lett

ack members saw it-but not a single one dared speak up for

ck manor, I immediately k

vanished. The maids who once welcomed me with bright smiles were nowhere to be see

me with sympat

outweighed mine. I couldn't blame them. I blamed my

and slammed the door shu

ander's orders: you are not to step foot outside the Alpha residence. Your mov

"You think you have the

ingers graze my lips with blatant disrespect. His tone turned mocking, almost

g through the room. "Remember your place, Carson! I'm sti

ge in his eyes. "Scarlett, I'll be wait

door slamming behind

e fell

umiliation. If they were going to degrade me like this, they

s pa

silk pillow. My little wolf, Kara, had been silent ever since the hospital

crept in, somet

ward with our ment

le

. Em

, diving deeper into my soul, searching

, pl

th

f myself that still believed I could survive this nightmare. Her absence

he connection between my humanity and my wolf. Kara's silence was

y eyes, hot and b

f me. Her calloused hand brushed a strand of hair from

voice was firm. Steady. Conf

at. "She's gone, Ruby.

ll back. "Then we'll find her. Together. You're no

pped around me like a blanket, woven from quiet trust and all the sleepless nights we'd whispered in the

n. If I stayed here, I'd rot into a

til I held onto one

lized-I wasn't

the maids never cleaned. There, hidden beneath a false bottom in an old keepsake box, la

Goddess I hadn'

f full. The signal

memorized. The one person w

came out raw the mome

then alarmed. "Are you okay? Where

a lioness trapped in a cage. "I need your help. I'm b

ha

ught back his true love, and she's carrying his heir." My vo

e breathed. "What do

r? He's on the council. Maybe he can help me. Maybe th

to divorce

ing reel, and I reminded myself-when a man tries to strip away you

ed. "Yes. I

I'll talk to Lucien. But Scarlett. the council is b

for easy. I'm loo

t you'll have to stay quiet. A

kno

thleen had always been my best friend. She knew the darker parts of me-my ambition, my prid

a scrawny teen dreaming of my first transformation, his wolf was already formidable. I remembered watching him during council visits. Ev

the Luna of Crescent Moon. A betrayed wo

untangle this we

ly on my door. "

and stood up. "Leave it at t

, Lu

I heard the distant click of a

trying to steady

. The chandelier above swayed slightly, but the air remai

snow-covered forests. Kara's fir

e all I

ison disguised as a palace, I h

e still burning

fire to burn Alexande