RAVENNA POV
This was what true happiness felt like—the laughter that danced through the air, the warm smiles that wrapped around me like sunlight, the rhythm of the music that made my heart sway in unison.It wasn’t just joy, it was a pull from deep within, a force that gripped my very soul and held me tight. It was as if every moment, every heartbeat, was an invitation to stay—tangled in the beauty of it all.And in that embrace, I found peace, the kind of peace I never knew I needed.I had never smiled or laughed this hard in my entire life. I had never just let go and let myself feel before. But here… here I could let go.It all felt like some kind of dream, the ballroom was adding to that feel. It was large, with ceilings so hard I couldn't see where they ended. Chandeliers hung up, their crystals giving the room a fairytale feel.Long tables of food were lined up by the side, witRAVENNA POV "Dawn's just an hour away," Darius said, his voice low as we shed our clothes in the woods, preparing to shift. "When the wolves are out, let yourself fade into your consciousness. Think of it like falling asleep. We'll shift back when the sun rises and then I'll take you to your surprise." He ended with a playful smile. I rolled my eyes at him. "If you're not going to tell me what it is then don't rub it on my face.""Patience, my love." I now stood naked, wrapping my arms around myself to keep warm from the cold air. It was also a struggle staying on my feet. I was so dizzy from the alcohol, a single breeze could knock me off my feet. "Okay, baby. Deep breaths," Darius instructed once his last layer of clothes was gone. "Just like the last time you shifted. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Don't rush it, just let it take its course." I closed my ey
I sat next to the grave, holding the flowers I brought. I just stared at the name on the stone, tears flowing freely from my cheeks. "It's my birthday, mum," I whispered, my voice barely audible as I stroked the name on the gravestone. Isla Hale. My mother, my world, my everything. Dead, gone, and left me all alone in a world where I do not belong. "It's my birthday," I said again. "And no one remembered. Not even father. He didn't even look my way." My twenty-one birthday. The tears were flowing wildly, my vision blurry. It hurts. It hurts so much to live like I'm invisible, like I'm nothing, a nobody. My father doesn't even see me, not really. He doesn't look at me, doesn't care. My stepmother treats me like dirt under her shoe, and my stepsister is even worse. The only one who cares is Lucas. Just thinking about him makes the tears slow down. Lucas. My boyfriend. The reason I still get out of bed every morning. We've been together for three years, and Lucas has been n
I stood at the door, frozen, still not believing what I was seeing. Lucas and my stepsister hadn't even noticed I was in the room, too tied up in each other to notice. "Oh, Lucas, you feel so good." Zara kept moaning at the top of her voice. I'm sure the whole house could hear her. She turned her face to my direction and smirked. She goddamn smirk. "Lucas!" I snapped. Lucas peeled himself away from Zara, staring at me with shock. "Ravenna, it's not like that. I can explain," he said in a rush as he tried to put on his clothes. But I wasn't looking at him, I was looking at my stepsister, who still had that smug smile on her face, still lying there naked. "Ravenna let me explain, please," Lucas said as he moved closer to me. I snapped my head to him. "Explain what, Lucas? Explain why you're fucking my goddamn stepsister?" "I... I just..." Lucas stammered, unable to finish. Zara, slithering out of bed with the blanket draped around her, finally spoke. "Oh, poor Ravenna," she
I felt my body jolt with shock as the lightning struck, right at the center of my chest. It felt like being hit by a massive electric force. I gasped and trembled overwhelmed by the shock and the pain… God, the pain. The pain tore through me like a jogged bolt, sharp and searing, as if every nerve in my body was set on fire. My muscles clenched so hard it felt like my bones might snap under the pressure. Heat—unbearable, burning heat—surged through my skin, hotter than anything I had ever felt before. I could smell it too, the sharp, acrid scent of something burning. My skin? My clothes? It doesn't matter. I just wanted it to end. Breathing was a challenge. Every breath was a struggle, each one clawing at my throat as if my lungs had forgotten how to function. My chest felt tight, like I was suffocating, even though I could hear myself gasping, my mouth opening and closing, but there was no air. My heart hammered so violently in my chest that I thought it might tear itself
We walked for a while, Joseph and the girl—whose name I still didn't know—engrossed in a conversation I chose to ignore. Sofia was still walking behind us but it seems she lost interest in the back of my head because I no longer felt her burning eyes. We got to a clearing, and my breath caught in my throat. Standing majestic before me was the pack house. It was massive, but that wasn't what made me stare in awe. It was the modern—sleek lines, endless windows reflecting the sky, and a facade of steel and glass that glinted under the sun. The architecture was bold yet minimalistic, making the entire structure look more like an exclusive resort than a home for wolves.My eyes followed the clean, geometric edges of the building as it seemed to stretch endlessly, merging with the surrounding forest. The walls were a mix of polished concrete and dark wood accents, blending effortlessly with nature, yet remaining unapologetically contemporary. Wide balconies wrapped around each level
"Are you a spy, Ravenna?" Alpha Rowan asked as he rounded the table. His voice was low now. Dangerous. "No. I swear to the moon goddess I'm not," I said with my hands held up. "I knew we shouldn't have brought her here," Sofia grumbled, cutting a sharp look at Lilith, who just stood there still watching me. "Please," I begged, my voice trembling. "Just just let me explain." "What can you possibly tell us? Lies?" This came from Sofia again. I turned to Rowan, my eyes pleading. "Please." He watched me for a while, his face unreasonable. "Go on," he finally spoke. I let out a breath as I tried to steady my voice. "I'm an exile," I began. "I got banished from my pack. I never intended to come here. I swear it." "An exile," Rowan repeated. "What got you banished?" I swallowed, tears forming in my eyes. What was I going to tell them? That I found my ex boyfriend with my step sister and I had dashed her head against the wall? And what was what got me exiled? God, that sounded so p
I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. Everything seemed normal—my silver hair, though a little dull, and my familiar tired pale eyes staring back at me. But that wasn’t what sent ice crawling through my veins.It was my chest. The place where the lightning had struck was different. The scar marred my skin, a branching, jagged pattern that stretched like dark veins. It was swollen, discolored, and burned. I traced it with trembling fingers. I could feel the current in my skin as if the lightning was stored in me. I broke down, the weight of it all crashing over me. It was too much. It was all too much for my heart to take. I haven't even had time to grieve about the loss of my pack, of my father, of my life. And now that I was alone, it all came crashing down. It felt like the floodgates of my emotions had burst wide open. There wasn't really much to cry
My heart hammered wildly in my ribs as I stared at the note in my trembling hands. Written in red ink was: "You're not welcome here." I swallowed hard when I understood why red ink was used. Yeah, I got the message loud and clear. "Ravenna?" I jumped at Lilith's voice. I forgot I wasn't alone. "Yeah?" I answered as I hid the note in the pant's pocket."Are you okay? Why're you just standing there?" "I'm okay. I just want to use the toilet." I rushed into the bathroom, and flushed the note down the toilet. Why was I hiding the note? Shouldn't I have shown it to Lilith so she would know this floor wasn't as safe as she thought?It's okay. I'm okay. I wasn't going to leave this room. I would keep the door locked. And if they somehow broke into the room, I knew how to defend myself. I washed my face, and headed back to the room. Thoughts about the note buried deep in my mind. ***It's been days since I've settled into the pack. So far there hasn't been another note or anybody br
RAVENNA POV "Dawn's just an hour away," Darius said, his voice low as we shed our clothes in the woods, preparing to shift. "When the wolves are out, let yourself fade into your consciousness. Think of it like falling asleep. We'll shift back when the sun rises and then I'll take you to your surprise." He ended with a playful smile. I rolled my eyes at him. "If you're not going to tell me what it is then don't rub it on my face.""Patience, my love." I now stood naked, wrapping my arms around myself to keep warm from the cold air. It was also a struggle staying on my feet. I was so dizzy from the alcohol, a single breeze could knock me off my feet. "Okay, baby. Deep breaths," Darius instructed once his last layer of clothes was gone. "Just like the last time you shifted. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Don't rush it, just let it take its course." I closed my ey
RAVENNA POV This was what true happiness felt like—the laughter that danced through the air, the warm smiles that wrapped around me like sunlight, the rhythm of the music that made my heart sway in unison. It wasn’t just joy, it was a pull from deep within, a force that gripped my very soul and held me tight. It was as if every moment, every heartbeat, was an invitation to stay—tangled in the beauty of it all. And in that embrace, I found peace, the kind of peace I never knew I needed. I had never smiled or laughed this hard in my entire life. I had never just let go and let myself feel before. But here… here I could let go. It all felt like some kind of dream, the ballroom was adding to that feel. It was large, with ceilings so hard I couldn't see where they ended. Chandeliers hung up, their crystals giving the room a fairytale feel. Long tables of food were lined up by the side, wit
DARIUS POV Ravenna sat up and looked down at me, her eyes wide, her hair sticking in every direction, face flushed and lips swollen. She was fucking perfect. "After the feast?" she asked, her hands resting on my chest. "That's a week from today. I'm going?""We are going," I said, adding enough emphasis on the ‘we’. "If we could go tomorrow we would, but we have to be here for the feast. The pack would be bringing gifts and want to see their new Luna so we can't leave yet." Ravenna said nothing and just threw herself back on me, drawing a ‘oooff’ out of me. "I thought you wouldn't want me to go for a while," she said, her voice muffled against my chest. "Why wouldn't I?" I traced her spine with my fingers, making her shiver.She shrugged. "I thought maybe you would want to spend more time with me.""I'm still going to spend more time with you. I'm coming along a
RAVENNA POV The drive back to the pack house passed in a blur. Even though Darius was driving he couldn't take his hands off me, and me him. It felt like I was burning, and if Darius wasn't in me in a moment that fire would consume me. Just a brush of Darius’ fingers on my inner thighs were enough to make me moan loudly like a dying animal. And when that finger finally entered where I needed them I nearly exploded.I had told Darius to stop the car and forget about getting home but he refused, claiming this was a special night and I should be treated, even though his hard dick was nearly tearing through his pants, the spot where his head was already damp from per-cum. I admired that control he had. I was a raging mess. When I had asked him why the hell this was happening he had explained it was because of the wine. "It was no ordinary drink," he had explained, his voice rasped, his pupil di
RAVENNA POV "God, Ravenna, you look beautiful," Mia breathed, her bottom lips trembling. She shook her head. "No, beautiful is too small a word to describe you. You look heavenly." I could only nod, all words failing me as I stared at the girl looking back at me from the mirror. It was the night of my ascension ceremony, and I didn't recognize myself.The white dress clung to my body, the fabric soft and flowing, falling in gentle waves to the floor, covering my feets. My silver hair, usually wild and free, was now tamed and twisted with delicate accessories—silver beads and tiny braids woven with precision, each one pulling at the roots of my hair in a way that felt like a reminder of all the eyes that would soon be on me. I lifted my gaze to meet my own reflection. My gray eyes stared back, wide and uncertain. Was I ready? Ready for these new responsibilities? If it would mean a lifetime
DARIUS POV Each time I believed I had reached the fullest depth of my love for Ravenna, she effortlessly showed me a new layer, a new reason to love her even more. In every moment, she proved that my heart was capable of loving her beyond what I ever imagined. And so since I wasn't good with the skill of words I kissed her to express my ever growing love for her. I will make love to her so my body could speak that language which my tongue couldn't. I would worship you so my soul will be bare for her to see the depth of my love for her. She will see that there is no me without her. I took off her clothes and mine followed. I kissed her slow and deep as I positioned myself on her entrance. She looked up at me with soulful eyes filled with love and it felt like I was going to burn under that love. But it wouldn't be the type of burns that hurt.I was about to push into her but then a thought occurred and I had to pull back
RAVENNA POV When I had finally managed to pull myself together, Dalian pulled away and held my face, a small smile on his face. "It's still looking at a female version of myself," he said softly, brushing a lock of hair out of my face.I scoffed. "I said the same thing." "Grandmother had said we would be identical twins but Mother didn't believe her. She said we looked nothing alike when we were still infants and so we would grow to have different looks." "What was she like?" I asked. "Mother." That sadness returned to Dalian's eyes and he pulled me into his arms again. "She was a wonderful woman. She was soft but tough when she wanted to be. She trained some of the best warriors in our tribe. She was well respected and loved. If she lived to grow old she would have become one of our tribe's elders. Half of our tribe even voted her to be our leader but she wanted nothing to do with that life." "How…" I swallowed. "How was she killed?"Dalian's arms tightened around me and he too
DARIUS POV I wanted to drag this Dalian away from my mate. Him holding her filled my tongue with the bitter taste of jealousy, tightened my chest to the brutal feeling of possessiveness.I wanted to be the one holding her, confronting her while she broke down. I wanted to be the one kissing her hair, whispering words to her. Even though this man claimed to be my woman's brother I still wanted to kill him for touching her. Nobody should touch my mate but me. My wolf seems to agree with that because he was becoming restless, already rising to the edge.I felt a small, warm hand on my arm but I still didn't look away from Ravenna. "Come on, big guy," Mia said softly. "Give them space. They both need it." I clenched my jaw so hard I could hear my teeth grounding. "No.""Don't be like that, Darius," she persisted. "She had just found out that she has a family out there. She has a grandmother who loves her, and a twin who came for her. Don't you think she'll need time to be with him?"W
RAVENNA POV A jolt that shot through me was sharp and sudden, like the shock of touching a live wire with wet hands. The eyes staring back at me looked familiar because they looked like mine. The same shade of gray, like a stormcloud. I broke eye contact to look at the other features and my breath hitched. "What the hell?" I whispered to myself. That finally got Mia's attention. She stopped bubbling about jewels and turned to look at me. "Are you o–" Her voice cut off and I'm sure she was looking at the same person. "What... " The man standing a few feets away from me, looking intensely at me, was like a mirror I was standing in front of. Except the reflection in the mirror was male, six-foot-something tall, broad, and striking handsome. We shared the same silver hair, though his was cropped short, skimming his jawli