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Enjoy unforgettable stories about love, ambition, hidden secrets, powerful families, successful CEOs, unexpected reunions, and life-changing decisions. Every full-length movie offers captivating characters, dramatic moments, and exciting twists from beginning to end.
Whether you enjoy romantic dramas, family stories, billionaire love stories, or suspenseful plot twists, you'll always find something entertaining here.
New full drama movies are uploaded frequently. Follow the channel for more popular drama films with English subtitles.
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00:02Day after day, my stepmother spread rumors about me, claiming I was a scheming, vicious she-wolf who couldn't control
00:08her wolf and might hurt someone at any moment.
00:10By the time I turned 28, not a single male in North Haven was willing to become my mate. No
00:15wolf dared either.
00:16So my family sold me to Ronan Blackthorn. He was the Alpha King rumored to have driven his former Luna
00:20Queen to her death.
00:21No one else dared become his mate, a she-wolf who could hurt someone at any moment.
00:25Paired with the Alpha King so terrifying that people trembled, just saying his name.
00:29Everyone said we were a perfect match.
00:31When I entered Blackthorn Palace, I was ready to use the bad reputation my stepmother had given me to stir
00:36things up and make everyone afraid of me.
00:38Then a little girl tugged on my sleeve and asked timidly,
00:41Are you my mom now? Do I really have a mom?
00:45My throat tightened. She looked so helpless.
00:48For a moment, I was eight years old again, standing in my father's house after my mother died and waiting
00:52for someone to want me.
00:53No one ever had. To my stepmother, I had been nothing but a burden.
00:57Even on the day she finally got rid of me, she put on quite a show.
01:00She rode with me in the carriage to the Moon Temple, and even pretended to be on the verge of
01:03tears when we stopped outside.
01:06Oh, Vera, sweetheart. I'm going to miss you terribly.
01:10Not a single tear fell. I smiled at her.
01:12You know what, Mother? If things don't work out with my mate, I'll come home. Make sure you keep my
01:16room exactly as it is.
01:17Her face went white. She shoved me toward the temple so quickly that I nearly tripped over my own gown.
01:22Hurry! Go! May the moon goddess bless you, darling. Now get inside.
01:26My ceremonial gown was blood-red silk. I had chosen it myself.
01:30If I was going to be mated to a ghost, I could at least look like I wanted this, because
01:34my mate wasn't standing at the altar.
01:35Ronan Blackthorn was the Alpha King everyone feared, a ruler so powerful that no one dared challenge him.
01:40He was in the North, dealing with a territorial conflict that couldn't wait.
01:44In his place were a framed portrait, his beta, and a signed proxy mate contract.
01:48The guests whispered. Some covered their mouths and laughed.
01:50Poor thing. Her own mate didn't even attend the ceremony.
01:53What else could she expect?
01:54She should thank the moon goddess that anyone was willing to take her.
01:57I signed my name without hesitation.
01:59The beta stamped the document. Someone else slid Ronan's ring onto my finger.
02:02There was no kiss. No vow spoken in his own voice.
02:05Only ink, paper, and a room full of people waiting for me to fall apart.
02:08That was it. I walked back down the red carpet alone, chin high, my heels clicking against the marble floor.
02:14Every pair of eyes in the room pitied me. I let them. They could pity me all they wanted.
02:18I didn't need a mate. I needed a palace, a kingdom, and two walls that would keep my family out
02:22of my life for good.
02:23The Blackthorn royal carriage waited outside.
02:26A coachman in a black uniform opened the door for me.
02:28I climbed in, kicked off my heels, and leaned back against the leather seat.
02:31Twenty minutes later, the palace came into view.
02:34Iron gates, stone walls, torches flickering in the guards' hands against the knight.
02:38No one waited at the entrance. There were no flowers, no welcome banner, only a cold entrance hall that smelled
02:43like money and neglect.
02:44An Omega housekeeper led me upstairs without a word.
02:47The master bedroom was cold and untouched. I stood in the center of the room and waited.
02:51Then I heard something. A soft knock. So soft I almost missed it.
02:54I opened the door. A little girl stood there, about five years old, enormous brown eyes, and a nightgown two
03:00sizes too big.
03:01She was shaking. She reached up and caught the edge of my sleeve.
03:04Uh, are you my mom now?
03:05Her voice trembled.
03:07Do I really have a mom? You'll love us like a mom, won't you?
03:12It felt as though my chest had been torn open. Twenty years earlier, I'd been just like her.
03:17Eight years old, standing in a hallway as my new stepmother entered our home, silently begging,
03:21Please, please be kind to me. She hadn't been.
03:24I crouched until we were eye to eye.
03:25Yes, little one?
03:26I said.
03:27You have a mom now.
03:29Behind her, a boy stood half-hidden in the hallway.
03:31He was older, maybe ten.
03:32His arms were folded across his chest.
03:34His jaw was tight, and his eyes held something I recognized immediately.
03:37Distrust. He didn't say a word.
03:39Somewhere in that dark palace, I heard a woman's heels come in closer.
03:42Those heels belonged to Selene Blackthorne.
03:44She appeared at the end of the hallway with the calm confidence of a woman who had controlled the palace
03:48for years.
03:49Blonde hair, sharp cheekbones, an elaborate gold-embroidered gown at eleven on a Tuesday night.
03:54Ronan's sister-in-law, his late older brother's mate, the woman who had run the palace for years.
03:58She sniffed at me, openly disgusted.
04:00So?
04:00She said.
04:02You're the replacement.
04:03Behind me, Ivy lowered her wolf ears and pressed closer to my leg.
04:06Noah remained motionless in the hallway, his tail held tight against his legs.
04:10Selene looked at Ivy, and her smile thinned.
04:12Pups, it is long past your bedtime.
04:15Neither child moved.
04:16Selene's smile tightened.
04:17She stepped forward, grabbed Ivy's arm, and pinched her hard.
04:20Ivy flinched.
04:20Her wolf ears flattened against her head, and her tail tucked tightly between her legs, but she didn't make a
04:24sound.
04:25Clearly, she had learned long ago not to cry.
04:27I unleashed my alpha aura on Selene.
04:29Vera's eyes turned into golden wolf eyes.
04:31I didn't touch her.
04:32The power of my alpha bloodline alone froze her in place.
04:35Don't touch her.
04:35Selene jerked her hand back.
04:37What do you mean?
04:38She's shy.
04:39She's meeting me for the first time.
04:40You have no reason to hurt her.
04:41Selene's voice remained smooth, but the tips of her fangs were already showing.
04:45I didn't hurt her.
04:46You're mistaken.
04:47She looked down at Ivy.
04:48Tell her, darling.
04:49Did I hurt you?
04:53Ivy shook her head quickly.
04:54Too quickly.
04:55I made a mental note of that.
04:56It's late.
04:56Selene said as she turned away.
04:58I still have guests to entertain.
04:59The pups can show you around tomorrow.
05:01Ask one of the Omega servants if you need anything.
05:03She walked away without looking back.
05:05I stood in the dark hallway beside two children I had known for less than five minutes.
05:09I crouched.
05:09Ivy still clung to my sleeve.
05:11Noah still hadn't said a word.
05:12Let me see your faces.
05:14Both of you.
05:14Ivy looked up first.
05:15Her cheeks were round, but she was far too thin.
05:18Dark circles shadowed her eyes, the kind no five-year-old should ever have.
05:21Noah took longer.
05:22When he finally raised his head, I saw a fading bruise along his jaw, half hidden by his hair.
05:26I touched their faces one at a time, soft, small, so easy to hurt.
05:30Listen to me.
05:31I said.
05:31Both of you.
05:32If anyone in this palace hurts you, anyone, you tell me.
05:35Not tomorrow.
05:36Not later.
05:37Right away.
05:38Do you understand?
05:39Ivy nodded, her eyes wet and her lowered wolf ears trembling.
05:42Noah stared at me, waiting for the promise to turn into a lie.
05:45I didn't blame him.
05:46Every adult wolf in his life had already failed him.
05:49By the next morning, I understood the situation.
05:51The palace had three wings.
05:52Selene controlled the West Wing.
05:54Agatha, the Blackthorn family's former Luna Queen, lived in the East Wing.
05:57Ronan's two pups had been shoved into two small rooms in the back, near the Omega Servants' entrance.
06:02Selene had a nine-year-old son named Damien.
06:04The royal household spoiled him and doted on him.
06:07The Omegas worshipped the ground he walked on.
06:09Noah and Ivy stayed as far away from him as they could.
06:11The Omegas avoided me, too.
06:13They obeyed Selene.
06:14They had obeyed her for years.
06:15That night, I found Noah's room.
06:17Bare walls.
06:18A mattress on the floor.
06:19One thin blanket.
06:20And this was the most luxurious palace in the Blackthorn kingdom.
06:23I opened every closet in that wing.
06:25They were all empty.
06:26The two pups owned three sets of clothes each.
06:28Every piece was too small.
06:29Every piece was worn through.
06:32I closed the last closet door, and my wolf growled inside me.
06:36Everyone has been cruel to them, just like they were to us.
06:38It isn't fair.
06:40These abusers deserve to have their throats torn out.
06:43Calm down, Elizabeth.
06:45We don't know anything yet.
06:47Things were about to change in this palace.
06:49Every wolf in it would learn my name.
06:51I went downstairs at seven.
06:53The dining room was all dark wood and crystal.
06:55Selene sat at the head of the table in a silk gown, her hair freshly styled, and diamonds
06:59all over her fingers at seven in the damn morning.
07:02Agatha sat to her right, sipping black tea and watching me with sharp wolf eyes.
07:05A plate had already been set at my place.
07:07I looked down, one slice of bread, hard, faintly green around the edges.
07:11Selene had eggs, fruit, and a porcelain dish of caviar.
07:14Agatha had eggs, fruit, fresh bread, and cheese.
07:17I pulled out my chair, sat down, and stared at the moldy bread.
07:20Oh.
07:21Selene said without looking up.
07:22The kitchen wasn't sure what you liked, so they kept it simple.
07:25I hope you don't mind.
07:26She smiled.
07:27Agatha smiled, too.
07:28The Omega servants lined up against the wall didn't.
07:30They knew exactly what this meant.
07:31I picked up the bread, smelled it, and put it back down.
07:34You know what, Selene?
07:35You're right.
07:36I should eat what this palace provides.
07:38I stood, walked to her end of the table, and picked up the porcelain dish of caviar.
07:42She blinked.
07:43What are you...
07:43I turned it over and dumped it straight onto her gown.
07:46Caviar slid down silk worth 5,000 gold coins.
07:49Selene screamed.
07:50Agatha's teacup struck its saucer with a sharp clink.
07:53The Omega servants flattened themselves against the wall.
07:55I leaned close to Selene, letting my alpha aura come through in my whisper.
07:58Let me make this clear.
07:59If I eat garbage in this palace, you'll eat worse.
08:02If my pups go hungry, so will your son.
08:05And if you ever, ever try something like this again,
08:08I'll make your life so miserable that you'll be on your knees begging Ronan to throw you out on the
08:12street.
08:16Selene opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
08:18I straightened, smoothed my hair, and turned toward the Omega servants from the kitchen.
08:22Make breakfast again for everyone.
08:24From now on, the pups eat first.
08:27No one in this palace touches any food before they do.
08:30Is that clear?
08:31No one answered.
08:32I gave a cold laugh and released my alpha aura.
08:34It struck the line of Omega servants.
08:37Their knees slammed into the floor.
08:38I repeated each word slowly.
08:40Is that clear?
08:43Yes, your majesty.
08:44Three voices answered at once.
08:46I returned to my seat, sat down, and folded my hands in my lap.
08:48Agatha stared at me in shock and fury.
08:51Selene sat there covered in caviar.
08:53Neither woman said another word.
08:54Twenty minutes later, fresh plates arrived.
08:57Eggs, toast, fruit, and juice.
08:58Noah and Ivy were served first.
09:00The two pups ate with their wolf ears lowered,
09:02glancing at me every few seconds as if they were afraid someone would take the food away.
09:06My heart melted as I watched them.
09:08No one would take it away again.
09:09Ever.
09:09After breakfast, I returned to my room and sat on the edge of the bed for a minute.
09:13Then I started making plans.
09:15Selene thought that morning was the worst I could do.
09:17She thought I had made my point and would now settle down, follow the rules, and learn my place.
09:21She had no idea.
09:22Because that night, I heard something through Noah's door that changed this fight completely.
09:26I couldn't sleep that night.
09:27The palace kept me awake.
09:29The windows, the wooden beams creaked overhead.
09:32At two in the morning, I got up for water and walked barefoot down the hall.
09:35Noah's room was at the far end.
09:37I almost passed it.
09:38Then I heard crying.
09:39Quiet, smothered crying.
09:40The kind a child tries to keep quiet because he knows he'll be punished if he cries too loudly.
09:44I stopped.
09:45Then came a second voice.
09:46A boy who sounded older, his voice alone.
09:49Shut up.
09:50Shut up.
09:50Do you want me to tell my mom?
09:52She'll lock you in the basement again.
09:56My hand found the doorknob.
09:57I didn't knock.
09:58I pushed the door open and saw everything at once.
10:00Selene's nine-year-old son, Damien, was sitting on Noah's chest.
10:03One hand pinned Noah's wrist to the mattress.
10:05The other held a thin, lit candle just inches from Noah's eyes.
10:08Noah didn't fight back.
10:09He lay there with his wolf ears flattened, tears running into his hair.
10:12His teeth clenched tight.
10:13He didn't fight because someone had taught him that resisting only made things worse.
10:16Damien looked at me.
10:17He seemed annoyed, not afraid.
10:18Get out.
10:19This is none of your business.
10:20A soft whimper escaped Noah's throat.
10:22He sounded so hurt, so desperate to hold back his fear.
10:24His whimpers kept pounding in my ears.
10:26As a child, I'd cried like that too, clenching my teeth and holding back every plea for help,
10:29afraid I'd be punished again.
10:30Something inside me snapped.
10:32The next second, I shifted into my wolf form and hugged, knocking Damien off Noah.
10:35I stood over a little minute to shield him, baring my hands and snarling at Damien.
10:38I lifted a front paw, about to move toward him, when a small arm suddenly wrapped around my neck.
10:43Mom, don't go after him.
10:45Aunt Selyria will punish you.
10:46That one word, Mom, pulled me back from my rage.
10:49I stopped baring my fangs and shifted back into human form.
10:51My eyes burning with tears.
10:53Noah was still so young.
10:54He had been afraid for long enough.
10:55I couldn't let him see his mother as dangerous and out of control.
10:58I stood and grabbed the back of Damien's collar.
11:00He shook under my alpha aura.
11:01Let me go!
11:02My mom will kill you!
11:04I dragged him to the balcony door, opened it, and threw him onto the second floor terrace.
11:08He landed on a cushioned bench.
11:09He wasn't hurt, only terrified.
11:10I locked the balcony door.
11:12He pounded on the glass.
11:13Let me in!
11:14I'm telling my mom!
11:16Go ahead.
11:16I said through the glass.
11:17Give him my regards.
11:19I turned back to Noah.
11:20He had sat up.
11:21His wolf ears and tail were both trembling.
11:23He wiped his face quickly, trying to hide the tears before I could mention them.
11:26I sat on the edge of his bed.
11:27How long?
11:28I asked.
11:28He didn't answer.
11:30Noah.
11:31How long has he been doing this?
11:32His voice broke.
11:34Since I was seven.
11:38Three years.
11:39No one had stopped it for three years.
11:41Why didn't you fight back?
11:42He lowered his head.
11:43Aunt Celelia said if I ever hurt Damien, she'd tell my dad I was violent.
11:47She said he'd send me away and I'd never see Ivy again.
11:50My wolf growled inside me.
11:52That woman had used Ivy to control him.
11:53I leaned closer.
11:54Noah.
11:55Look at me.
11:56He did.
11:57A blackthorn wolf can die fighting, but he doesn't lie on his back and let anyone hurt him.
12:02Do you understand?
12:03He blinked.
12:04If Damien touches you again, break his hand.
12:06I don't care how loudly Celia screams or whether Agatha faints.
12:09Break it, then come find me.
12:10I'll handle the rest.
12:11But.
12:12No buts.
12:13You are not a punching bag.
12:15You are Ronan Blackthorn's son.
12:17The only person in this palace who gets to decide your future is you.
12:20Not Celelia.
12:21Not her little bastard.
12:22You.
12:23He watched me for a long time.
12:24Then he nodded slowly, his lowered wolf ears twitching.
12:27I pulled the blanket over him.
12:28Sleep.
12:29I'll be right outside.
12:30For the next hour, I stood in the hallway with my arms folded and my back against the
12:34wall.
12:35After a while, Damien stopped pounding on the balcony door.
12:37He curled up on the cushioned bench and fell asleep.
12:40Good.
12:40Let him learn what fear felt like for one night.
12:42By morning, Selene was pounding on my bedroom door.
12:45What did you do to my son?
12:49What did you do to my son?
12:50He was outside all night.
12:52He could have died.
12:53I opened the door in my robe, holding a cup of hot tea.
12:56Your son burned mine with a candle.
12:58Be grateful I only put him out on the balcony.
13:01Her face went white, then red.
13:02If you ever touch my pup again!
13:04If your pup ever touches mine again, the balcony will be the least of his problems.
13:12She bared her thumbs, I shook the door in her face.
13:15Behind me, I heard a sound I had never heard in that palace.
13:19Noah was laughing.
13:21Selene couldn't beat me on her own, so she went to Agatha.
13:52Two days later, Agatha summoned me to the royal prayer room.
13:54For his safe return.
13:56Pray, I repeated.
13:57Every morning, five o'clock.
13:59On your knees in this room for one hour.
14:01It is tradition.
14:02I looked at Selene.
14:03She had a small, smug smile.
14:05This wasn't tradition.
14:06It was punishment.
14:08And if I refuse, Agatha growled, then you are unworthy of the Blackthroat name.
14:13I will write to Ronan myself and tell him his new mate refuses to honor the Moon Goddess
14:19or this family.
14:20He will deal with you according to our rules.
14:22I waited.
14:23I'd come in wearing a silk robe, carrying a bottle of liquor from Ronan's study.
14:27I sat on the nearest pew and opened the bottle.
14:30I took a long drink.
14:31Agatha's face turned purple.
14:34If the Moon Goddessy were actually any help, I said, wiping my mouth, Ronan wouldn't
14:38have to fight to defend his territory.
14:40And you wouldn't need me on my knees, in here begging for a miracle.
14:45How dare you!
14:47You have no idea what I'm capable of.
14:49I took another drink.
14:52Let me tell you what's going to happen, Agatha.
14:54I will not kneel.
14:55Not at five in the morning.
14:56Not ever.
14:58If you write to Ronan, make sure you also tell him how his pups have been living under
15:02your roof.
15:03Thin clothes.
15:04Empty rooms.
15:06Bruises on their bodies.
15:07Agatha went still.
15:09Selene stepped forward.
15:10She's lying!
15:12Am I?
15:13I looked at Selene.
15:14Should I bring Noan down here right now?
15:16Have him take off his shirt in front of Agatha?
15:18Let her see the candle burns your son left on him.
15:22Selene's mouth snapped shut.
15:24Agatha tightened her grip on her cane.
15:26I stood and placed the liquor on the altar.
15:28My terms are simple.
15:29I run this palace.
15:31You stay in the East Wing, say your prayers and drink your tea.
15:34No one bothers you.
15:35No one disrespects you.
15:37But you do not give me orders.
15:40You do not help Selene go after those two children.
15:43And you do not threaten me with Ronan.
15:47And if I refuse?
15:48Agatha asked.
15:49Then when Ronan comes home, I'll give him the evidence.
15:51Every gold coin Selene stole.
15:54Every injury his hub suffered.
15:55Every night you turned a blind eye.
15:57Then we'll see who he gets angry with.
15:59No one spoke.
16:00Agatha looked at me.
16:00I unleashed my alpha aura on her.
16:03Ten seconds.
16:05Twenty.
16:06Then she slowly released a long breath through her nose.
16:09You are a vicious she-wolf.
16:10She said.
16:11I know.
16:12I smiled.
16:13That's why they sent me here to become your grandson's mate.
16:16I left the prayer room without looking back.
16:18Behind me, I heard Selene growl at Agatha.
16:21We can't just let her.
16:22Enough.
16:22Agatha cut in.
16:23I need to think.
16:25Good.
16:25Let her think.
16:26I was already moving on.
16:29That night, I tucked Ivy into bed.
16:31Before I could leave, she caught my hand.
16:33Are you staying?
16:34She whispered, her wolf ears drooping.
16:36They won't make you go away?
16:37I squeezed her fingers.
16:39Little one, I am not leaving this palace unless I'm carried out in a coffin.
16:43And I am very hard to kill.
16:45At the other end of the hallway, Noah's door stood open.
16:48He was sitting in bed, reading.
16:49He looked up as I passed.
16:50He didn't smile, but he nodded.
16:51For Noah, that meant everything.
16:53I nodded back and kept walking.
16:54Before I went after Selene's money, I had to shake up the way things worked in this palace.
16:58At 3.55 in the morning, I stepped onto the terrace under the moonlight.
17:01At 3.58, I shifted into my wolf form and leaped to the highest point of the palace.
17:05At exactly 4, I lifted my head and howled.
17:08The howl tore through the night, charged with my alpha aura.
17:12What's happening?
17:13Are we under attack?
17:17My howl rang through the entire palace.
17:19Panicked footsteps filled every hallway.
17:20It was an alarm call.
17:21Get up.
17:22Stay alert.
17:22Assemble immediately.
17:23I shifted back into human form, returned to the main hall, and waited with my arms folded.
17:27Selene appeared first, stumbling downstairs in a silk nightgown with no makeup and her hair a mess.
17:31Her face was white with pure fear.
17:33What's happening?
17:34Are we under attack?
17:35Agatha came next, clutching the railing.
17:37Her hand shook around her cane.
17:38Two royal guards flanked her, fangs bared as they sniffed the air.
17:41Omega servants poured in from every direction.
17:42Omega maids came wrapped in robes.
17:44Cooks were still rubbing their eyes.
17:45The coachman was only half-dressed.
17:47Damien ran in crying and hid behind his mother.
17:49I waited until every last one of them had arrived.
17:51Then I stopped growling.
17:52Everyone stared at me.
17:53Good morning.
17:53I said.
17:54Selene's fear turned to rage in half a second.
17:56What the hell is wrong with you?
17:57This was a drill.
17:58I paced slowly in front of them with my hands behind my back.
18:00The Black Thread Kingdom has real enemies.
18:03There are plenty of people beyond these gates who would love to put a silver arrow through every one of
18:07us.
18:08And what did I just learn?
18:10This palace needs four full minutes to respond.
18:12Four minutes means death.
18:15You're insane!
18:16Selene snapped.
18:17From now on...
18:18I continue.
18:19The moment you hear my warning howl, everyone moves.
18:22No questions.
18:23Move fast.
18:25Agatha slammed her cane against the marble floor.
18:27You have no authority.
18:28I have full authority.
18:31I'm the Lunar Queen of this kingdom.
18:33Since none of you seem to respect that during the day, we'll start practicing at night.
18:37I pointed at the Omega servants.
18:39Kitchen.
18:39Now.
18:40A full breakfast for ten.
18:41You have twenty minutes.
18:42No one moved.
18:43I released my Alpha aura, directing it at the line of Omega's.
18:46They had no idea I was holding back.
18:47I let out a growl that carried through the hall.
18:49Eighteen minutes.
18:51They ran.
18:52Selene stood there, trembling, holding back a growl.
18:54Ronan will hear about this.
18:58Tell him.
18:59Tell him his mate ran a drill at four in the morning and his palace can't even make breakfast
19:03under pressure.
19:05Let's see whether he's angry with me.
19:07Or with you.
19:08She had no answer.
19:10Agatha slowly sat in a hallway chair and laid her cane across her knees.
19:13She didn't speak, but she understood something now.
19:15She was beginning to understand me.
19:17Breakfast reached the table in nineteen minutes.
19:19Eggs, toast, and hot tea.
19:21Nothing elaborate, but it was hot and on time.
19:23I made everyone sit down, including the Royal Guards, the Omega Maids, Selene, Agatha,
19:28and Damien.
19:29Noah and Ivy sat on either side of me.
19:31Noah ate steadily.
19:32For the first time since I had met him, his hands didn't shake.
19:35Ivy leaned against my arm, her wolf ears drooping with sleep and a piece of toast clutched
19:38in one small fist.
19:39When breakfast ended, I stood.
19:41There will be more drills like this.
19:43Random nights, random times, until this palace can handle a crisis.
19:47Until everyone under this roof is worthy of the Black Throne name.
19:50I pulled back my Alpha aura.
19:52Dismissed.
19:52Everyone scattered.
19:53Selene stormed upstairs without a word.
19:55Agatha remained in her chair, watching me.
19:57You are either very brave, she said quietly, or very foolish.
20:01I'm both, I said.
20:03That's what makes me dangerous.
20:04She almost smiled.
20:05Almost.
20:06I took Ivy's hand and led her back to bed, tucked her in, and kissed her forehead.
20:10Scary way to wake everyone up.
20:12Ivy mumbled, already half asleep.
20:14I know, sweetheart.
20:16Go back to sleep.
20:18Are you staying?
20:19Forever.
20:21She curled her tail around herself and fell asleep within seconds.
20:24I sat beside her bed in the dark, still wide awake.
20:25I had been in that palace for three weeks.
20:27I had already broken their routines and their chain of command.
20:30Now it was time to break their hold on the money.
20:32Because the next day, I was going to check Selene's accounts.
20:35Every ledger.
20:35Every expense.
20:36Every gold coin she had stolen from Ronan's pups.
20:39And when I found what I was looking for, and I knew I would, not even the most desperate
20:42cries for help would save her.
20:43I found the records at two in the morning.
20:48After my warning howled that night, the Omega servants were too afraid of me to stand in
20:51my way.
20:51Selene's counting room was on the second floor of the West Wing.
20:54She claimed it was used only for household accounts.
20:55I let myself in, shut the door, and pulled every document from every drawer.
20:59It took me three hours to make sense of it all.
21:02Ronan sent gold home every month.
21:04A lot of it.
21:04Enough to let the two pups live in luxury, cover their training fees, and fill their private
21:08vaults.
21:10The pups' private vaults were empty.
21:11Every last coin had been withdrawn.
21:13I found gold withdrawal receipts, gambling IOS, and the name of a recipient I had never
21:18seen before.
21:18Eric Voss.
21:19I kept reading.
21:20Selene's expense ledger.
21:2150,000 gold coins at the gambling house in Greyport.
21:2430,000 at the gaming hall in Riverbend.
21:2680,000 paid to Voss in a single month.
21:28Eric Voss was Selene's lover.
21:29He had been using the pups' money to cover his gambling debts.
21:32I leaned back in Selene's chair and stared at the numbers.
21:34Noah didn't have any winter clothes.
21:36Ivy had stiff paper stuffed inside her shoes to cover the holes.
21:39Those two pups were supposed to inherit a royal fortune.
21:41Instead, Selene kept them in old clothes while her lover gambled away their money.
21:44I did not write to Ronan for help.
21:46That was what weak women did.
21:46Run crying to a man far away at a border.
21:48Beg him to fix it.
21:49Then wait months for justice.
21:50I was not weak.
21:51Before dawn, I had a plan.
21:52I had a servant bring Gabriel Shaw to the palace.
21:54He was a fixer I'd met while I was still living with the Ashfords.
21:57He owed me a favor because I'd had his name taken out of a case at the royal court.
22:00Gabriel, I need every Blacktwin royal asset Selene can access sealed out.
22:03Whose?
22:04Anything connected to Selene Blacktwin, her withdrawal orders, the private vaults in her
22:07name, and the assets of a male named Eric Voss.
22:09He was silent for a moment, then looked up at me.
22:11You're picking a dangerous fight, Vera.
22:13Good.
22:13Can you do it by noon?
22:15Give me until 10.
22:15At 9.45, Gabriel brought back written confirmation.
22:19Every royal vault Selene controlled was sealed.
22:21Her written withdrawal orders had been confiscated.
22:23Voss could no longer collect any gold.
22:24Three hidden vaults holding royal money were sealed too.
22:26At 10, I walked into Selene's bedroom without knocking.
22:31Selene sat at her vanity, applying lip color.
22:33She saw me in the mirror, and her wolf pupils contracted.
22:35Get out of my room.
22:36I slammed the documents onto her bed.
22:38Ledgers.
22:39Withdrawal receipts.
22:39Gambling I owe us.
22:41Signed by Voss.
22:41Her money.
22:42Ronan's money.
22:42He had gambled with all of it.
22:43She turned slowly.
22:44The color drained from her face.
22:45Where did you-
22:46Three million gold coins.
22:47That's what you stole Noah and Ivy private vaults.
22:50Three million.
22:51Gone.
22:51All to feed your lover's gambling addiction.
22:54You don't understand.
22:55I understand perfectly.
22:56I showed her the written confirmation bearing the royal treasury's seal.
22:59Every royal coin you had access to has been locked away.
23:02Your withdrawal orders are void.
23:04Your lover can't take another coin from us.
23:07It's over.
23:08Selene shot to her feet so fast that her chair tucked backward.
23:11You can't do that!
23:12I already did.
23:13That money is mine!
23:15I deserve it!
23:16Those little bastards for years while Ronan was gone!
23:19You starved them.
23:21You dressed them in rags.
23:22You let your son use Noah as a punching bag.
23:25I released my alpha aura and pinned her where she stood.
23:27You don't deserve a single copper coin.
23:30You stole their money.
23:32Selene summoned the royal treasury steward to confirm it.
23:34What did-
23:36She turned back to me, trembling under my alpha aura.
23:39Her eye makeup streaked with tears.
23:40I'll tell Ronan.
23:41I'll tell him you're stealing royal money.
23:43Go ahead.
23:44Tell him.
23:45When he asks for proof, I'll show him these.
23:48I tapped the documents on her bed.
23:49Every expense.
23:50Every lie.
23:51Every coin you sent to a man outside the royal family.
23:54Selene opened her mouth and closed it again.
23:56Oh, and one more thing, Selene.
23:58I picked up the velvet box on her nightstand and opened it.
24:01Inside was a diamond necklace worth at least 40,000 gold coins.
24:04This is going to the trade guild for auction today.
24:05I said.
24:06The rest of your jewelry is going with it.
24:07No!
24:07Call it interest.
24:08I tucked the box under my arm.
24:09You owe those two picks three million gold coins.
24:11I'll get it back piece by piece.
24:12Every ring, every bracelet, every pair of earrings you bought with their future.
24:16I walked toward the door.
24:18You're a monster.
24:18She said under her breath.
24:19I stopped and looked back at her.
24:20No, Selene.
24:21I'm their mother.
24:22And now you know what that means.
24:23That afternoon, two people from the trade guild came to collect Selene's
24:26jewelry.
24:26She locked herself in her room and screamed for an hour.
24:28No one came to help her.
24:29By evening, Noah had a new winter coat.
24:31Ivy had boots that fit.
24:32And the first bag of gold from the trade guild had been placed in the pup's private
24:35vault.
24:36It wasn't enough.
24:36Not even close.
24:37But it was a start.
24:38The next wound would come from outside the palace.
24:39Noah would bring it home and the blood on his shirt.
24:41Noah came back from training with blood on his collar and a split lip.
24:44He walked straight past me without a word.
24:45Went to his room and shut the door.
24:47I gave him ten minutes.
24:47Then I pushed his door open and went in.
24:49He was sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the wall.
24:51His knuckles were scraped, but the blood on his shirt wasn't his.
24:54Someone had hit him in the mouth and he'd fought back.
24:56He'd hit hard, but clumsily, with no technique at all.
24:58Who was it?
24:59I asked.
25:00It doesn't matter.
25:02Noah.
25:03He finally looked at me.
25:04His eyes were wet, his wolf ears were pinned back, and he looked both furious and humiliated.
25:08Cole Whitmore and two of his friends.
25:11Cole was the grandson of one of the kingdom's elders.
25:13Rich, spoiled, and accustomed to getting away with anything.
25:15What did they say?
25:16Noah's hands curled into fists on his knees.
25:18They said dad chose a crazy woman because no normal woman dared be his mate.
25:24They said my real mom killed herself to get away from us.
25:27My wolf growled inside me.
25:29I forced myself to stay calm.
25:31So you threw the first punch?
25:33Yes.
25:34Good.
25:35But you lost.
25:38There were three of them.
25:39I don't care if there are ten.
25:41I crouched in front of him.
25:44You're a blackthroon.
25:47If you're going to fight, you win.
25:50That's all there is to it.
25:51At the other end of the hallway, I heard Selene speaking to Agatha in the sitting room.
25:54She was deliberately loud enough for us to hear.
25:56The boy got beaten up again.
25:58Pathetic.
26:00Weak.
26:01Just like his father at that age.
26:06Noah's ears flattened.
26:07His tail went rigid.
26:08I stood.
26:09Come with me.
26:10Where?
26:11The training yard.
26:11The Royal Training Yard was behind Blackthorne Palace's East Garden.
26:15It had an archery range, a wrestling area, and a corner with mats and sandbags.
26:18I motioned for him to show me his claws.
26:20They were still small, but already sharp enough.
26:22Noah stared at them.
26:22Raise them.
26:23I said.
26:23He did.
26:24His stance was completely wrong.
26:25Claws held rigid, arm too high, wrist locked.
26:27He was making every mistake a beginner could make.
26:29I corrected his stance, straightened his wrist, and drew his elbow in.
26:36Don't go for the throat.
26:37It's protected.
26:39Don't go for the stomach.
26:40That takes strength.
26:41I tapped the inside of his forearm.
26:42Aim here.
26:43And here.
26:44I touched the soft spot behind his knee.
26:46Go for those spots, and you can end a fight in one move.
26:52Fast and clean.
26:53They'll be on the ground before they know what happened.
26:57You want me to hurt people with my claws?
26:59I never want you to lose again.
27:01I stepped back.
27:02Claws are a last resort.
27:04But knowing how to use them changes the way you stand, the way you speak, and the way you
27:10look at someone who thinks they can hurt you.
27:13Confidence isn't a feeling, Noah.
27:15It's a weapon.
27:16I trained him for the next two hours.
27:17I taught him how to stand, move, walk, and strike back fast.
27:20Noah learned quickly, faster than I had expected.
27:23By the end, he stood straighter, moved faster, and looked calmer.
27:25No longer angry.
27:26Focused.
27:29Noah.
27:29I rested a hand on his shoulder.
27:30No one in this world will spare you just because you're kind.
27:34If you want them to stop, make them hurt.
27:37Make it cost them too much to lay a hand on you.
27:39He nodded firmly.
27:40The next day, Noah returned to the pup's training grounds.
27:42Before lunch, the elder sent someone to ask me to come to the pup's training grounds.
27:45When I arrived, he was waiting outside the infirmary.
27:47Cole was in the infirmary.
27:48Noah had pinned the boy's hand to a wooden post with his claws.
27:51His claw tips had gone straight through Cole's palm without hitting bone.
27:54Cole was screaming.
27:55His friends stood beside him, terrified.
27:56The elder confronted me.
27:57Your majesty, this is assault.
28:00I answered.
28:01This is self-defense.
28:02You let three boys beat my son for weeks at your training grounds.
28:06I've documented every bruise.
28:08Would you like me to send those records to the Whitmore family's steward or to the Alpha Council?
28:13The elder stared at me without answering.
28:16I thought so.
28:18Noah will continue training there.
28:20Cole will transfer elsewhere.
28:22Do you understand?
28:24Yes, your majesty.
28:25I said nothing more and walked away.
28:26When Noah came home that afternoon, he stood straighter than I'd ever seen him.
28:29Ivy ran to the door with her tail wagging, caught his hand, and chattered about her day.
28:33He looked at me over her head.
28:34For the first time since I entered that palace, Noah Blackthorne smiled at me.
28:37It was a real smile.
28:38Small, just for me, and one I would remember.
28:40Celine stood at the top of the stairs with her arms crossed, watching.
28:43She did not say a word.
28:44Smart woman.
28:44She was finally learning.
28:45Three months after our mate ceremony, Ronan came home without warning.
28:48No letter.
28:48No warning.
28:49Not even a messenger sent ahead by the warriors in the north.
28:51Four black carriages rolled up the stone drive at seven on a Tuesday evening.
28:54I was in wolf form, running through the forest beside the palace with both pups riding on
28:58my back.
28:58Ivy lay against the back of my neck, her small hands gripping my fur and her wolf ears flattened
29:02by the wind.
29:03Noah sat behind her, steadying his sister with one hand and holding on tightly to me with
29:06the other.
29:07Faster, mom!
29:08Ivy laughed, kicking her legs.
29:11You need to sit still first!
29:13Noah told her, but he was laughing too, his tail swishing across my back.
29:16I swayed to one side on purpose.
29:17Both pups cried out in surprise, then burst into laughter again.
29:20I pushed off with my hind legs and left out of the trees, both little ones on my back,
29:23landing firmly beside the stone drive.
29:28That rabbit was so fast!
29:31You yelled so loud, you scared it!
29:33Noah was the first to spot Ronan beside the carriage.
29:35His wolf ears shot up and he tightened his grip on his sister.
29:37Ivy followed his gaze.
29:38Her little tail stopped wagging.
29:39The laughter cut off.
29:40Seconds earlier, Ronan had just stepped out of his carriage when he heard laughter from
29:43the forest.
29:44It grew closer, mixed with two pups' excited shouts.
29:47He turned toward the sound.
29:47Suddenly, the bushes shook and a she-wolf leaped out with two little ones.
29:51Noah and Ivy.
29:52His daughter lay laughing against the back of the she-wolf's neck.
29:55His son held her steady, smiling too.
29:56Ronan hadn't even had a chance to speak.
29:58They saw him.
29:59Both pups, laughing and playing just a moment earlier.
30:01Suddenly cowered.
30:02Ronan stood beside the carriage with blood still on his shirt.
30:06He was taller and broader than he had looked in his portrait.
30:09His black hair was longer than in the portrait and swept back, and he looked as though he hadn't
30:13slept in weeks.
30:13The sleeves of his black shirt were rolled to his elbows.
30:16Dried blood marked his forearms, his collar, and his jaw.
30:19It wasn't his.
30:19I lowered myself so Noah could help Ivy climb off my back.
30:22Once they were both down, I shifted into human form.
30:24His gaze settled on the pups.
30:25Noah stood straight and strong.
30:27Ivy was healthy and bright-eyed, her cheeks fuller than they had been three months earlier.
30:30Then he looked at Selene.
30:31She hurried out of the palace in a plain black dress, with no diamonds and no makeup,
30:35her face tight with anger.
30:36The two former senior Omega maids followed her with their heads lowered.
30:39Ronan held back a growl.
30:40Then he looked at me.
30:41I stood beside the two pups.
30:42His gaze locked on me.
30:44When our eyes met, the faded mate Bond slammed into my chest.
30:47My breath caught.
30:47My heart raced, pounding so hard my ears hurt.
30:50His cool cedar scent overpowered the smell of blood.
30:52I breathed it in on instinct.
30:54And with every breath, I wanted him more.
30:56Mate, my wolf all but roared inside me.
30:58I wanted to get close, grab him, and bury my face in the crook of his neck.
31:02The unfamiliar urges hit me so hard that my mind went blank.
31:04I nearly ran into his arms in front of everyone.
31:06At the last second, I clenched my fists and forced myself to stay where I was.
31:09Ronan took half a step toward me, then forced himself to stop.
31:12He pressed his dry lips together and swallowed hard.
31:14His fists tightened until his knuckles turned white.
31:16A growl forced its way through his clenched teeth,
31:18and sweat beaded at his temple as though he were struggling with intense pain.
31:21He never looked away.
31:22My gaze followed the movement of his throat as he swallowed,
31:25then dropped to his open collar.
31:26When I realized what I was staring at, I quickly looked up and met his gaze.
31:29He had seen me looking.
31:31Heat rushed to my face.
31:32I swallowed, and his gaze dropped to my lips and stayed there.
31:35He was my fated mate.
31:36But I didn't even know if this man would let me pull away once I got close.
31:41I knew all too well what happened when I put myself in someone else's hands.
31:44My nails dug into my palms.
31:45I slowly steadied myself on my feet and held his gaze without looking away.
31:49I lifted my chin.
31:50Just before I spoke,
31:51Welcome home, darling.
31:52I realized my breathing was still uneven.
31:54You're three months late.
31:55My voice was a little hoarser than I'd expected.
31:57No one spoke.
31:58Ronan stared at me for a long time, his face giving nothing away.
32:02He looked at the pups, then at Selene.
32:04Dad!
32:05Ivy broke the silence.
32:06She ran toward him.
32:07Ivy wrapped her arms around his neck and began speaking in a rush.
32:09Dad, Mom taught me to read hard words.
32:13And Noah can do push-ups now.
32:15And we eat breakfast first every day, and...
32:18Mom?
32:19Ronan repeated.
32:20His gaze found me again.
32:21I did not look away.
32:22Noah didn't run.
32:23He walked over at a steady pace, his back straight,
32:25and lifted his chin to face his father.
32:27Dad.
32:28Ronan looked down at his son.
32:29His expression changed.
32:30He had not expected this.
32:32Noah.
32:33You're taller.
32:34His voice was low and rough.
32:35Three inches.
32:36Noah said.
32:37Mom measured me last week.
32:39No one missed it.
32:40Selene stood rigid beside the palace entrance,
32:42struggling to hold back a growl.
32:44Ronan gently set Ivy down and led us into the palace.
32:47In the dining room, I sat in the large leather chair at the head of the table.
32:51No one had dared touch that seat in years.
32:53Selene followed us in with the two Omega maids
32:55and stopped beside the fireplace.
32:57Ronan pulled out the chair beside mine.
32:58He looked at Selene, then at me in his seat.
33:01Someone is going to explain what happened in this palace while I was gone.
33:07Selene rushed forward.
33:08Ronan, thank the moon godness your home.
33:11That woman is insane.
33:13She threatened us, stole my things, and made the pups hate me.
33:19I didn't answer.
33:20I looked at Noah.
33:21For the first time, my son stood up for himself.
33:23Noah looked at me.
33:24Then he faced his father.
33:25For the first time since I had known him, my son stepped forward to tell the truth.
33:28Noah stepped forward.
33:30Selene tried to cut him off.
33:31Roland, thank the moon goddess your home.
33:33Her voice broke at exactly the right moment.
33:35That woman destroyed everything.
33:37She threatened me, stole my jewelry, and made the pups hate me.
33:42Ronan did not touch her.
33:43She's unstable.
33:45He let her clutch his shirt and simply watched her.
33:47She howled from the palace roof in the middle of the night.
33:51She fired Omega servants without permission.
33:54She sealed off my private vaults.
33:58My vaults, Ronan.
33:59Selene.
34:00One word.
34:00It was enough.
34:01She wastes your money.
34:04She taught Noah to hurt people with his claws.
34:07She threatened your grandmother.
34:10Selene.
34:10This time, the Alpha King's aura backed the command.
34:12She finally stopped and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.
34:15Ronan removed her hand from his shirt and turned to Noah.
34:17Come here.
34:18Noah straightened his back, held his chin level, and walked forward.
34:21Three months earlier, the boy had not even been able to meet an adult wolf's eyes.
34:24Now he stood before the most dangerous man in the Blackthorn kingdom without backing down.
34:27Ronan studied him for a long moment.
34:29Tell me everything.
34:29Noah didn't hesitate.
34:30His voice was steady, clear, and matter-of-act.
34:32No theatrics.
34:33No pleading.
34:33He told his father about the empty private vaults.
34:35About the candle burns Damien had left on him.
34:37About the thin blankets, the bare rooms, and the Omega servants who answered only to Selene.
34:42He told him how Ivy had cried herself to sleep at night because she was hungry.
34:45Then he pulled up his sleeve.
34:46The scars were still there, round, old, and clearly visible.
34:51Ronan looked at them.
34:52His expression didn't change, but he was holding back a growl, his fangs already showing.
34:55Selene saw them.
34:56Her tears dried up at once.
34:57He's lying.
34:58She told him to say that.
35:02She's been brainwashing them for months.
35:03Ivy lifted her head from my arms.
35:05Ivy, sweetheart, is Noah telling the truth?
35:08She had been quiet through it all.
35:09Mom fixed it.
35:11Mom made Selene stop.
35:12Her wolf ears pressed flat against her head.
35:14Selene's face fat.
35:15Roland, you can't believe a five-year-old pup instead of-
35:17Ronan unleashed his power as Alpha King, pinning Selene in place.
35:21I trusted you.
35:22His voice was low and controlled.
35:24I sent gold home every month.
35:25It was worse than a roar.
35:26I sent you a message every week.
35:29I asked you directly, are my pups all right?
35:34And every single time, you said yes.
35:37They were fine.
35:38He grabbed the tabletop once.
35:39Three million gold coins, Selene.
35:42Did you think I didn't check my own ledgers?
35:46Did you think I wouldn't notice after Vera cut off your access to the money?
35:50Selene opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
35:52He had known before he entered the palace.
35:53He had come prepared.
35:55My mate didn't kill you.
35:56She showed you mercy.
35:58He looked at me, then back at Selene.
36:00You won't get any mercy from me.
36:01Selene nearly collapsed.
36:02She caught the back of a chair and forced herself upright.
36:04You have until sunrise.
36:06Take nothing.
36:07Not one ring.
36:08Not one coat.
36:09Not one gold coin.
36:12If I see your face after dawn, you won't get another chance to leave.
36:21Ronan, please.
36:22Where am I supposed to go?
36:24That is no longer my problem.
36:25Selene looked around the room.
36:26At the royal guards who would not meet her eyes.
36:28At the silent Agatha, then at me.
36:29I took a sip of wine.
36:30Selene turned and walked out.
36:31Her heels receded along the marble corridor.
36:33Then she began to run.
36:34The front door slammed.
36:35No one moved.
36:36Then Ivy tugged on Ronan's hand.
36:37Is she really gone, Dad?
36:39Ronan lifted her into his arms and rested his forehead against hers.
36:41Yes, sweetheart.
36:43She's really gone.
36:44Over Ivy's shoulder, his gaze found mine again.
36:46What I saw there was more than gratitude.
36:48We still need to talk.
36:49He said.
36:49Tonight.
36:50I set down my wine glass.
36:51I'll be waiting.
36:52Ronan came to my room at midnight.
36:53He didn't knock.
36:54The door opened.
36:54And there he was.
36:55He had bathed and changed into a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
36:57A thin streak of dried blood still crossed his collarbone.
37:00Whatever had happened in the north had followed him home.
37:02I stood on the balcony, leaning against the railing.
37:04The palace lay dark beneath us, finally under control.
37:06He closed the door and locked it.
37:07Three months.
37:08He said, as he crossed the room toward me.
37:09I left you here alone.
37:10No support.
37:11No one who would recognize your authority.
37:13No money of your own.
37:14And?
37:15And you tore my palace apart with your bare hands and rebuilt it.
37:18I turned to face him.
37:19Someone had to.
37:20He stopped two feet away.
37:21The scent of cedar surrounded me.
37:22The mate bond snapped tight and my breathing faltered.
37:24His gaze moved over my face.
37:25It wasn't the way men usually looked at me.
37:27Not with fear.
37:28Not with calculation.
37:28He wanted me.
37:29What do you want, Vera?
37:30He asked.
37:31What?
37:31From this relationship.
37:32He gestured between us.
37:33From me.
37:34The Black Throat name?
37:35Money?
37:35A title?
37:36What's your price?
37:39I held his gaze.
37:40You think I did all this for a payout?
37:42I think everyone has a motive.
37:43Fine.
37:44I took one step closer.
37:45I could feel the heat of his body.
37:46I want a mate who shows up.
37:48I want those two pups strong enough to inherit everything you've built.
37:52And I never, ever want you to leave them unprotected again.
37:55A low growl rumbled in his throat.
37:57His eyes dropped to my lips and his breathing grew heavier.
37:59If you can't do that, I said.
38:01Then get out of my way and let me do it for you.
38:02His expression changed.
38:03He was no longer sizing me up.
38:04You aren't afraid of me.
38:05He said.
38:06No.
38:06Everyone is afraid of me.
38:07I'm not everyone.
38:08You knew that when you chose me.
38:10He raised a hand, his fingers closing firmly but carefully around my jaw.
38:13He tilted my face up toward his.
38:14I chose you.
38:15He said quietly.
38:16Because I watched you fight your own family in broad daylight and win.
38:18I chose you because three years ago, I watched from a distance as you beat your stepmother
38:23bloody in the street, then turned around and bought yourself dinner as if nothing had
38:26happened.
38:26My breath caught.
38:27You saw that?
38:28I saw all of it.
38:29The fight.
38:30The tears you wiped away when you thought no one was looking.
38:33The moment you gave your coat to the homeless pup on the street corner.
38:36His thumb brushed along my jaw.
38:37Everyone called you vicious.
38:38I knew better.
38:39My chest tightened.
38:40No one had ever seen past my reputation.
38:42And no one who had truly seen me had ever chosen to stay.
38:44I needed a vicious alpha she-wolf.
38:46Ronan said.
38:46A wolf who would give my thugs the protection she'd never had.
38:50So you used me?
38:51Yes.
38:53He did not flinch.
38:54He did not apologize.
38:55He simply gave me the truth.
38:57And now?
38:57I asked.
38:58Now I don't want this to be just an arrangement anymore.
39:00He kissed me hard, one hand closing around my waist and pulling me against him.
39:03I kissed him back.
39:04It wasn't gentle or sweet.
39:05It carried every bit of anger I had held inside for the past three months.
39:08His palm pressed against my lower back and the mate bond made my knees go weak.
39:11My wolf whined with need as I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer.
39:14Ronan's breathing was even heavier than mine.
39:15He leaned down to keep kissing me, tightening his arms until there was no space left between
39:19us.
39:19He lifted me and pressed me against the stone wall of the balcony.
39:22His body pinned mine.
39:22I did not push him away.
39:23I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, buried my face in the crook of his neck, and
39:26breathed his cedar scent in deeply.
39:28He lowered his head and pressed close to me, his chest heaving, his breath hot against
39:31my ear.
39:32This is ridiculous.
39:33I said with a breathless laugh, even as my eyes stung.
39:36What is?
39:36He asked against my cheek.
39:37The moon goddess.
39:38I cupped his face.
39:39I swore I'd never believe in love or give myself to answering to anyone.
39:42And then she went and sent me you.
39:44Do you regret it?
39:45No.
39:46I hugged him tighter at once, but the tears fell anyway.
39:48Ronan, I've never been more grateful to her.
39:51At eight years old, I'd stopped hoping anyone would stay.
39:53But now, pressed against his chest, I could hear his heart racing just like mine.
39:56I actually dared to think about the future.
39:58The defenses I'd kept up for 20 years fell apart in his arms.
40:00I didn't try to put them back up.
40:01This is your fault?
40:02I clutched his collar.
40:03My voice so soft, I barely recognized it.
40:05You've made me vulnerable.
40:09You make me vulnerable, too.
40:11He kissed away the tears at the corner of my eye.
40:14So stop carrying everything alone.
40:20Equal partners.
40:21I said against his lips.
40:23Equal partners.
40:23He repeated.
40:24Then we marked each other as mates.
40:27That night, we were no longer two strangers bound by a mate contract.
40:31We chose each other.
40:33We left North Haven on a Tuesday.
40:34There was no announcement, no farewell party, no advance warning for the relatives who had
40:38spent years living on royal gold.
40:39The royal sailing ship waited at the North Haven docks, its black hull clean and painted
40:43with the blackthorn crest.
40:44The kingdom's west coast was our destination.
40:46New territory.
40:46A new palace.
40:47No old rules.
40:48Before we left, I had one final thing to do.
40:51Agatha was in the sitting room in the east wing.
40:53She sat in her usual chair, wearing her usual pearls.
40:56I slipped the royal ring from my finger.
40:57I placed it on the table in front of her.
40:59Keep it.
41:00I said.
41:00Or sell it.
41:01I don't care.
41:02Agatha looked at the ring.
41:03You're leaving.
41:03We're leaving.
41:04All four of us.
41:05She almost looked regretful.
41:07I was too hard on you.
41:08You were.
41:10Cilia had poisoned this palace long before you arrived.
41:13I should have seen it sooner.
41:14You should have.
41:15She slowly let out a breath.
41:16The pups.
41:18Will they be all right?
41:19I looked at her and saw past her cruelty.
41:21She was simply an old woman who had lost control of the royal family.
41:24They'll be more than all right.
41:25I said.
41:26No one will dare touch them.
41:27She nodded once.
41:28Then she picked up the ring, closed her hand around it, and turned her face toward the window.
41:31I left without looking back.
41:35Outside, the carriage was ready.
41:36Ronan leaned against it in a black cloak.
41:38All done.
41:39All done.
41:40He opened the carriage door for me.
41:43A book on military history lay open across Noah's knees.
41:46Ivy was busy drawing in a sketchbook.
41:48I sat down beside them.
41:49Ivy immediately abandoned her drawing and climbed into my lap, her tail wagging.
41:53Mom, will there be bathing pools there?
41:56Three of them.
41:57Three?
41:58Noah did not look up from his book, but his wolf ears perked up.
42:00The carriage rolled away from the palace.
42:02I looked back through the window and watched the iron gates grow smaller.
42:05The stone walls.
42:06The dreary gardens.
42:07The windows I had passed every day.
42:08All of it fell behind us.
42:10At the docks, Ronan took my hand and walked with me toward the sailing ship.
42:14The warmth of his palm calmed the wolf inside me.
42:16No more northern.
42:17He said.
42:18No more northern.
42:19We climbed the gangway.
42:20Noah went first, helping Ivy up one step at a time.
42:23At the top, she turned and waved at the city.
42:25I sat by the window with Ronan beside me.
42:27Across the aisle, the pups were already arguing over who would get the window seat.
42:30The sails unfurled and the ship pulled away from shore.
42:32North Haven receded behind us.
42:34One street at a time.
42:35One light after another.
42:36I watched it fade into the distance.
42:37Three months earlier, my family had sold me to the Alpha King, whom I had never met.
42:41They had expected me to suffer, to fail, and to come crawling back, begging.
42:44Instead, I had taken the late Luna Queen's place and made it my own.
42:48I had cared for her pups and helped them grow strong enough that no one could frighten them anymore.
42:51I had taken control of a palace that couldn't wait to see me gone.
42:54The Alpha King of the Blackthorn Kingdom and I had become true mates, not with a ceremonial gown and sweet
42:58vows.
42:59Ivy's voice drifted over from across the aisle.
43:01Mom, can we have a dog when we get there?
43:05We'll get two, I said.
43:07Can I name them?
43:08You can name everything.
43:10Ronan took my hand where it rested on the armrest.
43:12He said nothing.
43:13He didn't need to.
43:14I had not entered the royal family to be a quiet mate.
43:16I had not come to obey or suffer.
43:18I had come to change everything.
43:21From that day on, no one ever dared call the Blackthrone royal family weak again.