MikhailPressing my nose against Rose's hair, I take a deep breath. After Sophia, her scent is the only one that can help calm me down. My wolf's fury dulls to a low, simmering growl, the primal need to protect finally sated with my mate and pup in my arms."Shh, Rose. I've got you," I whisper hoarsely, my voice raw with emotion. My hand gently strokes her back, my touch trembling as I try to comfort her. "Dada's here. It's okay now."Her little arms tighten around my neck, her sobs hitching as she nestles closer. For a moment, the world narrows again, but this time, it’s not from rage or panic. It’s from the overwhelming need to hold on to them, to keep them safe.I glance down at Sophia, still lifeless against me. My chest aches, a dull throb that matches the fear coursing through my veins. "Sophia..." her name escapes me like a prayer, desperate and pleading."Mikhail, we need to take Sophia inside." That same man speaks, and through the haze of fury, I can finally recognize him.
MikhailI sit at the edge of the bed, elbows on my knees, fingers tangled in my hair.The clock ticks steadily in the background, each second dragging on like an eternity.It’s been over an hour since I felt that faint flicker through the bond.Now? Nothing.The silence in the mate bond is no longer empty; it feels blocked, like a wall has been built between us. My wolf paces restlessly, claws scraping against the edges of my mind, snarling at the barrier we can’t break. It wasn’t like this before. Earlier, the bond was cold and lifeless, as if she had slipped away. But now... now it’s different.Now, it feels like she’s there but out of reach, just beyond the edge of my grasp.I clench my fists, fighting the frustration surging through me. The urge to smash something, anything, grows with each passing second, but I can’t risk waking Rose. She’s still curled up beside Sophia, her little face peaceful for the first time since this nightmare began.Sophia.I shift closer to her, my hand
MikhailMerope bursts into the room, her movements quick and purposeful, with Alexei close on her heels. Instead of coming inside the room, he stands at the door and watches Sophia with a pained expression.Beneath the pain, I can sense his anger. His wolf flashes in his eyes, and he is angry that someone is hurting his Luna.Then his eyes connect with mine, and I see his gaze burning with the promise that he will be by my side when I fulfill my hunger for revenge.But right now, I can't think about that because right now I am nothing but a helpless mate who is unable to do anything for his mate.Merope eyes land on Sophia, and for a moment, her lips part in a soft gasp, pain flashing across her face. But it’s gone as quickly as it comes, replaced by a hard, calculating look.She takes a step closer, her gaze locked on Sophia as though she’s deciphering some invisible code, piecing together fragments of a puzzle only she can see."Tell me, what is happening with her? And how can I hel
MikhailSophia is still unconscious in the room we left her in. It kills me to leave her, but I had no choice. If I stay in the same room as her, I will not be able to think straight. All my attention will be on her instead of trying to find a way. I need to think like an Alpha, not just as a mate. And for that, I need to think with a rational mind.My wolf snarls inside me, restless and enraged, but I force him back. Jake is seated on the arm of a couch, his arms crossed and his jaw tight, looking like he’s two seconds away from punching a hole through the wall. Caleb, on the other hand, is practically vibrating with energy. His hand grips the wooden armrest so tightly that I’m surprised it hasn’t splintered.While Lucas is staring out into the dark as though he’s expecting answers to appear there. He doesn’t speak, but the tension in his shoulders tells me he’s just as agitated as the rest of us.They arrived an hour ago, and unlike me, they could feel Sophia trapped somewhere. T
Mikhail"When?" I ask through gritted teeth, barely managing to control my temper.My wolf growls inside me, echoing through my chest. It’s like a low rumble, a warning. He wants to tear something apart, and that something is Gregor.He is the one behind all this.And I don't know how long I can stop myself from killing him because every breath he takes reminds me of not being able to protect Sophia from him.Alexei's hands ball into fists while annoyance radiates off him in waves."Tomorrow."My hands clench into fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms as I fight the urge to shift right then and there. My wolf surges forward, a deep growl rising in my chest. The rage is like wildfire, threatening to consume me, but I force it down. Caleb doesn’t bother with restraint. “Son of a—” he starts, his voice tight and full of venom, his words dissolving into a muttered string of curses that would make anyone flinch. His fists are balled so tightly his knuckles are white, and the shee
MikhailAlexei, Caleb and Jake are out finding out anything about the council that might help us gaining an upper hand. If there’s a weak link in their ranks, they will find it.I trust them to get results, but every second they’re gone feels like a lifetime.Meanwhile, I’m in the study with Atlas and Artemis, the tension between us thick as smoke. We’re digging into every shred of information we can find about Gregor—his allies, his weaknesses, his mistakes. Anything we can exploit.Atlas is scanning some old files, his eyes sharp as he flips through the pages. His usual calm is intact, but I can feel the controlled fury simmering beneath the surface. Every now and then, he mutters something about leverage or connections, his voice low and dangerous.I stare at the screen of my laptop, sifting through the reports in front of me. My wolf just wants to sink his teeth into the threat and end it. My muscles tighten with every minute we waste staring at words and scheming when action fee
Mikhail “Not every Alpha at the meeting is Gregor’s ally." Jake leans back, arms crossed, his jaw tight with irritation. "That’s about as good as it gets. Two council members are neutral at best. Not allies, but not enemies either." His tone is laced with frustration. “The rest?” Alexei adds, his tone as grim as his expression. “Most are firmly on Gregor’s side. And three of them—hell, they’re from the Redwood Pack itself.” I sit still, my hands folded on the table in front of me. My face doesn’t betray what I’m feeling—nothing, not the simmering anger tightening my chest or the fire itching to explode in my veins. Of course, Gregor would stack the council with his own people. “The majority of the council is still backing him. Even with the neutrals, we’re outnumbered.” Caleb states, what we already know. My wolf paces inside me, restless and snarling, urging me to act, to destroy. But giving in to rage won’t solve this. Gregor would love that—me acting recklessly, proving e
MikhailI’m sitting on the porch steps, staring out at the dark treetops swaying in the distance. The stars above are faint, their light dim compared to the storm swirling in my chest. My fingers dig into the wood beneath me, the ache in my grip grounding me, barely.I can’t go back inside. Not yet. Not when Sophia is lying there, so still, so pale. The sight of her is a knife I can’t pull out, cutting deeper every time I imagine stepping into that room.I failed her. Again.The thought claws at my mind, and I clench my jaw to keep from growling at the empty night. She’s suffering, and I’m out here waiting—useless, powerless. This isn’t how a mate is supposed to be. I should have been faster. Stronger. Smarter. Something. Anything but this.The creak of the door behind me breaks through my spiral of self-loathing. I don’t have to look to know who it is neither I don't care who it is, because whoever they are, they are not Sophia.“Mikhail?” Artemis steps onto the porch, her footsteps
LucasI can’t believe it. Sophia is right in front of me. My mind almost refuses to accept it, but my heart knows it’s her. A flood of emotions hits me all at once, each one fighting for control.Joy. I’ve finally found her. After everything, after searching and fighting, she’s here. Relief washes over me so strong it nearly brings me to my knees.Pain. She looks like she’s barely hanging on. Weak, tired, like the life is being drained out of her. It’s unbearable to see her like this. The glow that always surrounds us is almost dimmed to nothing. This is place is killing her, slowly, and I can feel it.And anger. Burning, searing anger. Whoever did this to her, whoever put her through this hell, will pay. I can’t stop the rage that rises in me, and I don’t even try.“Sophia.” My voice is thick with emotions that I don't try to conceal as I step closer to her.Sophia tries to push herself up, but her legs wobble. Before she can stumble, I’m at her side in a heartbeat, steadying her. Sh
SophiaEverything feels heavy like I'm sinking into a thick, black ocean. My head's a mess, thoughts slipping away the second I grab onto them.The darkness is so deep it’s almost choking me. I don’t know how long I’ve been here. Hours? Days? Weeks? Time stopped making sense a while ago.That woman’s voice echoes in my head, soft but edged, like I should know it. Familiar, like an old dream or a name on the tip of my tongue, but it’s gone.Who is she? Her voice is the only thing that constantly rings in my head... sometimes I feel like my head will explode. No matter how much I try to block her voice, it is always there. The edges of my vision pulse and blur, and my thoughts scatter like dead leaves in the wind. All I know is that this place, this nightmare, is eating me alive. I just... I just want to wake up.My body is breaking, little by little. Every breath is heavier than the last, like this place is squeezing the life out of me.I know exactly what she wants. She wants me to
Lucas I can’t see a damn thing. It’s pitch black, like someone just snuffed out the sun, and I’m stumbling through this nothingness with only this weird pull to guide me. It’s like a tug at my chest, faint but steady. It’s all I’ve got to hold onto. But man, this feels like a twisted game, something designed to mess with my head. Every now and then, the pull shifts. Sometimes, it splits, like it’s coming from every direction all at once, trying to yank me one way and then the other. It’s overwhelming, and I can feel the frustration bubbling under my skin. My wolf stirs uneasily, and I grit my teeth to keep from losing it. But I know better. The strongest pulls, the ones that hit me like a punch in the gut, those aren’t her. They can’t be. It’s too obvious, too easy. Somewhere deep down, I just know the faintest pull, the one that feels like a whisper instead of a scream, that’s the one that’ll lead me to her. So I focus. I block out everything else. Every strong tug trying
MikhailShe’s clinging to Alexei, her face buried in his chest, but then she pulls back just enough to look up at me. Her eyes are wide, and there’s something in them that makes my stomach drop.“He killed them all,” she whispers, her voice so soft it’s like she’s afraid of the words themselves. “He killed them... and she... she killed them too.”Her whole body starts trembling like she’s remembering something too awful to even say out loud. Alexei’s arms tighten around her, his face a mix of confusion and worry, but he doesn’t interrupt. Neither do I.Emily’s gaze darts between us, and she leans closer to Alexei, like she’s trying to shrink into him. Her voice drops to barely more than a whisper.“She ate them alive,” Her lips trembling as she gets the words out.Emily keeps repeating it, her voice barely above a whisper, like she’s locked in a place of fear.“She ate them alive.” Her body is still trembling, like the words are coming from somewhere deep inside her, something she can’
MikhailI push deeper into Redwood territory, my wolf on high alert and my body still thrumming with the haze of bloodshed.The air is heavy with the scent of battle, the kind that clings to your skin and doesn’t let go.My claws are itching for another fight, my mind barely pulled back from the edge.Then I see a small girl, no older than six, crouched behind a tree.Her big eyes are wide with fear, and she’s clutching something—maybe a stuffed toy—like it’s the only thing keeping her together.I freeze for a second, my instincts warring with the sight in front of me.My wolf growls low, still riding the high of the fight, but I force it back.Slowly, I breathe, dragging myself out of the haze.It takes a few moments, longer than it should, but I manage to push down the anger.My claws retract, and I shift back into my human form. I move toward her, careful to keep my steps slow and non-threatening.The girl flinches but doesn’t run.“Hey,” I say softly, crouching a few feet away. “Y
LucasIt starts with this strange, light feeling, like something’s lifting all the weight off me. My chest, my limbs—everything just feels... free.I feel liberated.Then it hits me, this sudden, wild sensation like I’m being yanked out of my body. It’s not gentle. It’s forceful, almost violent like invisible hands are dragging me toward something huge, something endless.I try to fight it, instinct kicking in, but the pull just gets stronger... like I am drowning underwater... like someone is pulling me inside, and no matter how much I try to break free, I am spiraling downwards.My head’s spinning, my heart’s racing, and panic claws its way through me.That’s when I hear her voice.Merope.It’s faint like she’s speaking from the other side of a canyon, but it’s her. Clear enough to cut through the chaos.“Lucas, calm down,” She speaks in that steady and soothing tone of hers... like her words are laced in some kind of spell and maybe they are because often you would hear this tone f
JakeMerope’s voice sounds like it is coming from a distance, and it takes me a few moments to recognize her voice.“Keep your focus on them. Continue strengthening them. Don’t break the circle. The moment you hesitate is the moment everything could fall apart." Her eyes are focused on the flame of the candle that is lit between the circles.There's no room for doubt now. Lucas is in another realm, and I don't even know what that means. But I do know that if we stop, if we let go for even a second, we could lose him.We could lose them both.I squeeze Lucas’s hand harder, willing myself to give him all the strength I have. My wolf’s pacing inside me, growling and scratching at the walls of my control. It wants out, wants to do something, anything. But I hold it back. Now isn’t the time for losing control. Now is the time to hold steady.Caleb’s hand tightens around mine, his pulse steady.He’s focused too, locking into the bond just like Mom said.Together, we keep feeding the circle,
JakeCaleb and I walk toward the clearing where the ritual circle is formed.I swear I can feel the tension buzzing like electricity under my skin. The whole place is eerie—candles flicker, shadows twist, and the damn chanting that Merope is doing won’t stop drilling into my head. But none of that matters.My focus is locked on Lucas and Sophia lying in the center.Merope kneels beside Lucas and slices his throat in one swift motion. An involuntary growl erupts from Caleb while even my wolf comes forward, wanting to go and protect Lucas. Blood spills down his chest, bright and horrifying, and for a second, I can’t breathe. My whole body trembles in fury watching Lucas in this condition because I have never thought I would ever witness a day in my life when my brother has to go through something like this.I am almost on the verge of losing my control... as my eyes are fixed on the blood gushing out of his throat and pooling around his body. But I can’t lose it.Not now.I force mysel
LucasI make my way to the ritual circle.The closer I get, the more it feels like something’s pulling me forward, tugging at some invisible thread buried deep inside me.When I step into the clearing, the circle is right there in the middle, carved into the earth like it’s been waiting for centuries. The lines are sharp and perfect, symbols etched into the dirt that I can’t even pretend to understand. Stones sit at the edges, worn smooth by time, each one marking a point on the outer ring.The grass around it is pressed flat, like something too powerful for words pressed its weight here and left behind its mark.And there, in the center, is Elder Merope.She’s sitting cross-legged, her back straight, hands resting lightly on her knees. Her eyes are closed, and her face is calm, almost too calm. It’s like she’s a part of the circle, part of the energy that’s humming through the air. I can feel it buzzing in my chest, crawling along my skin.I stop at the edge, not wanting to step in w