Lyra's POVRylan swung down from his horse with practiced ease, his sharp eyes scanning the camp. The sight of him, broad-shouldered and fierce, sent a surge of hope and relief through me. For a moment, I forgot everything—the vampires, the danger, even my fear—and my feet moved instinctively toward him.“Rylan!” I shouted, my voice trembling. But before I could take more than a few steps, a cold, unyielding hand gripped my arm, halting me. I turned to find Lisa staring at me with an amused smirk, though her grip was anything but playful.“What do you think you're doing, pretty preggy girl?” She asked in that slightly funny but chilling way. “Not so fast, Lyra,” Raphael’s deep voice cut through the tension, smooth but laced with authority. He stepped forward, his presence commanding as always. The faint moonlight caught the sharp angles of his face, and his piercing blue eyes locked onto me. “You have no right to leave,” he said, his tone calm but firm. “Not until I say so.”My hear
Rylan's POV “Get back, Lyra.”I commanded softly.She looked from me to Raphael and then did as I said. “If you're leaving with her, you're fighting to claim her,” Raphael said. He was smiling now. .“Fine. I'll fight if that's what you want,” I agreed without any argument. Cassian stepped forward, his hand tugging mine. “I'll do the fighting, let me do it, Rylan,” he said, sizing up Raphael. “True, you're too important to want to do this, let either of us do it,” Finn said in agreement. I scoffed. “I'm not going to get killed.”They weren't having it. “Only the Alpha fights or we put a knife to her throat and the war begins,” Raphael said. His eyes glowed wickedly. If he tried to hurt Lyra, I'll kill him and the bunch of vampires he had with him, a war would start that would wipe them all out wherever they are, but the war won't bring back Lyra. I couldn't let them hurt her. “I'll do it. Send the vampire.”“Two of them, just you.”“That's unfair!” Finn yelled. But the vamp
Rylan's POVAs we got closer, I saw the looks on their faces. I saw the look of disapproval on the faces of some and the look of excitement on the faces the others. Alexis was in the crowd too. But as we came closer, her figure vanished from the crowd and I knew she was running away. She hadn't expected that I'd be back so soon and with Lyra.I hadn't expected to meet her back at the camp. She'd made a bluff about wanting to leave with those who trusted her.“I see you're still here, Alexis.” I called. She came back to the crowd now, having no other choice. “Welcome back, Rylan.”I ignored the greeting.“I'm wondering why you sent Lyra away,” I said as I walked towards the crowd. Finn looked for food for Lyra and she found a spot to sit and eat while she watched us. “I was helping,” she said, her voice breaking. “I thought it was the only way to keep the rogue pack safe. She was—she was too much of a risk.”“A risk?” I repeated, my tone sharp. I could feel the tension in the cro
Damian's POVEloisa was still in the cell. I'd make sure she was thrown in with her faithful maid, Ilena. Her betrayal was one I couldn't stand. Not only had she tried to get some of the men to become loyal to only her so she could use them when she wanted, she'd also tried to go and murder Lyra. My mate and the woman carrying my unborn babies. That was something I couldn't forgive. I walked down the dark corridors and stopped by the burglaries. “I see you're at peace here. No scheming.”The words left my lips with unplanned contempt and Eloisa came to her feet. The light in the corridor was too faint to fully show her full face, but Roy sprang up, my wolf abilities coming to life. “Damian…”“Why did you do what you did?”I asked her, not giving her time for pleasantries."I don’t know," she said, her voice choked. "I was so blinded by my own anger, my own jealousy. I didn’t care about anything else. I was wrong, Damian, I know that now."I studied her for a moment longer. Eloisa
Damian's POV As we got deeper into the woods, I became more worried. There'd been no sign back at the Blood Nest pack to suggest that there was an attack going on. I hadn't expected the attack in any way because human hunters never went so far. They did all they could to protect their boundaries and try to make sure detected vampires and werewolves didn't come to their city, but coming all the way into the woods to attack a rogue pack was something that'd not happened in a long time. The thought of Lyra being in the middle of such chaos made me worry so much I started to fidget. She was carrying my children, our children. Whatever grievances we had, I could not let her fall into harm’s way. I turned to the men riding with me, their faces grim and determined.“We ride hard,” I ordered. “There’s no time to waste but it looks like we are going too slowly.”The forest blurred past us as we sped toward the rogues’ camp. My thoughts were a storm. Lyra had always been stubborn, there was
Eloisa's POVI could still feel the stinging coldness of the cell even after I was freed. The dampness clung to my skin, a stubborn reminder of the humiliation I had endured. Damian had come to his senses and released me, but his focus was not on me. It was on her. Lyra.Even now, he was out there, risking his life to save her while I sat here, in the pack that should rightfully be mine to rule.I refused to be sidelined any longer. With Damian gone, it was time to take matters into my own hands. My first priority was Ilena. She had been my loyal maid and confidant through all the schemes, whispers, and dreams I had for this pack. It pained me to see her rotting away in that prison, her life reduced to a shadow of servitude.I made my way to the prison block. The guards stiffened when they saw me approach. "Open the door," I commanded, my tone leaving no room for argument."Alpha Damian ordered—""Alpha Damian is not here," I interrupted sharply. "And as Luna of this pack, my word i
Damian's POV“What did you find, Cade?” I asked, moving over to where the man who'd found something, called. "Here, an unburnt cloth that could belong to the Blood Nest pack and possibly the Luna," he replied, holding out the cloth to me. I took the cloth and sniffed it. It had scent of Lyra on it. The vampires with us looked unsettled. Raphael, their leader, stood a few feet away, his pale face expressionless, though his sharp eyes missed nothing. He and his group had only recently joined us, but their presence was a reminder of the uneasy alliances we had been forced to form."We keep searching," I said firmly. "Lyra might have survived. She’s strong."‘No. She survived,’ I said inwardly, convincing enough to myself.We combed the camp thoroughly, lifting broken beams, pushing aside rubble, and calling out for any survivors. But there was no answer. The silence was almost deafening, broken only by the crackling of the dying embers."Alpha," Cade called out again, kneeling by wha
Rylan's POVThe forest was quieter now, but the scent of blood and smoke still lingered. We had managed to drive the wolf hunters back to the boundaries of the human territories, but I knew it wasn’t the end. They would regroup and return, and when they did, they’d come in greater numbers.This is why we left trails and then took entirely different directions. It would make it difficult for them to find our new camp and that would give us more time to strategize and take them unawares if they tried to come into the woods. Especially the unfamiliar parts. They were only lucky they had more sophisticated weapons than we did. But if I had to make a pact with powerful packs to get weapons for our defense, I'll do that. I'd never watch any of my men go down by the hands of hunters. Not again.“Right. And she must be protected at all cost. She's scared. She isn't used to this life she's been introduced to.”Lee said. Lyra. I hadn't introduced her to any of this unpleasantness. I wished,
Rylan’s POVThe sky was darkening when Damian and his men arrived at the WhiteMoon pack. I was already waiting by the gates, watching them walk toward me. There was no fanfare, no noise, just the solid sound of their boots hitting the dirt. Damian moved with purpose, as he always did since I'd grown familiar with him. His eyes scanned the surroundings, taking everything in like he had to make sure everything was in place. He had been gone for some time. Now, he was back.He stopped in front of me, his gaze steady as always. “It’s done,” he said.I nodded. I knew what that meant. “Kaius?”“Dead,” Damian said without hesitation. “Ilena poisoned him. She tried to take control of the Blood Nest. She failed.”I didn’t need to ask what had happened to her. I already knew. It wasn’t hard to figure out. “And the pack?” I asked.“Secured,” Damian replied. “The traitors are gone. The loyal ones remain.”I took a breath and glanced around. The WhiteMoon pack was in better shape than I thought it
Lyra’s POVThe WhiteMoon pack was only just beginning to get past the chaos of war. The battle was over, but the scars it left behind still lingered. The dead had been buried, the wounded tended to, and the pack was trying to move forward, but the unease was still there. A shadow of what had been lost.And yet, there was one thing left unfinished—one loose end that needed to be dealt with.Eloisa.I didn't think I wanted to have her executed, despite all she'd done to me and what she'd tried to do to my babies. She was someone I'd loved but who had also turned around to hate me with all her might. Damian wanted her dead so she would not cause any more harm, Rylan said it was completely up to me to do whatever I wanted to do with her since I was the one who had defeated her anyway. My softness was getting the best of me. I didn't want to hurt Eloisa, the knowledge of what she'd tried to do to me didn't change this either. The moment I could, I made my way to the pack dungeons. The g
Damian's POVThe journey back to the Blood Nest pack felt like it took forever. My mind was clouded with thoughts of everything that had transpired. The battle at WhiteMoon had been brutal, but we had won. Lyra had proven herself time and time again, and the victory was ours. Still, there was a gnawing feeling in my gut, the knowledge that things were not yet over. The fight for power and control had only just begun.When we finally arrived at the Blood Nest pack, I felt the tension in the air. There was a heaviness in the atmosphere, a thick sense of uncertainty hanging over everything. My pack had been through so much in the last few days, and now, with me back at the helm, there was no time to rest. I needed to find out what had happened in my absence, and I needed answers, fast.I had no idea what I was about to walk into.As soon as I entered the pack house, I was met by one of my most trusted men. His face was grim, his posture stiff with the weight of the news he had to deliver
Rylan's POVThe battle was over. The dust had settled, but the air still carried the heavy scent of blood, sweat, and destruction. The WhiteMoon pack was battered and bruised, but they were alive. And that, at least, was something to hold onto. We had won, but at what cost? The warriors were all tired, their faces painted with exhaustion, their wounds still fresh. The camp was in disarray, but we had managed to push the enemy back.I found myself walking along the outskirts of the camp with Caspian and Finn. The battlefield felt quieter now, the distant sounds of the survivors tending to their injured and picking up the pieces of what was left. The weight of the day sat heavy on my shoulders. The fight had been brutal, and while I was glad it was over, it didn’t feel like a victory just yet. The aftermath was always the hardest part.Damian had gone back to the Blood Nest pack to reclaim his position as Alpha. There was no question about it. Kaius had taken control while Damian was go
Damian's POVThe fight had ended, but the air was thick with tension. Blood, sweat, and dirt mixed together, leaving the battlefield in a grim haze. The clashing of weapons had died down, and the warriors around me began to gather, taking stock of what was left. The battle was won, but it wasn’t over yet.Eloisa lay on the ground, her wolf form battered and bruised but not defeated entirely. She wasn’t dead. She wasn’t going to die—not by my hand, not by Lyra’s. But she had lost. Her fortification had crumbled, and her strength had faltered under the weight of Lyra’s relentless defense. Still, she lay there, struggling to breathe, her gaze fixed on us with a defiant hatred.I stood beside Lyra, watching her. She had been the one to bring down Eloisa, the one to push her to the edge. But Lyra had stopped short. She didn’t want to kill Eloisa. As much as Eloisa had tried to destroy us, to destroy her, Lyra had shown mercy."Don’t," Lyra said, her voice steady. "We don’t need to kill her
Lyra’s POVThe battle raged on around me. I could hear the clash of swords, the roar of warriors, and the sounds of werewolves fighting for their lives. But it was all distant noise. I wasn’t focused on the battle around me; my attention was fixed on one thing—the one thing that mattered more than anything right now.Damian.I had sneaked out of the safety of the pack house, determined to be where the fight was. A guard had tried to stop me, insisted that I stay hidden, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t just stand back and wait while the people I cared about fought. I needed to be there.But then, I saw her. Eloisa.The sight of me stopped Eloisa in her tracks.Eloisa was in her wolf form, her body was unusually large and fortified with the power she had gained through her twisted ways. I could see the raw strength emanating from her, and it was clear that she wasn’t just fighting to win. She was fighting to break Damian. Eloisa was more than just a rival. She was a woman bent on destro
Damian’s POVThe battlefield was madness. The air was thick with the scent of blood, sweat, and death. Wolves lunged at each other, claws tearing through flesh, growls and screams blending together. The sound of steel meeting steel rang out as warriors fought with everything they had. The ground beneath us was already stained red, bodies littering the area.I fought my way through the chaos, blade in hand, striking down anyone who dared to stand in my path. My wolf snarled within me, pushing me forward, demanding vengeance. Rylan fought beside me, moving with the same deadly focus. We had battled side by side before, but this time, it was different. We weren’t just fighting an enemy—we were fighting our own.Something was wrong.I could see it in the way some of the WhiteMoon warriors moved. Their attacks were slower than usual, hesitant, as if they weren’t truly trying to kill. Otmes barely lifted their weapons, stepping back instead of forward. And then tmee were the ones who did no
Rylan's POVThe battlefield was a scene of pure chaos. The air smelled thick with blood and smoke. Wolves fought, teeth bared, fur flying. The sound of swords clashing with flesh echoed around me, drowning out all but the screams and roars. The earth was soaked with blood, and bodies littered the ground in every direction. I could hear the growls of shifting wolves, mixed with the clash of steel, the air alive with tension and fury.I moved quickly through the battle, my feet light but my strikes deadly. My blade cut through the enemies with the precision of a wolf on the hunt. My body felt alive with adrenaline, muscles coiling and releasing in perfect rhythm as I fought beside Damian. His movements were just as fluid, just as fast. We were a team, working together like we had done so many times before.But despite the intensity of the battle, something didn’t sit right.I noticed it immediately—the hesitation in the movements of some of the WhiteMoon warriors. They were faltering, t
Eloisa's POV The battlefield was exactly as I had imagined—chaotic, brutal, and perfect for my victory. The scent of blood and sweat filled the air, thick and intoxicating. The ground trembled beneath the weight of charging warriors, their roars mixing with the clash of steel and the growls of shifting wolves. It was a beautiful sight—one I had long waited for.From my position on the hill, I could see everything. My forces, my carefully trained warriors, moved with purpose, cutting down those who stood against me. Their strikes were swift, precise, efficient. Every blade that sank into enemy flesh was a step closer to my rightful place.I had planned this well.I had spent months planting the seeds of doubt, whispering truths and lies into the ears of the weak-minded within the WhiteMoon pack. And now, those whispers bore fruit.The hesitation in the steps of some warriors, the uncertainty in their eyes—I saw it all. Some barely lifted their weapons, while others stepped back from t