Lira gasped as the world came back into focus, her body trembling as the landscape around hersnapped into place. The scent of pine and damp earth filled her lungs, grounding her in themoment. She stumbled, barely catching herself against a nearby tree. The teleportation hadtaken its toll, disorienting her, but she pushed the dizziness aside.They were deep in the forest now—far from Valenwood, far from the pack’s stronghold.Morgana let out a heavy breath, her hands resting on her knees as she swayed slightly. "Thatwas… close," she murmured, her voice strained. The witch's usual calm was gone, replaced bysomething else—fatigue, maybe, or the weight of the spell she'd just cast.Lira turned, her stomach twisting with guilt and dread. "We left them behind," she whispered, hervoice raw. The image of Lucien's smirk, the betrayal of Celeste—her heart thudded painfully inher chest. They hadn’t just abandoned their people. They’d abandoned a fight they were notready for.Tobias’s voi
After four days of exhausting travel, the sight of Grimhowl’s towering gates brought a wave ofrelief to the weary group. The icy northern winds howled through the snow-covered trees, bitingat their skin as Lira tightened her cloak around her shoulders. The journey had taken a toll on allof them, especially the injured warriors who had been carried in makeshift stretchers, but themoment the first structures of Grimhowl came into view, Caius let out a deep breath andmind-linked his Beta.'Elias, we’re almost at the borders. Open the gates.'A few moments later, movement stirred in the distance. The massive steel gates creaked open,the sound echoing in the still night air. A group of warriors rushed forward to meet them. At thecenter was Elias, his strong frame standing firm against the wind. His sharp, calculating eyesscanned the group, lingering on the injured wolves being carried.Behind him, dozens of pack members had gathered, their faces a mixture of curiosity andconcern. T
Despite the warmth of the Alpha’s mansion, Caius barely felt it. The crackling fire in the hearthand the plush leather chair did little to ease the tension that had taken root in his body. As soonas his boots clicked against the stone floors, the weight of his title hit him harder than the coldwind outside. The responsibilities of being Grimhowl’s Alpha felt heavier than ever.Elias walked silently beside him as they made their way to the office. Neither spoke until theyreached the office door. Elias shut it quietly behind them, his gaze locking onto Caius with amixture of concern and something sharper."Alpha," Elias finally said, his voice tight with restrained frustration. "What the hell happened?"Caius let out a long, tired exhale, sinking into his chair. The wooden surface felt solid beneathhis fingertips, grounding him, but it didn’t lessen the burden that had settled in his chest.“Too much to explain in one conversation,” Caius muttered, his voice rough from exhaustion.
Lira wandered through Grimhowl, taking in its vastness with a quiet awe. The snow-coveredground beneath her boots crunched as she walked, the cold northern air biting at her cheeks. Itwas so different from Valenwood, where the forest had felt alive with magic—where the verytrees seemed to whisper secrets. Here, everything was built on strength, from the toweringstone walls of the Alpha’s mansion to the well-maintained roads and grand structures that dottedthe landscape. There was power in the air, a raw, unyielding force that felt almost tangible.She couldn’t help but admire it. Grimhowl was a fortress, built to withstand anything. But as shecontinued through the compound, her thoughts inevitably returned to the danger that loomedahead. Malakar’s forces were growing stronger, and no amount of strength or fortitude would beenough to fight them unless they figured out how to harness their own power. And that, shethought, was something she wasn’t sure they could do.Her footste
Lira stood in the middle of a clearing, the cold air biting at her exposed skin. The northern windshowled around her, swirling snowflakes in a dizzying dance. Grimhowl’s land was still blanketedin thick snow, the bitter cold lingering, but there was a hint in the crisp air—a promise of warmerdays to come. She tightened the cloak around her shoulders, looking toward the figure standingbefore her. Morgana.The ancient witch stood with her arms crossed, her sharp gaze studying Lira with an almostpredatory intensity. Despite the woman’s apparent calm, Lira could never fully relax around her.Morgana had an uncanny way of making her feel both reassured and unsettled at the sametime, as if she was aware of something Lira was only beginning to understand.“Your powers are awakening,” Morgana said, her voice low and smooth like liquid silk. “It’s timeyou learn to wield them.”Lira swallowed hard, her heart racing as she flexed her fingers, feeling the strange pull withinher. Ever sinc
Morgana led Lira through the winding corridors of Grimhowl’s grand estate, finally stopping at asecluded chamber tucked away from the bustling heart of the pack’s fortress. The room was small, its atmosphere thick with the scent of herbs, dried flowers, and the faint must of oldparchment. Candles flickered in the corners, casting long shadows against the stone walls,which were lined with ancient tomes—some so worn that the titles had faded to nothing morethan ghostly traces.The witch gestured to a high-backed chair, its fabric rich and deep in color, and Lira hesitatedonly for a moment before sitting across from her. The air was heavy with unspoken secrets, andLira could feel the weight of them pressing down on her.Morgana leaned back in her seat, folding her hands in front of her. Her eyes seemed to darkenas she began to speak, her voice low and steady, as though every word carried the weight ofcenturies.“I am older than most beings you’ve ever met, Lira. I have lived for
The revelations from Morgana lingered in Lira’s mind, gnawing at her as the night stretched on.Lying in the bed, the weight of everything she had learned pressed down on her chest, leavingher restless and unable to sleep. The cold moonlight filtered through the window, casting longshadows across the room, but Lira hardly noticed. Her thoughts were a whirlpool, eachrevelation adding fuel to the fire of uncertainty within her.Her birth had been destined. Morgana had known Malakar. The Dark Lord’s betrayal had turnedthe witch into an ally, yet the depth of Morgana’s story only deepened the complexity of theirsituation. The idea that she had been part of some cosmic design—her existence tied to aneclipse, an event that was supposedly beyond her control—was both comforting and terrifying. Itmade her feel like a pawn in a game that had been set long before she was born.But Lira didn’t want to be a pawn. She wanted to be the player.The sound of a knock at the door broke through he
The frozen winds of Grimhowl howled across the vast training grounds, biting at Lira’s exposed skin. Yet she stood firm, her body steady despite the numbing chill, her eyes narrowed in concentration. In her palm, a small flame flickered, its golden light casting a warm glow against her pale skin. The fire was a reflection of the power stirring within her, a force she was still learning to control.“Good,” Morgana’s voice cut through the cold, low, and almost predatory as she circled Lira.“Now, expand it.”Lira inhaled deeply, focusing on the warmth in her core. The flicker of the flame responded, stretching and twisting, growing larger as she fed it more of her energy. The fire danced wildly for a moment, the air around it shimmering with heat, but Lira kept her focus, forcing the fire into control. Slowly, the flame took shape, curling into an orb of bright golden light that hovered just above her palm.Morgana stopped her pacing, her sharp eyes gleaming with approval. “Better. Now,
CAIUSI stood near the edge of the dining hall, leaning slightly against one of the carved wooden beams, my arms folded across my chest. Around me, the low hum of conversation continued—tearful reunions, long-overdue laughter, names spoken with awe and reverence. But I only had eyes for her.Lira.She was glowing in a way I hadn’t seen before. There was a joy on her face so radiant, so fiercely pure, that even Fenrir stirred inside me, watching her through my eyes with silentreverence. I felt it—the happiness that surged through her like warm spring water after a long frost. A daughter was finally reunited with her mother. A family mended after years of silence and pain.And yet, underneath that joy, I felt her sorrow too. A quiet grief pulsed in her chest, one that clung to the edges of her smile. Her heart ached for Deanna, for Elowen, for the twenty years robbed from them. Lira’s empathy ran so deep that it swallowed everything. The walls of her heart had never been built to keep
LIRAThe dining room had never felt so full.Laughter mixed with the sound of soft weeping as arms reached across the table, pulling loved ones close after years of separation. My mother, Seraphina, hadn’t let go of my hand since I entered the room, and I didn’t mind. I didn’t think I ever would. Sixteen years. She had been gone for sixteen years, and yet the warmth in her embrace was as familiar as it had always been in my dreams.But she wasn’t the only one who had returned.Dain—her loyal Beta, our protector in Valenwood—stood at the other end of the table, tears slipping silently down his weathered cheeks. In his arms was a young woman, probably the same age as me, teary eyes—his daughter, Elowen. Beside them stood Deanna, Dain’s sister, holding them both as if letting go would break her all over again.They were real. Here.Alive.“Where… where have you been?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I couldn’t stop staring at my mom. She looked older than I remembered—there wer
TOBIASThe atmosphere in Grimhowl was tense, a constant hum of alertness. After the news of strange occurrences in the surrounding lands, security had been heightened. Every patrol, every guard, every shadow in the forest was now something to watch closely. The last thing we needed was an unexpected threat.Dain had volunteered to patrol the northeastern gate. I trusted him with my life, but I still felt the need to check in, especially now. I found him standing by the entrance, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, his posture that of a seasoned warrior ready for anything."You good?" I asked as I approached him, stepping into his line of sight.He turned, giving me a nod. "I’m good. Nothing to report yet. But we both know that can change in an instant.""You need anything? Extra reinforcements? Supplies?" I offered, glancing at his weapons and the space around him.Dain shook his head. "I’m fine for now. Just keeping watch. We need to be prepared, but we’re not going to let our
SERAPHINASixteen years.It felt surreal, standing here now, breathing in the air of freedom after so many years spent behind cold, stone walls. I could hardly believe it. The chains, the darkness, the suffocating loneliness—those memories seemed so distant now, as if they belonged to someone else. But they didn’t. I had lived it, endured it, and now, I was free.I took a deep breath, letting the scent of fresh earth and the cool breeze that swept through the trees fill my lungs. The prison walls, those oppressive structures that had confined me, felt like a lifetime away. I had no idea what awaited me in Grimhowl, but right now, none of that mattered.What mattered was Tobias. My Tobias. And my baby, Lira. She was just five years old when I had been taken, and I had missed everything—her first steps, her first words, her growth. I had missed her entire childhood. I had no idea what she was like now. Was she still my sweet little girl? Or had she changed into someone unrecognizable, h
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