THE SCENT OF TRUTHLiam carried his father in his arms as if the man weighed nothing. But every step felt like dragging a mountain of fear, regret, and memories behind him. His father’s skin was cold, his breathing shallow, his pulse irregular. The transformation had drained almost every drop of strength in him.Elara walked beside them, refusing to let go of Liam’s hand even for a second. She had wiped the blood from Liam’s jaw, pressed her palm over his ribs when he winced, and whispered over and over again:“I’m here. You’re not doing this alone.”Her words wrapped around him more warmly than the forest air ever could.They reached the abandoned cabin Liam’s father had been secretly living in during his transformations. Liam kicked the broken door open and carefully laid him on the worn-out bed.Elara rushed for the kettle and clean cloths, hands trembling but determined.“Liam… he’s burning up.”“I know.” Liam’s chest tightened. “His body is fighting the split. The wolf and the h

BLOOD OF THE SACRED LINEThe cabin felt too small to contain the weight of what had just happened.Liam knelt beside his father, one hand cradling the old man’s face, the other gripping his shoulder as if mere touch could force life back into him. His breath came in uneven pulls. His chest rose and fell with ragged tremors. At first, Elara wasn’t sure if he was breathing or choking on heartbreak.Then she saw the tears.Silent.Hot.Unrelenting.They carved paths down his cheeks, falling onto his father’s unmoving chest.“Dad…” Liam whispered. The word cracked, stumbled, broke. “Please get up. Please.”There were cries in the world battle cries, wolf howls, shouts of rage, screams of pain yet none compared to the quiet death inside his voice.Elara stood frozen by the doorway.Her heart bruised itself against her ribs watching him crumble.She had seen him angry.She had seen him protective.She had seen him soft.But she had never seen him shattered.“Liam…” she murmured softly.No

THE WOLF INSIDE HIMThe mansion felt too small for the storm growing inside Liam. Every hallway felt narrowed, every light too bright, every shadow too close. He paced the length of his bedroom like a caged animal, running a hand through his hair again and again. The wolf inside him was restless pushing, demanding, clawing at the edges of his control. Nothing he did eased it. Nothing slowed the fire burning beneath his skin.Aurora stood by the window, watching him silently. He looked like he was made of tension. Like his bones were vibrating. The lines on his face were deepened, sharpened by exhaustion and fear he tried and failed to hide. He’d been like this since the meeting with the elders since learning that his father’s transformation wasn’t an accident. That someone had orchestrated it.Someone powerful.Someone deadly.Someone who wasn’t finished.Aurora’s chest tightened every time his breath hitched. She’d seen Liam angry before. She’d seen him worried, frustrated, even afr

“THE MARK OF NIGHTFALL”Liam woke gradually, as though he had been trapped under heavy water. For a long moment he heard nothing but the slow rhythm of a heartbeat not his own. Softer. Faster. Human. He blinked his eyes open and realized his head was resting on Mira’s lap. The soft warmth of her thigh beneath his cheek sent a strange, unfamiliar calm through him, like the wolf inside him was unusually quiet… observing her, studying her, memorizing her scent.It was early morning. Soft, pale light shone through her apartment windows, the rain finally easing into silence. Mira looked exhausted. Her head rested against the wall behind her, eyes closed, one hand tangled in his hair like she had tried to soothe him through the night and fell asleep in the process.For a moment, Liam didn’t move. He didn’t want to. This was the first time in months his mind wasn’t filled with clawing, growling, burning pressure. Just… peace. Her scent. Her warmth. Her presence.He shifted slowly. She stir

BLOOD OF THE BROKEN MOONThe creature lying on Rowan’s floor her father was bleeding fast.Thick, dark blood pooled beneath his massive wolf body, soaking into the wooden boards. His breaths were shallow, each one staggered like it might be his last. His fur rose and fell in uneven tremors, and when his eyes fluttered open, the dim glow inside them weakened again almost instantly.Aria knelt beside him before Rowan could stop her.She didn’t know when courage had replaced fear, or when instinct had drowned out caution. All she knew… was that something inside her recognized this dying monster more deeply than she had ever understood herself.“Aria,” Rowan warned, voice sharp. “Do not touch”She placed a trembling hand on the creature’s arm.The beast shuddered violently beneath her fingers.And Rowan froze.Because the shudder wasn’t a threat.It was relief.Her father this massive, terrifying werewolf had come here for her. Through packs, through hunters, through whatever curse was ti