ATHENA'S POVI shifted as Cameron saw the silent looks Oneka and I were sharing at the breakfast table and immediately asked Oneka about it. Thankfully, she dismissed it and he didn't question further. The further he stayed away from this matter, the better it was for us. “So Oneka,” Xavier started, taking a bite of his breakfast. “How are you adjusting to the changes? Do you like it here in the pack?” I was surprised that he was being so nice and considerate. I mean, I don't doubt Xavier can be nice when he wants to be, but there was just something about this specific situation that put me off. I just hoped I was overthinking it. “Everything is great here, Alpha. It truly feels like a dream. I can't thank you enough for trusting me and allowing me to see this beautiful side of a pack life. I'll always cherish it,” Xavier nodded at Oneka's words, pleased.“Good, you should. But that's not the only thing I want you to do while you are here,” I frowned at Xavier, so did Oneka and Came
ATHENA'S POV Xavier's voice echoed through the pack territory. “Quick! Take him to the hospital wing. We need to sedate him!” His orders cut through the darkness, sharp and demanding, as we struggled to carry Colby's shifting form toward the hospital wing. Colby was caught in the throes of a half-wolf transformation, his body contorted by pain and the struggle to keep his inner beast at bay.My heart raced as I moved alongside the others, their faces etched with concern and determination. Colby's agonized howls pierced the air, a haunting reminder of the battle he waged within himself. I could feel the tension in the air, a palpable fear that something dark and sinister had invaded our pack.As we approached the hospital wing, I stole a glance at Colby's face, distorted by the dual nature of his transformation. The venom that Cyrus injected into him, seemed to have taken hold of him, and I couldn't fathom how our enemy had managed to infiltrate our ranks and target Colby specifically
ATHENA'S POVThe night hung heavy with tension as we gathered outside the emergency room, a silent vigil amidst the chaos swirling within. The sterile smell of antiseptic mingled with the faint scent of blood, a bitter reminder of the battle we had endured. I clasped Xavier's hand tightly, feeling the tremors of his worry coursing through him like a tempest."Colby will make it through," I murmured, my voice a soft reassurance against the cacophony of fear that threatened to consume us. His eyes, normally fierce with determination, now bore the weight of uncertainty as he nodded, his grip tightening in silent acknowledgment.Around us, members of our pack stood, wounded and weary, their faces etched with a mixture of pain and determination. They bore the scars of battle, testament to the fierce loyalty that bound us together. Xavier's gaze swept over them, his voice a command tinged with concern."Get your wounds tended to," he instructed, his tone firm yet tinged with the gentleness
ATHENA'S POV“I'm sorry. I know I should have told you, but I didn't want to burden or stress you with everything that was going on. It wasn't good for your condition to worry or overwork yourself,” I rolled my eyes at his explanation. Was he being serious? After everything that had happened, he was still going on about this? What the hell was wrong with him? “Seriously, Xavier? Can you stop treating me like a sick person? Honestly, you saying and treating me like this makes me more distressed about the whole situation than I ever can be. I mean now I can't trust you in being honest with me. Now I have to continuously think that you are hiding something from me. Will that help me reduce my stress or worry any further? Why can't you just stop worrying about me like I am patient and tell me things that need attention. For all you know, I could have come up with good advice, better strategies for your plans,” I was irritated now. He planned on sending a whole team on a secret mission wi
ONEKA'S POV“Are you out of your mind? What were you thinking?” Mom screeched, her voice shrill in the air as Athena and I winced at the impact. She can be very loud sometimes. “Who told you to take those stupid decisions without consulting with me first, Oneka?” Shit. Mom never calls me by my real name unless she is extremely angry. She only ever calls me Nikki. I know I shouldn't have crossed the border and did what I did, but it's not like I committed a sin. Why couldn't anyone see things from my point of view? I glanced at Pi to see him looking at me in silent disappointment and what looked like sadness. This was the first time I was witnessing him so quiet and serious. Otherwise I had always only ever seen him as the playful flirt he was. And I was terribly missing that side of him since the time Athena and I had stepped foot at his place and invited mom over to have our usual meeting. But why was he staring at me like that? There was something so different about his gaze. “Mo
ONEKA'S POV“I met her when I was nineteen.” I sat there, frozen, staring at Pi as his words hung in the air, heavy with revelation. Shock coursed through me like an electric current, tingling every nerve ending in my body. How could this be? How could Pi, my closest friend, harbor such a profound secret from me for so long?For years, we'd shared laughter, dreams, and fears. We'd traversed the peaks and valleys of life together, or so I thought. Yet, in this moment, I felt like a stranger in his presence, as if the person sitting before me was a mere shadow of the Pi I thought I knew.The gravity of his disclosure weighed heavily on my heart. I couldn't fathom how he had kept this hidden from me for so long.“What?” I finally said after what felt like hours. “My beloved— mate in werewolf language.” Underneath the blanket of shimmering stars, Pi's gaze turned distant, lost in the memories that danced like constellations in his mind. His voice, soft and dreamy, carried the weight of a
ATHENA’S POVI followed behind Maggie, quickly rushing to catch up with her. “Maggie!” I yelled, but she didn't stop and continued walking through the corridors. “Wait. You need to hear us out!” I quickened my place and practically ran after her. “Maggie, listen!” I caught onto her once I was in her arms reach and stopped her from running away further. “Listen!” Tears welled up in her eyes and I didn't know what to say after witnessing them. I had followed her to calm her down and make her realize that whatever Oneka said was because she was just angry. But all the words escaped my tongue when my eyes took in her vulnerable state. In that moment, I knew no words could fix the hurt she went through in a matter of moments. Oneka lying to her and sneaking into the pack itself was one thing. Her lashing out on Maggie completely broke her. I know she didn't deserve to hear any of that when she had practically given so many sacrifices for her daughter. It wasn't her fault she got mated to
AUTHOR'S POV The training grounds buzzed with the grunts of warriors locked in combat. Muscles strained, and sweat glistened under the sun's unyielding gaze. Xavier, his senses honed to a razor's edge, moved with the controlled ferocity of a predator, his movements fluid yet calculated.In the midst of the chaos, Xavier's mind was a tempest of determination and resolve. Each strike, each parry, was a testament to his unwavering commitment to protect those he held dear—his pack and his people. His muscles burned with exertion, but his spirit blazed with an unquenchable fire.As he sparred with the pack warriors, Xavier's aggression surged like a tidal wave crashing against the shore. His blows were swift and decisive, a relentless onslaught against his opponents. One by one, they fell before him, their defeat echoing through the training grounds like a thunderous drumbeat.Eleven warriors, each formidable in their own right, succumbed to Xavier's relentless assault. Yet, even as vict
ATHENA'S POV“Is everything ready?” I asked Oneka as I fixed my hair. Honestly, I curse the day I decided to take the matters of planning this whole event myself. Xavier was right, I should have just hired an event planner. “Relax, Athena. You seriously worry too much. Everything is under control.” “I hope so,” I sighed, giving a little twist to the lock of my hair that was framing my forehead before finally giving myself an overview in the mirror. “Here, fix your lipstick a bit.” Oneka handed me the shade I was wearing and I blushed remembering why it needed to be fixed. Of course, Xavier barged in a few minutes ago, as soon as I got my makeup done and kissed the living shit out of me because he said, and I quote ‘You don't expect me to behave when you deprive me of yourself for too long.’ I didn't even take that long to get ready, to be honest. But who can get anything into the thick head of the big bad Alpha. “Are the kids ready?” I sat on the bed to put on my heels. “Yeah. I
ATHENA'S POV“Are you sure you want to do this?” I held Oneka's hand into mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. She had gone through a lot. Suffered a lot. Cameron betrayed each and everyone of us in the worst way. But the impact it left on Oneka, was compared to no one else. The heartbreak, the pain she felt was unlike any other person who was connected to him from the pack. She sighed, her hands shaking ever so slightly that if I wasn't holding them, I would have missed the action. “I'll…” her voice cracked before taking a deep breath. “I'll be fine, Athena. I've known Pi for way longer than I've known Cameron. I think with Cameron, it was just never meant to be. Being with Pi, I think, just comes naturally. It's like I'd never had to try to be myself with him. Looks like I was just in denial or a fool to realize it, when everyone around us literally teased us about being a couple.” She smiled sadly, her eyes holding gratitude for the guy who supported her throughout her life, nonethe
ATHENA'S POV The rain drummed relentlessly against the window pane, each droplet echoing the emptiness within me. I sat perched on the edge of my bed, my gaze fixed on the somber scene outside, where the world seemed to blur into shades of gray under the heavy downpour. It was as if the heavens themselves were mourning alongside me, shedding tears that mirrored the desolation in my heart."Athena?"Oneka's voice pierced through the silence, pulling me back from the abyss of my thoughts. I turned my head slightly, acknowledging her presence without uttering a word. She entered my room with a tenderness that only she possessed, wrapping her arms around me in a sideways embrace."It's time," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the sound of the rain. I felt the weight of her words, the gravity of the moment pressing down on me like an anchor dragging me beneath the surface of an unfathomable sea.Tears traced silent paths down my cheeks, betraying the numbness that had engulfed
AUTHOR'S POVThe witch's heart raced as she sprinted and burst into the clearing where Alpha Xavier stood, a primal fear gripped her soul, her words stumbling over the weight of their significance.Behind her, the haunting echoes of the coven's chants faded, drowned out by the urgency of her mission."Alpha Xavier! Athena. She..." The witch faltered, her voice trembling with the weight of unspoken dread.Xavier's eyes narrowed, his posture tense with a primal instinct to protect his mate at all costs. "What? What happened to Athena?" His voice crackled with raw emotion, the air thick with the palpable fear of impending loss.Her voice of reason, interjected, words laced with desperation. "Your pup is giving Athena a hard time. We need to operate... like right now."Xavier's mind raced with the cruel reality of the situation, his thoughts a whirlwind of despair and determination. "But that's not possible. We don't have any doctors with us, and she is in no condition to be moved. It wil
XAVIER'S POVMy hurt twisted, not being able to fathom the fact that I was so close to losing everything in my life. Let me rephrase that. I was close to losing my life. That's what I felt currently knowing that my mate and my pup were fighting for their damn lives in that closed coven. And all I could do was wait. And stand like a fool, be of absolute no help. “She'll be alright,” A voice broke me out of my thoughts. I turned around to see it was Maggie. “She’s a fighter. I know she will get through this.” I felt a pang in my heart seeing her like this. In one flesh. Unlike my mother. “No one gave you the right to speak to me. Just because you are not dead right now, doesn't mean you can talk to me. I'm the Alpha of my pack.” Instead of getting scared like she was earlier in my choke hold, she had the audacity to smile. It was a sad one. But nonetheless. It was a smile. A one I hated seeing. She doesn't deserve to smile after putting my mother in misery. “You're just like him. You
Author's PovIn a dimly lit chamber illuminated by flickering candlelight, the witch stood over her cauldron, the air heavy with the scent of herbs and incense. The atmosphere was tense, fraught with the weight of impending fate. The witch's gnarled fingers danced with precision as she added ingredients to the bubbling liquid, her movements both fluid and deliberate.Glancing towards the couch where Athena lay, pallid and still, the witch's heart clenched with sympathy and regret. The last Arctic Wolf on earth lay motionless, her breath shallow and pulse weakening with each passing moment. The witch knew the gravity of the situation; if the potion failed, there would be no hope left to preserve this majestic creature, nor to propagate her species for generations to come.With a resolve born of desperation, the witch quickened her pace, the liquid in the cauldron simmering with an otherworldly intensity. Each ingredient added was a whispered plea to the forces of nature, a plea for Ath
XAVIER'S POVShe did it again. The light blinded us all as the wind gushed past our figures, slicing the silence with a heavy rustle forcing us to close our eyes to prevent them from catching dust that was suspended around us. It took a few seconds, maybe even minutes for everything to settle down and return back to normal when I was finally able to see again. My warriors who were not killed by the beasts, stood alive with some scratches and gashes. Oneka was held by the vampire guy who intervened. Scarlet stood out of the picture, sheltering Maggie behind a cover of bushes. She was here all this time? Why didn't she take part in the fight alongside her brother? Cameron lay dead on the ground. Cameron….My heart ached at the thought that he out of all people went against my back.My eyes fell on Cyrus, his body split into two like his other beast army. And then my heart technically bursted out of its ribcage when I saw Athena's wolf passed out on the ground. Not moving an inch. “Fuck
AUTHOR’S POVAs the dust settled and the echoes of Athena's radiant display faded into the ether, Cyrus rose from the ground, his form shrouded in a veil of malevolent fury. Dusting himself off with a disdainful flick of his hand, he surveyed the battlefield with a cold, calculating gaze. Anger churned within him at the sight of his decimated beast army, their once formidable ranks now reduced to a pitiful few, whimpering on the ground in the throes of death. The rest of them, already split into two.The remnants of Xavier's werewolf army, though shaken by the onslaught, stood resolute, their spirits undaunted by the chaos that surrounded them. With steely determination, they rallied to their leader's side, their resolve unbroken by the specter of defeat.Everyone was shaken by the recent events but none had the idea of what it was. Or how it happened. "Enough!" Cyrus's voice thundered across the battlefield, a declaration of defiance amidst the chaos of war. With a swift motion, he
Author's PovThe battlefield seethed with chaos, a maelstrom of clashing, roars of defiance, and the acrid scent of blood and sweat. Athena and Nate surged into the heart of the conflict. Nate, his primal instincts awakening, transformed into his lup wolf, a magnificent and formidable wolf, his muscles rippling with the promise of ferocity.As they charged forward, the clash of armies reached its crescendo. Cyrus directed his gaze toward Athena. With a swift motion, he unleashed a bunch of silver bullets aiming to blind the very hope that rallied her allies. Not before putting a few into Xavier's wolf which lay limp before his feet. He immobilized him, each silver bullet piercing through flesh and bone, shackling Xavier in a web of agony. With a final shot, Cyrus aimed directly at Athena, his malevolent intent a venomous whisper in the tumult of battle. “Let's get this over with.”Time slowed to a languid crawl as Nate, attuned to the impending danger, watched with a primal urgency. W