Chapter 14 [Blackthorn Enterprise—Next Day] The atmosphere inside Blackthorn Enterprises felt wrong and Lyra noticed it before anyone said a word. The lobby was quieter than it had been yesterday. Voices were low, clipped and people stood closer together than usual, then drifted apart just as quickly. Humans and werewolves

Chapter 13 [Dark Alley] Seraphile didn’t bother asking why Rogan was there so late. The moment she opened the door and saw his face, she stepped aside and let him in. “You shouldn’t be here,” she said quietly. “Not at this hour p> “That makes two of us,” Rogan replied,

Chapter 12 [Rogan’s Apartment—Past Midnight] Pain came first. It was not sharp enough to make her scream, not sudden enough to startle her, just a deep, familiar ache that settled into her chest like it belonged there. Lyra stood barefoot on cold stone, the ground slick beneath her feet as

Chapter 11 [Sacred Valley] Mist still clung low to the ground, curling around ancient stones etched with marks no one living could read anymore. The spring murmured softly at the center, its surface unbroken, reflecting moonlight like a held breath. Kaelen stood near the water’s edge, jacket discarded, sleeves rolled

Chapter 10 Lyra broke into a run. Her breath tore from her chest as she sprinted down the street, her bag thudding painfully against her side. Behind her, the sound of pursuit sharpened, boots striking pavement in quick succession. Whoever it was, it was close. Panic surged as she rounded

Chapter 9 [Blackthorn Enterprise] By the time the office lights dimmed to their evening setting, Lyra’s shoulders ached in a way that felt earned. She leaned back in her chair and let out a slow breath, rolling her neck once before saving her work. Around her, the Operations floor was

Chapter 8 [The Sacred Valley] The Sacred Valley was quiet in the way only ancient places were. It wasn’t empty, it wasn’t calm but there was a sense of peace in the air that couldn’t be explained. Kaelen stood at the edge of the spring with his boots planted firmly

Chapter 7 Her stomach tightened, not with attraction, not with fear but with the uncomfortable sense of being examined too closely. Lyra looked back down and forced herself to keep writing but she could still feel his eyes on her. She tightened her grip on the pen to compose herself,

Chapter 6 [Blackthorn Enterprise] Lyra paused just inside the revolving doors of Blackthorn Enterprises. She stood just inside the revolving doors of Blackthorn Enterprises, fingers curled around the strap of her bag, waiting for the strange warmth, the tight pull beneath her ribs, the unsettling awareness she had felt yesterday.

Chapter 5 [Lyra’s Room—Next Morning] Morning light filtered through the thin curtains of Lyra’s room, pale and soft, doing nothing to calm the knot in her stomach. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone. The email from Blackthorn Enterprises was still open. Start Date: Today.

Chapter 4 [A Dark Alley] The place was hidden for a reason. Tucked between abandoned buildings at the edge of the old quarter, the shop looked like nothing more than a forgotten relic with dusty windows and a flickering sign. It was the kind of place people passed without ever

Chapter 3 [Greenwich Town—Rogan’s Hale’s Apartment] Lyra knew something was wrong the moment she stepped into the apartment. The air felt tight like it had been holding its breath. Rogan stood near the kitchen counter with his arms crossed and his posture rigid as his gaze locked onto her the

Chapter 2 Lyra Hale had never seen a building so tall it nearly kissed the clouds. Blackthorn Enterprises towered above the city like a glass giant. It was powerful, intimidating and untouchable, the kind of place she used to walk past without daring to look too long. And now she

Chapter 1 Kaelan Blackthorn felt the curse wake before it fully did. It began as a familiar burn coiling through his veins—slow at first, then tightening sharply in his chest until the pen slipped from his fingers and clattered against the desk. Then the world tilted and his vision pulsed.