(Flashback)*** POV Unknown 1"Still alive... fuck." The thought flitted through my mind the moment I realized I was conscious. I didn’t dare move. My senses stretched to their limits, I tried to keep my heartbeat steady, listening intently, trying to detect any signs of life around me. Was I alone? Or were they still here, waiting?Slowly, I became aware of my surroundings. I wasn’t cold or wet, and, to my surprise, I wasn’t naked. The tips of my fingers brushed against something soft beneath me, smooth but with a slight graininess. Cotton linen? The realization jarred me; this wasn’t the damp, filthy floor of my cell.The room was dark. The blackness behind my eyelids told me as much. But the air... it smelled different. Gone was the stench of infection and rot that had been my constant companion. Instead, I detected something medicinal—eucalyptus? But there was something else, something bitter and ominous... Wolfsbane. The faint smell of burnt flesh and the metallic tang of blood h
*** POV Unknown 1I slam into the ground, the impact knocking the wind out of me instantly. Before I can even register the pain, I'm tumbling, rolling down an embankment, the world spinning around me in a blur of dark shadows and cold earth. Every bump, every jolt sends a shockwave of agony through my body, but I have to keep going, have to fight through the disorientation, the pain. The wolfsbane is coursing through my veins, dragging me toward unconsciousness, and I know if I give in now, it's over.When I finally come to a stop at the bottom of the embankment, I’m gasping for breath, the cold air burning in my lungs. I can feel the darkness creeping in at the edges of my vision, threatening to pull me under. But I can’t let it. I force myself to stand, my body screaming in protest. Every muscle, every bone feels like it’s on fire, but I can’t stop. I have to keep moving.No one seems to be coming after me yet. Maybe they didn’t see me go over the wall, or maybe they think I’m alrea
*** POV Unknown 2There are perks to using a galley as a war room. Not the least of which is the smell. My mother had always said the scent of good food alone was better than most healing herbs.But for some reason, in this moment, the aroma that usually brought comfort and focus was doing the opposite. I felt… a huge sense of unease. Quickly, I scanned the room, my gaze landing on the spits being turned slowly by a steward. A surge of anger welled up in me, completely out of proportion to the scene before me.“What the fuck…” I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief. Why am I getting all worked up over roast beast?And then it hit me. “Ah,” I sighed, a grim understanding settling over me. “She’s awake.”I stood up and walked toward the door and stairwell that would take me down toward the infirmary and wards, my steps quickening with purpose.Just before I reached it, my gamma, Raven, appeared in the doorway, his expression conflicted.“Their Luna,” he began, hesitating as if searchin
*** POV Unknown 1How could I be so lucky to find a river so close—a shallow one at that? I nearly fell into it, crawling out into the water with the last of my strength. I flipped onto my side, lying fully in the shallow stream. With a trembling hand, I skimmed through the pebbles along the bottom. Lovely colors glistened up at me from the water—quartz, jasper, pyrite—all so beautiful, but none nearly as precious as the deep black hematite stones that came up in my first handful. Thank the goddess.Yelling in the distance— I could hear it. Not wasting a moment, I swallowed the whole handful of pebbles I’d scooped up. I wasn’t sure how much hematite I needed to counter the wolfsbane, but hopefully, this would do.I didn’t have the strength left to get back up, but I did have the strength to crawl and float. As quietly as I could, I scooched farther out into the stream and started making my way on my belly downstream. After a short distance, the water began to get deeper quickly, and t
*** Alpha Eamon's POV"Clever," Fenri whispered in my mind, his tone a mix of admiration and caution.“If she’s that clever, how’d they ever capture her to begin with?” I retorted, my eyes narrowing as I scanned the area where she had been just moments before."Lout," Fenri huffed, clearly unimpressed with my doubt, before retreating to the back of my mind, leaving me alone with my thoughts.I watched her float down the river from upstream, keeping myself downwind so as not to alert her to my presence. I’d stayed ahead, observing her movements, ready to intervene if necessary.But she was managing far better than I’d expected, and her littl
*** Unknown POV 1I was almost asleep when I heard it—the sound of nothing. Winter sounds are limited, but there’s always the slight hum of nightlife, even in the dungeons. The scurrying and scampering of small creatures, the distant rustle of leaves. But the sound of silence? That always woke me up—it usually meant they were close.I felt that familiar sense of dread creeping up on me now. Peeking out from my hiding place under the evergreens, I saw that the moonlight had revealed the start of snowfall. Such luck; it could cover my tracks.Tentatively, I slipped out from under the branches, testing the strength in my legs. Surprisingly, I had some. Hematite might just be my new favorite “jewel.” Testing my legs further, I crouched and began to take wide steps, keeping my movements as quiet as possible. Luckily, I have small feet, and at the rate the snow is falling, I imagine it’ll only take about te
*** Alpha Eamon's POVI mind-linked my trackers a little after sunup, telling them to give up the hunt. She was good—very good—and they weren’t even close to finding her trail. The only trace she left behind was a pile of rocks that smelled pungent of bile.I also sent a quick update to my Beta and Gamma, letting them know what I was up to. Occasionally, they’d send me updates on other goings-on, but my focus was entirely on the scene unfolding before me.It was astounding how far she had traveled on foot. We were well outside the regional kingdom now, moving south at an impressive pace. I knew that in my wolf form, I could make it back to the war pack in less than a day, but she had managed to cover this distance in such a short time without any aid. It spoke volumes about her determination and resilience.The she-wolf sat beneath a Pinus strobus, facing the trunk in a submissive prayer pose. I watched her closely, noticing a faint ripple across her neck, and then, slowly, a growl beg
*** Luna Nailo’s POVThere was nothing around me—not even dead dandelions to scrounge for roots, no food to be found. If I couldn’t feed my body, perhaps I could feed my soul.As I wandered further, I began to suspect I had passed beyond the borders of the Regional realm. The white pines had begun to tower above me, their imposing presence a sign I had ventured out of the prince's territory. These trees were not native to the Regional areas, yet they stood here, sacred and beautiful, as if guarding the land itself.It had been so long since I had walked beneath their majestic branches that I felt compelled to honor them. These pines, ancient and wise, had stood sentinel over the land for centuries. Their presence was a reminder of all that had been lost and all that still needed protection. I owed them respect—no, more than that, I owed them my devotion.I knelt beneath the largest of the pines, an elder among giants, and prostrated myself before it. The earth was cold beneath my skin,