MORGANAThe room grew quiet after the others left, their footsteps fading into the distance like echoes of a life I could never return to.Only three remained—Caius, Lira, and Aldric—and though their eyes were patient, I could feel the weight of the storm I was about to release. My fingers curled into my robe. I had buried this truth so deep that even I began to believe the lie we created. But lies rot beneath the surface, and now… it was time.“There’s something else,” I said softly, turning toward the hearth though I no longer felt its warmth. “Something only a few souls in this world have ever known.”Caius straightened in his chair, his gaze steady. Lira didn’t speak, but I could sense her heart beating faster—an instinctive tension. And Aldric… Aldric was already frowning, as if he’d sensed the ghosts creeping in.I drew a slow breath and let the memories unfold.“The one dearest to me that Malakar killed… wasn’t just a friend. Wasn’t a sister. She was my daughter.”The room stil
MORGANAThe past clung to me like the scent of old spell smoke. I didn’t need to close my eyes to see it—the memory surged forward, vivid and raw, as if time itself folded and brought me back two centuries.Two hundred years ago, the Grimhowl Pack mansion was the heart of a thriving, unbreakable community. Nestled in the cradle of the forest, it stood proud and regal, its stone walls covered in flowering ivy and thick vines that shimmered in the morning dew. Tall arched windows caught every sliver of light, casting gold across the polished floors. The scent of pine and wild jasmine drifted in through open balconies. It wasn’t just a mansion. It was a home—a living, breathing sanctuary of pack unity, echoing with laughter, footsteps, and the howls of celebration.Xander Vexmoor, younger brother to Alpha Lance Vexmoor, and I lived in a cozy side wing of the estate. While Lance oversaw the affairs of the pack, Xander dedicated himself to study, exploration, and eventually, me. We were yo
MORGANAI was in the garden, teaching Mina how to coax a bloom from a wilting bud when Xander came to me.“There’s trouble in the village,” he said, voice urgent but composed. “A witch has been spotted casting curses—terrifying the villagers. They need you.”I looked up, wiping my dirt-smudged hands on my apron. “Are you sure? I haven’t sensed anything.”He nodded. “They’re hiding her, out of fear. They sent word to us this morning. Please, Morgana. Only you can deal with this kind of threat.”He looked so sincere. I trusted him. Of course I did. He was my mate, the man who once swore he would stand against the darkness with me.I kissed Mina’s curls and whispered, “Be good for Papa,” before mounting my horse and riding out.The trip to the village took hours. By the time I arrived, the sun was past its peak, dipping into the haze of afternoon. I dismounted at the edge of the quiet settlement and walked its cobbled paths. But there were no cries for help. No signs of chaos. No trace o
ALDRICMorgana’s words hit like a tempest—each syllable peeling back the layers of silence I’d carried for two centuries.Sacrifice. Heart. Xander. Mina.I stood motionless, her voice fading into the thundering in my ears as something deep inside me stirred. A flicker of something I hadn’t felt in ages. A memory long buried… by magic.Then it cracked—like ice under pressure—and the dam broke.It came rushing in.A face. A sound. The coppery scent of blood.And a child screaming.I staggered back a step, gripping the edge of the table.“I… I remember something,” I rasped. “Gods—how could I have forgotten this?”Morgana looked up, startled. Her tear-streaked face locked onto mine, and I could feel the hope—and the terror—rising in her chest.“What do you mean?” she whispered.“I followed him,” I said, breathless. “That night. I followed Xander… into the basement.”Her brows knitted. “You what?”“I don’t know why,” I continued, piecing it together, “Maybe I was suspicious. Or maybe somet
CAUIS“All this time… I was the endgame.”I didn’t know how long the silence lasted after I said it. Maybe seconds. Maybe years. My voice echoed in my head, hollow and damning, like it belonged to someone else.I stared at the floor, hands clenched at my sides, my chest rising and falling too fast. My lungs couldn’t seem to hold enough air. Because now I knew.The shadow that moved when I marked Lira.The whispers I tried to ignore.The coldness that clung to my bones like frost…It was never outside of me.It was me.Or at least a part of me. A part I never asked for.“Malakar…” I whispered, the name burning my tongue like poison. “He’s been inside me this whole time.”Morgana stepped forward. Her eyes—gods, they were endless. Deep wells of sorrow and fury and love. She looked at me like she was seeing more than just a young Alpha.“When I met you,” she said softly, “I felt something. A pull. A bond.” She placed a hand over her heart. “I thought it was because of Xander… that maybe y
LUCIENThe black crystal pulsed softly, its shadowed depths revealing fragments of voices and stories I had no business hearing. But I listened anyway, because the truth, no matter how twisted, was all that mattered now.I could hear Morgana’s voice, her words reverberating in my head as she spoke of Malakar’s daughter and the blood that ran through Caius. The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning—Caius was the vessel. He was the one that carried the dark magic, the legacy of Malakar.It made sense. It explained the strange stirrings within me, the shadows that followed me like a distant storm, threatening to engulf everything I touched. I had always known there was something inside me, something dark and ancient. But I had never understood what it was, or how to control it.If Caius was the vessel of Malakar, then… perhaps there was a way to fix this. If Caius could be cleansed, maybe the same could be done for me. But how? How could I rid myself of the darkness that was growin
CELESTEThe weight of the moment settled heavily around me. I could feel the deep ache in Lucien's voice, the rawness in his words. But I also felt something else—a flicker of hope, a spark of the man I had fallen in love with all those years ago.I had always known that the darkness had not completely consumed him. There were flashes of the Lucien I had known—the protector, the fierce leader, the one who had once cared for his pack as much as he cared for me. But somewhere along the way, that man had been buried beneath the shadows, the ambition, the anger. And yet, in this vulnerable moment, it felt like I could almost touch him again.I had hoped for this. I had believed in this. But now that it was real, now that I could feel the faint glimmer of the Lucien I had once known, I had to act quickly. The darkness was still lingering, gnawing at him, waiting for a moment to pull him back in. And that moment was coming soon, especially with Malakar’s influence slowly creeping into every
CELESTEThe moment Lucien spoke the words that I had hoped for, the words that cracked open the door to the man I had loved, I didn’t hesitate. Time was of the essence. I could feel the shift in the air, a subtle stirring of hope rising amidst the darkness that still clung to him. But that hope needed action.Without a word, I turned on my heels, determined to act swiftly. Lucien didn’t want to come with me—he couldn’t face the guilt, the shame of facing his sister, of confronting the wrongs he had committed. I understood that. But the weight of his past wasn’t something he could simply bury. He had to confront it, even if it was just a small part of it. But for now, I couldn’t wait for him to find the courage. I had to do this for him, for us.I made my way to the prison with purpose, my mind racing as I prepared for the task ahead. The walls felt suffocating as I neared the cold, damp cells. I had seen too much suffering here, too much darkness. The air was thick with the remnants o
CELESTEThe moment Lucien spoke the words that I had hoped for, the words that cracked open the door to the man I had loved, I didn’t hesitate. Time was of the essence. I could feel the shift in the air, a subtle stirring of hope rising amidst the darkness that still clung to him. But that hope needed action.Without a word, I turned on my heels, determined to act swiftly. Lucien didn’t want to come with me—he couldn’t face the guilt, the shame of facing his sister, of confronting the wrongs he had committed. I understood that. But the weight of his past wasn’t something he could simply bury. He had to confront it, even if it was just a small part of it. But for now, I couldn’t wait for him to find the courage. I had to do this for him, for us.I made my way to the prison with purpose, my mind racing as I prepared for the task ahead. The walls felt suffocating as I neared the cold, damp cells. I had seen too much suffering here, too much darkness. The air was thick with the remnants o
CELESTEThe weight of the moment settled heavily around me. I could feel the deep ache in Lucien's voice, the rawness in his words. But I also felt something else—a flicker of hope, a spark of the man I had fallen in love with all those years ago.I had always known that the darkness had not completely consumed him. There were flashes of the Lucien I had known—the protector, the fierce leader, the one who had once cared for his pack as much as he cared for me. But somewhere along the way, that man had been buried beneath the shadows, the ambition, the anger. And yet, in this vulnerable moment, it felt like I could almost touch him again.I had hoped for this. I had believed in this. But now that it was real, now that I could feel the faint glimmer of the Lucien I had once known, I had to act quickly. The darkness was still lingering, gnawing at him, waiting for a moment to pull him back in. And that moment was coming soon, especially with Malakar’s influence slowly creeping into every
LUCIENThe black crystal pulsed softly, its shadowed depths revealing fragments of voices and stories I had no business hearing. But I listened anyway, because the truth, no matter how twisted, was all that mattered now.I could hear Morgana’s voice, her words reverberating in my head as she spoke of Malakar’s daughter and the blood that ran through Caius. The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning—Caius was the vessel. He was the one that carried the dark magic, the legacy of Malakar.It made sense. It explained the strange stirrings within me, the shadows that followed me like a distant storm, threatening to engulf everything I touched. I had always known there was something inside me, something dark and ancient. But I had never understood what it was, or how to control it.If Caius was the vessel of Malakar, then… perhaps there was a way to fix this. If Caius could be cleansed, maybe the same could be done for me. But how? How could I rid myself of the darkness that was growin
CAUIS“All this time… I was the endgame.”I didn’t know how long the silence lasted after I said it. Maybe seconds. Maybe years. My voice echoed in my head, hollow and damning, like it belonged to someone else.I stared at the floor, hands clenched at my sides, my chest rising and falling too fast. My lungs couldn’t seem to hold enough air. Because now I knew.The shadow that moved when I marked Lira.The whispers I tried to ignore.The coldness that clung to my bones like frost…It was never outside of me.It was me.Or at least a part of me. A part I never asked for.“Malakar…” I whispered, the name burning my tongue like poison. “He’s been inside me this whole time.”Morgana stepped forward. Her eyes—gods, they were endless. Deep wells of sorrow and fury and love. She looked at me like she was seeing more than just a young Alpha.“When I met you,” she said softly, “I felt something. A pull. A bond.” She placed a hand over her heart. “I thought it was because of Xander… that maybe y
ALDRICMorgana’s words hit like a tempest—each syllable peeling back the layers of silence I’d carried for two centuries.Sacrifice. Heart. Xander. Mina.I stood motionless, her voice fading into the thundering in my ears as something deep inside me stirred. A flicker of something I hadn’t felt in ages. A memory long buried… by magic.Then it cracked—like ice under pressure—and the dam broke.It came rushing in.A face. A sound. The coppery scent of blood.And a child screaming.I staggered back a step, gripping the edge of the table.“I… I remember something,” I rasped. “Gods—how could I have forgotten this?”Morgana looked up, startled. Her tear-streaked face locked onto mine, and I could feel the hope—and the terror—rising in her chest.“What do you mean?” she whispered.“I followed him,” I said, breathless. “That night. I followed Xander… into the basement.”Her brows knitted. “You what?”“I don’t know why,” I continued, piecing it together, “Maybe I was suspicious. Or maybe somet
MORGANAI was in the garden, teaching Mina how to coax a bloom from a wilting bud when Xander came to me.“There’s trouble in the village,” he said, voice urgent but composed. “A witch has been spotted casting curses—terrifying the villagers. They need you.”I looked up, wiping my dirt-smudged hands on my apron. “Are you sure? I haven’t sensed anything.”He nodded. “They’re hiding her, out of fear. They sent word to us this morning. Please, Morgana. Only you can deal with this kind of threat.”He looked so sincere. I trusted him. Of course I did. He was my mate, the man who once swore he would stand against the darkness with me.I kissed Mina’s curls and whispered, “Be good for Papa,” before mounting my horse and riding out.The trip to the village took hours. By the time I arrived, the sun was past its peak, dipping into the haze of afternoon. I dismounted at the edge of the quiet settlement and walked its cobbled paths. But there were no cries for help. No signs of chaos. No trace o
MORGANAThe past clung to me like the scent of old spell smoke. I didn’t need to close my eyes to see it—the memory surged forward, vivid and raw, as if time itself folded and brought me back two centuries.Two hundred years ago, the Grimhowl Pack mansion was the heart of a thriving, unbreakable community. Nestled in the cradle of the forest, it stood proud and regal, its stone walls covered in flowering ivy and thick vines that shimmered in the morning dew. Tall arched windows caught every sliver of light, casting gold across the polished floors. The scent of pine and wild jasmine drifted in through open balconies. It wasn’t just a mansion. It was a home—a living, breathing sanctuary of pack unity, echoing with laughter, footsteps, and the howls of celebration.Xander Vexmoor, younger brother to Alpha Lance Vexmoor, and I lived in a cozy side wing of the estate. While Lance oversaw the affairs of the pack, Xander dedicated himself to study, exploration, and eventually, me. We were yo
MORGANAThe room grew quiet after the others left, their footsteps fading into the distance like echoes of a life I could never return to.Only three remained—Caius, Lira, and Aldric—and though their eyes were patient, I could feel the weight of the storm I was about to release. My fingers curled into my robe. I had buried this truth so deep that even I began to believe the lie we created. But lies rot beneath the surface, and now… it was time.“There’s something else,” I said softly, turning toward the hearth though I no longer felt its warmth. “Something only a few souls in this world have ever known.”Caius straightened in his chair, his gaze steady. Lira didn’t speak, but I could sense her heart beating faster—an instinctive tension. And Aldric… Aldric was already frowning, as if he’d sensed the ghosts creeping in.I drew a slow breath and let the memories unfold.“The one dearest to me that Malakar killed… wasn’t just a friend. Wasn’t a sister. She was my daughter.”The room stil
LIRAThe silence after Morgana’s story was suffocating. I could feel the heaviness of everyone’s thoughts pressing into the air like a storm that hadn’t yet broken. No one moved. No one breathed too loudly. We were all trying to piece together a puzzle we didn’t even know existed until tonight.But something didn’t sit right.I studied Morgana closely. She looked drained, pale, her shoulders hunched forward like she carried the weight of centuries. But her eyes… they darted—first to Caius, then to Elder Aldric. And I saw it then. The unspoken words. The way her mouth tightened just slightly, the way Aldric avoided looking at anyone.There was more.“There’s something else,” I said, breaking the silence.Everyone turned toward me.Morgana’s head lifted slightly, eyes narrowing.“You’re still holding back,” I pressed, standing. “I can feel it. And if we want to stop Malakar this time, we can’t afford secrets. Whatever you’re not telling us… we need to know it. All of it.”Morgana’s lips