Chapter 54
A silvery dusk settled over the ancient wood as Anthony, Miles, and Sarah slipped through the underbrush on silent paws, each of them surrendering to the primal joy of their wolf forms. The night was crisp, the air alive with scents of moss, cool earth, and distant rain. Their muscles flexed beneath thick coats, moving not with purpose, but for the sheer pleasure of being—of running unhindered beneath the boughs that arched like cathedral vaults above their heads.
But Anthony’s mind was tangled, restless. Even as he ran, the rhythm of his breath and stride could not quiet the storm inside him. Kathy’s face kept flickering through his thoughts—the haunted look in her eyes, the way she’d left for the hospital with hurried words and trembling hands. Why had she gone? Was she truly in danger? Or was there something deeper, a secret pain he could not reach? The questions gnawed at him, sharper than any hunger.
Max, too, was haunted. As he bounded beside Anthony, his thoughts spiraled with worry and dread. What if Kathy, in her distress, sought to rid herself of their child? The possibility chilled him deeper than the autumn wind. He longed to protect, to shield both mother and unborn, but felt powerless—nothing but fur and fang under the indifferent stars.
When at last their energy waned, the trio paused beside a moonlit pond. The water mirrored the sky, still and dark, disturbed only by the gentle lapping of their tongues as they drank. It was a brief moment of peace.
Then the surface of the pond shimmered—a ripple, a distortion, and suddenly, Maria’s face appeared reflected in the glassy water. Her eyes were obsidian pools, bottomless and cold. Before any of them could react, she blew a handful of glittering magic dust toward Max. The motes sparkled wickedly as it settled on his muzzle. Max sneezed, pawing desperately at his face, his body flushing with strange heat.
Alarmed, Miles sprang between Sarah and the now-agitated Max, hackles raised and a low growl rumbling from deep in his chest. He positioned himself protectively, baring his teeth at Max—no longer his friend in that instant, but a threat to Sarah. The standoff crackled with tension, wolf's instincts pressing against fragile human bonds.
Yet beneath it all, the woods watched in silence. In that wild, charged moment by the pond, fear, loyalty, and ancient magic tangled together—uncertain what the night would yet reveal.
Maria POV
Maria's evil grin widened as she unleashed dark magic on Anthony/Max, testing their ability to resist temptations with Kathy and potentially leading to fatal consequences. Maria left her room and saw Noah approaching down the hall, his grin widening as he neared, leaning in to whisper in her ear.
“Mate!”
Maria froze, her pulse spiking with cold, animal terror at the word Noah whispered—Mate. The single syllable slithered through her mind, conjuring dangers far greater than the wild magic she had just unleashed. She stiffened, senses sharpening, every instinct urging retreat. Her door remained ajar, a slender invitation to safety, and for a fleeting moment, she considered slipping back into the sanctuary of her room and shutting the world—and Noah—out.
But Noah was quicker. With a deliberate step, he closed the distance, blocking her escape. His arm slipped past her shoulder, palm flattening against the wood, and with a measured push, he guided her back inside. The door clicked shut behind them, the finality of its sound echoing along her spine.
“I have an idea you can be my mate, and Kathy can breed for us,”
“Wait, it’s true you have been fantasizing, Anthony’s mate Kathy,”
Maria regarded him coolly, her lips curling into a faint, venomous smile as she weighed his words. Noah’s ambition pressed against hers like a knife’s edge—reckless, hungry, unbound by sentiment. The room seemed to shrink, thick with the scent of power and danger.
“So that’s it, Noah?” she replied, voice low as velvet and twice as deadly. “You want the throne, but you’re not willing to inherit your father’s chains. And Kathy—she’s just another pawn to you. Anthony, too. Puppets, you say?” Maria circled him slowly, eyes glinting with dark amusement. “And your mother—disposable, like the rest?”
Noah’s gaze never wavered, fierce with the kind of certainty that brooked no argument. “We need leverage, Maria. Allies or sacrifices, it makes no difference. I don’t care how you use your magic—just make sure they’re under our control. If my mother’s weakness is a liability, cut her loose. The old ways are done.”
A slow laugh escaped Maria’s throat, equal parts approval and warning. “You’re bold, I’ll give you that. But be careful what you wish for. Power has a taste—bitter, addicting. It’s easy to lose yourself when you think you’re holding the strings.” She drew close, the air between them charged with a volatile promise. “Still… if you want the throne, perhaps we can come to an arrangement.”
Noah’s smirk deepened, and for a moment, shadows flickered between them—partners, rivals, perhaps something more dangerous. The night loomed outside, thick with secrets and shifting alliances. Whatever they unleashed, there would be no turning back.
In a moment of intense passion, Noah blinds Maria with a kiss, and despite her initial resistance, she starts kissing him back as they undress each other. As he lifted her, Maria's arms and legs embraced him tightly. As they made into the middle of the bed, Noah couldn’t wait to get Maria ready for him before she knows it Noah shovels his cock inside of Maria, he didn’t give her a chance to get used him first. Noah was moving swiftly, and as he picked up speed, she began to feel a mixture of pleasure and pain, wanting him to slow down. She flipped them over, positioning herself above Noah with the goal of exerting control. Maria is aware that Kathy will also be consumed by the same pain that is coursing through her veins.
In the office, Samuel and Evelyn sipped tea, while Samuel wondered where James had been, as he hadn't seen him for days; James's shyness might explain why he'd vanish, only to return the next day with a flimsy excuse. Because his tracker hadn't come back, Samuel put his teacup down with a clink and walked to the window, the silence amplifying his worry about his missing son and Maria. Suddenly, a realization struck him, and he knew exactly where Anthony and Kathy were.
“Evelyn I know where Anthony and Kathy is at?” asked Samuel
“Where my love,” said Evelyn
“The Lycan King Kingdom, which means that Lycan knows about Anthony's crime and I can get on the private jet and fly there to convince Lycan King to help us,”
“You think he would help us?” asked Evelyn
“Yes, he will I know, I need him to help us,” said Samuel
He walked to his desk, casually resting against it, and his eyes fell upon the bookcase, its shelves guarding the secret he kept from Evelyn, his mate, and wished to remain that way.