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
AUTHOR'S POVCameron's eyes zoomed in on something he couldn't make out properly in Athena's hand before she quickly moved to put it away. He grew curious about what was happening but ignored it thinking it might be something private to Luna. “What is it?” Xavier's eyes narrowed at Cameron in curiosity. “Colby has gained consciousness,” Xavier breathed out a sigh of relief. “—But there is something else as well.” The solemn look on Cameron's face told Xavier that he wasn't going to like the next news. “What?” He gritted, forcefully. “We've received a letter. It's waiting for you in the office.” Xavier's jaw clenched as his whole body grew stiff. It was surely bad news waiting for him. “Let's go,” was all I said before marching out of the room. ************XAVIER'S POV As I stood there in the dimly lit study, the weight of the letter in my hand felt like a boulder pressing down on my chest. The smooth paper trembled against my fingertips, its crisp edges mocking the chaos brewi
AUTHOR'S POVThe forest enveloped Xavier and his companions like a shroud, the dense foliage casting shifting patterns of light and shadow as they raced through the underbrush. The damp earth squelched beneath their paws, the rhythm of their footfalls echoing through the silent woods. Cameron, Devon, and the other warriors moved with primal grace, their wolf forms sleek and powerful as they followed their Alpha, through the labyrinthine maze of trees in their wolf forms. As they approached the familiar cabin where they had discovered Panton's lifeless body, Xavier's senses heightened, every nerve tingling with anticipation and dread. The air crackled with tension, heavy with the scent of impending danger. Cyrus's taunting words echoed in Xavier's mind, a grim reminder of the threat that loomed over them.Ignoring the cabin, they pressed onward, their instincts guiding them along the trail of paw prints left by Cyrus. But as they delved deeper into the heart of the forest, the tracks