ATHENA'S POVI felt so protected and comfortable in his arms. His musky essence of almonds and spices served up more satisfaction to me. I didn't want to let go of him. His chest was hard because of his washboard abs, producing warmth to my trembling frame.“Was it quick?” I asked. That poor girl didn't ask to be born with blonde hair and silver eyes. I couldn't believe someone would murder a person because of something that came naturally to them. Xavier's chest rumbled out a raucous laugh. The vibration shook my ear that was pressed up against him. “This is not funny, Xavier. Your Alpha is evil." I tilted my head upwards, so I could stare into his face.He parted his lips and spoke. “Are you this gullible, Athena?” He captured his bottom lip between his teeth. His whole expression sparkled with mischief.“Hey, back so soon?” A male's voice interrupted us. Xavier's eyes looked over my shoulders at the man.“Yes, I am. What did I miss?" Xavier sought, and I was struggling to wiggle my
AUTHOR'S POVXavier's heart was pounding at a mile a minute in his chest, while he stood there listening to Athena relaying the vile and disturbing things that happened on that fated night when her parents got murdered.What made it worse was that she witnessed it. Xavier hated that this sweet girl had to see that evil bastard, Cyrus, infiltrate her home and take everything away from her.Exodus was frozen in the back of Xavier's mind, rooted to the spot. His insides bubbled with rage as he fantasized about ripping Cyrus to smithereens.Athena was a crying wreck now, clutching her pendant with trembling hands while describing how she held her parents' wounded bodies until their life forces ascended to the Moon Goddess. Her recollection of their deaths cleaved open Xavier's heart, reopening the old wounds that his parents' deaths caused.Athena shook as she cried, squinting her eyes tightly as the salty liquid ran down her face in streaming lines.“Oh, Athena. I'm so sorry." Xavier qui
AUTHOR'S POVThe fog receded up the mountains as the sun woke up, spreading its warmth and golden beauty around the meadows that surrounded the Midnight Pack.Athena was riding out a nightmare. It was about the night of her parents' murder, and every time she got close to the cloak figures that shot her parents, someone would stab her from behind. In a panic, she jumped from her slumber, clutching her chest in a way to ease her racing heart. She was breathing violently, thanking the Moon Goddess that it was only a dream, at least the last part of it.Sadness swept over her from all angles, followed by anger and hopelessness. Then Xavier flashed in her thoughts, and she realized he was her silver lining in all of this. She promised herself that as soon as she became Luna, she would orchestrate her revenge.The door crept open, and a slender omega glided in. Athena sat up in bed when the lady entered."Oh my, I didn't know you were up yet,” she spoke, startled. “I'm Valerie, and I'll fe
XAVIER'S POVI never thought the day would come when my mind would allow me to share such delicate information with anyone. But here I was, pouring my heart and soul out to a girl I just met.I peeled open my heart, layer by layer, and I revealed every secret that I'd only ever shared with the Moon. We sat crossed-legged on the soft grass facing each other and I left no detail out as I began to tell Athena everything about my past.“So, you also witnessed your parents' murders," she sniffled. “I despise him. I hate that Cyrus so much." Her tiny fists were closed so tightly, I didn't have to look at her face to know she was angry. Her silver eyes hardened like a steel sword when she let her rage take over.“And I promise you this, Athena Moonville, I will gift you Cyrus's head on a spike. You mark my words," I grunted. A ball of anger rolled off my chest, turning my voice demonic. I had to force Exodus to sit down in the back of my mind. He was grunting, raving mad with saliva leaking
XAVIER'S POVRain was crashing down around us. Thick drops pounded in synchrony with my heart as I looked at her. I held her hand while we ran through the path up the grapevines. Her giggles tickled my eardrums as we got soaked. Our bare feet sank into the lushness of the wet, soft earth. She rushed in front of me now, pulling me along behind her. I laughed each time she would turn around to study me.Her eyes caught mine and I couldn't dare to look away. Her tangled wet curls matted to the side of her face. “You're so beautiful," I spoke, my voice like thunder against the pitter-patter sound of the droplets hitting the ground. She was blushing because of my words, and they were true. She was more beautiful than the storm around us.Our smiles brightened, captivated by each other's presence. Never had there been a more perfect moment for me. And even though we weren't lovers — yet, I doubted there were ever two lovers who shared such an amazing scene.I halted in my tracks, causing he
ATHENA'S POVTo say I felt awkward and embarrassed would be the understatement of the century.Elder Panton's heavy gaze added a burden to my already weak body. My feet still hadn't recovered from Xavier's touch. They were still wobbly and jelly-like as we followed Elder Panton inside the pack house.Xavier had his hand on my back in a protective manner. Members of the pack stared in fascination as they scrutinized our dripping forms.We stopped in front of a white door. An omega handed us both towels, so we could dry ourselves.“Valerie, why don't you take Athena to her room," Xavier ordered, and it was at that moment I noticed Valerie stretching her arms out to me.“Xavier?"“I will be there as soon as I'm finished here," he took my palm and kissed it, and everybody in eye shot gasped.“Come, let us go now," Valerie wrapped a hand over my shoulder and steered me away from the others.“Why is everybody looking at me like that?” I asked.“It's because the Alpha has never shown emotion
XAVIER'S POVI held my breath while I followed my uncle into his office. My nose flared, sucking up the aroma of his frustration. He was angry, and I didn't appreciate him reprimanding me in front of Athena, but my wolf and I decided to give him a chance to speak first.“Are you insane?" He boomed, the chair made a screeching sound over the wooden floor as Elder Panton dragged it from beneath the desk. He plopped down, sighing. “I thought you said you were searching for a Luna for our pack, not out frolicking with some measly little human.”“Don't you dare talk about, Athena, like that," I roared, my lips peeled back revealing my canines. I snarled at the old werewolf, warning him how serious I was. “She should be respected, and I will accept nothing else."He paused, leaning back in his seat and resting his chin on the back of his hands. “What is this, Xavier? Tell me what's really going on? I can taste your protectiveness of her." He asked using my first name. He often did so when w
ATHENA'S POVI wandered alone in the woods. The night was quiet, and the wind brought with it an eerie chill. The moon was out, casting its rich blue glow down on me.“How did I get here?" I questioned myself. A rustle sounded near the bushes to my left, then I heard twigs snapping and crunching beneath boots. My body went on high alert with my head swinging from side to side and my eyes scanning the area, trying to catch who or what was lurking nearby.I swallowed hard when I noticed the place fell silent. There was a light chuckle, and the hairs on my neck stood up from the evil static in the air. “Who goes there?" I asked, contemplating in which direction I should run. Soon, a pair of glowing eyes emerged from behind the bushes. I didn't wait to see who it was. I took off running. Sweat soaked my body as I swooped past branches of trees and hurdled over protruding roots from the earth.The beast chased me, howling and grunting. It was no doubt he was enjoying toying with me; loving
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