_Alina's POV_As soon as I said these words, Alaric lifted me in his arms and carried me to his room. His room was very large and luxurious, with a grand bed draped in rich, dark fabrics. The walls were lined with bookshelves and a large fireplace cast a warm glow across the room. The heavy curtains were drawn back, allowing the moonlight to flood in, creating a romantic atmosphere.He placed me gently on the bed and went to lock the door. When he returned, he stood for a moment, staring at me intensely, his eyes filled with a mix of love and desire."You're so beautiful," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.My heart raced as he approached. "Alaric..."He silenced me with a deep kiss, his hands beginning to undress me slowly. "I've wanted this for so long, Alina," he murmured against my lips.I felt my cheeks flush as I whispered back, "Me too, Alaric."His hands were gentle as he removed my clothes, piece by piece, never breaking our kiss. His touch was electrifying. As he un
_Alina's POV_As time passed, I began to notice something unsettling about my lessons with Amora. The court etiquette and family history she taught me didn’t always align with the behavior which I observed from other nobles at banquets. At first, I dismissed these inconsistencies as minor mistakes. However, as they continued to occur, my intuition told me that they were not accidental.One afternoon, during swordsmanship and self-defense training, Katie praised my progress. She was strict but fair, and it was clear that she loved teaching. During our break, I seized the opportunity to ask Katie about court etiquette."Katie, can I ask you something? At the last banquet, I noticed that the nobles' manners were different from what Amora taught me," I said, trying to keep it casual.Katie looked surprised. "Really? What specific differences did you notice?"I took a deep breath and began to explain. "For instance, Amora taught me that during a toast, it’s proper to stand up and bow sligh
_Alaric’s POV_When I learned that Alina's transformation was approaching, my heart was filled with joy and excitement. I had always known that she was special, and her transformation would be proof of her strength and identity. It would prove wrong those who doubted and looked down on her. As I wrapped my arm around her shoulders that night under the stars, I couldn't contain my excitement."I can't wait to see what you'll be like after your transformation," I said, my voice filled with enthusiasm. "You’re going to be the most outstanding Luna Queen this kingdom has ever seen."Alina smiled, but I sensed a hint of unease beneath her expression. Through our bond, her hidden anxiety trickled into my thoughts. I wanted to comfort her and I pulled her closer."Alina, no matter what happens, you'll always be my only mate," I said sincerely. "I believe in you. You have nothing to fear."Her eyes softened, and she leaned into me. "Thank you, Alaric. That means a lot to me."To further reass
Caspian noticed the preparations which Beta Thorian was making. Curious and suspicious, he decided to confront Thorian directly. He found him in the grand hall, overseeing the arrangements."Thorian," Caspian called out, his voice sharp.Thorian turned, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. "Yes, Caspian? What can I do for you?"Caspian glanced around at the bustling activity. "What are all these preparations for?"Thorian hesitated briefly before answering. "They're for Alina's transformation ceremony. Her time is approaching, and Prince Alaric wants everything to be perfect."Caspian's eyes narrowed slightly. "Alina's transformation, you say?"Thorian nodded. "Yes. Alaric believes that she will successfully transform and become the Luna Queen."Caspian forced a smile. "I see. Well, it certainly looks like it will be a grand event."As Thorian turned back to his duties, Caspian's mind raced. He needed to act quickly to sabotage Alina's transformation. Remembering a token whi
_Alina's POV_As I followed Alaric to the banquet, a small birthday party for Caspian, I could feel his concern radiating through our bond. He glanced at me, his worry evident in his eyes."Are you sure you're feeling up to this?" he asked softly, his hand gently squeezing mine.I nodded, trying to reassure him. "I'll be fine, Alaric. If I start feeling anything unusual, I'll go to a safe place to transform and notify you immediately."Alaric sighed, still looking uncertain, but he leaned in and kissed me tenderly. "Alright. Just promise me that you'll be careful.""I promise," I said, feeling a sweet warmth spread through me from his kiss.As we walked, Alaric kept glancing at me, his brow furrowed with concern. "You know, if you're not feeling well, we can skip this. Caspian will understand.""I appreciate that, but I want to be here. It's important to show support," I replied, squeezing his hand reassuringly.He nodded, but he was still worried. "I just don't want you to push yours
"I’m warning you, Alina," Elena said, her voice low and threatening. "Leave the palace. Forget about Alaric. He’s mine. And if you don’t, I’ll make your life a living hell."Alina took a deep breath, refusing to let Elena see her fear. "I'm not going anywhere, Elena. And I'm certainly not giving up on Alaric. You can threaten me all you want, but it won’t change a thing."Elena's eyes narrowed further, her smirk fading. "You'll regret this, Alina. I promise you that."Without another word, Alina turned and left the restroom, her mind focused on finding Juliet. Elena stood there, fuming, her sense of humiliation growing by the second. She couldn’t believe that Alina had just brushed off her threats like that. It was an unprecedented blow to her pride.Determined to retaliate, Elena stormed out of the restroom and found a servant. With a few whispered words and the promise of a generous bribe, she instructed the servant to spill a mixture of oil and water at the restroom door. Her plan
_Alina's POV_I was determined to find Juliet. My worry grew with every passing moment she remained missing. She wasn’t in the restroom; where could she be? It seemed like Juliet had disappeared, nowhere to be found. As I moved through the banquet hall, I asked several guests if they had seen her, but no one had any useful information."Juliet couldn’t have gone far," I muttered to myself, scanning the crowd again.After what felt like hours of searching, I spotted a guard standing near the entrance to the palace gardens. His presence struck me as unusual, so I decided to approach him."Excuse me," I said, my voice urgent. "Have you seen Juliet? She’s wearing a green dress, dark hair, about this tall?" I gestured to approximate her height.The guard hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I saw a woman matching that description heading towards the attic not long ago. She seemed to be distressed.""Thank you," I said, already turning to head in that direction. "I appreciate your help."
_Alina's POV_As we stood in the banquet hall, I could sense that Juliet wasn't comfortable enough to tell me what had really happened in front of Alaric. I needed to get her alone, somewhere she might feel safe enough to open up."Alaric," I said while turning to him. "Juliet and I are going to the restroom for a moment. We'll be back soon."He looked at Juliet and then back at me, concern etched on his face. "Do you need me to come with you?"I shook my head. "No, I think it's better if we go alone. I’ll make sure that she's alright."Alaric nodded, though he seemed reluctant to let us go. "Alright. But if you need anything, just call."I gave him a reassuring smile before leading Juliet towards the restroom. Once inside, I closed the door behind us, ensuring we had some privacy."Juliet," I said gently, guiding her to sit on a nearby bench. "I need to know what's really going on. Please, let me help."Juliet looked away, her body tense. I noticed the way she held her arm and gently
A few days had passed since the burning in the square and the capital had begun to return to a semblance of normalcy. The people felt safer and their faith in Alina and Alaric was stronger than ever. To mark the victory and bring hope back to the kingdom, Alina and Alaric decided to hold a celebration.The square, where the execution had taken place, was transformed. Banners fluttered in the breeze, and tables were set up, filled with food and drink. Music filled the air and the people danced and laughed. Their fear was replaced by joy.Alina stood on a balcony overlooking the square, watching the festivities. She smiled, seeing her people happy and at peace. Alaric came to stand beside her, his arm brushing against hers."They needed this," he said softly, his eyes on the crowd below."They did," Alina agreed. "And so did we."Alaric turned to her, his gaze searching her face. "You seem different," he said, his voice gentle. "Is something on your mind?"Alina hesitated. She had been
Alina stood over the witch and watched the last of the dark magic fade from the room. This battle was over but she needed to make sure there would be no more from Tanya or the witch.Alaric came to her side. "What do you want to do with her?" he asked."We need to send a message," Alina said firmly. "To everyone. They need to see what happens to those who use dark magic against us."Alaric nodded. "We’ll take them to the capital. We’ll burn them in the square for all to see."Caleb, who had been leaning against a wall, slowly walked over. His face was pale, and he looked exhausted, but there was a fire in his eyes. "I’ll help," he said.Alina looked at him. She was grateful for his support. "Thank you, Caleb," she said. She turned back to Alaric. "Let’s get them ready. We need to do this quickly."The warriors moved quickly. They tied the witch’s lifeless body and carried her out of the ruins. Tanya, still bound and furious, was dragged along. Her eyes were filled with hatred and fear
Caleb looked up at Alina. He felt relieved. He hadn't expected her to find him but now that she was here, he knew that they had a chance."Alina..." Caleb started to say, but she shook her head, her focus entirely on Tanya."You can't win, Tanya," Alina said, taking a step forward. "Surrender now, and maybe we'll show you mercy."Tanya snarled. "You think you can just walk in here and take me down? You're nothing, Alina! Nothing!"Alina didn't flinch. She raised her hand, and the palace guards moved forward, their weapons ready. "This is your last chance, Tanya," Alina said. "Give up, or we'll make you."For a moment, it looked like Tanya might fight back, but then she glanced around, realizing that she was outnumbered. With a frustrated scream, she lashed out with one final burst of dark magic, but Alina was ready. She raised her hands, and a barrier of shimmering light formed in front of her, deflecting the attack.The palace guards rushed forward, surrounding Tanya before she could
Caleb walked through the dimly lit streets. The night was heavy with an eerie silence, broken only by the occasional rustling of leaves in the wind. He knew that Tanya was somewhere nearby, hiding in the shadows, but finding her was no easy task. Dark magic hung in the air like a thick fog making it hard to track her scent.His mind raced as he thought about what had happened in the square. Alina had been strong, stronger than he’d ever seen her before. She had saved the werewolves from the dark magic and proved herself as a true leader. But now, they were facing a threat even more dangerous than the chaos in the square. Tanya was still out there and her power was growing. Caleb had to find her before she caused more harm.Suddenly, he heard a soft sound, like a whisper on the wind. He paused and listened. There it was—a low, almost inaudible chant. It was Tanya. She was close.Caleb followed the sound, his steps quickening as he made his way through the narrow alleys. The chanting gr
_Alina's POV_As the door closed behind us, the weight of everything that had happened finally began to lift. For a moment, I allowed myself to breathe, to let go of the tension that had been building up inside me. Alaric was still holding my hand and I could feel the warmth of his presence enveloping me like a comforting blanket.He turned to me. “Alina,” he said quietly. “I missed you so much.”“I missed you too,” I whispered. The truth of it hit me hard. We hadn’t had a moment like this in so long—just the two of us.Alaric stepped closer, closing the small distance between us. His hand came up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing lightly over my skin. “I was so worried about you,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Every moment you were gone, I was terrified that something would happen, that I wouldn’t be there to protect you.”I leaned into his touch and closed my eyes as I savored the feel of his hand against my skin. “I know,” I whispered. “But I’m here now. We’re together
_Alina's POV_Tanya was somewhere inside the Capital and I had to find her before it was too late. As Caleb and I entered the city, the signs of chaos were everywhere. The streets were empty but the air was filled with darkness.We made our way to the heart of the city where I knew Alaric would be waiting. As we approached, I could feel his presence growing stronger in my mind. He was nearby and I needed to reach him before the situation spiraled out of control.“Alina!” Alaric’s voice echoed in my mind. “I’m at the main square. Hurry!”“We’re on our way,” I replied while quickening my pace.When we arrived at the square, the scene was worse than I had imagined. Werewolves were on the brink of tearing each other apart, their eyes wild with fear and rage. The dark magic was strong here. Alaric stood in the center and he was trying to keep order, but even he was struggling against the overwhelming force of Tanya’s influence.“Alaric!” I called out as I reached him.He turned to me. His
_Alina's POV_As Caleb and I moved swiftly along the dark road, my mind was focused on what lay ahead. The capital was in danger, and every second counted. The night was quiet, the only sounds were our footsteps and the occasional rustling of leaves in the wind. But I knew that this calm was deceptive. Something dark and terrible was waiting for us.We traveled in silence for a while, each of us lost in our own thoughts. But then, I felt a familiar presence in my mind. It was Alaric, reaching out to me through our mind link. His voice echoed in my heart, urgent and filled with worry.“Alina,” he called out. “I’ve found evidence of Tanya’s involvement. She’s here, in the capital, but the people… they’re blinded by fear and rumors. They refuse to believe that she’s the one behind this. Her influence is spreading and it’s causing chaos. Some of the werewolves have started to riot. The city is on the brink of losing control.”His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I could hear the desp
_Alina's POV_I knew that I had to return to the capital immediately. The urgency in Alaric’s voice echoed in my mind like a warning bell that wouldn’t stop ringing. The plague had returned and there was no doubt in my heart that this was the work of the witch. Tanya wasn’t dead, as I had once believed. She was still out there, and her influence was spreading like poison. The thought of her dark magic wreaking havoc sent a chill down my spine and I knew I couldn’t afford to waste any time.I turned to the rogues who had gathered around me. Their eyes were filled with concern and a newfound admiration. They had just been freed from the clutches of dark magic and they were still recovering from the ordeal. I could see the exhaustion in their faces, the lingering fear that had yet to fully fade. But I didn’t have the luxury of time to explain everything to them. They needed to rest and regain their strength. They had fought their own battles and now I had to fight mine.“Stay here,” I to
_Alina's POV_I stepped out of the room. My heart was still pounding from the battle with Caspian. As I moved into the open air, a chaotic scene unfolded before my eyes. The rogues, twisted by dark magic, were attacking each other in a frenzy. Snarls and growls filled the night as they bit and clawed at one another, their eyes wild with the madness that had taken hold of them.For a moment, I stood frozen, watching the carnage. These wolves, once proud and strong, were now reduced to mindless beasts, slaves to the dark magic that had consumed them. But then, I remembered the mission that had been entrusted to me by the moon wolf. I had the power to purify them, to free them from the darkness that held them captive.But I knew what I had to do. Closing my eyes, I reached deep within myself, calling upon the power that I had gained in the ruins. I felt it surge through my body. My mind and body merged with my wolf and I could feel her strength and courage flowing through me.When I open