Diva's POVThe temple loomed before me, ancient and crumbling, eaten by time.Its now-twisted remains were once grand pillars, its walls split by age.But the power—The power remained.Thick in the air, coiling around my skin, whispering on the wind.Ancient. Forbidden. Waiting.I shivered, my fists curling into my palms.Jax shifted uncomfortably beside me. "This doesn't feel. right."Derek's grip around my waist tightened. He hated this plan. Hated that I was walking into the unknown—aloner."There has to be another way," he snarled.I swallowed hard. "There isn't."The rogue's words echoed in my head.You are the only one who can break Magnus's blood oath.That meant this trial was mine.I stood before Derek, my heart racing. "I'll come back."His jaw flexed. "I should go with you."I shook my head. "This is my test. If I fail…"My throat tightened. "Then I was never supposed to win this war."His golden eyes blazed, a storm brewing inside them.But he didn't stop me.Instead, he
Diva's POVThe storm raged outside, tearing through the streets of Houndway like a loose beast.Lightning sliced across the sky, illuminating the Blackfang manor in strobing shadows. Thunder boomed behind it, causing the stone walls to shake as I gripped the glass at the window.Rain streamed down the glass, reflecting the chaos inside me.Derek had left hours earlier to hunt Ronan's spies.He hadn't returned.A black knot roiled in my stomach.Something was not right.I spun from the window, scanning the vast room.The fire in the hearth had burned low, casting long, dancing shadows across the stone floors. The silence was heavy, thick and oppressive.Then—A gust of wind howled through the room.My breath caught.The doors were locked. No one is here.Then I smelled it.Blood.A metallic, bitter odor in the air.I spun suddenly—just as something emerged out of the darkness.Tall. Cloaked.Not Blackfang.Ronan's.---The AssassinMy heart was pounding, every muscle clenching as I bac
Diva's POVWind screamed around us as we ran, our bodies a blur among the trees.My lungs tore with every gasp of breath, every step sending a jolt of agony through my ribs. I didn't stop.I couldn't.Derek kept pace beside me, his face contorted in fury, his footsteps thudding against the earth.Then—Smoke.A heavy, dark pillar of ash and flame curled above the Blackfang estate, stretching into the night sky lit by the moon.No.My gut clenched.No, no, no.The stone walls burned with flames.Screams rent the darkness.We had arrived too late.Derek's roar cut through the stillness, naked with rage, sorrow, and vengeance.Our warriors followed, their snarls merging with the destruction in front of them.Ronan had brought war.And we were going to bring it to an end.---The Battle for BlackfangWe burst into the fight, a flurry of fur, steel, and fury.Blackfang gates were down.Wolves tore at each other, the wind acrid with smoke and blood.A warrior came at me—too fast.Instinct o
Diva’s POVA chilling silence spread like poison through the battlefield.Smoke thickened the air, mixing with the copper tang of blood.The Second Princess stood above us, silhouetted by the raging fire behind her.Her once-pristine dress was torn, her skin marked with bruises and scratches—but her eyes…Cold. Calculating. Unshaken.She hadn’t barely survived this war.She had orchestrated it.And behind her, an army of rogue wolves waited, their eyes glowing like embers in the darkness.Ronan coughed, blood slipping between his teeth, but his smirk never faded.“You thought you had me, didn’t you?” His voice was hoarse, laced with amusement. “I never fight a battle I don’t plan to win.”Derek’s fingers tightened around Ronan’s throat, his breath ragged. “You think she’s your ally?” His voice was pure steel, dangerously low. “She’s using you just as much as you’re using her.”The princess let out a soft, amused laugh.“That may be true.” She stepped forward, her gaze sliding to me.M
Chapter 22: A Cage of ShadowsDiva’s POVDarkness pulled me under, thick and suffocating.A distant voice called my name. Familiar. Desperate.Then—Pain.A sharp, searing bolt that dragged me back into my body.I gasped, my eyes snapping open.Light.Not the soft glow of the moon, nor the warm flicker of torches.This light was harsh, artificial, casting long, twisting shadows on damp stone walls.A dungeon.The scent of damp stone and rusted iron filled my nose.Somewhere nearby, chains rattled.I wasn’t alone.A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the chamber.I turned my head—every muscle screamed in protest.She stood before me.The Second Princess.Her silk gown was pristine, a cruel contrast to the filth surrounding her.Her red lips curled into a smug, satisfied smile.“Finally awake,” she mused. “I was beginning to think you might sleep forever.”Her voice was smooth, teasing—but her eyes gleamed with something dark.I forced myself up, my wrists aching. Chains.Heavy silver
Diva's POVPain screamed through me, a wildfire in my veins.I recoiled, gasping, the smell of blood heavy in the air.Derek's enormous wolf form stormed forward, his claws tearing through flesh, his growls trembling the very earth beneath us.The Second Princess remained untouched.Unfazed. Waiting. Calculating.Her wolves surrounded Derek, advancing in silent, measured steps.They were waiting for him to slow. To weaken. To fall.I gritted my teeth.I would not let that happen.My hand closed around the dagger concealed beneath my tattered dress. The silver blade was cold, earthy.I had one chance.A wolf sprang at Derek's open flank.Too quick.Derek turned too late.No.I sprang forward, colliding with the wolf in mid-air.The force dazed me, and the air was driven from my lungs as we rolled through the wreckage, crashing to the floor.The wolf snarled, jaws snapping inches from my throat.I didn't blink.I thrust the dagger upward—It sank deep into its ribs.A howl tore through
Diva's POVDarkness pulled me down.Not just absence of light—but something deeper. Cold. Choking.A power closed around my mind, pulling me down, down, down, strangling me in a darkness of shadows.I fought against it—tried to claw my way to the top—But my body wasn't playing ball.I couldn't move.I couldn't breathe.Then—agony.A burning pain ran through my chest, as if a thousand claws tore my soul apart.My friend bond.It was crushing.A scream ripped from my throat, my body writhing as ethereal chains constricted tighter around me.Derek.I could feel him across the distance, his energy fading, disappearing—dying."No—" My voice barely made a sound."Shh." A voice cut through the shadows. Silky. Taunting.Ronan.I forced my eyes open.The cavern walls around me swirled, soft torches casting harsh shadows.And kneeling directly in front of me—Ronan.His fingers brushed my jaw—bare, but grasping."Such a fragile thing," he breathed. "And you fight so hard."I tugged away, or tr
Diva’s POVThe cavern still trembled, dust and debris swirling in the dim torchlight.My breath came fast, uneven, my heart pounding like war drums.Ronan was gone.He ran.Like a coward.But this wasn’t over.Not even close.Derek stood beside me, bare-chested, streaked with blood, his golden eyes sharp, scanning the shadows. His body was coiled tight, still prepared for battle.For Ronan’s return.I exhaled, my fingers tingling with lingering energy.Something inside me had shifted.I felt it, burning beneath my skin, a power I didn’t recognize—didn’t understand.Derek turned to me, his breath still ragged. “Diva, what the hell was that?”I swallowed hard. My body still buzzed, my veins alive with something more than just adrenaline.“I don’t know.” My voice was hoarse, uncertain. “But it was mine.”Derek’s eyes darkened, his fingers clenching into fists. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”Neither had I.Because I wasn’t just a wolf anymore.I was something else.And for the first
She looked at Derek. His own eyes, still burning with determination even though he was hurt, reflected her own horror and shock. They both felt that moment of wordless comprehension that every second now counted.The stranger went on, "Three days from now, judgment will be upon you. Until then, you need to prepare and gather your spread light. Only thus can you try to overcome the darkness that will cover you.".Diva's brain went haywire. Three days. The countdown has begun. Each second was a precious, clockwork moment that could rescue her or nothing. Her heart thumped with adrenaline and utter terror. "And what is your price?" she snarled, voice steady over the tempest raging within her.The stranger's eyes clenched and he gave no swift reply. He extended his hand—a gesture in silence full of potential and threat. The air was charged with tension.Diva hesitated, hand hanging between the palmar calluses of destiny and trembling skin. She knew that to take it would reverse everything
The beat of Diva's heart was a war drum pounding as she led the pack into the ruined courtyard of the stronghold. The sunrise on the horizon-painted with red and gold—a bitter reminder that even a morning plucked from the darkness had horrors yet Chapterunimagined. Every step a battle cry, every breath a challenge of the shadows that would consume them.Diva's gaze scanned the horizon, where morning's earliest light and smoke from burning fires were combined. The enemy was advancing again. From that chaos, the Void awoke from slumber—its strength always on standby, devouring at her whim. She gripped her sword firmly, with brute strength flowing through her, a skill she'd had pounded into her veins and given.By her side, Derek strode with desperate circumspection, his gold eyes blazed hot though welts on his battered frame testified to a struggle of another sort. His hand is still fast around hers, a promise that they should never be parted, no matter what. They had fought for this fl
Diva paused in the doorway of an enormous room. The ground was strewn with shards of broken mirror, each with partial reflections of the past—a past of love, loss, and endless struggle. In the center of the room, balanced atop a pedestal, sat a glowing fragment of mirror. Its beam was peaceful, nearing in upon her.Varin invited them in. "That is the Fragment of Light," he said to them. "It holds in it the promise of rebirth, but at a price. To claim it, you have to let go of that which binds you to your sorrow."Diva's stomach pulled in. Every memory, every sob, every whispered promise was hers. To let it go…was like erasing her very being.She looked at Derek. His eyes silently pleaded with her—a mix of love and sadness that nearly shattered her determination.She closed her eyes for a moment, drawing a jagged breath. When she opened them again, they burned with a fierce resolve. "I choose our future," she whispered. "Not the pain of the past."A brilliant light poured out of the sh
Diva's heart thrummed as she sprinted down the stronghold stone corridor. Every step echoed like a rebellious drumbeat. Wind sliced across her cheek, mixed with the foam and purpose. Before her lay the dark threat beating like a living shadow; behind her lay the pack's warriors in a wall of growls and biding talons.Derek charged at her side, his golden eyes afire with a fierce determination that belied his battered body. His eyes, usually steady and reassuring, now blazed with urgency. During the fleeting interludes between battles, their eyes spoke all that needed saying—a silent vow to hold on, to fight on, no matter the cost.The enemy was no longer dark threat. Mutters had evolved to bellowing. The Void—the hoary, amorphous monster described in halcyon recollection of old myth—came into being. Its presence squeezed against the ramparts of the fortress like a hug of vengeful haze, distorting reality in fiendish, chaotic ways.A slam from the outside wall jarred the fortress brutal
Diva's heart pounded against her ribcage as she sprinted down the fortress corridor, blinded by the black-outs. Every step a frantic trot through the silence of the aftermath. The devastation of the previous day's battle—scorched dirt and acrid shreds of broken vows—remained etched on the walls. Every burst of torchlight made her jump, every figure vanishing into the shadows reminded her of decisions now weighing on her conscience.She gripped her side where the bruise pulsed with pain, but not pain that hindered her—it was betrayal, the cold sting of doubt in her veins. Her mind whirled back to Caelan's words moments before, a poisonous truth that questioned her who she was. Even as the pack bayed her name in triumph, she felt a void gnawing in her chest, as if something was ripped away from her.Derek's dark form emerged from the corridor down the hall. His gait was uneven; each step a tell-tale for a man fighting the battle against fatigue and hidden grief. When his gaze met hers,
For one moment, as the first blush of dawn stole above the line of the world, the universe paused as a single breath.Then a distant symphony of horns shattered the fragile calm. The enemy forces marched forward—black hordes marching with death in their minds through the valley. The land trembled under the weight of their advance.Diva's heart thudded. The energy that seethed in her was wild and unforgiving, a fire she barely recognized but was bent on controlling. The strands of light within her, the potential of the new beginning, were for redemption.The war had barely ended. Preyed on by the Void, an emptiness just coming into being, there was threatening her on the horizon like a storm. But upon seeing Derek, then Alaric's stern face, a spark of rebellious hope was kindled in her."We have three days," she repeated again, voice a soft command that rang in every warrior's head. "Three days to gather our strength, to prepare ourselves for the coming darkness. And if we do. we might
Diva leaned against the slippery balustrade of the fortress, her gaze raked over the storm-shrouded horizon on which waves of clouds seemed to twist around like maddened phantoms. There had been a triumphant shouting at last, but a cold stillness closed in about her like a second skin. All the pack roars now seemed so hollow, as if victory had been won at a cost, biting deep into every heart.He moved slowly through the courtyard, each step a struggle with his own wounds.Diva's heart pounded, each beat a reminder of that dark turn in her life. Ronan's words reverberated in her mind: "You were never meant to exist." The memory of that cold statement mixed with the bitter aftertaste of betrayal. She clenched her fists until they turned white, refusing to let that ugliness claim her future.A ruckus of boisterous shouting from inside the hall attracted their attention. Wolves—pack members—huddled anxiously, eyes wide with fear and confusion. Jorah stepped out into the open, shaking voic
Diva stood at the balcony of Blackfang stronghold, gazing out over rolling hills now hers. The full moon cast silver light upon the ravaged battlefield, shining down upon the wolves once at war with each other but now united.She should have won. She should have won.Instead, a pain was firmly rooted in her chest.Being Alpha never was a dream of hers.She had spent her life fighting for survival, not for power. But power had found her anyway.A warm presence moved behind her.Derek.His touch was gentle as he placed his hands on her shoulders, his fingers tracing the bruises and healing wounds that still marked her skin."You’re thinking too much," he murmured.Diva exhaled sharply. "There’s too much to think about."Derek turned her to face him, his yellow eyes locked on hers. "Then let me take some of it."She wanted to.By the gods, she wanted to.This was her responsibility now.She had become the Alpha, and with that came the burden for every life in her pack.And not everyone a
Diva's hands closed around Derek's blood-soaked shirt as she held him to her breast. His body was limp, his breathing shallow—too shallow."No, no, no," she whispered, her trembling hands applied to his wound. "Stay with me, Derek. Please."But his golden eyes remained shut. His skin was growing cold.Horror clutched at her chest.The battlefield was quiet, wolves still in the aftermath of Ronan's fall. Blackfang warriors hoped cautiously, but the survivors of Ronan's army had already surrendered, their commander nothing but ash.It did not matter.Not if she lost him.Diva clenched her teeth, attempting to disregard the burning of her own wounds. "Someone get the healer!" she shouted, voice raspy.No one moved.They were still in shock, still waiting for her command.Then—A person pushed through the crowd.Jorah, Derek's beta. His eyes were wide with fear, his actions quick. "We have to move him," he said urgently. "Now."Diva nodded, but when she went to lift Derek, a rough hand pu