Elara felt her breath catch in her throat as Luka’s words sank in. Alec had been banished. He had become a rogue. But that didn’t explain why he had returned, why he had become the rogue king, or why he looked so much like Luka even now.
“What happened after he was banished?” Elara asked softly, her voice filled with the quiet strength she hoped would encourage Luka to keep going.
Luka shook his head, his expression darkening. “After Alec was banished, I took over as Alpha. Our father was devastated, and he became… distant. It was like losing Alec broke something inside him. He wasn’t the same after that. And neither was I.”
The silence in the room was heavy, thick with the weight of Luka’s confession. Elara could feel the years of pain and resentment that had built up inside him, the scars left behind by Alec’s
“I don’t understand,” Elara said quietly, shaking her head. “Why is he doing this? Why now? After all these years?”Luka stood and began pacing the room, his body tense with frustration. “It’s revenge,” he said through gritted teeth. “It’s always been about revenge. Alec blames me for everything—for his banishment, for our father turning his back on him, for losing the life he thought he deserved. And now, he’s come back to take what he thinks is rightfully his.”Elara’s brow furrowed, her mind racing as she tried to piece together the puzzle. “But why didn’t you tell me this sooner? Why didn’t you warn me about him before?”Luka stopped pacing and turned to face her, his eyes filled with regret. “I thought I could protect you by keeping you out of it. I didn&
The pack was already stirring when Elara stepped outside. The air was cool and crisp, the early morning sun casting long shadows across the grounds. Warriors moved with purpose, their expressions tense and focused as they prepared for whatever was to come. The battle with the rogues had shaken them, but they had regrouped, ready to defend their territory against any further attacks.Elara made her way toward the main hall, where Luka had said the council meeting would take place. As Luna, she was expected to be there, to offer her input and ensure that the pack remained united in the face of this new threat. But as she walked, her thoughts kept drifting back to the conversation she had had with Luka the night before.Alec had been banished for his betrayal, declared a rogue, and had spent the last eight years building an army of outcasts and exiles. He had become the rogue king, a ti
Two days had passed since Luka had confessed the truth about Alec—his twin, the rogue king, and the man who had once been his closest ally. The tension in Crescent Moon Pack had only grown since then. The looming threat of another attack by Alec and his rogues weighed heavily on everyone. Patrols were doubled, guards were on high alert, and the warriors trained relentlessly. Luka remained focused on protecting the pack, his determination to stop Alec stronger than ever.Elara, however, couldn’t shake the growing doubt that had taken root in her mind. Luka’s words had painted Alec as a heartless monster, but there was something about Alec that didn’t fit that narrative. She remembered their brief encounter in the forest, the calm intensity in his eyes, and most of all, the strange tug of the mate bond she had felt with him. It was a pull she couldn’t explain, and it had left her questioning everythin
"I… I need to go," Elara stammered, her mind reeling as she took a step back, trying to put distance between herself and Alec.Alec didn’t stop her. He simply watched her with those intense silver eyes, a knowing look in his gaze. "You can’t run from this forever, Elara," he said softly. "You’ll have to face the truth eventually."Elara’s heart pounded in her chest as she turned and ran, her mind spinning with the weight of the revelation she had just uncovered. The bond was real. She was Alec’s mate, just as much as she was Luka’s.But as she fled through the forest, her heart racing with fear and confusion, one thought echoed in her mind.What would Luka do when he found out?Elara moved through the forest in a daze, her mind a tangled mess of confusion and disbelief. Al
For a long moment, Elara just sat there, her body trembling with the aftershocks of Luka’s rage. Her throat ached from the pressure of his grip, and her cheek still burned from the slap. But it wasn’t the physical pain that hurt the most.It was the realization that the bond between her and Luka—the bond that had once seemed so strong, so unbreakable—was cracking. Splintering under the weight of secrets and lies.Elara stared at the closed door, her mind racing with the impossibility of her situation. She had two mates. Two brothers. One who had locked her in a room to keep her under his control, and the other who waited in the shadows, his connection to her undeniable.Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them back, refusing to let them fall. She wouldn’t cry. Not now.But as she sat there, alone and trapped, o
I should take her away from him, Alec thought, his fists clenching at his sides. She doesn’t belong with him. Not anymore.But taking Elara away would mean facing Luka directly. It would mean risking everything he had worked for—his entire plan. His revenge was more important than anything else, and he couldn’t let the bond distract him.Yet, every time he thought of her, every time he remembered that kiss, Alec felt his resolve slipping.The kiss had been an accident, something he hadn’t planned. He hadn’t intended to claim her, hadn’t intended to get close to her. But the moment their lips had touched, it had ignited something inside him that he hadn’t felt in years. It had felt like fate, like destiny pulling them together.But fate was cruel. Because she wasn’t just his mate
Luka stood in the doorway, his eyes blazing with fury. His silver gaze immediately locked onto Marcus, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. Luka’s body was rigid, his fists clenched at his sides as he stalked toward Marcus with the deadly precision of a predator.“Get. Out,” Luka growled, his voice dripping with menace.Marcus straightened, his smile faltering as he quickly backed away. “I was just checking on her,” he said smoothly, though there was a flicker of fear in his eyes now. “Making sure she was comfortable.”Luka’s expression darkened, his eyes flashing dangerously. “Get out before I tear you apart.”Marcus swallowed hard, his bravado crumbling under Luka’s furious gaze. He quickly turned and left the room, closing the door behind him withou
Elara’s stomach twisted with disgust as she realized what Marcus was implying. He wasn’t just offering her an escape; he was offering himself as a replacement for Luka.“You want me to betray him,” she said, her voice low, anger simmering beneath the surface.Marcus shrugged, his expression casual. “Luka’s already betrayed you,” he said simply. “Think about it. He’s left you here, alone, locked away like some fragile little doll. Is that the kind of mate you want? Is that the kind of life you want?”Elara’s heart raced as his words dug deep into the wounds Luka had left behind. She hated the way they made sense, hated that Marcus’s voice was echoing her own private doubts. But she wasn’t about to let him manipulate her into abandoning everything she had fought for.&
The next morning dawned clear and bright, a contrast to the turmoil simmering beneath the surface of the rogue camp. The light cast long, warm rays over the trees, filtering through the canopy to reach the ground where the rogues were already gathering, talking in hushed tones as they prepared for the uncertain day ahead.Elara watched from the edge of the camp, her heart heavy with the weight of everything they were facing. The plan she and Alec had discussed—to weaken Luka by turning his pack against him—was risky, but it was their best chance. She knew it wouldn’t be easy. Luka’s influence over his pack was rooted in fear, and unraveling that control would take more than just a few well-placed words. They needed proof, something undeniable that would show his followers who he truly was.Beside her, Alec’s figure was tense, his gaze distant as he went over the plan again in his mind. She could feel the tension radiating from him, and she knew that he felt the same weight pressing do
The early morning light began to filter through the small window, casting a soft glow over the cottage. Outside, the first chirps of waking birds blended with the gentle rustle of leaves in the morning breeze. Inside, Elara lay cocooned in warmth, her head resting against Alec’s chest as the steady beat of his heart pulsed under her cheek. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt truly at peace, wrapped in the quiet intimacy of the moment.She stirred slightly, her eyes blinking open as she adjusted to the soft light. Alec’s arm was draped over her, his fingers lightly tracing patterns along her shoulder. She felt him shift beside her, and when she looked up, she found his silver eyes already watching her, a soft, contented smile on his face.“Good morning,” he whispered, his voice low and warm, sending a shiver through her.“Good morning,” she murmured back, unable to stop the smile that spread across her face. For a moment, she just looked at him, marveling at how diff
Frantically, Elara pushed through the crowd of rogues, her eyes wide with desperation as she searched for him. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps as she called his name, her voice trembling with fear.“Alec!” she cried, her voice cracking. “Alec, where are you?”The rogues looked at her with weary, sympathetic eyes, but none of them said anything. Elara’s stomach twisted with fear, her legs shaking as she continued to search. He had to be here. He had to come back.And then, finally, at the very end of the group, she saw him.Alec.He was walking slowly, his body hunched with exhaustion, his face pale and streaked with blood. His silver eyes were heavy with weariness, and there was a deep cut along his arm, but he was alive. He was walking toward her.The moment Elara saw him, the breath she had been holding escaped in a ragged sob. She couldn’t hold back any longer. Her legs gave way, and she ran toward him, her heart pounding in her chest as she
Alec’s eyes softened for a brief moment, and he reached out, gently cupping her cheek in his hand. “You don’t need to fight, Elara,” he said quietly, his voice filled with a tenderness that almost broke her. “I need you to stay safe. I need to know that when this is over, you’ll be here, waiting for me.”Elara closed her eyes, leaning into his touch as tears slipped down her cheeks. “I don’t want to lose you,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “Please, Alec. Don’t do this.”Alec’s thumb gently brushed away her tears, but when he spoke again, his voice was firm, unyielding. “I have to do this, Elara. This is something I’ve been preparing for my whole life. I can’t let Luka take any more from me. I won’t.”Elara opened her eyes, searching his face for any sign that he might change his mind, that he might let her in. But all she saw was cold determination, a man who had already made his choice.She swallowed hard, her chest tightening with the weight of the inevitable. She cou
Elara’s heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing with fear for him. She understood Alec’s need for revenge—she had seen the pain Luka had caused him, the way he had destroyed Alec’s life. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that if Alec went after Luka now, it would end in disaster.“Alec,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion, “if you go after him now, you could get hurt. Or worse. Luka’s not just going to lie down and let you take him out. He’s out of control, and if you’re not careful—”“I’m not afraid of him,” Alec said firmly, his voice low and dangerous. “I’ve faced worse than Luka. This is something I have to do, Elara. I can’t let him take any more from me.”Elara’s heart broke at the cold determination in his voice, at the way he seemed so set on this course of action. She had fallen in love with Alec not because of his strength or his desire for revenge, but because of the way he had shown her kindness, the way he had protected her without trying to control her. But
With one final, furious snarl, Luka lunged at Alec, but Alec was ready. He sidestepped the attack and sank his teeth into Luka’s side, forcing him to the ground. Luka let out a howl of pain, his body convulsing beneath Alec’s grip.But before Alec could deliver the final blow, Luka’s eyes locked onto Elara’s, and a cold, twisted smile spread across his face. “This isn’t over, Elara,” he growled, his voice filled with venom. “I will kill Alec, and I will destroy everything you think is yours. You will come back to me—one way or another.”With a vicious snarl, Luka tore himself free from Alec’s grip and bolted into the forest, disappearing into the shadows before Alec could stop him. The remaining rogues followed him, their retreat swift and brutal, leaving behind the wreckage of the attack.For a long moment, the forest was silent, the only sound the ragged breathing of the wolves who had fought so fiercely to protect their home.Elara shifted back into her human form, her body trembli
Through the chaos, Elara’s gaze darted around the battlefield, searching for any sign of Luka. She knew he was here somewhere. She could feel his presence, a dark and oppressive weight pressing down on her through the mate bond that had once bound them together.And then she saw him.Luka stood at the edge of the clearing, his eyes locked on her with a cold, calculating gaze. His wolf form was massive, his dark fur rippling with power, and there was a cruel smile in his eyes as he watched the chaos unfold around him.This wasn’t just an attack—it was a message.Luka wasn’t going to stop until he had destroyed everything Alec had built. And he wasn’t going to stop until Elara was his once again.Elara’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared at Luka, a wave of fear and anger crashing over her. She had spent so long running from him, so long living in fear of his control. But now, standing here in the middle of this battle, with Alec fighting by her side, something inside her shifted.
In the days following their first kiss, a quiet and unspoken understanding settled between Alec and Elara. Their relationship had shifted, deepened in a way that felt natural and inevitable. The bond between them, once something they both resisted, had now become a source of comfort and strength. It wasn’t about destiny anymore—it was about choice. They had chosen each other, and with every small moment, every quiet glance, the connection between them grew even stronger.Elara found herself seeking out Alec more often. It was no longer enough just to sit beside him in silence or watch the sunset from the edge of the camp. She wanted to be close to him, to feel his presence, his warmth. And Alec, who had always been careful to give her space, now welcomed her affection with a tenderness that made her heart ache.Their moments together were small but meaningful. A brush of fingers as they walked side by side through the village. A shared smile over a meal by the fire. A quiet conversati
After Alec shared the truth of his past, a new sense of understanding settled between him and Elara. It was as if the weight of their shared stories—the pain, the betrayal, and the struggles—had forged a connection that went beyond the mate bond. It was no longer about destiny or fate binding them together. This was something deeper, something built on trust, vulnerability, and the choice to move forward together.In the days that followed, Elara found herself gravitating toward Alec more and more. There was no longer any hesitation when she was near him, no lingering fear or doubt that had once clouded her mind. The walls she had built around her heart were crumbling, and in their place was something warm and tender—a growing affection that took her by surprise.She couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment it started to change, but it was there, quietly growing with each shared glance, each conversation. The simple act of being around Alec had become comforting, and the rogue camp, which h