Alright... let’s make this fun for all of us. 😌

Here’s how I’m rewarding you, my special readers, and the ink to my pen.

1. Hit a top ranking for a week straight → mass release of 3 Chapters.

2. Send a super gift → mass release of 5 Chapters.

Now for the real mischief, these are the rewards. Also, this is where the real chaos lies.

1. Top interactive reader in a week → gets a shoutout

2. One-time super gift → gets a Chapter dedicated to you.

3. Repeated super gifts → you start getting little spoilers + future hints.

4. Highest Golden Ticket sender of the month (20–30 range) → you get a permanent role in the book

Yes, an actual role. 😅🥹 Immortality secured.

Let’s build this story together 🤍

....

"You never liked me." Aire replied.

Madam didn’t move.

For a second, something flickered across her face. It was too fast to name. Then it was gone, and replaced with something firmer, and more controlled.

"You think this is about liking you?" Madam asked.

Aire tilted her head slightly. "Isn’t it?"

Madam let out a quiet breath. "No."

Silence stretched between them. Just the both of them, as the rest of the room carried on with no attention on them.

Aire studied her. She was trying to see through a lie. No one has ever liked her. Her greatest mistake was believing Madam to be different even after the unfairness Madam showed when she first got here.

"You’ve never trusted or liked me," Aire continued. "Not from the moment I stepped into this castle."

Madam’s lips pressed together. "Trust is earned." She shook her head.

Aire gave a small nod, like she expected that answer. "And what did I do to lose it?"

Madam didn’t respond immediately.

Aire’s chest tightened. She felt uneasy.

"You didn’t lose it," Madam finally said. "You never had it."

That should have stung more than it did. Instead, Aire just... absorbed it. "And yet," Aire said slowly, "you’re always watching me. Always around me. Always advising me." Her gaze sharpened. "Why? So I wouldn’t see you approaching with a knife?"

Madam’s expression didn’t shift. "Because it is my duty."

Aire’s lips twitched faintly. "Duty," she repeated. She took a step closer. "Is that what you call leaving me alone when someone tries to poison me?"

Madam’s jaw tightened. "I told you, I stepped away—"

"And I told you," Aire cut in, her voice still calm but colder now, "that timing matters."

Silence dropped between them again.

Aire held her gaze, unblinking.

Madam didn’t look away this time.

"You’re accusing me of treason," Madam said quietly.

Aire nodded once. "Maybe." She let the word sit between them, before she added. "Or maybe," she added, softer now, "I’m finally paying attention."

Madam’s shoulders dropped. "Aire—"

"Enough."

Aire raised her hand slightly.

Madam stopped.

Aire exhaled slowly. When she spoke again, her voice was steady. "I don’t have the energy for this right now. Leave." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Madam didn’t move immediately.

Her gaze flickered toward the bed. Toward the small, fragile body lying there, then back to Aire.

"You’re making a mistake," she said. "I did no such thing."

Aire didn’t respond.

Madam’s lips pressed into a thin line. Then she turned and just like that, she was gone.

The room felt different immediately.

Aire stood still for a moment. Then she turned slowly, and her gaze fell on the girl lying on her bed.

Aire walked over. She stopped beside the bed, and looked down. The girl’s face was pale, and her lashes damp. Her breathing was also uneven, and fragile.

Aire’s fingers twitched slightly at her side.

She didn’t know if she wanted to help her... or shake her awake and demand answers.

.....

For the first time, Nate, Xanden, and Alaric answered immediately when their father called them. There was no hesitation, delt, or attitude from them.

Alaric closed the door behind him, and stood before their father.

Alpha Elijah clenched and unbleached his fist. He looked furious. His Alpha aura covered the whole room, almost suffocating his sons.

Nate frowned slightly, but didn’t speak. Xanden leaned back against the wall, with his arms crossed lazily over his chest, but his eyes were sharp.

Alaric stepped forward, calm as always. "We came as soon as—"

"We now have humans running around the pack?" King Elijah cut him off.

Nate’s jaw tightened. Xanden straightened slightly. Alaric didn’t move.

Elijah took a slow step forward, then another. Each step was deliberate. "Not just humans," he continued, his voice dropping lower, and colder. "Humans are destructors."

The word sat heavy in the room.

Nate’s brows pulled together slightly. "She’s just a child."

The moment the words left his mouth, the room shifted. Elijah’s head snapped toward him.

"Just a child?" he repeated. It sounded so ridiculous to him.

Nate didn’t back down.

Elijah laughed. "Is that what you saw today?" he asked, in disbelief. His gaze burned into Nate. "A child?"

He stepped closer, and closer until the distance between them felt suffocating. "I saw a weakness." He said. "A doorway." he took another step forward. "A threat."

Xanden clicked his tongue lightly. "She didn’t poison Aire herself," he said, casual, but watching carefully. "She was used."

Elijah turned his head slightly. "Exactly."

His gaze swept across all three of them. "And now she’s inside our walls."

Alaric finally spoke. "She’s injured. She won’t survive long without care."

Elijah’s eyes flicked to him. "And whose care do you think she’s under now?"

Alaric didn’t answer.

Elijah exhaled slowly, then dragged a hand down his face. Frustration leaked through him now, raw, and unfiltered. "She took her in," he muttered. "She brought a destructor into my pack."

Nate’s expression hardened. "She saved her from me."

Only after the words left Nate’s lips did he realize how wrong those words were to say.

Elijah’s hand slammed against the table beside him with a force that cracked the wood slightly.

"Saved her?" he snapped. "You think this is about saving? We don’t get the luxury of mercy. Mercy is how packs fall."

His aura spiked, sharp, and violent.

Even Xanden straightened fully now.

"This is a pack," Elijah continued, his voice cutting through the room. "Not a sanctuary." He pointed toward the door. "Out there, we have wolves who will tear that child apart if given the chance. And you.." His gaze locked onto Nate again. "you broke her leg in front of them, then let your mate take her in."

He paused, then continued. "And now," he said slowly, dangerously calm again, "your mate is standing between this pack and a problem that should have been eliminated immediately."

Xanden exhaled through his nose. "So what do you want us to do?" he asked, straight to the point.

Elijah didn’t hesitate. "Remove it. Kill that child."

Nate’s head snapped up. "No."

Elijah’s eyes darkened. "Careful."

Nate stepped forward slightly. His voice was lower now. "She’s already under Aire’s protection."

"And since when," Elijah asked, his tone deadly quiet, "does her word override mine?"

Alaric stepped in intentionally. "This will cause conflict," he said. "Within the pack."

Elijah’s gaze shifted to him. "And letting a destructor live won’t?" Elijah straightened fully. "If that child breathes another day inside this territory..." His gaze moved between all three of them. "then you deal with the consequences."

Nate’s jaw clenched. Xanden’s eyes narrowed slightly. Alaric didn’t react.

Elijah turned away from them. "Leave."