Novels by Zaynzee

Hendrix POVI stood gravely before the large ceremonial fire, the flickering flames creating dance shadows on the old stones around me. For my family history, this hallowed place carried decades of power and memories. Tonight, I could sense the weight of that legacy heavy with respect and feeling.Raising my arms, I started the hallowed rights passed down over innumerable years. "We come here on this holy equinox to pay tribute to Athena and Sebastian, the fabled founders of our family. Along with building this wonderful family, the mates whose unwavering love and unbreakable friendship shaped the entire path of our lives.As the gathered members of my pack listened with great concentration, my words rang across the quiet forest grove. We gathered together as one on this night, mothers and fathers with babies in arms, wizened elderly with lined faces, raucous younglings hardly able to contain their excitement."Their story is one of huge hardships faced with far more fortitude, of dar

Athena & Sebastian's POV Athena's povI sighed contentedly as I savored the brilliant glow of the fall sunset streaming over the large den windows. I curled in my beloved overstuffed chair while ribbons of blazing orange and crimsons bathed the old timber beams in warm, nostalgic colors.Though my face showed the wrinkles and lines from a very busy life, I felt an ageless tranquility cover me like a gentle, reassuring blanket. Once so brilliant and strong, my piercing blue eyes now reflected a calm ocean of earned knowledge and fulfillment.A faintly familiar smell of cedarwood and spice floated around as two strong, worn-out hands gently rested on my thin shoulders with learned sensitivity. Sebastian bent down to tenderly kiss my forehead, and I reached up to grab his palm. "You look so wonderfully calm, my eternal goddess," he said softly, his voice rasping but preserving that virile tone that still made my heart flutter after all these years. Looking up at him with a gentle smil

Hendrix POVAs I looked at the young people fresh-faced before me, the crackling fires covered the ancient lair in a warm, flickering brilliance. Though soft in years, I could already see the marks of great leaders in their controlled poses and focused eyes.These dogs stood for the birth of a new age to be developed on the hard-earned ideas and visions left to us by my heroic parents, therefore reflecting the future of our combined packs. It was now my great responsibility as Athena and Sebastian's son and Jax my younger brother to educate this new generation those revered values and ancestral knowledge."You all know the significance of why we've convened here this night," I began, letting my rich baritone carry the whole weight of the occasion. "The holy ceremonies to raise you from students to sovereigns over the continuation of our civilization's enlightened precepts."A handful of the younger ones seemed uncomfortable at the gravity of my words. I wore a forced smile on my worn

Anna POVAcross the sandstone walls of the den, soft candlelight danced shadows that appeared to bring the old etchings to life. Scenes of great wars, somber ceremonies, and the otherworldly visues of the ancient ones danced in the dazzling light. I inhaled steadying, letting the holy aura envelop me as I dropped myself onto the soft fur before the ceremonial fire pit. My fingertips gently stroked the strong wood lovingly white oak blessed by Luna Amara herself, drenched in berries. Its airy, cleansing tendrils brushed my flesh like a phantom mist.Since I had formally adopted Alpha's mantle, today was the first full moon. A fresh moon cycle was breaking through a fresh era. One whereby I would guide our unified alliance into an unparalleled period of peace and illumination. No little chore for a young person two decades old. But my spiritual background and the iron will have passed on from my ancestors inundated my very cells with blessed power and conviction. Little footsteps' gen

Athena POVTen Years A flickering in the lifetime of an eternal, but eons appeared to have changed all around me. From the roots of conflict and hardship Sebastian and I had lived, so much had blossomed.The den bathroom mirror flashed back a mature beauty, residual youthful brightness now enhanced by a royal, almost imperial posture. Laugh lines framed whole lips, showing a ten-year history of great happiness. My small, toned body nevertheless turned alpha heads. Sebastian most definitely never gets bored with destroying me every night as lovesick newlyweds do.As I turned the diamond encrusted wedding band around my finger, I felt a gentle satisfaction. Now the perfect unity symbol I had created for that terrible Sienna embodied the purest spousal loyalty. The great light of our love had sterilized her deadly daggers of betrayal and evil. A high pitched shriek pulled me from dream. I grinned, adjusting my summer tunic as tiny feet pounded closer. The door opened and a tiny tornado

Sienna Mother POVMy tending tools' regular clunk against the hard-packed mud floor offered a calm cadence. Every careful cut of root vegetables and herb mixing functioned as a little ritualistic offering to drive out the demons of past misdeeds.I still felt the weight of that darkness weighing down on me, an inky, stifling miasma of sadness, wrath, and misplaced vengeance almost corrupting me beyond redemption even now. The road I had begun down in the name of exacting revenge for my daughter Sienna was one tinged with terrible crimes and sins. But I had been spared completely giving my soul to those horrible depths by the kindness and intelligence of the Nightwalkers and allied packs. My life had been given an improbable continuity, a chance atonement I knew I could never merit.Sometimes even the basic tasks of attending to the spiritual and medical needs of our new haven felt like an unjustified privilege. The mother of a deranged, homicidal monstrosity, how could I be given r

POV: Ivory WellsI emerged from our cabin and felt the warmth of the morning sun on my face. That tragic day in the cave had been three months ago. Even though so much had changed, other things stayed reassuringly similar."Good morning, drowsy head," Mia greeted me as she jogged up. "Ready for the big day?" I smiled. "Ready as I'll ever be, I think. Who gave pack picnics the go-ahead?""Oh wise leader, that would be you," she jokingly said.We strolled to the central area, where pack members were busy getting everything ready for the festivals. Near the food tables, I saw Darrel chatting with Hardin and Marcus. "There you are," Darrel said, drawing me in. "We were just discussing the new patrol schedules."Marcus gave a nod and said, "Joint patrols are operating efficiently. Now my wolves feel comfortable here." "And the training program?" I inquired with Hardin.He grinned. "Better than anticipated. Kira has a talent for instructing the younger ones." "Dad! Mom! Take a look!" Jeremy

POV: Darrell WilliamsWith the bright light gone, an unsettling silence followed. I attempted to clear the dots from my vision by blinking. When my vision returned, I saw Callum on the ground, lifeless, with Darcy and Jeremy kneeling next to him. "Callum?" Emotion-laden, Ivory's voice broke the stillness.Heart heavy, I took a step toward her. Callum had become the brother I'd always wished he could be in his last moments, something I never would have imagined myself feeling sorry for."Is he...?" I was unable to complete the question. With tears flowing down her cheeks, Ivory nodded. "He's gone." The children gazed up at us, shock and anguish filled in their huge eyes. Shouting, "We didn't mean to," Jeremy said. "We didn't know it would..."I gathered them both into a close embrace. "It's not your fault," I firmly stated. "Callum made his choice. He saved us all." I began to notice the world outside our small group as we grieved. Rovin's army was nowhere to be seen, and the cave entr

POV: Callum WellsI heard the others converse, make plans, and feel hopeful. I felt ill from it. How were they so innocent? Calm amid the packs? Saving us all with the powers of the children? That story was a fable.But as the evening went on, I was plagued by a persistent discomfort in my stomach. What if they were correct? What if there was an alternate route? I shook my head, attempting to dispel any uncertainty. I'd gone too far to go back at this point.The cave became still as the morning drew near. Most had gone to sleep, worn out after the activities of the evening. But I was unable to sleep. As my thoughts raced, I relived each step that brought me to this point.Curled up beside Ivory and Darrel, I found myself staring at Jeremy and Darcy. They appeared so little and so innocent. Was I truly ready to give them up for power? "Can't sleep?"Ivory was observing me with cautious yet nonhostile eyes when I turned around."Just thinking," I said in a whisper. She inched forward, t

POV: Darrell WilliamsChaos ensued inside the cave. In a flurry of fur and fangs, wolves snapped and hissed, crashing into each other's bodies. Amidst the chaos, I lost sight of Ivory and the children, and my heart raced with concern for their well-being."Ivory!" I yelled, my voice hard to make out over the commotion. Something heavy crashed into me from behind. I turned around and met Callum's twisted smile."Hello, my old friend," Callum said with a sly smile. "Miss me?" I didn't use words to squander time. We collided, stumbling in a mass of limbs across the cave floor. I caught a glimpse of Marcus fending off two of Rovin's goons."Darrel!" A voice spoke above the din: Ivory. "The kids!" I glanced up and saw her cornered with Darcy and Jeremy. With a look of hunger in his eyes, Rovin was charging towards them. My veins heated with rage. I hurled Callum off of me and lunged in the direction of my family.But before I could get to them, an unforeseen event occurred. With a surprisi

POV: Ivory WellsI started to get shivers as the howling got closer. It felt quite exposed suddenly, this small clearing.With a tight voice, Darrel stated, "We have to move. Now." Marcus gave a nod. "It's not far to my den. There, we'll be secure."Unsure if we could trust him, I hesitated. But after seeing the exhausted looks on Darcy's and Jeremy's faces, I decided. We had to find shelter quickly. I kept having the impression that something was missing as we went through the woodland. Callum and Rovin had surrendered too quickly. What did we fail to notice?It turned out that Marcus' den was a cleverly concealed cave system. We assembled around a central fire pit once we were inside. With his eyes darting nervously to the cave entrance, Jeremy sat close by. I held his hand and whispered, "It's okay. We're safe here."He gave a nod, but it was clear he wasn't sold. Not one of us was. Marcus cleared his throat. "Now, I believe it's time for some answers."Darrel sat up straight. "You

POV: Ivory Wells“Jeremy!" I screamed as the fire surrounded my son. My heart halted, horror clutching me like a vise. Then, though, the flames disappeared as fast as they began. And something else lingered where Jeremy had stood.A wolf, but unlike any I had seen before. Its eyes shone like fire, and its fur shimmered with an ethereal brightness. Darrel muttered next to me, "Oh my god. Is that...?"Not sure what to say, I nodded. Our son had developed into something much beyond our wildest dreams. Marcus moved forward, amazement ablaze on his face. "The prophecy," he said quietly. "It's true."Jeremy's wolf turned its head and stared at every one of us individually. Its sight locked with mine, and I felt a flash of recognition. My small son was still in there."Jeremy?" I called gently. "Can you understand me?"The wolf nodded gradually. Darrel stepped forward, his hand out. "Son, can you shift back?" Though nothing changed, Jeremy's new shape shimmered. He whined, sounding frustrat