Zephyrine


    A


    +10 Free Coins


    The massive gate of my pack stood wide open when my carriage wheeled in under the afternoon sky.


    The sun zed above when the carriage halted, and I felt the heaviness in the air pressing down on me.


    Without wasting a moment, I alighted, only to stop short in sheer awe. In the middle of the courtyard knelt Ka Yadev, her head bowed to the ground.


    I froze, stunned. Dessyn alighted beside me, equally struck, and even Luna Tahlia stopped to watch the once–proud woman kneel so low.


    “What is going on here?” I asked no one in particr, my voice thick with disbelief, just as Isolde appeared. She had seen our arrival and now approached quickly, pausing only long enough to bow before me.


    “Lord Varyn awaits you in the memorial hall,” she said, and for what felt like an eternity, I stood still, the weight of the name crashing into me. Varyn.


    I tore my gaze from Ka to let the truth settle in. The rightful heir to the Alpha seat. The war strategist brilliant enough to win with cunning rather than brute force.


    My brother. The first and only male direct bloodline of Ashmere.


    I swallowed hard at the news that he awaited me, then turned to Luna Tahlia.


    “You should go to your abode. Word will reach you about the trial.”


    She nodded gratefully and left with her son. After her departure, I turned to Dessyn, our eyes locking.


    The tension in the pack was different now, charged, shifting, and I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened in my absence. Where was Jurrek?


    With Dessyn beside me, I walked into the hall, passing maids and guards until we reached the sacred threshold of the memorial chamber.


    She lingered at the doorway, but I pulled her forward. She was family, too. And this was Varyn Ashmere, the man she had waited years for. <fn5d1b> Fresh chapters posted on find[?]ovel</fn5d1b>


    <b>10:17 </b>Sat<b>, </b>Sep 2


    ??


    52


    10 Free Coins


    My fingers trembled as I reached for the door handle, my heart thudding wildly. Slowly. I pushed it open.


    Cold air rushed out, greeting me like a harsh wind. My brother stood inside, dressed in his usual clothes, his blonde hair cut short and perfectly disheveled.


    I froze, breath catching. Thest time I saw him, he was weak and broken in his chamber. But now… now he was himself again.


    Varyn had regained his valor. His dominance radiated once more. His shoulders were broad, his body restored, his hands no longer skeletal. His wolf whole again.


    All thanks to everyone’s efforts. And especially Lycannar and Princess Mearez, who had made the most difference.


    I lingered in the doorway, marveling. My brother’s back was to me as he lit candles before our parents‘ moonstone vessel.


    When he finished, he blew out the match, turned slowly and froze not only me but Dessyn as


    well.


    He was back. Truly back. His green eyes zed, sharp and alive. Varyn.


    We should have rushed into his arms, but his piercing gaze rooted us both in ce. His stare lingered on me, then moved to Dessyn.


    “Go wait for me in my bedchamber,” he said to her, his voice firm, devoid of warmth.


    My heart sank. That was no joyful reunion. Something had shifted. Something deep.


    Dessyn trembled under his tone but obeyed, nodding quickly before leaving. The door closed behind her, leaving me alone with my brother.


    He stood silent for a moment, staring into empty space before sighing and turning back toward the moonstone vessels.


    “I heard


    you


    became an Alpha,” he said atst.


    I swallowed hard, nodding.


    “Y… yes. The man who had word of your whereabouts, he refused to speak to me unless I was Alpha. Because of that, I found you.”


    “Hmm.” He murmured absently, then asked, his voice quiet but edged like a de. “When I awoke from my trance, I found a Lycan in the pack. How is that possible?”


    +10 Free Colns


    “Oh, Blue?” My pulse quickened. “I… I must have forgotten to secure the proper scroll of permission from Lycannar. I’ll do it next time…”


    “Lycannar?” he repeated, turning sharply to me. His eyes locked on mine, filled with raw hatred, and the weight of it nearly crushed me. The name of the Lycan King spat from his lips like poison.


    Varyn’s gaze bored into me for an eternity before he stepped closer, taking my hand. Slowly, he lifted it, his eyes narrowing as he examined the rings adorning my fingers. Then he looked straight into my soul.


    “Of all the thousands of men in this empire, little sister… you dared to choose a cursed, condemned, unholy man as your beloved.”


    Cold chills ran down my spine, his words striking like daggers. My lips parted to speak, but he cut me off before a sound could leave me.


    “Be ready. Tomorrow morning, we will be at the Wolf Fortress. All will gather to hear what has been hidden, and you, my love, most of all.”


    With that, he moved past me. At the door, he paused, ncing back over his shoulder.


    “Stay in your chamber tonight.”


    16:17 Sat<b>, </b>Sep 27