heels striking the marble like gunshots. Fury vibrat

uldn't

to make me his mistress. His mistress. As if I were s

ent snarl. She wanted blood. She wanted Maya torn apart for

ved her b

e justice-they'd twist it into madness. Arr

e skin split and blood pooled. Metallic. S

door ahead-Diana's room. The only one in this house w

and knocked, just

ame the fain

pped

beauty could hide the truth. The beeping of machines filled the air, and Diana lay beneath pale sheets, her skin even p

Laughter that filled the halls.

ad taken

her a year. That was n

n my

e precision of a soldier. The most renowned healer in th

doors. Ones I'd forced

I approached. S

returned the gesture, then m

g silently. The door c

. Her eyes met mine instantly, a flicke

sm

I was being ripped apart f

Her hand reached out, brittle fingers curlin

I asked gently, though the wo

"Dr. Ardan gave me something new

, the words barely audible over

laugh, trying to sit u

news you've had today," she added, he

y eyes. Of course

muttered.

hearing a fairytale. Her f

gether again. You'll have his support. You've

uth to speak.

fter your loss, too-it's been a lonely road, Eliza. You've held everyth

off, but the imp

lipped ou

ed at me,

is before. Like I was fragile. Lik

was quiet. Lethal. "Did you know he brought another

her face

tation. The guilt. The

as loud enoug

had

e looked away-as if her eyes couldn't bear to

between us thickened, stretching ou

ing to speak, I broke the silence

ve already accepted Maya as Derek's wife. As Lu

uth. I needed to know why she let this fester in silen

head, and fina

isper. "Derek and Maya have done so much on the battlefield. The

ithout humor. I turned to leave, b

id-it saved this pack. It gave us a future. Keeping them apart

ed, you can stay. I can adopt you. Make you my daughter in name. You can still hel

e a poison wr

t her. Slo

. She wanted me to surrender the title. To smile while being stripped of

led on my fa

dragging my hand

t me around because of what I brought to this pack. Th

ightened. "Tha

eone to protect your son's reputation. Someone to hold the house togeth

li

t learn betrayal on the battlefie

my back

. Blankets rustling. Then h

't allow you to insult

hacking. I turned, watched as her body curl

anicked. Called for

not

her eyes watery, mouth

tar

shr

nd hard. "Your new family will take care

idened in

ad lo

leaving her alone with th

now what I

re-I would not stay here an

ke the Luna title

ter be ready t