The Last Touched is a haunting fantasy of bloodlines, broken fate, and the perilous cost of power.

Elsbeth MoonChild is the last of the touched—the final descendant of a cursed lineage bound to the flame. As Alpha of the shattered 12th pack, she bears the ruin left by her father’s crime: the murder of the queen. Branded by his betrayal, hunted by her former chosen mate, and driven into exile with the last of her people, Elsbeth has one desperate path forward—to survive, she must stake her claim in the Rite of Queens, an ancient trial that demands strength, sacrifice, and the will to rule.

But the Rite does more than test her body and mind. It pulls her backward in time, submerging her into the forgotten life of her ancestor—the first queen. As memories bleed into dreams and dreams into waking, Elsbeth begins to unravel a long-buried truth: the flame in her blood is not just magic. It is a weapon. A curse. A gift once traded in blood and sacrifice to end an age of chaos.

And she is not the only one who carries it.

Julia, her estranged sister—exiled, fire-born, and half-mad with hunger—is no hybrid. She is the living echo of the power their bloodline tried to bury. Ruthless, charismatic, and driven by the belief that the throne was stolen from her, Julia is building a gospel of grievance and flame. Her army grows in the shadows, fed by secrets and stolen children. And with each ritual, the ancient seal weakens, waking something that was never meant to rise again.

Torn between duty and desire, Elsbeth clings to the one thing that keeps her tethered—Fen, her true mate, a being older than he appears, hiding a divine truth of his own. Their bond runs deeper than fate, but it terrifies her. To surrender to it would mean choosing love over the kingdom. And if she falls too far, the flame inside her might burn her from within… just as it did her father.

As old gods stir and the fire in her blood begins to answer the call of something watching from beneath the ice, Elsbeth must decide: will she become the queen her people need? Or the weapon her blood was meant to wield?

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
It's come to my attention that I accidentally set my privilege chapters to start too early, to make up for this (since I'm unable to change that) I've set up an 80% Privilege Chapter Discount launching May 2025 for all privilege tiers.  I hope you still give my book a chance so that you can fall in love with the characters as much as I have while writing it.

TO: Her Majesty Elsbeth MoonChild, Alpha Queen of the Southern Court


FROM: Alastair Swift, Commander, Royal Gamma


RE: CHOKEPOINT ANALYSIS & TERRITORIAL THREATS


DATE: Third Moon, Week 2 of the Frostwind Season


In accordance with your orders, I've spent the past twelve days on horseback surveying eastern and northern territories. Focus has been placed on identifying strategic chokeholds, vulnerabilities in the defensive infrastructure, and opportunities to exploit terrain should open warfare reach these regions.


This report includes updates on key locations, tactical advantages and weaknesses, and early signs of movements from Julia MoonChild's forces. I have included suggestions for reinforcement and proposed troop rotations. The final section notes a glaring weakness in the firefox communication relay system that may be exploitable.


Location: Northwest quadrant, cliff border between the 4th and 9th packs


Chapter 58 - Confidential Scouting Report