NARAH'S POV “I'm sorry that I couldn't get here earlier,” I said to Liora, glancing at the blood smeared across the living room floor and feeling remorseful that I was unable to contact her before the hunt. She stared at the blood, allowing herself a moment to think. I wondered what went through her mind. If only I had managed to contact her before the hunt… Could I have prevented this? Alpha Van and the others had already left, and it took us several agonising minutes to return here. We had been hiding in the woods, away from Bryan and Axton, my heart pounding in my chest with every rustle of leaves. Back in the mansion, I had squeezed into the boot of the SUV when Alpha Van and Jeremiah entered the Pack house, praying I wouldn’t be discovered. I made sure I was not seen by anyone. Earlier, I’d asked Cindy to cover for me, claiming I had gone to the store. The darkness enveloped me as I held my breath, listening to the muffled sounds above. What would I say if I was caugh
NARAH'S POV I stood before the door, my heart racing. Liora had her head covered with her hood, and her dark hair covering her face. She glanced back at the corridor. “Are you sure we should be here?” This right here was a risk, but I had no other option, or so I thought. “I don't know any other person in this town,” I said, “or do you?” Liora shook her head. And I kept my knuckles rapped against the iron surface, the sound echoing in the stillness. “We could leave,” Liora suggested. Suddenly, a solid thud echoed as the metallic door swung open. Chris froze. His eyes widened in surprise, moving from Liora to me. “Narah? What are you doing here?” His gaze shifted to Liora, who stood nervously beside me in her black hoodie. “Can we come in?” I asked urgently. Without waiting for an answer, I stepped inside, dragging Liora with me. The sweet scent of vanilla filled the air-conditioned room. Chris stretched his head outside the door, glancing around to see if we had come alone
NARAH'S POV Traitor? Did he find out that I had helped Liora escape? Alpha Van's grip tightened, wrapped around my waist like a serpent. His left hand slowly moved up to my chest before grabbing my neck.His hot breath kissed the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine and making my honeypot wet for no reason. Goodness! I realised I wasn't thinking at that moment; it felt as if my brain was on a vacation.“Alp–Alpha Van,” I stammered in a hushed tone, finding it difficult to breathe.I loved the feel of his hand on me, but his grip around my neck was becoming too tight and it felt like he was strangling me on purpose.“Please, stop,” I begged, my voice raspy.“Why did you help the witch?” He asked, inhaling my scent like a drug.Suddenly, he pushed me, slamming my body against the wall. His jaw and fist clenched. His eyes were otherworldly and dark, and I wondered, was this really Alpha Van?“Answer me, Narah, why did you help the witch?”I began hitting his hand with both of
NARAH'S POVHow could Liora come to the mansion? She should know she'd be in danger if she dared to show her face here. I didn’t think she’d be reckless enough to leave Chris’s place.The guards began to roam the room, scanning for anyone suspicious. I was certain Liora had masked her witch’s aura whenever she came to town just like Chris had been doing, but anxiety gnawed at me. What if she hadn’t?The compass in Jeremiah's hand must be guiding him to where Liora should be in the hall. My heart pounded as I navigated through the nervous crowd, inspecting their anxious faces for a glimpse of her.Jeremiah moved through the gathering, his gaze sharp as a hawk hunting for a doomed prey. “Remain silent!” a guard barked, striking a pack member on the back.“Be still. No one moves. Stay where you are,” Jeremiah commanded, his voice resonating in the tensed hall.A hush fell over the room, amplifying the sound of my heartbeat. I edged closer to the front row, hiding behind a few pack membe
NARAH'S POV As Chris and I stepped outside the estate, my heart pounded in my chest. Did Bryan actually know something, or was he just being suspicious of me? The weight of his probing questions lingered in my mind, gnawing at my nerves.“I’m glad you’re okay,” Chris said, glancing at me with that familiar intensity that made my heart race. “I was worried.”“Thanks, Chris. I appreciate it,” I replied, trying to steady my voice. Yet, the tension from the council meeting felt suffocating, tightening around me like a noose.We reached his car, and Chris leaned against it, his expression shifting to something more serious. “Narah, I found Liora.”My breath hitched. “What? Where is she?”“She’s at my place. She told me she went out to get some fresh air in the woods.”Relief washed over me, quickly followed by a wave of concern. “Is she safe? Does she know about the council meeting today?”What was I thinking? How would she know? Even I didn't know about the meeting until Cindy told me ab
NARAH'S POV Mate?Did he just call me that?I stood in stunned silence, trying to process Alpha Zander’s unexpected declaration. I heard Cindy gasp and it brought me out of my head and back into—I didn't know if I should call it reality because it was so freaking hard to believe at that moment.Zander’s piercing gaze felt like a magnetic pull, tugging at something deep within me.“Mate,” he repeated, his voice low and confident, the smirk still lingering on his lips.The word sent a shockwave through me, a mix of exhilaration and fear. The scent from him—could that be me sensing a mate bond, but too busy to notice?“Wait,” I finally managed to say, shaking my head slightly to regain my composure. “Who are you?”Like I didn't already know his name.Zander’s expression shifted to one of intrigue. “Zander Cage. I'm surprised you don't know.”I definitely wouldn't have known that if it weren't for a girl in the hall who had gossiped about it to me. Cindy cleared her throat and asked to b
ALPHA VAN'S POV My mood was sour throughout the entire day after seeing the woman that I loved with another man—not just another man, but Zander. Zander, for crying out loud. We had a history that I would rather not talk about. I knew there were things I never spoke of. My father was one of those things I had shoved on a shelf and locked up. Dead as he was, he was dead to me before he even died.My mother was another because I didn't like to remember anything that concerned her. Even though she still walked the earth freely and breathed air, she was long dead and forgotten, just like she forgot about having children. I paced around my office, the sharp scent of leather mingling with the stale air. The tension in my chest felt like a weight, pressing down with every step sharper and more painful than the last.With a surge of rage, I slammed my hands across the table, scattering the files onto the cold floor. The papers floated momentarily, catching the dim light before drifting dow
NARAH’S POVThe soft glow of the morning light filtered through my window, and slowly, I opened my eyes and thought, was it a dream?I opened my eyes wide when the realisation hit me—it wasn't a dream. No, it really wasn't a dream.I hurriedly sat up, searching my body for marks. I knew Alpha Van had been in my room last night; his scent still lingered in here and on me. That's how I knew. And gosh! The throbbing in between my legs.“What have I done?” I cried in a soft voice, my heart racing as my mind replayed the events of last night.“He marked me,” I whispered under my breath, not completely stunned as my fingers ran over the bite behind my left shoulder.I had let Alpha Van mark and claim me. I wasn't so completely different from Gina now, was I? A tear rolled from my eyes. Why did something so beautiful hurt?Was it the fact that he wasn't mine and I had given him this chance despite what had transpired between us in the past?Or was it the fact that I was actually in love wit
NARAH’S POV“What?” Zander asked, surprised.“Are you Mr. Mysterious?” I repeated, assuming he didn't hear me the first time.“No, I'm not,” he blurted out, disbelief thick in his voice. “How could you think that?”“Why wouldn't I? It seems to me that you pretended you'd never heard of the Moon Jade before you met me. You cast a fake mate bond on me, and for what?”Zander fell silent. His eyes darted away, his jaw tightening. Then, he moved closer to me, his demeanour shifting. There was an air of regret in his gaze, something I hadn’t noticed before, but it didn’t soften the storm brewing inside me.“I’m sorry I did that, Narah,” he said softly, his voice calmer now. “I didn’t mean to deceive you like that.”I stared at him, every word a new weight on my shoulders. My chest tightened as the truth hit me with full force. He wasn't denying it. I had been so foolish to believe his excuses before. So many signs, so many warning bells ringing, but I had ignored them all. He had played me
NARAH’S POVThe water ran hot, steam curling around me as I stood under the shower, letting the heat flow into my skin, washing away the remnants of the night before.Just as I tried to relax, I heard Liora’s voice scream, “Are you still going to wear that beautiful wedding dress?”I couldn't hear her properly, so I turned off the shower. “WHAT?”“The wedding dress!” she shouted. “Are you still going to put it on? Ellie is calling.”How did I forget about that? “Sure, I will. For dramatic effect,” I screamed back.“That's my girl,” Liora said, and a smile tugged at the edges of my lips.I turned on the shower again and let it all flow—my anger, my confusion, the stench or alcohol, the memories of Hendrix, Ophelia and Jenna, and the mounting pressure of everything I had just uncovered. It was all too much, yet not enough. The truth was a cruel thing, especially when you couldn’t unlearn it.But as the water ran cold, something else was there. A hollow emptiness in the space where my w
ALPHA VAN’S POV “I... I came because I—" She hesitated, clearly trying to find the right words again. Then Liam cut her short. “I invited her for my wedding tomorrow. I want her to be a part of it.” Mother nodded several times. “He's right...and I want to make it right to you, Liam, and Kacy. Especially you, Van.” The bitterness surged in me again. Make it right? Was this some pathetic excuse to ease her guilt after all these years? It was too late for that. I blamed Liam for inviting her without letting me know first. He definitely wouldn't have informed me because he knew how much I hated her, to the extent that I had prohibited anyone from talking about her. “As you can see, we're all doing just fine without you,” I said through clenched teeth. “You think a couple of tears and a half-assed apology is gonna make up for abandoning me? For abandoning us?” Liam, still oblivious to the tension in the room, stepped forward with his usual excitement. “Van, it’s Mom! You—” “No!” I
ALPHA VAN’S POV“I don’t believe Gina should be allowed to roam around freely the way she is.”I raised an eyebrow, the corner of my mouth twitching into a half-smile. “I’m pretty sure she isn’t helping much by being detained either. She insisted she didn’t help Anakiyus escape.”Not that I entirely believed Gina, but she seemed sincere. “Liars be sincere until they're caught,” Curtis chimed in, his voice a low growl at the back of my mind. “All evidence proves guilty. Guards wouldn't lie.”I dismissed his voice in my head. Briefly, I glanced at Jeremiah, feeling the familiar tension between us, but he only gave me a deadpan expression. "Besides, she's not allowed to leave the estate. So, her roaming is limited," I added, trying to push the conversation to lighter ground.Jeremiah chuckled, but it was a hollow sound. A short, fanciful laugh that made my skin crawl. “The Luna is under house arrest,” he said with an exaggerated sigh. “How will the Alpha live!”I shot him a dry look. “W
NARAH’S POVOphelia’s final memories unravelled in my mind, jagged and raw, like shards of glass cutting through my consciousness. I felt everything she had. The coldness of her rage. The weight of her grief.The relentless power that surged through her as she slaughtered the entire Pack in the woods. The rogue Kings fell before her, their blood staining the earth as they crumpled in the dirt. Hendrix was last. She had saved him for last.I could feel the moment she tore his throat open with her claws—her eyes deathly cold and unwavering as his life’s blood gushed out, and the earth drank to its own satisfaction. It was a massacre, brutal and swift.She was unstoppable. The power of the silver wolf coursing through her veins made her a force no one could withstand.But what haunted me the most was how she didn’t hesitate. She didn’t flinch as she watched Hendrix’s body slump to the ground, his blood mixing with the dirt.Ophelia’s heart was a fractured thing, but she didn’t show it. A
NARAH’S POV (Still trapped in Ophelia's body, Ophelia's consciousness overpowered Narah's in this chapter, meaning everything that happened occurred exactly as it did in the past) A sort of hysterical laughter surged up in my throat, and I choked it back. I couldn't believe Hendrix's betrayal. I could taste the bile that had formed at the back of my throat as anger, frustration, and severe despair coursed through my veins. Still, I said nothing, my eyes fixated on Hendrix. He stood tall and proud at the front of the Pack, the rogue Kings behind him. I didn't know what to make of the situation. I just couldn't believe it. “Hendrix, how could you?” Jenna snapped, her brows furrowing. “Shut up, witch!” ordered one of the rogue Kings. “Hendrix has told the truth to all of us. Your atrocity is a disgrace. You are an abomination.” I listened to every word, and they rang like a tolling bell, ripping my heart out. But nothing hurt more than seeing the expression on Hendrix's face.
NARAH'S POV How would I tell Ophelia? Was there even a way for me to inform her about Hendrix’s plan? History had already taken place, and there was no way that I could change it. There was no turning back the hands of time. Just as I ran out of the cottage, the weird teleportation thing happened again, and this time, I found myself plunged into darkness. No—my eyes were closed. I just had to open them. When my eyes finally opened, I noticed I was lying on a hard, rough surface—hay, scattered around the floor like a crude mattress. My body ached all over, every muscle screaming in protest. The pain was so intense that I wondered if it was the side effect of being teleported multiple times. The confusion muddied my thoughts, and I tried to push through the agony to sit up. As I struggled to rise, a jolt of pain shot through me, more intense than before, and I collapsed back into the hay. A groan slipped from my lips. What in the world had happened to me? My mind raced as I
NARAH'S POV “What do you mean by that?” Hendrix asked, his voice calm but edged with something darker.“Only silver wolves can use the Moon Jade. I thought everyone knew that?”“Everyone? That's in the old times,” Hendrix sneered, his gaze hardening as he leaned closer to Ophelia. His fingers dug into her arms, a subtle but firm grip that made my stomach turn. “Isn’t your mate supposed to have access to the Jade? Isn’t the Jade supposed to make me powerful enough to wipe out an entire city?”His eyes turned completely dark as he spoke. His voice became awfully sinister, sending nothing but dread through me. Looking at Ophelia, the terror in her eyes and the quivering of her lips and the way her body flinched beneath his touch, I could tell he had that same effect on her.It was terrifying to watch this man who she was to marry inflict physical pain on her, and he wasn't aware that he was hurting her. Did the Moon Jade really have that kind of power, though? To annihilate entire citi
NARAH'S POV As I stood by the edge of the woods, the wind blowing through my hair, I sighed deeply. How was I supposed to know where the girls went? I was literally in the middle of nowhere. Now, the name “nowhere zone” was beginning to make sense.Suddenly, my ears picked up the rustling of leaves behind me, and I quickly turned. A man was standing right behind me, barely three feet away. Darkness shrouded his face, making me shift back in fear.Was he staring at me? I wondered. But then I noticed that he wasn't. He couldn't even see me.He was young, handsome in a way that made him seem both dangerous and alluring. His short black hair framed a sharp face, but it was the way he looked at the empty space in front of him, where the portal had been—those deep brown eyes—that told me everything I needed to know.He was a werewolf. I could feel the wolf beneath him, restless and watching, waiting for something.Wait! Had he been hiding in the trees, watching Jenna and Ophelia before the