Maya’s Point of View“Alpha!! I bring bad news”As I stood before Kaiden in the grand council room, I poured every ounce of effort into my performance. My voice quivered at just the right moments, my hands trembled as I gestured to the blood-stained dress, and my eyes brimmed with unshed tears. I painted the picture vividly: the rogues, their brutality, my futile fight to protect Avery against herself but had no choice than t kill her.But Kaiden... his reaction wasn’t what I expected.He leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable, arms crossed over his broad chest as if he were watching a tedious play. He didn’t interrupt, didn’t ask questions, didn’t even narrow his eyes in concern. He just sat there, his gaze cold and distant, as though my words were nothing more than white noise.My heart thudded painfully as doubt began to creep in. Why wasn’t he reacting? Why wasn’t he furious, commanding his warriors to act, to hunt down the rogues who had dared step foot in his pack?
Maya’s Point of ViewThe moment I stepped into my room, I bolted the door behind me and leaned against it, my breath shallow and ragged. My reflection in the mirror was unrecognizable, pale, shaken, and drenched in fear.I sank to the floor, burying my face in my trembling hands. If Kaiden found out the truth, then it was over. Everything I had worked for, everything I had schemed for, it would all crumble, leaving me at his mercy. And Kaiden had no mercy for traitors.I couldn’t let that happen.By nightfall, a plan had formed, though the thought of executing it churned my stomach. Dren needed to be silenced, and there was only one way to get to him, through the dungeon guard.The filthy bastard.I dressed simply, a dark cloak covering my figure as I made my way to the dungeon. The night air was cold, biting against my skin, but it wasn’t enough to numb the dread gnawing at my insides.The guard’s quarters were dimly lit, the flickering light of a single bulb casting long shadows acr
Maya’s Point of ViewThe day I had dreaded more than any other had finally arrived. The air in the pack’s hall was heavy, almost suffocating, as I stood among the crowd of pack members, my heart hammering in my chest. My hands were clammy, my palms slick with sweat, and I found myself constantly wiping them against the folds of my dress.Kaiden had called for a public gathering, a rare and significant event. This wasn’t just another meeting; it was the day he had promised to root out the traitor. A cold shiver ran down my spine. I could feel eyes shifting in the crowd, whispers brushing against my ears like ghostly accusations.When the grand doors opened and Kaiden stepped into the hall, the atmosphere shifted instantly. The Alpha King’s presence demanded obedience, reverence. Everyone, myself included, stood and bowed deeply, murmuring, “Your Highness.”His power rolled off him in waves, so palpable it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.He strode toward his throne a
Kaiden’s Point of ViewAvery sat across from me, her fragile frame wrapped in a thick blanket, her pale skin glowing under the dim light of my chamber. To anyone else, she might have looked frail, but to me, she had never seemed more radiant. Her silken hair cascaded down her back like strands of starlight, tempting me to reach out and let my fingers tangle in its softness.But I held back.She wasn’t ready. She had yet to acknowledge me as her mate, and I didn’t want to do anything that might scare her away. So, instead, I clenched my fists and listened intently as she recounted her ordeal with the rogues, her voice soft but steady.The more she spoke, the harder it became to maintain my composure. The thought of anyone laying a hand on her made my blood boil. My wolf growled low in my chest, demanding retribution. But I forced myself to remain calm for her sake.“…and then I passed out, I don’t know what happened after that,” she finished, her hands trembling slightly as she rested
Kaiden’s Point of ViewAs soon as Caspian and Laura left, the room felt quieter, almost too still. Avery shifted slightly in my lap, her movements hesitant, like she wasn’t sure if she should be there. Then, with a soft sigh, she tried to stand.I tightened my grip around her waist, gently pulling her back down. “Stay put, Snowy,” I murmured, my voice low but firm.Her body stiffened for a moment, but then she sighed again, this time in reluctant obedience. She settled back against me, though her posture was still a bit stiff. I smirked at how hard she was trying not to appear comfortable.After a moment, she turned her head to look up at me, her eyes filled with curiosity. “Why didn’t you just go after her?” she asked, her tone cautious but inquisitive. “You know she’s the culprit. Why not end it now?”I tilted my head slightly, studying her. The way she spoke, so earnestly, so unaware of the complexity of power and strategy, made her seem both naïve and endearing. I allowed a small
Kaiden’s Point of ViewThe memory played vividly in my mind, starting with Avery. The moment I brought her home and laid her in my chambers, tending to her wounds, I knew I couldn’t delay. Once she was stable, I left her to rest and made my way to the dungeon.The rogue had been barely conscious when I arrived, his body slumped against the wall, his shoulders brutally disfigured where his arms had been severed. His blood had pooled beneath him, but his eyes still held a flicker of defiance.I stepped into the cell, my boots clicking against the stone floor as I approached him. He looked up at me, trying to muster a sneer, but his pain betrayed him.“Who sent you?” I asked, my tone calm, almost conversational.The rogue said nothing, his jaw tightening as if to steel himself against what was coming.I chuckled, low and dark. “It seems like you've forgotten who I am?” I leaned closer, locking eyes with him. “I am the Alpha King. I don’t need to try to get the information out of you. But
Julian’s Point of ViewThe wind howled through the desolate fields, carrying with it the stench of death and decay that clung to everything like a curse. I stood in the heart of the devastation, my chest tightening as I looked at what remained of my once-thriving pack.The vibrant greenery that once symbolized life and strength was gone, replaced by charred earth and skeletal remains of trees. Every step I took on the scorched ground was a grim reminder of the destruction I had brought upon my people.The packhouses that had once stood tall, filled with laughter and warmth, were now nothing but crumbling ruins. Their walls, blackened by fire, seemed to mourn the lives lost within them. I walked through the remnants of what used to be home, my boots crunching against shards of glass and splinters of wood. The air was thick, suffocating, heavy with despair.“How did it come to this?” I murmured, my voice barely audible over the howling wind.‘You know how, Julian,’ Dexter growled in my
Julian’s Point of ViewI couldn’t take it anymore. The sight of the ruins, the devastation, the ghosts of my mistakes, each one clawed at me, suffocating me with guilt. My legs felt like lead as I turned away from the shattered remnants of my pack and headed back to my house. The walk felt like an eternity, the silence deafening except for the whisper of the wind and the echoes of Dexter’s sharp words in my mind.By the time I reached the confines of my room, I was utterly drained. My body ached, not just from exhaustion but from the weight of everything pressing down on me. I sat heavily on the bed, my elbows resting on my knees as I buried my face in my hands. My mind wouldn’t stop spinning, replaying every decision, every failure, every face I’d lost.With a deep sigh, I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes, hoping for even a moment of peace.Minutes passed. Or maybe it was hours, I couldn’t tell anymore. I was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness when I felt the bed dip. M
CHAPTER NINETY-TWOKaiden’s Point Of ViewThe weight of the Elders' eyes pressed in like a tide, steady and ancient. Their bows lingered, but as I gave a subtle nod of acknowledgment, they slowly straightened, murmuring among themselves.“Your Highness… truly,” Elder Varo said, his voice a rasp of disbelief and reverence. “After all this time…”“You grace us,” another added, placing a palm against his chest. “The Pack is honored by your presence once more.”I sat atop the throne, shrouded in shadow, one leg crossed over the other, forearms resting lightly on the golden arms of the seat. My presence demanded silence and they gave it, trembling beneath the weight of it.Only once the final syllable of their greeting faded into the air did I speak, voice low but steady, each word dipped in command.“You may rise.”One by one, they shuffled to their designated seats in the stone semicircle, robes billowing behind them like fading shadows. Their movements were precise, dignified but I coul
Kaiden’s Point Of ViewI stepped onto the main path of the pack and immediately felt the shift in atmosphere.The air buzzed not from power, not even from anticipation, but from the sheer awareness of my presence.Eyes turned. Whispers started.The moment I passed by the warrior training field, every single one of them halted mid-motion. The clang of swords stopped. Feet paused mid-stride. Heads turned. “Your Highness,” a young she-wolf stammered, dropping into a bow. The others followed suit, some in shock, others in stiff, respectful awe.I gave them a short nod, acknowledging their greetings, and continued towards the Pack Hall. But none of them moved until I was already halfway down the path.Even in my absence, the pack was in perfect shape… buildings maintained, patrols running in rhythm, no air of disarray or neglect. I knew who to credit, even if my pride didn’t want to admit it. Caspian.He’d held it down like the true beta he was. Efficient, strict, and downright obsessive a
Avery’s Point Of View“Time they see that you’re alive.”I stared at him, my breath catching in my throat. “You’re not a secret. You’re not hidden. You’re mine, Avery. And it’s time the whole world sees that.” My fingers trembled in his grasp, and for a long second, I just blinked at him, the words echoing in my ears like a drumbeat.“Kaiden…” I whispered, my voice barely there. “And also,” he added, his voice dropping into something deeper, something almost primal, “it’s time they know you’re my mate. My Luna.”I felt the world pause.My chest tightened, lips parting in a small gasp as the full weight of his words slammed into me.“Your… Luna?” I echoed, wide-eyed. He nodded slowly, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand. “It’s not just about going back. It’s about announcing it. All of it. You. Me. Everything they never expected.”I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. Not just alive. Not just returned. But standing at his side as his equal. As the Luna of the pack th
Avery’s Point Of ViewI exhaled slowly, brushing my fingers along his collarbone, feeling the steady thrum of his pulse beneath my touch. His skin was warm, like sunbaked stone, and his body radiated heat even through the sliver of space between us.“I was having a peaceful moment,” I whispered. “And now you’re having me.” He caught my wrist and kissed the inside, slowly. “You were humming. Happy. I like you like this.”“I like me like this.”“I love you like this,” he murmured into my skin. The words hit harder than I expected. I blinked up at him, lips parting. He smiled, soft but wicked. “Don’t go all misty-eyed on me, Snowy.”“I’m not misty-eyed. I’m just…”“Falling for me harder?” he teased, nudging my nose with his. “Already done. You were asking to be kissed.”“Was I?” His voice dropped, dark and dangerous. “You always are.” I laughed and smacked his chest, but it was hopeless. My heart was a mess of fireflies in a jar, wings fluttering with no rhythm, just wild chaos.Something
Avery’s Point Of ViewThe soft bubbling of stew filled the kitchen, a gentle, almost hypnotic rhythm that echoed my heartbeat. I stood barefoot in front of the stove, humming an old melody I didn’t even recognize. The tune danced lazily from my lips as I stirred the pot, watching warm steam curl around me like a misty lover wrapping itself around bare skin.The scent of roasted garlic, wild onions, herbs Kaiden had handpicked himself from the garden... it all mingled into something intoxicating. Comforting. Like home. Like a life I never thought I’d be allowed to have.Sunlight streamed through the wide kitchen windows, golden and thick, kissing the countertops, slipping over the wooden floors, and catching in the coppery strands of my hair. The beams painted streaks of honey across my skin as I moved, sleeves rolled up to my elbows, the hem of Kaiden’s shirt brushing dangerously high up my thighs.His shirt.It drowned me, and yet I felt more naked in it than I ever had wearing nothi
Sophia’s Point Of ViewThe door slammed shut behind me with a finality that echoed through the silence like a death knell.My back hit the door as I collapsed against it, gasping for breath like someone who had nearly drowned. My chest ached… physically ached as if something vital had been ripped from within me. I clutched the fabric over my heart, hoping in vain that the pressure would stop it from breaking further.But it didn’t, and then the tears came. Hot. Silent. Devastating.I slid down the wooden frame, my legs folding beneath me like a marionette with its strings cut. My body trembled uncontrollably, fists pressed hard into my eyes, as if I could block out everything, his cold eyes, his cruel voice, the feel of his hands on my skin… not like before. Never like before.“Why…?” I whispered, my voice barely audible. I rocked slightly, the room spinning around me. “Why did you change like that, Julian?”The name alone cracked something deep inside me.“You weren’t like this,” I br
Julian’s Point Of ViewI stood at the far end of my office, the dim light of the overcast sky filtering in through the arched windows, casting long, mournful shadows across the hardwood floors. The invitation in my hands was heavy, both in weight and in meaning.Thick, gilded parchment, marked with the black crest of the Alpha King himself. He had the audacity to invite me. My jaw clenched as I read the words again, every syllable drenched in arrogance.“You are cordially summoned to the Grand Summit of Aethroria. Attendance is not optional.”Of course it wasn’t.Not when the sender was the same monster who razed half of Krypta to the ground. The same bastard who stood in the blood-soaked ruins of my pack and called it a necessary sacrifice, all for what? For a little offense I committed. He had turned Krypta, once the fiercest, most respected clan of warriors, into a ghost town of silence and ashes.Half my people were dead, the other half were scattered, broken. And I was supposed t
Maya’s Point Of ViewI blinked hard, my mind rejected the words, spat them out like poison, refusing to digest the meaning behind them.‘If Kaiden wanted you to know, Maya… you’d already know.’No. No, that couldn’t be true.That wouldn’t be true. “He wouldn’t…” I muttered under my breath, pacing a tight circle in front of Caspian’s desk. “He wouldn’t just leave me in the dark like that. Not him. Not Kaiden. He’s not like that.”But Caspian didn’t respond. He just stood there, relaxed and silent, swirling his drink like he wasn’t the one slowly ripping the ground out from under me. Like my pain was nothing more than background noise to his neat, calculated world.My hands curled into fists.He was calm. Too calm.His eyes were emotionless slits behind the amber gleam of his glass, and that only made my rage boil hotter.“I said… he wouldn’t leave me!”Nothing.Not a twitch. Not a blink.I screamed.In fury, frustration, humiliation, every raw emotion surged to the surface at once, and
Maya’s Point Of ViewI met her stare without blinking. “It’s best I discuss it with him personally.” Laura gave a soft, mirthless laugh and began to close the door. “Then it’s best you leave.” Her hand touched the brass knob, and the door started to swing inward.I was one second away from being dismissed like a beggar. “I wanted to ask him about the Alpha,” I said, my voice slicing through the closing space like a dagger.The door stopped.Laura’s body stilled. She turned back, slowly, her eyes scanning my face as if to confirm what she heard. “What about him?”I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to. Laura's gaze shifted, something calculating flickering beneath her lashes. She turned to the maid with a calm, quiet authority that chilled the air. “Put a call through to my husband.”Betty nodded and scurried off like a shadow melting into the house. I remained standing at the doorway, back straight, chin high. Waiting. Burning. I might not be Luna yet… but soon, they’d all know better than