."


    "That doesn¡¯t make sense," I said. "If they had a book documenting a rare healing power-"


    "They didn¡¯t know," he interrupted gently.


    I stared at him.


    "They had the book," he rified, "but they didn¡¯t know what it truly contained. The employees who processed it had no idea what they were handling. And those who might have understood... never bothered to look."


    A bitter edge crept into his voice. "The Silver Wolf bloodline was already considered fallen by then. Nearly extinct. A relic of the past."


    Anger stirred in my chest. "So they dismissed it."


    "Yes."


    "And locked the record book away?"


    "Yes."


    "Then it must be in the archive," I said slowly, "probably in the restricted section."


    Elion nodded once. "I did look it up and it¡¯s indeed in the archive hall."


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t speak.The answers I had been chasing for weeks... months... had been sitting in the same building I now worked in. Behind walls I walked past every day.


    Ignored.


    Forgotten.


    Buried.


    "If the council knew about this power," I said quietly, more to myself than to him, "my life would have been very different."


    Elion didn¡¯t argue. After all, he¡¯s the one who told me just how rare and strong my healing power was. That¡¯s why he knew better than anyone how my fate would have ended up being if anyone from the council ever decided to look through the record book during these past twenty years.


    I drew in a slow breath, steadying myself. "So," I said atst, lifting my gaze to him, "how do I get it?"


    I expected him to say he would retrieve it for me,or that I could apply for ess.


    But...


    He exhaled softly and spoke, "You can ask your mates to get it for you."


    The wordnded between us like a de.


    Mates.


    Plural.

 Chapter 559 559: Another Secret

    Evaline:


    The word still echoed in my head long after Elion had said it.


    Mates.


    The moment it left his lips, he straightened as if the conversation had reached its natural end. There was no hesitation, no lingering curiosity, just that sameposed finality he carried like a second skin.


    He rose from the couch.


    My body followed on instinct, pushing up from the couch even though my mindgged several heartbeats behind. The room seemed unreal for a moment... too quiet, too still... while my thoughts spiraled, looping over that single word again and again.


    Mates. Mates. Mates.


    Maybe it had been a mistake.


    A slip of the tongue.


    An assumption phrased poorly.


    That fragile hope clung to me as Elion crossed the room, his long strides unhurried, as if he hadn''t just upended my entire sense of reality. He reached the door, his fingers brushing the handle.


    If he walked out now, I wasn''t sure I would be able to breathe.


    "Alpha Grey," I said quickly, the word tumbling out sharper than intended.


    He paused but didn''t turn yet.


    I swallowed and forced my voice to steady. "Did you mean¡­ Draven?"


    He nced back over his shoulder, one eyebrow lifting slightly.


    "I mean," I rified, my pulse hammering, "that I should ask Draven to get the record for me?"


    His hand stilled on the handle.


    For a heartbeat, nothing happened.


    Then he turned fully to face me.


    His expression was infuriatingly calm. Not surprised. Not confused. Just¡­ attentive. As if he had been waiting for me to ask that exact question.


    "That," he said evenly, "is entirely up to you."


    This did nothing to soften the unease in my chest.


    "You may ask Draven," he continued. "Or River. Or either of the other two brothers."


    My breath caught.


    The room seemed to shrink around us, the walls pressing closer as my anxiety surged like a rising tide. I searched his face desperately, looking for any sign that this was a misunderstanding.


    There was none.


    He took a small step back from the door, his voice unchanging. "After all, all four brothers have the ability to retrieve the record book for you."


    My fingers curled into fists at my sides.


    "And," he added calmly, deliberately, "all four of them would never say no to their mate."


    There it was.


    Not implied.


    Not idental.


    But intentional.


    Thest thread of denial snapped.


    For a moment, I couldn''t hear anything but the pounding of my own heart. My chest felt tight, as if the air had thickened around me.


    He knew.


    Somehow, impossibly, Elion Grey knew.


    The realization settled heavy and cold in my stomach.


    I stared at him, my thoughts scrambling for answers. How? How did he always end up knowing the things I guarded most fiercely?


    I took a step toward him before I fully realized I was moving.


    "What do you mean by that?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.


    It was a foolish question.


    Even as I asked it, a sliver of hope clung to me... thin, desperate... that I had misunderstood. That he would correct me. Laugh it off. Tell me I was reading too much into his words.


    But he didn''t do any of that.


    Instead, a knowing smile curved his lips.


    Not cruel.


    Not mocking.


    Just¡­ aware.


    It was the kind of smile that told me he could see straight through every wall I had built.


    He took one step toward me, closing the distance with unhurried confidence. My breath hitched as he stopped directly in front of me, close enough that I could see the faint blue flecks in his eyes.


    "I know," he said softly.


    My heart stuttered.


    "I know," he repeated, quieter still, "that you are not just Draven''s mate¡­"


    He leaned in, his presence overwhelming, his voice dropping until it brushed my skin like a secret meant only for me.


    "But all four of Thorne brothers'' mate."


    The world tilted.


    I opened my mouth, words crowding my tongue, questions tumbling over one another. How did you know? Who told you? How long have you known?


    None of them made it out.


    There was no point in denying it.


    There never was, not with him.


    His smile lingered as he moved even closer, until his mouth hovered beside my ear. I felt his breath, warm and steady, sending a shiver straight down my spine.


    "I''m in a generous mood today," he murmured. "So I''ll tell you another secret. Something important."


    My entire body went still.


    "The healers of our bloodline," he whispered, "were never bound to just one mate."


    My thoughts froze.


    "They never were," he continued quietly. "Their immense power demanded bnce. Stability. Strength from more than one bond."


    I couldn''t breathe.


    "When I realized who and what you were," he said, "everything else fell into ce."


    He pulled back slightly, just enough for me to see his face again. "You didn''t have to tell me," he added calmly. "I only had to observe."


    His gaze flickered with something thoughtful. "The way they look at you. The way you respond to each of them. It wasn''t difficult to understand that your connection wasn''t limited to just one."


    The look he gave me was that of understanding. "Truth be told, you all have done a fabulous job at pretending. Neither you nor the other three brothers ever let it slip there''s anything going on between you all. If not for the fact I knew these inside secrets, I would have never noticed it either."


    Heat flooded my face, a mix of shock, exposure, and something dangerously close to understanding.


    Before I could gather myself enough to speak, he stepped back.


    The distance felt abrupt.


    Final.


    He turned toward the door once more, his fingers closing around the handle.


    "And as usual, you don''t have to worry," he said over his shoulder. "This secret of yours is safe with me."


    He paused, just long enough to nce back.


    "Just like the others," he added. "You have my word."


    And then he opened the door and walked out, leaving me standing alone in the office... stunned, exposed, and lost.

 Chapter 560: She Wants To Be Pampered

    <h4>Chapter 560: She Wants To Be Pampered</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I stood there.


    Right in front of the door.


    The same door Elion had walked out of only moments ago... closing behind him with a quiet finality that still echoed inside my head.


    Time felt strange, warped. My body was upright, unmoving, but my mind was anything but still. Thoughts tangled over one another, looping endlessly, refusing to settle.


    My heart wasn¡¯t racing in fear. That was the strangest part.


    What I felt wasn¡¯t fear at all.


    It was shock.


    The kind that seeps deep into your bones, numbing everything for a while as your world quietly rearranges itself around a truth you hadn¡¯t known existed. I stared at the wood grain of the door, my reflection faint in its polished surface, and wondered how long Elion had known.


    The sharp ringing of my phone shattered the silence.


    I flinched, the sound snapping me out of my thoughts like a sudden yank on a tether. My hand went instinctively to my chest as I sucked in a breath, grounding myself before turning toward my desk by the ss wall.


    The screen lit up as I picked it up.


    Mallory.


    A smile bloomed instantly on my lips, natural and unforced. Just seeing her name felt like a balm to my frayed nerves.


    I answered without a second thought.


    "Eva!" Mallory¡¯s voice burst through the speaker, bright and bubbly as ever. "Tell me you are off duty because I need you."


    I let out a softugh, already feeling lighter. "Give me a second," I said, ncing at the clock on the wall for the first time since Elion had left.


    My eyebrows lifted slightly.


    "Wow," I murmured. "I have got... twenty minutes left."


    "Still twenty?" She groaned dramatically. "That¡¯s criminal."


    "I don¡¯t make the rules," I teased.


    There was a pause before she brightened again. "Okay, hear me out. Stop by Mooncrest Town on your way home?"


    "Mooncrest? Why there?" I asked, wondering what she¡¯s doing there.


    "I need help picking Jasper¡¯s birthday cake," she continued, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "And a gift. Because apparently I overthink everything."


    I smiled wider. "You absolutely do."


    "So that¡¯s a yes?"


    I hesitated only a second. The truth was, I could use the distraction. Something normal. Something warm.


    "Yeah," I said softly. "That¡¯s a yes."


    Her delighted squeal made meugh out loud.


    "Perfect! I¡¯ll meet you at the famous Monginis bakery near the big fountain," she said. "And Eva?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Thanks. I know you have been... busy."


    The gentle understanding in her tone tugged at my chest.


    "Anytime, Mal," I replied.


    We hung up, and for the first time since that conversation with Elion, my shoulders rxed just a little.


    I wrapped up my desk quickly... stacking files, shutting down the system, slipping my phone into my bag. Barely three minutester, I was stepping out of Elion¡¯s office, the door clicking shut behind me.


    Instead of turning toward the elevators, my feet carried me the other way.


    Toward thest office on the floor.


    River¡¯s.


    I slowed only slightly as I approached his door, lifting my hand to knock...


    It opened before my knuckles could touch the wood.


    River stood there, filling the doorway like he always did. Tall. Solid. His sharp green eyes softened the instant theynded on me.


    For a split second, instinct kicked in.


    I nced down the hallway, scanning for anyone nearby.


    But River didn¡¯t give me time to overthink.


    His hand wrapped gently around my wrist, tugging me inside with practiced ease. The door closed behind us, the lock clicking into ce before I could even process the movement.


    The world outside ceased to exist.


    Whatever strength I had left evaporated.


    I didn¡¯t say a word. I simply jumped.


    River caught me without hesitation, his strong arms wrapping around me as my legs locked around his waist. I buried my face into the warm curve of his neck, breathing him in like oxygen.


    He held me tight, instinctively, securely.


    Without speaking, he carried us deeper into his office. Secondster, I felt the solid surface of his mahogany desk beneath me as he settled me onto it... but didn¡¯t let go.


    Neither did I.


    I clung to him, my arms around his neck, my forehead pressed to his corbone. His scent, his warmth, the steady beat of his heart beneath my cheek... it all grounded me in ways nothing else could.


    He didn¡¯t ask questions.


    He didn¡¯t demand exnations.


    He just held me.


    One hand slid into my hair, fingers massaging my scalp in slow, soothing motions he knew I loved. The tension I hadn¡¯t even realized I was carrying began to melt away, reced by quietfort.


    I could have stayed like that forever.


    Eventually, I pulled back just enough to look at his face and let out a long, exhausted sigh.


    He smiled down at me, brushing his thumb gently along my jaw. "You look drained," he said softly.


    "I feel it," I admitted. "Physically. Mentally."


    "Do you want tomorrow off?" he asked immediately.


    I shook my head without hesitation. "No."


    Before he could protest, I leaned forward again, wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him tight. "I just need to be pampered tonight," I murmured. "Then I¡¯ll be fine. I promise."


    He chuckled, the sound vibrating against my chest as he hugged me back. "You¡¯ll get all the pampering you want."


    I pulled back again, meeting his eyes.


    For a brief, dangerous second, the thought crossed my mind... to ask him for a kiss.


    I knew he would give it to me.


    Right here. Right now.


    The temptation made my lips pout involuntarily.


    I groaned softly and dropped my forehead against his shoulder, throwing myself back into his arms instead.


    Heughed again, warm and knowing. "You are impossible."


    "Your fault," I mumbled.


    A few moments passed before I straightened, my expression turning serious.


    "Okay," I said quietly. "I¡¯m ready to talk."


    He nodded instantly, his full attention on me.


    "There are two things," I began.


    He waited.


    "First - there¡¯s a book. It¡¯s called Records of Silver Healing. It¡¯s in the archive. Long forgotten. I need it."


    I barely finished the sentence before he nodded.


    "You¡¯ll get it."


    There was no hesitation, no questions, no doubt.


    The confidence in his voice wrapped around me like a promise.


    My shoulders eased.


    "And the second thing..." I hesitated, then forced myself to continue. "Elion knows... about us. All of you."


    River stilled.


    His expression shifted instantly. Concern shed across his eyes as he cupped my face, his thumbs brushing gently over my cheeks.


    "I¡¯ll handle it," he said firmly.


    "River," I said quickly, shaking my head. "He¡¯s not threatening me. He didn¡¯t even hint at using it against us."


    His gaze searched mine, sharp and focused.


    "He actually promised to keep it a secret," I added softly.


    River studied me for a long moment, his mind clearly working through possibilities. Finally, he nodded.


    "I¡¯m still going to talk to him," he said. "But you don¡¯t have to worry."


    I nodded in understanding.


    Before I could say anything else, he pulled me back into his arms... strong, steady, protective.


    And I allowed myself to let go.

 Chapter 561: A Familiar Face in Mooncrest

    <h4>Chapter 561: A Familiar Face in Mooncrest</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River slowed the car and brought it to a smooth stop near the curb.


    "Is this the ce?" he asked, ncing at me.


    I leaned forward and looked out the window. The bright purple-and-white sign of ¡¯Monginis Bakery¡¯ greeted me from right across the street, its ss front glowing warmly under the streetlights.


    "Yes," I said immediately, already reaching for my seatbelt. I turned to him and nodded. "That¡¯s the one."


    He smiled, that soft, fond curve of his lips that always made my chest warm. "Alright. I¡¯ll have either Oscar or Kieran pick you up in about an hour."


    "Okay," I replied, smiling back at him. "Drive safe."


    He reached out, brushing his thumb over my knuckles briefly.


    "Have fun," he said quietly.


    "I will."


    I stepped out of the car, closed the door gently, and crossed the road. As I entered the bakery, the scent of sugar, butter, and freshly baked bread wrapped around me like a familiar embrace. It was quiet inside... only a handful of customers scattered across the tables.


    That¡¯s when I spotted Mallory.


    She was sitting at a small round table near the window, her head bent over her phone, fingers moving rapidly over the screen. I smiled to myself and walked over, pulling out the chair opposite her and sitting down.


    She didn¡¯t notice me at first.


    I cleared my throat dramatically. "Wow. Should I be offended, or are you always this devoted to your phone?"


    Her head snapped up instantly.


    "Eva!" she eximed, her face lighting up as if someone had switched on amp inside her. "You are here!"


    Iughed. "Clearly. For at least ten seconds now."


    She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I was texting Lily."


    My teasing expression softened immediately. "Ah. nning top-secret birthday operations?"


    Mallory¡¯s grin widened. "You have no idea. She¡¯s very serious about keeping everything a surprise for her dad."


    I shook my head fondly. "She¡¯s barely nine and already better at conspiracies than most adults."


    Mallory leaned back in her chair, her eyes shining. "She asked me if blue frosting would make him happier than chocte."


    My heart melted a little.


    I had always admired how naturally Mallory had stepped into Lily¡¯s life... not forcefully, not awkwardly, but with patience, warmth, and genuine effort. Despite the ten-year age gap between them, Mallory wasn¡¯t trying to be a recement mother or an authority figure. She was Lily¡¯s friend first.


    And Lily adored her.


    That alone said everything.


    After a brief discussion with the bakery staff... and far too much deliberation over vors... we finally settled on a chocte truffle cake with subtle blue detailing. Mallory ced the order for delivery to Jasper¡¯s house the next evening, her excitement barely contained as she signed the receipt.


    "That¡¯s one mission aplished," she said, pping her hands softly.


    "On to the gift," I replied with mock seriousness.


    We stepped out of the bakery and walked down the street, weaving in and out of small gift shops. Mallory picked things up, put them down, second-guessed herself, then circled back again.


    By the fourth store, I wasughing too hard to be of much help.


    "Why is choosing a gift for your mate harder than nning a covert operation?" I asked, holding up a decorative mug she had rejected three times already.


    "Because this actually matters," she replied solemnly, then burst intoughter.


    Eventually, she found it... a simple but thoughtful gift that made her eyes light up the moment she saw it.


    "This," she said firmly. "This is the one."


    We paid and stepped back out onto the street, relief evident on her face.


    After that, we indulged in some street food from a nearby vendor, standing side by side as we ate and talked about everything and nothing - academy gossip, Lily¡¯s endless questions, Jasper¡¯s terrible attempts at pretending he didn¡¯t care about birthdays.


    It wasfortable. Easy.


    I didn¡¯t even realize I had stopped mid-step until my gaze snagged on something across the street.


    Someone.


    He was arranging chairs outside a small diner, wiping down tabletops with focused concentration. His sleeves were rolled up, movements efficient and practiced.


    Mallory noticed my sudden silence. "Eva?" She followed my line of sight. "Wait... is that-?"


    "Yes," I said softly. "That¡¯s Charles."


    Her brows furrowed. "From first year?"


    I nodded.


    Charles.


    He looked thinner than I remembered, but there was something steady about him. Determined. Like someone who refused to let circumstances break him.


    "It looks like he¡¯s working there," Mallory said slowly.


    "That¡¯s what it seems like."


    We exchanged a look, both of us silently debating whether to approach him or leave him be. I was just about to suggest walking away when Charles looked up... and spotted us.


    Recognition shed instantly through his eyes, followed by a bright, genuine smile.


    He lifted his hand and waved at us.


    "Well," Mallory sighed. "So much for being subtle."


    We walked over.


    "Evaline! Mallory!" Charles greeted us warmly. "Wow, it¡¯s been a while."


    "It really has," I said, smiling back. "What are you doing here?"


    He nced around sheepishly, then shrugged. "I got a part-time job here. Just started today."


    Mallory tilted her head. "What about your grandmother¡¯s stall?"


    "She banned me from helping on weekends," he said with augh. "Said I needed to rx and spend time with friends."


    "But you didn¡¯t listen," I guessed gently.


    He smiled, not denying it. "I couldn¡¯t just sit around knowing she¡¯s doing everything herself. So... weekends here. Weekdays at the academy."


    Something in my chest tightened.


    I didn¡¯t feel pity.


    I felt respect.


    I saw too much of myself in him... someone doing everything they could to stay afloat, to carry responsibility withoutint, to keep moving forward despite unfavorable odds.


    Mallory¡¯s expression softened too. "That¡¯s... admirable."


    She suddenly straightened. "You know what? We are alling here for dinner tomorrow."


    Charles blinked. "All?"


    "Yes. All," she repeated firmly. "Friends. Support. Celebration of new ventures."


    Heughed, clearly touched. "You all are always so nice to me."


    As we exchanged goodbyes, I noticed a familiar car pass by slowly before stopping around the corner... far enough from the diner to remain unobtrusive.


    Kieran.


    Mallory caught my nce and smirked knowingly. "Your ride¡¯s here."


    I smiled, waved onest time at Charles, and followed Mallory toward the car.

 Chapter 562: The Trip Began

    <h4>Chapter 562: The Trip Began</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The sun still hadn¡¯t made its appearance when I finally stepped onto the bus, the sky above the academy painted in deep shades of indigo and te.


    Night rain had left everything damp and gleaming - the stone pathways, the iron railings, even the towering trees lining the perimeter looked darker, heavier, as if they were still half-asleep.


    All ten buses were already parked in a neat line, with their engines humming softly and headlights cutting through the lingering mist. One by one, students climbed aboard, dragging backpacks, duffel bags, and sleepy bodies behind them.


    Instructors were doing one final round, checking attendance lists, peering into buses, calling out names. Once they were done, they too would board, and then the academy gates would open, allowing us to descend the mountain and begin the trip we had all been talking about the past week.


    I tightened my cardigan around myself as a cold breeze slipped in through the open bus window. The rain had stopped hours ago, but the chill it left behind clung stubbornly to the air. I leaned forward and slid the window shut, the faint rattle of ss echoing softly in the otherwise quiet bus.


    Only then did I sink back into my seat.


    A momentter, the seat beside me dipped.


    Kyros dropped into it with a soft groan, running a hand over his face. "Why," he muttered, "do mornings like this exist?"


    I smiled faintly and nced at him. Like most of us, he looked presentable enough... hairbed, clothes neat... but the heavy-lidded eyes gave away how little sleep he had gotten. Despite waking up more than an hour ago to shower and pack, the exhaustion clung to him stubbornly.


    He leaned closer and whispered, "I really hope it doesn¡¯t rain for the next three days."


    I huffed out a quietugh. "You are asking for way too much."


    He sighed dramatically. "I know. It¡¯s either boiling hot or pouring rain these days. No bnce. No mercy."


    I nced around the bus.


    Mallory and Noah were seated right in front of us. Mallory looked... terrible. There was no gentler way to put it. Her head was resting against the window, eyes closed, hair slightly disheveled despite her attempts to tame it. Considering she had barely made it back into the academy minutes before everyone else started waking up... thanks to Jasper¡¯s birthday... I was honestly impressed she was even upright.


    Noah, on the other hand, looked far too awake for this hour, scrolling through something on his phone with suspicious enthusiasm.


    To our left, Rowan, Ria, and Selene upied the three seats across the aisle. Rowan had his hood pulled up and his arms crossed, already asleep. Ria was whispering something animatedly to Selene, who nodded along with sleepy smiles, clearly trying to stay awake.


    Despite the tired faces, the excitement was unmistakable.


    This trip meant a break from routines, from lectures and assessments, from the constant pressure of being perfect. Even half-asleep, everyone could feel it humming beneath the exhaustion.


    My gaze driftedzily toward the front of the bus... and then my energy spiked instantly.


    Oscar had just climbed aboard, walking right behind Professor Elira. He looked unfairly awake, his posture straight, movements smooth, as if early mornings were his natural habitat. He paused briefly, scanning the bus, and for the briefest second, his eyes met mine.


    It was nothing obvious.


    Just a nce.


    But it carried warmth, recognition, and something that tightened pleasantly in my chest before either of us looked away.


    He settled into a seat near the front with Professor Elira, their heads bent slightly as they spoke in low tones.


    I barely had time to process it before Kyros nudged my arm.


    I turned to him slowly.


    His eyes were closed, a faint, knowing smile tugging at his lips. "You are really bad at pretending your heart isn¡¯t about to pop out," he murmured.


    I leaned closer until my lips were near his ear. "Be careful," I whispered back sweetly. "When you find your mate someday, I¡¯m going to be unbearable."


    He opened one eye and stared at me in horror. "Please don¡¯t."


    I chuckled softly, settling back into my seat.


    Momentster, thest of the warriors boarded and the bus doors hissed shut.


    A low rumble passed through the vehicle as the engine revved, and slowly, steadily, the buses began to move. Through the window, I watched the academy gates open wide, the ancient iron parting to let us through. As we rolled forward, the familiar towers and stone walls disappeared behind us, swallowed by mist and distance.


    We were officially on our way.


    Right then, Professor Elira stood up at the front of the bus. She held onto the overhead rail for bnce as the bus continued down the mountain road.


    "Alright, everyone," she announced, her voice calm but firm. "We¡¯ll be stopping at a restaurant in about an hour for breakfast."


    A few groans rippled through the bus.


    She raised an eyebrow. "If you want, you can use that hour to catch up on sleep."


    Her gaze swept over the rows of students, lingering pointedly on those struggling to keep their eyes open.


    She didn¡¯t say anything more, but the disappointment was clear.


    Kyros pulled out his earpods, untangling the wire with practiced ease. "Come on," he said quietly, handing one to me.


    I epted it. He slipped the other into his own ear and scrolled through his ylist before selecting something soft and instrumental.


    The music filled my senses gently... slow, calming, like a quiet stream running through my thoughts.


    I wasn¡¯t particrly sleepy, but I closed my eyes anyway.


    The hum of the engine, the gentle sway of the bus, the soft music... it all blended together until my body rxed despite itself.


    When I woke up, sunlight was spilling through the window.


    It took me a moment to register where I was.


    The bus had stopped.


    Students were stirring, stretching, yawning. Outside, the world was bathed in warm gold as the sun finally crested the horizon, painting the sky in soft oranges and pinks.


    We had arrived.


    I shifted slightly... and realized there was a jacket draped over my shoulders.


    I looked down, then to my side.


    Kyros was watching me with a small smile, already removing the earpod from my ear. "Morning," he said quietly.


    "How long was I asleep?" I asked, my voice still a little thick.


    "Almost the whole hour."


    I blinked. "You didn¡¯t have to-"


    He waved it off. "You lookedfortable."


    I smiled, warmth blooming in my chest. "Thank you, Kai."


    He reached out and ruffled my hair lightly. "Anytime."


    We stood and joined the flow of students making their way off the bus. The cool morning air had softened, carrying the scent of earth and distant food from the restaurant.


    As my feet touched the ground, I took a deep breath.


    I couldn¡¯t wait for night to arrive. After all, we were going down the West Tower tonight.

 Chapter 563: First Activity of the Trip

    <h4>Chapter 563: First Activity of the Trip</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Out of ten, only two buses now stood in the quiet parking lot of the restaurant. The other buses were already on their separate ways, taking the first, third, and fourth years to their trip destinations.


    It was barely half past seven in the morning.


    The sky was clear now, washed clean by the night rain, and the early sunlight reflected off the restaurant windows. A faint smell of fried bread and brewed tea lingered in the air.


    We still had more than an hour of travel left before reaching the beach resort.


    Considering that Silver Moon Academy... and most of our packs... were nestled deep in the mountains, the idea of spending three whole days by the sea felt unreal. Cool wind, salty air, open horizons instead of towering cliffs and endless trees.


    No oneined about Nadine¡¯s choice.


    If anything, people were openly grateful.


    I caught snippets of conversations as we walked back toward the buses after breakfast.


    "Beach this time of year is perfect."


    "At least we won¡¯t be dying from heat."


    "I swear, if I see sand, I¡¯m lying down and not moving for a whole day."


    Even Mallory, who looked like she was running purely on willpower and caffeine, perked up at the thought of the sea.


    Breakfast itself passed quickly... simple but filling. Toast, eggs, fruit, warm drinks. Students ate faster than usual, excitement bubbling under the surface now that the destination was so close.


    Half an hourter, we were back on the buses.


    This time, I didn¡¯t fall asleep.


    Instead, I pulled out the potions book I had borrowed from the libraryst Friday and settled into my seat by the window. The bus hummed steadily as it pulled onto the road, and sunlight streamed through the ss, warming my shoulders.


    I flipped open the book, skimming through notes I had already read once before.


    Lately, I had been spending extra hours in the potionb, long after sses had ended and all students had left. Elixirs, brews, stabilizers... I had thrown myself into learning everything I could.


    I wasn¡¯t the best potion maker the academy had ever seen.


    Not even close.


    But I was improving. Faster than before. Faster than I had expected.


    And I wasn¡¯t stopping until I had learned everything out there needed to be learned.


    As the bus rolled on, I lost track of time, asionally underlining passages or scribbling small notes in my personal herbs and potions diary that I started writing not long ago.


    Outside, the scenery slowly changed - the dense mountain greenery thinning, the air growing warmer, lighter.


    An hourter, the bus slowed once again.


    Then stopped.


    A ripple of excitement rushed through the bus.


    "We are here!"


    I closed my book and stood, slinging my bag over my shoulder. When I stepped down from the bus, the first thing I noticed was the air.


    It smelled different.


    Saltier. Fresher.


    The resort stretched out before us... white buildings with wide balconies, palm trees swaying gently, and beyond them, a glimpse of blue that made my chest tighten with anticipation.


    The ocean.


    Students poured out of the buses, collecting their luggage, their voices rising with excitement. Some stood frozen, just staring. Others immediately pulled out their phones.


    Professor Elira¡¯s voice cut through the noise. "Alright, everyone! Bags first, then gather here."


    Once everyone had their luggage, Professor Elira and Oscar moved to the front. Ten warriors - tall, alert, dressed in uniform gear - stood behind them in a neat line.


    "These are the assigned warriors responsible for your safety during this trip," Professor Elira exined. "They¡¯ll be rotating shifts, patrolling the resort and surrounding areas."


    Oscar stepped forward next.


    The chatter died instantly.


    His gaze swept over the students, sharp and assessing, as if he could already tell who was nning trouble.


    "Listen carefully," he said, his voice calm but carrying undeniable authority. "No one is to step outside the resort grounds without my direct permission."


    A few students shifted ufortably.


    "If anyone is found breaking this rule," he continued, "there will be a fifty-point deduction and one month of detention."


    A collective shudder ran through the group.


    I could practically hear ns of sneaking out dying dramatic deaths.


    Oscar¡¯s eyes lingered for half a second too long on a group of boys near the back, who suddenly found the ground very interesting.


    "Good," he concluded. "Rooms will now be assigned."


    Names were called out one by one.


    When I heard mine - "Miss Evaline, Miss Grates, 514" - I turned to Selene, who smiled brightly.


    "Looks like we are roommates," she said.


    I smiled back. "Looks like it."


    As we headed toward the elevators, I found Oscar following after us. There were eight of us in the elevator... and then he stepped in too.


    I kept my expression neutral, trying to not react to his presence, but it was impossible. Especially when Selene almost sent me crashing into Oscar¡¯s back the first chance she got.


    I red at her and she just gave me a cheeky smile, clearly proud of her mischief.


    Fortunately, the other six people with us in the elevator were either too guys admiring Oscar or anxious with his presence that they hardly noticed Selene¡¯s antics.


    The elevator came to a stop secondster on fifth floor and the doors slid open, and I bit back my smile when Oscar stepped out too. Turned out he was in Room 502.


    Selene gave a knowing look, clearly pleased at the thought of tormenting me with her teasing throughout the trip.


    I just shook my head and healed to our room.


    An hourter, after unpacking and a quick freshen-up, it was time for everyone to gather at the beach.


    The sand was warm beneath my feet as I stepped onto the shore, the ocean stretching endlessly before us, waves rolling in rhythmically. Students clustered together,ughter and excitement filling the air.


    Professor Elira stood near the volleyballs already set up.


    "Alright," she announced, pping her hands. "Our first activity of the day - volleyball."


    Cheers erupted instantly.


    "This is going to be fun." Rowan said as he stretched his body, joining our group of friends.


    I nodded my head in agreement. "I think so. Let¡¯s make it fun."

 Chapter 564: Alpha Oscar’s Request

    <h4>Chapter 564: Alpha Oscar¡¯s Request</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my hair, my skin still warm from the shower and muscles pleasantly sore from the day.


    Salt still clung faintly to my skin, the ocean refusing to be forgotten even after soap and water. The room smelled like my shampoo and sea breeze, the balcony doors cracked open just enough to let the night air drift in.


    Selene was already in her pajamas.


    She sat cross-legged on her bed, calmly packing her shoulder bag - charger, skincare bottles, lip balm, hair ties - like she was preparing for a... sleepover?


    I frowned. "What are you doing?"


    She didn¡¯t even look up as she answered, "Packing."


    "...Packing for what?"


    She finally nced at me then, her eyes sparkling with far too much amusement. "I¡¯m spending the night in Ria¡¯s room."


    That made me pause mid-step. "Why?"


    She zipped the bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Because Instructor Oscar asked."


    The words hit me like a small shockwave. "Oscar... asked?" I repeated slowly.


    She grinned. "Mhm. Very politely too. The powerful Rogue Alpha and the mighty Instructor practically begged me."


    Heat rushed straight to my face. "And he asked you what, exactly?"


    "To give him the room." Her grin widened. "So you could have it all to yourself."


    My brain short-circuited.


    "And your mate," she added sweetly.


    I stared at her, opening and closing my mouth uselessly. "Selene-"


    "Oh rx," she cut in,ughing. "You should have seen your face."


    She walked past me, stopping just long enough to poke my arm. "Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell anyone. Well. Maybe Ria."


    "That¡¯s notforting."


    She shrugged. "You¡¯ll survive."


    Before leaving, she turned back onest time, her eyes dancing. "Have a great night, Eva."


    And then she was gone.


    The door clicked shut behind her, leaving the room painfully quiet.


    I stood there for a long moment, towel still on my head, heart racing for reasons I absolutely refused to acknowledge.


    Great.


    Even though I knew why Oscar nned all this and that he couldn¡¯t possibly tell Selene the truth, it was still embarrassing... especially considering how much these girls enjoyed teasing me.


    I already knew I wouldn¡¯t be hearing the end about tonight for a while.


    Letting out a sigh, I moved to the dressing table and picked up the dryer to dry my hair.


    Barely ten minutester, my enhanced hearing picked up the sound of the door handle turning before the door was pulled open.


    And Oscar stepped inside.


    I nearly dropped the blow dryer.


    I turned it off and set it aside just as he closed the door behind him and locked it with practiced ease. He didn¡¯t say anything at first... just looked at me with that familiar, unreadable expression that always made me feel like he was three steps ahead.


    Then he walked toward me.


    Slow. Unhurried.


    Until his arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me against him.


    "How are you doing?" he asked softly.


    I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding. "Tired. Sunburned. Sandy in ces I didn¡¯t know could hold sand."


    A corner of his mouth lifted. "You were great today. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so good at volleyball."


    I smiled despite myself. "You noticed?"


    "I always notice when ites to you, love."


    I smiled but them narrowed my eyes at him as I recalled what happened with Selene earlier. "By the way, what did you say to Selene?"


    That mischievous smile bloomed fully now. "Straight to business, huh?"


    He leaned in slightly. "It¡¯s nothing much... I just convinced your friend to give us the room for the night."


    "Convinced," I echoed tly. "By doing what?"


    "Begging," he said shamelessly. "At first, I offered her my room. She declined politely and told me she could stay with Miss Ria. After all if anyone noticed her walking out of my assigned hotel room, it would cause unnecessary drama."


    That was so thoughtful and smart of Selene. She not only helped Oscar with his request but even made sure no loose ends were left behind.


    "I feel bad for my friends. After all, they couldn¡¯t possibly say no to their Instructor," I said while shaking my head slowly.


    Oscar was quick to correct me. "They are doing this not because they are afraid of me, but because they understood my request and they wants to help me."


    "Your request?"


    "That I wanted privacy... with you," he finished easily. "She connected the dots on her own."


    I groaned and covered my face with my hands. "I am never going to hear the end of this."


    Heughed quietly. "Rx. They are good at keeping secrets."


    "Surely. No one other than my friends would know about it. But that¡¯s scarier than the entire academy finding out."


    I lowered my hands and looked at him seriously. "They are going to assume we are... you know..."


    I didn¡¯t finish, but it was enough for him to lift his brows as he looked at me with that infuriating knowing smirk.


    "Isn¡¯t that even better?" He asked, pulling me closer until my breasts were pressed against his solid muscles. "Let me think we are having fun while we take care of tonight¡¯s mission."


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. This actually worked in our favor since even my friends didn¡¯t know about the Soul Deaths and our n for tonight. The less they knew, the better it was... for us and for them.


    The hour passed surprisingly quickly, and just as Oscar¡¯s promised, we slipped out immediately.


    The hotel hallways were dim, the soft lights casting long shadows as we moved quietly past closed doors. My heart pounded harder with every step.


    We took the stairs instead of the elevator, descending floor by floor until we reached the underground parking lot.


    The car waited for us in the far corner.


    I slid into the front passenger seat, still focused on staying unseen, buckling my seat belt quickly.


    The door closed.


    The engine hummed to life.


    And then a voice spoke from the back seat. "It¡¯s finally time."

 Chapter 565: Back to Academy

    <h4>Chapter 565: Back to Academy</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The sound of that voice pulled me so sharply out of my thoughts that I actually gasped.


    I twisted in my seat, my heart leaping straight into my throat, and nearly smacked my elbow into the door as I turned to look behind me... only to find Rowan.


    He was sitting far toofortably in the back seat, one arm draped over the headrest, his expression calm... no, smug. The kind of smug that meant he had been waiting for exactly this reaction.


    His lips curved slowly. "There it is," he said. "I was wondering how you would look."


    "You-" I stared at him, blinking once, twice. "Rowan?!"


    Oscar¡¯s hands remained steady on the wheel and his eyes on the road. But there it was... a faint smile tugging at his lips, barely visible in the glow of the dashboard lights.


    I whipped my head toward my mate. usation loud and clear in my voice. "You knew."


    He hummed. "Of course."


    "How could you not tell me?" I muttered, then turned back to Rowan. "What are you doing here?"


    Rowan lifted a brow. "Ouch. No ¡¯good evening¡¯? No ¡¯I¡¯m d you are here and joining us¡¯?"


    "This is not funny."


    "It¡¯s a little funny," he corrected gently.


    I crossed my arms, trying very hard not to let relief override my shock. "You weren¡¯t supposed to be here."


    "And you weren¡¯t supposed to sneak out of the resort with your mate and investigate something so dangerous on your own without letting me know anything," he shot back lightly. "Yet here we are."


    I opened my mouth... then closed it again.


    Because he wasn¡¯t wrong.


    He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "So. Care to exin why you thought you could go on tonight¡¯s little adventure without me?"


    My throat tightened.


    "I-" I started, then faltered.


    I hadn¡¯t thought this through. Not properly. Somewhere between finding out about West Tower¡¯s secrets and helping my mates n tonight¡¯s investigation, I hadpletely failed to consider one very important detail.


    Rowan was part of this too.


    He had been from the moment he told me about me about his girlfriend.


    "I didn¡¯t mean to leave you out," I said quietly. "I just... I didn¡¯t want you involved."


    He tilted his head. "And since when you got to decide that?"


    I looked away, guilt pressing heavily against my ribs.


    The silence stretched.


    Then suddenly... there was warmth.


    Rowan leaned forward and gently rubbed the top of my head, his fingers brushing through my hair the way he had done probably a hundred times before -forting, familiar, grounding.


    "Eva," he said softly, the teasing edge gone. "I¡¯m kidding. Mostly."


    I nced back at him.


    "I know why you didn¡¯t tell me," he continued. "I¡¯m fully aware of how much you worry about me. And I appreciate it. Truly. It means a lot that you care so much."


    My chest tightened painfully.


    "But," he added, smiling now, "I¡¯m not sitting this one out."


    I sighed. "Rowan-"


    "Nope." He straightened. "This is bigger than all of us. Bigger thanfort. Bigger than safety."


    He looked between Oscar and me. "Tonight¡¯s n is to investigate the soul deaths. So that makes it my fight too."


    Oscar spoke then, calm and measured. "Don¡¯t worry. We weren¡¯t going to let you sit on the sidelines forever."


    Rowan smirked. "See? He gets it."


    I let out a soft sigh. I wasn¡¯t mad at Rowan or anything. I had no right to. He was right... I was no one to decide whether he should be kept out of such dangerous ns or not. That¡¯s totally his call.


    Just like I wanted my mates to respect my decisions regarding this investigation, I needed to respect Rowan¡¯s decisions as well.


    "Did I make you feel bad?" Rowan asked when he noticed how silent I became.


    I looked back at him and found his face covered with worry. I immediately shook my head and smiled genuinely. "No." I told him. "Instead, I¡¯m really happy that you areing with us."


    That made him rx and he returned the smile.


    The car continued down the darkened road, its headlights slicing through the night.


    The ride stretched on, the silence growing heavier the closer we got to the Academy. The emotions from earlier had faded, reced by something sharper... something coiled tight in my chest.


    Two hours.


    Two hours of watching familiar roads reappear. Two hours of the ocean breeze giving way to mountain air. Two hours of knowing exactly where we were headed.


    Silver Moon.


    I tried to keep myself steady. Tried to focus on breathing. On the steady hum of the engine.


    But my hands betrayed me.


    I hadn¡¯t even realized I was fidgeting... my thumb worrying at my fingers, nails pressing into skin... until warmth settled over my hand.


    Oscar covered my fingers where they rested on my thigh, his grip firm but gentle. A silent gesture. A silent reassurance.


    I exhaled slowly.


    He squeezed once, grounding me instantly.


    I leaned slightly toward him, letting that contact anchor me as the Academy gates finally came into view.


    The car drove past the iron gates and stopped right outside the administration building.


    The building loomed ahead, dark and quiet, the familiar towers outlined against the night sky like watchful sentinels.


    Kieran and River were already there.


    So was Jasper.


    A group of elite warriors stood nearby, alert and armed, their presence sending a clear message... this wasn¡¯t a reckless venture. This was calcted.


    Prepared.


    Serious.


    I stepped out of the car, the cold night mountain air biting through my clothes, and immediately felt the shift inside me. The weight. The purpose.


    There wasn¡¯t much to prepare.


    Weapons were checked. Final words exchanged.


    Rowan lingered close, and before I could say anything, he pulled me into a tight hug.


    "Be careful," he murmured against my hair.


    I nodded, pressing my forehead briefly to his shoulder. "I will."


    He stepped back and met my gaze, then nodded at the brothers. "All of you."


    They returned the gesture solemnly.


    Rowan took a step back, joining Jasper and the warriors outside as we turned toward the looming entrance of West Tower.


    My mates closed in around me immediately.


    Oscar at my side. Kieran and River just behind.


    Together, we crossed the threshold.


    And the darkness of West Tower swallowed us whole.

 Chapter 566: In Search of Trapdoor

    <h4>Chapter 566: In Search of Trapdoor</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment we stepped into the West Tower, it felt like the world exhaled and forgot us.


    Darkness swallowed everything whole... thick, heavy, ancient. It wasn¡¯t the kind that merely dimmed shapes or softened edges. It was absolute, pressing in from every side, clinging to skin and breath alike. The air smelled old, like damp stone and time itself had decided to rot here.


    Before I could even register how still it was, River and Kieran moved in perfect sync.


    Both of them reached into their pockets and pulled out moonstones.


    The crystal rocks red to life instantly, flooding the tower with a warm, golden glow that cut through the darkness like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. The light bounced off stone walls, catching on drifting dust particles and thick cobwebs that clung to corners and beams like forgotten memories.


    As werewolves, none of us truly needed light. Nor even me. Darkness had never been an enemy to our kind. But this wasn¡¯t just another abandoned building.


    This was an investigation.


    And none of us were willing to gamble with something like this.


    I let my gaze roam as we moved forward, the light revealing just how neglected the tower had be. Cracked stone floors, peeling paint, websyered upon webs. No footprints. No signs of recent life.


    It screamed... forgotten.


    We headed straight for the basement, our footsteps echoing faintly as we descended. The ground floor and the stairs leading down looked exactly the same - abandoned, untouched, as though no one had stepped foot here in years.


    The basement greeted us with the same stale air, but something about it felt... different.


    It was still dusty. Still wrapped in cobwebs.


    Yet cleaner.


    More intentional.


    It was subtle, but undeniable.


    There wasn¡¯t much in the space - two old tables, a few mismatched chairs, faded paintings leaning against the walls, and several rugs spread unevenly across the floor. But unlike the rest of the tower, the basement felt like it had once been used. Lived in. Someone had cared enough to arrange things instead of leaving them to rot.


    We spread out instinctively.


    Marcus had mentioned a secret trapdoor and that¡¯s what we needed to find.


    We checked everything.


    Oscar lifted rugs, shaking dust loose as he examined the stone beneath. Kieran pushed tables aside, inspecting the floor and walls with sharp, focused eyes. River moved with calcted precision, scanning every inch of the space, his moonstone casting shifting shadows as he went.


    I inspected the walls and paintings, brushing my fingers along stone seams, my heart slowly sinking as minutes passed with nothing to show for it.


    There were no hinges, no cracks, no hidden levers.


    Nothing.


    A quiet disappointment settled over us, heavy and unwee.


    Had Marcus been wrong? Was everything he said a lie?


    I straightened, struggling with the questions that were filling my head. I turned to my mates, ready to speak when...


    <strong>ck.</strong>


    The sound was sharp. Wooden. Out of ce.


    It echoed through the basement, slicing through the silence like a de.


    All four of us froze.


    River looked down at his feet. Slowly, carefully, he lifted his boot.


    The tile beneath it shifted slightly, no longer flush with the rest of the floor.


    We exchanged looks - wide-eyed, alert, adrenaline sparking instantly.


    Without speaking, we all moved.


    Oscar crouched near the floor, inspecting the tiles. Kieran scanned the walls again, this time sharper, more deliberate. River stepped aside, careful not to disturb the area further.


    And then my gaze snagged on something we hadn¡¯t touched much and stopped there for some unknown reason.


    The only cab in the ce.


    It sat against the far wall, tall and old, its wooden surface worn smooth with age. We had looked inside it, around it. Inspected the floor beneath and nearby rugs.


    But we hadn¡¯t moved it.


    Because it was fixed into the wall.


    I walked toward it slowly, my heart pounding with every step.


    The wooden door creaked softly as I pulled it open. And my breath caught. Where the back wall of the cab should have been, there was nothing.


    Just a dark opening.


    Waiting.


    "Here," I whispered.


    The others were beside me instantly.


    Oscar crouched, his expression sharpening as he examined the opening. He reached out, touching the edges of the back of cab.


    "So it turned out to be hidden here," he said finally.


    He nced at River. "That tile triggered the mechanism. And the back wall of this cab slid open."


    And there it was... a hidden passage, leading even deeper.


    River didn¡¯t hesitate.


    He stepped forward immediately, cing himself in front of Oscar in one smooth motion, his body a silent barrier.


    We all knew that gesture.


    <i>I¡¯ll lead.</i>


    And we also knew better than to argue.


    Still, my instincts red.


    Before he could crouch and enter the cab, I grabbed his arm.


    He stopped instantly and turned to look at me.


    I didn¡¯t say a word. I didn¡¯t have to.


    His gaze softened, understanding blooming there without effort. He covered my hand with his free one, his palm warm against my skin, and gave me a reassuring squeeze... firm, steady, grounding.


    "I¡¯ll be careful, angel."


    A part of me wanted to hold on. But I did let go... slowly, reluctantly.


    He ducked, the cab clearly too small for his build, and disappeared into the opening, his broad shoulders scraping against the sides as he crouched. The stairs beyond swallowed him, and within seconds, the golden glow of his moonstone vanished into the darkness below.


    Oscar moved next. "I¡¯m going next."


    He slipped through the opening with practiced ease.


    I followed immediately, the stone steps cool beneath my boots as I descended. Kieran camest, his hand settling securely on my waist, keeping me close as we moved downward together.


    The stairs seemed endless.


    Rough rock walls pressed in on either side, the air growing cooler, heavier with every step. The light from our moonstones barely reached ahead, shadows stretching long and distorted along the stone.


    My heart pounded loudly in my ears, every sense on high alert.


    And then...


    We saw him.


    River stood on thest step.


    His body seemed rigid, shoulders tense, head tilted slightly as he stared into whatevery beyond the stairway.


    The light from his moonstone spilled forward, illuminating a view that had me gasping out loud the moment my gaze fell on it.

 Chapter 567: The Darkness Under West Tower

    <h4>Chapter 567: The Darkness Under West Tower</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    For a long moment, I couldn¡¯t breathe. Couldn¡¯t blink. Couldn¡¯t even fullyprehend what my eyes were taking in. My feet felt fused to the stone beneath them, as if the ce itself had decided I wasn¡¯t allowed to move forward... or backward.


    Then I felt Kieran shift beside me.


    His shoulder brushed mine as he stepped closer, his presence solid and grounding, and I knew the exact moment his gaze finallynded on it. His entire body went rigid, the hand that had been resting at my waist tightening ever so slightly.


    Before either of us could speak, warmth wrapped around my hand.


    Oscar.


    His fingers slid into mine, firm and steady, and without a word he began guiding me down the remaining stairs. I let him pull me forward, my legs moving on instinct rather than consciousmand. Kieran followed immediately behind us, close enough that I could feel the heat of him at my back.


    Within seconds, the three of us were standing beside River at the bottom of the stairway.


    Silence pressed in around us... thick, reverent, almost fearful.


    It was Oscar who finally broke it.


    "It looks like Marcus didn¡¯t lie," he said quietly.


    My voice followed, barely more than a whisper. "And neither did Carson."


    None of us looked at each other as we spoke. Because all four of us were staring at the same thing.


    The <i>tree</i>.


    It stood at the center of the clearing the stairs had led us to, rooted into stone as if the earth itself had cracked open just to give it space to exist. The cavern wasn¡¯trge... just wide enough to hold the treefortably... but the moment you stepped into it, everything else felt... insignificant.


    The tree was massive.


    And dead.


    Not just with the quiet, natural death of age or decay... but something far more wrong.


    Every single inch of it was ck.


    Not dark brown. Not charred gray.


    But ck.


    Its trunk, its branches, even the smallest twigs that stretched outward like skeletal fingers were soaked in a pitch so deep it seemed to swallow the moonstone light rather than reflect it.


    If it weren¡¯t for the golden glow illuminating the clearing, the tree would have vanished entirely into the darkness, indistinguishable from the shadows themselves.


    But the light from our moonstones revealed it. And that somehow made it worse.


    A tree this deep underground was unnatural enough.


    A ck tree, devoid of any life, standing alone in a hidden chamber beneath the Academy?


    That wasn¡¯t coincidence.


    That was intent.


    Danger hummed beneath my skin, a low, warning thrum that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with instinct.


    This ce shouldn¡¯t exist.


    River was the first to move, his posture shifting into something sharper, moremanding.


    "No one touches anything," he said firmly. "I¡¯m calling the warriors down."


    I watched as his expression shifted and I knew he was talking to Jasper through the mindlink he shared with his beta.


    My gaze shifted to the tree again, and without even realizing, I stepped forward only for three hands to stop me instantly.


    River¡¯s grip closed around my right arm. Oscar¡¯s fingers tightened around my left hand... the one he still hadn¡¯t let go of. And Kieran¡¯s palm settled firmly against my shoulder, anchoring me in ce.


    I turned to look at them.


    They didn¡¯t need to say a word. Their expressions said everything... worry, protectiveness, restraint. The unspoken plea for me to stay close. To stay safe.


    The pull toward the tree was undeniable, but so was my understanding of them.


    I nodded slowly.


    The tension in their bodies eased, just a fraction.


    River released my arm, though his eyes never left me. Oscar loosened his grip slightly but didn¡¯t let go. Kieran¡¯s hand slid away from my shoulder, though he stayed close enough that I could feel him there.


    Minutester, footsteps echoed down the stairs.


    Five elite warriors emerged into the clearing, alert and cautious, followed closely by Rowan and Jasper. Another group was still outside the West Tower under Mark¡¯s supervision, exactly as nned.


    The moment they saw the tree, they froze.


    Every single one of them.


    Rowan didn¡¯t speak right away. He just stared.


    An entire minute passed before his gaze finally shifted to me.


    "Is this...," he hesitated, then asked quietly, "linked to that so-called Great Evil?"


    I swallowed.


    "I don¡¯t know," I admitted honestly.


    And that was the worst part.


    River wasted no time.


    "No one touches anything here with their bare hands," he ordered sharply. "Especially the tree."


    Kieran stepped forward immediately, slipping seamlessly intomand beside his brother.


    "Photograph everything," he instructed the warriors. "The tree, the walls, the floor. Take soil and rock samples. Anything that looks even remotely out of ce. Run energy readings across the entire ce. Scan the walls thoroughly - look for runes, markings, spells, carvings. Anything."


    The warriors moved at once, forming teams and spreading out with professional efficiency.


    Oscar¡¯s hand was still in mine as he began to walk, gently pulling me along as he surveyed the clearing. Rowan stayed close to us, his presence steady and familiar.


    But my gaze never left the tree.


    It was like something unseen was tugging at me, drawing my attention back no matter how hard I tried to focus elsewhere.


    And Oscar noticed.


    He slowed, then stopped entirely when I tugged lightly on his hand.


    "I won¡¯t touch it," I promised quietly. "But I need to look closer."


    He studied my face for a long moment, then nodded. Instead of letting go, he walked with me.


    We stopped a safe distance away, close enough to observe but far enough to remain cautious. Rowan joined us, his moonstone ring brighter as he lifted it higher.


    Between Oscar¡¯s and Rowan¡¯s moonstones, the tree was bathed in golden light.


    I took it in slowly.


    The branches twisted unnaturally, as though frozen mid-scream. The bark wasn¡¯t rough like a normal tree¡¯s... it looked almost smooth in ces, cracked deeply in others. Those cracks caught my attention immediately.


    They ran along the trunk like fractures in bone.


    Large. Old.


    Intentional.


    "This thing..." Rowan muttered, shaking his head. "It doesn¡¯t feel real."


    Two warriors nearby adjusted their equipment.


    "Alphas, there are no energy readings," one of them announced. "Nothing at all."


    That should have been reassuring.


    But it wasn¡¯t.


    There was no magic here. No ward. No spell. No residual power of any known or unknown kind.


    And yet...


    My chest tightened.


    Because even as the monitors showed nothing, something inside me stirred.


    Though there was no active energy here, there was something else.


    Something faint.


    Something lingering.

 Chapter 568: The Unknown Vision

    <h4>Chapter 568: The Unknown Vision</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The sensation didn¡¯t fade.


    It grew.


    At first, it had been nothing more than a whisper beneath my skin, a quiet tug I could almost ignore if I tried hard enough. But the longer I stared at the tree, the stronger it became... like invisible threads tightening around my chest, pulling me forward inch by inch.


    My healing power reacted instinctively.


    It stirred beneath my skin, restless and agitated, no longer flowing with its usual warmth and calm. This felt different. Sharp. Defensive. As if my power had sensed something profoundly wrong and was bracing itself for a fight it had never faced before.


    The more I focused on that strange pull, the more my power pushed back.


    Two opposing forces pressed against each other around me - one unknown and lingering, the other alive and desperate to protect.


    I sucked in a sharp breath and closed my eyes.


    <i>Focus.</i>


    For a heartbeat, everything went quiet. The hum beneath my skin steadied, vibrating just below the surface, waiting.


    When I opened my eyes again, my gaze locked onto the tree again.


    It was no longer just a dead, ck shape standing in the clearing... it felt like a wound.


    My power surged.


    Not outward. Not violently. But insistently.


    As if it needed to move.


    I didn¡¯t fully understand what I was doing when my knees bent and I crouched down. I was dimly aware of my mates stiffening, of voices calling my name in confusion and concern, but they sounded distant... muffled, as ifing from underwater.


    The only thing that felt real was the pressure inside me.


    I focused inward, letting my power rise instead of forcing it down like I always did.


    Then I ced my palm against the cold stone floor.


    The moment my skin made contact with the ground, my power rushed out of me.


    It poured through my hand like a flood breaking through a dam, surging into the ground beneath my palm and spreading outward in invisible waves. I gasped as the sensation traveled up my arm and through my chest, my heartbeat thundering in my ears.


    It wasn¡¯t healing the way I knew.


    It was searching.


    For a split second, I thought maybe my power had sensed the lingering traces of whatever dark force had once existed here... maybe it wanted to cleanse it, soothe it, mend what had been broken.


    But then...


    My breath caught.


    My eyes widened.


    The world tilted violently as something answered.


    Images exploded behind my eyes. And I couldn¡¯t tell if they were memories, thoughts, or visions.


    Darkness swirled endlessly around me... thick, suffocating, alive. It churned like a storm with no sky, pulsing with malevolent intent.


    Then the darkness condensed.


    I watched, powerless, as it twisted and folded in on itself, taking form of... <i>the tree.</i>


    But not as it was now.


    I saw it being created.


    Pure darkness - thick, oily, and wrong - was pulled together from thin air, shaped by unseen hands. It rose from nothing, roots anchoring themselves deep into the earth as the trunk stretched upward, towering and grotesque.


    The energy that formed it was unmistakable.


    Evil.


    Ancient.


    Hungry.


    My ears filled with sound.


    Voices.


    Chanting.


    Low and rhythmic,yered one over another until the words blurred together, vibrating through my skull. I glimpsed a wide circle forming around the newly born tree.


    Witches.


    Dozens of them.


    Their faces were hidden beneath hoods, their hands raised as runes ignited in the air around them... symbols etched in glowing crimson and sickly violet. The air crackled with power as spells wove together, binding, sealing, forcing.


    The chanting grew louder, frantic.


    The darkness inside the tree fought back.


    I saw it surge violently, pressing against its prison, the trunk shuddering as if something inside was trying to tear its way out. Shadowsshed outward, striking the invisible barrier created by the witches¡¯ magic.


    But it failed.


    Again.


    And again.


    The runes red brighter.


    The chants grew desperate.


    The darkness was forced back,pressed deeper into the tree, locked away with brutal finality.


    The vision shifted and time moved.


    Centuries passed in the blink of an eye.


    I watched the tree stand alone as the world above changed - stoneid over stone, walls built, towers rising. Dust gathered. Cobwebs formed. The tree remained.


    Cracks began to appear along its trunk.


    Slow at first.


    Hairline fractures creeping across its surface as the imprisoned darkness strained endlessly against its cage. Each crack felt like a scream frozen in time.


    The tree never healed.


    The cracks only grew.


    Then...


    Another shift.


    Another image mmed into me so hard I cried out.


    A familiar face appeared - Carson.


    He stood before the tree, his expression tight with pain and resolve. Blood dripped steadily from his palm as he pressed it against thergest crack in the trunk.


    And whatever was inside that tree... itshed onto his blood like it had been starved for centuries. And with each second, it seemed to regain its strength.


    My power reacted violently to the sight - ring, recoiling, raging against the presence of the dark energy even through the vision. Pain exploded behind my eyes, sharp and unbearable, as if my skull was splitting apart.


    I tried to pull back.


    Tried to lift my hand.


    Tried to scream for it to stop.


    But I just couldn¡¯t move.


    The visions kepting, crashing over me one after another, each heavier than thest. The ringing in my ears grew deafening, drowning out everything else. My chest burned, my breathing in ragged gasps as my power spiraled out of control, reacting to every trace of darkness it encountered.


    It hurt.


    Stars, it hurt.


    I sensed a bubble of power inside me, and I tugged at it. A rush of power surged through me and spread across the ce, finally cutting whatever grip the Evil energy had on me.


    But the damage was already done.


    My head felt like it was being crushed from the inside, pressure building and building until I thought it would shatter. Tears streamed down my face as a broken cry tore from my throat, raw and helpless.


    I was vaguely aware of voices shouting my name.


    Hands reaching for me.


    But the pain swallowed everything.


    Thest thing I saw before the world went ck...


    Were the panicked faces of my mates and Rowan, fear etched deeply into their expressions as they lunged toward me, trying to catch me before I copsedpletely.


    Then...


    Nothing.

 Chapter 569: Her Visions

    <h4>Chapter 569: Her Visions</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The first thing I felt wasn¡¯t pain.


    It was difort.


    A strange, unfamiliar kind that didn¡¯t belong to my body the way aches or exhaustion did. It wrapped around me like a dense fog, heavy and pressing, pulling me upward from the depths of unconsciousness but refusing to fully let me go.


    I was caught somewhere in between... no longer lost, but not awake either.


    Cold surrounded me.


    It wasn¡¯t the sharp bite of winter air or the chill of stone floors. This cold felt deeper, more invasive, as if it pressed against my very essence instead of my skin. It made me shiver, a weak tremor passing through me even though I couldn¡¯t feel my limbs clearly.


    The darkness clung stubbornly.


    Then... came warmth.


    Sudden. Epassing. So starkly different that it startled something inside me... but also very familiar.


    The warmth wrapped around me from all sides, solid and grounding, and I felt the cold recoil as if burned by it. The darkness loosened its grip, retreating inch by inch until I could finally breathe again.


    My chest rose in a shaky inhale.


    That was when my consciousness finally surfaced.


    My eyes fluttered open, myshes heavy as they struggled against the soft light filtering into my vision. Everything was blurry at first, shapes and colors bleeding into one another, but slolwy... it began to sharpen.


    The familiar scent of cedar and night air reached me first.


    Then warmth.


    Then them.


    My mates.


    They were sitting on either side of me on a bed I recognized instantly, even through the lingering haze in my mind. The dark curtains, the shelf filled with all kind of herbs and potions records, the subtle sense of order and control in every detail of the ce...


    I was in Kieran¡¯s private quarters.


    The moment that realization settled, the men noticed me stirring.


    It was almostical how fast they moved.


    Their bodies shifted toward me all at once, as if pulled by the same invisible thread. All three of them were holding my hands, and I realized the warmth that pulled me out of the darkness belonged to them.


    I tried to push myself up, my elbows digging weakly into the mattress as I attempted to sit, but I didn¡¯t get far.


    Three pairs of arms wrapped around me from both sides, strong and unyielding, pulling me upright and then straight into their chests.


    I disappeared into warmth.


    It pressed against me from every direction - solid, protective, overwhelming. Oscar¡¯s familiar steady presence anchored my left side, Kieran¡¯s firm strength surrounded my back, and River¡¯s arms wrapped around me from the other side, holding me so tightly I could feel his heartbeat racing against my cheek.


    For a moment, I let myself melt into it.


    The warmth chased away thest remnants of cold clinging to me, grounding me more effectively than anything else could have.


    Then I realized I couldn¡¯t breathe properly.


    "-okay," I croaked, my voice muffled somewhere against a chest. "You are... you are going to suffocate me."


    That earned me immediate reactions.


    Three bodies stiffened... and three grips loosened at once.


    They pulled back just enough for me to draw in a full breath, though none of them moved very far. Their arms remained around me, reluctant, as if letting gopletely was out of the question.


    Now that I could see their faces clearly, my chest tightened for an entirely different reason.


    Worry was written all over them - raw, unfiltered, terrifyingly intense.


    Oscar¡¯s jaw was tight, his eyes scanning my face like he was checking for hidden injuries he might have missed. Kieran¡¯s brows were drawn together, his usualposed expression fractured by anxiety. River looked the worst of them all - his eyes dark, sharp, and filled with something dangerously close to fear.


    The memory of copsing rushed back to me all at once.


    The tree.


    The images.


    The pain.


    And then their panicked faces... right before everything went ck.


    Guilt settled heavily in my chest.


    Before any of them could speak, I moved.


    I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around all three of them as best as I could, pulling them into me despite their size difference. My voice came out thick as I spoke.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I said softly. "I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. I didn¡¯t know it would... I didn¡¯t think-"


    They reacted instantly.


    "Don¡¯t," Oscar said firmly.


    Kieran shook his head, one of his handsing up to cradle the back of my head protectively. "You don¡¯t have to apologize for something none of us wanted to happen."


    River¡¯s grip tightened just a fraction, his voice low and steady despite the storm I knew was brewing beneath it. "You did nothing wrong."


    I pulled back slightly to look at them, surprised.


    None of them looked angry.


    Concerned, yes. Tense. Probably holding back a lecture that couldst hours.


    But not ming me.


    Not even River.


    That alone made my throat tighten again.


    Oscar was the first to speak properly, his thumb brushing lightly over my knuckles. "How are you feeling?"


    I paused, actually checking myself like he suggested.


    My body felt... normal. A little heavy, like I¡¯d slept too long. My limbs were slightly weak, and there was a lingering exhaustion deep in my bones, but nothing hurt. My power stirred quietly beneath my skin. It was present, responsive, not frayed or unstable.


    "I¡¯m okay," I said after a moment. "Just... tired."


    The tension in the room eased slightly.


    I saw it in the way Oscar¡¯s shoulders lowered, in the way Kieran exhaled slowly, in how River¡¯s grip loosened just enough to be less rigid.


    Still, none of them fully rxed.


    Then River and I spoke at the exact same time.


    "What happened down there?" I asked.


    "What did you feel?" He asked.


    We both paused, staring at each other.


    For a brief second, I almost smiled at the synchronicity... but the weight of everything that had happened quickly pushed that thought aside.


    River sighed softly, rubbing a hand over his face before straightening. "I¡¯ll go first."


    I nodded.


    "The warriors finished collecting samples," he said calmly. "Soil, stone, energy readings - everything. The entire tower and its nearby area has been sealed off. Now we will be going to analyze the findings thoroughly."


    I absorbed that, relief mixing with unease.


    "Good," I murmured. "That ce... it shouldn¡¯t be disturbed."


    River watched me closely as I said that, but he didn¡¯tment.


    It was my turn.


    I drew in a steady breath.


    "I don¡¯t know why it happened," I began honestly. "I wasn¡¯t trying to do anything reckless. The tree just... pulled at me. Not physically, but... something inside me, likely my power, reacted to it."


    Their attention sharpened instantly.


    "My power," I continued. "It sensed something lingering there. Not active magic. Not energy the monitors could pick up. Just... remnants. Like a scar left behind?"


    I told them everything.


    How the pull had grown stronger the longer I focused on it. How my power had surged on its own, pushing against something unseen. How cing my hand on the ground hadn¡¯t been a conscious decision... it had felt inevitable.


    Then I described the images.


    The tree forming from pure darkness.


    The witches.


    The chants and runes.


    The darkness trying... and failing... to break free.


    The centuries passing.


    The cracks spreading.


    Carson.


    His blood.


    His sacrifice.


    As I spoke, the room grew impossibly quiet.


    I watched their faces change with every detail I revealed... shock giving way to disbelief, then to something darker and far more dangerous.


    When I finally fell silent, none of them spoke immediately.


    It was Kieran who broke the silence.


    He stared at me with disbelief and confusion clear in his eyes. His voice barely above a whisper.


    "...You saw visions?"

 Chapter 570: Another Ability?

    <h4>Chapter 570: Another Ability?</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I opened my mouth.


    Then I closed it again.


    Kieran¡¯s question lingered in the air, heavy and unsettling, and for a few seconds I honestly didn¡¯t know how to answer him. <i>Visions</i> didn¡¯t feel like the right word... but neither did <i>memories</i>, at least not in the way people usually meant it.


    I took a slow breath, buying myself time, and finally spoke.


    "I... I don¡¯t know if I would call it visions," I said carefully. "It wasn¡¯t anything about the future. There was no sense of prophecy or warning. It surely wasn¡¯t something that <i>will</i> happen."


    All three of them watched me intently, not interrupting. Kieran even nodded his head in agreement as he followed along my exnation of making sense of what I saw.


    "What you described indeed felt like moments that already had happened," he said.


    I recalled the scenes, letting them re-run in my head. "They felt like echoes. Memories that didn¡¯t belong to me... but were still... there. Embedded - either in the tree, or the lingering remnants of the Great Evil, or in the ce itself."


    I swallowed, and then added, "It¡¯s like... I wasn¡¯t seeing possibilities. I was seeing history."


    Silence followed my words.


    It wasn¡¯t ufortable, but it was dense... full of thoughts colliding and rearranging themselves in all of our minds. I could almost hear the gears turning as my mates processed what I had said.


    River was the one who finally broke it.


    His gaze sharpened, something thoughtful and calcting flickering behind his eyes. "Did Elion ever mention anything about the Silver Wolf bloodline having more than just healing power?"


    The question caught me off guard.


    I shook my head slowly. "No. He never said anything like that."


    I paused, thinking back to all my conversations with Elion Grey. "If anything," I added quietly, "he made it sound like healing was the only power our bloodline ever had. Just rarer and stronger than what other healers possess."


    The looks my mates exchanged were brief but loaded.


    Oscar¡¯s jaw tightened slightly. River¡¯s expression darkened in that way it always did when new variables entered an already dangerous equation. Kieran, though, was the one who moved.


    He took my hands gently in his, grounding me. "Hey," he said softly. "Let¡¯s not jump ahead yet."


    I looked up at him.


    "What you experienced could be a one-time reaction," he continued. "An anomaly caused by direct exposure to something ancient and powerful. It doesn¡¯t automatically mean you are unlocking another ability."


    His thumbs brushed reassuring circles over my knuckles. "And even if it <i>does</i> turn out to be something more," he added in a firm voice, "you are not facing it alone. You have us."


    Oscar nodded in agreement. "Always."


    River didn¡¯t say anything, but the certainty in his gaze was unmistakable.


    I nodded slowly, letting their words sink in.


    Truthfully, the idea of unlocking another power... especially one I didn¡¯t understand... was terrifying. I was still learning how to exist with my healing ability, still figuring out its limits, its costs, its responsibilities.


    The thought of adding something else on top of that felt... overwhelming.


    But I had learned something important over the past months.


    Fear didn¡¯t make power disappear.


    Facing it did.


    "I¡¯m not ready tobel it as anything yet," I said honestly. "And I don¡¯t want to. Right now, all that matters is understanding what¡¯s happening with that tree... and what it means."


    My mates nodded in agreement.


    We shifted the focus back to the investigation,ying everything out piece by piece like a puzzle that refused to reveal its full picture.


    "From what you described," River said slowly, "the dark energy was sealed inside that tree long before the academy existed."


    "Yes," I confirmed. "Way before. Centuries ago, at least."


    "And the witches," Oscar added, his tone thoughtful. "They were the ones who sealed it."


    I nodded again. "A whole circle of them."


    Kieran leaned back slightly, crossing his arms. "Which means this wasn¡¯t a small threat. Whatever that darkness was, it scared them enough to bind it beneath the ground."


    "And not just bind it," River said. "They anchored it. Trees are often used as living seals. They absorb, contain, and redirect energy."


    A chill ran down my spine.


    "So the tree wasn¡¯t just a prison," I murmured. "It was a lock."


    "And a failsafe," Oscar added grimly. "Which exins the cracks you saw forming over time."


    Silence fell again.


    "If the tree cracked," I said slowly, thinking aloud, "then the seal weakened. The darkness didn¡¯t escape all at once... it leaked... before Crason set all of it free."


    River¡¯s expression hardened. "Waiting for the witches to respond isn¡¯t enough anymore," he said. "If they were involved centuries ago, they might not even know what their ancestors did. Or they might refuse to speak without pressure."


    "So we involve the Council," Kieran said.


    "Yes," he confirmed. "We present what we have found. The underground chamber. The tree. The historical evidence. If we want answers from the witches, we¡¯ll need the Council¡¯s pressure."


    He paused, then added, "I¡¯ll still try to reach out personally. Maybe the ones who helped set the wards around the academy might be willing to speak off record."


    That sounded like the Alpha he was... always trying both routes.


    Digging into history felt like the right move. Whatever this Great Evil was, it didn¡¯t just appear out of nowhere. It had a past. A reason for being sealed. And possibly a reason for resurfacing now.


    But as we spoke, something nagged at the back of my mind.


    A thread that didn¡¯t quite fit.


    The timeline.


    I frowned slightly, my thoughts drifting.


    "If Carson started feeding the tree with his blood..." I said slowly, "...and if that¡¯s what elerated the cracks, then it exins why the soul deaths started happening after him."


    River nodded. "Yes. Carson may not have created the problem... but he worsened it."


    "But," I continued, my chest tightening, "Carson wasn¡¯t the first victim."


    They all turned to look at me.


    "Rowan¡¯s friend," I said quietly. "She was the first confirmed soul death. And back then... the Great Evil was still trapped beneath the West Tower."


    The room fellpletely silent.


    "If the darkness was still sealed," I whispered, the unease growing heavier by the second, "then how did Naira be the first victim?"

 Chapter 571: The Messed Up Timeline

    <h4>Chapter 571: The Messed Up Timeline</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My words lingered in the air, heavy and unresolved.


    If the darkness beneath the West Tower had still been sealed when Naira was found unconscious... then how had her soul been taken?


    The question echoed in my mind, circling endlessly, but none of us had an answer. Not River, not Oscar, not Kieran. The silence that followed was thick, pressing down on my chest.


    And then...


    A knock sounded on the door.


    It was soft, hesitant, yet urgent enough to slice straight through the tension in the room.


    River straightened immediately. "Come in."


    The door opened slowly, and Rowan stepped inside.


    The moment I saw him, my heart clenched.


    He looked exactly the way my mates had looked when I first woke up - pale, tense, eyes wide with worry he hadn¡¯t bothered to hide. His shoulders were stiff, as if he¡¯d been carrying something unbearably heavy for hours and had no idea how to put it down.


    And then his gaze found me.


    It was almost painful to watch the change.


    His entire body seemed to sag with relief, like an invisible weight was lifted off him all at once. His breath hitched, and his eyes shimmered, dangerously close to tears. He didn¡¯t say a single word. Didn¡¯t pause. Didn¡¯t even acknowledge the three Rogue Alphas in the room.


    He just moved.


    One second he was standing near the door, the next he was right in front of me, wrapping his arms around me so tightly it knocked the air from my lungs.


    Oscar, bless him, shifted instantly, stepping back to give Rowan space without hesitation.


    "Eva," Rowan breathed, his voice rough, almost breaking.


    I melted into him just as hard, my arms going around his back, holding on like he might disappear if I didn¡¯t. The warmth of him, the familiarity, grounded me in a way nothing else could.


    "I¡¯m sorry," I mumbled against his shoulder. "I didn¡¯t mean to scare you."


    He pulled back immediately, handsing up to cup my face, forcing me to look at him.


    "Don¡¯t," he said firmly, shaking his head. "Don¡¯t apologize like that. Don¡¯t make it sound like it was your fault."


    His thumbs brushed under my eyes, his gaze searching my face like he was making sure I was really there.


    "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.


    "I¡¯m okay," I said honestly. "Just... a little tired. But otherwise, I¡¯m fine."


    The relief that flooded his face was immediate.


    He let out a long breath, one I realized he must have been holding in for a long time, and his shoulders finally rxed. Only then did he seem to remember where he was.


    Rowan nced up and looked at my mates.


    Despite everything, despite his fear and worry, he straightened slightly and nodded at them in respectful acknowledgment. It was subtle but sincere.


    River returned the nod. So did Kieran. Oscar offered him a faint, reassuring smile.


    Rowan still didn¡¯t move away from me.


    Instead, he sat down beside me on the bed, turning so he faced me, one knee bent on the mattress. His presence was protective but not possessive, familiar without being intrusive.


    And none of my mates seemed to mind.


    I noticed it in small ways - theck of tension in their shoulders, the absence of any territorial edge in their bodynguage. They understood what Rowan was to me. Just as my friends respected them not only as Rogue Alphas but as my mates, my mates respected my friends because they were mine.


    That mutual respect wrapped around us like an unspoken agreement.


    Rowan¡¯s eyes softened as he looked at me again. "What happened?"


    So I told him.


    I told him about the images... the memories... how they had rushed through me like a storm, how my power had reacted to something in that secret chamber.


    And then I told him about the theories.


    About Carson.


    About the Great Evil.


    About the timeline.


    "And that¡¯s the part that doesn¡¯t make sense," I finished quietly. "If Carson is the one who weakened or released whatever was trapped under the West Tower... then how did Naira be the first soul death victim?"


    I swallowed.


    "She was found soul dead months before Carson even knew about that ce."


    Rowan went still.


    The name alone... Naira... shifted something in him. Pain flickered across his face, old and raw, never fully healed.


    "I... I don¡¯t know," he said softly.


    For a moment, he looked just as lost as the rest of us.


    There was no doubt that Niara was indeed soul dead, but the timeline was messed up.


    Then Oscar spoke.


    "Rowan," he said calmly, "did Naira ever visit the Silver Moon territory? Especially close to the days she was found... soul dead?"


    Rowan frowned, clearly thinking hard.


    It had been over a year and a half since Naira¡¯s incident. Too much time. Too many memoriesyered on top of that night.


    "I don¡¯t think so," he said slowly. "She didn¡¯t have any reason to be here. She worked locally. She didn¡¯t socialize much outside our small circle of friends."


    He paused, his brows knitting together.


    "But..." he added, sounding uncertain.


    We all leaned in slightly.


    "There was something," he said. "The night before it happened, she came home reallyte. Hours past her normal working time. And it had never happened before that."


    "What did she say?" I asked gently.


    "She said she had to deliver goods to a customer," he replied. "Someone ced ast-minute order and there wasn¡¯t any other staff member free. It required her to travel quite a distance, and that¡¯s why she waste."


    River¡¯s eyes sharpened.


    "Did she say where?" Kieran asked.


    Rowan shook his head. "No. I didn¡¯t press her. She looked exhausted, and I didn¡¯t think much of it at the time."


    Oscar exchanged a look with River.


    "Did she mention the customer?" Oscar asked.


    "No," Rowan said. "It might be nothing serious, but it¡¯s the only unusual thing I can recall around that time."


    The room felt colder.


    I could feel the weight of it settling in my chest.


    Who was the customer?


    Where did she go?


    And why did that delivery lead to her bing the first soul death victim?


    Or were we going inpletely wrong direction?


    <i>Eva, focus</i>, I told myself... but my thoughts were already racing.


    My mates shared a look. Then Oscar straightened.


    "I¡¯ll have my men look into it," he said decisively. "Where she went. Who the customer was. Every trail that can still be followed... we¡¯ll find it."

 Chapter 572: A Dozen New Questions

    <h4>Chapter 572: A Dozen New Questions</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The door opened quietly.


    I lifted my head on instinct, expecting to see Oscar or Rowan... or maybe both of them, already preparing to rush us out of here because the clock was ticking far too fast forfort.


    Instead, Kieran stepped inside alone.


    He carried a tray in his hands.


    The faint clink of porcin reached my ears before my eyes fully registered what I was seeing. A bowl. Steam rising from it in soft curls. The scent followed a secondter... warm, simple,forting.


    Porridge.


    I blinked, momentarily thrown off.


    The men had stepped outside minutes ago, saying they needed to talk. I¡¯d assumed they were coordinating our departure. It was already 3:13 in the morning. And in less than three hours, people would start waking up at the resort.


    Breakfast was scheduled at eight, which meant students would be gathering, resort staff would be moving around, professors would be up, and questions would start forming the moment they realized we weren¡¯t there.


    The drive back alone would take nearly two hours.


    We were already running out of time.


    So when Kieran walked in with food instead of urgency etched into his posture, it took me a second to process it.


    He closed the door behind him softly and walked toward me, his steps unhurried.


    "You should eat," he said gently, setting the tray down on the bedside table.


    I looked from the bowl to his face, then back again.


    I didn¡¯t argue.


    Despite the odd hour, despite the anxiety gnawing at the back of my mind about our absence from the resort, my body made the decision for me. The exhaustion I had been pushing aside made itself known the moment the aroma reached my nose.


    I epted the bowl without a word.


    The spoon felt heavier than it should have, but the moment I took the first careful bite, a quiet sigh slipped from my lips before I could stop it.


    It tasted... good.


    Not fancy. Notplex. Just warm and grounding, like something meant to anchor you back into yourself. I took another bite, then another. The heat spread through my chest, loosening something tight inside me.


    Kieran sat beside me on the bed, watching silently.


    He didn¡¯t rush me. Didn¡¯t tell me to hurry. Just stayed there, his presence steady, reassuring.


    It wasn¡¯t until I¡¯d eaten more than half the bowl that I finally looked up at him.


    "Why aren¡¯t we already on our way back?" I asked.


    He smiled faintly, like he had been waiting for the question. "Ten more minutes," he said. "That¡¯s all."


    I nodded and went back to eating. I finished everyst bite, then drank the water he handed me, feeling some of the fog lift almost immediately.


    A deep breath left my lungs. I was already feeling much better. Only then did I really look at him.


    Kieran was close enough now that I could see every detail of his face in the soft light - the faint crease between his brows, the tightness around his mouth.


    And the shadows.


    They sat beneath his eyes like bruises, dark and unmistakable.


    My chest tightened.


    I reached out without thinking, cupping his face gently between my hands. His skin was warm beneath my palms, familiar. He leaned into my touch instinctively, even as his brows furrowed in confusion.


    "Evaline?" he murmured.


    I studied him more closely now, my worry sharpening into something colder. "You didn¡¯t look like this before," I said quietly.


    His lips curved into a small smile, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. "You are overthinking."


    I gave him a hard re.


    That wiped the smile right off his face.


    "What happened?" I demanded.


    He hesitated.


    That alone made my stomach twist.


    "Kieran," I said, sounding firmer now.


    He sighed softly, clearly realizing brushing it off wasn¡¯t going to work. "It¡¯s nothing you need to worry about."


    "No," I said immediately. "Don¡¯t do that."


    My hands slid from his face to his shoulders, gripping lightly. "You look exhausted. Drained. And you did not look like this before I passed out."


    The thought hit me then, sharp and cruel.


    Did he look like this because of me?


    Because he had been worrying? Because I had scared him? Because I had copsed without warning in the middle of a dangerous investigation?


    Guilt crept into my chest, heavy and suffocating.


    His eyes softened the moment he noticed the shift in my expression.


    "Hey," he said quickly, reaching up to hold my wrists. "No. Don¡¯t go there." He squeezed gently. "This isn¡¯t because I was worried about you."


    I searched his face, unconvinced.


    "Then what?" I whispered.


    His jaw tightened.


    "Something happened down there," he admitted. "In the underground chamber."


    My breath caught.


    "What kind of something?"


    He took a breath, choosing his words carefully. "I felt... something pull at my wolf. At my strength. My energy."


    I stiffened.


    "Pull?" I echoed.


    "I tried to resist," he continued. "I didn¡¯t even fully realize what was happening at first. But whatever it was... it seeded. My wolf felt defenseless against it."


    My heart began to race.


    "You are saying someone... or something... extracted your energy?" I asked.


    He nodded slowly. "I don¡¯t know how. Or what exactly did it. But I could feel it. Like something reached in and took what it wanted."


    My hands trembled slightly against his arms.


    "When?" I asked.


    His gaze met mine, steady but serious.


    "Right before you passed out."


    The room felt colder. But before I could ask anything else, the door opened again.


    Oscar stepped inside, his expression all business now.


    "We need to go," he said. "If we wait any longer, we won¡¯t make it back unnoticed."


    I swallowed hard.


    Kieran shifted, standing up. "Catch some sleep on the way," he told me gently. "You need it."


    He turned to Oscar next. "Take care of her."


    Oscar nodded once. "Always."


    Kieran leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead.


    Before he could pull awaypletely, I grabbed his hand.


    His brows lifted in surprise just as I closed my eyes and summoned my power.


    Warmth surged through me, flowing down my arm and into him, steady and controlled. I felt his body react instantly, the drain easing, his energy stabilizing.


    "Evaline - stop," he said, startled.


    But I was already pulling my power back.


    I opened my eyes and met his gaze.


    "I didn¡¯t heal you fully," I said before he could scold me. "Just enough. I know my limits."


    His expression was a mix of gratitude and concern.


    "You shouldn¡¯t have," he murmured.


    "I wanted to," I replied simply.


    He sighed, then patted the back of my head. "Thank you. But my wolf would have recovered soon enough."


    "I know," I said. "But now it won¡¯t have to work extra hard."


    A small smile finally reached his eyes.


    I leaned forward and hugged him tightly. He wrapped his arms around me just as firmly, resting his chin on my head.


    When we pulled back, he kissed me softly... just once.


    Then I stood and hugged River next who just stepped inside the room. He held me with the quiet strength that always made me feel safe.


    "Be careful," he murmured.


    "You too," I replied.


    Minutester, I was climbing into the passenger seat. Oscar got behind the wheel, already focused. Rowan slid into the backseat, quiet but watchful.


    As the car pulled away from the academy, the dark roads stretching ahead of us, I leaned back and closed my eyes.


    We were heading back with a handful of discoveries...


    And a dozen new questions waiting for answers.

 Chapter 573: Sleep Over Winning

    <h4>Chapter 573: Sleep Over Winning</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I yawned for stars knew what number as Oscar¡¯s voice carried across the beach, sharp andmanding enough to cut through thezy buzz of the afternoon.


    "Alright, everyone - divide yourselves into the four groups that were called out earlier."


    It was a little past noon and the sun was high, warm enough to make the sand almost too hot beneath bare feet. Just minutes ago, we¡¯d all been stretched out on towels and loungers, basking in the afterglow of a hearty lunch and the sea breeze that kept threatening to lull me into sleep. The water sparkled invitingly, waves rolling in like they were personally calling my name.


    And instead of letting us enjoy even another minute of peace, the professors had found us.


    Professor Elira stood with her arms crossed, looking far too pleased. Professor Aldric and Professor Alden nked her, discussing something quietly between themselves. And then there was Oscar...looking every bit like this was exactly what he¡¯d been waiting for.


    After beach volleyball yesterday and tug of war followed by surfing earlier today, I had genuinely thought they might finally give us some free time.


    I should have known better.


    The announcement of the third activity of the day hadnded like a punch to the gut.


    "A physicalbat game," Professor Aldric had said cheerfully, like he was announcing dessert instead of imminent suffering.


    The groans that followed were loud enough to startle a few nearby seagulls.


    "You have got to be kidding me," Brian muttered behind me.


    "We just surfed for two hours," Seleneined.


    "I can¡¯t even feel my arms anymore," came a dramatic wail from somewhere to my left.


    I wholeheartedly agreed with every single one of them.


    Then Oscar stepped forward.


    "The winning team," he announced calmly, "will get permission to visit the nearby seaside towns this evening."


    The shift in atmosphere was immediate.


    Groans turned into murmurs. Murmurs turned into interest. Interest turned intopetitive sparks lighting up eyes all around me.


    A chance to explore seaside towns - cafes, shops, food stalls, freedom beyond the resort walls?


    Yeah. That would do it.


    Me?


    I felt nothing.


    If anything, I wanted to curl up in my hotel bed, pull the nket over my head, and sleep until my body physically refused to let me anymore. The exhaustion fromst night still clung to me like a second skin, no matter how much I tried to shake it off.


    And apparently, I wasn¡¯t hiding it very well.


    I felt eyes on me... familiar ones.


    My friends noticed first.


    Mallory gave me a worried look as she stretched her arms over her head. Kyros leaned closer, lowering his voice to ask if I was alright. And then there was Oscar.


    I felt his gaze before I saw it.


    When I finally looked up, his brows drew together slightly, his eyes scanning my face in a way that told me he¡¯d noticed the dark circles I had tried... and failed... to hide using Mallory¡¯s concealer.


    There wasn¡¯t much he could do about it now.


    Well... there was something he could have done. Like talking the professors out of pushing us through another physically demanding activity.


    And a part of me was almost certain thisbat game had his fingerprints all over it.


    Because who else would think abat exercise was appropriate during a trip that was supposed to be about fun and rxation?


    Traitor.


    We were divided into four teams, ten students each.


    Except... because there were forty-one of us in our ss... one lucky soul got to act as the referee.


    When that was announced, my heart actually lifted.


    For exactly three seconds.


    Because when the final list was called and my name wasn¡¯t on it, I almost screamed.


    I would have loved to be the referee - sitting on the sidelines. Observing. Calling fouls. Doing absolutely nothing physical while forty other students exhausted themselves.


    Instead, here I was.


    I shot Oscar a look that promised a slow and painful demiseter. He pretended not to notice.


    Fortunately, Kyros and Ria were on my team, along with seven other students I didn¡¯t mind. More importantly... very importantly... Nadine wasn¡¯t. And none of her friends were either.


    That alone felt like a small mercy.


    At least things weren¡¯tpletely terrible.


    The teams took their ces on the sand, thebat field marked out clearly. The rules were simple - non-lethal, no wolf strength, no serious injuries. Points for takedowns and submissions. Last team standing wins the round.


    The first round began quickly.


    And just like that, my luck ran out. Because our opponents were Nadine and her team.


    Of course.


    I internally groaned as she stepped forward, smug smile firmly in ce, her eyes already scanning us like she was measuring where to strike first.


    The next ten minutes were pure chaos.


    Even though every single part of me wanted to conserve energy, to move slowly and carefully, my pride absolutely refused to let Nadine gain the upper hand. So I fought... since her sole purpose was to defeat me.


    I dodged. I blocked. I struck when I had openings.


    Sand flew everywhere. Shouts and grunts filled the air. Bodies hit the ground, rolled, sprang back up again.


    I took down one of Nadine¡¯s friends early on, earning myself a re that could have curdled milk.


    Worth it.


    By the time the final whistle blew, our team was battered, bruised, and breathing hard... but we were standing.


    We won.


    The satisfaction was immediate, but also short-lived. Because as we barely had time to catch our breath, it was announced that we would be facing the winner of the second round to determine the final winning team.


    I stared at the ground for a solid five seconds, contemting my life choices.


    Still, I pushed through.


    I always did.


    The final round started, and somehow... through sheer stubbornness and adrenaline... I kept going.


    My movements grew heavier. My reactions slowed. I could feel my body protesting every step, every block, every strike.


    Seven minutes in, and Rowan took me down.


    It was clean and controlled - him sweeping my legs out from under me and pinning me to the sand before I could fully react. Inded with a soft thud, the air knocked from my lungs as I stared up at the sky.


    He hovered there for a moment, concern shing through his eyes.


    "You alright?" he asked quietly.


    I huffed out a breath, halfughing despite myself. "Never been better," I muttered.


    He knew, though.


    He knew I was exhausted. He knew I needed rest more than I needed victory... or a trip through seaside towns.


    And I was almost grateful when he kept me there just long enough for the referee to call it.


    Because it meant I could finally stop.


    I let my head sink back into the sand, the sounds of the beach fading into the background as my body weed the stillness.


    For now, losing didn¡¯t feel so bad.


    Not when all I wanted was sleep.

 Chapter 574: Making Her Feel Better

    <h4>Chapter 574: Making Her Feel Better</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    I felt her stir before she even opened her eyes.


    The slightest shift of her body against mine was enough to pull my attention away from the phone in my hand.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate... I locked the screen, set the phone face down on the bedside table, and wrapped my arm around her waist, drawing her closer until her back fit perfectly against my bare chest. My other hand was still under her head, careful and instinctive, like I was afraid even the smallest wrong movement might wake her too abruptly.


    Her eyes stayed closed, but I knew she was no longer sleeping.


    I lowered my face into her hair, breathing in the soft scent of her shampoo - the familiar clean and faintly floral scent, one that belonged to her. My nose brushed along the side of her neck as I inhaled again, deeper this time, and my wolf stirred immediately.


    Alert. Possessive. Warm.


    <i>Mine.</i>


    The beast inside me shifted restlessly, a low hum of satisfaction and desire rolling through my chest. It had been a while since my wolf started pressing me about marking her. At first, it had been patient... almost gentle... content to let things move at her pace, to let her adjust to us, to everything.


    Buttely?


    Lately, it had started making demands.


    Quiet ones. Sneaky ones.


    <i>She¡¯s ours.</i>


    <i>She¡¯s ready.</i>


    <i>You feel it too.</i>


    And every time I told him to calm down, to wait, he responded with smug little nudges that reminded me just how thin my own control really was when it came to her.


    Because no matter how disciplined I was, no matter how carefully I tried to keep my emotions and instincts in check...


    Eva undid me.


    Completely.


    I pressed a kiss into the crook of her neck, slow and unhurried, and felt her chuckle softly in response. The sound sent a wave of warmth straight through my chest.


    There it was.


    She shifted, turning in my arms until she was facing me. Her long, darkshes fluttered softly as her eyes finally opened.


    And just like that, the world felt right again.


    She looked so much better now.


    Sleep had done her good. It had softened the shadows beneath her eyes, rxed the tension that had been clinging to her sincest night.


    After losing the game earlier, she had barely said a word before heading straight for the shower and then copsing into bed. I¡¯d let her sleep, even though every instinct in me had wanted to stay close.


    She had missed dinner. Missed everything. And now it was already ten at night.


    I brushed a few loose strands of silver hair away from her face, my thumb lingering against her cheek as she smiled up at me. That smile... sleepy, warm, unguarded... hit me harder than any fight ever could.


    I leaned in, intending nothing more than a quick kiss.


    Just a simple press of my lips against hers.


    But the moment her lips parted under mine, soft and weing, I was done for.


    I stayed.


    The kiss deepened naturally, effortlessly. I tilted my head, letting myself linger, letting myself feel. When I slipped my tongue past her lips, she sighed softly. It was a sound so full of contentment it made my wolf preen in satisfaction.


    I pulled back only when I had to, resting my forehead against hers as I caught my breath.


    Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes were bright.


    And she was smiling.


    I leaned in once more, stealing a quick peck this time before forcing myself to pull away just enough to think.


    "How are you feeling?" I asked softly.


    She smiled, and when she spoke, her voice sounded thick with sleep. "Much better."


    "Good," I said, leaning in again before I could stop myself. Not like I was nning to. "Let me make you feel even better."


    She met me halfway this time, raising her head enough to close the remaining gap. Our lips met with passion and a need that ran equally deep within both of us.


    I slipped my hand under her night shirt, feeling the warm, smooth skin of her small waist.


    We got lost in each other, and if not for the fact that she needed to breath, I might not have stopped at all.


    "Not bad. Your n did work. I¡¯m feeling even better now," She whispered, gazing up into my eyes.


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She¡¯s absolutely adorable. "I¡¯m happy to know that."


    Then her expression shifted as a sudden realization dawned. "What time is it?"


    "Ten," I replied.


    Right on cue, her stomach betrayed her with a quiet growl. She groaned, covering her face in embarrassment while I couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    "Hey," I murmured, amused. "You didn¡¯t think I would let you go hungry, did you?"


    Her head snapped up. "You got food?"


    The way her face immediately brightened made my chest ache in the best way.


    I slipped out of bed and crossed the room, grabbing the package that had been waiting on the cab near the ss window. The moonlight spilled in softly through the gap I the curtains, painting the room in silver and blue.


    When I turned, she had already pushed herself into a sitting position, watching me with curious eyes.


    I didn¡¯t miss how her eyes were roaming over my bare body. "Enjoying the view?" I teased, and her gaze snapped up from my waist to my eyes. Instead of backing down, she boldly nodded her head.


    "I am. Thank you for your hard work." She pointed at my muscles, making sure I knew what ¡¯hard work¡¯ she was talking about.


    I shook my head, happy to see her being her mischievous self. I returned to the bed and her gaze finally moved to the box I took out from the package.


    I opened the container, releasing theforting scent of warm chicken soup into the room.


    "It¡¯s still warm," I said, handing it to her.


    She took it carefully, smiling like I had just given her the greatest gift in the world.


    And honestly?


    Seeing her like this... safe, warm, fed, and smiling... it made everything worth it.

 Chapter 575: Back Kisses

    <h4>Chapter 575: Back Kisses</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    I heard the bathroom door close even though she tried her best not to let it make a sound.


    A smile tugged at the corners of my lips.


    My back was turned to her, my attention seemingly fixed on the dark stretch of ocean visible through the ss window glistening under the moonlight, but every part of me was tuned to her presence. I knew the rhythm of her steps, the way she held her breath when she was being mischievous, the faint shift in the air when she moved closer.


    I didn¡¯t need to turn back and look at her to know she was trying to sneak up on me.


    Secondster, just like I expected, her small arms slid around my waist from behind, hugging me tight as she pressed herself against my bare back.


    My wolf lit up instantly.


    Happy. Thrilled. Practically purring.


    Then... I felt something soft and warm pressing against my skin. She kissed my shoulder de - soft, warm, deliberate - and I inhaled sharply before I could stop myself.


    "Why are you walking around my room shirtless?" she asked, her voice innocent and amused.


    I turned my head slightly, smirking. "Because I wanted your kisses."


    Sheughed, the sound low and sweet. "Is that so?"


    And then she proved me right.


    "Like this?"


    Her lips moved slowly across my back, trailing kisses over my shoulder, along my spine, over my biceps. Each onended like a spark against my skin, igniting heat I was already struggling to control.


    I closed my eyes for a moment, tightening my jaw, but I couldn¡¯t stop the smile that spread across my face.


    She hugged me again, tighter this time, her cheek pressed against my back.


    "Do you want more?" she asked softly.


    That did it.


    I turned in her arms, pulling her with me until she was pressed against my chest. My arms locked around her instinctively, protective and possessive, and I cupped the nape of her neck, my thumb brushing her skin as she tilted her head up to look at me.


    Her beautiful amber eyes were smiling.


    "You are ying a dangerous game," I murmured.


    She tilted her head, pretending innocence far too well. "Am I?"


    Before I could answer, she rose onto her tiptoes and kissed my throat... right over my pulse.


    A sharp breath tore from my chest.


    My hand tightened at her nape as I gently but firmly pulled her head back, forcing her to meet my gaze. My voice came out lower than I intended.


    "Evaline," I warned. "I have a limit to my self-control."


    She didn¡¯t look scared. Instead, she looked certain.


    "You don¡¯t need self-control with me," she said quietly. "I want you too."


    That single sentence hit harder than anything she had done so far.


    But the smile that curved my lips next wasn¡¯t a happy one. "It¡¯s not about wanting," I said softly. "The timing isn¡¯t right."


    Her shoulders sagged immediately.


    She let out a frustrated sigh, then groaned dramatically. "I¡¯m starting to hate the academy," she muttered. "Because of you and River."


    Iughed despite myself. "That¡¯s harsh."


    "You both keep holding back," she used. "I get it, I really do... but still."


    She wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Marking her now would mean an entire week... maybe even longer in River¡¯s case... of bonding time. She would end up missing sses, training, and her work at the council.


    And as much as my wolf snarled at the dy, thest thing any of us wanted was to disrupt her life more than it already had beenst semester.


    I brushed my thumb along her jaw gently. "You don¡¯t actually hate it."


    She huffed. "No. But I haveints."


    I chuckled, then raised a brow. "So... what exactly is going on between you and River?"


    She sighed again, clearly already tired just by mere mention of the topic. "He¡¯s tormenting me."


    That caught my attention.


    "How?" I asked.


    "He hasn¡¯t kissed me in months," she said tly.


    I blinked. "Months?"


    "When I asked him about it," she continued, "he said he¡¯d kiss me the day he marks me."


    I stared at her, genuinely surprised.


    "That sounded romantic at first," she admitted. "Now I just don¡¯t know how long I¡¯m supposed to wait."


    I shook my head slowly. I knew there was tension between them, something going on ever since the holidays, but I hadn¡¯t realized River was ying <i>that</i> kind of long game.


    "Is it just kissing?" I asked carefully... and curiously. "Or is he avoiding everything?"


    Her hesitation answered me before she spoke.


    A flush crept up her cheeks, and she looked away.


    "He mostly keeps it to hugs," she admitted. "But... there was this one incident. In his car."


    Though she didn¡¯t borate, I could already guess what could have happened. A knowing smile tugged at my lips. One she noticed immediately.


    "Don¡¯t," she warned, ring at me.


    Iughed softly. "I¡¯m just saying... it sounds... fun."


    She narrowed her eyes. "Now that I look at you, I¡¯m convinced that you have picked up too many bad habits from Draven-"


    The moment his name left her lips, everything froze.


    Her body went still in my arms.


    So did mine.


    The air in the room shifted, growing heavier, quieter... as if even the ocean outside had paused to listen.


    Draven.


    My younger brother.


    Her mate.


    Still unconscious. Still trapped in that awful limbo between life and something worse, sleeping beneath the Thorne mansion while the world kept moving without him.


    The smile vanished from my face.


    Her breath hitched.


    "I-" she started, then stopped.


    Neither of us spoke.


    There was nothing to say.


    The warmth between us didn¡¯t disappear, but it changed... it softened into something heavier, something aching and shared.


    And in that silence, Draven¡¯s absence pressed in around us like a shadow neither of us could escape.


    She fell into my arms, pressing her face into my chest. "I miss him so much, Oscar."


    Her voice came out heavy as if she was holding back way too much emotions. I hugged her tightly, pressing a kiss on the top of her head.


    "We will bring him back." I promised. "We will."

 Chapter 576: Whereabouts of The Great Evil

    <h4>Chapter 576: Whereabouts of The Great Evil</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My heart ached.


    Not the dull kind of ache that faded if you ignored it, but the sharp, persistent pain that sat right behind my ribs and refused to leave. The kind that made breathing feel heavier than it should be.


    Draven.


    Even thinking his name felt like pressing on a bruise.


    I had seen him a few days ago... his still form lying peacefully in the basement of Thorne mansion, his chest rising and falling slowly, his face untouched by time or pain. He looked like he was just sleeping. Like he might open his eyes any second and grin at me, say something reckless, tease me, and pull me into his arms like he always did.


    But that wasn¡¯t really seeing him.


    It had been months since I had seen the real Draven.


    The walking, talking, impossible Draven. The one who was always smiling, always plotting something mischievous, always finding new ways to make meugh even when the world felt too heavy. The one who loved with his whole heart, without hesitation or fear, like it was the easiest thing in the world.


    I missed him so much it hurt... physically. Like a part of me had been torn out of me and left a hollow space behind.


    I squeezed my eyes shut, my hands curling into fists as I fought the image that haunted me the most - his unmoving body beneath soft sheets, trapped in endless sleep in that cold underground room.


    That sight was torture.


    Because it reminded me of how badly we had failed him.


    How none of us had protected him. How his life now hung by a fragile thread, suspended between hope and despair.


    And yet... it was also a relief.


    Because he was still there.


    Still breathing. Still connected to this world. Still ours.


    There was still a chance.


    As much as it hurt, I clung to that hope with everything I had.


    With these thoughts swarming my head along with everything else we had found out the night before, a sudden thought clicked in my mind.


    I stiffened and pulled away from Oscar¡¯s arms, my heart racing... not from fear, but realization.


    He noticed immediately.


    "Eva?" he asked, concern shing across his face. "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Instead of answering, I grabbed his wrist and tugged him toward the bed. And though confused, he followed without a sound.


    I pushed him down gently until he was sitting on the mattress, then climbed onto the bed myself and turned to face him fully, my knees tucked beneath me. Only when I was sure I had hisplete attention did I speak.


    "There¡¯s something that doesn¡¯t make sense," I said slowly. "About all of this."


    His brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"


    I took a deep breath. "The soul deaths."


    Oscar just watched me, waiting to hear what I had to say.


    "Now that I think about it, only Carson¡¯s soul death makes sense," I continued. "He fed the Great Evil his blood. He came into direct contact with it. Whatever happened to him... it might be a direct consequence of that."


    Oscar didn¡¯t interrupt.


    "But the others?" I pressed. "The warriors. Draven. Even Naira - though we still don¡¯t know her involvement. What about them? How did they end up being that Great Evil¡¯s victims? Did it just... attack whoever it came across?"


    I gestured faintly. "The two warriors were patrolling. Draven was investigating. Were they simply in the wrong ce at the wrong time? And then there¡¯s Naira."


    Oscar leaned back slightly, his jaw tightening.


    "We talked about thisst night," he admitted. "Me, River, and Kieran."


    I blinked. "You did?"


    He nodded. "But we didn¡¯te to any solid conclusions."


    "That¡¯s not all," I said quickly, my thoughts racing now that they had started. "If the Great Evil escaped the secret chamber after Carson fed it... where did it go?"


    Oscar¡¯s expression darkened.


    "When we look at the timeline," I continued, "it doesn¡¯t feel random. If we put aside Naira for now, Carson was the first victim. Then monthster, the warriors. And nearly a year after that... Draven."


    My throat tightened, but I forced myself to continue.


    "That suggests the Great Evil didn¡¯t leave the academy immediately. It lingered."


    Oscar¡¯s eyes sharpened.


    "And if it lingered," I said softly, "why?"


    Silence stretched between us, heavy and unsettling.


    "Could it be because of the wards?" I asked. "Maybe it escaped the chamber, but couldn¡¯t leave the academy grounds. Maybe it¡¯s still trapped within the academy grounds... finding victims to gain strength?"


    Oscar inhaled slowly.


    "Or maybe," I added, "there¡¯s another reason we haven¡¯t considered yet?"


    He was staring at me now, his face growing more serious with every word.


    "And if it is still here," I whispered, "how has no one noticed anything unusual?"


    The room felt colder.


    The weight of what I was suggesting settled heavily between us.


    The possibility that the Great Evil wasn¡¯t sealed away, wasn¡¯t dormant, wasn¡¯t gone... but roaming freely within the academy walls... was far more terrifying than anything we had imagined.


    Because now it wasn¡¯t contained.


    It was desperate.


    And its potential victims weren¡¯t just warriors or investigators anymore.


    They were students.


    The realization hit Oscar hard.


    He was on his feet instantly. "I need to talk to River and Kieran. Now."


    But before he could take even a single step, I grabbed his hand.


    "Oscar-wait."


    He looked back at me, startled. "Eva, this isn¡¯t something we can-"


    I pulled him back down onto the bed. "Sit. Please."


    He hesitated, then sighed and let me guide him back, his body tense with urgency.


    "I¡¯m not saying we ignore this," I said quickly. "I don¡¯t want anyone in danger either. But rushing into decisions without certainty could make things worse."


    He frowned. "If you are right-"


    "If," I emphasized gently.


    I shifted closer, meeting his gaze. "Look at the pattern."


    He stilled.


    "There¡¯s a long gap between each case," I said. "Months. Even nearly a year. Whatever this thing is doing... it¡¯s taking its time."


    Oscar exhaled slowly.


    "That suggests nning," I continued. "Or limitations."


    His expression shifted, thoughtful now rather than panicked.


    "And so far," I added, "every victim... except Naira... has been directly connected to the academy."


    Oscar nodded slowly.


    "That¡¯s why I think we need confirmation before action," I said. "It¡¯s still just a theory. A strong one... but a theory nheless."


    Silence followed, thick but no longer frantic.


    "And there¡¯s something else," I said quietly.


    He looked at me.


    "We need the witches," I said. "More than ever."


    Oscar¡¯s eyes darkened with understanding.


    Because if anyone could sense lingering evil, trace its movements, or uncover truths buried beneath wards and secrecy... it was them.


    I leaned forward slightly, my voice firm despite the worry coiling in my chest.


    "We do this carefully," I said. "For Draven. For the other victims. For the safety of students. And for everyone else."


    Oscar reached for my hand, squeezing it gently.


    "You are right," he said after a moment. "We don¡¯t rush. We n."


    Relief washed through me, bittersweet and fragile.


    Because somewhere within the academy walls, something ancient and dangerous might still be watching.


    And we were running out of time... even if it didn¡¯t feel that way yet.

 Chapter 577: End of the Trip

    <h4>Chapter 577: End of the Trip</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I stared at the shopping bags sitting neatly on my bed, half amused and half horrified.


    Six.


    There were six big bags.


    I hadn¡¯t nned to buy anything. At all. My original n was to walk through the seaside towns, maybe grab an ice cream, window-shop a little, and then head back with nothing more than sea breeze in my hair and sand in my shoes.


    That n had failed spectacrly.


    It turned out that the moment I actually stepped into the little stores lining the narrow streets... stores filled with hand-carved trinkets, soft fabrics, warm scents of candles and spices... I became very, very tempted. And once the thought of buying just one small thing for my mates and son popped into my head, there was no stopping the chain reaction.


    I got something for Oscar, something for River, something for Kieran, something for Draven, and then, of course... something for Lioren.


    That was how "just one small thing" turned into sixrge shopping bags overflowing with carefully wrapped purchases.


    I exhaled slowly and shook my head, my lips twitching despite myself.


    This was probably the first time in my life I had shopped like this... without counting coins in my head, without hesitation, without guilt. And honestly?


    It felt amazing.


    Especially because I had paid for all of it with my own hard-earned money.


    The thought made me smile softly.


    I still had four bank cards sitting safely in my wallet, each of them holding more money than I could probably spend in several lifetimes. They were gifts from my mates, offered without hesitation or condition. And while I never personally used those cards, I also never stopped them from paying for me or spoiling me with expensive gifts.


    I knew what it meant to them.


    It wasn¡¯t about money. It was about care. About providing. About loving me in the way they knew best.


    And I loved them for it.


    But this... this was mine.


    I ran my fingers over the handles of the bags, feeling oddly proud of myself.


    "Wow," Selene said from behind me. "I knew you would say you weren¡¯t buying anything."


    I nced back at her, narrowing my eyes yfully. "I didn¡¯t buy anything."


    She raised an eyebrow and pointed at the bed. "Eva. There¡¯s a small mountain of bags sitting there."


    "They multiplied," I said solemnly. "I swear."


    Sheughed as she zipped up her suitcase and walked over. "Sure. And I suppose they all jumped into your hands and begged you to adopt them."


    "Exactly," I replied. "Who was I to say no?"


    Selene shook her head, still smiling, and started helping me sort through the bags. I handed her a few items while folding clothes and arranging things carefully in my suitcase.


    It was alreadyte afternoon on our third day of the trip. In less than an hour, we would be heading back to the academy. Surprisingly, thisst day had been... calm.


    There were no games, no activities, no forcedpetitions orbat rounds.


    The professors had finally shown mercy and let us enjoy the day like normal people. They even took us out to the nearby towns for lunch and shopping, which had instantly improved everyone¡¯s mood.


    As Selene and I finished packing thest few things, she hesitated slightly before speaking.


    "Hey, Eva?" she asked.


    I looked up. "Yeah?"


    "Would it be okay if... we came to Thorne estate next Sunday?" she asked. "A few of us, I mean. Almost everyone bought something for Lioren."


    My heart softened instantly.


    "Of course," I said without hesitation. "I would love that."


    Her face lit up. "Really?"


    "Absolutely," I replied. "I have missed having everyone around. And Lioren hasn¡¯t seen you guys since the holidays ended."


    She let out a happy sound and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around me tightly.


    "Thank you," she said. "I can¡¯t wait."


    I hugged her back, warmth spreading through my chest.


    Once we grabbed our suitcases and bags, we headed down to the second floor where Noah¡¯s room was. Everyone had agreed to gather there and spend thest hour of the trip together before boarding the buses.


    The moment we stepped inside, I realized just how crowded it already was.


    Mallory was sitting cross-legged on the floor, animatedly talking about something with Kyros, who leaned against the desk with his arms crossed. Ria was perched on the edge of the bed, nodding along while munching on a packet of chips. Noah and Fred had imed the chairs near the window, and the wall was already lined with luggage.


    And then, just minutes after Selene and I arrived, Rowan walked in with his suitcase slung behind him.


    "Well," he said, ncing around. "This is cozy."


    "That¡¯s one word for it," Mallory replied.


    With ours and Rowan¡¯s luggages added to the pile, the once-spacious hotel room officially crossed into chaos territory. Bags were stacked, shoes were kicked aside, and someone had turned on soft music in the background.


    And yet... it felt perfect.


    For the first time since the trip began, I allowed myself to rxpletely.


    I sat down near the window, watching the sunlight filter through the ss asughter and easy conversation filled the room. There were jokes about the tug-of-war, teasing about the surfing attempts, exaggerated retellings of thebat game, and endlessints about sore muscles.


    Even Rowan seemed lighter.


    Heughed more easily, joked with Kyros, and even joined Mallory in teasing Noah about his questionable fashion choices.


    I knew he was worried... just like I was.


    Naira¡¯s incident was still shrouded in questions. The Great Evil, the timelines, the missing answers... they all lingered in the back of our minds like shadows.


    But for now, we both let ourselves breathe.


    We deserved this moment.


    As the hour passed, the sky outside slowly shifted from bright blue to softer shades of gold and orange. Eventually, someone knocked on the door to let us know it was time.


    Reluctant groans filled the room as we stood and gathered our belongings.


    The walk to the buses was filled with chatter,ughter, and tired smiles. I climbed aboard and took a seat by the window, Mallory settling in beside me this time.


    As the bus pulled away, I watched the seaside town fade into the distance.


    The sun was heading down, painting the horizon in warm hues as we made our way back toward Silver Moon.

 Chapter 578: Lock The Door

    <h4>Chapter 578: Lock The Door</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I knocked on the familiar wooden door of Kieran¡¯s office, my knuckles barely grazing the polished surface before his voice came through almost instantly.


    "Come in."


    There was something about the steadiness of his tone that always settled me, even when my thoughts were anything but calm.


    I pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing it gently behind me. I had barely taken a single step forward when Kieran... still seated behind his desk... spoke again.


    "Lock it as well."


    I froze.


    Not because the request was rming, but because he hadn¡¯t even looked up from the stack of papers spread before him. His pen moved smoothly across the page as if he just didn¡¯t ask me to lock the door in bright daylight.


    "What if someone came to look for you?" I asked, worried one of the professors woulde looking for him and found the door locked from inside.


    With his focus still on the papers, he replied, "That¡¯s exactly why you need to lock it."


    I stared at him for a second longer than necessary before taking a step back and turning the lock with a soft click. Just to make sure it was actually locked, I tried pulling on it. Only then did I walk toward his desk, my movements slower now, more deliberate.


    Kieran still didn¡¯t look at me.


    Instead, he finished reading the document in his hands, signed it neatly, and set it aside before gesturing toward the chairs opposite him.


    "Sit."


    I did exactly that.


    I settled into the chair and waited, watching him quietly as he picked up the next paper and adjusted the sses resting on the bridge of his nose.


    And Moon Goddess.


    Ria had been right.


    The reading sses alone should have been illegal.


    He looked like he had stepped straight out of one of those romance novels she was always rambling about - the rich, powerful, devastatingly handsome professor with secrets hidden behind calm eyes and sharp intelligence.


    His suit coat was nowhere to be seen. The sleeves of his crisp white shirt were rolled up to his forearms, veins faintly visible beneath golden skin. The top two buttons were undone, offering just enough of a glimpse to make my thoughts wander. A few strands of his blonde hair had slipped free from his usually perfect manbun, softening the sharpness of his features.


    I was openly staring.


    tantly.


    Unashamedly.


    "I assume you like what you see," he said calmly, still not looking up.


    I startled slightly, heat rushing to my face for a moment... but instead of shrinking back like I normally would, something in me shifted.


    Why should I feel guilty about admiring a man who already belonged to me? If not me, then who else was allowed to admire his handsome looks?


    So, I tilted my head and nodded. "Very much."


    That finally earned me a reaction.


    His pen paused mid-air, and a small, unmistakable curve appeared at the corner of his lips.


    "I find you absolutely breathtaking in those sses," I added lightly.


    That smile deepened.


    He ced the pen down, stacked the remaining papers neatly, and finally stood.


    He walked around the desk with unhurried steps until he was standing right behind me. Before I could react, he turned my chair effortlessly so that I was facing him.


    One of his hands braced against the chair as he leaned down, close enough that I could smell his familiar scent - clean, warm, and unmistakably him.


    "Then perhaps," he murmured, "you should look more closely."


    We stared into each other¡¯s eyes as if daring the other person to back down first, but we both knew that wasn¡¯t happening.


    He gave me that familiar warm smile and finally straightened as if he were about to pull away...


    But before he could, I reached out... and grabbed his cor, pulling him back toward me.


    His surprisested only a heartbeat. Then the smile returned, slower this time, darker at the edges.


    He leaned in, close enough that I could feel his breath, close enough that my pulse jumped. For a split second, I was sure he was going to kiss me...


    But at thest moment, his mouth shifted, stopping just beside my ear.


    "Sweet, dear mate," he said softly, "let me go before I lose my bnce. I¡¯m leaning far too much. And unfortunately, I¡¯m not as young as you."


    I scoffed, unable to stop myself, but I did loosen my grip.


    He straightened fully, amusement dancing in his golden-green eyes as I stood as well. I stepped closer and reached out to smooth down his cor, making sure it looked just as perfect as the rest of him.


    "Why did you call me here?" I asked, returning to the reason I hade here in the first ce.


    He gestured toward the other side of the office, where arge tote bag rested on one of the couches.


    "That," he said, "was sent by River."


    "What¡¯s inside?" I asked, staring at the bag to see if I could glimpse what it contained.


    "The record book you asked him for."


    Excitement surged through me so fast it nearly made me dizzy. I¡¯d known River would get it for me... but this quickly?


    I wanted nothing more than to rush over, grab the bag, and start reading immediately. The records held answers I so desperately needed - about my bloodline, about my healing power, about things I still didn¡¯t understand about myself.


    But I didn¡¯t move.


    Instead, I turned back to Kieran. "Can I take it back to my dorm? I promise I¡¯ll take great care of it."


    He nodded immediately. "It¡¯s actually yours from now on. You won¡¯t need to return it to the council. So do whatever you want with it."


    To say I was surprised by his words would be an understatement. My reaction made him chuckle and he patted my head as if he found me adorable.


    "Thank you." I finally said.


    "Anything for you, love. Besides, you might need to thank someone else for this."

 Chapter 579: New Findings

    <h4>Chapter 579: New Findings</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I nodded slowly, fully aware who Kieran was talking about.


    "I¡¯ll call Riverter," I told him. "To thank him. Not just for getting the record book so quickly, but for managing to upy it from the council for me."


    A small smile tugged at my lips as I added, "I really couldn¡¯t have asked for anything better."


    Kieran hummed in acknowledgment, his expression softening just a little. He knew exactly how much that book meant to me... how long I had been searching for answers that no one else seemed able, or willing, to give.


    River¡¯s quiet efficiency, his ability to make things happen without fuss, had always been one of the things I admired about him.


    Kieran leaned back against the edge of his desk, folding his arms loosely. "Are you apanying Elion for the elite business gathering?"


    I nodded, though slightly surprised by the sudden question. "Yes. Though it¡¯s been postponed. It was supposed to be tomorrow evening, but they have pushed it back a few days. Next Wednesday now."


    His brows lifted slightly. "I see."


    I hesitated for a fraction of a second before asking, "Will River be joining as well?"


    Kieran gave me a look that clearly said - <i>you already know the answer to that</i>.


    "Of course," he replied smoothly. "He wouldn¡¯t miss it even if he didn¡¯t want to go."


    I smiled faintly. Considering River was the chairman and CEO of a billion-dor empire... and quite literally the richest businessman and alpha in our world... there was no scenario where he wouldn¡¯t be present at a gathering like that.


    Still, knowing I would be in a room full of powerful people as Elion¡¯s partner while River would definitely be watching us... I just hoped and prayed things would go smoothly.


    Once the lighter topic settled, my thoughts inevitably drifted back to the shadows looming over us.


    I shifted slightly, folding my hands together. "Any new developments in the investigation?"


    Kieran¡¯s demeanor changed immediately... not darker, but sharper. Focused now.


    "River managed to get in touch with the witch acquaintance we spoke about," he said. "They are discussing a meeting. We are trying to set it up as soon as possible."


    My shoulders rxed without me realizing they had been tense.


    "That¡¯s... actually great news," I said softly.


    At least the witches hadn¡¯t outright refused. That alone felt like a small victory. Even if they didn¡¯t know the full details yet - about the soul deaths, about the Great Evil, about why River was reaching out - there was still a chance for cooperation. A chance for answers.


    Kieran nodded. "It¡¯s promising."


    He paused briefly before continuing. "Jasper has also been digging through the diner¡¯s records... the one where Miss Naira worked."


    I leaned forward slightly, my attention sharpening.


    "But it hasn¡¯t been easy," he went on. "It¡¯s been over a year. The owner doesn¡¯t remember who the customer was that night. Apparently, there were several alcohol deliveries every day as it¡¯s one of the biggest alcohol supplier in the area."


    My heart sank a little, but I stayed quiet.


    "One of the other workers did remember something, though," he continued. "The order wasn¡¯t cedst minute. It was made a few days in advance. That particr night just happened to be extremely crowded. By the time they realized there was still a delivery pending, all the regr delivery staff had already left."


    "And Naira took it," I murmured.


    "Yes," Kieran confirmed. "She volunteered to make the delivery before heading home."


    That detail lodged itself ufortably in my mind.


    "Jasper and his team are now going through every alcohol order ced during that entire week," Kieran said. "It¡¯s slow work, but there¡¯s a chance a name... or a location... might stand out. We should have a clearer picture in a day or two."


    I exhaled slowly.


    "At least it¡¯s something," I said. "A lead, however small."


    Kieran studied me for a moment, his gaze unusually gentle. "You are handling all of this remarkably well."


    I gave a small, tired smile. "I don¡¯t think I have a choice."


    The room fell into afortable silence after that, the weight of the conversation slowly easing. For the first time since I had entered his office, I allowed myself to truly breathe.


    Kieran was the one who broke the silence.


    "Come here," he said quietly.


    I didn¡¯t waste even a second and stepped closer. He reached for me, his hands warm as they settled around my waist, pulling me in until I was standing right in front of him.


    For a moment, neither of us spoke.


    He rested his forehead against mine, closing his eyes briefly as if grounding himself. The simple intimacy of the gesture made my chest tighten.


    "You don¡¯t always have to be strong," he murmured. "Not with me or my brothers."


    My hands moved on their own, wrapping around his waist as I hugged him. "I know."


    He pulled his face back slightly and looked at me. "You are carrying far more than you should."


    I brushed my thumb gently across his cheek. "So are you."


    That earned me a quiet chuckle.


    He shifted away from the desk, lifting me effortlessly until my feet barely touched the ground. Iughed softly, instinctively wrapping my arms around his neck.


    "Careful," I teased. "You just said you are not as young as me anymore."


    He smirked. "I lied."


    He carried me the short distance to the couch and sat down, settling me onto hisp as if that was exactly where I belonged. His arms wrapped around me securely, one hand resting at my lower back, the other tracing slow, soothing patterns along my spine.


    I rxed into him, letting my head rest against his shoulder.


    For a while, we stayed like that - no investigations, no council, no Great Evil. Just warmth. Just us.


    "Stay for a bit," he said softly. "I miss you so much."


    I smiled against his shoulder. "I miss you even more."


    His lips brushed against my temple. "I know."


    I closed my eyes, allowing myself this moment of peace, knowing that whatever awaited us next... we wouldn¡¯t face it alone.

 Chapter 580: First Look Into The Record Book (I)

    <h4>Chapter 580: First Look Into The Record Book (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    When I picked up the tote bag back in Kieran¡¯s office earlier in the evening, I already knew the record book inside would be massive.


    I mean, the bag itself had been heavy... unnecessarily heavy for something that was supposed to be a book. Even then, nothing could have prepared me for the sheer reality of it.


    Now, sitting on my bed with the bag open in front of me, I finally understood why River had chosen a tote instead of simply handing it to me like a normal book.


    I slid my hands inside the bag and wrapped my fingers around the spine, bracing myself before pulling it out.


    The moment the book emerged, my breath hitched.


    It wasn¡¯t just big.


    It was Huge.


    The leather cover was dark... almost silver-ck... with edges worn smooth by time. The spine was wide enough that my hand couldn¡¯t fully wrap around it. Faint markings were etched into the leather, not decorative exactly, but deliberate, as if each line had been carved with purpose rather than aesthetics in mind.


    The booknded on my bed with a soft but heavy thud, the mattress dipping slightly under its weight.


    I just stared at it.


    For a few long seconds, I forgot where I was. Forgot the dorm room, thete hour, even the exhaustion tugging at my bones.


    This wasn¡¯t just a record book.


    This was history.


    "Stars-" Rowan¡¯s voice cut through the silence.


    I looked up just in time to see him sitting upright on his bed, eyes wide as he stared at the book like it might suddenly grow legs and walk away.


    That was what finally pulled me out of my own shock.


    He climbed down from his bed immediately, crossing the barely two-step distance between us and leaning closer to inspect the massive tome.


    "Eva," he breathed, then read aloud, his fingers hovering just above the cover, "Records of Silver Healing."


    I smiled despite myself at his reaction.


    He straightened and slowly turned to look at me, his expression caught somewhere between awe and disbelief.


    "That¡¯s... about your healing power, isn¡¯t it?" he asked, though the title alone had already answered the question. He knew about my power, and he also knew about my Silver Wolf bloodline.


    I nodded. "It is."


    He let out a low whistle. "That exins a lot."


    I shifted on the bed and exined, "It was written by the previous healers of the my bloodline. Generations of them. It eventually ended up locked away in the council¡¯s archives, but they haven¡¯t even bothered to look at it for the past two decades."


    Rowan frowned slightly at that, then after a moment, shook his head.


    "You know," he said thoughtfully, "the council leaving it alone might actually be a good thing."


    I blinked. "You think so?"


    "Yeah," he replied without hesitation. "Think about it. Whatever secrets your bloodline kept... whatever knowledge this book holds... it stayed protected. Hidden. Just like your ancestors wanted. If the council had dug into it, who knows what would have been dragged into the light or used for political reasons."


    I considered his words.


    "...You are right," I admitted quietly.


    As much as it frustrated me that the council had neglected something so important, there was a strangefort in knowing that the knowledge remained untouched, preserved exactly as the Silver Wolf healers intended.


    Rowan gestured toward the book with a half-smile. "That thing looks like it¡¯s carrying centuries of knowledge. So... good luck with that."


    I snorted. "Very encouraging."


    He nced at the clock on the wall. "Also, just so you know... you have exactly one hour."


    I followed his gaze and groaned internally. It was already nearing ten.


    "We have Lunar Energy and Moon Cycles at five in the morning," Rowan continued. "Which means you need to wake up by four-thirty at thetest. If you stay up toote, you are going to regret it."


    "I know," I muttered.


    "And," he added pointedly, "this isn¡¯t just any book. You are the kind of person who forgets the world exists when you start reading."


    "That is not-"


    "I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on you," he finished calmly.


    I shot him a re. "You are being a dad."


    Rowan grinned as he climbed back onto his bed. "I¡¯d happily take that title if it means keeping you in check."


    I scoffed. "All you men in my life enjoy bossing me around in the name of ¡¯caring.¡¯"


    He chuckled, pulling his nket up. "We have to. You are terrible at stopping yourself."


    "I swear," I continued dramatically, "I¡¯m going to make sure Lioren doesn¡¯t end up like you or his fathers. Thest thing I need is my son growing up to be another overbearing menace."


    Rowanughed outright at that. "Good luck with that too."


    I let out a sigh, but my lips curved into a fond smile despite myself.


    Once the room settled into quiet again, I turned my attention back to the book and pulled it closer, resting it across my legs.


    Up close, it felt even more imposing.


    I ran my fingers slowly over the thick leather cover. And the moment I touched it, something stirred inside me.


    Not painfully. Not violently.


    Just... recognition.


    My chest tightened slightly as a familiar hum brushed beneath my skin - subtle, almost shy, but undeniable. It was the same sensation I felt when I used my healing power, the same warmth that responded when I was near something deeply connected to me.


    It was as if my blood recognized.


    As if my power recognized the hands that had written these pages long before I was ever born.


    I swallowed.


    This book wasn¡¯t just about the Silver Wolf bloodline.


    It was part of it.


    I took a steadying breath, the weight of the moment settling over me. Whatever answers I had been searching for - about my power, about its limits, about what it was bing, about who I was and why - they were likely waiting inside these pages.


    With onest nce toward Rowan, who was already absorbed in his own book, I turned my attention back to the tome.


    My fingers slid beneath the cover.


    The leather creaked softly as I opened it.

 Chapter 581 581: First Look Into The Record Book (II)

    Evaline:


    The first page that greeted me wasn''t filled with words.


    It held a symbol.


    I inhaled softly, my fingers hovering over the parchment before finally touching it.


    The emblem was etched in silver ink that hadn''t dulled even after centuries. At its center stood a silver wolf... not snarling, not aggressive... but regal. Its head was lifted toward a crescent moon that hovered just above its brow, as if the moon itself had chosen the wolf as its guardian. The wolf''s eyes were iid with faint lines of pale blue, subtle yet luminous, giving the impression that they watched through the page rather than from it.


    Around the wolf, thin intertwining vines of silver wrapped in a circle, their leaves shaped like tiny crescents. They weren''t decorative in a fragile way... they looked protective, almost binding, like a seal meant to keep something sacred contained. The outermost ring was etched with runes so fine I almost missed them, each one humming faintly beneath my fingertips.


    Power.


    That was the only word that came to mind.


    This wasn''t just a pack emblem.


    This was a im.


    I had never seen it before. Not in the academy. Not in council records. Not even in the Thorne archives. And yet, the moment my fingers brushed over it, my chest tightened with a sense of recognition so deep it startled me.


    As if some part of me had been waiting to see this.


    I traced the wolf''s outline slowly, reverently, before finally turning the old page.


    The parchment was thick and yellowed with age, but the ink was astonishingly well preserved.


    The second page held only two things.


    A date... from five centuries ago.


    And a name.


    Aurelion Vale


    Second Healer of the Silver Wolf Bloodline


    I turned the page again.


    The third page was filled with neat, nted handwriting written in deep ck ink, slightly faded at the edges but still perfectly legible. As my eyes skimmed the first few lines, my breath caught.


    Aurelion Vale wrote of his birth.


    He was born wolfless.


    He described how, from the moment it was discovered that he had no wolf, the whispers began. How the elders watched him with disappointment thinly veiled as pity. How other children avoided him, mocked him, treated him like a bad omen.


    He wrote of growing up smaller, weaker, always behind.


    Always less.


    I swallowed, my fingers tightening slightly on the edge of the page as memories of my own past resurfaced.


    Aurelion described how everything changed a little after his eighteenth birthday... how one night, when a pack warrior had been gravely injured during patrol, he had touched the man without thinking, without intention¡­ and watched torn flesh knit back together under his trembling hands.


    His healing power had awakened.


    He wrote of his shock. His parents'' disbelief. The fear that had seized him when the elders and the Alpha summoned him immediately.


    But instead of questions¡­ they looked at him as if he was someone they had been waiting for their entire lives.


    That was the night he learned he''s not the only one with such a power. That this had happened before.


    Three decades earlier.


    I leaned closer to the book as the handwriting grew slightly more hurried.


    Three decades ago, there had been another wolfless child named Caelum. And he had been only seventeen when he tried to end his life.


    He had spent nearly two years in relentless cruelty... bullied, beaten, mocked, treated as something broken by both peers and adults alike. The pack had seen him as an embarrassment, a reminder of weakness they didn''t want to acknowledge.


    One night, broken beyond endurance, Caelum had gone to the Moon Goddess'' temple. He nned to kill himself in the Goddess'' temple, but before he could seed, a woman appeared.


    Aurelion described her with words that felt almost reverent even on the page.


    She had hair like liquid silver, cascading down her back as if woven from moonlight itself. Her skin glowed softly, not blinding, but warm... like the gentle light of a full moon on snow. Her eyes were pale blue, endless, holding sorrow and kindness in equal measure.


    She asked him why.


    Why he was giving away the life bestowed upon him.


    And Caelum... raw, broken, hopeless... had told her everything. The bullying. The istion. The feeling of being unwanted by his own pack.


    The woman listened. And when he finished, she asked him what it would take to convince him to keep living.


    Caelum''s answer was simple.


    He said he would only live if the Moon Goddess gave him something that would make him the most respected person in the entire pack.


    Something that would make no one ever look down on him again.


    The woman smiled.


    And promised him that his wish woulde true shortly after his eighteenth birthday... which was two months away.


    Then she vanished.


    And Caelum waited.


    His birthday came and went.


    Nothing changed.


    Months passed.


    The whispers returned, louder than before. Mockery sharper because now theyughed at his foolish hope.


    He believed he had been deceived.


    But then one afternoon his younger sister got badly injured, bleeding heavily. Caelum rushed to her side, desperate to stop her bleeding with nothing but his hands.


    That was when it happened.


    Healing power poured from him like moonlight breaking through clouds - the wound closed and the bleeding stopped.


    That day, the first ever healer of the Silver Wolf Pack was born.


    And Caelum became exactly what he had asked for... the most respected person in the pack.


    And that''s when people started talking about how the woman in the temple had been the Moon Goddess herself. That Caelum had been personally blessed with divine power as there was nothing he couldn''t heal.


    Wounds. Poisons. Curses. Even witches, the book stated inly, couldn''t match the purity or strength of his silver healing.


    I had to pause.


    My chest felt tight.


    My throat burned.


    Because every word felt¡­ ufortably familiar.


    The book went on.


    The pack wondered if Caelum''s children would inherit the power. If this divine blessing would pass down through blood.


    But as decades passed, none of his three children awakened healing powers after their eighteenth birthdays.


    They all had wolves.


    But no healing.


    Slowly, people began to believe it had been a one-time miracle.


    When Caelum died in his forties during a rogue attack, the entire pack mourned.


    And the miracle seemed to end with him.


    Until three decadester.


    Aurelion wrote of his own awakening with a mixture of disbelief and awe. He had no rtion to Caelum. No shared blood. Nothing.


    Yet he, too, had been born wolfless.


    And of all the wolfless children born in those three decades only one had awakened the divine silver healing.


    Him.


    I slowly leaned back against my pillow, the weight of the book pressing heavily against my legs.


    Only one.


    It wasn''t inherited. But it also didn''t seen random. Rather...


    It''s Chosen.


    My heartbeat thundered in my ears.


    Because suddenly, this wasn''t just history.


    It was a mirror.


    Wolfless.


    Bullied.


    Awakened after eighteen.


    Silver healing.


    My fingers trembled slightly as I turned the page, anticipation and anxiety twisting together in my stomach.

 Chapter 582: First Look Into The Record Book (III)

    <h4>Chapter 582: First Look Into The Record Book (III)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The next page felt heavier the moment I turned it, as if the parchment itself carried the weight of hesitation and fear.


    Aurelion wrote about his confusion.


    About how, despite the simplicity of his task - heal the wounded - he found himselfpletely lost.


    He described waking each morning with a knot in his chest, afraid of his own hands. Afraid of the way power surged through him without warning, sometimes gentle like a whisper, other times sharp and overwhelming like a storm trapped beneath his skin. He wrote that there were moments he wondered if the Moon Goddess had made a mistake. If he was unworthy of something so divine.


    That sentence made my throat tighten.


    He admitted that in the beginning, he avoided touching injured pack members unless absolutely necessary. He feared losing control. Feared draining himself. Feared doing irreversible damage by trying to help.


    The irony, he wrote, was that everyone around him thought he was brave.


    But inside, he was terrified.


    I exhaled slowly, my fingers pressing lightly into the margin of the page.


    He hadn¡¯t known what to do with the power because no one had taught him. There were no guides. No instructions.


    And yet, he hadn¡¯t been entirely alone.


    Aurelion wrote about the Alpha who had stood beside him unwaveringly.


    <i>Alpha Theron Silvermane.</i>


    The name carried weight even on paper.


    Unlike his father, Theron had been cautious. Thoughtful. Protective to a fault. Where the previous Alpha had proudly announced Caelum¡¯s divine blessing to nearly the entire world - drawing shock, envy, and eventually danger - Theron had learned from that tragedy.


    He refused to repeat it.


    And then he made a decision that changed everything - to keep Aurelion¡¯s divine healing a secret from the world.


    To the pack, Aurelion was announced simply as a young man studying medicine. A trainee healer learning herbs, elixirs, and potions. Someone useful... but not miraculous.


    Aurelion wrote that he had agreed instantly.


    He didn¡¯t want worship.


    He didn¡¯t want attention.


    He wanted time.


    Time to understand his power. Time to ept it. Time to learn how to live with something that made him different all over again.


    ording to Aurelion, only Alpha Theron and the elders of the pack knew about Aurelion¡¯s divine healing power and all of them swore the oath of secrecy to keep it a secret.


    The rest of the pack never knew the truth.


    They saw Aurelion as diligent. Quiet. Always buried in books. They praised his dedication when he healed using salves and potions, never suspecting that beneath those careful methodsy something far more powerful.


    And while none of the elders knew the limits of Aurelion¡¯s power, didn¡¯t understand its full strength or origin... they still tried.


    They watched Aurelion practice in controlled settings, brought him small wounds to heal, observed how exhaustion affected him, how emotions seemed to influence the strength of his healing. They shared stories of Caelum - how he had learned through instinct rather than instruction, how he paid the price for overextending himself too often.


    But unlike Caelum, who had relied entirely on his divine healing, Aurelion chose a different path.


    He went to the witches.


    That line made my pulse skip.


    He wrote about traveling beyond packnds under the guise of learning advanced medicine. About sitting in dim huts filled with smoke and herbs, listening to witches speak in riddles and half-truths.


    He learned about nts that could stop bleeding. Roots that dulled pain. Elixirs that strengthened the body before healing.


    He learned how to heal without revealing the silver power inside him.


    Aurelion believed knowledge would give him control.


    That restraint would keep him safe.


    The final paragraph on the page was written more heavily, the ink darker, the strokes pressing deeper into the parchment.


    He wrote that he had always heard witches never helped for free.


    But he only realized toote just how heavy the prices were.


    My fingers hovered over the edge of the page.


    Every instinct screamed at me to turn it.


    To keep reading.


    To find out what the price was... and whether he paid them willingly or unknowingly.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    Instead, I snapped the book shut.


    The sound echoed louder than I expected in the quiet room.


    I got startled, my heart jumping into my throat.


    Rowan got startled too.


    We stared at each other for a split second before the tension broke and we both let out soft, startled chuckles.


    "Moon damn it," I muttered under my breath, pressing a hand to my chest.


    Rowan shook his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. "That thing sounds like it bites."


    "It might," I replied dryly, lifting the book with both hands as I stood.


    The weight of it felt different now. Not just physically heavy... but emotionally as well.


    I walked over to the closet, pulled it open, and carefully ced the book inside. Thenyered a stack of folded trousers over it, making sure the leather spine waspletely hidden. Logically, I knew no one was going to look for it, but logic didn¡¯t quiet the anxiety curling in my chest.


    This book had survived five centuries.


    I wasn¡¯t about to be careless with it.


    I closed the closet doors and turned the lock, the soft click bringing me a surprising amount of relief. Then I stood there for a moment longer, breathing out slowly, before returning to my bed.


    I nced at the clock.


    10:58 p.m.


    Just on time.


    Rowan had already set his book aside. Hey back on his pillow as I slid under my nkets, but neither of us reached for the bedsidemp sitting between our beds.


    The room remained softly lit.


    Quiet.


    Too quiet.


    It was me who finally broke the silence.


    "You can ask," I said, staring up at the ceiling.


    There was a pause.


    Then a soft sigh drifted across the small space between us. "Was I that obvious?"


    "Yes," I replied without hesitation. "You always are when you are trying not to be."


    He sighed again, shifting onto his side to face me. "Did you learn anything useful?"


    I hummed, the sound thoughtful. "More than I expected."


    I turned my head toward him, meeting his gaze. "I finally know who the first ever healer of my bloodline was."


    Rowan¡¯s brows lifted slightly. "And?"


    "And how he got his power," I added quietly.


    His expression softened... not surprised, but intent. Listening.


    "The book... it might answer questions I didn¡¯t even know how to ask yet," I said, the words settling deep in my chest as I spoke them.


    Rowan nodded slowly, as if that made perfect sense.


    "Well," he said gently, "then I guess you found the right book."


    I closed my eyes, the weight of centuries pressing softly against my thoughts.


    Yes.


    I had.


    And somehow, I knew it was only the beginning.

 Chapter 583: A Torturous Early Morning

    <h4>Chapter 583: A Torturous Early Morning</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Walking out of the ssroom after an entire hour of early-morning torture felt nothing short of divine mercy.


    I swear, if the Moon Goddess herself had appeared at that moment and congratted us for surviving, I wouldn¡¯t have questioned it for a second.


    The corridor outside the astronomy tower was filled with sluggish footsteps, half-open eyes, and souls that looked like they had been personally attacked before sunrise. And strangely enough, the sight of everyone looking just as traumatized as I felt made the misery a little easier to bear.


    Misery truly does lovepany.


    It wasn¡¯t just the fact that we had woken up at four in the morning, dragged ourselves into cold showers that felt like punishment for sins we couldn¡¯t remembermitting, and somehow appeared in ss by five... without coffee, without tea, without even any hope.


    No.


    The true culprit behind our collective suffering had a name.


    Professor Vireya.


    Our brand-new professor for Lunar Energy and Moon Cycles.


    On paper, the subject sounded fascinating - moon phases influencing magic flow, early morning constetions, celestial shifts affecting wolves and witches alike.


    In reality?


    Pure torture.


    Professor Vireya had somehow managed to make every minute of her lecture feel longer than thest. Instead of teaching us about lunar resonance or astral alignments, she had spent the majority of the hour doing what could only be described as unsolicited astrology readings.


    At the beginning of the term, she had only targeted a handful of unlucky students.


    She would squint at them over her thin spectacles, ask for their birth moon, thenunch into dramatic predictions about their futures - who would rise to greatness, who would live mediocre lives, who would face heartbreak, and who would "inevitably betray their own potential."


    I still wasn¡¯t sure if any of these were supposed to be educational.


    But then her attention widened over the weeks.


    By the end of the first month, no one was safe.


    She would pace between the desks, muttering about shifting destinies, warning us how the stars were misaligned for ambition this year, how love would be treacherous for those born under waning moons, and how power always came at a price.


    There wasn¡¯t a single slide, not a single diagram, not even a mention of lunar energy theory.


    Just vague prophecies and existential dread.


    By the time her sses finally ended, I always felt like I had aged five years.


    And today was nothing different.


    We poured down the stairs of the astronomy tower like survivors escaping a cursed ruin. The early morning air was crisp, the sky painted in pale blues and golds as sunlight crept over the mountain peaks surrounding the academy.


    It should have been beautiful.


    Instead, all I could think about was sleep.


    Mallory trudged beside me. "I¡¯m telling you, the academy council didn¡¯t hire a professor."


    She paused dramatically on the next step.


    "They picked up a random tarot card reader, pped an academy professor badge on her, and dumped her here."


    That earned a few tired chuckles from the group.


    I rubbed my eyes, snorting softly. "Honestly? You might be onto something."


    Noah groaned from behind us. "We were supposed to study early morning constetions today," he said, his voice thick with exhaustion. "Instead, I learned that Cedric Valen is apparently destined for a political marriage that will ¡¯bring bnce but no love.¡¯"


    Ria burst outughing. "I can¡¯t believe she just traumatized the poor guy. I heard he just found his mate over the holidays."


    "And she said it dramatically," Noah added. "Like she was announcing the fall of a kingdom."


    A group of ssmates walking ahead of us slowed down, clearly having overheard. They turned around, instantly joining our little circle ofint.


    Lydia threw her hands up. "I swear, Lunar Energy was my favorite subject during first year. And she managed to ruin it in one month without even trying."


    Beside her, Eren shivered exaggeratedly. "At least it¡¯s only twice a week," he said. "Imagine suffering through that every single day."


    Someone muttered a prayer of gratitude to the Moon Goddess.


    By the time we reached the second-year dormitories, the academy was finally waking up.


    We still had three hours before our next ss and the dining hall wouldn¡¯t be opening for another hour, so we were left clueless about what to do.


    We stood in the hallway for a moment, staring at each other with the shared realization that crawling back into bed would only result in frustration.


    "So," Mallory said slowly, "How about our dorm?"


    That suggestion earned unanimous nods.


    We entered our dorm with dragging steps, intending to y some games,in a little more, and maybe rx until the dining hall opened.


    But that nsted exactly fifteen minutes.


    Because fifteen minutester, all seven of us were sitting around themon room table, books spread out, parchment scattered, samples and notes everywhere.


    We were working on the project Kieran handed us yesterday. It was due on Monday and it was Friday today. So not much time to waste.


    Noah had been the first to crack.


    He¡¯d leaned toward me with pleading eyes and soft voice. "My dear Eva... you are really good at this. Could you just... take a look at mine? Just to make sure I¡¯m notpletely off?"


    Before I could have replied, Mallory slid closer. "Actually... could you help me too?"


    Then Ria chimed in. "Same."


    And Rowan followed. "Me too, please."


    By the time Kyros raised an eyebrow at me from his couch and casually added, "You might as well ept your fate," I knew I was doomed.


    They all looked at me like I was some kind of miracle worker.


    "You are the real deal," Noah added earnestly. "If anyone¡¯s going to help us score high, it¡¯s you."


    I sighed, rubbing my temples. "You know teaming up doesn¡¯t mean I do everything for you, right?"


    Five heads nodded vigorously.


    "Of course," Mallory said. "We just... need guidance."


    I eyed them suspiciously.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t deny that helping them would help me too. Teaching always reinforced learning, and Herbs and Potions had always been a subject I genuinely enjoyed.


    "Fine," I said atst. "But we are doing this properly."


    A cheer went up.


    And we immediately got to work.


    I moved from one parchment to another, pointing out mistakes, suggestingbinations, exining why certain herbs reacted badly together. I exined extraction methods, timing, preservation techniques.


    And before we even realized it, we all had strong outlines ready for our projects and it was finally time to grab some food.

 Chapter 584: A Sudden Announcement

    <h4>Chapter 584: A Sudden Announcement</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Themon room of our dorm was unusually quiet for a Friday evening.


    Mallory just headed to the showers minutes ago, and Ria was in the study hall to work on her project in peace and silence, leaving the dorm filled with a soft hum of enchantedmps and the faint music Rowan had set up before he sat down with me to work on our projects.


    I was curled up on the long couch with myptop, books and parchment stacked on the table, and a cup of herbal tea.


    Rowan was sitting right beside me with his own work, asionally ncing at me whenever I muttered under my breath or scribbled something aggressively and crossed it out a secondter.


    I was deep into rewriting a section on Lunaris Root extraction when the dorm door suddenly opened.


    The sound alone made me look up.


    Ria stepped inside, and the second I saw her face, I knew something was up.


    She didn¡¯t look tired.


    She didn¡¯t look annoyed.


    She looked... charged. Alert. Like someone who had just heard something interesting and couldn¡¯t wait to share it.


    She closed the door behind her and turned toward me and Rowan with her eyes sparkling bright.


    "Have you guys seen the Academy¡¯s online forum yet?"


    I blinked. "No?"


    Rowan lowered his book. "What happened?"


    Instead of answering immediately, she walked over and handed her phone to Rowan. I instantly leaned closer, curiosity pulling me forward, while Ria started talking.


    "They just made an announcement," she said. "Like, minutes ago. The administration office."


    Rowan frowned slightly as he scrolled. "About what?"


    "A health checkup," Ria replied.


    Both Rowan and I spoke at the exact same time.


    "A what?"


    We stared at her.


    "Health checkup?" I repeated, slower, like the words might make more sense if I said them properly.


    Ria nodded. "Yeah. For all students. Starting next week."


    Rowan looked back at the phone screen, then at her. "That¡¯s... weird."


    We were all werewolves. We all healed fast, and we never caught on any diseases.


    Broken bones, internal injuries, infections - our bodies handled most things on their own. So, regr health checkups simply weren¡¯t a thing in academies of our world.


    "So yeah," Ria continued, dropping onto the couch opposite ours. "The forum¡¯s already losing its mind."


    She leaned back dramatically. "The announcement says it¡¯s just a regr health check and students don¡¯t need to overthink it. But obviously that made everyone overthink it."


    I took the phone from Rowan and scrolled through the forum myself.


    There were post after post, filled with spection, confusion, jokes, and theories.


    Some students were joking about secret experiments. Others were convinced it had something to do with flu that had been recently spreading through eastern packs. While some already dismissed as nothing to ponder on.


    Overall, the reactions mostly came from confusion.


    "This has never happened before," I murmured.


    "Exactly," Ria said. "That¡¯s why everyone¡¯s talking about it. The administration office gave no proper exnation, no details. Just... boom. Health checkups."


    Rowan handed the phone back to her. "It¡¯s probably nothing."


    Ria nodded immediately. "Yeah, that¡¯s what I think too. I¡¯m not about to spiral over it. Besides, what could be wrong about health checkups even if they aren¡¯t a thing in our lives, right?"


    Both me and Rowan nodded our heads in unison.


    She shrugged. "Honestly, I would rather finish my project and enjoy my weekend than waste timeing up with theories."


    I nodded again, a little absently this time.


    But my mind wasn¡¯t on the forum anymore.


    It was racing.


    Because something had just clicked.


    And from the look in Rowan¡¯s eyes, I knew he was thinking the same thing.


    The timing was way too coincidental for this so-called health checkup to be just a passing thing.


    Before I could say anything, my phone vibrated beside me on the couch.


    I looked down and saw a familiar name.


    Kieran.


    My heart gave a small, instinctive thud as I picked it up and opened the message.


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    <i>River and the Council nned the checkups.</i>


    <i>It¡¯s to monitor general health and check for any traces of ck veins.</i>


    <i>Discreet. No panic. No attention.</i>


    My chest loosened and a slow breath left me.


    It was confirmed... my guess. The sudden health checkup was indeed rted to our investigation.


    And it was such a smart idea.


    Controlled.


    Quiet.


    Exactly the kind of move River would make.


    I nudged Rowan gently with my elbow and turned my phone toward him so he could read it.


    His eyes scanned the screen, and then his lips curved slightly.


    He didn¡¯t say anything, but words weren¡¯t really needed.


    It was a brilliant strategy.


    No mass fear.


    No chaos.


    No whispers of dark magic or Great Evil.


    Just a routine health checkup.


    Students would talk for a day or two, maybe joke about it,in about waste of time for something that wasn¡¯t even important in their opinion... and then move on.


    And in the background?


    The council would be quietly checking for signs of danger - ck veins, weakened wolves, any unusual signs in students¡¯ bodies.


    I locked my phone and set it aside.


    Ria was still sitting with us, flipping through her project notes.


    "Honestly," she said, "I¡¯m d it¡¯s not something dramatic. This semester just began but it already feels heavy."


    Rowan nodded. "Same."


    I didn¡¯t say anything.


    I just turned back to myptop.


    For a moment, I let myself feel relief.


    Not full peace... not with everything still unresolved.


    But relief.


    Because for once, things were being handled properly - Strategically. Carefully. Without unnecessary panic.


    I picked up the notes I had written earlier and refocused on my project.


    I wanted to finish it tonight.


    I had work over the weekend.


    And thetter half of Sunday, it was for my family. Thest thing I wanted was to waste - the only free time I had in my hands to spend with my son and mates - onpleting this project.


    So I worked...!

 Chapter 585: She’s Easy To Read

    <h4>Chapter 585: She¡¯s Easy To Read</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I clicked on the shut down option on my monitor and watched the screen go dark, the soft hum of the system fading into silence. The moment it fully powered off, I slumped back into my chair and stretched my arms over my head, muscles protesting as a tired groan escaped my lips.


    The day had been anything but easy.


    From the second I stepped into Elion¡¯s office at nine in the morning, it had been one task after another without so much as a proper pause to breathe. I still remembered the way he barely let me sit down before assigning me the responsibility of preparing the final report for the postguard towers development project - a project that had been discussed in the council meetingst month and was scheduled to be presented again tomorrow.


    It wasn¡¯t just any report.


    It was the final version.


    The one that would be ced before the council, scrutinized by Alphas, elders, strategists, and political minds who would find ws even where none existed.


    And while I had all the data - maps, budget breakdowns, manpower allocation charts, reinforcement blueprints, and threat analysis reportspiled by Elion¡¯s entire team over thest month... it still wasn¡¯t an easy job.


    Not even close.


    I had spent hours cross-checking figures, rewriting sections to sound concise yet impactful, removing unnecessary jargon while keeping the technical uracy intact. Every sentence had to matter. Every word had to earn its ce.


    I revised the report once.


    Then again.


    Then a third time... just to be sure.


    By the time I finally handed it to Elion earlier in the afternoon, my eyes were aching and my fingers felt stiff from typing.


    I had braced myself for criticism.


    For notes.


    For a quiet, thoughtful frown followed by, <i>"Revise sections this and that. Tighten the conclusion. We¡¯ll discuss it again."</i>


    Instead, he had read through the document in silence, flipped back a few pages, read it again, and then looked up at me with something dangerously close to satisfaction in his expression.


    "This is excellent," he had said.


    No qualifiers.


    No conditions.


    Just that.


    I still wasn¡¯t used to that kind of praise from him even though he had been fair and transparent about his praises and helpful criticisms in my work.


    With the report finalized, I spent thest half hour of my workday organizing Elion¡¯s schedule for theing week - meetings, patrol briefings, and one elite gathering that had already been postponed once.


    By the time the clock on his desk ticked over to four in the afternoon, my responsibilities for the day were finallyplete.


    I turned my head slightly, ncing toward Elion.


    He was still seated behind his desk. His suit coat was draped over the back of his chair, his sleeves rolled up, and his attention fully absorbed in the stack of documents his beta had delivered a few minutes ago. His pen moved steadily, signature after signature neat and precise.


    Normally, by this time of day, we would have already gone through our... routine.


    The questions.


    The ones I asked him every Saturday.


    The ones he answered with calcted honesty or strategic vagueness, depending on his mood.


    But today had been different.


    Today had been all work.


    And only now, with my tasks done, did I realize what I had missed.


    My chest tightened slightly as I considered my options.


    Should I remind him?


    Or should I just leave?


    He clearly still had work to do, and a lot of it. Tomorrow¡¯s council meeting wasn¡¯t something to take lightly. Walking up to him now with personal questions - no matter how important - felt... selfish.


    But at the same time, these questions weren¡¯t trivial.


    They mattered.


    I didn¡¯t want to be too soft. But I also didn¡¯t want to be inconsiderate.


    I was still stuck in that internal tug-of-war when Elion spoke.


    "You can ask the questions."


    The sudden sound of his voice startled me enough that I straightened in my chair instantly, turning to face him fully.


    "What?" I asked, blinking.


    He didn¡¯t look up immediately, but there was a knowing edge to his tone. "You have been debating it for thest two minutes."


    I opened my mouth. Then closed it.


    "I can wait," I said finally. "You still have a lot of work-"


    He looked up then. Really looked at me. And in that single nce, I knew he saw right through me.


    That familiar, perceptive gaze softened just enough to let me know he wasn¡¯t annoyed. If anything, he looked... expectant.


    "If you truly wanted to wait," he said calmly, "you wouldn¡¯t still be sitting there."


    I exhaled slowly.


    Right.


    Even I wasn¡¯t convinced by my own argument.


    "Am I that easy to read?" I asked, not too happy that he had seen through me so clearly.


    The corners of his lips curved ever so slightly but he didn¡¯t let his smile became too obvious. "Kind of," he replied.


    "Once someone learns what kind of person you are, you be easy to understand even when you are trying to hide your thoughts." He added, "Besides, you weren¡¯t really trying to keep your thoughts hidden right now."


    I stood from my chair and walked toward his desk, the sound of my footsteps echoing softly in the otherwise quiet office. I took the seat opposite him, folding my hands together in myp as he returned his attention to the papers in front of him.


    For a moment, neither of us spoke.


    The silence wasn¡¯t awkward... just heavy. Thoughtful.


    I watched the way his pen moved across the paper, the way his brow furrowed ever so slightly as he read through each line with careful attention. It reminded me, not for the first time, why he was Alpha.


    Why people followed him.


    Why his word carried weight.


    A minute passed.


    Then another.


    And finally, I broke the silence.


    "Alpha Grey," I said quietly.


    His pen paused, but he didn¡¯t look up.


    "Yes?"


    I took a breath.


    "Had anyone from the Silver Wolf Bloodline ever possessed a power... other than healing?"

 Chapter 586: Trust Him More

    <h4>Chapter 586: Trust Him More</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My questionnded between us like a stone dropped into still water.


    I watched as Elion¡¯s pen halted midair, hovering just above the paper he was about to sign.


    For a brief, stretched-out second, nothing moved.


    Then he looked up.


    Not sharply. Not defensively.


    Just... confused.


    His brows drew together slightly as his eyes fixed on my face, studying me in a way that felt far more searching than usatory. It was the kind of look one gave when trying to decide whether they had misheard... or whether the other person knew something they didn¡¯t.


    And in that moment, I knew.


    When he had told me before that the Silver Wolf bloodline¡¯s healing power was its deepest secret, he hadn¡¯t been hiding anything else from me.


    If he had known of another power... another buried truth... his reaction would have been different. There would have been tension. Shock. Guarded calction.


    Instead, there was only genuine confusion.


    Unless, of course, Elion Grey was the greatest actor to ever walk this realm.


    Which... no. He wasn¡¯t subtle enough for that. Or, at least, that¡¯s what I hade to learn over the time I had spent with him.


    Several long seconds passed before he finally exhaled softly. His gaze dropped back to the document in front of him, and with deliberate calm, he signed his name at the bottom. Only then did he ce the pen aside, close the file, and lean back into his chair.


    Now, he gave me his full attention.


    "No," he said simply. Looking calm and certain. "There isn¡¯t."


    I hadn¡¯t realized how tightly my body had been wound until that single word loosened something deep in my chest.


    I breathed out quietly.


    "Everything I know about our bloodline and its secrets," he continued, "hade from two sources - my father and Elder Will."


    His gaze became soft as he talked about the two.


    "They were the men who guarded all the knowledge about Silver Wolf Bloodline like a de held at the throat of history itself. And not once, in all the years of learning and preparation, had either of them mentioned any power beyond divine healing."


    "There were no whispered exceptions," he added. "No footnotes. No ¡¯what ifs.¡¯ Just the healing."


    That alone eased something heavy inside me.


    Then Elion leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his fingers loosely inteced as his sharp gaze found mine again.


    "So," he said, his voice even but curious now, "why ask such a question out of the blue?"


    I hesitated.


    Before I could answer, he added, "Is there something in the record book?"


    My head snapped up. "How do you know I already have the record book?"


    That earned me a slow, knowing smile.


    "I¡¯ll take that as your second question of the day," he said smoothly.


    My mouth fell open.


    "What-wait-no, that¡¯s not-"


    Toote.


    He continued without missing a beat. "I was with River in his office when the record was delivered. Hard to miss something that old being carried in like it might bite."


    I stared at him.


    There went my second question.


    Just... gone.


    "You did that on purpose," I used.


    "I absolutely did," he replied, unapologetic.


    I groaned softly and leaned back in my chair. "You are insufferable."


    "And yet," he said lightly, "you keeping back to know more."


    "That¡¯s because I don¡¯t have anyone else to go and demand answers from." I threw back at him, ring cold daggers that should have pierced him already if they had been real.


    His smile only bloomed further as he snapped his fingers and pointed at me as if I just gave the answer.


    "Exactly why I love dragging these questions," he confessed. "Don¡¯t you think it will be boring once you have all the answers you need from me and we will be left with nothing to talk about?"


    I just let out a sigh and shook my head. Sometimes, Elion Grey could really be childish.


    "Don¡¯t make it look like I¡¯m taking advantage here. It¡¯s not like Ipletely waste your questions and give you nothing at all."


    That I couldn¡¯t deny. No matter how much he loved dragging these questioning segments, I never left his office empty-handed each Saturday.


    Not even once.


    "Are we good now?" He asked.


    I nodded.


    "Good. So now answer me. Is there something in the book?"


    I shook my head. "Not really. I have only read the first few pages. So far, it¡¯s all about the origin of the healing power. Nothing about... anything else."


    "Then why ask?" he pressed.


    I tilted my head, studying him. "I don¡¯t recall promising to answer your questions."


    A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "You are dodging."


    "I¡¯m conserving," I corrected sweetly.


    He snorted... actually snorted... and leaned back again, folding his arms across his chest. "You know, you are far more difficult than I expected."


    I raised an eyebrow. "Funny. I was thinking the same about you."


    For a moment, we simply looked at each other.


    And then, unexpectedly, we bothughed.


    It wasn¡¯t loud. Or dramatic. Just a quiet, shared sound that broke through the formality that usually wrapped around our conversations like armor.


    "You didn¡¯t trust me at all when we first met," Elion said after a beat, amusement still lingering in his voice.


    "I still don¡¯t," I replied honestly.


    That only made himugh again.


    "But," I added, softer now, "I trust you more than I did."


    Something unreadable flickered in his eyes at that.


    "Progress," he said. "I¡¯ll take it."


    Silence settled again... but this time, it wasfortable.


    The kind that came when two people stopped circling each other like wary strangers and began standing on the same ground.


    I straightened slightly in my chair.


    "So thest question," I said.


    His gaze sharpened instantly. "Go ahead."


    I drew in a breath, feeling the weight of it settle on my tongue.


    "Do you know why," I asked carefully, "the record book ended up with my mother... before the council took it away?"

 Chapter 587: The Three Survivors

    <h4>Chapter 587: The Three Survivors</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    This question had been sitting in the back of my mind for days now, quietly growing heavier every time I thought about it.


    Elion was the one who had first told me that my mother once possessed the Records of Silver Healing... before the council took it away and locked it in their archives.


    At the time, I had been too overwhelmed by everything else to think deeply about it. But now that I had actually touched the book, felt its weight, sensed the familiarity humming beneath my skin... the question refused to stay silent any longer.


    Why my mother?


    Among the three remaining members of the Silver Wolf bloodline back then, why was she the one trusted with something so important?


    And there was another question too. One I had deliberately held back, letting it coil inside my chest without voicing it aloud.


    How did Elion¡¯s father and Elder Will know so much?


    ording to the record book itself, the divine healing was never public knowledge. It was guarded, whispered from alpha of one generation to the next, known only by a selective few every era. Yet Elion¡¯s father and Elder Will - both just normal pack members back then - knew enough about the divine healing and other secrets of our bloodline.


    That didn¡¯t add up.


    I hadn¡¯t asked that question.


    But somehow, as Elion leaned back in his chair and studied my face, it was as if he already knew it was there.


    He let out a slow breath, his gaze drifting momentarily toward the tall window behind him before returning to me.


    "To answer that," he said calmly, "I¡¯ll need to start somewhere else."


    I nodded, folding my hands in myp.


    He began with the question I hadn¡¯t asked.


    "Thest Alpha of the Silver Wolf Pack," Elion said, "was your uncle."


    My breath hitched.


    "My... uncle?"


    "Yes," he confirmed. "Your mother¡¯s older brother."


    I stared at him, my mind scrambling to adjust to this new reality. I had known, logically, that my mother must have had family. A past. A pack. But hearing it spoken aloud... hearing that she had a brother who was thest Alpha of Silver Wolf Pack... made it painfully real.


    "There were very few of our bloodline left back then," Elion continued. "By the time your uncle took over as Alpha, the Silver Wolf Pack was barely surviving. Not only the rogue attacks left the pack with just a handful of people, the divine healers also hadn¡¯t appeared in centuries that most believed the Moon Goddess had turned her back on our bloodline."


    My fingers curled slightly into my palm.


    "The secret of the divine healing," he went on, "was traditionally passed from Alpha to Alpha, along with the elders. It wasn¡¯t shared with the pack. It existed so that when... and if... another divine healer was born, they would be recognized, protected, and guided by the Alpha and the elders."


    I swallowed.


    "But your uncle realized something," Elion said quietly. "He realized that the end was near."


    I just listened in silence.


    "He knew the pack was being hunted. He knew it was just a matter of time. And he knew that if he died with those secrets locked inside him... just like the elders before him... everything the Silver Wolf bloodline had endured would vanish."


    Elion leaned forward slightly, his voice steady but heavy with history.


    "So he made a choice."


    My heart began to race.


    "Instead of keeping the knowledge with himself and dying with it," Elion said, "he gathered every remaining member of the Silver Wolf Pack."


    "How many were there?" I asked softly.


    "Fifteen," he replied.


    My throat closed.


    "Fifteen people," he repeated. "That¡¯s all that remained of the ancient and once most powerful pack blessed directly by the Moon Goddess."


    I couldn¡¯t look away from him.


    "He told them everything," he continued. "The myth of origin of divine healing. The divine healers born in their pack over centuries. The reason secrecy had once been necessary... and the reason it no longer was."


    My chest felt tight, like something unseen was pressing down on it.


    "He didn¡¯t want the knowledge to die with him," Elion said. "So he gave it to everyone who still carried Silver Wolf blood in their veins."


    I exhaled shakily.


    "And then," Elion added, lowering his voice, "the rogues attacked."


    The words struck like a blow.


    "The Alpha didn¡¯t survive," he said quietly. "Neither did twelve of the fifteen pack members."


    My vision blurred slightly.


    "Only three survived," Elion continued. "Your mother-Marialle. My father. And Elder Will."


    I pressed my lips together, trying to keep my emotions from spilling over.


    "They were found dayster," Elion said. "Wounded. Exhausted. Hiding among the ruins of what used to be the Silver Wolf territory."


    I closed my eyes briefly.


    "When my father told me this," Elion went on, "he said something that stayed with him all his life."


    I opened my eyes again.


    "When they found Marialle," Elion said softly, "she was clutching a thick, old book to her chest."


    My breath caught.


    "The record book," I whispered.


    He nodded.


    "She told them that her brother... your uncle... had given it to her," he said. "He was dying. Badly wounded. And with what little strength he had left, he pressed the book into her hands."


    I could picture it far too clearly.


    "He told her to keep it safe," Elion continued. "To protect it. And if no new divine healer was born before her death, to pass it down to someone she trusted with her life."


    Tears burned at the corners of my eyes.


    "But the council took it," I said hoarsely.


    "Yes," Elion said. "They did."


    He sighed softly.


    "Your mother didn¡¯t fight them," he added. "At least, not openly. She was injured. Homeless. Hunted. And from her perspective... the council vaults were safer than her hands."


    I clenched my fists.


    "She believed the book would survive there," Elion said. "Even if she didn¡¯t."


    Silence stretched between us.


    I felt like my chest was splitting open under the weight of it all.


    My mother hadn¡¯t just been a victim.


    She had been a guardian.


    I wiped at my eyes, breathing carefully.


    "So that¡¯s why," I murmured. "That¡¯s why the book was with her. And why your father and Elder Will knew so much."


    "Yes," Elion said gently. "They were among thest who heard the full truth directly from theirst Alpha himself."


    I nodded slowly.


    So many missing pieces suddenly fell into ce.


    And yet... one question remained, loomingrger than all the others.


    I lifted my gaze back to Elion.


    "How," I asked, "did such a powerful pack even ended up getting wiped out?"

 Chapter 588: Last of the Survivors

    <h4>Chapter 588: Last of the Survivors</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment the question slipped past my lips, realization hit me.


    Three questions.


    That was the rule.


    And I had just asked my fourth.


    I shook my head immediately, a little too fast, hands lifting as if I could physically pull the words back into my mouth. "No-forget it," I said quickly. "I didn¡¯t mean to ask that. You don¡¯t have to remind me the rule. Just... ignore it."


    Elion didn¡¯t respond right away.


    Instead, he leaned back slightly in his chair, folding his arms over his chest, his eyes studying me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. And then... slowly... his lips curved upward.


    A smile.


    Amused. Knowing. Entirely too calm.


    "I can answer it," he said.


    I froze.


    "What?" The word came out sharper than I intended as I stared at him. "No, you can¡¯t. That was the fourth question. You said-"


    "I did," he agreed smoothly. "And I usually wouldn¡¯t."


    My brows knit together as confusion tangled with disbelief. "Then why-?"


    "Consider itpensation," he interrupted lightly. "For Wednesday evening."


    My jaw dropped open.


    "Oh no," I said immediately. "Absolutely not. Thepensation for Wednesday evening is the bonus you are giving me, and" - I lifted a finger for emphasis - "the fact that I¡¯m taking next Sunday off."


    His smile widened, clearly enjoying this far too much. "I remember," he said. "All of it. Bonus included. Sunday off approved."


    I narrowed my eyes at him. "Then what exactly do you think you arepensating for?"


    "The inconvenience," he replied without missing a beat. "The emotional distress. The headache. The fact that you really don¡¯t want to go but still need to go."


    "Right." I muttered.


    Elion chuckled softly, then sobered, the shift in the air immediate and unmistakable.


    "You asked about the downfall of the Silver Wolf Pack," he said.


    I inhaled slowly, deeply, as if bracing myself.


    "The Silver Wolf Pack didn¡¯t be powerful because divine healers started being born into it," Elion began.


    I frowned slightly. "Then how?"


    "They were powerful long before that," he replied. "Silver Wolves were... different. Even at birth."


    He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. "They were faster than general wolves. Larger. Stronger. Their senses were sharper, their endurance greater, and their ability to heal far surpassed other wolves. In every measurable way, they were superior."


    He took a pause.


    "They were better than every other wolf... except for the ck ones. The Night Wolves."


    My thoughts immediately shifted to my mates.


    The Thorne brothers.


    All four of my mates carried the bloodline of the ck Wolves - ancient, feared, and powerful in their own right. Unlike the Silver Wolves, their kind had never teetered on the edge of extinction. Rare, yes. But still standing.


    Still feared.


    Still alive.


    Elion continued, "Power has a way of drawing attention. Admiration. Fear."


    "And jealousy," I whispered.


    His lips pressed into a thin line. "Especially jealousy."


    I wrapped my arms around myself as he spoke of how the Silver Wolf Pack became a thorn in the side of the rogue factions - too strong, too disciplined, too unwilling to bend or look the other way. They enforced boundaries. Protected territories. Refused to tolerate chaos.


    Rogues hated them for it.


    "But rogues weren¡¯t the only problem," Elion said quietly. "They were simply the most convenient scapegoat."


    My jaw tightened.


    "Then Caelum was born," he went on. "And everything changed."


    I felt my pulse in my ears.


    "The Alpha at the time," Elion said, "made a fatal mistake. He was proud. And perhaps... naive. He believed the strength of his pack made them untouchable."


    "So he bragged," I said bitterly.


    "Yes," Elion confirmed. "He announced Caelum¡¯s existence to the world. A divine healer. Blessed by the Moon Goddess herself."


    I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment.


    Back then, healers weren¡¯tmon. They were miracles. And divine healers? Practically myths.


    "If wolves were injured beyond their natural healing," Elion continued, "and had no healer among them, they turned to witches. And witches always demanded a price."


    And I knew that price was rarely paid in coin.


    "So when the world learned that the strongest pack in existence now possessed a healer who could undo injuries that would cripple or kill others..." He shook his head slowly. "It didn¡¯t inspire celebration."


    It inspired hunger.


    "Some wanted to im Caelum," Elion said. "To lure him. Steal him. Bind him to their pack."


    "And others," I said softly, "wanted the Silver Wolves erased."


    Elion met my gaze. "Exactly."


    The wars didn¡¯te all at once.


    They came slowly. Insidiously. Skirmishes framed as misunderstandings. Alliances formed in shadows. Deals struck with rogues who were promised territory, protection, or forgiveness in exchange for bloodshed.


    "The Silver Wolf Pack fought," Elion said. "For generations. They won battles. They lost leaders. They buried children."


    My throat burned.


    "And over centuries," he finished, "they were worn down. Piece by piece. Until there was nothing left of the pack itself."


    Silence stretched between us.


    "Rogues were med," Elion said quietly. "Because it was easier. Cleaner. But everyone knew the truth."


    I pressed a hand to my abdomen instinctively, my breath hitching as a rush of emotion mmed into me - grief, rage, sorrow.


    "Now the two of us are thest survivors of our bloodline." Elion added softly.


    He¡¯s wrong. There were three of us, not two.


    My son carried Silver Wolf blood in his veins. But this truth... it didn¡¯t need to be known by Elion.


    I lifted my gaze back to Elion, my expression carefully neutral despite the storm inside me.


    "Thank you," I said quietly.


    He studied me for a long moment, as if he could sense the weight of emotions mming inside me. Then he inclined his head slightly.


    "You are wee, Evaline."


    I stood up, ready to take my leave now that I had learned all I wanted to know for the day... even more than that.


    "Evaline. "


    "Yes?" I stopped in my steps and turned to him.


    "As long as we both are still standing, we will make sure our bloodline survives." His words were filled with the same emotions I was feeling. But then...


    "So in future give birth to an army of kids and make sure at least a couple of them are from our bloodline."


    I stared at him with my jaw hanging open.


    Right.


    It¡¯s time to leave...!

 Chapter 589: Getting Takeaway

    <h4>Chapter 589: Getting Takeaway</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    "Mr. Wood, could you stop here for a moment?" I asked, leaning slightly forward in my seat as I looked out the window.


    The car slowed almost immediately,ing to a gentle halt outside a small, warmly lit diner tucked between two older buildings. Its signboard was simple, the paint a little faded, but the soft yellow glow spilling out through the ss windows made the ce look inviting... like it held stories,ughter, and theforting tter of tes within its walls.


    "Of course, Miss Evaline," Mr. Wood replied, pulling the car neatly to the curb. "Shall I wait?"


    "Yes, please," I said with a small smile as I reached for the door handle. "But it might take a while."


    "It¡¯s alright. You can take your time."


    As soon as I stepped out, the rich, warm, and unmistakablyforting scent of food hit me. My stomach rumbled traitorously, and I chuckled under my breath. I hadn¡¯t realized just how hungry I was.


    This was the same diner where Charles worked during weekends.


    Last Sunday, my friends dropped by here for dinner to support the young guy. But since I wanted to spend more time with my mates and son, I didn¡¯t join my friends.


    Ever since then, they hadn¡¯t stopped raving about the food... about how they ordered nearly everything on the menu, how Charles had looked both grateful and mortified, and how they nned toe back again.


    So here I was now.


    I pushed open the door, the small bell above it chiming softly.


    The diner was cozy... smaller than I had imagined, but full of life. The air buzzed with quiet conversation, the clinking of cutlery, and the sizzle of something delicious cooking in the back. Wooden tables filled most of the space, each one upied, while a counter lined one side of the room with a row of stools ced neatly in front of it.


    And then I saw him.


    Charles was rushing toward a table at the far back, a tray bnced expertly in one hand, tes stacked carefully atop it. He moved quickly but confidently, his posture rxed despite the obvious busyness of the ce.


    Before I could take another step, an older man approached me with a weing smile. He looked to be in histe fifties, with kind eyes and silver threading through his dark hair.


    "Good evening," he greeted warmly. "Would you like a table? And for how many?"


    "Oh-no, thank you," I replied, returning his smile. "I¡¯m here to get takeaway."


    "Takeaway?" His face lit up. "Of course. Please, take your time." He handed me a menu card and gestured toward the counter. "You can sit there while you decide."


    "Thank you," I said, heading toward the stools.


    I slid onto one of the seats, cing the menu on the counter in front of me. As I opened it, I blinked in surprise.


    For such a small diner, the menu was... extensive.


    There were starters, mains, sides, drinks, and an entire section dedicated to desserts. I skimmed through it slowly, my mind reying Mallory and Noah¡¯s enthusiastic suggestions.


    <i>Get the stuffed mushrooms.</i>


    <i>No, the grilled chicken was amazing.</i>


    <i>You HAVE to try the pasta.</i>


    <i>Oh... and don¡¯t skip dessert. Any of them.</i>


    Smiling to myself, I began ticking off dishes mentally, making sure I ordered enough for all the people I was nning to treat tonight. I added a little extra too... just in case.


    I had just reached the dessert section when a familiar presence appeared on the other side of the counter.


    Charles.


    He was busy, moving quickly as he grabbed stic cups, filling them with ice before pouring in c from a dispenser. His sleeves were rolled up, his movements efficient and practiced. He didn¡¯t notice me at all, even though I was sitting right in front of him, separated only by the counter.


    I leaned my chin lightly into my hand, watching him.


    He filled five cups in quick session, snapping lids on before lifting the tray and hurrying away toward a table near the window. Secondster, he was back, already reaching for more cups, repeating the same process for another table.


    A soft smile bloomed on my lips.


    There was something quietly admirable about watching someone work like this - focused, dedicated, doing their best withoutint.


    He hurried away again, delivering another round of drinks.


    When he returned to the counter this time, the older man reappeared beside me.


    "Have you decided what you would like?" he asked cheerfully.


    "Yes," I replied, snapping out of my observation. I showed him the menu and pointed out the dishes I wanted - one after another. "These, and these... oh, and these as well. And drinks too. Plus these desserts."


    As I continued, his smile grew wider.


    When I finally finished, he blinked once, then twice, clearly pleased. "That¡¯s... quite an order."


    "I¡¯m ordering for a group," I exined lightly.


    "Well, we are happy to have it," he said, already turning toward the kitchen. "I¡¯ll let the chefs know right away."


    As soon as he disappeared through the swinging doors, I looked back up.


    Charles was staring at me.


    Completely frozen.


    His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open, and for a split second, he looked like he couldn¡¯t quite believe what he was seeing.


    I raised my hand and gave him a small wave.


    That seemed to snap him out of it.


    "Senior?" he eximed. "What-what are you doing here?"


    "I could ask you the same thing," I teased gently. "But I already know the answer."


    He let out a smallugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Right. Uh-so, takeaway?"


    "Yes," I nodded. "My friends wouldn¡¯t stop praising the food here. They said they ordered almost everythingst Sunday. Since I missed out, I thought I¡¯d stop by today."


    His ears turned a faint shade of red.


    "You didn¡¯t have to do that," he said quickly. "You have already helped me a lot. All of you have."


    I frowned slightly. "I¡¯m not doing you a favor, Charles."


    He hesitated.


    "I¡¯m serious," I continued. "They genuinely loved the food. I¡¯m just here because I want to try it too."


    He studied my face for a moment, as if trying to decide whether to believe me. Finally, he exhaled and gave a small nod.


    "Thank you," he said softly.


    "You are wee," I replied.

 Chapter 590: Best Student

    <h4>Chapter 590: Best Student</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    <strong>F</strong>or a moment, neither of us spoke. The sounds of the diner filled the space between us... the murmur of conversations, the tter of tes, the hiss of something frying in the kitchen.


    Then Charles shifted slightly.


    "Um... Senior?" he said hesitantly.


    "Yes?"


    He nced around, then back at me. "Can I ask you something?"


    "Of course."


    He took a breath. "You said you are not doing me a favor. But... since you are here, and you don¡¯t mind helping people in need..."


    I tilted my head, curious now. "Go on."


    He swallowed. "I¡¯m really struggling in Herbs and Potions."


    That caught me off-guard.


    "What?"


    "I heard," he continued quickly, "that you are... well, that you are the best student in the subject. In the whole academy."


    I blinked, surprised. "Am I?"


    He nodded hurriedly.


    "Of course! When ites to Herbs and Potions, everyone talks about how good you are in it. And not just Herbs and Potions, you are good in every single subject. From students to Professors, everyone praises you."


    I just stared at him in shock. I knew I had been acing every single project, test, quiz, and exams so far, bing Professors¡¯ favorite, but I had no idea they mentioned me to other students.


    "And I was wondering," Charles continued in a hopeful but cautious voice, "if you could help me a little. Just... exin a few things. I don¡¯t want to perform badly ining tests and lose this golden chance to gain extra points."


    I met his gaze, seeing the sincerity there... the vulnerability of someone asking not out of entitlement, but genuine need.


    I gave it a real thought. Even if I wanted to help him, I couldn¡¯t just say yes as I already had a lot on my tter.


    "How about you find me in the library at 5 in the evening on Monday?"


    His face lit up immediately. "Thank you, Senior. I¡¯ll be there on time."


    I smiled back at him, hoping I could help him even if just a little. A customer called him over and Charles excused himself, rushing away to the customer¡¯s side immediately but not before thanking me again.


    I let out a soft sigh and turned my attention to my phone, realizing I had a message from Kieran waiting to be read.


    <strong>Kieran:</strong>


    <i>Your book is the study.</i>


    I smiled and quickly typed back a ¡¯thank you¡¯. He was talking about the Record book. I left the tome with him earlier in the morning before leaving for work so he could take it to the mansion with him.


    Just as I put my phone back in my pocket, Charles returned with a cup of ginger herbal tea and ced it in front of me on the counter.


    "Here. Enjoy this while you wait for your order to get ready."


    His eyes were filled with hope as if he had presented me something to taste that he had cooked himself. It almost made me chuckle. He could really be adorable sometimes.


    "Why herbal tea and not coke?" I asked, curious about his choice.


    He gave me a sheepish smile and confessed. "I have always seen you preferring herbal teas over other drinks during meal times. The only few exceptions being milk and fruit juices. But if I served you either of those, you might feel full even before trying the food you are buying."


    I nodded my head in understanding while a smile yed on my lips. "Thank you for being so thoughtful. The tea¡¯s just perfect for the time and weather."


    Right. The weather outside the diner was changing... fast.


    It had been only about ten minutes since I stepped into the diner and the sunlight outside hadpletely disappeared, not because the sun had set, but because dark clouds had covered the sky.


    I pulled out my phone again to check the weather, and sure enough, it showed heavy, continuous raining all evening and night with thunder.


    I let out a soft sigh, hoping I could reach home before the first droplets hit the ground.


    "Let me go and check how long before you get your order." Charles offered suddenly, probably because he saw me looking at the weather outside.


    It took about seven more minutes before the order was packed and I was done paying for it.


    "How are you going to take all these back to academy?" Charles asked when he noticed just how much food I had ordered.


    "Oh. I got the car waiting outside." I told him as I picked up a few of the paper bags to head outside.


    "Let me help you." Charles offered immediately, picking up twice as many bags as I did.


    The food was safely put in the car¡¯s trunk in no time and I was on my way to the mansion. The rain did start falling halfway but it was light enough to not make the mountain road dangerous.


    At the mansion, Sera and others helped me get the food out from the trunk. I thanked Mr. Wood for his services as usual and handed him two bags that had enough food for him, his wife, and two daughters.


    He thanked me for the food and left.


    Once inside the house, I told Sera to deliver one of the food bags to Jasper¡¯s house.


    "Wow! That¡¯s a lot of food." Oscar whistled as he stepped into the dining hall where I was helping Sera set up the dining table.


    He stopped beside me and ced a soft kiss on my temple, not caring there¡¯s nearly a dozen staff members present nearby.


    "What¡¯s in thi-Ow!"


    I swatted his hand away from the bag he was reaching for.


    "What was that for?" He asked, looking at me as if I justmitted a crime.


    "These are deserts and drinks for thedies. Keep your hands away from them." I told him before signaling Sera to take away the rest of the bags.


    "Thank you, M¡¯Lady."


    As Sera and the rest of the staff left the dining hall, River and Kieran finally arrived for dinner.


    "Let¡¯s dive in."

 Chapter 591: Third Divine Healer

    <h4>Chapter 591: Third Divine Healer</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment my fingers brushed against the worn leather cover of the record book, that familiar sensation washed over me again.


    It was subtle yet unmistakable... like a soft pulse beneath my skin, a quiet recognition that hummed through my veins. The same feeling I had experienced the very first time I touched this book. As if it knew me. As if it had been waiting.


    I drew a slow breath and opened it.


    I was sitting on my bed, my back restingfortably against the pillows and the headboard, my legs stretched out beneath the thick nket. The book¡¯s weight settled heavily on myp, grounding me as I carefully turned to the page where I had stopped readingst time.


    The room was quiet, wrapped in a gentle stillness that only camete at night. Dinner was long over, my hair still faintly damp from my shower, the scent ofvender lingering in the air.


    Academy had been unbearably hectictely, and I hadn¡¯t even dared to touch the record book again the past few days. It felt too important to be handled carelessly, too heavy with history to be skimmed through in stolen minutes.


    But tonight was different as I finally had time to read it again.


    So I lowered my gaze to the page and began reading.


    Healer Aurelion¡¯s handwriting was steady and precise, though there was an unmistakable intensity to it... sharp strokes, deliberate spacing, as if every word had been carefully weighed before being written. The next several pages detailed his decision to create this record book in the first ce.


    Since he personally went through so much because Caelum hadn¡¯t left behind anything to pass down his legacy and help the next divine healer, Aurelion didn¡¯t want to make the same mistake.


    He didn¡¯t wish this struggle upon those whoe after him, and that was why he decided to write this book.


    Not as a record of glory or reverence... but as a guide. A lifeline.


    He detailed everything he learned - how divine healing responded to emotion, how intent mattered just as much as focus, how exhaustion crept in faster when healing wounds born of dark magic or curses. He even documented his failures with brutal honesty.


    And then I reached the part that made my breath hitch.


    Aurelion wrote how it was hard to heal people without revealing his power. So he experimented.


    Instead of channeling his healing directly into another living being, he tried weaving it into objects. Stones failed. Water dispersed it too quickly. Metals rejected it entirely.


    But herbs...


    Herbs epted it.


    Pills. Potions. Tonics.


    By carefully infusing his healing power into medicines, he discovered that the effect remained long after his touch was gone. The potions he created were stronger than anything healers or witches could brew. They were able to elerate recovery, purge poisons, mend internal injuries that would otherwise be fatal.


    <i>They carry my healing, but they do not reveal me</i>, he wrote.


    I swallowed.


    My fingers tightened slightly on the page as realization settled deep in my chest.


    So this was it.


    This was the foundation.


    Herbs and Potions hadn¡¯t just been a subject for me... it had been instinct. Intuition. Something that came naturally, effortlessly, as if my hands already knew what to do before my mind caught up.


    I flipped through more pages, my heart racing now.


    The rest of Aurelion¡¯s section was filled with forms,binations, warnings, and annotations. He detailed which herbs bonded best with his healing power, which mixtures amplified healing, and which ones dulled it. There were margins filled with small notes... too vtile, stable if cooled slowly, do notbine under a full moon.


    But there was nothing more about the healing power itself.


    Just its application.


    Just its containment.


    I knew better than to rush through this part, but my mind was already spinning. I needed time... real time... to study this properly. To understand it.


    So, reluctantly, I skimmed ahead.


    Page after page passed beneath my fingers until... suddenly... I stopped at a nk page.


    I frowned, running my hand over it. It was untouched, pristine, as if deliberately left empty.


    My pulse quickened as I turned the page.


    Written in the center of the next page, in a different handwriting, was a date from four centuries ago.


    And beneath it, a name.


    <i>Lyssara Vale.</i>


    A woman.


    I inhaled sharply and began to read.


    Lyssara wrote differently from Aurelion. Her handwriting was softer, slightly uneven, as if she hadn¡¯t been ustomed to writing for long periods. There was emotion in her words... raw, unfiltered.


    She began by describing the night her divine healing power awakened.


    She had been an orphan.


    Wolfless.


    Bullied since as long as she could remember.


    First for having no parents. Then for not awakening her wolf like the others. For her entire life, she had endured whispers, cruelty, and istion.


    But then her power awakened identally.


    Because of a stray cat... half-dead, crushed beneath a fallen cart wheel. She hadn¡¯t meant to touch it, hadn¡¯t meant to do anything at all. She had just... panicked. Cried. Begged the Moon Goddess for help as she held the poor little thing.


    And the cat had lived.


    Not only lived... but jumped from her arms momentster, whole and uninjured.


    And a girl who saw her bringing the cat to life had screamed, calling her a monster.


    Lyssara wrote about how she was dragged before the Alpha that very night. How she had been convinced she was about to be punished... or worse, exiled for being a monster. She wrote about trembling so badly she could barely stand, about expecting chains, judgment.


    Instead, she was led into the infirmary where injured warriors were waiting to be treated by the pack¡¯ healer.


    And then the Alpha ordered her to heal them.


    She didn¡¯t know how.


    She didn¡¯t even know why he asked something like that from her. She¡¯s no healer.


    Panic swallowed her whole.


    Lyssara described standing frozen, unable to move, as the weight of confusion and fear crushed her.


    The Alpha told her she might have healing power and to confirm it she needed to try to heal the injured warriors. But no matter how much she tried, nothing happened.


    When she kept failing miserably, everyone around her started losing faith. They all finally realized she was no healer. Even the Alpha looked lost.


    But then one of the elders stepped forward.


    He was kind. Patient.


    He didn¡¯t yell. Didn¡¯t demand.


    He sat beside her and spoke gently, guiding her through each breath, each attempt. He told her it was alright to fail. That power like this didn¡¯t bow to fear... it responded to trust.


    It took nearly two hours.


    Countless failed attempts.


    And just when everyone... including the alpha and the elder... had given up, Lyssara seeded.


    She healed one warrior¡¯s wound.


    Notpletely. Not perfectly.


    But enough.


    Enough to prove that the power was real.


    Enough to change everything.


    And just like that, she was dered the new divine healer of the Silver Wolf Pack.


    Born nearly a century after the one before her.

 Chapter 592: Same Story, Centuries Apart

    <h4>Chapter 592: Same Story, Centuries Apart</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I flipped the page with a quiet sense of anticipation, my fingers already tingling as I prepared to read more of Lyssara¡¯s journey.


    I was genuinely excited this time - not just curious, not just hungry for answers, but... something deeper. Lyssara wasn¡¯t just the third divine healer of the Silver Wolf Pack. She was the first woman to ever carry that title.


    If anyone could offer a perspective I hadn¡¯t yet found in Aurelion¡¯s pages, it would be her.


    I barely had time to let that thought settle when a soft knock sounded against my bedroom door.


    The sound pulled my attention away from the book instantly, my gaze lifting toward the door as I said, "Come in."


    I already knew who it was.


    The mate bond hummed gently in my chest, warm and familiar, even before the door opened.


    Oscar stepped inside.


    He was already showered, his hair still slightly damp, dressed in a simple ck set of night pajamas that somehow managed to make him look both rxed and unfairly attractive. His presence alone shifted the atmosphere of the room... calmer, warmer, safer.


    His gaze immediately dropped to the massive book resting on myp, recognition flickering in his eyes. He paused just inside the doorway instead of heading straight for the bed like he usually did, his posture hesitant.


    "Did I interrupt you?" he asked quietly.


    The concern in his voice made my heart soften.


    I shook my head quickly. "No. Not at all. Come here."


    He still hesitated, clearly torn between wanting to be close to me and not wanting to disturb whatever fragile focus I had carved out tonight. I patted the empty space beside me on the bed, smiling at him.


    "Really," I said. "Come."


    That finally did it.


    Oscar closed the door behind him and walked over, climbing onto the bed with careful movements. He settled beside me, close but not intrusive, and what struck me most was that his gaze never once drifted toward the book. It stayed on my face, as if I was the important thing here... not the centuries-old secrets sitting between us.


    I swallowed past the unexpected emotion that rose in my throat.


    "I want to read a little more," I told him softly. "If you don¡¯t mind resting here."


    His answer was immediate, instinctive.


    "Of course I don¡¯t mind."


    He slid under the nket, his warmth pressing into my side as one of his arms snaked around my waist. I was still sitting upright, but he fit against me easily, burying his face against my side and the pillows with a quiet sigh that told me he had been more exhausted than he let on.


    Once he wasfortable, once his breathing evened out and his presence became a steady, grounding weight, I turned my attention back to the book.


    I took a breath.


    And began to read.


    The shift in tone was immediate.


    Unlike Aurelion, who had written with the careful detachment of someone recording history, Lyssara wrote like she was pouring her soul onto the page. Like the book wasn¡¯t meant for future generations at all, but for herself. A ce to anchor her thoughts before they swallowed her whole.


    Her first entry had been raw, emotional, brimming with shock and disbelief at how her life had changed overnight. Bing divine healer. Being summoned by the Alpha. Being handed a book that carried secrets.


    But as I started reading her second entry, my breath caught.


    I blinked once.


    Twice.


    And then my heart skipped so hard I had to pause reading altogether.


    Lyssara wrote about finding her fated mates.


    I slowly lifted my gaze from the page, staring nkly at the wall ahead as the words sank in.


    She had found them barely a month after her healing power awakened.


    Not one.


    But two.


    I looked back down, my fingers tightening around the edges of the page.


    Her mates were the pack¡¯s beta and his younger brother.


    Lyssara wrote how, even four centuries ago, it was rare. Almost unheard of. A female mated to two wolves... both powerful, both deeply rooted in the pack¡¯s leadership.


    The way she described it made my chest ache.


    She wrote about the pull she felt the first time she stood near them, about how her knees nearly gave out when the bond snapped into ce. About the confusion and disbelief that followed... wondering if she was imagining things, if the Moon Goddess had made a mistake.


    She hadn¡¯t even known such a bond was possible.


    Lyssara described how the beta had gone pale when he realized, how his younger brother hadughed in disbelief before the bond mmed into him just as fiercely. How they all had been stunned into silence.


    But the bond didn¡¯t care.


    It never did.


    I felt Oscar shift slightly against me, his arm tightening around my waist as if he sensed the change in my emotions even without knowing why.


    My chest felt... tight.


    Warm.


    Lyssara didn¡¯t shy away from her emotions on the page. She wrote about joy - pure, overwhelming joy - about feeling wanted for the first time in her life. Chosen. Cherished. Not because of her power, not because of her sudden importance, but because of who she was.


    She also wrote about fear.


    Fear of losing herself. Fear of being pulled in too many directions at once. Fear that she wasn¡¯t strong enough to carry all of it... the healing power, the pack¡¯s expectations, and the bonds tying her heart to two people.


    Her second entry ended with a line that made my throat close.


    <i>I do not know where to focus my heart. On learning the power that saved my life... or on learning the men who now hold it.</i>


    I exhaled shakily, my vision blurring for just a second.


    The parallels were impossible to ignore.


    I wasn¡¯t just reading history anymore.


    I was reading something dangerously close to my own reflection.


    A female divine healer.


    Multiple mates.


    Confusion. Overwhelm. Joy tangled with fear.


    Four centuries apart, yet somehow... the same story repeating itself.


    And for the first time since I had opened the record book, a realization settled deep in my bones... quiet, heavy, and impossible to ignore.


    This book wasn¡¯t just meant to teach me how to use my power.


    It was meant to remind me that I wasn¡¯t alone.


    That others had walked this path before me.


    And that, no matter how impossible it felt right now, they had survived it too.

 Chapter 593: Waking Up Ancestors

    <h4>Chapter 593: Waking Up Ancestors</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    A huge part of me wanted to keep reading.


    The booky open on myp, heavy not just in weight but in meaning, Lyssara¡¯s words still echoing in my mind like a whisper from across centuries. I wanted to know what came next... how she bnced her power with her mates, whether she ever found peace, whether she ever stopped feeling torn in half by fate and expectation.


    But I didn¡¯t turn the page.


    Instead, I forced myself to close the book.


    The sound it made... soft but unmistakably solid... felt louder in the quiet room than it probably was. I rested my palm over the worn leather cover for a moment, grounding myself, before lifting it slightly to ce it on the bedside table.


    But Oscar¡¯s arm around my waist tightened instantly. Just a little. But enough to make me freeze.


    I stopped mid-movement and slowly turned my head to look at him. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and deep. He was fast asleep. His face rxed in a way that only happened when his guard waspletely down.


    A smile bloomed on my lips before I could stop it.


    Not even ten minutes had passed since he had climbed into bed with me, and he was already gone. Out cold. But considering the long, brutal day he must have spent at the Warrior Academy doing training and drills ... it made perfect sense. Oscar pushed himself harder than most, rarely admitting when he was tired.


    Seeing him like this made something warm and tender settle in my chest.


    Carefully, I shifted the book back onto myp and gently eased his arm away from my waist. I moved slowly, giving him time to react if he stirred, but he didn¡¯t. He only let out a soft breath and rolled slightly onto his back, still deeply asleep.


    The bedside table didn¡¯t have nearly enough space for the massive record book, so I sighed quietly and slipped out of bed.


    The floor was cool beneath my bare feet as I carried the book across the room and ced it on my study table. I positioned it carefully, making sure it was stable and out of sight, before turning back toward the bed.


    Oscary sprawledfortably across his side now, the nket half-pulled up to his waist. I climbed back in beside him and settled down, facing him.


    He looked... different when he slept.


    The sharp edges of his personality - the intensity, the discipline, the warrior¡¯s readiness - were all gone. What remained was softness. Vulnerability. A calm that I rarely got to see when he was awake.


    I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    I reached out and gently brushed a few loose strands of his hair away from his face. He had been growing it out recently, and I had to admit... it suited him far more than I had expected. The longer length softened his features, framing his face in a way that made him look almost unfairly handsome.


    No wonder the girls back at the academy had started whispering.


    I had noticed it over the past few weeks... the lingering looks, the barely concealed giggles, the way conversations seemed to falter when he walked past. Oscar pretended not to notice, of course. Or maybe he genuinely didn¡¯t. Either way, he remained utterly, obliviously himself.


    My gaze drifted to his left ear.


    The stud caught the soft glow of the bedsidemp, shining subtly. It was the one I had gifted him recently. It wasn¡¯t a real diamond, but still expensive. I had bought it the moment I saw it, something about it reminded me so strongly of him that I hadn¡¯t even hesitated.


    And he had worn it ever since.


    My finger hovered near it, tracing the air just beside his skin before I pulled my hand back, afraid of waking him. Instead, I rested my hand over his, where ity between us in the small space our bodies shared.


    A quiet sense of contentment washed over me.


    Tomorrow would be another long day. Work in the morning, responsibilities stacked endlessly one over the other. But for now, I allowed myself this moment of peace and decided to sleep.


    I could wake up early and spend some time with Lioren before heading out. My son had be an early risertely, his little internal clock somehow syncing with the sunrise. I smiled at the thought, already picturing his sleepy eyes and bright smile.


    But before I closed my eyes, I knew I needed to do one thing.


    I leaned in.


    The kiss I ced at the corner of Oscar¡¯s lips was meant to be brief... just a soft, affectionate touch before pulling away.


    But I didn¡¯t get the chance.


    A hand suddenly came up to cradle the back of my head, fingers threading into my hair as his lips crashed against mine. I startled for a heartbeat, a surprised breath catching in my throat... but he didn¡¯t give me time to process it.


    His kiss was deep, firm, utterly iming.


    "Oh-" I let out a quietugh against his mouth,pletely caught off guard.


    So much for being asleep.


    I melted into him anyway.


    My hands slid up around his neck as his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer until our bodies were pressed together. The kiss stole my breath, left me dizzy and warm, my heart racing in a way that had nothing to do with surprise anymore.


    He kissed me like he had been waiting for it. Like he had been awake longer than he¡¯d let on.


    When he finally pulled back, we were both breathless. He hovered over me, his eyes dark with warmth and need, his thumb brushing lightly against my jaw.


    Then he kissed me again... quick this time, soft, almost teasing.


    I exhaled a shaky breath and smiled up at him.


    "How long," I asked quietly, my voice still a little unsteady, "have you been awake?"


    His lips curved into a slow, knowing smile.


    "From the moment you closed the book," he replied easily. "It made a sound loud enough to wake up even my ancestors."

 Chapter 594 594: Shes Not Strange

    Oscar:


    The moment the words left my mouth... about waking up because of the loud sound her book made when it closed... I saw it happen.


    That instant shift on her face.


    Guilt bloomed in her amber eyes so fast it almost hurt to look at. Her brows drew together slightly, lips parting as if she was about to apologize, and stars... if I hadn''t known her better, I would have thought I had justmitted some unforgivable crime.


    I didn''t give her the chance.


    I leaned in and kissed her again, slow and soft this time, letting it linger just enough for her body to rx under mine. When I pulled back, her eyes were still searching my face, still unsure.


    "Hey," I murmured, brushing my thumb gently along her cheek. "Don''t look like that."


    "I woke you up," she said quietly.


    I smiled.


    "No," I corrected, pressing another quick kiss to her lips. "You gave me an excuse to wake up."


    That earned me a blink.


    Then another.


    And then her expression shifted. The guilt melted away, reced by something far more dangerous.


    usation.


    She narrowed her eyes at me, pursing her lips just a little, and pointed a finger at my chest. "You pretended to be asleep."


    I raised a brow, feigning innocence. "I fail to see the crime."


    Her lips twitched. "You were watching me."


    I shrugged slightly,pletely unapologetic. "Again. Not illegal."


    She scoffed, but there was no real heat in it. "And here I was worried I disturbed you."


    "You didn''t," I said easily. "In fact, I quite enjoyed it."


    Her eyes sharpened. "Enjoyed what, exactly?"


    I grinned, unable to stop myself. "The part where you spent several uninterrupted minutes admiring me."


    Her jaw dropped just a fraction.


    "I was not-"


    "You absolutely were."


    She stared at me for a heartbeat, then leaned back slightly, crossing her arms. "And even if I was," she said coolly, "it''s no crime to admire my mate. Especially when he looks as good as you do."


    That shut me up.


    Completely.


    For a second, my mind nked... and my wolf?


    My wolf lost his damn mind.


    She praised us. She wants us. Mark her. Now. Immediately.


    I mentally mmed the door shut on him before he could spiral further, though his pleased rumbling echoed through my chest. He preened like I had just won some great honor, reminding me... again and again... that she was ours and that the world should know it.


    Later, I told him.


    Right now, all my focus was on her.


    "How," I said slowly, my eyes darkening as I looked down at her, "am I supposed to argue with that?"


    Her lips curved into a satisfied smile.


    I kissed her again because there was simply no other option. It wasn''t urgent or heated like before... just deep, grounding, familiar. The kind of kiss that reminded me exactly where I belonged.


    When I pulled back, I shifted properly onto the bed andy down beside her, drawing her with me. She came easily, curling against my side as if she''d always been meant to fit there. I wrapped my arm around her and guided her head to my shoulder, tucking her close until her breathing evened out.


    This... this was peace.


    I was just about to tell her she should sleep when she spoke.


    "Oscar," she said softly.


    "Hm?"


    "You know what I found in the book today?"


    That caught my attention. I tilted my head slightly, fingers absently threading through her hair. "What?"


    "The third healer," she continued. "She was the first woman divine healer of the Silver Wolf Pack."


    I smiled faintly. "Sounds about right."


    "But," she added, pausing just long enough to make me curious, "she was also mated to two men."


    Now that made my fingers still.


    I looked down at her, lifting my brows slightly. "Two?"


    She nodded against my shoulder. "Her fated mates were the beta of the pack and his younger brother."


    Huh.


    I leaned back into the pillows, thinking. I wasn''t exactly shocked... but I was intrigued.


    Cases like that were rare. Extremely rare.


    In today''s world, finding even one fated mate was bing harder with each passing generation. Bonds weakened, bloodlines diluted, fate itself seeming to fray at the edges. So when Eva walked into my life... and my brothers''... and turned out to be all four of our fated mate, it had shaken us to our cores.


    We had searched the records, and found thest recorded instance of someone having more than one fated mate dated back about four decades... an Alpha woman in the north, mated to three men. Before that, only scattered mentions, always vague, always buried deep in history.


    But there was one pattern that never changed.


    It was always a woman.


    Never a man.


    So Lyssara''s story didn''t surprise me... but it did confirm something old and powerful.


    Eva shifted slightly, then let out a soft breath. "I didn''t realize how much it would¡­ ease me."


    "Ease you?"


    She nodded. "Knowing I''m not the only one. Knowing there were others before me who had more than one mate. It makes me feel less¡­ strange."


    I tightened my arm around her instinctively.


    "You were never strange," I said firmly.


    She tilted her head up to look at me, her eyes shining in the dim light. "And it''s not like I mind," she added quickly, almost teasing. "Having four mates, I mean. I definitely got the best end of the deal."


    Iughed quietly, unable to stop the warmth spreading through my chest. "You really did."


    She smiled, satisfied, and settled back against me, her head returning to my shoulder.


    Wey like that for a while,fortable silence stretching between us, broken only by the soft rhythm of our breathing. My fingers traced idle patterns through her long, silky silver hair, memorizing its texture, its scent, the way it caught the light even in near darkness.


    Then she spoke again.


    "I think I''m going to leave the record book here."


    I frowned slightly. "Here? At the mansion?"


    "Yes."


    I shifted just enough to look at her. "Why? I thought you wanted to read more."


    "I do," she admitted. "But¡­ I won''t rx if it''s with me at the dorm."


    I waited.


    She sighed softly. "I know it''s safe. I know no onees into my room, and Rowan knows about it too. But the book... it''s too important. Every time I leave it behind in the room, I keep worrying. About someone finding it. About something happening to it."


    "That makes sense," I said quietly.


    "So I thought I would leave it here. In the study. Somewhere secure. Somewhere I don''t have to keep thinking about it."


    I nodded slowly. "That''s probably the safest ce for it."


    She rxed at my agreement, her shoulders easing. "I''ll read it here on weekends."


    "Good," I said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Then you can actually focus on your sses instead of stressing."


    She smiled faintly, her eyes already growing heavy.


    I held her close, content, my wolf finally settling into a pleased, possessive calm.


    Whatever secrets that book held, whatever truths waited in its pages... we''d face them together.


    For now, though, all that mattered was this moment.


    Her in my arms.


    Safe.

 Chapter 595: A Morning With Lioren

    <h4>Chapter 595: A Morning With Lioren</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Morning sunlight spilled across the living room floor in soft golden ribbons, filtering through the massive ss wall that overlooked the front garden. The rain had washed everything clean overnight... the trees gleamed fresh and vibrant, the world looking almost newly born.


    And right in the center of that warmth, on the thick green rug spread across the floor,y my entire universe.


    Lioren.


    I sat cross-legged a few feet away, my chin resting on my palm as I watched him with what I was certain was an embarrassingly lovesick expression. He had rolled from his back to his side moments ago, tiny fingers clutching at the rug fibers as if they personally offended him.


    Now he shifted again.


    Slowly.


    Determined.


    He rolled onto his belly with visible effort, letting out a tiny grunt of frustration before lifting his head. His golden-green eyes... so bright, so alert... locked onto the plushie lion lying just slightly out of his reach.


    He stretched his arm toward it, but missed.


    Then something new happened.


    He pushed his tiny palms against the rug and started rocking his hips back and forth in the most adorable, uncoordinated attempt at forward movement I had ever seen.


    I gasped.


    "Oh my goddess," I breathed, barely holding backughter. "He¡¯s trying to crawl."


    River, Kieran, and Oscar were scattered around the living room - Oscar leaning casually against the ss wall with a mug in hand, Kieran sitting beside me on the rug, and River sitting on one of the couches, his phone tucked away for once.


    "He¡¯s definitely plotting something," River said dryly.


    Kieran chuckled softly beside me. "Look at that determination."


    Lioren rocked again. And again.


    His little legs kicked in the air, missing any real coordination, but the intent was there.


    I couldn¡¯t stop smiling.


    "I think he¡¯s going to start crawling soon," I announced proudly. "Just a few more days, or weeks maybe."


    Lioren let out an indignant little squeal when the plushie still refused to magicallye to him.


    Iughed... but theughter faltered.


    The warmth inside my chest dimmed, reced by something heavier.


    Because as much as I adored witnessing this moment, a thought crept in, sharp and unwee.


    <i>How many of these moments had I already missed?</i>


    Kieran¡¯s hand came to rest gently on my shoulder.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" he asked quietly.


    I didn¡¯t try to brush it off. I didn¡¯t smile and pretend everything was fine.


    "I hate that I have already missed so much," I admitted softly.


    The room went still.


    River turned fully toward me. Oscar set his mug down without a sound.


    "I missed his first realugh," I continued, staring at Lioren as he resumed his determined rocking. "I missed when he first rolled over without help. I missed when he began sitting without any support. And now... I¡¯ll probably miss when he actually crawls."


    My throat tightened.


    "And when he takes his first step. And when he says his first word."


    Kieran¡¯s thumb rubbed slow circles against my shoulder.


    "I feel like I¡¯m constantly running between worlds," I whispered. "Work. Responsibilities. The council. The academy. And he¡¯s growing every single day. I can¡¯t slow it down. I can¡¯t pause it."


    The guilt was sharp.


    "I¡¯m going to miss more," I said. "And I hate that."


    Oscar moved first.


    He walked over and crouched in front of me, one knee pressing into the rug as he looked up at me with steady, unwavering eyes.


    "You are not missing his life," he said firmly.


    I blinked at him.


    "You are building it."


    That made my breath catch.


    River joined us, lowering himself to sit on Lioren¡¯s other side while still facing me. "Do you think he¡¯ll grow up remembering which exact moment you were physically present for?" he asked gently.


    I frowned slightly.


    "He¡¯ll remember how loved he felt," River continued. "How safe. How secure."


    Kieran leaned closer to press a kiss against my temple. "And trust me," he murmured, "our boy feels his mom¡¯s love every single second of his life."


    Oscar nodded. "You rearrange your entire schedule just to spend mornings with him."


    "You stayed up half the nightst Saturday because he wouldn¡¯t sleep," River added.


    "You read to him even when he doesn¡¯t understand the words yet," Kieran said with a small smile.


    "And you look at him," Oscar finished softly, "like he hung the moon."


    I swallowed hard.


    "I¡¯m still going to miss things," I whispered.


    River reached out and gently brushed his knuckles against my cheek. "Then we¡¯ll record them."


    Oscar smirked slightly. "Or we¡¯ll dy teaching him anything new until you are home."


    That pulled a reluctantugh from me.


    Kieran squeezed my hand. "You are not alone in this, love. You don¡¯t have to carry motherhood like it¡¯s a punishment."


    My eyes stung.


    "I just want to be there for everything."


    "And you will be," Oscar said firmly. "Not for every single second... but for the important ones."


    River leaned closer, voice quieter now. "And for the ones you miss? We¡¯ll make new ones."


    Lioren chose that exact moment to let out a triumphant squeal as he identally scooted forward half an inch.


    All four of us turned to him instantly.


    And Iughed through the lingering tears.


    Maybe I couldn¡¯t freeze time.


    But I could treasure it.


    And I wasn¡¯t alone in doing so.


    ---


    Breakfast passed in a blur of warmth and chaos.


    Lioren demanded attention between every bite, Oscar stole pieces off my te when he thought I wasn¡¯t looking, and River pretended not to smile when Kieran teased him about nearly burning him by spilling my tea on him.


    It felt... normal.


    Comforting.


    By the time I stood to leave for headquarters, my chest felt lighter than it had the entire week.


    I kissed Lioren¡¯s chubby cheek, inhaling his baby scent like it could sustain me through the entire day.


    "Be good," I whispered, even though he only responded by grabbing my hair.


    Oscarughed softly and untangled him from me.


    I hugged Kieran. Then Oscar. And headed toward River who waited by the front door.


    When I finally stepped outside and slid into the passenger seat beside him, I felt... content.


    I had woken early. Spent hours ying with my son. Surrounded by my mates.


    It was the kind of morning I had been craving since the holidays ended.


    As the car pulled away from the mansion, I turned my face toward the window.


    The world outside looked washed and renewed. Rain had poured all night and only stopped a couple of hours ago. The trees were impossibly green, leaves still dripping with lingering droplets. The sky remained nketed in thick gray clouds, and the mountain air that slipped in through the slightly open window was crisp enough to make me shiver.


    I considered closing it.


    But I liked the chill.


    It felt grounding.


    I was so lost in the rhythm of the passing scenery that I didn¡¯t notice River shifting beside me.


    Not until a hand suddenly grabbed mine.


    Before I could react, I was pulled sideways - lifted effortlessly and deposited onto hisp.


    A small scream almost tore from my throat.


    I barely managed to p a hand over my mouth in time.


    My eyes widened as I stared at him. "River!"


    He didn¡¯t look even remotely apologetic.


    "We are in the car," I hissed.


    He only raised a browzily.


    "And?"


    "The driver," I whispered urgently.


    As if on cue, the partition between the front and back seats slid upward.


    The driver¡¯s silhouette disappeared from view, leaving us inplete privacy.


    I blinked.


    River smirked.


    "Problem solved."


    I stared at him for another second.


    Then sighed.


    There was truly no arguing with him.


    Not that I wanted to.


    I rxed against him, letting my body settlefortably into hisp as his arms wrapped securely around my waist. His warmth seeped into me instantly, familiar and intoxicating.


    "You are impossible," I muttered.


    "And yet," he murmured near my ear, "you are exactly where you want to be."


    I didn¡¯t deny it.


    Because I wasn¡¯t the type toin about being in his arms.

 Chapter 596: Wants To Be Claimed

    <h4>Chapter 596: Wants To Be imed</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I let my head fall against River¡¯s shoulder,pletely rxing into him as his arms tightened around me.


    Being held by my mates always did that - it grounded me, centered me.


    His warmth seeped into my side where his chest pressed against me, solid and reassuring. One of his arms was wrapped securely around my back, his palm resting t against the side of my waist, thumb moving in slow, absent circles that made my breathing deepen without me even realizing it.


    I felt him lean closer.


    His nose brushed lightly against the shell of my ear before he nuzzled into my hair, inhaling slowly.


    The intimate gesture sent a soft shiver down my spine.


    My fingers slid down until they found his other hand resting over my thigh, and I threaded our fingers together without thinking.


    He let me.


    Of course he did.


    And when I finally turned my face to fully look at him, I realized just how close we were.


    Too close.


    Or maybe not close enough.


    There were only a few inches between us now.


    A few inches.


    That was all.


    If I leaned forward... just a little... I could close that distance. I could finally taste those lips that had been driving me insane for weeks. Months, even. I desired all my mates, but River... he had been the one to tempt me the most because he¡¯s almost like a forbidden fruit at this point because of that stupid game of his.


    But I couldn¡¯t me just him for how far this teasing hade. After all, I yed my fair part in it.


    Stupid River and equally stupid me.


    My gaze dropped to his mouth and once again I noticed just how soft and infuriatingly tempting his lips were.


    Every cell in my body screamed at me to just do it.


    To lean forward.


    To kiss him.


    But I couldn¡¯t.


    And the frustration built so fast it surprised even me.


    A quiet, miserable groan slipped out of my throat as I dropped my forehead lightly against his shoulder again, sulking like a child denied candy.


    River went still for half a second.


    Then I felt it.


    That faint shift in his chest.


    The almost invisible curve at the corner of his mouth.


    Satisfaction.


    Oh, he was enjoying this.


    This was exactly why I couldn¡¯t give in no matter how badly I wanted him. If I gave in first, I would never hear the end of it. And while my desire would be quenched, my pride would be in shambles.


    And I didn¡¯t want to take that gamble.


    I red up at him.


    He met my eyes calmly, but the amusement was unmistakable.


    "Do you want me that bad?" he asked softly.


    There was no teasing tone.


    No mockery.


    Just curiosity... and something deeper.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate.


    I nodded immediately.


    Once.


    Firm.


    And I didn¡¯t break eye contact for even a second, because I needed him to understand.


    Needed him to see exactly how much I wanted him.


    Something changed in his expression.


    The amusement faded, reced by something darker.


    Warmer.


    His hand slid from my waist up to my shoulder, then higher. His fingers brushed over my neck, tracing the curve where it met my jaw. His thumb grazed my cheek, slow and deliberate, like he was mapping every inch of my skin.


    My breath caught as I watched him lean closer.


    "Do you really?" he murmured.


    His voice was lower now.


    Rougher.


    "You have no idea," I whispered.


    And I meant it.


    His fingers slipped into my hair, gently tilting my head back. My pulse thundered in my ears as he closed the distance further, his forehead nearly touching mine.


    I could feel his breath.


    Warm.


    Steady.


    Mine was anything but steady.


    The air inside the car felt heavier, thicker, like oxygen had been reced with something electric. Every tiny movement felt amplified... the slide of his thumb along my jaw, his fingers in my hair, the tightening of his arm around my waist, the rise and fall of his chest against my side.


    My heart was racing so fast I was sure he could feel it through my ribs.


    His lips hovered just a breath away from mine.


    Not touching.


    Just there.


    Waiting.


    My entire body reacted instantly. Heat curled low in my stomach. My toes curled inside the boots, while my fingers tightened their hold on his suit without me realizing it.


    I knew he was about to kiss me.


    Finally.


    A ridiculous thought tried to push its way into my brain... telling me to remind him of his promise about kissing me when he would mark me.


    For a split second, I almost opened my mouth to mention it.


    Then I mentally mmed the door on that thought.


    No.


    I didn¡¯t care.


    I didn¡¯t care about his promise.


    I didn¡¯t care that we were in the car with a driver separated only by a divider.


    I didn¡¯t care that we were on the way to headquarters for a council meeting.


    All I cared about was him.


    My mate.


    And the overwhelming, aching need to belong to himpletely.


    To be imed.


    Forever.


    His head dipped.


    Closer.


    Closer.


    My lips parted slightly, anticipation flooding every nerve in my body.


    And then...


    His phone rang.


    The sharp sound shattered the moment like ss breaking.


    We both jerked back slightly, startled.


    The thick haze of desire vanished almost instantly, leaving behind a strange, breathless silence.


    For a second neither of us moved.


    Then reality rushed back in.


    I blinked, suddenly very aware of where we were, of the car, of the meeting we were heading toward.


    Embarrassment flickered through me as I shifted, trying to climb off hisp. But his arm tightened immediately around my waist, holding me still.


    I looked up at him, confused.


    He had already reached to the side, picking up his phone from the seat.


    His expression shifted... focused now. Alert.


    He nced at the screen and his brows drew together slightly. Without a word, he turned the phone so I could see who was calling him.


    Our eyes met for a brief second.


    And then he answered the call and put it on speaker.

 Chapter 597: A Solid Lead

    <h4>Chapter 597: A Solid Lead</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment Jasper¡¯s familiar voice filtered through the car speakers, something inside my chest tightened so sharply it almost hurt.


    "Alpha," he greeted, his tone respectful but carrying that underlying urgency I hade to recognize over the past year.


    My heart immediately began to race... but not with fear. Not exactly. It was anticipation. Hope. Dread. All tangled together into one unbearable knot.


    Jasper and his team had been digging into Naira¡¯s incident for days now. Every lead had either dissolved into nothing or circled back to the same frustrating dead end. So if he was calling River directly... if there was urgency in his voice...


    There might finally be something.


    Beside me, River¡¯s hand moved slowly up and down my back, warm and steady through the thin fabric of my dress. The gesture was almost absentminded, yet impossibly grounding. He must have felt the shift in my breathing, the way my body had gone rigid.


    "What is it?" River asked calmly. "You wouldn¡¯t call unless you had something."


    My pulse jumped.


    There was a brief pause on the other end before Jasper replied, "We do, Alpha. We finally have a lead. A solid one."


    The words hit me like a physical force.


    River didn¡¯t respond immediately. Instead, he nced at me, his dark green eyes searching my face as if silently asking whether I was ready to hear whatever came next.


    I didn¡¯t trust my voice, so I just nodded.


    "Hold on," he told Jasper.


    Before I could even process what he was doing, he handed the phone to me. Then he leaned forward, his long arm reaching toward the tinted divider separating us from the driver.


    He knocked twice.


    The divider slid down instantly.


    "Stop the car," River instructed, his tone leaving no room for hesitation. "Step out. Walk ahead until you are well out of hearing range."


    "Yes, Alpha."


    The driver obeyed immediately. Within seconds, the car slowed, pulled over to the side of the road, and came to a smooth stop. The door opened, shut, and through the windshield I watched the driver stride forward along the empty roadside until he was far enough that even enhanced wolf hearing wouldn¡¯t pick up a conversation from inside.


    Only then did River turn back to me.


    "You can speak," he said quietly into the phone. "It¡¯s just us."


    Jasper didn¡¯t waste another second.


    "We have been going through all the alcohol orders from the diner during the week of Miss Naira¡¯s incident," he began. "Every single customer. We met most of them personally to confirm timelines and deliveries."


    I held my breath.


    "Initially nothing stood out," he continued. "But then we found an order with fake name and address."


    My fingers tightened around the phone.


    "They paid in cash," Jasper added. "So there was no bank trail. But we didn¡¯t stop there. We spoke to the diner staff again and checked the records of nearby CCTV footage from surrounding buildings and traffic cameras. It took a while, but eventually... we found them."


    I held my breath.


    "Two individuals," he said. "Young. They ordered the delivery. And when we ran facial recognition..." He paused, letting the significance settle. "They turned out to be former students of Silver Moon. They graduatedst year."


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t speak.


    I slowly lifted my gaze to River. He was already watching me, his expression serious, mind clearly racing along the same path mine was.


    "River..." My voice came out barely above a whisper. "What if... what if Naira went to deliver the alcohol to them? At the academy?"


    The words felt heavy in my mouth, yet frighteningly logical.


    If Naira had entered academy grounds that night... if something had happened there...


    Her soul death.


    It would finally make sense.


    It fit.


    River gave a slow nod.


    "It¡¯s possible," he said. "But we don¡¯t assume. We confirm."


    His calm steadiness anchored me again before panic could spiral.


    He took the phone gently from my hand.


    "Jasper," he said, his voice shifting fully into Alphamand. "Locate their current positions. I want full profiles... family, pack affiliations, movements since graduation."


    "Yes, Alpha."


    "I¡¯m sending Kieran," River continued. "He¡¯ll question them personally."


    There was no mistaking the implication in his tone.


    "Understood," Jasper replied immediately. "We¡¯ll have locations to you within the hour."


    The call ended shortly after and silence filled the car.


    The outside world felt strangely distant, like I was suspended in a bubble between past and present.


    River turned slightly toward me.


    His hand slid from my cheek to my chin, tilting my face so I had no choice but to meet his eyes.


    "Evaline," he said firmly. "Listen to me."


    Something in his tone made me go still.


    "Your focus right now," he continued, "is the Council meeting. Your position. Your work. That is where you are needed."


    My lips parted, but he kept going.


    "Kieran and Jasper will handle the investigation until we have concrete information," he said. "If there¡¯s something to act on, you¡¯ll know. But until then... you don¡¯t divide your attention."


    I knew he was right.


    Still didn¡¯t make it easier.


    "What if they find something and I¡¯m not there?" I asked quietly.


    "You will be," he said. "When we have answers."


    His thumb brushed across my lower lip, a soothing gesture that somehow carried authority and reassurance at the same time.


    "You trust me?" he asked.


    Always.


    The answer lived in my bones.


    I nodded.


    A faint smile touched his mouth.


    "Good," he said. "Then leave this to us."


    Outside, the driver was still standing far ahead on the road, exactly where River had ordered him to be.


    He probably asked his driver through mind link because I noticed him walking back toward the car.


    Within moments, we were moving again... back toward the Council building, toward responsibilities that suddenly felt both trivial and enormouspared to the storm brewing beneath the surface of my life.


    River¡¯s arm settled around my shoulders, pulling me closer into his side.


    And for the rest of the drive, I leaned into him... holding onto the fragile, terrifying hope that after all this time... the truth about Naira might finally be within reach. And we would be one step closer to the truth.

 Chapter 598: Summoned By Alpha Black (I)

    <h4>Chapter 598: Summoned By Alpha ck (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I took a slow, steady breath, trying to calm the fluttering chaos inside my chest.


    It didn¡¯t help much.


    The hallway outside Alpha Orion ck¡¯s office felt unusually quiet, almost suffocating in its stillness. My boots clicked softly against the polished marble floor as I stopped a few feet from the heavy wooden door.


    Alpha Orion ck.


    Even thinking his name made my spine straighten instinctively.


    He wasn¡¯t just another Alpha. He was one of the three powerful heads of the Werewolf Council... alongside River and Alpha Niles. Politically, socially, strategically... he was one of the most influential figures in our entire world.


    And he had summoned me.


    Me.


    A student. A new employee. Someone whose existence shouldn¡¯t even be known to him.


    The summon hade so suddenly that I still hadn¡¯t fully processed it. One moment I had been finishingst of my works to head home, the next I was being told that Alpha ck wanted to see me immediately.


    Worse... neither River nor Elion had returned from their earlier meeting, so I hadn¡¯t even had the chance to talk to them.


    Which meant I had walked here alone, nerves humming under my skin.


    I hadn¡¯t felt this nervous in a long time.


    Thest time had probably been when I met River for the first time... or when I first stepped into Silver Moon Academy as the girl who had been given a second chance at life.


    I exhaled slowly and lifted my hand to knock.


    But before my knuckles could touch the door... it hit me.


    A familiar presence.


    Warm. Powerful. Steady.


    River.


    The recognition mmed into me through the haze of anxiety like a sudden beam of sunlight cutting through clouds. My mate bond responded instantly, wrapping around my senses, grounding me.


    He was inside.


    The realization loosened something in my chest immediately.


    My shoulders dropped slightly and I let out another soft exhale, and then I knocked.


    "Come in," an unfamiliar, yet authoritative and deep voice called from inside.


    I pushed the door open and stepped into the office.


    And froze for half a second.


    River wasn¡¯t the only one there.


    Elion stood near one of therge windows, arms crossed loosely over his chest, his expression calm and unreadable. Three other senior figures from headquarters... people I recognized but never interacted with directly... were seated across the room.


    And at the center, behind the wide desk, sat Alpha Orion ck himself.


    The air in the room felt heavier than outside. Denser. Charged.


    I resisted the instinct to look at River, even though I could feel his attention shift toward me the moment I entered.


    Focus Eva.


    I walked forward and stopped at a respectful distance from the desk.


    "You summoned me, Alpha?" I asked and was relieved when my voice came out steady.


    Alpha ck studied me for a moment.


    His gaze was sharp but not hostile... more analytical than anything else. Like he was dissecting something only he could see.


    "You are Evaline," he said.


    "Yes, Alpha."


    "It hase to my knowledge that you made the final report on the Postguard Towers development project."


    It wasn¡¯t phrased as a question. Still, I nodded. "Yes, Alpha."


    Out of the corner of my eye, I sneaked a nce toward Elion.


    He was sitting on one of the couches now, his posture rxed, but his face gave nothing away. No hint of reassurance. No warning.


    Which immediately made doubt creep into my thoughts.


    Had I made a mistake?


    I had reread that report multiple times. Cross-checked numbers. Verified projections. Elion himself had reviewed it before submission.


    A mistake was almost impossible.


    Unless...


    Alpha ck didn¡¯t like something in the report.


    Before I could spiral too far into that possibility, he spoke again.


    "What made you improvise the report?"


    I blinked.


    That... wasn¡¯t what I expected.


    For a split second I was thrown off, but I forced myself to gather my thoughts quickly.


    "The initial data and proposals provided by the team were very strong," I began. "However, whilepiling the final version, I noticed a few areas where adjustments could potentially reduce cost withoutpromising structural strength."


    I paused briefly, making sure my words were clear.


    "When I previously worked as Alpha River¡¯s assistant, I had ess to past infrastructure project files," I continued. "Some of those approaches seemed applicable here. Ipared them with the current data and found enough support to justify modifications."


    I sped my hands lightly in front of me to stop them from fidgeting.


    "So I improvised," I finished.


    I expected some reaction.


    Approval. Disapproval. Anything.


    But Alpha ck¡¯s expression remained neutral. Completely unreadable.


    "What made you think," he asked calmly, "that as just a second year academy student and a new recruit... with only seven months of internship experience... you could produce a n superior to one created by a team with significantly more experience than you?"


    There was no usation in his tone.


    No mockery.


    Just... genuine inquiry.


    Which somehow made the question more intimidating.


    But something inside me settled - because now I understood.


    This wasn¡¯t about a mistake. This was about my decision.


    And I wasn¡¯t ashamed of it.


    I straightened slightly, meeting his gaze fully.


    "The team is highly experienced," I said honestly. "And their work was excellent. I did not assume I knew better than them."


    I could feel River¡¯s attention sharpen, even without looking at him.


    "But as Alpha Grey¡¯s assistant, and the person assigned topile the final report, I had both the authority and the right to refine it where necessary," I continued. "The changes I made were not guesses. They were supported byparative data, cost analysis, and precedent from previous projects."


    I took a small breath.


    "And before finalizing anything, I discussed my proposed adjustments with the team members involved. I wanted their perspective and approval to ensure I wasn¡¯t overlooking something from their field experience."


    That part mattered. The respect mattered.


    "I wasn¡¯t trying to override anyone," I added. "I was trying to improve efficiency while maintaining integrity."


    Silence followed.


    Heavy.


    Measured.


    I became acutely aware of every person in the room.


    Elion¡¯s stillness.


    The three senior officials watching with interest.


    River¡¯s presence... steady and powerful... like a quiet storm at my back.


    Alpha ck kept his gaze fixed on me. "You referenced Alpha River¡¯s past projects," he said.


    "Yes, Alpha."


    "And did you know those were rted to the Rogue Pack¡¯s internal infrastructure and could potentially be the pack¡¯s secrets?"

 Chapter 599: Summoned By Alpha Black (II)

    <h4>Chapter 599: Summoned By Alpha ck (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My heart was beating so loudly in my chest that I was half-convinced everyone in the room could hear it.


    Still, I held Alpha ck¡¯s gaze without flinching.


    Confidence.


    That was the only armor I had in a room full of powerful Alphas and senior officials who had decades more experience in this world than me.


    And strangely... it was enough.


    "I knew, Alpha. That¡¯s why I made sure to consult with Alpha Thorne and made sure I wasn¡¯t breaching any sort of Rogue Pack¡¯s secrets. Though I used his development project works as a base for my improvisations, there¡¯s nothing included in the report that might give away any internal information of Rogue pack."


    For a long moment after I finished speaking, silence settled over the office. The kind of silence that wasn¡¯t empty but heavy... weighted with evaluation, judgment, calction.


    Alpha ck leaned back slightly in his chair, fingers steepled together in front of him as he studied me.


    I resisted the urge to shift on my feet.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I could feel River¡¯s presence like a steady me... warm, grounding, constant. I didn¡¯t dare look at him directly, but knowing he was there kept my spine straight and my shoulders firm.


    Alpha ck finally spoke.


    "So," he said calmly, "your reasoning is that authority was granted to you through your role, your changes were supported by data, and you ensured consensus from the original contributors and both Alphas before finalizing the report."


    "Yes, Alpha," I replied immediately.


    His sharp gray eyes didn¡¯t leave my face.


    "And if your improvisations had failed?" he asked.


    The question caught me slightly off guard... not because I didn¡¯t expect scrutiny, but because of the direction it took.


    Still, I answered honestly.


    "Then the responsibility would have been mine," I said. "And I would have epted whatever consequences followed."


    A faint flicker passed through his expression.


    Not approval.


    Not disapproval.


    Just... interest.


    "Why?" he asked simply.


    That single word carried more weight than any usation could have.


    Why had I taken the risk?


    Why had I believed I could do it?


    Why had I trusted myself enough to change something built by people more experienced than me?


    I swallowed once, then answered from a ce deeper than logic.


    "Because I knew I could make it better," I said quietly.


    Another silence followed.


    But this time, it felt different.


    I continued before doubt could creep in.


    "I wasn¡¯t trying to prove anyone wrong. I wasn¡¯t trying to overstep. I saw an opportunity to strengthen the project without increasing cost, and I had the knowledge to support it. If I had ignored that just because I¡¯m new... then I wouldn¡¯t be doing my job properly."


    My voice steadied further with each word.


    "Alpha Grey trusted me withpiling the final report. That trust meant I should give the best result I was capable of producing. Not just the safest one."


    Out of the corner of my vision, I risked another nce toward Elion.


    His posture remained rxed against the couch, one arm draped along the backrest. His expression was unreadable, but there was a faint glint in his eyes that I recognized.


    Pride.


    My chest warmed slightly.


    Alpha ck tapped one finger against the arm of his chair.


    Then he said something I did not expect at all.


    "Do you know how many people in this headquarters would have done what you did?"


    I blinked.


    "...No, Alpha."


    "Very few," he replied.


    The answernded like a small shock.


    "Most would have followed the initial structure," he continued. "Not because theycked ideas, but because they feared responsibility. Fear of being wrong is stronger than the desire to improve something."


    His gaze sharpened.


    "You were not afraid."


    I hesitated.


    "I was," I admitted softly. "But I did it anyway."


    For the first time since I walked into the room... Alpha ck smiled.


    It wasn¡¯t a wide smile.


    Just a subtle curve of his lips.


    But it changed the entire atmosphere.


    "Good," he said.


    Relief hit me so suddenly that my knees almost weakened.


    So... I wasn¡¯t in trouble.


    I hadn¡¯t ruined anything.


    I hadn¡¯t offended anyone.


    If anything...


    "You improved the projected structural resilience by twelve percent," Alpha ck continued. "And reduced estimated long-term maintenance costs by neen percent."


    My eyes widened.


    He... knew the exact numbers.


    Of course he did.


    I expected nothing less from him.


    "Those are not minor adjustments," he said. "They are significant improvements."


    A strange mix of pride and disbelief swelled inside me.


    I felt River¡¯s attention shift toward me more strongly, like a pulse through the bond.


    Alpha ck leaned forward slightly.


    "Tell me, Miss Evaline," he said. "Do you intend to remain an assistant?"


    The question stunned me.


    "I-" I faltered for the first time. "I... I hadn¡¯t really thought that far ahead yet, Alpha."


    "Old man, are you trying to steal my assistant right in front of me?" Elion suddenly spoke up, calling Alpha ck out loud in front of everyone.


    Alpha ck didn¡¯t respond. He kept his attention on me.


    "You have analytical instincts," he said. "Initiative. And the willingness to take calcted risks. Those are leadership traits."


    My breath caught.


    Leadership?


    Me?


    A year ago, I had just been an intern trying to survive Silver Moon and figure out my ce in this world.


    Now one of the most powerful Alphas alive was calling me leadership material.


    It didn¡¯t feel real, but it did feel weing. I didn¡¯t doubt myself. I just didn¡¯t expect to be <i>seen</i>... finally.


    "You also have ess to unique mentorship," he added, his gaze briefly flicking toward River and then Elion. "Which gives you an advantage many do not possess."


    Heat crept into my cheeks.


    That part was undeniably true.


    River alone was practically a walking encyclopedia of strategy and project execution. And Elion¡¯s operational brilliance was unmatched.


    I had learned from both of them, and was still learning.


    "I did not summon you here to reprimand you," Alpha ck said finally, and thest of my tension melted.


    "I summoned you because I wanted to see you myself. I have been hearing about this new employee who¡¯s impressed two of my best men."


    My stomach fluttered nervously again.


    "And now that I have," he continued, "I am more interested."


    Interested.


    That word felt dangerous.


    In a good way.


    "What... does that mean, Alpha?" I asked carefully.


    He leaned back again.


    "It means," he said, "that I may have use for you."


    My pulse jumped.


    Behind me, I felt River shift slightly in his seat.


    Alpha ck continued calmly.


    "I know you are still a student and your studies are your priority, but I also believe that your potential is far more than being assistant of these young men."


    "He can¡¯t be real." Elion muttered loud enough for everyone to hear, clearly not impressed by Alpha ck.

 Chapter 600: Summoned By Alpha Black (III)

    <h4>Chapter 600: Summoned By Alpha ck (III)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The room went quiet after Elion¡¯sint.


    Under any other circumstances, I might have panicked hearing someone speak to Alpha Orion ck like that.


    But the absurdity of it...bined with the fact that it was Elion... almost grounded me instead. If anything, it reminded me that despite the intimidating power dynamics in the room, these men also had long histories with one another.


    Alpha ck merely shook his head once, as if he had expected nothing less from the young Alpha.


    Then he looked back at me.


    And said something that knocked the breath right out of my lungs.


    "I originally intended to promote you."


    For a moment, I thought I had misheard.


    Promote... me?


    My mind wentpletely nk.


    Alpha ck continued calmly, almost conversationally.


    "Your analytical ability, initiative, and sense of responsibility are rare at your age," he said. "It would not have been unreasonable to move you into a junior strategic role earlier than scheduled."


    My pulse was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.


    "But," he added, "your former and current heads disagreed."


    River... and Elion?


    Alpha ck leaned his elbow against the armrest of his chair.


    "Alpha River pointed out," he said, ncing briefly toward him, "that you are still a student with three full years of academy ahead of you. He also noted that you recently returned from break after your internship and are only beginning to adjust to your workload."


    Warmth flooded my chest.


    Of course River would think about that.


    "He argued," Alpha ck continued, "that promotion at this stage would ce unnecessary pressure on you rather than reward your performance."


    Then Alpha ck¡¯s gaze flicked toward Elion.


    "And Alpha Grey," he went on dryly, "objected on the grounds that it was unfair for me to attempt to ¡¯steal¡¯ his assistant barely during her second month under his supervision."


    A faint snort came from somewhere behind me... probably one of the senior officials trying not tough.


    After a brief pause, Alpha ck looked back at me.


    "After considering both perspectives," he said, "I decided promotion was not the most appropriate course of action at this time."


    My shoulders rxed without me even realizing they had been tense.


    "And instead," he finished, "I chose to reward you."


    Relief washed through me so strongly it was almost dizzying.


    Not because I didn¡¯t want a promotion. But because... deep down... I knew I wasn¡¯t ready for one yet.


    Even as an assistant working only weekends, my life already felt packed to the brim. Studies. Training. My mates. Lioren. Work. And the investigation into soul deaths that still weighed heavily on my heart.


    Adding a full promotion on top of that?


    It would have been overwhelming.


    And I knew it.


    Honestly, I felt grateful River had stepped in. Maybe Elion too... in his own grumpy way. Because they had protected me from personally declining the promotion which surely wouldn¡¯t have gone as smooth as it went because of them stepping in.


    Alpha ck studied my face carefully. "Are you disappointed?" he asked.


    The question was direct.


    I shook my head immediately.


    "No, Alpha," I said honestly. "I¡¯m not ready for a promotion yet."


    His brows lifted slightly.


    I continued, more confidently now.


    "My studies are still my priority," I said. "And I want to learn more before taking on arger role. Working under experienced leaders gives me the opportunity to grow without risking mistakes that could affect others."


    I nced briefly toward Elion.


    "Right now, I believe continuing as an assistant, while gaining knowledge, is the best path for me."


    When I looked back at Alpha ck, I saw it.


    Approval - clear, undeniable.


    And I felt the subtle shift of energy in the room from the other seniors too.


    Respect.


    It settled into my chest like something warm and steady.


    Alpha ck nodded once.


    "A wise answer," he said.


    Then his expression changed slightly... almost amused.


    "Your reward," he continued, "was suggested after a conversation with Alpha River."


    My heart skipped.


    Alpha ck went on. "He mentioned that you enjoy reading," he said. "Particrly material rted to herbs and potions."


    Oh.


    "And," Alpha ck added, "that you are currently the highest-scoring student in that subject at Silver Moon Academy."


    I wished the floor would open and swallow me.


    I could practically feel Elion¡¯s smug amusement behind me.


    Alpha ck leaned forward slightly.


    "So," he said, "I have decided to grant you a special permit."


    My breath caught.


    "A permit," he continued, "to ess the restricted herbs and potions records within the headquarters library."


    For a second, the words didn¡¯t register.


    Restricted... records?


    Then they did.


    And my brain exploded.


    Those sections were legendary.


    Rare manuscripts. Advanced formtions. Ancient herbology records that weren¡¯t even avable to most certified healers.


    Even staff didn¡¯t have ess to these records.


    My mouth fell open before I could stop it. And Alpha ck¡¯s lips curved faintly at my reaction.


    "There are conditions," he said.


    I nodded rapidly.


    "Yes-of course-anything."


    A faint chuckle rippled through the room.


    "You may ess the section only on your working days," he said. "After your working hours. You may remain inside for no longer than one hour per visit."


    I nodded again.


    "And," he added, "no materials may be taken out of the restricted section."


    "That¡¯s perfectly fine," I said immediately.


    Perfectly fine?


    It was beyond perfect.


    It was a dream.


    A real, actual dream.


    "Good," Alpha ck said.


    I swallowed, emotion swelling unexpectedly in my chest.


    "Thank you, Alpha," I said sincerely. "I¡¯m very grateful."


    And I was.


    More than he probably realized.


    Because this wasn¡¯t just a reward, it was permission.


    Permission to explore something I truly loved.


    Permission to grow.


    Permission to be... more.


    Alpha ck inclined his head once, then dismissed me with a brief gesture.


    "You may go," he said. "Continue your work."


    I bowed slightly out of respect, then turned toward the door.


    As I walked out, I could feel River¡¯s gaze on me like a physical touch.


    And Elion¡¯s too... though his carried apletely different energy.


    The moment the door closed behind me, I exhaled a breath I hadn¡¯t even realized I had been holding.


    My legs felt oddly light.


    My heart was still racing.


    But this time... it was from excitement and joy.

 Chapter 601: Jacob Hall’s Interrogation

    <h4>Chapter 601: Jacob Hall¡¯s Interrogation</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The recording ended with a soft click.


    For a moment, no one spoke.


    The silence in the study felt heavier than anything Jacob Hall had said during the interrogation.


    Kieran reached forward, his expression unreadable, and stopped the audio on his phone before slipping the device back into his pocket. The small movement felt oddly loud in the stillness of the room.


    It waste sunday afternoon. The golden light from the setting sun filtered through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floor and the massive desk that dominated one side of the study.


    All five of us were there.


    Me.


    Rowan.


    And the brothers.


    We had just listened to the full recording of Kieran¡¯s questioning of Jacob Hall... the former Silver Moon student who ced the alcohol order at the diner Naira worked under the fake name and address.


    Turned out Jacob was also a member of the same secret student group as Marcus and Carson.


    And the person who had unknowingly brought Naira to the academy the night before her incident.


    My chest felt tight.


    Because now...


    It finally made sense.


    Jacob¡¯s voice still echoed in my head.


    Respectful.


    Nervous.


    Clearly terrified that he was in trouble with the headmaster. Which - technically - he had been.


    "Yes, Headmaster... I-I was told to arrange alcohol for a gathering," he had admitted, his voice strained with anxiety. "We couldn¡¯t leave campus midweek, so I... I ced an order outside town the Sunday before the party week."


    Kieran¡¯s tone in the recording had been calm but firm.


    "You used a false identity."


    "Yes, Headmaster."


    "And a false address."


    "...Yes."


    There had been a long pause.


    I remembered gripping Oscar¡¯s hand tighter at that moment while listening.


    Then Jacob had continued.


    "When the diner employee called Wednesday night, I told her the delivery location had changed. I offered extra payment for the inconvenience and requested her to make the delivery. She eventually agreed."


    My stomach twisted again remembering that part.


    Because that "diner employee" was Naira. Completely unaware that she was stepping into the worst nightmare of her life.


    Jacob had exined how he met her at the small back gate of the academy grounds.


    How he paid her.


    How she had looked around suspiciously at the towering structures, the forested slopes, the mountain air.


    She she wasn¡¯t a local, she might not have realized she was delivering the alcohol to a student at an academy, Silver Moon on top of that, but she definitely sensed something wasn¡¯t right.


    Still, she left the alcohol with him.


    Kieran¡¯s next question in the recording had changed everything.


    "Did she enter the academy grounds?"


    Jacob had sounded confused.


    "No, Headmaster. I collected the delivery and closed the gate. Then I headed straight to our group¡¯s secret meeting spot."


    "You did not see her leave?"


    "...I assumed she left."


    Assumed.


    That word echoed in the study like a hollow drum.


    Then came the question that had made even River tense beside me while we listened earlier.


    "Did you lock the gate from the inside that night?"


    Jacob had hesitated.


    "I... might have, Headmaster. I don¡¯t clearly remember. It¡¯s been so long and I was in a hurry that night."


    His voice had grown more anxious after that.


    "Headmaster... am I in trouble? I-I know what I did break a lot of academy rules-"


    Kieran had cut him off calmly.


    "That is not my concern at the moment."


    And that had been the end of the relevant part.


    Now...


    Sitting in the study with the recording over... the truth settled over us like cold fog.


    "She dide to the academy," Rowan said quietly.


    No one disagreed.


    Because there was nothing left to argue.


    Naira had been at Silver Moom.


    The night before her incident, the night before her soul was snatched away.


    My fingers curled into my palms.


    Which meant...


    She had encountered it.


    <i>The Great Evil.</i>


    A shiver ran through me.


    "She might have entered the Academy that night," I finally spoke the words out loud, "that¡¯s the only possible way she could havee across the Great Evil as it was still trapped under West Tower back then..."


    My voice trailed off.


    My heart felt heavy.


    Because I realized that her curiosity... just curiosity... could have led her into the path of danger.


    Kieran spoke next.


    "Now at least we have confirmed that she indeed came to Silver Moon and somehow got corrupted by the Great Evil that night. And while we still don¡¯t know how exactly she might have fallen victim to the Great Evil that was still sealed away under West Tower, we now know how she ended up bing its first victim."


    No one spoke. Everyone was lost deep in their own thoughts.


    My gaze shifted to Rowan who hadn¡¯t spoken a single word. I reached forward and ced a hand on his knee, pulling him out of his shock.


    Among all of us, he was the one who badly needed answers about Naira¡¯s incident. And now that some of the mystery had been cleared, I could only imagine what he might be thinking.


    He still didn¡¯t say anything, just squeezed my hand back softly to let me know he¡¯s alright... or getting there.


    I shifted my attention to my mates next. "So what¡¯s the next n?"


    Now that we had solved Naira¡¯s case¡¯s mystery to a level, it was time to n our next step. However, I didn¡¯t even know what we were supposed to do next.


    "Next I meet the witches. I¡¯ll also update the council about our recent discoveries."


    Right. The witches.


    "When are you meeting them?" I asked.


    "Thest day of the month. Golda have invited me and Kieran to her house for evening tea." River revealed the date and it turned out to be over two weeks away.


    So there wasn¡¯t much we could do until River and Kieran met with the witches.


    I just hopes the meeting would result in a sess and not brought us back to square one. We needed witches on our side.


    Before any if us could have spoken, someone knocked on the study door.

 Chapter 602: In Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 602: In Trouble</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The knock on the study door cut through the quiet like a pebble breaking the surface of still water.


    All five of us turned toward the door at the same time.


    River didn¡¯t even need to raise his voice.


    "Come in."


    The door opened just a crack, and Mallory¡¯s head peeked inside.


    Her eyes moved quickly across the room - me, Rowan, Kieran, Oscar... and finally River. She took in the heavy atmosphere, the serious expressions, the lingering tension from the recording we had just listened to.


    For a brief second, I thought she would retreat.


    Mallory was bold, yes... but she was also perceptive. She knew when something serious was happening.


    But instead of backing away... she focused directly on River. "Are you all too busy with something?"


    I blinked.


    Because that question...


    Was directed at him.


    River clearly hadn¡¯t expected that either. His gaze flickered around the room - first at me, then Rowan, then his brothers - as if silently confirming whether she had really just addressed him instead of me.


    Mallory had always beenfortable with my mates, just like the rest of my friends.


    But River...


    River was different.


    He was the Rogue Alpha King.


    Most people felt overwhelmed even standing near him, let alone talking to him casually.


    And yet here was Mallory.


    Hands on the door.


    Eyes steady.


    Waiting for his answer.


    River finally looked back at her. His expression softened a fraction, the intimidating edge of his aura easing just enough to not scare her off.


    "We are done," he said calmly. "You are not interrupting anything."


    And technically...


    He wasn¡¯t wrong.


    We had finished discussing Jacob Hall¡¯s statement and what the next step of our investigation was going to be.


    Mallory nodded once.


    "Good."


    And then she pushed the door fully open and walked inside like she owned the ce.


    I almostughed.


    She marched straight toward the seating area where we were gathered, stopping in front of us with her hands nted firmly on her hips.


    Her gaze swept across all five of us - slow, using, unimpressed.


    "If you are done discussing your extremely important secret matters," she said pointedly, "maybe you should remember you have guests waiting outside."


    Oh.


    Right.


    Guilt hit me instantly.


    Because she was absolutely right.


    All my friends hade today to meet Lioren. Mallory, Rowan, Kyros, Ria, Selene, Noah - our whole group.


    But barely half an hour after their arrival, Kieran returned from the interrogation and immediately pulled us into the study so we could listen to the recording together.


    And it had been... almost forty minutes since then.


    We had basically abandoned them in the living room... while only Rowan got to join us.


    Oh stars.


    I immediately jumped to my feet.


    "I¡¯m so sorry," I said quickly, rushing toward Mallory and grabbing her hands.


    "We didn¡¯t mean to leave you all alone. Something urgent came up and we-"


    She narrowed her eyes at me.


    And then at Rowan, who had also stood up looking equally guilty.


    "I¡¯ll deal with you twoter," she said ominously.


    Rowan swallowed, while I pressed my lips together to hide a smile.


    Because honestly?


    We deserved that.


    Mallory¡¯s gaze then shifted past us...


    To the three Alphas.


    And that was when things became truly entertaining.


    Because for the first time since I had known them... River, Kieran, and Oscar looked uncertain... about how to handle an annoyed friend of their mate.


    It was almost surreal.


    Oscar nced at Kieran.


    Kieran nced at River.


    And River... he looked like he wished he could disappear.


    I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself fromughing.


    Finally, Kieran stood.


    Smooth. Composed. Diplomatic as always.


    "My apologies," he said sincerely to Mallory. "It was inconsiderate of us to leave you all like that."


    Mallory¡¯s expression softened slightly, but she still crossed her arms.


    Kieran continued in his warm voice. "To make up for it... how about I bake cookies and prepare coffee for everyone?"


    Silence.


    One second.


    Two.


    Mallory¡¯s eyes widened. "You¡¯ll bake?" she asked.


    Kieran smiled faintly.


    "Yes."


    That was it.


    Her irritation evaporated instantly. "Okay, you are forgiven, Professor," she said without hesitation.


    I snorted.


    And Rowan actuallyughed out loud.


    Oscar shook his head, looking amused.


    Honestly, none of us were surprised.


    Kieran Thorne baking cookies personally?


    That was basically an irresistible offer.


    Oscar stood up next.


    "If you all want," he added casually, "I can bring out cards. We can y while the cookies are baking."


    Mallory lit up.


    "Yes!"


    Her enthusiasm was so pure that warmth spread through my chest.


    This...


    This was normal.


    Friends.


    Laughter.


    Simple moments.


    After everything heavy we had just discussed, it felt like breathing fresh air again.


    Then...


    All eyes shifted to River.


    He froze slightly under the attention.


    For perhaps the first time in his life...


    The Rogue Alpha King lookedpletely unsure what he was supposed to contribute.


    I could practically see the thoughts running through his head.


    He opened his mouth.


    Closed it.


    Then his phone rang.


    Of course.


    His phone... it had a thing for perfect timing.


    Relief shed briefly across his face before his usualposed Alpha expression returned.


    He stood smoothly, pulling the phone from his pocket.


    "I¡¯ll leave you all to enjoy the evening," he said calmly. "I have work to attend to."


    Mallory nodded respectfully, Oscar smirked, and Kieran gave him a knowing look.


    But River didn¡¯t acknowledge any of it.


    He simply walked toward the door, every inch the powerful Alpha again, his aura steady and controlled.


    But as he passed me... his fingers brushed lightly against my wrist.


    I looked up and our eyes met for just a second.


    Warmth.


    Affection.


    Something deeper that only we understood.


    Then he was gone.


    The door closed behind him with a soft click.


    And just like that...


    The study no longer felt heavy.


    Mallory pped her hands once.


    "Alright! Host mode activated," she dered. "Let¡¯s go before everyone out there starts thinking you kidnapped me too."


    Oscarughed.


    Kieran gestured toward the door.


    "After you."


    Rowan slung an arm over my shoulders as we followed Mallory out.


    "We are in troubleter," he whispered teasingly.


    "I know," I muttered back.


    But honestly?


    I didn¡¯t mind.


    Because as we stepped into the hallway and the distant sound of my friends¡¯ voices reached my ears, along with Lioren¡¯sughter, my heart got filled with warmth.


    For now...


    There wasughter waiting.


    And I was ready to enjoy it.

 Chapter 603: Making Potions

    <h4>Chapter 603: Making Potions</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Monday mornings at the academy had their own rhythm.


    Structured.


    Predictable.


    Almostforting.


    By the time I walked into the first lecture hall for Werewolf History and Politics, the familiar scent of parchment, ink, and polished wood had already started settling my mind into student mode.


    Mallory dropped dramatically into the seat beside me.


    "If Professor Elira starts talking about the Treaty of Northern Territories again," she whispered, "I might actually die."


    "You said thatst time," I murmured back.


    "And I meant it."


    Noah leaned over from behind us.


    "You didn¡¯t die," he said. "You snored."


    "I do not snore!"


    "You do," Rowan added from the other side aisle without even turning around.


    Mallory red at both of them.


    I bit my lip, trying not tough as the professor entered the hall.


    The lecture began.


    Today¡¯s topic was the political restructuring after the Second Rogue War - alliances, territorial negotiations, power bnces between council and Alphas.


    Normally, I liked this subject.


    But today...


    My mind kept drifting.


    Back to the investigation.


    Back to Naira.


    Back to the recording we had listened to yesterday.


    I forced myself to focus, taking notes carefully, writing down dates and names, reminding myself that my life couldn¡¯t revolve around the investigation alone... even if that investigation was personal.


    After history came Runes.


    That ss always required more concentration.


    Precision mattered.


    One wrong curve, one misaligned symbol, and the entire rune could destabilize.


    Selene sat across from me, her hair tied into a loose braid as she carefully etched a stabilization rune onto parchment.


    "You are distracted," she murmured without looking up.


    "I am not."


    "You carved the anchor line twice."


    I looked down.


    She was right.


    I sighed softly.


    "Just tired," I said.


    She hummed but didn¡¯t push.


    She never did.


    By the time Runes ended, my brain felt pleasantly full again... focused, grounded.


    Then came Physical Combat.


    And that...


    Was very different energy.


    The moment we stepped into the training arena, the atmosphere shifted from academic to electric.


    Students straightened.


    Voices lowered.


    Attention sharpened.


    Because standing at the center of the training floor...


    Was Oscar.


    Dressed in ck training gear, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing the strong lines of his forearms.


    His presence alonemanded the room.


    Even after weeks of him being our instructor, the effect hadn¡¯t faded.


    Especially not on the female students.


    I heard at least three whispered giggles behind me.


    Mallory leaned toward me. "I swear half the girls attend this ss only for him."


    I tried to look neutral.


    Tried.


    Oscar¡¯s gaze swept across the ss... and paused on me for half a heartbeat.


    Just enough.


    A tiny flicker of warmth passed through our bond.


    Then he looked away, fully professional again.


    "Warm-upps," he ordered. "Now."


    Groans echoed.


    We ran anyway.


    Training today focused on defensive counters - redirecting momentum rather than brute force.


    Oscar demonstrated with Kyros.


    Poor Kyros volunteered confidently... and ended up t on his back within seconds.


    The ss burst intoughter.


    Kyros groaned from the floor.


    "I wasn¡¯t ready!"


    Oscar offered him a hand, pulling him up effortlessly.


    "That¡¯s the point," he said calmly.


    My turn cameter.


    Facing him in training always did strange things to my nerves.


    Not fear.


    Not exactly.


    Just... awareness.


    He moved fast, but controlled. Every motion precise.


    When he grabbed my wrist to demonstrate leverage redirection, his touch lingered a fraction longer than necessary.


    Our eyes met and heat climbed up my neck.


    "Focus," he murmured quietly enough that only I heard.


    I swallowed.


    Right.


    ss.


    Not mate-bond distractions.


    By the time training ended, I was sweaty, slightly sore, and energized.


    After a quick shower, lunch with my friends felt loud and normal after that - Noah wasining about assignments, Ria was talking about weekend ns, and Mallory was still dramatic about history ss.


    After lunch came the health examinations.


    The academy had announced them the previous week, causing a brief wave of spection andints... but now?


    No one cared anymore.


    Groups of five students were called every fifteen minutes while the rest continued sses.


    It had be routine background noise since morning.


    When our group was called, we headed to the medical wing together.


    The checkup itself was quick - vitals, reflexes, basic blood sampling, energy resonance scan, and body check.


    The healer on duty smiled politely the entire time.


    "Everything looks excellent," she told me.


    Within ten minutes, we were done.


    By the time we reached the final ss of the day - Herbs and Potions - the hallway buzz had returned to normal student chatter.


    But when we entered the ssroom... Kieran wasn¡¯t there.


    Instead, a fourth-year senior stood near the instructor¡¯s desk looking mildly overwhelmed.


    "Professor Thorne had to step out for urgent matters," he announced. "So... just work on your projects. Or notes. Or practice potions. Whatever."


    Mallory¡¯s eyes lit up.


    "Free period," she whispered.


    Technically not free.


    But flexible.


    Which was even better.


    Students spread out... some staying in the ssroom, some heading toward the study hall or library.


    And this...


    Was exactly the opportunity I had been waiting for.


    My heart started beating faster as I slipped into theb.


    The space was quiet.


    Empty.


    Perfect.


    I gathered ingredients carefully.


    Grinding herbs.


    Measuring liquids.


    Heating the base solution.


    But today wasn¡¯t about a normal potion.


    Today...


    I was going to try something Aurelion had written about.


    <i>Infusing healing energy into medicine.</i>


    My notebooky open beside me - pages filled with copied and improvised notes from the record book.


    I inhaled slowly.


    Then ced my hands around the vial.


    Closing my eyes, I reached inward... toward that familiar warm current inside me.


    My power responded immediately... like it had been waiting. Soft silver warmth spread through my palms.


    I focused.


    Not on releasing it outward like when healing wounds... but guiding it, threading it, letting it flow into the liquid.


    For a moment...


    Nothing happened. Then... the potion shimmered. A faint silver glow pulsed beneath the surface.


    My breath caught.


    It worked.


    It actually worked.


    Excitement rushed through me so fast my hands trembled.


    I had done it.


    Just like Aurelion described.

 Chapter 604: Dangerously Beautiful

    <h4>Chapter 604: Dangerously Beautiful</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I blinked, confused, as the car came to a sudden stop.


    The gentle hum of the engine died down, reced by the faint noise of traffic outside, and I instinctively turned my head toward the window. For a second, I thought we had already reached the hotel, but the sight that greeted me was... unexpected.


    A boutique.


    Not just any boutique, but the kind that looked like it belonged in glossy magazines with those floor-to-ceiling ss panels, warm golden lighting spilling onto the pavement, mannequins dressed in elegant evening gowns that probably cost more than my annual sry.


    My brows furrowed as I turned toward Elion, who sat beside me asposed as ever, one arm resting along the back of the seat, his long legs stretched slightly forward.


    Before I could even open my mouth, he spoke.


    "We are stopping so you can get ready for the evening."


    I blinked again. "I... already have a dress."


    His gaze shifted toward me - calm, assessing, unreadable. "I¡¯m aware."


    "Then... why are we here?"


    But he was already opening his door and climbing out.


    A secondter, he walked around the car and opened mine, offering his hand with that quiet, effortless authority that made it feel less like a suggestion and more like an inevitable oue.


    Still, I didn¡¯t move.


    "Alpha Grey," I said, trying again, "I really did bring a nice dress. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to make myself presentable enough for the evening and you won¡¯t get a chance to criticize my fashion sense"


    One corner of his mouth twitched faintly, almost like he was amused.


    "I don¡¯t doubt your choice," he replied. "But tonight, you are attending as <i>my</i> partner."


    I just stared at him, trying to keep up with where he¡¯s going with his excuses.


    "And," he continued in his smooth voice, "we¡¯ll be matching."


    Matching?


    I stared at him.


    "How am I supposed to know if my dress matches when I don¡¯t even know what you are wearing?"


    "You don¡¯t," he said simply. "And that¡¯s exactly why you need to get ready here."


    Before I could even think of anything to say, his fingers closed gently around mine.


    His hold wasn¡¯t rough, but still firm enough that I found myself stepping out of the car before I could argue again.


    "As Elion Grey¡¯s partner," he added quietly, leaning just slightly closer as if to make sure I heard him loud and clear, "you should match my presence. And clothes are the easiest way to do that."


    "You can¡¯t be serious right now." I muttered as he dragged me inside the luxury store.


    - - -


    Ten minutester, I was standing in a changing room, staring at myself in the mirror in what could only be described as an extremely questionable ck dress.


    Questionable was putting it mildly.


    The fabric hugged every curve of my body like a second skin, the neckline plunging all the way to my belly... allowing a scandalous side peeks at my boobs, and the slit... oh stars, the slit... it ran dangerously high along my thigh.


    I looked like... like...


    I didn¡¯t even know what I looked like.


    But it definitely wasn¡¯t me.


    My stomach twisted with nervous energy as I stepped out from behind the curtain.


    Elion sat on a velvet couch across the room - posture rxed, one ankle resting over his knee, lookingpletely at home in a ce that screamed luxury.


    For a moment, his eyes didn¡¯t move.


    They stayed on the dress.


    Then slowly... very slowly... his gaze traveled upward.


    To my face.


    The expression he wore made me pause mid-step.


    He looked... horrified.


    Actually horrified.


    More horrified than I did when I first saw myself in the mirror moments ago.


    I stared at him, incredulous. "What?"


    He stood up and walked toward me with measured steps, his eyes scanning the dress again like he was assessing a structural w in a building.


    "This," he said after a long moment in a very t voice, "is your taste?"


    My mouth fell open.


    "I am trying on what they gave me!"


    His gaze shifted immediately toward the store manager, who looked like she might faint on the spot.


    Elion exhaled softly, rubbing his temple like he was reconsidering his life choices.


    Then, without another word, he turned and walked toward the disy racks.


    I crossed my arms, still fuming, but curiosity quickly reced irritation as I watched him move through the dresses.


    He didn¡¯t rush.


    He didn¡¯t randomly pick.


    He examined fabrics, silhouettes, details... his fingers brushing over textures with surprising familiarity.


    And then he stopped.


    He reached out and pulled one dress free.


    Even from across the room, my breath caught.


    Dark red.


    Not bright. Not shy.


    Deep.


    Rich.


    The kind of red that looked like it belonged in royal portraits and candlelit ballrooms.


    The fabric shimmered subtly under the lights, flowing like liquid silk.


    I inhaled slowly, my chest tightening with something that felt dangerously close to awe.


    I had never worn red like that before.


    Never even considered it.


    It felt... powerful.


    Elion turned, and the moment he saw my face, a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.


    He knew.


    He knew he had chosen the right one.


    He walked back to me, holding it out.


    "Try this."


    I took the dress and nodded before disappearing behind the curtains once again.


    The moment I slipped the dress over my body, I understood why Elion had chosen it.


    It wasn¡¯t just beautiful.


    It was... <i>dangerously</i> beautiful.


    The fabric clung to me like liquid silk, molding perfectly to my curves without feeling restrictive. It was sleeveless, the neckline sweeping into a soft, elegant curve that showed just enough of my corbones and the upper swell of my chest to feel feminine without being vulgar. But the real statement was the back.


    Completely open.


    The fabric dipped low, exposing nearly my entire back down to the small of my spine, held together only by delicate crisscrossing straps that shimmered faintly under the light.


    A slit ran along my left thigh, revealing smooth skin with every step, the material shifting like a whisper around my legs.


    It was bold.


    Confident.


    And while it too was dangerously exposing, it did so in a much elegant way. While the ck dress screamed scandalous, this one screamed dark, famine elegance.


    With a satisfactory smile ying on my lips, I stepped out from behind the curtains only to find no sign of Elion.


    Instead, the store manager approached me immediately, her expression bright and professional.


    "This way, Miss."


    Before I could ask anything, she guided me into another room where a makeup artist and hairstylist were already waiting.


    The next hour passed in a blur of brushes, curling irons, nail polish bottles, and carefully selected essories.


    My hair was styled into a high bun with soft curls falling around. It left my shoulders and back exposed just as the dress intended. My makeup was elegant - glowing skin, subtle smoky eyes, deep rose lips that matched the dress perfectly. Even my nails were painted a glossy wine-red shade with hints of gold to match my eyes.


    When they finally slipped the heels onto my feet - delicate straps in the ck with red bottoms - I barely recognized the woman standing up from the chair.


    They led me to a full-length mirror.


    And I froze.


    For a moment, I just... stared.


    The girl in the reflection looked taller. More poised. Confident in a way I hadn¡¯t felt in a while. The red made my skin glow, my eyes brighter, my posture straighter.


    I looked...


    Beautiful.


    A quiet warmth spread through my chest.


    Then movement behind me caught my attention.


    Elion.


    He walked up from behind, stopping just over my shoulder, his gaze meeting mine through the mirror.


    Even with those high heels, he still stood towering over me.


    He wore ck - perfectly tailored, sharp lines emphasizing his broad shoulders - but woven subtly through the fabric were deep red patterns that matched my dress exactly. The tie, the cuff details, even the faint embroidery along hispel mirrored the same shade.


    We matched.


    Perfectly.


    Way too perfectly that I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about River¡¯s reaction once he would see us.


    A satisfied look settled on Elion¡¯s face as he took me in from head to toe.


    "Good," he murmured.


    My lips curved slightly. "Good?"


    His eyes flicked to mine in the reflection, calm and certain.


    "You¡¯ll be the center of the party tonight."


    "And I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a great thing." I told him outright, and surprisingly, he nodded his head in agreement.


    "Then how about we change the way we see this."


    I stared at him, lost at what he¡¯s talking about.


    "Instead of thinking about hundreds of other gazes that will follow you tonight," he said, "you should focus on just one certain person. You¡¯ll have all of his attention tonight."


    Realization finally hit me and I stared at Elion through the mirror in shock. "You are doing this on purpose."


    He only smiled. "I am. And you will thank meter."

 Chapter 605: Into His Arms

    <h4>Chapter 605: Into His Arms</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I had attended formal gatherings before.


    Business Parties. Pack ceremonies. Diplomatic dinners where politics hid behind polite smiles.


    And this evening... it wasn¡¯t any different either.


    The only difference was that instead of apanying River as his partner like in the past, I was now apanying Elion as his partner.


    The moment we stepped into the grand ballroom, the atmosphere shifted in a way I could physically feel.


    Conversations paused.


    Heads turned.


    And then whispers began.


    It was nothing new. After being River¡¯s assistant during my internship, I was no longer new these reactions.


    I kept my posture straight, my shoulders rxed, just like I had learned through my past experiences. My hand rested lightly on Elion¡¯s arm... not clinging, not hesitant, just present enough to signify exactly what I was meant to be tonight.


    His partner.


    As well as his assistant.


    My loyalty was clear.


    It belonged with him.


    "Alpha Grey," one of the Alphas greeted as we approached a cluster of powerful figures near the center of the hall. "You have been difficult to reachtely."


    Elion¡¯s smile was smooth, controlled, diplomatic. "Busy schedules. You can understand."


    Introductions followed quickly, and I offered polite nods and greetings to the Alphas and thedies apanying them. Some of the women smiled warmly.


    Others...


    Not so much.


    The first re came within minutes.


    Then another.


    And another.


    By the time the evening progressed into the second hour, I had stopped counting.


    The reason was obvious.


    Elion Grey.


    The youngest, handsome, and one of the most powerful Alphas alive.


    Unmated.


    Wealthy.


    Influential.


    And tonight... visibly apanied.


    By me.


    Even after learning that I was his assistant, barely anything changed in the way these young women looked at me.


    I could practically hear the silent questions echoing around the room.


    Who is she?


    Why her?


    What is so special about her?


    Why is she so lucky?


    I ignored it.


    Completely.


    Instead, I focused on my role - answering questions about council work, rifying logistical matters, responding politely when someoneplimented my dress, appearance, or knowledge.


    "You look stunning," one Luna told me warmly. "That color is extraordinary on you."


    "Thank you," I replied with a soft smile. "That¡¯s very kind."


    Elion¡¯s presence beside me remained steady and grounding throughout the evening. He navigated conversations with effortless authority, asionally including me in discussions when relevant, which only reinforced my position at his side.


    But through it all...


    I felt it.


    River.


    His gaze.


    I didn¡¯t need to look to know he was looking at me from the other side of the hall.


    The sensation was unmistakable - heavy, intense, almost tangible against my skin.


    Several times I nearly turned my head. Several times I stopped myself. If I looked at him... I wasn¡¯t sure I would be able to look away.


    So I didn¡¯t.


    I stayed focused on Elion, on conversations, on maintainingposure.


    Even when my pulse betrayed me.


    Even when awareness of River burned at the edge of my senses like heat from a nearby me.


    Fortunately, or on purpose, Elion didn¡¯t approach River either. And River stayed away from us as well, probably because of the same reason that was keeping me from even looking at him.


    We kept walking around the hall, meeting and greeting more and more of the important figures in our world.


    So by the time the fifth champagne offer happened, I was already mentally exhausted from politely declining alcohol all evening.


    "I really don¡¯t drink," I had exined to four different people already.


    But this time, the woman offering the ss looked particrly insistent. She¡¯s one of thosedies who had been unable to look away from Elion all evening and seemed to dislike my very existence with each passing moment.


    "Oh, it¡¯s just a toast," she said with a charming smile. "It would be rude not to."


    The two Alphas Elion had been speaking with turned their attention toward me as well, their expressions expectant.


    And suddenly...


    It felt harder to refuse.


    I didn¡¯t want to create awkwardness. Didn¡¯t want to reflect poorly on Elion.


    So I smiled politely and epted the ss.


    Maybe just this time. I could take one, small sip just to stay polite and be done with this.


    I lifted the ss toward my lips... only for a hand to close gently but firmly around my wrist... stopping me.


    I blinked in surprise, turning my head.


    Elion.


    He smoothly took the champagne flute from my hand without any hint of tension, his movements natural, confident.


    "My apologies," he said lightly, raising the ss toward the others in a toast. "I¡¯ll take this one."


    The two Alphas chuckled, clearly unbothered.


    "I have to send her back to the academy after the party," Elion continued casually, not even bothering to spare thedy a single look. "She¡¯s still a student. Thest thing I need is for her to arrive intoxicated and for the professors to me me or call me an irresponsible boss."


    Laughter followed. So did understanding and agreement.


    Not from thedy obviously. If anything, she looked even more unhappy after witnessing Elion helping me out. But there was nothing she could do anymore.


    And just like that...


    The situation dissolved.


    No awkwardness.


    No pressure.


    Nothing.


    Elion clinked sses with them, then handed the champagne to a passing server.


    When his gaze flicked briefly toward me, he gave me a subtle wink.


    Relief washed through me so fast I nearlyughed.


    "Thank you," I murmured under my breath.


    His lips curved faintly. "That¡¯s what partners are for."


    My heart warmed at the simple statement.


    Throughout dinner, the awareness of River¡¯s gaze on me returned again and again.


    Once, when I was seated across the table from Elion, I felt it so strongly that my fingers tightened slightly around my fork.


    And once again, I didn¡¯t look.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    But I knew.


    He was watching.


    And the knowledge sent restless energy through my chest that I struggled to contain.


    After the banquet concluded and guests began dispersing into smaller conversations, Elion suggested we step onto the balcony for some air.


    The night greeted us with cool wind and a crescent moon hanging low in the sky.


    For the first time all evening, I exhaled fully.


    "Well," I said, leaning lightly against the railing, "I¡¯m pleasantly surprised."


    Elion nced at me. "About?"


    "The number of res I received tonight."


    He chuckled - a genuine, amused sound.


    "I should be thanking you," he said. "You saved me from at least half a dozen strategic approaches."


    My brows lifted. "Strategic?"


    "Women sent to ¡¯coincidentally¡¯ run into me," he rified dryly.


    That made meugh.


    "Why aren¡¯t you dating anyone already?" I asked, curiosity slipping out before I could stop it.


    He considered for a moment, then shrugged lightly.


    "Perhaps you should introduce me to someone," he said. "Someone nice. Maybe one of your friends."


    I was ready to dismiss it as a joke.


    But then...


    I paused.


    My eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you serious?"


    Now he looked intrigued. "What are you nning?"


    "If I introduce you to someone," I said slowly, "you have to give it an honest chance."


    His lips curved. He gave it a real thought, and then - "Agreed."


    Excitement sparked instantly.


    "Oh, I know exactly who," I said, grinning. "Be ready this Sunday."


    Heughed softly. "I have justmitted myself to something dangerous, haven¡¯t I?"


    "Yes," I said sweetly. "Very."


    I turned to look at him. "You know you can trust me to find a suitable enough person for you."


    He gave me a warm, genuine smile. "If I didn¡¯t trust you, I wouldn¡¯t have even started this conversation in the first ce."


    Afortable silence settled between us for a moment before Elion spoke again.


    "You know," he said casually, "I¡¯m actually in more trouble than you tonight."


    I didn¡¯t need rification.


    River.


    I sighed. "That¡¯s your fault. You are the one who decided to tease him and y this dangerous game."


    "I did it for you."


    That made me blink.


    "For me?"


    He exhaled softly, then looked at me with surprising directness. "That¡¯s right. For you. I noticed the tension between you two," he said. "And your longing looks."


    My mouth opened instantly.


    "I do not-"


    One knowing look from him stopped mepletely. The protest died in my throat.


    Because...


    He wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Heat crept into my cheeks.


    I looked away, sighing in disbelief. "Am I really that obvious?"


    "To me," he said simply.


    I groaned quietly. "Wonderful."


    There was no point denying it.


    My longing for River... it existed.


    And apparently Elion had seen right through me.


    After a moment, he spoke again.


    "Well," he said, his tone shifting slightly, "since I have decided to help... I might as well go all the way."


    I frowned. "What does that mean?"


    A faint smirk appeared on his lips.


    "Just don¡¯t be startled."


    Before I could ask another question... his arm slid around my waist.


    And suddenly...


    I was pulled straight into his arms.

 Chapter 606: Successful Plan

    <h4>Chapter 606: Sessful n</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My brainpletely short-circuited.


    One second I was standing on the balcony beside him.


    The next... I was almost pressed against Elion¡¯s chest.


    Somehow, he made sure to pull us this close and yet not touch. My hands hung by my side... just as lost as I was.


    "What are you-"


    He looked down at me and... just smiled.


    Sweetly.


    Infuriatingly.


    Like he hadn¡¯t just shattered every boundary of normal interaction we had established over the past months.


    Then he leaned closer, his lips brushing near my ear as his voice dropped to a quiet murmur.


    "River is ring daggers at me right now."


    My stomach flipped. And instantly... like a maic pull... I felt it.


    That scorching awareness.


    My mate.


    His gaze.


    Locked on us.


    My body began to turn on instinct, the primal need to find him overriding logic-


    Elion¡¯s arm tightened around my waist immediately.


    "Don¡¯t," he whispered firmly. "Do not look back unless you want to ruin everything we have worked on this evening. Everything will turn out useless."


    I froze.


    My pulse was racing so hard I could hear it in my ears.


    "This might not even work," I whispered back urgently. "You don¡¯t know River like I do. His self-control is-"


    Elion pulled back just enough to look at me, confidence radiating from him.


    "I¡¯m going to make sure it works."


    There was no arrogance in his voice.


    Just certainty.


    "Trust me," he added quietly.


    I stared at him, trying to read past the wall he always surrounding him.


    "Are you really trying to help me, or are you just trying to make sure I¡¯m on the radar of all these nobledies who have their eyes and ns fixed on you and River?"


    For a moment, he just stared at me as if I had just thrown the worst possible usation at him.


    "How could you think of me like that woman?"


    And then he even shook his head dramatically, adding, "Hopeless."


    I opened my mouth, but before I could argue again... he grabbed my hand and started walking.


    Fast.


    "Alpha Grey-where are we going?"


    "Come on."


    We moved through the ballroom, past guests and servers and clusters of conversation. I barely registered the curious looks because my entire nervous system was hyper-focused on the zing awareness behind me.


    River.


    He was still watching.


    I could feel it.


    We exited the hall and reached the elevators in seconds.


    Relief hit me briefly.


    Oh.


    We were leaving.


    Good.


    Yes.


    That was smart.


    Escape the situation before it exploded.


    But then Elion pressed a button.


    Up.


    Not down.


    I blinked.


    "Alpha Grey ... why are we going up?"


    "Because we are not going back tonight," he said calmly.


    "What?"


    "I booked rooms here."


    My brain stumbled over the information.


    Rooms?


    Plural?


    "For both of us," he rified.


    The elevator doors opened before I could respond, and he pulled me along the hallway with the same determined energy he¡¯d had all evening.


    I was still trying to process the sudden change in ns when we stopped in front of a door.


    Room numbers.


    Hotel corridor.


    This was real.


    "Alpha Grey, wait-"


    The door beeped open.


    He stepped aside and ced the card key - he just used to unlock the door - into my hand.


    I stared down at it.


    Then up at him.


    But he was already turning toward the door opposite mine.


    He used another key card to unlock the room and disappeared inside for a moment, leaving me standing there in stunned silence.


    Secondster he returned... holding two familiar paper bags.


    My clothes.


    The ones I had worn before the party. And the gown I originally brought to wear in the party.


    He handed them toward me.


    And I epted them automatically, still confused about what he¡¯s really nning.


    But then...


    He opened his mouth.


    And started speaking absolute nonsense.


    "I got you clothes that will make you look even hotter tonight."


    I blinked.


    Once.


    Twice.


    My jaw literally dropped.


    "...What?"


    He smiled.


    Not mischievous.


    Not teasing.


    Satisfied.


    Like a man who had justpleted a veryplicated mission sessfully.


    I gawked at him,pletely lost.


    "What are you even talking about?"


    I started to ask.


    But he reached out, took my hand again, and gently pushed the bags fully into my palms.


    And didn¡¯t let go of my hand.


    That was the exact moment the elevator dinged.


    The doors slid open.


    And the world shifted.


    River.


    His presence hit me like a physical force.


    The mate bond surged alive in my chest, heat and awareness rushing through me all at once.


    But it wasn¡¯t just that.


    His Alpha aura filled the hallway.


    Not overwhelming.


    Not aggressive.


    But unmistakable.


    A deration.


    He was here.


    I looked past Elion.


    And saw him.


    River was walking straight toward us.


    His each step controlled.


    Measured.


    Dangerous.


    His eyes dropped instantly to where Elion was holding my hand. And the temperature in the hallway seemed to drop ten degrees.


    Oh no.


    Oh no.


    As realization hit me exactly why Elion looked so satisfied, and why River looked so dangerous, I quickly tried to pull my hand free.


    "Alpha Grey," I hissed under my breath.


    He didn¡¯t let go. If anything... his grip tightened.


    "Elion-"


    "You owe me one," he whispered near my ear.


    And then everything happened at once.


    River reached us in seconds.


    His hand closed around my wrist, pulling my hand out of Elion¡¯s hold with enough force that the paper bags slipped from my hand and fell to the floor.


    Before I could react... he was already moving.


    Pulling me with him.


    He didn¡¯t even spare Elion a single nce. Instead, I heard the hotel room door behind me swinging open.


    And then I was pulled inside.


    The door mmed shut.


    Click.


    Locked.


    I opened my mouth to speak...


    But he didn¡¯t give me the chance.


    In one stride River closed the space between us, grabbed the back of my head...


    And smashed his mouth onto mine.

 Chapter 607: Rogue Alpha’s Claim (I)

    <h4>Chapter 607: Rogue Alpha¡¯s im (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    His mouth hit mine like a collision.


    There was no hesitation.


    No softness.


    No question.


    Just impact.


    My back arched instinctively as his hand tightened in my hair, his fingers fisting at the base of my skull to hold me exactly where he wanted me. The force of it stole the breath from my lungs, and for a split second my mind wentpletely nk.


    River had kissed me before.


    But never like this.


    This wasn¡¯t the controlled, careful restraint he had always maintained between us.


    This wasn¡¯t the almost-kiss that stopped right before the line.


    This was hunger.


    Raw.


    Unfiltered.


    His lips moved against mine with a desperate intensity that made my knees weaken. He angled his head, deepening the contact, his mouth iming mine in a way that felt almost territorial.


    Like he was proving something.


    Like he was taking something back.


    A small sound escaped me - half gasp, half protest - but he swallowed it instantly, his other hand sliding around my waist and dragging me flush against his body.


    The contact sent a shockwave through me.


    Heat.


    Solid muscle.


    The unmistakable hardness of him pressed against my hips.


    My fingers curled into the front of his shirt without me realizing it, clutching the fabric as his lips moved harder, deeper, more insistent. His breath was warm, uneven, mingling with mine as he kissed me like he couldn¡¯t get enough.


    Like he had been starving.


    His teeth caught my lower lip suddenly, and he gave a sharp, deliberate nip.


    Not enough to hurt... but enough to make me gasp.


    And he used that moment.


    His tongue brushed mine, iming the space, turning the kiss into something even more overwhelming.


    My head spun.


    Stars, this was...


    Too much.


    Too intense.


    Too dangerous.


    "Ri-River-"


    I tried to pull back.


    I needed to tell him.


    Needed to exin.


    Elion was just provoking him.


    And what about his promise of only kissing me when he would mark her?


    He broke the kiss only because I forced space between us with both hands against his chest.


    We were both breathing hard.


    His forehead hovered near mine, his eyes dark... so dark they were the darkest shade of green I had ever seen.


    There was jealousy, possessiveness... emotions I had never seen so openly on his face before.


    I swallowed, trying to gather my thoughts. And then, for some inexplicable reason, the words that came out were...


    "My bags are outside. They have my clothes in them."


    Silence.


    I blinked.


    My own brain froze.


    Out of everything I could have said...


    That?


    Disappointment crashed into me instantly.


    What was wrong with me?!


    River stared at me for one stunned second. Then something shifted behind his eyes.


    Not calmer.


    Worse.


    Far worse.


    The next moment he moved.


    Fast.


    His hand caught my waist again, and suddenly my back hit the wall beside the door with a soft thud. The impact barely registered because his mouth was already on mine again.


    Harder this time... if even possible.


    More demanding.


    Like whatever restraint had been left in him just snappedpletely.


    I gasped against his lips, but he didn¡¯t slow down. His hand slid from my waist up my side, fingers sying over my ribs before settling firmly at the curve beneath my chest, holding me pinned against him.


    His body pressed closer.


    Trapping me between him and the wall.


    The kiss deepened again, his head tilting the opposite way, his lips moving with a relentless hunger that made my pulse race wildly.


    This wasn¡¯t gentle.


    It wasn¡¯t romantic.


    It was possession.


    His teeth grazed my lip again, softer this time, followed by a soothing press of his mouth that sent shivers down my spine.


    My hands betrayed mepletely, sliding up his chest to his shoulders, my fingers curling into his cor as if I needed him just as much.


    Because stars help me...


    I did.


    He kissed like a man who had been pushed too far.


    Like every emotion he had been suppressing finally erupted.


    His mouth left mine suddenly.


    I barely had time to inhale before his lips were at my jaw.


    Hot.


    Open-mouthed.


    Trailing down the sensitive skin beneath my ear.


    A sharp breath escaped me.


    "River-"


    My voice sounded weak.


    Unsteady.


    His nose brushed my throat, and then his lips followed.


    Slow at first.


    Then firmer.


    He kissed the side of my neck, and the sensation shot straight through my body, heat pooling low in my stomach. His hand tightened on my waist, his fingers digging in just enough to remind me how strong he was.


    How easily he could keep me right where I was.


    My head tipped back against the wall without permission.


    His breath was warm against my skin.


    His lips moved again, lower this time, and I felt the scrape of his teeth followed by a soothing press that made my toes curl inside my heels.


    Stars.


    I was losing this battle.


    Completely.


    One of his hands slid up into my hair, not gripping like before... just holding, anchoring me as his mouth returned to mine once more.


    This kiss was different again.


    Still intense.


    Still hungry.


    But deeper.


    Slower.


    Like he was savoring the contact while still unable to stop.


    Our breaths mingled, uneven and hot, and every time I tried to pull back even a fraction, his hand tightened, guiding me right back.


    A soft sound slipped out of me when his thumb brushed along my jaw.


    His response was immediate - his lips pressed harder, his body shifting even closer, hips aligning with mine in a way that made my stomach flip violently.


    My hands slid from his shoulders to the back of his neck.


    I wasn¡¯t even pretending to resist anymore.


    The world outside this moment had disappeared.


    There¡¯s kust him.


    His mouth.


    His hands.


    His presence surrounding mepletely.


    He kissed like he was memorizing me.


    Like he needed to erase the image of anyone else near me.


    Like he needed to remind both of us exactly who I belonged to.


    My lungs burned when he finally pulled back just enough for air, our foreheads resting together.


    But his hands didn¡¯t loosen. If anything, they tightened.


    His thumb traced along my cheek.


    His breathing was still rough.


    Controlled.


    Barely.


    And that was when it hit me.


    The realization.


    This wasn¡¯t just about the kiss.


    River wasn¡¯t nning to stop here tonight.


    Not even close.

 Chapter 608: Rogue Alpha’s Claim (II)

    <h4>Chapter 608: Rogue Alpha¡¯s im (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My pulse was still racing when his forehead rested against mine, both of us breathing like we had just run for miles instead of simply standing in a hotel room.


    But nothing about this felt simple.


    Nothing about River had ever felt simple to me.


    His hands were still on me - one firm at my waist, the other cradling the back of my head - and the way he held me made it very clear that he had no intention of letting go anytime soon.


    "River..." I whispered, though I wasn¡¯t even sure what I meant to say.


    Stop?


    Slow down?


    Don¡¯t stop?


    I didn¡¯t know anymore.


    His eyes searched my face, dark and stormy, his jaw tight like he was fighting something inside himself. For a moment, I thought he might step back. Thought he might regain that iron self-control he was so famous for.


    Instead, his thumb brushed across my lower lip in a slow, deliberate move, and the tiny gesture shattered whatever fragileposure I had left.


    "You two wore matching sets," he said roughly.


    The words sent heat rushing straight to my cheeks.


    "It¡¯s just a dress," I murmured.


    His gaze dropped briefly to my mouth again.


    Then he kissed me.


    Not with the same explosive force as before.


    This time it started slower.


    Deeper.


    His lips moved against mine with aching intensity, like he was savoring every second instead of devouring it all at once. The change should have made it easier to think.


    It didn¡¯t.


    If anything, it was worse.


    Because now I could feel everything.


    The warmth of his breath.


    The way his hand tightened slightly at my waist every time I leaned closer.


    And I did lean closer.


    I couldn¡¯t help it.


    My fingers slid into his hair, the soft strands slipping between them as I held him there, as if I was afraid he might disappear if I didn¡¯t.


    A low sound rumbled in his chest when I did that.


    The vibration traveled straight through me.


    His mouth parted mine again, the kiss deepening, and I felt myself melting... actually melting... into him. My body curved instinctively toward his, seeking more contact, more warmth, more of him.


    He responded instantly.


    His arm tightened around my waist, pulling me flush against him, eliminating any remaining space between us. The contact sent sparks racing across my skin, and I gasped softly into his mouth.


    He swallowed the sound.


    His lips moved more urgently now, hunger returning, but it wasn¡¯t wild like before... it was focused.


    Intentional.


    Like he was learning me.


    Mapping me.


    My hands slid from his hair to his shoulders, gripping firmly as his mouth traveled from my lips to the corner of my jaw again.


    "River..." I breathed.


    He answered by pressing a kiss just beneath my ear.


    Then another.


    Then another.


    Each one slower than thest.


    My head tipped back before I even realized what I was doing, giving him more ess, and the quiet sound of approval he made nearly undid me.


    His lips moved along the line of my throat, warm and firm, and every ce he touched felt like it ignited under his mouth. My fingers tightened against his shoulders, nails pressing through the fabric of his shirt as a tremor ran through me.


    Stars.


    I was done for.


    Completely.


    His hand slid from my waist up my back, fingers tracing the exposed skin where the dress dipped low. The sensation made me shiver, and he immediately followed it with his mouth, kissing the sensitive spot just above my corbone.


    My knees actually weakened.


    I would have slid down the wall if he hadn¡¯t been holding me.


    His grip tightened, steadying me effortlessly, and there was something intensely possessive about the way he kept me anchored against him... like he didn¡¯t trust gravity itself with me.


    My hands moved again, almost without thought, slipping around his neck as I pulled him closer.


    That seemed to be thest thread of restraint he had left.


    His mouth returned to mine with renewed intensity, the kiss turning deeper, hotter, and I felt myself responding just as fiercely. Whatever hesitation had lived inside me earlier dissolvedpletely.


    I kissed him back.


    Fully.


    Openly.


    My lips moving with his, matching his rhythm, my fingers tangling in his hair again as a soft, helpless sound escaped me.


    He reacted instantly.


    His arm wrapped tighter around me, lifting me just enough that my body pressed even more firmly against his. The movement stole my breath, and I clung to him instinctively, feeling the strength in his hold, the solid warmth of him surrounding me.


    The world narrowed to sensation.


    His mouth.


    His hands.


    His scent.


    The steady, powerful beat of his heart against my chest.


    Time stopped making sense.


    Minutes passed in a blur of kisses that shifted between deep and desperate, slow and consuming. Every time I thought I might need air, he adjusted just enough to let me breathe before pulling me right back in.


    Like he couldn¡¯t stand the distance.


    And I couldn¡¯t either.


    At some point, my forehead fell against his shoulder, breath shaky, and I realized my entire body felt warm and heavy at the same time.


    I was overwhelmed, but not in a bad way.


    His hand slid up to cradle my cheek again, his thumb brushing lightly across my skin.


    "Evaline," he said quietly.


    The way he said my name - low, rough, full of something dangerously close to reverence - made my stomach flip.


    I looked up at him, and whatever he saw in my face must have answered something inside him, because his expression changed again.


    Softer.


    But no less intense.


    His lips brushed mine once more, gentler this time, almost like a promise instead of a im.


    I felt his fingers moving up my side, and secondster came the sound of the zipper sliding down my - soft, almost delicate, and yet it echoed through me like thunder.


    And for a heartbeat, I forgot how to breathe.

 Chapter 609: Rogue Alpha’s Claim (III)

    <h4>Chapter 609: Rogue Alpha¡¯s im (III)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River¡¯s fingers lingered at my side after the zipper gave way, his knuckles brushing my skin as though he was savoring the simple fact that he could touch me.


    The air against my skin felt cool, but the heat radiating from his body swallowed any chill before it could settle. When the fabric loosened, he didn¡¯t rush. He simply tugged once, and the gown slipped from my body, gliding down in a whisper until it pooled around my feet.


    I stepped out of it without looking down.


    Because I couldn¡¯t look anywhere except at him.


    His eyes were darker than I had ever seen them - heavy with something raw and unrestrained. Possessive. Hungry. Almost disbelieving.


    As if he couldn¡¯t quite ept that I was really there.


    Bare beneath his gaze.


    His hands came to my waist,rge and warm, and the moment his palms touched my skin I shivered - not from cold, but from the sheer intensity of it. He didn¡¯t say anything. He just lifted me.


    Like I weighed nothing.


    My instinct was to wrap my arms around his shoulders, and the second I did, his head dipped into the curve of my neck. His breath was hot against my skin, and the low sound that left him... half exhale, half growl... sent a sharp rush of heat through my chest and straight down my spine.


    He carried me across the room, past the bed I had assumed we would end up at, and toward the long couch near the window. The city lights outside cast a muted glow across the space, painting everything in soft gold and shadow.


    When he set me down, it wasn¡¯t abrupt.


    It was careful.


    Intentional.


    Like he was cing something precious exactly where he wanted it.


    I barely had time to process that before he stepped back... and started removing his clothes.


    My breath caught.


    I had seen River shirtless before. Seen glimpses of him every now and then, moments when his power and strength were obvious.


    But this?


    This was different.


    Because this time, there was nothing between us. No distance. No restraint.


    His suit jacket came off first, tossed carelessly aside. Then his tie, loosened with an impatient tug before he pulled it freepletely. His shirt followed, buttons opening one after another under quick, decisive movements. Every inch of skin revealed only made my heart pound harder, my pulse racing in my ears.


    He didn¡¯t break eye contact with me.


    Not once.


    When his boxers joined the growing pile on the floor and he stepped out of them, something in my stomach flipped. Anticipation. Nerves. Desire. All tangled together until I couldn¡¯t separate one from the other.


    By the time he was done, I felt like the entire room had shrunk.


    Like there was only him.


    Only us.


    He moved back toward me, slower now, and when he reached me he didn¡¯t hesitate. His hand wrapped around my ankle, firm but gentle, and he pulled me closer until I was right at the edge of the couch.


    Then he leaned down and kissed me again.


    This kiss wasn¡¯t like the frantic ones by the door or against the wall.


    It was deeper.


    Heavier.


    His mouth moved over mine with deliberate hunger, as though he was trying to memorize me through touch alone. I felt his hand slide up my leg, over my thigh, across my hip, until his fingers curved around my side.


    And when his other hand reached behind me, working at the sp of my bra, I gasped softly into his mouth.


    The garment loosened, then disappeared, leaving nothing between his hands and my skin.


    His touch changed after that.


    It wasn¡¯t just hunger anymore.


    It was reverence mixed with desperation.


    Like he had wanted this for so long that now he didn¡¯t quite know what to do with the reality of it.


    His lips left mine, trailing along my jaw, down my throat. Every brush of his mouth felt like sparks dancing across my nerves. When he reached my corbone, I felt his breath pause, his forehead resting briefly against me as if he needed that moment to steady himself.


    "River..." I whispered, my voice trembling despite myself.


    He didn¡¯t answer with words.


    He answered with another kiss.


    Lower this time.


    His tongue flicked over my already hard nipples before moving down to my belly. He pulled back to take off thest piece of fabric left on my body, but instead of his mouth, it were his fingers that found their way to my already wet and aching core.


    I moaned loudly as he slipped one of his digits inside with ease, joined by a second one merely secondster.


    My fingers dug into his shoulders, holding on without thinking, my head tipping back as sensation rippled through me.


    Time stopped making sense.


    Minutes... or maybe seconds... blurred together in a haze of heat and breath and touch.


    At some point he shifted me, guiding me gently, turning me so my hands rested against the back of the couch while he stayed close behind. The position sent a nervous flutter through me, but the moment his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me securely against him, the uncertainty melted into something else.


    Something electric.


    His lips brushed the curve of my shoulder, then my neck, his breath hot against my skin.


    "I have got you, mate," he murmured, the words rough and low.


    And I believed him.


    Completely.


    What followed wasn¡¯t rushed, but it wasn¡¯t slow either. It was intense, consuming - two people colliding after holding themselves apart for far too long. Every movement carried emotion beneath it - jealousy, longing, frustration, relief.


    im.


    Connection.


    His thrusts were deep, strong, and fast. There was nothing gentle about him tonight, and yet, he had made sure to not hurt me in any way. And the contrast only added fuel to the fire.


    My breathing grew sharp as I felt my inner walls squeezing around his hard length in desperation. I knew I was close.


    "Don¡¯t hold it back," he murmured in my ear, "I want to see you-"


    He didn¡¯t even get to finish his words when the tension finally snapped inside me. It felt like a wave breaking - sudden and overwhelming.


    My breath caught, a soft cry escaping before I could stop it, and my body trembled as sensation rushed through me in bright, cascading pulses.


    For a moment, everything went white.


    Sound faded.


    Thought disappeared.


    There was only feeling.


    Only him.

 Chapter 610 610: Rogue Alphas Claim (IV)

    Warning: Mature content in the chapter


    - - - - - - - - - -


    Evaline:


    River''s arms tightened around me immediately, holding me steady as the tremors faded into aftershocks.


    He pressed his forehead against the back of my shoulder. And through the fog of my own pleasure, I felt how uneven his breathing was, almost as if he was fighting for control himself.


    I could feel it - the way his body was still tense, still wound tight, still nowhere near finished.


    His hand slid up my arm and he threaded his fingers through mine where they rested against the couch. He kissed my shoulder once... soft this time, almost apologetic.


    For a few seconds, neither of us moved.


    It felt like the world had narrowed down to that single point of contact between us.


    Then he pressed his lips against the curve where my neck met my shoulder.


    The touch was gentle, so different from the fierce hunger from earlier that my heart squeezed.


    "Evaline¡­" he breathed, my name rough in his throat.


    The sound alone sent another ripple through me.


    I turned my head slightly, enough that our foreheads brushed when he leaned closer. His eyes searched my face. Those green orbs still looked darker than usual, still intense, but no longer wild. There was something else there now.


    Wonder.


    Disbelief.


    Like he still couldn''t quite ept that this was real.


    My fingers slid up his arm, feeling the strength beneath his skin, grounding myself in the moment.


    "I''m here," I whispered.


    Something in his expression broke.


    Not in a bad way.


    More like the final wall inside him finally gave way.


    His mouth found mine again, and this kiss¡­ this one was different from all the others tonight.


    Still deep.


    Still consuming.


    Butyered with emotion that made my chest ache.


    His hands moved over me slowly now, learning rather than iming. Mapping every curve like he wasmitting it to memory. When he shifted me to face him fully, I went willingly, my legs sliding against his as he drew me closer.


    The couch creaked softly beneath us as he leaned back, pulling me with him so I was half over him, our bodies pressed together from chest to thigh. The new angle sent a rush of awareness through me, and I felt his breath hitch against my lips.


    A quiet sound escaped me.


    Not intentional.


    Just¡­ feeling.


    River''s eyes darkened again at the sound, and his grip on my hips tightened slightly, grounding me.


    "You okay?" he murmured in low voice.


    I nodded immediately, "Yes."


    More than okay.


    He rested his forehead against mine for a moment, and I felt his restraint there... like he was holding himself back again, even now.


    But I didn''t want that.


    Not tonight.


    Not between us.


    "Don''t hold back, River." I told him, cupping his face so I could make him look at the sincerity in my eyes.


    He studied me for a moment before finally confessing, "I don''t want to hurt you, love. Unlike my brothers, sex with me can be... a little overwhelming."


    It looked like he struggled to choose the right word, but I still got what he wanted to say. But if he thought I would be terrified, then he was so wrong. He had no idea for how long I had waited for this night.


    "You underestimate me, Alpha Thorne," I whispered as I pulled his face closer, "Just like you have done all this time."


    "I''m no-"


    I nipped on his lower lip, silencing him before he could finish defending himself.


    "Since I''m your fated mate, it means only I can handle you. So don''t even think about holding back tonight."


    And then I kissed him.


    Soft at first.


    Then deeper when he responded instantly. His arms wrapped around me and pulled me flush against him. The contact drew a gasp from both of us at the same time, and he let out a quiet groan into my mouth that made heat spiral through my stomach.


    Still kissing him, I reached down between our bodies and found his hardness. I gave it a few... nice and tight... pumps just to hear him groan into the kiss, before I guided it to my entrance.


    We both groaned as he entered me and went deep, his erection stretching my inner walls like they have never been before.


    We moved together instinctively after that. There was no rush, no urgency to reach anything.


    Just closeness.


    Connection.


    At some point he shifted us again, guiding me more securely onto hisp while his back pressed into the couch cushions. My hands settled on his shoulders for bnce, and the new position changed everything - he was even deeper now, and the sensation pulled a sharp inhale from my lungs.


    River''s head tipped back slightly and he closed his eyes for a second as a strained sound left him.


    "Stars¡­" he muttered under his breath.


    The reaction sent a flicker of confidence through me I hadn''t expected. So I decided to take the lead for a while. I moved experimentally, and his hands tightened on my hips immediately, guiding, steadying.


    "Easy," he murmured, though his voice sounded anything but controlled.


    We found a rhythm slowly... one that built rather than rushed. Every small movement seemed amplified, every shift sending warmth coiling tighter inside me.


    Our breathing synced without either of us trying, soft sounds escaping both of us in between kisses that kept breaking and reforming - mouth to mouth, cheek to temple, our lips brushing each other wherever they could reach.


    The room filled with quiet noises of our breathing, skin moving again skin, the faint creak of the couch, and my not so loud moans.


    The pleasure built inside me again, ready to break loose once again.


    River might have sensed it too because he shifted too. I felt one of his hands sliding up my back. His fingers spread across my shoulder des as he pulled me down against him and buried his face in my neck. His lips pressed there... open, lingering... and I felt the scrape of his teeth lightly against my skin.

 Chapter 611: Rogue Alpha’s Claim (V)

    <h4>Chapter 611: Rogue Alpha¡¯s im (V)</h4>


    <strong>Warning: Mature content in the Chapter </strong>


    <strong>- - - - - - - - - -</strong>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    A shiver ran through me.


    "River..." I whispered, my fingers tightening in his hair.


    He made a low sound in response, somewhere between a growl and a groan, and the vibration of it against my throat sent sparks down my spine.


    The intensity kept building -yer byyer - as he took back the control, thrusting deep within me.


    Until I could feel the tension gathering again inside me, tighter and tighter.


    River was getting close too.


    I knew because his movements started losing that careful restraint. His breathing grew rougher, his grip firmer, his forehead pressing against mine as if he was holding himself together by sheer will.


    Then suddenly...


    He stilled.


    I blinked, disoriented by the sudden halt.


    "River...?"


    He inhaled sharply, his hands tightening on my hips as if he was about to move me away.


    "I need to-" His voice broke slightly. "I¡¯m not- I don¡¯t have-"


    I stared at him, confused at what he¡¯s trying to say.


    One look at my lost expression and he let out a deep sigh.


    "We aren¡¯t using protection." He reminded me.


    Understanding hit me instantly.


    He was trying to stop.


    Trying to pull back.


    Even now.


    Even when we were both right there.


    Just for me.


    Emotion surged through my chest so fast it almost hurt.


    I caught his face between my hands before he could move.


    "Don¡¯t," I said, breathless.


    His eyes snapped to mine, conflicted.


    "Evaline, I-"


    "I can take a pillter," I said softly. "It¡¯s okay."


    He frozepletely.


    For a second I thought he might argue anyway.


    But then something shifted in his expression... something deep and vulnerable.


    "You are sure?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "You don¡¯t have to-"


    I quickly shook my head.


    "I¡¯m sure."


    Because this wasn¡¯t just about desire.


    It was about us.


    This was our first time, and I didn¡¯t want any sort of hesitation or distance between us tonight.


    The tension inside him snapped.


    His forehead dropped against mine, a shaky exhale leaving him.


    But then he still pulled out, leaving me empty and confused. I opened my mouth, ready to ask him what he¡¯s doing but before I could do that, he¡¯s already picking me up in his arms and carrying toward the bed.


    The soft, cool bedsheets met my bare back as he lowered me on the bed.


    Within seconds, he was back between my legs, sliding himself inside to the hilt as he lowered himself to kiss my forehead.


    As he started moving, there was no restraint left - only connection, only feeling, only the need to reach that peak together.


    The pressure inside me started building faster this time.


    Higher.


    Brighter.


    River¡¯s sounds grew rougher, his grip almost desperate as he held me against him. Our breaths tangled together, lips brushing between broken kisses, foreheads pressed close.


    "Evaline..." he murmured again, like my name was the only word he knew.


    And then, without any warning, the wave hit me suddenly.


    Hard.


    My body tensed, and a cry got caught in my throat as sensation crashed through me, bright and overwhelming.


    River followed secondster, his arms locking around me as he buried his face against my neck, his whole body shuddering as he copsed in my weing arms.


    We both stayed still for a while... minutes or maybe just seconds. Then I felt his lips moving down the side of my neck, pressing soft, feathery kisses up to my shoulder before tracing the path back to my ear.


    He kept kissing, and with each passing minute, his kisses grew only more intense and strong.


    And then... came a sudden, sharp sting - familiar, weed.


    It wasn¡¯t too painful, but intense.


    His teeth pressed into the side of my neck, right above my pulse... exactly where Kieran and Draven had already marked me in the past.


    Heat red outward from the point of contact, spreading through me like liquid fire.


    My breath caught.


    "River..."


    I had waited so long for this moment and it was finally happening. And for the first time, I wasn¡¯t worried that his phone would suddenly start ringing and he would stop.


    He wouldn¡¯t dare to.


    My fingers found their way into his hair and I gave them a light tug, encouraging him to ho ahead and mark me.


    So he did.


    His sharp teeth sank deeper into my flesh and I sensed the ancient magic working on our souls and binding us together as mates for the rest of our lives.


    The moment his mark settled, something inside me responded.


    A deep sense of rightness.


    Of belonging.


    Of connection that went beyond anything physical.


    He released my neck slowly, and then brushed his lips over the spot in a soft apology, his breathing still uneven.


    He pulled back to look at me, his eyes glowing like emeralds as he whispered.


    "My mate."


    He leaned down and kissed my right cheek.


    "My Luna."


    This time he kissed my left cheek.


    He pulled back again and studied me for a moment before asking, "Are you okay?"


    I shook my head immediately, snaking my other arm around his neck and interlocking my fingers at his nape.


    "I¡¯m more than just okay, River," I whispered, holding his gaze.


    He smiled - a warm, heart-melting smile. Then he leaned in once again and kissed me.


    The bond between us hummed - warm, alive, real.


    He pulled back just enough to look at me, his expression filled with awe and something dangerously close to tears.


    "You are mine," he said quietly.


    My chest tightened.


    "And you are mine," I answered.


    He kissed me again then - slow, lingering, nothing like the frantic hunger from earlier. Just warmth. Just promise.


    We stayed tangled together on the bed, breathing slowly, holding each other as the night wrapped around us.


    Eventually, he broke the silence.


    "I¡¯m sorry, love." He apologized suddenly. "Even after trying so hard, is still end up messing up your academy routine."


    I opened my mouth, but he quickly silenced me, cing his finger on my lips as he added...


    "And just to let you know, I¡¯m apologizing for making your miss your sses for next several days, not for marking you. <i>Never </i>for marking you."

 Chapter 612: Rogue Alpha’s Claim (VI)

    <h4>Chapter 612: Rogue Alpha¡¯s im (VI)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I wasn¡¯t sure exactly when I fell asleep.


    One moment I had been aware of River¡¯s heartbeat beneath my cheek, the steady rise and fall of his chest under my palm, the warmth of his arm wrapped securely around my waist... and the next moment everything had dissolved into soft darkness.


    And our bond...


    It hummed beneath my skin like a quiet melody, warm and alive, wrapping around my senses even in sleep. There wasfort in it. Assurance. A deep, instinctive knowledge that I wasn¡¯t alone.


    <i>Mine.</i>


    The word lingered in the back of my mind as I drifted.


    By the time consciousness returned, sunlight was filtering through the window. It felt soft at first - golden, warm.


    I blinked slowly, myshes fluttering as brightness seeped into my awareness.


    For a few seconds, my mind remained hazy, floating between dreams and reality, but then memory rushed back in a wave so vivid it made my stomach flip.


    River.


    The bond.


    Last night.


    Heat crept into my cheeks instantly.


    My eyes opened fully... and the first thing I did was turn my head toward the space beside me.


    Empty.


    The realization jolted me upright.


    The covers shifted around my body as I pushed myself onto my elbows, my heart skipping slightly. The bed was warm, clearly used, but River wasn¡¯t there.


    That¡¯s when I noticed something else.


    The room.


    It was different.


    Last night had been... overwhelming, to say the least. I hadn¡¯t exactly been paying attention to decor while River had been devouring me within seconds of us entering. But even through that haze, I knew this wasn¡¯t the same ce.


    This room was bigger.


    Brighter.


    The curtains were drawn open, letting sunlight spill across polished floors and cream-colored walls. There was a seating area near the windows, a low table, elegant furniture that screamed luxury in a way that made me blink in confusion.


    Where...?


    My gaze moved toward the end of the bed.


    Andnded on him.


    River was sitting on a cushioned seater positioned near the foot of the bed, his back partially turned toward me. He was shirtless, his dark hair slightly tousled like he had been running his fingers through it. Aptop rested on his knees, his posture rxed but focused.


    My heart melted instantly.


    As if sensing I was awake, he spoke without turning.


    "Good morning, sweetheart."


    A smile bloomed across my face before I could stop it.


    Goddess.


    Just his voice was enough.


    I shifted slightly, and that¡¯s when I realized something else - I wasn¡¯t naked anymore.


    I nced down.


    A green silk nightdress covered me, the fabric smooth and cool against my skin, falling softly over my thighs. It wasn¡¯t mine. I knew that immediately.


    But it fit perfectly.


    Which meant...


    My mind shed through possibilities.


    Did he...?


    When...?


    My cheeks warmed again, a mix of embarrassment and tenderness swirling together.


    River must have done all of this while I slept - moved rooms, bought clothes, dressed me.


    The thought made my chest tighten in a way I couldn¡¯t exin.


    I pushed the covers aside and carefully crawled toward the end of the bed, the mattress dipping slightly beneath my weight. He didn¡¯t react immediately, still typing something, but I could feel his awareness of me... the bond humming faintly between us.


    When I reached him, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders from behind, my hands circling his neck as I leaned forward and pressed a kiss against his bare shoulder.


    His skin was warm.


    I rested my chin there, smiling softly.


    "How can you have the heart to work," I murmured teasingly, "when your beautiful mate is right here waiting for you?"


    His fingers came up immediately, covering my hands where they rested against his chest.


    But he didn¡¯t answer. Instead... a voice came from his phone.


    "Oh, I agreepletely."


    I froze.


    Every muscle in my body locked.


    That voice - familiar, smooth, amused.


    "Elion?!" I squeaked.


    River didn¡¯t even flinch.


    "River," Elion continued casually, "I¡¯ll take care of everything at the Council. Don¡¯t worry about it for the next few days."


    Then, in a tone very clearly meant to tease me...


    "And honestly, you shouldn¡¯t be so heartless. Ignoring your beautiful mate like that? I¡¯m disappointed in you."


    I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. Before I could recover, the call ended with a soft click.


    Mortification flooded me from head to toe.


    I buried my face instantly into River¡¯s shoulder, groaning in embarrassment.


    "Oh Moon Goddess..."


    River¡¯s body shook slightly beneath me.


    He wasughing.


    Actuallyughing.


    The traitor.


    I pulled back just enough to re at the side of his face.


    "You did that on purpose," I used.


    His grin widened,pletely unapologetic.


    "Maybe."


    I smacked his shoulder lightly, which only made himugh harder.


    Then, without warning, he closed theptop, set it and his phone aside, and turned toward me.


    Before I could react, he climbed back onto the bed, pulling me with him in one smooth motion.


    A secondter I was straddling hisp.


    My breath caught.


    His hands settled on my waist, warm and steady.


    "I¡¯m sorry," he murmured softly.


    And then he kissed me.


    The apology melted instantly.


    It started gentle... a soft press of lips... but emotion swelled beneath it. Warmth spread through my chest as his fingers tightened slightly against my hips.


    When he pulled back, he let his forehead rest against mine.


    "I called Elion earlier," he exined. "to ask him handle my side of work at the Council for the next few days."


    I sighed dramatically, but the irritation was already gone.


    "Where are we?" I asked instead, ncing around.


    "The penthouse," he replied. "Still at the hotel. I moved us while you were sleeping."


    Penthouse?


    Of course he did.


    "We¡¯ll stay here," he continued, lowering his voice slightly, "until the end of our mating session."


    My cheeks turned pink instantly at the mention of that term.


    I wasn¡¯t new to it anymore.


    I had gone through it before - with Draven, then with Kieran - but hearing it from River still made butterflies explode in my stomach.


    He noticed.


    Of course he noticed.


    A quiet chuckle left him before he leaned forward and kissed me again, like he couldn¡¯t help himself.


    Honestly, it was a miracle he had held back as long as he did beforest night.


    There was a peck.


    Then another.


    Then another.


    Each one lingering slightly longer than thest.


    My fingers slid into his hair, and his hands tightened at my waist, pulling me closer until there was barely any space between us.


    The air shifted.


    The bond between us pulsed softly, responding to the rising need curling through my chest.


    When our mouths met again, it wasn¡¯t gentle anymore.


    It was hunger.


    His lips moved against mine with growing intensity, and I felt that familiar spark ignite under my skin, spreading warmth through my stomach and down my spine.


    A quiet sound escaped me.


    And he answered with a low groan that vibrated against my lips.


    And just like that...


    We were lost in each other all over again.

 Chapter 613: She Was Gone

    <h4>Chapter 613: She Was Gone</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    Kieran¡¯s sigh was loud enough to cut straight through the quiet haze in my head.


    Evaline stirred immediately in my arms, her body shifting against mine as she blinked herself awake. I felt the movement before I fully registered the sound, my hold tightening instinctively around her waist as if my body feared she might disappear the second I loosened my grip.


    A week.


    It had only been a week.


    Seven days since the night I marked her.


    Seven days since the bond between us had snapped into ce like something that had always been meant to exist.


    And somehow, even after an entire week of having her with me - sleeping beside me, waking up beside me, eating with her, touching her, breathing her in - it still didn¡¯t feel like enough.


    It would never be enough.


    We were sitting on the long couch in Kieran¡¯s office at the Silver Moon. Morning sunlight streamed through the tall windows, painting warm gold across the polished floor and the dark wood furniture. The office smelled faintly of cedar and the familiar pine scent that always lingered here.


    Evaline was tucked into my chest, half curled into my side, her head resting beneath my chin. One of my arms wrapped securely around her shoulders while the other rested across herp, my fingers absentmindedly tracing slow patterns over her forearm.


    She had almost fallen asleep again.


    I could feel it in the way her breathing had slowed, in the softness of her posture against me.


    Which was exactly why Kieran¡¯s sigh had earned him a re from me.


    My brother stood behind his desk, arms crossed over his chest, expression hovering somewhere between irritation and disbelief.


    He had been watching us for nearly an hour.


    An hour.


    Because I hadn¡¯t let her go.


    Not once.


    And I still didn¡¯t want to.


    "It¡¯s time," he said finally, his voice carrying that headmaster authority he used at the Academy. "First sses start in ten minutes."


    I ignored him.


    Instead, I lowered my head and pressed a kiss into my sleeping mate¡¯s hair.


    She smelled like me.


    Like us.


    The mate bond pulsed softly under my skin, warm and steady, responding to the simple contact.


    Her fingers curled into my shirt.


    "I don¡¯t want to go," she murmured, her voice still thick with sleep.


    My chest tightened painfully.


    "Then don¡¯t," I replied immediately, without hesitation.


    Kieran made a strangled noise.


    "That is not how this works," he said tly.


    Evaline let out a softugh against my chest, the vibration traveling straight through me. She shifted slightly, tilting her face up just enough that I could see her eyes.


    And stars.


    That look.


    Still warm. Still glowing. Still mine.


    It hit me all over again - that fierce, possessive certainty that had lived inside me since the moment I realized she was my mate.


    Mine.


    My mark at her neck pulsed faintly through the bond.


    I brushed my thumb over her arm again, memorizing the feel of her skin.


    Kieran exhaled sharply.


    "I cannot believe this," he muttered. "You kept her for an entire week. An entire week, River. Do you know how long that is when you are separated from your mate?"


    I lifted my eyes toward him slowly.


    "You survived," I said.


    His eye twitched.


    "That¡¯s not the point."


    "It is," I countered calmly.


    He pushed away from the desk and started pacing, which told me he was genuinely annoyed.


    "I barely saw her," he continued. "Every time I came to check on you two, you were either asleep wrapped around each other like vines or you refused to let her leave the penthouse."


    I didn¡¯t deny it.


    Because it was true.


    And I would do it again.


    Evalibe shifted in my arms, her hand sliding up to my jaw as she gently turned my face toward her.


    "Hey," she murmured softly.


    My focus snapped back to her instantly.


    Her eyes were warm... affectionate... and I felt the edge of my reluctance soften just a little.


    "I have to go back eventually," she said.


    I knew that.


    Of course I knew that.


    The rational part of me understood perfectly well that her life at the Academy mattered. That routines mattered. Responsibilities mattered.


    But the primal part of me - the part that had finally found its mate after years of emptiness - didn¡¯t care about logic.


    It only cared that letting her walk out that door meant distance.


    Even if it was temporary.


    My grip tightened unconsciously.


    She smiled.


    Then, before I could react, she leaned sideways out of my arms toward Kieran.


    "Come here," she said, reaching for him.


    Kieran froze mid-step.


    For half a second he looked almost startled... which was rare for him... before he moved closer. She caught the front of his shirt and tugged him down just enough to press a kiss to his cheek.


    Then another.


    And another.


    "I missed you too," she said softly.


    The irritation drained out of him instantly.


    I watched it happen.


    His shoulders dropped, his expression melting into something warm and possessive that mirrored exactly what I felt.


    He brushed his knuckles against her jaw.


    "You are forgiven," he muttered.


    She grinned.


    Then she leaned back into me again without hesitation, fitting perfectly into my side like she belonged there.


    Which she did.


    Kieran sighed again, though this one carried more resignation than annoyance.


    "Elion handled the Academy administration," he said after a moment. "He told them Evaline was assisting him with an ongoing Council project for the week."


    Eva¡¯s head lifted.


    "And that was enough?" she asked, surprised.


    Kieran smiled faintly.


    "Of course, not," he admitted honestly, "however, your mate is the headmaster here."


    Understanding dawned across her face.


    "Oh."


    "And," he added casually, "you received five reward points for assisting."


    Her eyes lit up instantly.


    "Five?!"


    I couldn¡¯t help the small smile that tugged at my mouth. Then I watched the exact moment realization hit her.


    Her excitement faltered.


    "...Wait," she said slowly. "Does that mean I actually have to put extra work in that project?"


    Kieran¡¯s grin turned downright smug.


    "Yes."


    She groaned dramatically, dropping her forehead against my shoulder.


    I chuckled, sliding my hand up her back in a soothing stroke.


    "I¡¯ll help you," I murmured into her hair.


    She tilted her head up immediately.


    "You will?"


    "Of course. You missed your sses because of me. I owe you this."


    Relief flooded her expression, followed by a bright smile that hit me straight in the chest.


    Kieran rolled his eyes.


    "You are both insufferable," he muttered.


    Maybe.


    But I didn¡¯t care.


    A knock sounded at the office door.


    "Come in," Kieran called.


    The door opened slightly, and Rowan leaned in.


    "She needs to get moving or we are going to bete," he reminded.


    Evaline groaned softly, but she still apologized to her friend. "Sorry."


    Rowan shook his head, clearly amused, and stepped back outside to wait.


    The moment stretched.


    I knew what it meant.


    It was time.


    My arm tightened around her again, unwilling to release the warmth of her body.


    She noticed.


    Of course she did.


    Her hand came up to my cheek, her thumb brushing lightly across my skin.


    "I¡¯ll see youter," she said softly.


    The bond pulsed in agreement.


    I lowered my forehead to hers.


    "Youe back to me," I murmured.


    Her smile was gentle.


    "Always."


    I kissed her.


    Slow.


    Lingering.


    Memorizing.


    Then I forced my arms to loosen.


    It felt physically wrong letting her stand up.


    Like something essential was being pulled away from me.


    She smoothed her uniform, then leaned down and kissed me once more before turning to Kieran and doing the same.


    He caught her waist briefly, stealing an extra second of contact before letting her go with obvious reluctance.


    We both watched her walk toward the door.


    She paused at the threshold, looking back at us with that same warmth that had wrapped around my heart since the beginning.


    Then she stepped out.


    Rowan was waiting in the hallway.


    And just like that...


    She was gone.

 Chapter 614: From Senior To Sister

    <h4>Chapter 614: From Senior To Sister</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Mallory linked her arm through mine as we stepped out of thest lecture hall of the day, thete afternoon sun stretching long golden lines across the academy courtyard.


    "I still can¡¯t believe you got five reward points for disappearing," she muttered, nudging me with her shoulder. "Unfair."


    Iughed. "I didn¡¯t disappear. I was working."


    The excuse was out of my mouth before I could stop myself, and I regretted it almost instantly.


    "Yes," she deadpanned. "Working."


    The way she stretched that word had heat creeping up my neck. "You are impossible," I told her.


    "And you," she shot back, grinning wickedly, "are glowing."


    "I am not glowing."


    "You are. It¡¯s sickening. Radiant. Suspiciously satisfied."


    I swatted her arm, but I couldn¡¯t stop smiling.


    It had been over a week.


    A life-changing, bond-deepening, breath-stealing week.


    And now I was back in the middle of academy life as if nothing monumental had shifted beneath my skin.


    Except everything had.


    We reached the path where our ways split - one leading toward the dormitories, the other toward the library tower.


    Mallory squeezed my hand. "Will you join us directly for dinner?" She asked, confirming the n.


    "Right."


    She nodded and released me. "Bye, mate-bonded menace." She muttered the words so low that even I would have missed them if not for the fact I was standing right there.


    I groaned as she walked away toward the dorms, waving once over her shoulder.


    Shaking my head, I adjusted the strap of my bag and headed toward the library instead where Charles was waiting.


    And after being gone for an entire week, I owed him more than just a quick catch-up.


    The library was quieter than usual when I stepped inside. The tall windows cast warm light over rows of polished tables and towering shelves.


    I didn¡¯t even need to search.


    Our usual spot was on the first floor - third table from the farthest window, tucked between the Herbology and Alchemical Studies sections.


    And just as expected, Charles was already there.


    He sat perfectly straight, a stack of books neatly aligned in front of him, notes organized with color-coded tabs. His hair fell slightly into his eyes as he leaned over his notebook.


    He looked up the moment I approached.


    And the way his face lit up-


    "Sister Eva!"


    My heart melted instantly.


    Ever since we began these study hours together in the library about two weeks ago, he had started calling me ¡¯sister¡¯ instead of ¡¯senior¡¯. And every time I heard him call me that, it warmed my heart,


    I set my bag down with a smile. "Hello to you too."


    He stood up quickly, almost knocking his chair back in the process before catching it awkwardly.


    "I-I thought maybe you wouldn¡¯te today since you just got back yesterday."


    "I promised, didn¡¯t I?"


    His shoulders rxed slightly.


    "Yes."


    I sat down across from him, immediately pulling his notes toward me. "Let¡¯s see what you have been up to."


    The next hour passed faster than I expected.


    Charles really was a bright student. He had carefully rewritten Kieran¡¯s lecture notes from the sses this week - detailed exnations about the properties of Emberroot, the stabilizing effects of powdered Moon Thistle, and the proper brewing temperatures for vtile binding potions.


    I skimmed through his assignment draft, nodding approvingly.


    "This is good," I told him. "Your structure is clear. But here-" I tapped one section. "You need to exin why the catalyst reacts differently under lunar influence. You mentioned it briefly, but Professor Kieran would like further exnation."


    He leaned forward immediately, listening intently.


    "Because of the elixir saturation levels?" he asked cautiously.


    "Exactly. Expand on that."


    He scribbled it down quickly.


    For someone who had once barely spoken above a whisper, Charles hade a long way in these past few weeks.


    At first, he had called me "Senior" in that stiff, distant way.


    But ever since I started helping him regrly, something had shifted.


    Now it was "Sister."


    And somehow, that single word made these study hours with him worth it.


    We went over his questions about the dual-binding form Kieran had covered in ss earlier today. I exined the bnce between opposing reagents, the importance of steady moonlight flow, and how even the slightest emotional instability could disrupt the brew.


    Charles listened with wide, focused eyes.


    At one point, he hesitated.


    "Sister?"


    "Yes?"


    He fidgeted slightly with the edge of his notebook.


    "Can I ask where were you?"


    Ah.


    I had been waiting for that question.


    "I was assisting Alpha Grey," I replied smoothly. "He needed help with one of his ongoing council projects."


    Charles blinked, then said, "That must have been important."


    "It was," I said.


    He nodded slowly, epting the exnation without suspicion.


    Unlike my friends.


    Mallory and the others had not let me breathe since yesterday without throwing teasing nces or exaggerated sighs about "mate bonding leave."


    Charles, however, simply said, "I¡¯m d you are back."


    The sincerity in his voice warmed me.


    "I¡¯m d too."


    When the hour ended, he carefully stacked his books and stood.


    "Thank you, Sister," he said, bowing his head slightly.


    "You are wee. Keep reviewing the stabilization forms. I¡¯ll test you on them next time."


    His eyes widened slightly at that, but he nodded determinedly.


    "I will."


    And then he left.


    I stayed behind.


    There were still two hours before dinner. Plenty of time to finish my own assignments.


    I pulled out myptop and textbooks, diving into Runes theory first. My mind worked steadily - reviewing glyph structures, spells, and alignment sequences for my uing project.


    Forty-eight minutester, I finally closed myptop with a satisfied exhale.


    Homework done.


    Mostly.


    Stretching my arms over my head, I nced at the clock.


    I still had time, so I headed up to the third floor.


    If I could find a few good guidebooks on advanced runeyering, it would make the assignment much easier.


    The third floor was quieter.


    Long aisles of tall shelves created narrow corridors of shadow and light.


    I wandered toward the far end, scanning titles with mild interest.


    That was when I heard it.


    My name.

 Chapter 615: Sight Set On All Four Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 615: Sight Set On All Four Brothers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I hadn¡¯t meant to eavesdrop. But enhanced hearing had its perks... and curses.


    I slowed my steps even before I realized it.


    "...seriously, it¡¯s embarrassing."


    An unfamiliar voice whispered.


    "She was gone for a whole week. And you are telling me it¡¯s just for work?"


    "You know what¡¯s the worst part about all this? That Draven isn¡¯t even here to see her behaving like a literal pick-me around everyone of importance."


    I froze.


    One nce down the dark aisle and I found three fourth-year girls clustered together not far from the end of the aisle, talking about... <i>me</i>.


    "Honestly," another one scoffed, "the moment Draven left, she started actingpletely out of control."


    Out of control?


    I arched an eyebrow.


    "She¡¯s been cozying up to Alpha Thorne and Headmaster Thorne like they are prizes."


    "And Instructor Thorne," the third added. "Don¡¯t forget him."


    A softugh followed.


    "As if the four Thorne brothers weren¡¯t enough, now she¡¯s eyeing Alpha Grey too."


    My jaw tightened slightly.


    "Hmph," one of them snorted, her voice dripping with disdain. "She thinks we don¡¯t notice what she¡¯s up to. ying around with all these powerful men just to secure the best one for herself."


    "She¡¯s desperately trying to climb the socialdder," another said. "First Draven. Now the rest. She¡¯s ambitious, I¡¯ll give her that."


    "Or desperate."


    They giggled.


    I remained still.


    Listening.


    "She acts so sweet and innocent, but look at her. Always near the most powerful men."


    "Probably thinks she¡¯ll secure her ce that way."


    "She¡¯s not even subtle."


    "I just feel bad for Draven. He trusted a rogue like her and gave her his attention, only for her to throw it away the moment he went away."


    I almostughed at that.


    Throw it away?


    If only they knew.


    "She¡¯s shameless," one of them concluded.


    There was a pause.


    Then...


    "I just don¡¯t understand why she¡¯s so lucky. Not only she got to date Draven Thorne, but she also worked as Alpha Thorne¡¯s assistant, and now Alpha Grey¡¯s."


    The bitterness was loud in their tones.


    "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s luck," one of them countered, "It¡¯s mostly all nned. She had her sight set on the brothers from the moment she set her foot in Silver Moon."


    "I bet that¡¯s the case..."


    I let out a small sigh and shook my head.


    Who would have known I would be the topic of gossip in the empty aisles of Silver Moon¡¯s library?


    But I must give it to these girls. They weren¡¯t entirely wrong in their predictions, and that¡¯s why, I couldn¡¯t even feel angry as I listened to them talking about me and my secret motives toward the Thorne brothers.


    I indeed had my sight set on all four of them.


    As for Elion, if he happened to have sharp eyes and good judgment, that wasn¡¯t my fault either.


    I stepped forward, my footsteps echoing lightly against the wooden floor.


    The girls fell silent instantly as I rounded the shelf.


    Their eyes widened the moment they saw me and realized I must have overheard their conversation.


    I didn¡¯t slow down.


    Didn¡¯t re.


    Didn¡¯t snap.


    I simply walked past them with my head held high, shoulders straight, confidence steady.


    If they expected shame, they would be disappointed.


    If they expected denial, they would get none.


    Because the truth?


    Yes.


    I wanted the Thorne brothers.


    All four of them.


    And they wanted me too.


    The bonds humming beneath my skin were proof enough.


    As I reached the end of the aisle, I pulled a guidebook from the shelf calmly, flipping it open as if I hadn¡¯t heard a single word.


    Behind me, silence stretched thick and awkward.


    Let them whisper.


    Let them specte.


    They could talk all they wanted.


    It wouldn¡¯t change the fact that I was already woven into the Thorne brothers¡¯ lives in ways they couldn¡¯t even imagine.


    And as for Elion?


    He trusted me.


    That alone was worth more than their petty opinions.


    I closed the book gently and tucked it under my arm.


    When I walked out of the aisle this time, I didn¡¯t look back.


    Because I didn¡¯t need to.


    I had nothing to hide.


    And nothing to regret.


    I left the library with my bag and the guide book. There was still an hour left before dinner time, so instead of heading to the dorms, I made my way to the Herbology wing.


    Recently, I had been working on some potions, and since I had spare time today, I wanted to continue where I leftst week before going to that evening party with Elion.


    Aurelion¡¯s guidebook on merging healing power with certain herbs and potions had been really helpful. Just after a couple of tests, I had been able to concoct simple healing potions without much effort.


    Since I couldn¡¯t try these potions on my own, Kieran helped me deliver them to Healer Ren to see how these potions worked, and they hadn¡¯t disappointed so far.


    Though these potions didn¡¯t work as well as applying the healing power directly, they were still far better performing than normal healing potions or healing power of any other normal healer.


    So I had made up my mind to continue working on testing out more variations and use this method to help people heal with my power without disclosing my secret.


    The building was quieter at this hour. Thete sun dipped low, casting amber light over the polished stone floor.


    I climbed the stairs and made my way to one of the experimentbs that were open for students even at this hour.


    Stepping inside the familiar ce, I inhaled deeply, greeted by the familiar scent of herbs that I had grown familiar with over time.


    This ce always calmed me in a way I couldn¡¯t really exin in words.


    Without wasting any time, I made my way to my favorite spot at the very back of theb and took out my note book.


    And within minutes... I was already working on a new healing potion.

 Chapter 616: Foreign Energies (I)

    <h4>Chapter 616: Foreign Energies (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My eyes flew open with a sharp inhale.


    The world snapped back into focus - the wooden worktable beneath my palms, the faint green glow of the potion swirling inside the ss vial.


    I was still in theb.


    Still alone.


    Still working on the final concoction before dinner.


    For a moment, I didn¡¯t understand what had startled me.


    Then I felt it again.


    Not around me.


    Inside me.


    I slowly pulled my hand away from the vial, cutting off the gentle stream of healing energy I had been channeling. The liquid inside settled and the glow dimmed to a soft shimmer.


    My heart began to pound.


    It hadn¡¯t felt wrong.


    That was the unsettling part.


    If anything, it had felt... natural.


    Familiar.


    But it hadn¡¯t been mine.


    I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, steadying myself. I reached inward the way I always did when gathering my healing power - diving beneath skin and bone, beneath pulse and breath, into that warm, luminous well that had always been mine.


    Except...


    There was something else there.


    Waiting.


    It wasn¡¯t hidden. It wasn¡¯t shielded. It was simply... present.


    Like it had always belonged.


    I focused carefully.


    My healing power was a soft, radiant current... warm gold threaded with pale green. I knew its texture, its rhythm, the way it flowed and responded to my intent.


    But beside it, coiled and steady, were... two other presences.


    Not one.


    Two.


    My breath caught at this new discovery.


    They weren¡¯t identical to each other. And yet, they weren¡¯t entirely separate either.


    They felt distinct... different frequencies, different textures... but there was a shared undertone. A resonance.


    Like two notes from the same instrument.


    Slowly, cautiously, I brushed against the first one.


    It was strong.


    Deep.


    Grounded.


    It felt like cool steel and quiet authority - controlled, refined, steady as a mountain.


    The second was warmer.


    Fiercer.


    It carried a subtle edge of wildness beneath itsposure, like a river running powerful and relentless beneath a calm surface.


    My fingers trembled against the edge of the worktable.


    They weren¡¯t my energies.


    And yet they didn¡¯t reject me.


    They pulsed gently, almost... responsive.


    As if aware I was there.


    I swallowed.


    Could it be...


    Before I could fully shape the thought, I decided to test it.


    Very carefully, I nudged the first energy.


    Just a touch.


    It stirred, but nothing dramatic happened. No external shift. No visible reaction.


    Encouraged, I tapped the second one.


    Again, it responded internally... a subtle ripple... but nothing changed outside me.


    I frowned.


    If my theory was right...


    I needed confirmation.


    And just as I gathered my focus to pull on one of the energies more deliberately... a hand wrapped around my waist from behind.


    I gasped.


    My entire body tensed for half a second before the scent reached me.


    "Kieran," I breathed, immediately rxing into him.


    He chuckled softly against my ear, his chin brushing my shoulder. "Where were you so lost that you didn¡¯t notice me entering theb?"


    His arms tightened slightly around me. "The mate bond should have alerted you the moment I stepped inside."


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. It should have. But I had been too deep inside myself. Too distracted.


    I turned in his hold, my mind racing faster than my heartbeat.


    "I-" I started, then stopped.


    How did I exin this without sounding insane?


    He tilted his head slightly, his golden-green eyes studying my face. "Evaline."


    I opened my mouth again.


    Closed it.


    Opened it.


    Then shut it once more.


    A theory was building inside my head, but it felt too bold. Too strange.


    And yet... there was an easy way to test it.


    "Kieran," I said carefully, gripping the front of his shirt unconsciously, "tell me if you feel anything strange."


    He blinked. "Strange?"


    "Just-" I exhaled. "Just tell me if something shifts. Even slightly."


    He looked confused, but he nodded. "Alright."


    I turned inward again, aware of his steady presence in front of me.


    First, I tapped the cooler energy... the one that felt grounded and controlled.


    Gently.


    Lightly.


    Kieran¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. There was no shift in his posture, no flicker in his eyes. He simply watched me, clearly trying to follow what I was doing.


    Okay.


    I released it and brushed the second energy... the warmer one.


    Again, nothing.


    No reaction from him.


    My pulse quickened and I swallowed.


    This time, I didn¡¯t just tap the second energy, I pulled - not forcefully, but deliberately.


    Like reaching for a thread and tugging.


    The reaction was immediate.


    Kieran stiffened. His eyes widened sharply, and his breath hitched.


    I gasped and let go at once.


    The energy slipped back into ce inside me, settling like it had never been disturbed.


    "What was that?" he asked, staring at me in half surpise and half confusion. There was also a flicker of something else in his eyes... connection.


    "You felt it," I whispered.


    "Yes." His voice was lower now. "It was like... like something tugged at my wolf."


    My heart mmed against my ribs.


    Oh.


    Oh.


    I stepped back slightly, staring at him.


    "Kieran," I breathed, barely containing the mix of shock and awe flooding me. "There are two foreign energies inside me."


    His brows furrowed.


    "They don¡¯t feel wrong," I continued quickly. "They feel... like they belong. But they aren¡¯t mine. And they aren¡¯t the same as each other."


    His expression shifted from confusion to dawning realization.


    I swallowed.


    "I just pulled on one of them."


    "And it pulled me," he finished slowly.


    I nodded.


    Silence stretched between us, thick and electric.


    "They are yours," I said finally. "And River¡¯s."


    The words felt surreal even as I spoke them.


    Kieran didn¡¯t deny it. He didn¡¯t argue. He was too perceptive not to connect the pieces.


    "The mate bonds," he murmured.


    I nodded again, my thoughts racing back through memories. I didn¡¯t recall ever sensing such a presence inside me when Draven marked me, but back then I was still learning to use my power.


    The first time I sensed anything close to this...


    "The West Tower," I said suddenly.

 Chapter 617: Foreign Energies (II)

    <h4>Chapter 617: Foreign Energies (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Kieran¡¯s eyes snapped back to mine.


    "When we were trapped in the secret chamber," I continued, my voice trembling slightly, "my healing power was almostpletely drained. I remember reaching for something. Anything. I didn¡¯t know what I was doing. I just... grabbed."


    His expression sharpened.


    "Are you saying you used my energy that night?" He asked.


    I nodded quickly.


    "Remember how you felt drained that night," I pressed. "You said you were unusually tired."


    His jaw tightened slightly.


    "I thought it was something in that ce."


    "It wasn¡¯t," I whispered. "It was me."


    Understanding flooded his gaze.


    "You tapped into my energy," he breathed.


    "I did," I confirmed. "Without realizing."


    My fingers curled against my palms.


    "I used your power as if it was mine."


    The weight of that realization settled heavily in my chest.


    Silence followed. But it wasn¡¯t tense. It wasn¡¯t angry. If anything, Kieran looked... relieved.


    A soft, almost incredulous smile curved his lips.


    "You are incredible," he murmured.


    I blinked. "That¡¯s not the reaction I was expecting."


    He stepped closer again, his hands returning to my waist.


    "Do you realize what this means?" he asked gently.


    "That I need to be careful?" I replied immediately. "I can¡¯t just pull from you or River unconsciously. What if I drain you during something important? What if I don¡¯t realize how much I¡¯m taking?"


    He cupped my face brushing his thumb gently over my cheek.


    "You didn¡¯t drain me dry," he said softly. "And you did it under extreme circumstances."


    "But still-"


    "Little mate." His voice firmed slightly, but warmth never left it. "You were at your limit. You were protecting all of us. If my energy helped you survive that moment, then I¡¯m grateful."


    I stared at him.


    "You are not angry?"


    He almostughed.


    "Angry?" His forehead rested against mine. "You carrying a part of my power inside you feels... right."


    My breath hitched.


    "It feels like proof," he continued quietly. "That we are not just bonded emotionally. Or physically. But fundamentally."


    His thumb brushed beneath my lower lip.


    "And if you need my energy," he added, "you take it."


    My heart tightened painfully in the best way.


    "You say that so easily," I whispered.


    "Because I mean it."


    He leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead.


    "I know my brother would say the same."


    River.


    The second energy inside me pulsed faintly at the thought of him.


    "I¡¯ll still be careful," I murmured.


    "I know you will."


    "But I don¡¯t want to use it unconsciously again."


    "Then we learn," he said simply. "Together."


    I exhaled slowly.


    This bond.


    It kept deepening in ways I hadn¡¯t even imagined.


    First emotions.


    Then instincts.


    Now power itself.


    I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.


    "I need to be more aware from now on," I said softly. "Not just of my power. But of yours. And River¡¯s."


    His arms tightened around me. "And we¡¯ll be there with you."


    I smiled faintly against him.


    A quiet understanding settled between us - not heavy, not overwhelming.


    Just steady.


    Secure.


    I had discovered something extraordinary tonight.


    Something powerful.


    But more than that, I had discovered something reassuring.


    I wasn¡¯t alone inside myself anymore.


    And instead of fear, all I felt was warmth.


    Connection.


    Belonging.


    Kieran pressed another soft kiss into my hair.


    "Come," he murmured gently. "Let¡¯s get you to dinner before you start discovering you can summon storms too."


    Iughed quietly, the tension finally dissolving.


    He started to step back, but I didn¡¯t let him.


    My fingers tightened around his hand before he could fully turn, and I tugged him back toward me.


    "Kieran," I breathed.


    He looked mildly surprised, his eyes soft but questioning. "What is it?"


    Instead of answering, I stepped forward and fisted my hands into the fabric of his shirt, pulling him down the inch I needed.


    Then I kissed him.


    It wasn¡¯t rushed.


    It wasn¡¯t desperate.


    It was deliberate.


    Soft at first... just my lips pressing against his, testing, savoring. I felt the exact moment he froze in surprise... and then the even sweeter moment he melted.


    His hands came back to my waist instantly, firm and warm, drawing me closer as if he had been waiting for this exact excuse.


    The kiss deepened slowly.


    Carefully.


    Like neither of us wanted to break the fragile, glowing thing between us.


    His lips moved against mine with quiet assurance - not demanding, not overpowering - just steady and certain. I could feel the faint brush of his breath against my cheek, warm and controlled despite the subtle hitch I caused when I tilted my head and pressed closer.


    My heart fluttered wildly in my chest.


    He responded instantly when I slid one hand upward to rest against his jaw, my thumb brushing the edge of his cheekbone. His fingers flexed at my waist, pulling me fully against him until there was no space left between us.


    The kiss shifted.


    Not more intense... but deeper.


    He kissed like he did everything else - with intention.


    Every small movement felt measured, thoughtful, like he was memorizing the feel of me the same way I was memorizing him.


    When his lips parted slightly against mine, I followed without hesitation, the connection soft and unhurried. A quiet sound escaped him... almost a hum... low in his throat, and the vibration sent warmth spiraling down my spine.


    I smiled faintly against his mouth.


    He felt it.


    His hand slid upward slightly, fingers brushing along my back, not wandering... just holding me closer as if anchoring himself.


    It wasn¡¯t consuming.


    It wasn¡¯t overwhelming.


    It was steady.


    Safe.


    Sweet.


    And somehow that made it even more powerful.


    When we finally broke apart, it wasn¡¯t because either of us wanted to. It was because breathing had be necessary again.


    He rested his forehead against mine, our breaths mingling in the quietb.


    "You are going to be the end of me," he murmured softly.


    Iughed under my breath, my fingers still curled lightly into his shirt. "You are exaggerating, Professor."


    "Not even slightly."


    His thumb traced a slow line along my waist, absent-minded, like he was still grounding himself in the feel of me.


    I leaned up and pressed onest soft kiss to the corner of his mouth before stepping back.


    He looked almost reluctant to let me go.


    Almost.


    "I should go," I said quietly, though my heart was still racing pleasantly. "Dinner."


    He exhaled slowly, nodding. But his eyes didn¡¯t leave mine.


    I picked up my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and walked toward the door. Just before stepping out, I nced back at him.


    He was still standing exactly where I had left him.


    Watching me.


    There was something thoughtful in his expression now. Softer than usual. Less guarded.


    I gave him a small smile before slipping out into the corridor.


    The door shut quietly behind me.


    The cool evening air of the hallway brushed against my warmed skin, but I didn¡¯t feel cold.


    Not even close.

 Chapter 618: A Familiar Rune

    <h4>Chapter 618: A Familiar Rune</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    November had always felt like a quiet warning.


    Not harsh enough to demand heavy cloaks at all hours, not gentle enough to ignore the promise of winter. By mid-month, the mornings carried a bite that crept beneath fabric and settled into bones. The evenings grew darker faster, the sun retreating as if conserving its own strength.


    I liked this time of year.


    It felt like a pause before something significant.


    The days were still manageable, though colder winds now threaded through the academy courtyards. The nights required thicker nkets, and I had already noticed frost gathering along the edges of the Herbology garden¡¯s barriers.


    Just a few more weeks.


    And soon, the first snow would fall, transforming everything into silver and white. Soon, the halls would be decorated for Christmas. The world would celebrate. There would be warmth,ughter, and far too much cocoa and chocte shakes.


    But not yet.


    For now, there were more pressing matters.


    It was the first Saturday of the month, and I had just wrapped up my work.


    Elion had been absent all day, busy with pack matters. Without him being present to nag me, I had spent most of the morning reviewing blueprints for the project.


    By early afternoon, I shifted to helping with a new project Elion had recently taken over - something involvingyered warding arrays. He hadn¡¯t shared all the details yet, but from what I had seen, it involved strengthening internal security measures in certain packs lined with human towns and cities.


    It intrigued me.


    By the time the clock struck four in the evening, my shoulders ached pleasantly from the day¡¯s work.


    But instead of heading home, I took the elevator down to the fifth floor.


    To the library.


    More specifically - to the restricted section.


    A faint smile curved my lips as I reached the heavy carved doors. I used my employee card to step inside before heading straight to the spiral staircase.


    Minutester, I was handing my purse and phone to the employee stationed outside before heading in.


    Stepping inside felt like entering another world.


    The restricted section of the library was vast - farrger than the general collection below. Towering shelves rose nearly to the ceiling, dark wood polished to a near sheen. Soft goldennterns floated overhead, casting a warm glow over ancient spines and gilded lettering.


    The air smelled different here.


    Older.


    Heavier.


    Like history had weight.


    I moved slowly down the first aisle, my fingertips trailing lightly along the edges of books that hummed faintly with dormant magic. Titles on advanced alchemy, bloodline enchantments, forbidden elemental synthesis, ancestral rune dialects - every other shelf felt like it had been curated specifically to tempt me.


    It was overwhelming... in the best way.


    I paused at a section dedicated to hybrid runes theory - texts discussing the merging of different energy sources within a single vessel.


    My heart skipped faintly.


    Carefully, I pulled one book free and opened it.


    Dense text. Diagrams. Theoretical breakdowns of dual-core runes in ancient history. Cases that had been deemed unstable. Rare instances where external energy bonds altered internal spell architecture.


    I forced myself to close the book gently. Though the book tempted me, I wanted to look further to see what more this ce held.


    I wandered deeper.


    Another aisle held books on ancient packws and territorial defense systems. Another contained grimoires detailing spellcraft long lost with witches moving to seclusion.


    Everywhere I looked, there was knowledge.


    Dangerous knowledge.


    Powerful knowledge.


    And I wasn¡¯t allowed to take a single book outside this section.


    Which meant I had to be selective.


    With mild reluctance, I gathered three books that pulled at me the strongest and settled at one of the long wooden tables tucked between the shelves.


    For the next hour, I lost myself.


    I read about energy anchoring techniques used by ancient healers who had bonded to elemental warriors. I studied diagrams of rune circuits designed to distribute runes strain evenly across multiple sources.


    I took mental notes.


    Cross-referenced theories with what I already knew.


    asionally, I nced around the quiet hall, half-expecting someone to emerge from between the shelves.


    But it remained peaceful.


    Almost reverent.


    Eventually, I closed the third book and leaned back slightly, stretching my neck.


    Nearly an hour had passed, and I needed to head home soon to join my mates for dinner.


    But something tugged at me... a subtle instinct urging me not to leave just yet.


    As I stood to return the books, my gaze drifted toward a darker corner of the restricted section. The shelves there were older... less polished... their wood deeper in tone.


    I didn¡¯t know what made me walk toward it. Curiosity, perhaps. Or something quieter.


    At the very end of the aisle, partially hidden behind a stack of smaller volumes, sat a massive book. Its spine was thick and reinforced with metal corners. No decorative flourish. Just weight.


    I reached up and carefully pulled it free.


    Dust shifted softly as I carried it to the nearest reading stand.


    The title was simple.


    <strong>Runes and Binding Sigils: Origins and Applications</strong>.


    My pulse quickened faintly.


    Runes had always fascinated me, but my knowledge was surface-level at best.


    Flipping it open at random, I began skimming through the early pages - foundational symbols, elemental markers, protective arrays.


    Page after page of intricate designs - some I recognized from ssed, others were entirely foreign.


    I turned another page.


    And then another.


    Realizing it was gettingte, I decided to stop reading for the day. But just as I was about to close the book...


    I froze.


    My breath stopped mid-inhale.


    There.


    On the right-hand page.


    Drawn in dark ink, surrounded by detailed annotation... was a rune I knew.


    Not because I had studied it.


    But because I had seen it.


    Recently.


    My fingers trembled slightly as I traced the edge of the page without touching the ink.


    It was the same rune.


    The one etched faintly into therge stone sitting in front of the dead tree in the West Tower¡¯s secret chamber.


    The one I had seen re briefly the night I copsed.


    My heart began to pound harder.


    Slowly, deliberately... I lowered myself into the chair in front of the stand.


    And began to read.


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 Chapter 619: Beneath Stone and Secrecy

    <h4>Chapter 619: Beneath Stone and Secrecy</h4>


    The chamber was buried deep beneath stone and silence.


    No torches lined its walls. No windows offered air or light. The only illumination came from a faint, pulsing glow at the center of the room - a dull crimson sigil etched into the floor, its lines jagged and uneven as though carved in haste.


    The air was thick.


    Heavy.


    Not with dust.


    But with something older.


    Something wrong.


    A young man stood just outside the circle of the sigil, his figure half-consumed by shadow. His posture was rxed... deceptively so... hands sped loosely behind his back as though he were merely passing time.


    He was not.


    Before him, rising from the center of the rune, was a shape made of shifting ck energy.


    It did not possess a fixed form.


    Sometimes it resembled smoke curling upward from unseen embers. Sometimes it stretched taller, broader, like a cloaked silhouette trying to remember what it meant to have bones.


    Its edges never stopped moving.


    Its presence felt like pressure.


    And it was not pleased.


    A sharp hiss sliced through the chamber, scraping against stone.


    The young man exhaled slowly.


    "Enough."


    The word was not loud.


    But it was sharp.


    Authoritative.


    The writhing mass of darkness stilled for half a second... then rippled violently, as if insulted.


    Another hiss.


    Longer.


    Angrier.


    The young man¡¯s jaw tightened faintly. "You have already caused enough trouble."


    The smoke thickened, coiling inward beforeshing outward again.


    "If you do not stop acting recklessly," he continued in colder voice now, "you will reveal yourself. And if that happens, neither of us will walk away clean."


    The dark figure trembled.


    Then it spoke.


    Its voice was deep and hoarse, like stone grinding against stone beneath water. Each word dragged, distorted, as though it had to force sound through something that was never meant to produce it.


    "...Hungry..."


    The word stretched unnaturally, echoing faintly even after it ended.


    The young man did not react outwardly, but his fingers flexed once behind his back.


    "You were fed."


    A sharp ripple.


    "...Not enough..."


    The chamber seemed to constrict as the shadows thickened along the walls.


    "...Weak... fading... need more..."


    Its voice fractured between sybles, as if several tones ovepped imperfectly.


    The young man¡¯s gaze sharpened. "You will hold back."


    The darkness surged upward, nearly brushing the ceiling before copsing inward again.


    "...Another soon..."


    It sounded almost thoughtful.


    "...Soon..."


    The word settled into the stone like rot seeping into cracks.


    The young man¡¯s expression hardened visibly now.


    "No."


    The answer came immediately.


    Firm.


    Controlled.


    "You will wait."


    The dark mass hissed violently, making a sharp screeching sound that reverberated through the chamber.


    "...Weak... they search..."


    His eyes flickered faintly at that.


    "Yes," he said quietly. "They search."


    He stepped slightly closer to the circle... not inside it... but near enough that the crimson glow illuminated the lower half of his face.


    "I do not know how much they have uncovered," he admitted. "But I can feel it. They are investigating the soul death cases."


    The dark energy stilled.


    Not calm.


    But attentive.


    "They may already have leads," the young man continued. "Another body - another soul drained to nothing - would not go unnoticed."


    The smoke thinned slightly, as if considering. Then it hissed again, sharper this time.


    "...Not my fault..."


    His eyes narrowed.


    "It was reckless," he said tly. "Going after him of all people."


    The darkness recoiled abruptly.


    "...Did not know..."


    Its voice fractured again, edges scraping.


    "...Draven Thorne... dangerous..."


    The name seemed to ripple strangely in the air.


    The young man¡¯s gaze sharpened at the reaction.


    "Exactly."


    The dark figure twisted inward violently.


    "...Knew nothing..."


    Its tone shifted - defensive, almost agitated.


    "...He is not ordinary..."


    The young man gave a humorless breath of agreement. "No. He is not."


    The chamber fell into a tense silence, broken only by the faint crackle of unstable energy.


    Then the darkness shifted again.


    Slowly.


    Deliberately.


    Its form began to elongate, stretching higher, broader, mimicking the outline of the young man himself.


    "...Could be easier..."


    The voice softened.


    Smoothed slightly, though still jagged at the edges.


    "...Let me in..."


    The air temperature dropped sharply.


    "...Let me take control..."


    The crimson sigil red brighter beneath it.


    "...Stronger together..."


    The suggestion lingered in the air like poison.


    For a single heartbeat, the chamber was utterly still.


    Then...


    "No."


    The word cracked through the space like a de striking stone.


    The young man stepped forward abruptly, stopping just short of the glowing rune.


    Hisposure fractured... not wildly... but enough for anger to sharpen the edges of his expression.


    "That was never part of our agreement."


    The darkness rippled, as though amused.


    "...Temporary..."


    "No."


    His voice dropped lower.


    Colder.


    "We made a deal."


    Each word was deliberate.


    "You take what you want. I take what I want. And when this is finished, we go our separate ways."


    The smoke surged toward him, pressing against the invisible boundary of the circle.


    "...Body would survive... stronger... unstoppable..."


    "My body," he cut in sharply, "is not avable."


    The temperature seemed to plummet further.


    The crimson lines of the sigil flickered violently as the dark figureshed outward again, testing the barrier.


    "...Fear..."


    "I am not afraid of you," he said evenly.


    That, at least, was not a lie.


    The darkness recoiled slightly.


    "...Then why refuse..."


    His eyes gleamed faintly in the low light.


    "Because I am not a fool."


    Silence took over - heavy, oppressive.


    "You will never bring this up again," he added, his voice now dangerously quiet. "Not as a suggestion. Not as a possibility."


    The smoke trembled.


    For several long moments, neither moved.


    Then, slowly, the dark figure began to shrink back toward the center of the rune. Its form grew less defined, copsing inward into a dense, shifting mass.


    But its presence did not weaken.


    It waited.


    Watching.


    Calcting.


    "...Hungry..." it murmured again, softer this time.


    The young man¡¯s jaw tightened.


    "You will endure."


    He stepped back, retreating from the circle.


    "...If they find truth..."


    "They won¡¯t," he interrupted, though there was the faintest flicker of uncertainty behind his eyes.


    "...If they do..."


    His gaze hardened.


    "Then we will handle it."


    The darkness let out one final, low hiss.


    Not agreement.


    Not submission.


    Just acknowledgment.


    The crimson sigil dimmed gradually, returning to a dull glow.


    The chamber grew darker.


    Colder.


    The young man turned toward the unseen exit, shadows swallowing his features once more.


    Just before he reached the edge of the room, the hoarse voice echoed faintly behind him.


    "...Soon..."


    He did not look back.


    But his hand clenched once at his side.


    "Wait," he said quietly.


    Then he stepped into the darkness, leaving the shifting ck mass contained within its circle... for now.


    Deep beneath stone and secrecy, something ancient stirred.


    And somewhere far above, those searching for answers were already closer than they realized.

 Chapter 620: Field Class

    <h4>Chapter 620: Field ss</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    The forest always smells different once you step beyond the academy walls.


    Cleaner.


    Raw.


    Untamed.


    This morning, as I led the second years down the narrow trail cutting through the western woods, I could practically taste their excitement in the air. It rolled off them in waves - sharp, electric, impossible to ignore.


    Two full months of indoor training will do that to a pack of young wolves.


    I kept my pace steady at the front of the group, my boots crushing frost-tipped leaves underfoot. The cold had finally settled in properly. It wasn¡¯t snowing yet, but the air carried winter¡¯s promise - crisp, biting, alive.


    Behind me, the students moved in organized clusters of five, just as instructed. No one walked alone. No one drifted too far from the formation. They were stillughing, whispering, asionally shoving each other in that restless way students do when they were trying not to look overly eager.


    I didn¡¯t turn around.


    But I could hear everything.


    Smell everything.


    Anticipation.


    Nervousness.


    Adrenaline.


    It was their very first field ss of the semester, their first time stepping beyond controlled and reinforced practice halls to train in the wild.


    And I had made sure of it.


    Officially, the reasoning was simple - after two months of indoor drills,bat simtions, and controlled sparring, it was time they experienced real terrain. Uneven ground. Natural obstacles. Unpredictable elements.


    Unofficially?


    This wasn¡¯t entirely about them.


    I exhaled slowly through my nose, the cold air burning slightly.


    Evaline had been distant this week.


    Not cold.


    Not upset.


    Just... distant.


    It startedst Saturday.


    She had returned from headquarters two hourster than usual. At first, I hadn¡¯t thought much of it. She yed with Lioren after dinner -ughing, ying in the living room while River, Kieran, and I watched.


    She had looked fine.


    Tired, maybe.


    But fine.


    Then she shut herself in the bedroom.


    When River and I joined herter that night, she was seated on the bed with the thick record book spread open across herp. Her brows drawn together in deep concentration.


    She told us to rest first and continued reading.


    Rivery down first. I followed shortly after. And we both fell asleep... while she still kept reading.


    Neither of us knew exactly when she slept.


    When I woke up the next morning, she had already left for the headquarters.


    And instead of returning home by noon like she usually did on Sundays, she came back at six in the evening.


    Six.


    She still spent three hours with Lioren - fully present, attentive, loving. But then she came back to the academy.


    And since then?


    It had only intensified.


    Monday through Friday, she attended her sses as usual. Showed up for meals. Messaged in the family group chat every single day. Reacted instantly to Lioren¡¯s photos and videos.


    She never forgot to wish us goodnight.


    Never stopped being... her.


    And yet.


    She had barely spent any time with us.


    Most of her waking hours outside ss were split between the herbology experimentb and the library.


    Something had caught her attention.


    Something important.


    And she hadn¡¯t told any of us what it was... yet.


    Even her friends had startedining.


    But none of us had confronted her. Not yet. Because we all knew if it was serious, she would tell us.


    She always did.


    Still... life had felt slightly emptier this week.


    Which is why I arranged this field ss.


    Fresh air.


    Open space.


    A shift in environment.


    And yes... if I was being honest with myself... I hoped that by the time I returned home this evening, she might have finished whatever had consumed her and finally let herself breathe.


    Or at least let me help her breathe.


    The trail widened ahead, and I lifted my hand slightly - the silent signal for the group to slow down.


    Branches rustled behind me as they adjusted.


    I nced over my shoulder briefly at the forty-one faces, all bundled in academy-issued cold-weather training gear.


    Some tried to mask their excitement withposed expressions, but failed miserably.


    I allowed myself a faint smile.


    Field sses are different.


    Indoorbat is controlled. Predictable. Safe.


    Out here?


    The ground dips unexpectedly. Roots twist beneath fallen leaves. Wind shifts scent patterns. Sounds carry differently.


    A real fight rarely happens on t, padded flooring.


    "You are too loud," I called without turning.


    There was immediate silence, even a few guilty looks.


    "Out here, noise travels."


    I gestured lightly toward the trees. "And you are not the only predators in these woods."


    That sobered them slightly.


    Good.


    After another ten minutes of steady walking, the forest began to thin.


    We stepped into a small clearing ringed by towering pines. The ground was mostly even but not perfectly t. A fewrge boulders sat along one edge. Fallen logs scattered naturally around the perimeter.


    Perfect.


    Instructor Corey was already there, leaning casually against one of the rocks.


    He straightened when he saw us approach.


    Corey gave me a nod.


    I returned it.


    He had agreed to co-instruct today¡¯s session. Physicalbatbined with environmental awareness.


    First field ss.


    They needed to understand that the forest was not just background scenery.


    It was a weapon.


    And a threat.


    "Circle up," I ordered.


    The students gathered in a wide half-circle before us.


    I let my gaze sweep across their faces.


    Excitement.


    Nervousness.


    Curiosity.


    "Congrattions," I began evenly. "You have officially survived two months of indoor training."


    It earned me a few relieved chuckles.


    "That means," I continued, "it¡¯s time you learn what realbat feels like."


    Their postures straightened immediately.


    Corey pushed off the rock and stepped forward. "You are no longer fighting on reinforced floors. No protective barrier will catch you if you misstep. The forest doesn¡¯t care if you are tired. Or distracted."


    He kicked lightly at a patch of leaves, revealing uneven ground beneath.


    "This terrain will trip you. Slow you down. Expose your weaknesses."


    I stepped forward beside him.


    "And today," I said, "we begin with three things."


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 Chapter 621: Tracking Her

    <h4>Chapter 621: Tracking Her</h4>


    <strong>Oscar:</strong>


    I held up a finger.


    "First - scent tracking under pressure."


    That caused several ears to twitch.


    "Second - controlled wolf-form engagement in uneven terrain."


    This time their eyes lit up.


    "And third..."


    I let the pause stretch just enough.


    "Team survival simtion."


    A ripple of murmurs spread through them.


    Corey smirked faintly. "You¡¯ll be divided into four teams. Each team will be assigned a marked territory zone within this section of the forest."


    I continued smoothly, "Your objective will be to track a moving scent marker while navigating obstacles and avoiding simted threats."


    "Simted threats?" someone asked cautiously.


    Corey¡¯s grin widened.


    "That¡¯s where wee in."


    I crossed my arms at their collective groans. "Corey and I will be your predators."


    Immediate silence.


    "We will stalk," I said calmly. "We will test your awareness. We will exploit hesitation."


    Corey added, "If we catch you off-guard, your entire team does penalty drills."


    A few swallowed visibly.


    Good.


    "But," I said, my voice firm but not harsh, "this is not about winning. This is about control."


    I let that settle.


    "You will shift today," I confirmed. "But only partially at first. ws. Heightened senses. Gradual integration with terrain."


    Several of them straightened, barely containing excitement.


    "For many of you," I continued, "this will be your first time engaging your wolf outside academy walls in a structured setting."


    The weight of that hit them.


    Out here, their instincts would feel stronger.


    The forest would call to them.


    They would need discipline.


    Corey stepped back slightly.


    "Before we begin," he said, "any questions?"


    One hand hesitantly rose. "Are there actual rogues nearby?"


    I nced toward the treeline briefly.


    "They have been seen in this area recently."


    That earned several wide-eyed looks.


    "They will not attack even if they are here," I added calmly. "But they will definitely be watching."


    Which was true.


    The students shifted uneasily, their excitement tinged now with awareness.


    Good.


    They needed to feel it.


    The real world wasn¡¯t padded.


    I stepped forward once more.


    "Today is not about proving strength," I reminded evenly. "It is about learning how to move with your environment instead of against it."


    I met their gazes one by one, stopping for a second longer on my mate.


    "You are wolves."


    A faint breeze moved through the clearing.


    "You belong out here."


    Next five minutes went by as we called out names and divided the students into four groups.


    With everyone set, I gave the signal... and the clearing exploded into motion.


    Shifts rippled through the air - ws extending, canines sharpening, eyes shing gold and amber as wolves brushed closer to the surface. Just as instructed.


    I stood at the edge of the clearing with Corey beside me, arms crossed as I observed.


    Forty-one students.


    Four teams.


    And my gaze, traitorously, found her within seconds.


    Evaline stood with Mallory, Ria, and Kyros. The four of them formed a loose square as the others began testing their partial shifts.


    Eva didn¡¯t shift.


    She never could.


    And yet she stood there with the same calm focus as the rest of them, flexing her fingers once like she was preparing for something far more dangerous than a training exercise.


    A year ago, some of these students would have doubted her.


    Some had... thinking she¡¯s weak and a liability since she¡¯s wolfless.


    But they had learned quickly.


    Because what shecked in a wolf, she made up for in relentless discipline.


    River and I had trained her ourselves - strength conditioning, reaction drills,bat sparring. We didn¡¯t hold back, even when she had begged us to.


    And since unlocking her healing ability... everything about her had sharpened. Her eyesight caught the smallest movements. Her hearing could pick up whispers carried by wind. Her speed had increased enough to rival beta-level shifters.


    She wasn¡¯t the fragile girl they once whispered about.


    She was lethal in her own way.


    Corey blew a short whistle.


    "Teams disperse!"


    The forest swallowed them in seconds.


    Leaves crunched. Branches snapped. Air shifted with movement.


    I waited ten breaths before moving. I was in my predator mode. My movements silent, controlled.


    Corey veered east. I took the northern arc, already tracking the second team by scent alone. I let them feel watched for a few minutes before deliberately circling away.


    I wasn¡¯t hunting them.


    Not yet.


    I adjusted my path subtly.


    Toward Eva¡¯s team.


    They had moved southwest, keeping tight formation.


    Good.


    I caught the faint scent marker assigned to them - crushed cedar mixed with iron shavings. Subtle but traceable.


    They were moving too fast at first. Miss Niles nearly tripped on a root.


    "Slow down," Eva¡¯s voice carried... not loud, but firm.


    I stopped behind a thick oak trunk, hiding even though I knew she could sense me if she focused on our bond.


    She crouched slightly, touching the ground where leaves had been disturbed.


    "The wind shifted," she said quietly. "We are following it wrong."


    Mallory frowned. "You sure?"


    Eva lifted her chin slightly, inhaling. Her eyes unfocused just slightly... not shifting, just focusing deeper.


    "It¡¯sing from higher ground," she added. "We need elevation or we¡¯ll lose it."


    None of her team mates argued. Instead, they immediately adjusted their direction.


    Not because she was their assigned leader.


    But because they trusted her.


    I felt something warm settle low in my chest.


    She moved first, choosing a path that required bnce across a fallen log instead of the easier open ground. Testing stability. Forcing control.


    Smart.


    I moved parallel to them, silent.


    They reached a rocky incline ten minutester. The scent was stronger here.


    Kyros began shifting further, his ws elongating fully.


    "Wait," Eva said again.


    He paused immediately.


    "If you shift fully now, you¡¯ll burn energy too early," she exined. "Save it for when they strike."


    They.


    Meaning me and Corey.


    Her gaze flickered briefly toward the treeline. And for half a second, our eyes met.


    She knew.


    A slow, knowing smile curved her lips.


    I felt the pull in my chest like gravity.


    I moved.


    Fast.


    Silent.


    Within seconds, I was behind her. Close enough to feel her warmth.


    She was left momentarily alone as her team had spread slightly to scout the ridge. But if Mallory decided to look over her shoulder, she could easily spot us.


    Eva stepped back two paces... and I caught her wrist.


    She didn¡¯t gasp.


    Didn¡¯t flinch.


    She twisted immediately, turning momentum into a defensive elbow strike aimed directly at my ribs.


    I caught that too and pinned her lightly against the tree trunk.


    "Distracted," I murmured near her ear.


    Her breath warmed my jaw.


    "You are predictable," she whispered back.


    A lie.


    Her pulse was steady.


    Controlled.


    I leaned closer than necessary. "You left yourself open."


    "You are using me to track my team," she countered. "Or more precisely, you are tracking me."


    That made me pause.


    Damn.


    I released her wrist slowly.


    "You are not supposed to be flirting with the predator," I said quietly.


    Her lips twitched.


    "Who said I¡¯m flirting?"


    Footsteps approached before Mallory¡¯s familiar voice called her name.


    I stepped back instantly, vanishing into shadow just as her team regrouped.


    Eva rejoined them as if nothing had happened.


    But I saw the faint flush in her cheeks.


    And I had to physically restrain myself from going back.


    Focus.


    The exercise continued.


    Corey made the first official strike - lunging from above onto another team. Chaos erupted briefly. Growls, scrambling, penalty calls.


    Eva¡¯s team froze at the sound.


    "Down," she whispered sharply.


    They dropped instinctively.


    She closed her eyes for half a second, listening.


    Tracking.


    "They are northeast," she concluded. "We cut west and circle."


    Kyros nodded immediately.


    They moved again... tighter now. Smarter.


    I shadowed them once more, testing angles.


    At one point, I deliberately snapped a twig behind them.


    Mallory spun. Kyros half-shifted, and two other students had their ws ready.


    But Eva didn¡¯t move. She just tilted her head slightly.


    "Too obvious," she murmured.


    Then, without warning, she pivoted and threw a small stone directly toward my actual position... not where the sound had been.


    It hit the tree inches from my shoulder.


    I raised a brow.


    Impressive.


    Very impressive.


    Later, when her team sessfully secured their scent marker at the designated zone, she let the others take the lead in iming the point.


    She stepped back and let them celebrate.


    Leadership without needing recognition.


    That was her.


    As the teams began regrouping toward the clearing for phase two, I allowed myself one final indulgence.


    Shegged behind slightly to tie her shoces.


    I waited until she was the only one left behind before I appeared beside her silently.


    This time, I didn¡¯t grab her. Instead, I simply brushed my fingers against the small of her back as I passed.


    It was barely a touch.


    But enough.


    Her breath hitched softly.


    "Focus, Instructor," she muttered under her breath.


    I smirked, continuing forward.


    I had set this field ss up to let her breathe.


    Instead, I was the one struggling to keep control.

 Chapter 622: Meeting The Witches (I)

    <h4>Chapter 622: Meeting The Witches (I)</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The gravel crunched beneath my boots as I stepped out of the car.


    Jasper was already there, as always - efficient, silent, opening the door before I had even reached for the handle. My beta had long mastered the art of anticipating my movements without a word.


    The air here was different.


    Not just cold, but charged. Though mid November had sharpened its edge.


    I lifted my gaze to therge wooden signboard standing crookedly beside the narrow dirt road.


    <strong>The North Witch¡¯s Burrow</strong> was carved into the wood in looping script, the letters filled with faded silver resin that shimmered faintly even in the dull afternoon light. Intricate symbols were etched along the border - protective runes woven so subtly into the design that a normal person would dismiss them as decoration.


    I did not.


    A woman stood beside the sign.


    She wasn¡¯t dressed like the storybook witches humans liked to romanticize. No pointed hat. No exaggerated cloak. But the long charcoal skirt brushing her boots, theyered shawl wrapped asymmetrically over one shoulder, the rings glinting on nearly every finger... each set with a different stone... spoke clearly enough.


    Her dark hair was braided loosely down her back, thin silver threads woven through the strands.


    She¡¯s a witch.


    She bowed her head respectfully as I approached.


    "Rogue Alpha," she greeted softly.


    Her tone held deference. There was no warmth in it.


    Respect did not mean wee.


    "Thank you for receiving us," I replied evenly.


    Her eyes flickered briefly to Jasper before she turned without another word and began walking down the narrow dirt path beneath the vine-covered archway.


    We followed.


    The moment I passed beneath the arch, I felt it - a whisper of magic brushing across my skin like cold mist.


    A ward.


    I kept my posture rxed, my power contained but unmistakable. The ward recognized strength. It slid over me, probing... then receded.


    We walked for several minutes in silence. The trees grew denser, their branches curling inward as though shielding thend beyond from prying eyes. ss wind chimes hung from the limbs, but no wind stirred them. Small bundles of dried herbs dangled from twine lines between trunks.


    Protection.


    Cleansing.


    Warnings.


    The dirt path opened suddenly into a wide courtyard.


    And there it was.


    The house stood two stories tall, built of dark stone and timber, its roof sloping steeply under thick ivy that had imed nearly half its structure. Tall, narrow windows reflected the gray sky like watchful eyes. Smoke curledzily from a crooked chimney, carrying with it the faint scent of something bitter and herbal.


    It wasn¡¯t unpleasant. Just... potent.


    The woman did not lead us inside. Instead, she guided us around the house toward the back.


    The courtyard gave way to a wide backyard clearing where a pavilion draped in ivy and climbing roses stood over a circr stone firepit.


    And a group of witches sat around the fire. There were seven of them - all quiet, all watching.


    The mes in the firepit burned an unnatural shade... tinged faintly blue at the core.


    Conversations ceased entirely when we stepped into view.


    No one stood.


    But each inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment. It was power recognizing power.


    And at the center of them sat Elder Morwen Vale.


    If one didn¡¯t know better, they would assume she was perhaps in her early fifties. Strong cheekbones. ck hair pulled into a neat knot. Sharp gray eyes that missed nothing.


    But she had passed her hundredth winter decades ago.


    She rose gracefully as I approached.


    "Alpha Thorne," she greeted, her voice smooth as aged parchment. "It has been some time."


    "It has," I agreed.


    Thest time we saw each other was back when she and a group of her friends helped Kieran set up the protective ward around Silver Moon.


    She gestured to an empty wooden chair across the fire. Jasper remained standing slightly behind my right shoulder.


    "Let us not waste time," Morwen said.


    Direct.


    As always.


    I inclined my head slightly.


    "There have been incidents happening around Silver Moon for a while," I began. "Not physical deaths exactly. Not in the way most understand."


    The witches did not move.


    "It¡¯s called Soul Death," I rified, and then told them in detail about the cases and the Soul Death in itself.


    It was very subtle - their reaction.


    Barely perceptible.


    One witch¡¯s fingers tightened around the ceramic cup in her hand. Another¡¯s spine straightened half an inch. A third blinked too slowly.


    They schooled their reactions quickly.


    But not quickly enough.


    I continued evenly.


    "And beneath the West Tower of Silver Moon Academy, we discovered a sealed chamber. We believe it¡¯s the ce where the entity behind these soul death cases was kept captured."


    I let my gaze drift slowly across the circle.


    "And that chamber was found marked with spellwork."


    The blue me flickered slightly higher.


    No one spoke.


    I leaned back slightly in the wooden chair.


    "The runes were old. Layered. Complex. Not the work of amateurs."


    Morwen¡¯s expression remainedposed. "You believe witches are responsible."


    "I believe witches were involved," I corrected calmly. "At some point."


    Silence stretched between us, heavy but not hostile.


    Finally, Morwen folded her hands in herp.


    "Soul deaths are not a new concept," she said carefully. "There were whispers of such cases four centuries ago."


    A murmur rippled faintly among the others.


    "I read of them in old records," she continued. "But even then, details were scarce."


    "And the West Tower?" I asked.


    Her gaze held mine steadily.


    "The academy is just seven years old," she said. "Who can say what urred beneath its stones centuries ago?"


    The other witches began shaking their heads subtly.


    "We know nothing of this chamber," one added softly.


    "Nor of recent soul deaths," said another.


    They all were too quick, too unified.


    Jasper shifted almost imperceptibly behind me.


    I knew better than to use them outright.


    Witches were not wolves.


    They did not respond well to confrontation.


    Instead, I inclined my head thoughtfully.


    "Then perhaps you would consider visiting the academy," I suggested. "Examining the chamber yourselves."


    That caused visible difort. I could tell it wasn¡¯t fear, but reluctance.


    Morwen¡¯s lips thinned slightly.


    "We withdrew from such affairs long ago," she said. "We do not involve ourselves in the politics of wolves."


    "This is not politics," I replied evenly. "It is a threat."


    "To whom?" one younger witch asked quietly.


    "To anyone with a soul," I answered.


    That silenced her.


    Morwen sighed softly. "You ask us to step back into a world we chose to leave."


    "I ask you to prevent history from repeating itself," I said.


    She studied me for a long moment.


    Before I could press further, a voice cut sharply through the air.


    "Or perhaps," a young witch on the far side of the fire said, her tone edged with open irritation, "you are simply looking for someone to me."


    Jasper stiffened.


    I did not.


    The young witch leaned forward slightly, her brown curls falling over one shoulder.


    "You wolves build towers over secrets you never fully understand," she continued. "And when something stirs beneath them, you run to us."


    Her words were not loud.


    But they were pointed.


    Morwen¡¯s gaze sharpened. "Tamsin."


    But I raised a hand slightly.


    "It is fair," I said calmly.


    Tamsin¡¯s eyes flickered with surprise.


    "I am not here to assign me," I continued. "If witches are uninvolved, then your knowledge could still prove invaluable."


    She scoffed softly.


    "Knowledge always has a cost."


    Before I could respond...


    My phone vibrated in my coat pocket.


    The sound felt unnaturally loud in the charged stillness.


    Every witch¡¯s gaze dropped briefly to the source as I withdrew it slowly.


    Evaline.


    My chest tightened instinctively.


    I met Morwen¡¯s gaze.


    "Excuse me," I said evenly.


    And answered the call.

 Chapter 623: Meeting The Witches (II)

    <h4>Chapter 623: Meeting The Witches (II)</h4>


    <strong>River:</strong>


    The faint crackle of the blue me seemed louder the moment I lifted the phone to my ear.


    The witches did not hide their displeasure well.


    It was subtle - a tightening of shoulders, a narrowing of eyes - but it was there. In their world, conversation was ritual. And interruptions were insult.


    I did not care.


    Nothing outranked my mate.


    I epted the call as I rose from my chair without breaking the call and walked several paces away, toward the edge of the pavilion where ivy shadows stretched thick across the stone.


    "Eva-"


    "Are you still in the meeting with the witches?"


    She didn¡¯t even let me finish.


    I paused.


    My gaze lifted slowly to the circle of women around the firepit. Though they did not possess the heightened hearing of wolves, every single one of them was watching me with keen, calcting interest.


    They were listening with their eyes and measuring with their instincts.


    I took several steps away from the group, and only then did I answer.


    "Yes," I said quietly. "I¡¯m still here."


    There was a small exhale on the other end. It wasn¡¯t relief exactly, but confirmation.


    "How is it going?" she asked immediately. "Have they said anything? Did they admit involvement in the chamber? Or agree to help with the soul deaths?"


    Her tone was controlled.


    But I knew her.


    There was urgency threaded beneath it.


    I nced back once more at the witches. They had not resumed speaking. Morwen¡¯s sharp gray eyes followed my movements, unreadable.


    It wasn¡¯t ideal to discuss this here. Not in front of them.


    But Evaline wasn¡¯t just anyone asking idle questions.


    If she was pressing me now... knowing full well I was in the middle of negotiations... then she had a reason.


    And I trusted her instincts more than I trusted most councils.


    "They denied everything," I said evenly. "Knowledge of the chamber. Knowledge of recent spellwork. Even knowledge of the soul deaths beyond old records."


    There was a brief pause on her end.


    "And visiting Silver Moon?" she pressed.


    "They refused," I replied. "They have withdrawn from outside affairs. They don¡¯t want involvement."


    The silence that followed was heavier this time.


    When she spoke again, her voice had shifted.


    "River... I might have found something."


    My spine straightened instinctively. "What kind of something?" I asked quietly.


    "I can¡¯t exin it properly over the phone," she said quickly. "But I¡¯m sure it¡¯s more than enough to work out this meeting with the witches."


    My pulse slowed - not with fear, but with focus.


    "What did you find?" I asked.


    "I said I can¡¯t exin it on the phone," she insisted, and I could practically see the way her brows would be furrowed right now. "There¡¯s too much to exin. A lot of history and questions. But it¡¯s enough to convince them."


    Convince them.


    My gaze slid back to the pavilion.


    The witches were whispering now, low murmurs curling around the fire like smoke.


    "You want toe here," I said, already knowing the answer.


    "Yes."


    There was no hesitation.


    "Let mee to the meeting. If I tell them what I found directly... they might reconsider their choice of staying out of this."


    There was no uncertainty in her tone. Just quiet conviction.


    I studied the witches onest time before answering.


    If they sensed even a fragment of weakness or disorganization in my side, they would close rankspletely.


    But this wasn¡¯t weakness.


    This was reinforcement.


    "You cane," I said decisively. "I¡¯ll have Kieran drive you."


    "Okay," she replied, her voice softer now. "I¡¯ll leave immediately."


    Then the line went silent.


    For a second, I remained standing there with my phone still in hand, considering what it meant that Evaline had found something significant enough to interrupt this meeting.


    Then I turned and walked back to the firepit.


    The whispers ceased as I reimed my seat.


    Morwen tilted her head slightly.


    "Everything well?" she asked.


    "My mate ising," I said evenly.


    That did it.


    The shift in the air was immediate.


    Sharp.


    Unmistakable.


    Several of the younger witches straightened abruptly, and Tamsin¡¯s eyes shed openly with disapproval.


    Morwen¡¯s expression hardened by a fraction.


    "You bring another outsider into our boundary?" one of them demanded. "We allowed you and your beta as a courtesy. That is already more than we grant most."


    Jasper remained still behind me, though I felt the subtle tightening of his posture.


    "We do not host gatherings," another added coolly. "Especially not for wolves."


    I folded my hands loosely before me.


    "I understand your rules," I said calmly.


    "Do you?" Tamsin shot back. "Because it seems you ignore them rather easily."


    A flicker of irritation brushed my patience.


    I had been respectful.


    Measured.


    Careful.


    But I would not be dictated to where my mate was concerned.


    "She is noting for ceremony," I said. "She has information relevant to the matter we are discussing."


    "And if she does not?" Tamsin challenged immediately.


    There it was.


    The line drawn.


    For the first time since arriving, I let a fraction of my control slip.


    Not recklessly.


    Not violently.


    Just enough.


    My alpha aura expanded outward like a slow, rolling storm front. It wasn¡¯t aggressive, but it was undeniable.


    The temperature around the pavilion seemed to drop as the pressure settled into the space between us.


    The fire flickered higher in response.


    Several witches inhaled sharply.


    Even Morwen¡¯s spine went rigid.


    I met Tamsin¡¯s gaze evenly.


    "You know exactly who I am," I said quietly.


    It wasn¡¯t a threat, but a reminder of exactly whom they were facing - the Rogue Alpha King, one of the strongest wolves alive, a businessman whose influence stretched far beyond pack territories into human systems and structures most supernatural beings preferred not to tangle with.


    "I have shown respect," I continued. "Do not mistake that for weakness."


    Silence thickened around us.


    Then, deliberately, I reined my aura back in.


    The pressure eased.


    Slowly.


    "I would not bring her if it were unnecessary," I added, my tone steady once more. "She believes she has something that may change your position."


    "And if she is wrong?" Tamsin pressed again, though her voice had lost some of its earlier sharpness.


    "Then I take full responsibility," I replied without hesitation.


    A murmur passed through the circle.


    "What does that mean?" one of the older witches asked carefully.


    "It means," I said, "that if her visit proves futile, if her information does not warrant your involvement, I will not press this matter further."


    That drew Morwen¡¯s full attention. "You would withdraw your request entirely?" she asked.


    "If it is baseless," I said. "Yes."


    It was a calcted risk.


    But not a reckless one.


    I trusted Evaline.


    More than that... I trusted her instincts.


    She would not ask to step into a den of witches without cause.


    "And you are so certain it will not be baseless?" Morwen asked quietly.


    A small smile touched the corner of my mouth.


    "Yes," I said simply. "I am."


    The witches exchanged looks... silentmunication flowing between them in ways even I could not decipher fully.


    Finally, Morwen lifted her hand, and the murmurs ceased.


    "She maye," the elder said atst.


    Tamsin stiffened. "Elder-"


    "She maye," Morwen repeated firmly. "Under ward."


    Of course.


    "Under ward," I agreed without argument.


    Morwen¡¯s gaze locked onto mine once more.


    "If she carries deception into our circle," she said softly, "we will know."


    "I would expect nothing less," I replied.


    The blue me in the firepit settled into a steadier burn.


    The decision had been made.


    Now all that remained was to see what exactly my mate had uncovered.


    And why she sounded so certain that it would shift the bnce of this entire conversation.

 Chapter 624: Not Welcomed By The Witches

    <h4>Chapter 624: Not Weed By The Witches</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The forest grew thicker the deeper Kieran drove.


    Tall trees leaned inward as if whispering among themselves, their branches knitting together to filter thete afternoon light into a muted green glow. The air felt heavier here... not suffocating, but aware.


    When the car finally slowed to a stop, my pulse kicked up despite my efforts to remain calm.


    Kieran stepped out first. And a secondter, he opened my door.


    I climbed out of the car, smoothing my coat instinctively before lifting my gaze to take in our surroundings.


    The first thing I noticed was River¡¯s ck car parked a short distance away. Even from here, it felt unmistakably his - sleek, controlled, deliberate. Seeing it steadied something inside me.


    Then my attention shifted to the woman who stood under an archway woven from thick vines and pale winter roses.


    A witch.


    Her gaze flicked to Kieran first, and she bowed politely. Then her eyes moved to me... and she gave me a brief nod in acknowledgment.


    Nothing more.


    I didn¡¯t need mind-reading abilities to understand what that meant - I wasn¡¯t unwee exactly, but I wasn¡¯t wee either.


    Which was fair.


    I hadn¡¯te here to make friends.


    I felt Kieran¡¯s hand settle at the small of my back - warm, solid, grounding. It was a silent reminder that I wasn¡¯t walking into this ce alone.


    I let out a small breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding and stepped forward.


    The witch turned without another word, motioning for us to follow.


    The dirt path beneath our feet was narrow and uneven. I couldn¡¯t help but notice all small details, including the protection charms and warnings.


    Kieran¡¯s hand remained at my back as we walked in silence.


    After several minutes, the trees opened into a clearing.


    And there it was.


    The house looked like something from a forgotten painting.


    The moment I stepped fully into the clearing, something brushed over my skin. It was cold, weightless, clearly magic.


    A ward.


    It slid across me like mist, probing, testing. My heartbeat stuttered, but I forced myself not to react outwardly.


    The witch didn¡¯tment.


    She simply led us around the side of the house toward the backyard.


    Voices reached us first - low,yered, indistinct.


    Then I saw them.


    My eyes immediately found River. He sat with effortlessmand, his posture rxed yet unyielding. Jasper stood just behind him, silent and watchful.


    The second River saw me, something in his expression shifted. It was subtle but unmistakable - warmth.


    He rose halfway from his seat and extended his hand toward me.


    For a fraction of a second, I hesitated.


    Every eye was on us - assessing, measuring.


    But then I reminded myself why I was here.


    I ced my hand in his, and his fingers closed around mine, firm and reassuring. And just like that, the nerves eased.


    He guided me to the empty chair beside him.


    Kieran stepped forward, greeting one of the witches with a respectful nod. "Elder Morwen," he acknowledged.


    So this was Morwen.


    She looked no older than fifty, but her eyes held centuries.


    She inclined her head at Kieran before her gaze moved to me.


    River¡¯s voice broke the silence.


    "This is Evaline," he said steadily. "Our mate."


    A ripple passed through the circle.


    Shock.


    Real, unfiltered shock.


    Not because I was his mate.


    But because of the word <i>our.</i>


    I felt heat crawl up my neck as the witches¡¯ gazes sharpened.


    River continued smoothly, "She is mated to me and my brothers."


    That did it.


    Even Morwen¡¯sposed expression flickered.


    For a brief second, I wanted to sink into the ground.


    I hadn¡¯t expected him to introduce me that way. Not here. Not in front of witches who already viewed us with suspicion.


    But at the same time... something inside me warmed.


    He hadn¡¯t hidden it.


    Hadn¡¯t softened it.


    Hadn¡¯t diminished it.


    I lifted my chin slightly and met Morwen¡¯s gaze.


    She studied me with renewed intensity.


    "Evaline," she greeted calmly.


    "Elder Morwen," I replied, dipping my head respectfully.


    The introductions settled as the fire crackled softly.


    River¡¯s thumb brushed lightly over the back of my hand, and then he released me and leaned back in his chair.


    I turned slightly toward him and opened the mindlink between us. It had formed the night he marked me. It was a quiet thread of connection that felt like warm light weaving through my thoughts.


    <i>Trust me</i>, I told him gently. <i>Let me handle this.</i>


    There was no hesitation from him, no questioning, no resistance.


    The weight of the room shifted almost imperceptibly as he leaned back fully, signaling the subtle transfer of control.


    My heart pounded harder, but I didn¡¯t let it show.


    I took a slow breath and faced Morwen.


    "I got to know you have declined involvement in the soul death cases," I began evenly. "And that you have refused to examine the chamber beneath the West Tower of Silver Moon Academy."


    A witch on the far left... the youngest looking one, sharp-eyed and visibly irritated... scoffed under her breath.


    Morwen shot her a disapproving nce before returning her attention to me.


    "We have withdrawn from such matters," she said calmly. "We do not entangle ourselves in the conflicts of the outside world."


    Her tone wasn¡¯t hostile.


    Just firm.


    I smiled.


    Not warmly.


    But knowingly.


    "I understand your reluctance regarding the investigation of soul deaths," I said. "On the surface, it appears to be a matter of wolves."


    The young witch¡¯s lips pressed together tightly.


    "But what I don¡¯t understand," I continued, my voice steady and measured, "is why you would refuse to even look at the chamber."


    The air shifted.


    Subtly.


    The witches straightened almost imperceptibly. Even Morwen¡¯s gaze sharpened. "The chamber¡¯s existence does not prove ourinvolvement," she replied.


    "No," I agreed. "But the spellwork does."


    A faint ripple moved through the circle again.


    I felt the nerves w at my stomach, but I held eye contact.


    "That chamber carriesyers of spells and magic," I said. "Complex. Intentional. Preserved."


    I leaned forward slightly.


    "And whether it was cast yesterday or centuries ago, it belongs to your kind."


    The fire crackled louder, as if punctuating my words.


    Morwen¡¯s expression remained unreadable.


    "We are not responsible for every spell cast in history," she said quietly.


    "Of course not," I replied smoothly. "But if a spell exists - one that may connect to soul deaths - and it was crafted by witches... then it concerns you."


    Silence settled heavily around us. Even the younger witch stopped fidgeting.


    I could feel River beside me - steady, silent, supportive.


    I kept my chin lifted.


    "You say you have withdrawn from the world," I said. "That you do not involve yourselves in wolf affairs."


    My gaze moved slowly around the circle.


    "But this isn¡¯t about wolves."


    I paused.


    "It¡¯s about magic that shouldn¡¯t exist."


    And I let those words hang between us.

 Chapter 625: The Severance Rune

    <h4>Chapter 625: The Severance Rune</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The younger witch didn¡¯t even try to hide her displeasure this time.


    She scoffed openly, the sound sharp against the steady crackle of the fire.


    "Even if witches were involved in the matter of that chamber," she said, leaning forward with open challenge in her eyes, "we are not obligated to solve it for you."


    Her gaze slid to River briefly before snapping back to me.


    "The chamber was created by our ancestors... if your assumptions are even correct. Not by us. Not by this circle."


    Her lips curled faintly before she continued, "And the only reason you and your Alpha are pressing this matter is because you want our help with the soul death cases."


    There it was.


    Laid bare.


    "You should simply admit your inability to handle it," she continued coolly, "instead of pushing me toward us."


    Her words were pointed.


    Harsh.


    Deliberately so.


    I felt the shift in River instantly through the bond - the faint tightening of his control, the subtle surge of restrained dominance. Kieran¡¯s irritation red too, quieter but just as protective.


    They did not like her tone. They did not like the way she spoke to me. But before either of them could respond, I smiled.


    It was a small, almost amused curve of my lips.


    "You prefer directness?" I asked lightly.


    The witch blinked, thrown off by my calm.


    "I can do direct."


    That seemed to confuse them more than if I had argued.


    Several of them exchanged nces.


    Before anyone could question me further, I reached into the leather folder I had brought with me. The sound of paper sliding free felt almost too loud in the tense silence.


    I handed some to River beside me and then stood just enough to lean forward and hand the rest across the firepit to Morwen.


    Her fingers brushed the edges carefully before she began scanning the first page.


    "While going through the council¡¯s library," I began evenly, "I came across an old book cataloguing ancient rune structures. Mostly obsolete. Some even forbidden."


    The younger witch folded her arms but did not interrupt this time.


    "In one of those texts," I continued, "I saw something familiar."


    I withdrew a second set of items from the folder - photographs - and handed them to River and Morwen as well.


    "These," I said calmly, "are images taken from the chamber beneath the West Tower."


    Morwen passed several of the photos around the circle.


    I watched their faces carefully.


    Most of them remained indifferent.


    Unimpressed.


    Until Morwen reached one particr photograph.


    It was photo of one of the runes, carved into a massive rock positioned directly before the dead tree at the chamber¡¯s center.


    Even across the firelight, I saw it... that subtle shift, the tightening around her eyes. There was a fractional pause before she resumed her neutral expression.


    It was small.


    Almost invisible.


    But I saw it.


    And that told me everything I needed to know.


    I leaned forward slightly and pointed to that photo.


    "This one," I said quietly.


    Then I gestured toward the printed pages she still held.


    "And this."


    The younger witch rolled her eyes.


    "We are familiar with runes," she said dismissively.


    "I¡¯m sure you are," I replied calmly. "But are you familiar with that rune¡¯s true function? Can you tell me what it was used for?"


    That silenced her.


    River¡¯s gaze shifted to me, curious but steady.


    "We initially believed," I continued, "that every rune within that chamber existed to seal the entity behind the soul deaths."


    That had been the most logical assumption at that time. So even when none of us knew exactly what each rune in that chamber was ced there for, we believed the collective purpose of all the runes and spells was to keep the Great Evil sealed there.


    How foolish we were.


    "But that particr rune," I said, tapping lightly against the photo, "is not a containment rune."


    The air felt heavier now.


    More focused.


    "It¡¯s not used to keep something trapped inside a space," I continued. "It is used for something far more invasive."


    Morwen¡¯s fingers tightened ever so slightly around the paper.


    River¡¯s voice cut through the tension, calm but alert.


    "If not to seal the Great Evil," he asked evenly, "then what is it for?"


    At the exact same moment, the younger witch spoke sharply, "What are you implying?"


    I met both their gazes as my heart thudded heavily in my chest.


    The memory of the day I had discovered the truth shed vividly in my mind. And the more I dug into the matter, the more shocked I got.


    "It¡¯s a severance rune," I said slowly.


    No one reacted immediately, because they didn¡¯t understand... at least most of them.


    "It is used," I rified carefully, "to forcibly separate a soul from its original anchor."


    The silence this time was absolute.


    The younger witch¡¯s scoff died before it fully formed.


    River didn¡¯t move.


    Didn¡¯t blink.


    I could feel his focus sharpen like a de beside me.


    Morwen¡¯s gaze locked onto the image again.


    "That rune," I continued, my voice steady despite the tremor that threatened beneath it, "is not designed to trap an entity inside that chamber."


    I swallowed once.


    "It is designed to extract."


    The fire red suddenly, sparks snapping upward into the darkening sky.


    No one spoke.


    So I did.


    "It is used to forcefully separate and control a soul."


    Kieran¡¯s stunned voice was the first thing that broke the silence.


    "What?"


    His reaction was exactly what I expected.


    Honestly, it was the same reaction I had when I first learned the truth.


    I let out a quiet sigh and nodded, meeting his gaze across River.


    "I was shocked too," I admitted softly. "It didn¡¯t make any sense why such a forbidden rune would appear in the secret chamber that was supposed to keep the Great Evil sealed."


    Kieran leaned back slightly in his chair, dragging his hand through his hair as he processed what I had just said.


    And I had just started.

 Chapter 626: The Abandoned Village

    <h4>Chapter 626: The Abandoned Vige</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    River didn¡¯t speak, but I could feel his focus on me like a steady current through our bond. His attention never wavered.


    I shifted my gaze from Kieran to the witches seated across the firepit and my eyes settled on Morwen.


    She was watching me with an unreadable expression.


    "So I decided to dig deeper into the matter," I spoke calmly.


    The mes crackled softly between us.


    "What else did you find?" River¡¯s voice was steady as he asked the question, but there was an edge to it now.


    The question pulled my gaze back to him. And for a brief moment, I hesitated... not because I doubted the truth, but because I knew what I was about to say would change the entire direction of this conversation.


    "A lot," I admitted quietly.


    The word settled heavily in the air.


    I straightened slightly in my seat and folded my hands over the folder resting in myp.


    "After discovering the purpose of that rune, I started researching when it wasst used and when it was officially banned."


    My gaze moved briefly toward the papers Elder Morwen still held.


    "That rune," I said slowly, "was dered forbidden four centuries ago."


    The reaction this time was subtle, but it was there.


    Even the other witches shifted in their seats.


    The younger one who had been openly hostile earlier frowned slightly.


    "And do you know what else happened four centuries ago?" I asked quietly.


    No one answered.


    "The first recorded soul death cases."


    The wordsnded exactly how I expected them to - like a stone dropped into still water.


    River leaned forward slightly now, resting his elbows loosely on his knees.


    I could feel the sharp edge of his attention.


    "When I realized the timeline matched," I continued, "I started going through every piece of evidence we had gathered from the chamber beneath the West Tower."


    I reached for the folder again and pulled out several additional printed pages.


    These ones were more detailed - sketches, tranted notes, observations I had written during myte-night research sessions.


    "I spent several days studying the runes carved inside the secret chamber and the spells," I said.


    I passed the pages to River and he took them without hesitation. But Morwen hesitated for just a second before epting the papers.


    "And?" River asked quietly as he looked through the pages.


    "And I discovered something important," I said and lifted my eyes to meet his again. "There wasn¡¯t just one type of ritual performed in that chamber."


    Kieran straightened slightly at that. "What do you mean?" he asked.


    I inhaled slowly before answering, "There were two."


    Silence fell again.


    I took in a deep breath before continuing, "One of the rituals used the severance rune along with several binding spells to forcefully separate a soul from its body."


    River¡¯s jaw tightened slightly.


    "And then control it."


    Few of the younger witches shifted ufortably.


    "And the other ritual was meant to seal that soul," I said quietly.


    I pointed toward the photograph of the dead tree.


    "Inside that tree."


    The crackling fire seemed louder now.


    I tapped lightly on one of the sketches. "These runes were to lock the soul inside the tree and keep it sealed in the secret chamber."


    For several seconds, no one spoke.


    Then I reached into the folder again. This time, I pulled out something different - two copies of old maps that hadn¡¯t been in use for centuries.


    As usual, I handed one to River and the other to Morwen.


    "These," I said quietly, "are copies of old territorial maps."


    I leaned forward and pointed at one section.


    "Four centuries ago, thend where Silver Moon Academy stands today wasn¡¯t empty."


    River¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied the markings.


    "It was a vige."


    The younger witches leaned forward now while Kieran joined his brother to take a look at the map.


    "And it wasn¡¯t just any vige," I continued, "but a vige of witches."


    That statement caused visible reactions - the witches exchanged uneasy looks before they shifted their attention to Morwen as if they expected the elder to answer their unasked question.


    River slowly lifted his gaze from the map to me.


    "You are certain?" he asked.


    "Yes," I said, "The records indicate that a fairlyrge coven lived there."


    Elder Morwen¡¯s face remained calm, but I noticed how still she had be.


    "And then one night," I said quietly, "they left. They abandoned the entire settlement and relocated deeper into the mountains."


    I gestured toward the forest around us.


    "Here."


    River nced toward Morwen.


    She still hadn¡¯t spoken.


    "No exnation was ever officially recorded," I continued. "Just vague statements about seeking seclusion."


    Kieran leaned forward now, his eyes narrowing slightly.


    "And the vige?" he asked.


    "It remained abandoned for nearly two centuries," I replied, "until the council eventually demolished the ruins."


    The pieces were all on the table now.


    I let the silence stretch.


    Because sometimes silence made truths louder than words.


    "Let me summarize the timeline," I said calmly.


    I raised one finger.


    "Four centuries ago - witches lived where Silver Moon stands today."


    Second finger.


    "At the same time - someone used a forbidden severance rune to separate a soul from its body."


    Third finger.


    "That soul was then sealed inside the tree in the chamber beneath the West Tower."


    Fourth finger.


    "And around that exact same time..."


    I looked directly at Morwen.


    "The first soul death cases began appearing across the region."


    No one moved.


    "And then," I said quietly, "almost immediately after the witches abandoned their vige..."


    I leaned back slightly.


    "The soul deaths stopped."


    The weight of those words pressed heavily against the pavilion.


    No one spoke.


    Even the younger witch who had been so vocal earlier looked unsettled now.


    "I¡¯m not saying this proves witches were responsible," I continued carefully.


    "Because it doesn¡¯t."


    My gaze moved slowly across the circle.


    "But it does create a very troubling pattern."


    My eyes returned to Morwen.


    "And you know it."


    River didn¡¯t interrupt, he didn¡¯t need to. The quiet authority in his presence was enough.


    "You recognized the rune," I said softly.


    Morwen didn¡¯t answer.


    "You recognized the maps."


    Still nothing.


    "And you definitely recognized the timeline."


    The fire cracked sharply.


    I leaned forward slightly.


    "So I¡¯ll ask you directly."


    My voice softened.


    "Do you have any idea how many people died four centuries ago?"


    That question hung in the air like smoke.


    No answer came.


    "Families lost sons. Parents lost daughters. Entire bloodlines disappeared because their souls were ripped from their bodies."


    My throat tightened slightly, but I pushed through it. "And now it¡¯s happening again." I gestured toward River and Kieran. "We are investigating new soul death cases right now."


    My voice lowered.


    "More people are going to die."


    I met the witches¡¯ gazes one by one. "More families are going to lose the people they love... all because you refuse to talk."


    The witches looked ufortable now, and a few nced toward Morwen again.


    "You say you withdrew from the world to live in peace," I continued quietly. "But what if that¡¯s not the real reason?"


    The pavilion wentpletely still.


    "What if the real reason," I said softly, "is because your ancestors did something terrible."


    The younger witch inhaled sharply.


    "And you chose silence instead of responsibility."


    My gaze remained steady.


    "Maybe you hoped the world would forget."


    I paused.


    "But the problem is... the thing sealed in that chamber didn¡¯t forget."


    River¡¯s voice finally entered the conversation again - low, controlled, and dangerous.


    "Evaline has presented more than enough evidence to raise serious concerns."


    His eyes moved slowly across the witches as he added, "And she has asked you respectfully for the truth."


    He leaned back slightly in his chair.


    "But if you continue to remain silent..." The temperature in the pavilion seemed to drop, "...then the next conversation won¡¯t be this civil."


    A subtle ripple of tension moved through the circle.


    River didn¡¯t raise his voice, he didn¡¯t need to. "I came here today not only to ask for your help but also to help you from getting involved with the council and its politics."


    He then fixed his gaze on Morwen and added, "You know very well how ugly things would turn out once council would learn what my mate has just revealed. That investigation... will not be pleasant."


    Several witches stiffened.


    "The council won¡¯t care about your privacy, or your istion, or your traditions. They will demand answers... and will get them."


    A long silence followed.


    The message was clear - if the council stepped in, things would be ugly. The witches would not only face usations, raids, and interrogations... but would also be forced into cleaning the mess.


    "And while we cannot yet prove your ancestors were responsible for the soul deaths," River continued quietly, "their connection to the secret chamber is undeniable."


    The fire snapped again.


    River¡¯s eyes hardened. "And if you continue refusing to cooperate... the council will assume the worst."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 627: Accepting The Fault

    <h4>Chapter 627: epting The Fault</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    For a long moment after River finished speaking, no one moved.


    The forest around us had grown eerily quiet, as if even the wind had paused to listen. The fire in the pit crackled softly, orange and blue mes licking at the ckened logs, casting long shifting shadows across the pavilion.


    My gaze stayed fixed on Morwen.


    When I first came here, I thought forcing the truth out of the witches would be like trying to pry open a locked vault with bare hands. They were too guarded, too proud, too practiced in silence.


    Even now, part of me expected Morwen to simply refuse again. To close herself off and end the meeting.


    But as River¡¯s warning settled over the gathering like a storm cloud, something changed.


    At first it was subtle - asmall tightening around Morwen¡¯s eyes, the faint tremor of breath leaving her lungs. Then her gaze shifted.


    Slowly, deliberately, she looked to her right... toward the only other witch in the circle who carried the same quiet authority she did.


    She was an older woman with streaks of silver braided into her dark hair. Her posture had remained straight and still throughout the entire conversation, but now she met Morwen¡¯s look with something deeper.


    A silent exchange passed between them and itsted barely a second.


    The other elder gave a small nod - tight, barely noticeable... but unmistakable.


    My heart skipped... because I sensed their change of heart even before Morwen exhaled. It was a deep, weary breath that seemed to carry centuries of weight with it.


    And in that moment, watching the way her shoulders lowered just slightly, I realized something that sent a strange ripple through my chest.


    She had been holding this in.


    For a long time.


    And now... now she was about to let it go.


    I straightened slightly in my chair, anticipation tightening my muscles.


    River remained perfectly still beside me, but through our bond I could feel his focus sharpen.


    Kieran had leaned forward too, his gaze locked on the elder witch.


    Morwen opened her mouth.


    But before a single word could leave her lips... a sharp, angry voice cut through the pavilion.


    "This is ridiculous!"


    The younger witch shot to her feet so suddenly her chair scraped loudly against the stone floor.


    Her eyes burned with fury as she looked from Morwen to me, then to River.


    "No," she snapped, shaking her head fiercely. "I refuse to sit here and listen to this."


    The fragile shift in the atmosphere shattered instantly. Several witches looked at her in surprise, but the young witch didn¡¯t care.


    She pointed straight at me. "Youe into our home," she said harshly, "spin theories from half-decayed records and stolen archives, and then stand here pretending you have uncovered some grand truth."


    Her lip curled.


    "As if witches need to answer to wolves."


    I felt River tense beside me. The pressure of his aura flickered for the briefest moment before he forced it back down.


    Kieran¡¯s irritation surged through our bond too.


    But I stayed quiet and let her speak.


    She turned on River next.


    "And you Alpha Thorne," she said bitterly, "you throw around threats about the council like we should be afraid."


    Herugh was sharp and humorless.


    "Of what? Wolves stomping into our territory and demanding confessions?"


    Her gaze swept the circle. "They came here because they can¡¯t solve their own problem," she dered.


    Her finger jabbed toward the ground usingly. "These soul deaths? It¡¯s their mess. Their failure."


    Then her eyes snapped back to me. "And now they want to pin it on witches because it¡¯s convenient."


    Her voice grew louder with every word. "They want to me the covens in the woods. me our ancestors. Anything but admit that the mighty wolves can¡¯t handle their own crisis."


    My hands tightened slightly in myp.


    The witch took a step forward, ring openly at River. "And now you are trying to ckmail us," her eyes shed, "Threats about the council? Investigations?"


    She scoffed.


    "You think intimidation will make us confess to crimes we didn¡¯tmit?"


    The other witches around her shifted uneasily, but none interrupted.


    Her anger had taken overpletely now. "You wolves have always been the same," she continued. "Arrogant. Self-righteous. Always looking for someone else to me when things go wrong."


    Her gaze returned to me, sharp and using. "And you-" her voice dripped with contempt, "You expect us to believe that your little research project somehow proves witches are responsible for soul deaths centuries ago?"


    Sheughed again. "That rune could have been carved by anyone. Even by one of your own kind."


    She folded her arms across her chest as she continued, "And now you show up here waving old maps and theories like they are evidence."


    The hostility in her voice was impossible to miss.


    "You want help?" she snapped. "Then stop ying your me game and admit the truth."


    Her eyes shed between River, Kieran, and me.


    "You don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening. And you are desperate."


    The fire crackled loudly.


    For a moment, it felt like the entire forest had leaned in to listen. Then...


    "Tamsin."


    Morwen¡¯s voice cut through the tension like a de. It wasn¡¯t loud, but it was absolute.


    The younger witch froze.


    "Mind your words," Morwen said calmly.


    Tamsin turned toward her, frustration still burning in her eyes. "Elder, they are using our ancestors-"


    "I said," Morwen repeated, sharper this time, "mind your words." The authority in her tone left no room for argument.


    Tamsin opened her mouth again. "But-"


    "That is enough." The finality in Morwen¡¯s voice shut her downpletely.


    Tamsin clenched her jaw. For a moment, it looked like she might continue arguing, but something in Morwen¡¯s gaze made her stop.


    The younger witch exhaled harshly and dropped back into her seat, though the anger still radiated from her like heat from a me.


    Morwen didn¡¯t look at her again. Instead, she turned her full attention toward us. Her gaze shifted between Kieran and River... beforeing to stop at me.


    Her eyes held mine for a long moment... and then she spoke, "You are not wrong."


    The words were quiet, but theynded like thunder.


    Every witch in the pavilion stiffened.


    Tamsin¡¯s head snapped up in disbelief.


    Morwen continued before anyone could interrupt. "Your investigation," she said slowly, "is not wrong."


    The silence that followed felt heavier than anything that hade before.


    My pulse quickened.


    River leaned forward slightly beside me.


    Kieran had gonepletely still.


    Even the fire seemed quieter now.


    Morwen sped her hands loosely in herp. Her voice carried none of the defensive edge it had earlier, only resignation.


    "The chamber beneath your academy," she said. "And the soul deaths." She paused briefly. "They are both consequences of our ancestors¡¯ mistake."


    A collective gasp rippled through the witches. And Tamsin shot to her feet again. "No," she said sharply. "That¡¯s not-"


    But Morwen lifted a hand, and the younger witch fell silent.


    Shock spread across the pavilion like wildfire. Several witches stared at Morwen in disbelief.


    Others looked down at the ground as if afraid to meet her gaze.


    The other elder remained quiet, though the tension in her shoulders had be visible now.


    No one spoke.


    No one rushed Morwen to continue.


    Because now that the truth had begun to surface. There was no stopping it.


    Morwen drew in a long breath. Her eyes lifted toward the dark canopy of trees above the pavilion... and when she spoke again, her voice carried the weight of centuries.


    "This began four hundred years ago." She looked back at us. "At the vige that once stood where your academy is now."

 Chapter 628: Four Centuries Ago (I)

    <h4>Chapter 628: Four Centuries Ago (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    No one interrupted Morwen. No one even breathed too loudly.


    The pavilion had be so quiet that the crackling of the fire sounded almost intrusive. Even the forest around us seemed to hold its breath.


    Morwen sat with her hands folded in herp, her gaze lowered for a moment as if gathering the strength to continue.


    When she finally spoke again, her voice carried something heavier than before. "This story," she began slowly, "starts with a legend."


    Her eyes lifted. And for a brief moment, they settled on me. Something in that look made the air in my lungs still.


    Because it wasn¡¯t curiosity... it was recognition.


    "Many of you might have heard of the legendary Silver Wolf bloodline," she continued.


    But her gaze lingered on me a second longer than necessary, as if silently acknowledging something unspoken between us.


    I didn¡¯t react. Not outwardly. I simply held her gaze, calm and steady, refusing to break eye contact.


    If she knew... or suspected... anything about my bloodline, I wasn¡¯t going to confirm or deny it.


    She studied me quietly for a second.


    Then, almost imperceptibly, something like approval flickered in her eyes... and she looked away.


    "The Silver Wolf bloodline," she said to the circle, "is one of the oldest and strongest werewolf bloodlines to have ever existed."


    A few witches shifted slightly at the mention of it.


    The name carried weight.


    History.


    Power.


    "And with that bloodline came a legend that spread far beyond wolf territories." Morwen sped her hands together a little tighter. "The legend of divine healers."


    River¡¯s presence beside me grew sharper. And I also felt Kieran¡¯s attention lock onto Morwen just as intensely.


    "These healers," Morwen continued, "were said to be blessed by the Moon Goddess herself."


    Her voice had softened slightly now, almost reverent. "They were no ordinary healers. They carried divine power within their souls - power capable of restoring life, healing fatal wounds, even stabilizing souls that had been damaged by darkness."


    A faint murmur moved through the witches.


    Morwen continued before anyone could interrupt. "For centuries, only the Silver Wolf bloodline produced such healers."


    Her gaze flicked toward me again, briefly. "And because such power existed, it inevitably attracted attention."


    Her fingers curled slightly against her palm. "When the world learned of it, many desired to control it."


    She paused. And the hesitation that followed felt heavy... almost painful.


    Her next words came slower. "Four centuries ago... witches were among those who became tempted."


    A subtle ripple moved through the circle. Some witches looked ufortable. Others stared at Morwen in stunned silence.


    However, she didn¡¯t look at them. Her eyes were fixed on the fire now.


    "Some of our ancestors believed that if they could harness the divine healing power of the Silver Wolf bloodline," she continued quietly, "they could change the bnce of magic in the world."


    My stomach twisted slightly. Even though part of me had already suspected something like this... hearing it said aloud felt different. Darker.


    "Healers like that were incredibly rare," Morwen went on. "And extremely protected within their pack."


    She lowered her voice, "But four centuries ago..." She lifted her gaze again, "...they seeded in capturing one."


    The words struck me like ice water. For a moment, I couldn¡¯t move. My mind stalled.


    Because of all the things I had expected to hear tonight... this wasn¡¯t one of them.


    They captured a divine healer.


    My fingers curled slowly against my knee.


    And suddenly, everything about the secrecy surrounding the divine healers and their power made even more sense.


    The Alphas and elders of Silver Wolf Pack had always been extremely strict about hiding divine healers from the world.


    But until this moment, I had never fully understood how far others might go to obtain that power.


    Now I did.


    Beside me, River¡¯s energy sharpened noticeably. And Kieran shifted slightly on his chair.


    Through our bonds, I could feel the tension building in both of them.


    They had always known my abilities had to remain hidden.


    But hearing this...


    Hearing what had happened before...


    It made the threat feel real in a way it never had before.


    Oblivious to our thoughts, Morwen continued, "Our ancestors captured the divine healer of the Silver Wolf Pack," she said quietly. "They brought him to the vige that once stood where Silver Moon Academy is now."


    Her gaze lifted again, meeting mine. "And they imprisoned him in the underground chamber you discovered."


    I didn¡¯t know how to feel at the confirmation.


    "They believed that if they could persuade him to cooperate willingly," Morwen said, "they could study and replicate his healing power with spells or runes."


    She pressed her lips together. "At first, they attempted negotiation."


    She shook her head faintly. "They tried to convince him to leave his pack and stay among witches. They promised him knowledge, protection, partnership."


    She looked down at her hands.


    "But he refused."


    I wasn¡¯t surprised.


    A divine healer abandoning his pack would be unthinkable.


    "So our ancestors chose a darker path," Morwen said quietly. "They decided to extract his power by force."


    The pavilion felt colder.


    "The ritual they prepared was designed to pull the divine healing magic from his body." Her gaze moved toward the printed pages I had brought."But during the ritual... something changed."


    She inhaled slowly before continuing, "One of the elder witches overseeing the ritual realized a problem... the healer¡¯s power wasn¡¯t separate from him. It was bound to his soul."


    I felt a chill crawl down my spine. It was alling to the same realization I had reached while studying the rune.


    "That elder understood something the others had not," Morwen said. "If they wanted the divine power... they would need the soul that carried it."


    The fire crackled loudly in the silence.


    "But she also knew the others might refuse if they understood what that meant." Her voice hardened slightly. "So she made a decision... and altered the ritual."


    The other witches stared at her now with growing horror.


    "She changed the runes."


    If I had to guess... it was the severance rune.


    "She didn¡¯t inform the rest of the coven," Morwen continued quietly. "She believed that once the ritual had begun, it would be toote for them to stop it."


    River¡¯s jaw tightened beside me.


    "And she was right. By the time the others realized the runes had been altered..." she paused for a second, "...the ritual was already underway."


    Her voice dropped lower as guilt overtook. "And the healer¡¯s soul was forcefully separated from his body."


    A heavy silence fell.


    "But things didn¡¯t go as nned."


    This time her eyes flickered with something like grief.


    "The moment his soul was torn free..." she exhaled slowly, "...his body died."


    The younger witches stared at her in stunned disbelief, and so did I.


    "The soul should have remained bound within the ritual circle," she continued, "but divine power is not easily controlled."


    The firelight flickered across her face.


    "The soul became unstable. Wild. And before the witches could contain it... it escaped."


    My stomach dropped as the pieces starteding to ces in my head.


    "It fled," Morwen said quietly, her eyes filled with deep regret. "It got twisted by the ritual... and it was no longer whole. And in its broken state..."


    She swallowed softly.


    "...it began feeding."


    I held my breath as she confirmed what I had already realized seconds before.


    "It sought out other wolves." Her gaze met River¡¯s this time. "And it tore their wolves away."


    A chill spread through my entire body.


    "And that," she said quietly, "was how the first soul death cases began."

 Chapter 629: Four Centuries Ago (II)

    <h4>Chapter 629: Four Centuries Ago (II)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    For a long moment after Morwen finished speaking, the pavilion felt like it had been frozen in time.


    Her words didn¡¯t just linger in the air... they pressed down on us, heavy and suffocating.


    I realized I had been holding my breath. Slowly, I forced myself to inhale.


    But even breathing felt difficult. Because what she had just revealed... it was far worse than anything I had imagined.


    Around the firepit, no one spoke.


    River sat beside me,pletely still. The usual quiet confidence in his posture had been reced by something far more rigid.


    Kieran had leaned back slightly in his chair, one hand braced against his knee as if grounding himself.


    Even Jasper, who had remained silent through the entire meeting, looked darker than I had ever seen him before. His gaze had dropped to the ground, and his jaw was set tight.


    Across from us, the witches were no different. They stared at Morwen in shock. Some looked horrified. Some looked confused. And some looked like their entire understanding of their own history had just shattered.


    Tamsin had gone pale. The anger she had been radiating earlier had drained away, leaving behind disbelief.


    But among all of them, the other elder stood out as she¡¯s the only one who didn¡¯t seem surprised. However, just like Elder Morwen, she too looked tired, burdened, and deeply... painfully guilty.


    Her eyes stayed lowered, her hands folded tightly together in herp. She hadn¡¯t spoken a single word since Morwen began the story.


    But the expression on her face made one thing painfully clear - all this time, she had known the truth just like Elder Morwen.


    They had both carried the weight of this truth for years... maybe decades or even century... without ever revealing it to anyone.


    And suddenly the silence and denial of their coven made much more sense.


    I swallowed slowly, trying to steady the storm of thoughts crashing through my mind.


    Even when I first began suspecting that witches might be involved in the mystery of the secret chamber and the Great Evil, even when I realized the severance rune was part of a different ritual... I never expected the truth to be this dark.


    Because of a group of people¡¯s greed, mistake, and fear... not only a divine healer lost his soul, but it even created the thing we now called the Great Evil.


    My stomach twisted.


    Because when I thought about it now, Morwen¡¯s story made horrifying sense.


    If the Great Evil was truly the twisted soul of the healer they had captured... then it made sense why the soul deaths were happening again now.


    It was feeding, trying to survive, trying to rebuild something it had lost.


    And another realization followed immediately after... one that sent a cold ripple through my chest.


    That was why I could sense it.


    I had wondered about that ever since the first time I sensed the wrong energy. No one else had sensed its presence the way I had.


    But now I understood.


    The soul trapped there once carried divine healing power, the same power that lived inside me.


    So there¡¯s a high chamber my healing energy had recognized it. Recognized what it once was.


    That was also why I had been able to see fragments of the past when I touched the runes in that chamber.


    Morwen¡¯s voice broke the silence again... as well as pulled me out of my thoughts.


    "After the soul escaped the chamber," she said quietly, "our ancestors descended into panic."


    Her gaze remained fixed on the fire.


    "At first, they believed the soul would dissipate... but it didn¡¯t." She exhaled slowly. "Instead, reports began spreading across nearby packs and towns about how wolves were being found unconscious. Inas."


    My chest tightened as Draven¡¯s unconscious image suddenly shed in my mind.


    "They were still alive," she continued, "but empty."


    She didn¡¯t need to say the next part.


    We all knew it.


    Their wolves had been taken.


    "The coven did not immediately understand what was happening," Morwen said. "They only heard rumors. But then the Werewolf Council began sending requests."


    River¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly as he spoke, "They asked witches for assistance."


    Morwen nodded faintly even though he didn¡¯t phrase his words as a question.


    "At the time, witches were still known for their healing spells and potions. So the council summoned several covens to help examine the victims."


    The fire crackled.


    "And when our ancestors saw the victims..." She closed her eyes briefly, "...they realized the truth - the soul they had unleashed was feeding on wolves."


    Morwen¡¯s voice carried unmistakable regret as she said the words out loud- "And it was our fault."


    Several witches shifted uneasily. Tamsin actually looked horrified now... probably still in denial.


    "But that realization only made the coven panic more," Morwen continued. "Because if the Werewolf Council ever discovered what truly caused those soul deaths..."


    She didn¡¯t need to finish the sentence. Everyone in the pavilion knew what would have happened.


    The council wouldn¡¯t have tolerated something like that.


    Not then.


    Not now.


    "Instead of confessing," Morwen said quietly, "our ancestors chose another path."


    Her gaze drifted toward the forest surrounding us.


    "They hunted the soul. It took them months. Perhaps longer. But eventually... they managed to trap it again."


    My mind shed briefly to the dead tree beneath the West Tower, and to the runes carved around it.


    "They sealed the soul inside the secret underground chamber," Morwen continued, "... using the tree as the focal point of the binding."


    River¡¯s jaw tightened beside me. "And once the seal was in ce... they abandoned the vige."


    His words were heavy... but they were true.


    Morwen let out a deep sigh. "That¡¯s right. They abandoned the vige and relocated deep into the mountains."


    Her gaze moved across the witches seated around her.


    "And from that day forward, witches withdrew from the affairs of the outside world."


    The younger witches listened in stunned silence.


    "The story they told the world," Morwen said quietly, "was that witches desired peace and istion."


    She looked down at her hands. "But the truth was that we were hiding. Hiding from the consequences of what we had done."


    The pavilion fell silent again.


    Morwen continued after a moment. "Our ancestors believed the seal would hold forever. They believed that if the soul remained trapped, the soul deaths would never happen again."


    And for centuries... they were right.


    "The n worked," Morwen said, "The soul deaths stopped, and the Werewolf Council stopped investigating once the attacks ceased. Without new victims, they assumed the threat had ended."


    My chest tightened slightly.


    "And the truth remained buried," she finished quietly. Just as our ancestors intended."


    But there was still one problem... something none of them had expected.


    "What no one predicted," Morwen said slowly, "was time." The firelight flickered across her face as she spoke, "Four centuries is a long time for any seal. The binding eventually weakened, the runes deteriorated, the magic faded, and eventually..."


    She inhaled slowly.


    "...the seal broke."


    The wordsnded heavily.


    "The soul escaped once again."


    And just like that...


    The nightmare had begun again.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 630: Four Centuries Ago (III)

    <h4>Chapter 630: Four Centuries Ago (III)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    My attention shifted to Kieran as he leaned forward slightly his chair. His voice was quieter than usual, but sharp and focused as he spoke.


    "When you helped us set the wards around Silver Moon years ago... you warned me." He paused for a moment before continuing, "You told me to be careful about whaty beneath."


    He tilted his head slightly. "I¡¯m wondering... if you warned me because you already knew about the sealed soul?"


    For a few seconds after Kieran asked the question, Morwen didn¡¯t respond.


    She simply looked at him.


    The firelight flickered across her face, highlighting the deep lines etched around her eyes - the kind that didn¡¯te from age alone but from years of carrying burdens too heavy to share.


    Then slowly... she nodded.


    "Yes," she said quietly.


    The single word settled over the pavilion like falling ash.


    Kieran didn¡¯t react immediately. But I felt the tension spike through the bond between us.


    Morwen lowered her gaze briefly before continuing. "When I realized you have built the academy right where our coven once used to live, I immediately knew whaty beneath."


    Her fingers tightened together in herp and her voice dropped slightly. "I remember the moment I realized it. I felt... lost, terrified."


    The other witches exchanged uneasy looks.


    Morwen sighed.


    "Four centuries had passed. The seal had held for generations. Even our ancestors had begun to believe the danger was gone."


    Her gaze lifted toward Kieran.


    "But building something asrge and magically active as Silver Moon Academy above that site..."


    She shook her head faintly.


    "It felt like tempting fate."


    Kieran¡¯s jaw tightened.


    "So you warned me."


    "Yes."


    She nodded again. "But I couldn¡¯t tell you the truth." Her eyes were filled with quiet regret. "If I had revealed the reason, the entire secret would havee out. And once that happened..."


    She didn¡¯t finish the sentence. She didn¡¯t need to.


    "So I did the only thing I could," she said, "I warned you subtly." Her gaze softened slightly. "I hoped you might listen."


    Kieran huffed quietly under his breath, but didn¡¯t speak.


    Morwen¡¯s shoulders lowered slightly as she continued, "Doing so allowed me to release at least a small portion of the guilt I carried."


    The words hung heavily between us.


    Then Morwen shifted slightly in her seat, her attention fixed fully to Kieran.


    "I owe you an apology."


    Kieran frowned faintly, clearly not expecting that.


    Morwen bowed her head.


    "For hiding the truth."


    Her voice was steady, but the weight behind it was unmistakable.


    "For allowing innocent lives to be ced at risk."


    My chest tightened slightly.


    "For refusing to help when you came to us."


    Her gaze flickered briefly toward me.


    "And most of all..."


    She inhaled slowly.


    "For the mistake of our ancestors... and for the cowardice that followed it."


    No one spoke.


    Not even Tamsin.


    The young witch who had been so quick to defend her coven earlier now looked shaken. Because this wasn¡¯t spection anymore.


    This was truth.


    Morwen straightened slowly and turned toward River. And the shift in her expression was impossible to miss. Gone was theposed elder. Gone was the quiet authority she carried earlier. What remained was something far more vulnerable. Something desperate.


    "Alpha River."


    Her voice carried a quiet plea now.


    "We will help you."


    River remained still, his deep green eyes watching her carefully.


    Morwen continued. "We will try our best to capture the soul again... and then we will seal it again."


    The fire crackled softly.


    "But..." she chose her next words carefully, ".... there is something I must ask in return."


    I already knew what she was going to say. I could feel iting.


    Her voice grew quieter as she voiced her request - "Please do not tell your council the truth about the soul deaths and that Great Evil."


    The words fell heavily into the silence.


    "My coven has lived with this secret for centuries," she continued softly. "Not because we are proud of it... but because the consequences would destroy us."


    Her eyes flickered briefly toward the younger witches sitting behind her.


    "These witches had nothing to do with the sins of our ancestors." Her voice trembled slightly for the first time. "But the council would not care about that distinction."


    She looked back at River.


    "If the truthes out..." She swallowed, "They will punish us all."


    The desperation in her voice was clear now.


    "I am willing to help you stop that soul. I am willing to help you save the wolves it threatens." Her gaze hardened slightly with resolve. "And in return, I beg you..."


    Her hands tightened together.


    "Protect my coven from the council."


    Silence swallowed the pavilion as every eye turned to River.


    For the first time since Morwen began speaking, I realized just how heavy this decision would be.


    Because she wasn¡¯t wrong.


    If the council learned the truth... things would get ugly for the witches. Very ugly.


    My gaze shifted to River¡¯s face.


    His expression remained unreadable, calm, controlled. But I knew him well enough to not recognize the storm beneath that calm.


    And honestly... I didn¡¯t know what he would decide.


    Part of me burned with anger.


    Because this entire nightmare existed because of the witches. It was their greed, their arrogance, their decision to experiment with something sacred.


    One divine healer from my bloodline had died because of them.


    Hundreds of innocent wolves had suffered soul deaths over the centuries.


    Families were ruined.


    And while all of that was happening... the witches had simply hidden away in their mountains - untouched, unpunished, and safe from being held ountable.


    That thought made my chest tighten.


    But another part of me couldn¡¯t ignore something else.


    The witches sitting here tonight weren¡¯t the ones whomitted that crime. They weren¡¯t the ones who altered the ritual. They weren¡¯t the ones who separated the healer¡¯s soul or wanted to control his power.


    Those witches had been dead for centuries.


    The coven in front of us had simply inherited the consequences.


    And if the council discovered the truth now... they wouldn¡¯t care about that difference.


    The council rarely did.


    Justice and vengeance often blurred together in their decisions.


    The witches would be punished. Maybe worse.


    Not because theymitted the crime... but because they belonged to the bloodline that had.


    And I knew River understood that.


    Probably better than I did.


    He had grown up within the politics of the werewolf world. He knew exactly how brutal the council could be when they wanted to make an example out of someone.


    He finally shifted slightly in his chair.


    The movement was small, but every pair of eyes followed it.


    Morwen¡¯s hands tightened nervously. The other elder looked tense. And the witches exchanged uncertain nces.


    And I...


    I waited.


    Because whatever River decided next...


    Would change everything.

 Chapter 631: A Gamble

    <h4>Chapter 631: A Gamble</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The silence became almost suffocating as all eyes stayed fixed on River.


    Even the fire had quieted, its mes swaying softly as if the air itself had grown heavier.


    I could feel the tension pressing down on all of us.


    Morwen sat perfectly still across the fire, her hands sped tightly in herp. The desperation she had shown earlier hadn¡¯t disappeared, but now it had been reced by something quieter - anticipation, fear, hope.


    The other witches looked between River and Morwen anxiously, clearly understanding that whatever came next would determine their fate.


    Beside River, Kieran leaned forward slightly, his attention sharpened.


    Jasper hadn¡¯t moved at all, but the tension in his shoulders was unmistakable.


    And River...


    River remainedpletely calm.


    But I knew that calm.


    It was the same one he carried whenever he stood before the council.


    The sameposed authority he wore when delivering decisions that could change the course of entire packs.


    Finally, he moved.


    It wasn¡¯t much. Just a small shift in his posture as he straightened slightly in his chair. But the moment he did, the atmosphere in the pavilion changed.


    The subtle shift in his aura spread across the space like a quiet wave - powerful, unmistakable, final.


    And everyone felt it.


    It was clear that what he¡¯s about to say was his final decision, and there would be no room for negotiations.


    His eyes swept briefly across the circle of witches before settling back on Morwen. And when he spoke, his voice carried that steady,posed authority that alwaysmanded attention.


    "Elder Morwen."


    His tone was calm. Measured. But firm.


    "I understand your concern."


    Morwen didn¡¯t interrupt. She simply watched him carefully.


    River continued, "But as a member of the Werewolf Council... I cannot lie to my people."


    A faint ripple of unease moved through the witches.


    River¡¯s voice remained steady. "If I hide the truth from the council, then I betray the oath I swore when I took my seat there. And if I betray that oath... then I also betray the trust of every wolf who looks to me for leadership."


    The wordsnded heavily.


    Because they were true.


    Morwen¡¯s shoulders tensed slightly. She had expected this answer. I could see it in the faint tightening of her jaw.


    River wasn¡¯t finished though. "I will tell the council everything," he said calmly. "No lies. No secrets. No alterations."


    The younger witches stiffened. And I noticed how Tamsin¡¯s hands curled into fists on her knees.


    The tension in the pavilion spiked. But before anyone could react... River added quietly,


    "Just not yet."


    That single sentence shifted the entire room. Confusion flickered across everyone¡¯s faces, including mine.


    Morwen blinked slowly. Even Kieran frowned. And the witches exchanged uncertain looks.


    Because what did that even mean?


    If he was going to tell the council anyway... what difference did waiting make?


    River seemed to sense the question lingering in the air. His gaze remained fixed on Morwen as he continued speaking.


    "The council will hear the truth," he said again. "But they will hear it after this crisis is resolved."


    He leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on his knees. "You said you will help in capturing and sealing the Great Evil."


    Morwen nodded once.


    "Yes."


    "Then we stop the soul deaths first," River said simply. "We capture the Great Evil, and we seal it away orpletely remove its existence."


    His voice remained steady. "And when that is done... the council will be told what truly happened four centuries ago."


    The pavilion fell silent again.


    River didn¡¯t look away from Morwen.


    "But when that momentes," he continued, "the story will not end with the mistake your ancestors made."


    His voice softened slightly.


    "It will end with the witches who helped correct it."


    Morwen¡¯s breath caught faintly.


    River¡¯s tone remained firm. "If you stand beside us now... if you help us stop the soul deaths... then I will make sure the council understands that."


    His gaze hardened again.


    "I will make sure they see your actions today as an effort to correct the sins of the past."


    The words hung in the air as River sat back slightly. "I cannot erase history," he said calmly. "But I can ensure the council does not punish an entire coven for the crimes of witches who have been dead for four centuries."


    A deep silence followed.


    The offer was clear now - he wasn¡¯t abandoning the witches, but he also wasn¡¯tpromising his duty.


    He was offering them a path forward.


    One built on trust.


    Morwen stared at him quietly as the weight of his words settled over her. Now this decision no longer rested with River... it rested with the witches.


    Did they trust him enough to take this gamble?


    Because that was exactly what it was.


    A gamble.


    River had the intelligence to navigate council politics better than almost anyone I knew.


    He also had the status and power.


    His voice carried weight among the council members.


    If anyone could influence how this situation would be judged...


    It was him.


    So the question now - Did the witches trust him enough to take that risk?


    Morwen didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, her gaze drifted across the witches seated around her.


    I could practically see the thoughts running through her mind.


    Hundreds of witches lived in this coven. Not just the ones sitting here tonight. And their safety depended on the decision she made right now.


    I caught Morwen¡¯s gaze before she could look away.


    "Elder Morwen."


    She looked at me and I held her eyes firmly.


    "You can trust him."


    The words came out steady. Certain. Confident. I didn¡¯t hesitate for even a second... because I knew River.


    I knew the kind of man he was.


    And if he gave his word, he would move heaven and earth to keep it.


    The pavilion grew quiet again as everyone looked at me.


    Even River.


    I felt his attention shift toward me, warm and steady. And the next moment, his hand reached out. He wrapped his fingers gently around mine, and the simple touch sent a quiet reassurance through our bond.


    Then he released my hand and looked back at Morwen.


    The decision still rested with her.


    Morwen studied me for a long moment.


    Then she slowly turned her head toward the other witches. Only a small portion of the coven had gathered here tonight. But their opinions still mattered.


    The second elder met Morwen¡¯s gaze first. Then slowly... she nodded. Not once. But twice.


    A silent approval.


    One by one, the others followed with subtle nods.


    No one spoke, but the message was clear - they trusted her judgment.


    Morwen drew in a deep breath. Her shoulders straightened slightly as she turned back toward River.


    The decision had been made.


    She held River¡¯s gaze firmly. And then she spoke.


    "We will trust you, Alpha River."


    Her voice was steady.


    "And we ept the word you have given us today."


    The fire crackled softly between us as the agreement settled into ce.

 Chapter 632: Carrying The Secret Alone

    <h4>Chapter 632: Carrying The Secret Alone</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The night had settled over the forest by the time I finished replying to the messages on my phone.


    The glow of the screen briefly illuminated my hands before I locked it and set it down beside me on the wooden table.


    The group chat with my friends had been... chaotic, to say the least.


    Apparently, disappearing right after thest ss of the day without warning was not something they were willing to ignore.


    <strong>Noah: </strong><i>Where did you vanish??</i>


    <strong>Ria:</strong><i>Don¡¯t tell me you are again in the library.</i>


    <strong>Mallory: </strong><i>Eva... we had a rune assignment.</i>


    <strong>Mallory: </strong><i>Together.</i>


    I had sighed when I first opened the chat. The messages kepting.


    <strong>Noah: </strong><i>Wait.</i>


    <strong>Noah: </strong><i>Did she ditch us for her student?</i>


    <strong>Ria:</strong><i>Oh my god she totally did.</i>


    <strong>Mallory:</strong><i>EVA.</i>


    I had quickly typed back.


    <i>Rx. I¡¯m out with Kieran. Something important came up.</i>


    But that only made things worse.


    <strong>Ria:</strong><i>OUT WITH PROFESSOR KIERAN??</i>


    <strong>Noah:</strong><i>She absolutely ditched us.</i>


    <strong>Mallory:</strong><i>You abandoned us for secret mate time on a weekday.</i>


    <strong>Noah: </strong><i>This is uneptable.</i>


    I had rolled my eyes at that.


    Then another message popped up.


    <strong>Kyr</strong>os: <i>Ignore them. Have a good time.</i>


    And right after that-


    <strong>Rowan:</strong><i>Take care.</i>


    These made me smile faintly. Typical Rowan and Kyros - always calm, always thoughtful.


    I told them I would help with the rune assignment tomorrow before finally escaping the conversation.


    Then there was Oscar.


    His messages were much shorter.


    <strong>Oscar:</strong><i>How¡¯s the meeting going?</i>


    I stared at the message for a moment before replying.


    <i>We made a deal with the witches.</i>


    A few secondster, his response came.


    <strong>Oscar: </strong><i>That good or bad?</i>


    I huffed a quiet breath.


    <i>Complicated.</i>


    I hesitated before adding another message.


    <i>I¡¯ll exinter.</i>


    That was enough for him.


    Oscar knew better than to push for details over text, especially about something this serious.


    When we got back to the academy, River and Kieran would brief him fully anyway.


    I ced my phone down on the table beside me. Only then did I fully notice how quiet the forest had be.


    The sun had disappeared beyond the mountains minutes ago, leaving the sky painted in deep shades of indigo and silver. Darkness slowly crept through the trees surrounding the clearing.


    The fire in the center of the pavilion had burned lower now, but the embers still glowed warmly, sending gentle waves of heat into the cool night air.


    After Morwen epted River¡¯s offer, most of the witches had left. Only a few remained nearby, moving quietly between the house and the forest.


    River, Jasper, and Kieran had gone inside with Morwen and the second elder to discuss some political matters.


    Which left me here.


    Alone.


    Well... mostly.


    I leaned back slightly in my chair, watching the fire flickerzily. For the first time since the meeting began, I had a moment to breathe... and process everything.


    But even now, it all still felt surreal.


    A faint sound of footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up and saw Morwen walking toward the pavilion. Her robes brushed softly against the wooden floor as she stepped inside the firelight.


    For a moment, our eyes met, but neither of us spoke.


    She walked to the chair opposite mine and slowly sat down.


    The firelight illuminated the thoughtful expression on her face.


    We stayed silent for a few seconds. Then she finally spoke, "You may ask."


    I blinked.


    She watched me calmly.


    "Whatever questions you have been holding back," she added, "Go ahead."


    Surprise flickered through me before a small smile tugged at my lips. Of course she noticed. She¡¯s a witch. And not just any witch. She had lived for more than a century and a half.


    Someone like her didn¡¯t need mind-reading to notice unspoken curiosity.


    "Well," I said lightly, "since you are giving me permission... I won¡¯t pretend to be humble."


    A quiet chuckle escaped her.


    I leaned forward slightly. "There¡¯s something I have been wondering."


    She nodded faintly.


    "How did you know all of this?" I asked. "This happened four centuries ago. So how do you know what really happened that night?"


    For a moment, she simply stared at me. Then, unexpectedly... sheughed. Not loudly. Just a soft, amused chuckle.


    Which only confused me.


    Seeing my expression, she shook her head slightly. "You know," she said, still faintly smiling, "your mates asked me that exact question minutes ago."


    I blinked again.


    Of course they did.


    River and Kieran would never miss something like that.


    Morwen leaned back slightly in her chair. "The answer is simpler than you might expect. And no. I didn¡¯t learn the truth through any record left by my ancestors. There¡¯s actually no written proof of that past."


    Her gaze drifted toward the fire.


    "Instead, among the witches who eventually managed to capture and seal the escaped soul..." She paused briefly, "...there was a child."


    My brows furrowed.


    "A girl," she rified. "Only thirteen years old."


    That caught my attention immediately.


    "Thirteen?"


    She nodded. "She was the youngest apprentice in the coven at the time."


    The firelight flickered across her face as she continued. "She wasn¡¯t supposed to be part of the ritual, but she witnessed more than she should have."


    I leaned forward slightly.


    "That girl was my aunt." Morwen revealed. "She survived that night, and lived a very long life."


    "How long?" I asked.


    "Nearly two hundred and eighty years."


    My eyebrows shot up.


    That was... impressive.


    Even for a witch.


    Witches naturally lived longer than werewolves, but their average lifespan usually ranged between 180 and 200 years.


    Only a handful throughout history had crossed the 250 mark.


    Hearing someone lived close to 280...


    That was rare.


    Very rare.


    Morwen seemed to notice my surprise. "She was unusually strong," she said, "And very stubborn."


    A faint fondness entered her voice. "But she carried a heavy secret." Her gaze lowered slightly. "Over the centuries, the witches who had originally been part of that secret died one after another of old age."


    "Eventually," Morwen continued quietly, "my aunt became thest living person who knew the full truth of what happened back then."


    The fire crackled softly.


    "She never spoke about it. Not to the coven. Not to the elders. Not to anyone."


    Her fingers rested loosely against the arm of the chair.


    "For most of her life, she intended to take that secret to her grave."


    I watched her closely.


    "But she didn¡¯t," I said softly.


    Morwen shook her head slowly.


    "No."


    Her gaze lifted again.


    "When she realized her time wasing to an end..." Her voice softened. "She changed her mind."


    Morwen exhaled slowly.


    "On her deathbed, she summoned three people to her side - me, and her two daughters. And the other elder you saw today, she¡¯s her youngest daughter and my cousin."


    No wonder it seemed like the other elder witch also knew the truth.


    "My aunt told the three of us everything," Morwen continued, "Every detail of what happened four centuries ago."


    Her eyes reflected the firelight now.


    "She said the truth had been buried long enough. And that if one day the consequences of our ancestors¡¯ actions returned..."


    Her gaze met mine again.


    "...then the witches must not face it blind."

 Chapter 633: A New Hope

    <h4>Chapter 633: A New Hope</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    For a while after Morwen finished speaking, neither of us said anything.


    The silence wasn¡¯t ufortable.


    It was... heavy.


    The fire crackled softly between us, its orange glow flickering across the wooden beams of the pavilion while the darkness of the forest slowly thickened beyond the clearing.


    Morwen¡¯s gaze had drifted away from me, settling somewhere in the distance. Her expression looked far away. Lost.


    I had the strange feeling she wasn¡¯t really seeing the forest anymore. She was remembering something else.


    Probably that day - the day her aunt summoned her and finally revealed the truth about the Great Evil.


    I tried to imagine what that must have been like - a thirteen-year-old girl witnessing the chaos of that night. Growing older. Watching everyone else who knew the truth slowly die. Carrying that burden alone for nearly three centuries. And then finally deciding the secret shouldn¡¯t die with her.


    My gaze dropped to the fire.


    What if she hadn¡¯t changed her mind?


    What if Morwen¡¯s aunt had stayed silent?


    If she had taken the truth with her to the grave... then none of us would know any of this today.


    We might still be chasing fragments of history without ever finding the real answer.


    That thought made a quiet shiver run through me.


    Sometimes the smallest decisions in history shaped everything that came after.


    The silence stretched longer.


    Then finally, I broke it.


    "There¡¯s something else I need to know."


    Morwen¡¯s attention returned to me and her expression softened slightly. "Go ahead."


    I took a slow breath.


    This question had been sitting at the back of my mind since the moment I first learned about the soul deaths.


    Even after digging through countless historical records... I had never found the answer.


    "They captured the soul eventually," I said slowly.


    Morwen nodded faintly.


    "But what about the victims?" The words felt heavier leaving my mouth. "Did they ever wake up?"


    The moment the question left my lips, the world seemed to go still.


    I didn¡¯t breathe. I couldn¡¯t. My heart felt like it had stopped entirely. Because the answer to this question meant more than anything else.


    If even one person had woken up back then... then that meant healing the soul dead wasn¡¯t impossible.


    It meant there was a way.


    Somewhere.


    Somehow.


    Morwen didn¡¯t answer immediately. And that silence alone made dread begin creeping into my chest.


    Then finally, she did.


    "No."


    The single word felt like a de through my chest. My lungs struggled to pull in air.


    Her voice continued quietly, "Our ancestors tried. They searched for a solution. They studied the condition. They experimented with different forms of healing magic, potions, elixirs."


    She paused.


    "But they failed."


    Each word crushed a little more hope inside me.


    "And once the soul was sealed," Morwen continued softly, "our entire coven left the vige and withdrew into seclusion."


    Her fingers folded together in herp.


    "After that... we never learned what happened to those victims."


    I stared at her. The fire blurred slightly in my vision. "No one knows?" I whispered.


    She shook her head slowly. "No one ever heard or know what really happened to those victims. We believe your Council sealed away all records of the incident when they failed to heal the victims."


    My chest tightened painfully as a sharp ache spread through my chest.


    So that was it.


    For so long, I had been holding onto this tiny, fragile hope. That somewhere in history... someone had seeded, someone had figured it out, someone had found a way to wake the soul dead.


    But hearing Elder Morwen¡¯s answer felt like watching that hope crumble to dust.


    I had wanted so badly to believe the solution existed. That I just needed to find it.


    But now...


    Now it felt like I was standing at the beginning of an impossible road... a road no one had ever managed to walk before.


    Morwen must have noticed something in my expression because her voice softened again.


    "Evaline."


    I blinked slowly, forcing myself to look at her.


    Her eyes studied me carefully. "Do not misunderstand what I said child."


    My brows furrowed faintly.


    She leaned forward slightly. "Our ancestors did fail to wake them," she spoke each word deliberately, "But that does not mean it is impossible."


    Something flickered faintly inside my chest.


    She continued, "Since the victims aren¡¯t dead, they are still alive. And as long as someone lives... there is always a chance to bring them back."


    The words settled slowly into my mind... like a small spark in darkness.


    "Our ancestors simply failed to find the answer," Morwen said quietly. "But that does not mean the answer does not exist."


    The ache in my chest didn¡¯t disappear. But something else rose alongside it - determination.


    Of course I wouldn¡¯t give up.


    Not when Draven was waiting for me. Not when my mate was lying in that bed, trapped in silence.


    Not when Niara and the others were suffering the same fate.


    I straightened slightly in my chair.


    "I won¡¯t stop," I said quietly.


    Morwen watched me carefully.


    "I know."


    My voice grew firmer. "I¡¯ll find a way to heal them." I felt the quiet strength of my power stirring inside me. "No matter how long it takes."


    Elder Morwen¡¯s lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile. "That is the kind of determination the world needs right now."


    I exhaled slowly.


    Then another question surfaced in my mind.


    One that had been lingering there since the beginning of this entire conversation.


    "There¡¯s one more thing."


    Morwen nodded.


    "Ask."


    I leaned forward slightly. "Is it possible topletely destroy the Great Evil instead of sealing it again?"


    My voice hardened faintly.


    "Because if we seal it..." I gestured vaguely toward the forest, "...then centuries from now, it could escape again. And the soul deaths would start all over."


    Morwen studied me quietly. Then slowly... she nodded. "Once again you are not the first to ask that question today."


    I wasn¡¯t surprised.


    "River?" I guessed.


    She nodded again.


    "Yes."


    A faint sigh escaped her.


    "And my answer to him is the same as the one I will give you." She folded her hands together thoughtfully. "I do not know yet."


    That wasn¡¯t the answer I wanted. But it wasn¡¯t a refusal either.


    She continued, "The ritual used four centuries ago was designed only to bind the soul. Not destroy it."


    Her eyes hardened slightly.


    "But that does not mean eliminating it is impossible."


    A small spark of hope returned again.


    "I will search our records," Morwen said, "I will study the old spells. I will consult every piece of knowledge our coven possesses."


    Her gaze met mine firmly.


    "Because you are right." Her voice carried quiet conviction now. "This problem cannot simply be buried again. If we seal the soul once more... then we are only dying the inevitable."


    Her eyes darkened slightly.


    "And I have no intention of allowing this mistake to haunt the world for another four centuries."


    She straightened slightly in her chair.


    "I will do everything I can to find a way to destroy the Great Evil."


    Her words settled heavily in the quiet night.


    And for the first time since learning the truth about the soul deaths... I felt like we might actually have a chance.

 Chapter 634: Arguing With The Boss

    <h4>Chapter 634: Arguing With The Boss</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    Therge ss wall beside my desk reflected the afternoon sky outside, filling the office with sunlight. My monitor glowed softly in front of me, spreadsheets and reports covering the screen while several documentsy scattered across the desk.


    Across the room, Elion sat behind his massive desk.


    His office wasrge enough that the distance between us almost made it feel like we were in separate rooms.


    Which was exactly why I had messaged him instead of saying it out loud.


    A small notification ping sounded from hisputer.


    I watched from the corner of my eye as he opened the message I had just sent.


    For a few seconds, he read silently. Then... his head snapped up and our eyes met across the room.


    One of his eyebrows arched so high it nearly disappeared into his hairline.


    I could practically see the disbelief written all over his face. Apparently, he hadn¡¯t expected me to actually do it.


    Ignoring the almost horrified look on his face, I spoke calmly.


    "Be on time."


    His expression didn¡¯t change.


    "And don¡¯t make my friend wait."


    Still no response.


    Satisfied, I returned my attention to my monitor and resumed typing exactly where I had stopped moments ago.


    Barely a momentter,I heard his chair creak. Then...


    "Wait."


    I didn¡¯t look at him.


    "Eva."


    I kept typing.


    "Are you actually going through with this?"


    I hummed quietly. "Yes."


    There was a brief pause.


    "You mean the blind date?"


    I stopped typing for a moment and leaned back slightly in my chair, ncing at him.


    "That¡¯s usually how blind dates work."


    Elion looked like someone had just informed him that he had been drafted into a war.


    "You were actually... actually serious?"


    I blinked at him.


    "Did you think I was joking?"


    "Well... yes."


    I turned back to my screen.


    "You shouldn¡¯t assume things."


    Behind me, I heard him mutter something under his breath. Then he spoke again. "Is she... good?"


    My fingers paused above the keyboard. Slowly, I turned my chair slightly to face him.


    "What does that even mean?"


    Elion gestured vaguely.


    "You know... good."


    My eyes narrowed slightly.


    "My friend is amazing." I said it calmly. Very calmly. Then I added, "What I¡¯m worried about is whether you are good enough for her."


    Elion stared at me like I had just insulted his entire bloodline.


    "What?"


    "And behave yourself."


    He blinked again.


    "What?"


    "I mean it."


    He ran a hand through his hair in frustration before suddenly standing up from his desk.


    I returned to typing.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him walk around therge desk and grab one of the chairs sitting on the opposite side.


    Then he dragged it across the floor.


    The legs scraped loudly against the tiles as he pulled it all the way to my desk. Then he dropped into the chair beside me.


    "What do you mean I¡¯m not good enough?"


    I didn¡¯t look away from my monitor.


    "I said I¡¯m worried you might not be."


    "That¡¯s the same thing."


    "Not really."


    He exhaled sharply. "You are beingpletely unfair right now."


    My fingers kept moving across the keyboard.


    "Am I?"


    "Yes."


    He leaned closer.


    "I¡¯m your friend too."


    "No, you are not."


    The words left my mouth so casually that he froze.


    "...What?"


    "You are my boss."


    Elion stared at me in disbelief.


    "Since when?"


    I nced at him briefly.


    "Since the day you hired me."


    "That¡¯s not what I meant."


    "Well, that¡¯s the truth."


    He crossed his arms.


    "Exactly when have you ever treated me like a boss?"


    I raised an eyebrow at the screen.


    "I always treat you like a boss."


    He leaned forward immediately.


    "Oh really?"


    "Yes."


    He gestured dramatically.


    "When have you ever seen an employee argue with their boss like this?"


    I paused. Then slowly turned to look at him. "When have I argued with you?"


    The silence that followed was... impressive. His mouth opened. Then closed.


    He stared at me, and I stared back calmly.


    Finally, after several seconds of visible internal struggle, he slumped back in the chair and let out a long sigh.


    "You are impossible sometimes."


    I didn¡¯t respond. Because right at that moment, I reached forward and shut down my monitor.


    The screen went ck.


    Elion blinked. Then watched in confusion as I grabbed my bag from the side of the desk and slipped my phone inside.


    I stood up.


    He nced at his wristwatch. "You still have thirty minutes left in your shift."


    But I was already walking toward the door.


    "Where are you going?"


    I slung the strap of my bag over my shoulder.


    "To see River."


    He frowned.


    "For what?"


    I opened the office door.


    "To ask for his help with work."


    Behind me, he quickly spoke. "You could ask him at home."


    My steps stopped instantly. Slowly... I turned around, and red at him - a very long, very unimpressed re.


    "Why," I asked slowly, "should I ruin my personal time with work?"


    He opened his mouth. Then closed it again before silently looking away.


    Exactly.


    I gave him onest sharp look before turning back toward the hallway.


    The door closed behind me with a soft click as I made my way to River¡¯s office at the very end of the hallway.


    My footsteps echoed softly against the floor.


    When I reached the door, the bond let me know he¡¯s still inside.


    Good.


    I raised my hand and knocked twice.


    "Come in."


    River¡¯s calm voice reached me through the door.


    I pushed it open and stepped inside. Then stopped.


    Because River wasn¡¯t alone.


    Someone stood in front of his desk.


    A woman.


    Tall.


    Elegant.


    Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, and the sharp scent of expensive perfume lingered faintly in the air.


    She turned slightly when I entered.


    And the moment her voice eyesnded on me... a frown took over her beautiful face, freezing her dazzling smile.


    For a moment, my mindpletely nked.


    Because she was thest person I expected to see here.

 Chapter 635: The Ruthless Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 635: The Ruthless Alpha</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I just stood there.


    My gaze moved slowly from the woman standing confidently in front of the desk to the man behind it.


    Celeste Renwyn looked exactly the same as she always did - perfectlyposed, elegant, and beautiful in a way that drew attention the moment she walked into a room.


    Her long dark hair fell over her shoulders like silk, and the red lipstick on her lips matched the sharp color of her manicured nails.


    Her posture screamed confidence.


    Possession.


    Expectation.


    But when my eyes shifted to River... I nearly blinked in surprise.


    Because he looked like he would rather be anywhere else in the world right now.


    His usual calmposure... the one he carried like armor everywhere... was gone. Completely gone. His jaw was tight. His shoulders were stiff. And the look in his eyes...


    It was pure displeasure.


    I had never seen him so openly irritated by someone before.


    He rarely showed emotions like that in front of others. Even in difficult situations, he maintained that unshakeable calm that made people respect... and sometimes fear... him.


    But right now?


    He looked like he was one second away from throwing Celeste out of the window.


    Before I could say anything, Celeste spoke. Her voice was smooth, but the displeasure in it wasn¡¯t even slightly hidden.


    "Why is she here?"


    The question was directed straight at River. She didn¡¯t even bother to nce toward me, nor she tried to hide her annoyance at my sudden arrival.


    River¡¯s expression darkened further.


    For a split second, I had the very strong feeling he might actually snap at her.


    So I spoke first.


    "I came to ask Alpha Thorne for help with some work," I said calmly before adding, "I didn¡¯t realize he had a visitor."


    Both of them looked at me now.


    The tension in the room thickened, making me shift my weight slightly.


    "Well... I¡¯lle backter."


    Honestly, thest thing I wanted was to stand here while Celeste red holes into me.


    So I turned slightly, ready to step back out of the office. But before I could even take a single step... River¡¯s voice filled my head.


    <i>Evaline.</i>


    I froze instantly.


    <i>Don¡¯t you dare leave me alone with this menace.</i>


    My eyes widened slightly.


    Menace?


    That word alone almost made meugh.


    River¡¯s voice continued in my mind.


    <i>Stay.</i>


    There was a faint warning in themand.


    And a clear dare.


    <i>I mean it.</i>


    Slowly, I turned back.


    River was still sitting behind his desk, his expression as controlled as ever on the outside.


    But the faint glint in his eyes told me he had absolutely meant every word he said.


    I suppressed a smile.


    Fine.


    If my mate didn¡¯t want to face Celeste alone, I wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Besides... if I was being honest with myself, I didn¡¯t want to leave either.


    Celeste¡¯s intentions toward River had always been painfully obvious. She liked him. Had liked him for years. And everyone... including me... knew it. Which meant leaving her alone in a room with him wasn¡¯t exactly appealing.


    Celeste looked between us with a faint frown.


    Her brows knit slightly together as if something about the situation didn¡¯t make sense to her.


    Then she turned her attention fully to me. "Do you usually barge into people¡¯s offices like this?" she asked coolly.


    I blinked once.


    Her gaze sharpened. "Or is it because you couldn¡¯t handle your work on your own?"


    The corner of her lips lifted slightly. "Who exactly do you think Alpha River is?" Her tone carried clear disdain now. "Someone who should set aside all his responsibilities just to help you?"


    I opened my mouth to respond. But before I could say a single word...


    River spoke.


    "Leave."


    His voice was deep, sharp, and filled with unmistakable irritation.


    Celeste¡¯s lips curved into a smug smile. She crossed her arms and gave me a pointed look.


    "You heard him." Her smile widened slightly. "Leave."


    I let out a small sigh.


    Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure how to deal with her. But judging by River¡¯s mood... I didn¡¯t think I needed to.


    River sighed too.


    Then he lifted a hand and pointed directly at Celeste. "I was talking to you."


    The smugness on her face vanished.


    "I¡¯m asking you to leave my office."


    The silence that followed was thick.


    Celeste stared at him...pletely stunned.


    River leaned back slightly in his chair, his expression cold now.


    "Who do you think you are?" he continued calmly.


    His tone wasn¡¯t loud. But every wordnded like a de.


    "Walking into my office as if you own the ce."


    Celeste¡¯s arms slowly dropped from their folded position.


    "This is the Council headquarters," River went on, his gaze turning cold, "Not your pack house."


    His fingers tapped once against the desk as he continued, "Where you can run rampant."


    I felt my jaw slowly start to drop.


    Because River...


    Was being absolutely ruthless.


    "And apparently," he continued dryly, "just anyone can walk into this building these days."


    Celeste¡¯s face paled.


    But River didn¡¯t stop.


    "Evaline."


    My head snapped toward him.


    "Yes?"


    "Tell Elion to review the headquarters security protocols." His tone was perfectly calm. "Clearly they need improvement, since not just anyone should be able to enter this building."


    The implication couldn¡¯t have been clearer.


    Celeste wasn¡¯t wee here.


    At all.


    I honestly had to focus very hard to keep my jaw from fully hitting the floor. Because I had never - not once - seen River speak to someone like this.


    Especially not a young woman.


    Celeste looked like she had been pped. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.


    For several seconds, she just stood there - speechless.


    Finally, she managed to speak.


    "I¡¯m... Alpha Renwyn¡¯s daughter. Not just anyone." Her voice trembled faintly. "And your future Luna."


    She swallowed hard.


    "You shouldn¡¯t be humiliating me like this." Her eyes flicked toward me briefly as she added, "Especially in front of an outsider."


    River¡¯s response came immediately.


    "The only outsider here is you."


    The words were cold.


    Merciless.


    Celeste visibly flinched.


    River leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on the desk. "Wake up," he said tly. "And greet reality."


    His gaze locked onto hers.


    "Instead of living in whatever fairy tale you have built inside your head."


    The color drained from Celeste¡¯s face.


    "You could be anyone¡¯s daughter," River continued. "I wouldn¡¯t care."


    Each wordnded harder than thest.


    "And as for your foolish assumption that just anyone can be my Luna..." His eyes narrowed slightly. "You should probably go get yourself checked."


    The silence that followed was devastating.


    Celeste¡¯s lips trembled. Her eyes glistened faintly.


    For the first time since I had known her...


    She lookedpletely shattered.


    She turned abruptly before either of us could say another word, and hurried toward the door.


    Her heels clicked sharply against the floor as she rushed out of the office.


    Her head stayed high.


    Her back straight.


    But the way her hand quickly brushed beneath her eyes before she stepped into the hallway made it painfully clear... she was barely holding her tears back.


    The door closed behind her with a soft click.


    And just like that...


    Her dream of marrying River and bing his Luna had beenpletely... and mercilessly... destroyed.


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