Ronan’s POVThere was a time when I didn't care about the politics of the pack. I didn't care about diplomacy. My instincts, my loyalty, and my fight kept me grounded. I didn't need anything else.But that was before Magnus came.Before Ivy’s life hung in the balance, and before I saw the fear in her eyes—the kind of fear you don't forget. I had seen it in the faces of enemies, but never in hers. That shattered something in me. And it scared me more than I wanted to admit.Now, I couldn't shake the thought that everything was changing. And with every passing day, it was becoming clearer: this wasn’t just a battle for survival—it was a fight for the future. A future I couldn’t ignore, not with Ivy at the center of it.So, here I was—standing in front of the Alpha, my brother Kiernan, and Elias, all of them watching me with hard eyes. The pack was depending on me, even if they didn’t say it out loud. They knew I wasn’t the one to speak diplomacy, but I was the one who would go, the one
Selena's pov.The wind was colder in Blackwood than I remembered. Or maybe it was just me.I stepped through the main gates with two guards flanking me.Their presence wasn’t gentle.It was a reminder—don’t try anything, don’t run, don’t speak unless spoken to. I kept my hands at my sides and my eyes down. I didn’t want to see the faces around me. I already knew what they looked like. Anger. Fear. Disgust.Some still remembered me as one of them. Some only saw a traitor.I didn’t blame them.The moment I returned to Blackwood, the whispers started.“Why is she back?” “She should be locked up.”“She’s working for him.”I heard them all. Each word was another knife, but I let them cut. I deserved it. Every last wound.Ivy hadn’t said a word to me.Not when we escaped the Hollow.Not when she woke up screaming from the nightmares.Not when she saw me standing outside her door, hoping for a chance to explain.She walked past me like I didn’t exist. And honestly, maybe I didn’t anymore.
Magnus Pov.The air has changed.I feel it in my bones, in the stones beneath my feet, in the thin shimmer of magic that clings to the corners of the world like mist. Power is stirring again. Not wild or violent, yet.But close. So close. Like the slow rise of a tide before it swallows the shore.Ivy is remembering.And that is exactly what I’ve been waiting for.I sit in silence, deep in the heart of my sanctuary. The Hollow was once feared, now forgotten by most. But it remembers me. The trees bend for me.The shadows part at my command. This place is mine—woven with old spells, layered in whispers, haunted by memory.Here, I am king again.They think me a monster. A betrayer. A curse.But what they do not understand is that I was once their savior. I offered them balance. I offered power. They refused it. And then they feared it.She feared it most of all.I close my eyes and her face comes to me. Seraphina Gray.Ivy’s mother. The last omega who dared to stand against me an
Alpha Blackwood's POV.Everything is changing.Faster than I ever imagined.The wind smells different. The ground feels less steady beneath my boots. Wolves whisper behind closed doors. And when I walk through the heart of Blackwood, I feel eyes on me—not just with respect. With doubt.They’re wondering if I still deserve this crown.I never asked to be Alpha for glory. I was born into it. Trained for it. Raised to put duty above all else. The pack was my purpose. My law. My family.But now, even that feels like it’s slipping through my fingers.I stand at the window of my office, watching the training fields below. Young wolves spar with dull blades and tired eyes. Their rhythm is off. Their trust shaken.We’ve lost something.Not just strength. Unity.I thought I had time to fix things. I thought tradition would hold us steady. But Magnus has returned, and the old rules no longer work. I feel it in every council meeting, every message from the border, every plea from the families wh
June's POV.I never asked for any of this.Not the nightmares. Not the fear. And definitely not the war.I was happy staying in the background—patching up bruises, brewing teas, and reminding stubborn warriors to rest after battle. I was the healer. The quiet one. The one people barely noticed.But everything changed the night I saw it.The thing with red eyes.It wasn’t a wolf.It wasn’t a man.It was something else. Something twisted. Ancient. And it looked right at me like it knew me.Like it had been waiting.I wake to the sound of crows calling outside my window. My chest is tight. My throat dry. Another nightmare.Always the same.The woods. The wind. The glowing eyes in the shadows.I sit up slowly, pressing a shaking hand to my heart. It’s still pounding. Still racing like it did the moment I collapsed.That night, I ran until my legs gave out. I remember the pain in my ribs, the earth beneath my palms. Then nothing.Until Elias found me.He stayed by my side until I woke.Did
Kieran’s pov.I’ve always been the quiet one. The one who stays in the shadows, watching, listening, never drawing attention to myself. The Blackwood pack has always been my duty, my life, my purpose. My loyalty is without question. I was trained to follow orders, never to deviate, never to break ranks. My place was clear: protector, strategist, enforcer. I did my job, and I did it well. The rules were simple, and I stuck to them.But lately, those rules feel… different. They feel like chains, constricting around me, tighter with each passing day. It’s Ivy. Ivy Gray.At first, she was just another suspect, another name to watch. A threat, perhaps, or a pawn in a game much larger than any of us understood. My job was to protect the pack from her. To make sure she didn’t become a liability. But somewhere along the way, things shifted. I don’t even know when it happened, but it did.I no longer see her as just a charge. No longer just someone to guard with my eyes, to monitor and report.
Ivy's Pov.I was nothing.Just a weak, pathetic omega. A servant. Someone to be ignored, laughed at, or used as a punching bag when higher ranks needed entertainment. I had learned to keep my head down, to move quickly and quietly, to accept the insults and humiliation like they were part of my skin.That was my life. That was all I would ever be.I had grown used to it, used to waking up every day knowing that nothing would change. Until today.But I didn’t know that yet.I woke up to the sound of voices outside my small room in the omega quarters. The walls were thin, and I could hear the other omegas moving around, getting ready for the day. I pushed off my thin blanket, feeling the morning chill bite at my skin. The small window above my bed let in only a sliver of light, barely enough to see by.I dressed quickly in my usual uniform—a plain black dress that reached my knees, marking me as an omega worker. My hands trembled slightly as I laced up my worn boots, knowing what today
Ivy's Pov.I moved through my tasks like a ghost, ignoring the lingering stares and whispers.Everyone had seen what happened.Everyone had seen me humiliated.Again.But that was nothing new.I kept my head down, scrubbing dishes in the kitchen while the dining hall slowly emptied. The triplets and Selene had left first, laughing about something as they walked out. Probably me.By the time the dining hall was completely cleared, my hands were raw from scrubbing. My stomach growled, but I ignored it. Omegas weren’t allowed to eat until the rest of the pack had finished, and even then, there was rarely anything left.I dried my hands and stepped outside for a breath of fresh air before heading back to my room.The cold morning air wrapped around me, and I inhaled deeply, trying to shake off the unease that had been clinging to me since I woke up. Today was my birthday.Today, I was supposed to sense my mate.But the only thing I had felt all day was exhaustion.Maybe I didn’t have a ma
Kieran’s pov.I’ve always been the quiet one. The one who stays in the shadows, watching, listening, never drawing attention to myself. The Blackwood pack has always been my duty, my life, my purpose. My loyalty is without question. I was trained to follow orders, never to deviate, never to break ranks. My place was clear: protector, strategist, enforcer. I did my job, and I did it well. The rules were simple, and I stuck to them.But lately, those rules feel… different. They feel like chains, constricting around me, tighter with each passing day. It’s Ivy. Ivy Gray.At first, she was just another suspect, another name to watch. A threat, perhaps, or a pawn in a game much larger than any of us understood. My job was to protect the pack from her. To make sure she didn’t become a liability. But somewhere along the way, things shifted. I don’t even know when it happened, but it did.I no longer see her as just a charge. No longer just someone to guard with my eyes, to monitor and report.
June's POV.I never asked for any of this.Not the nightmares. Not the fear. And definitely not the war.I was happy staying in the background—patching up bruises, brewing teas, and reminding stubborn warriors to rest after battle. I was the healer. The quiet one. The one people barely noticed.But everything changed the night I saw it.The thing with red eyes.It wasn’t a wolf.It wasn’t a man.It was something else. Something twisted. Ancient. And it looked right at me like it knew me.Like it had been waiting.I wake to the sound of crows calling outside my window. My chest is tight. My throat dry. Another nightmare.Always the same.The woods. The wind. The glowing eyes in the shadows.I sit up slowly, pressing a shaking hand to my heart. It’s still pounding. Still racing like it did the moment I collapsed.That night, I ran until my legs gave out. I remember the pain in my ribs, the earth beneath my palms. Then nothing.Until Elias found me.He stayed by my side until I woke.Did
Alpha Blackwood's POV.Everything is changing.Faster than I ever imagined.The wind smells different. The ground feels less steady beneath my boots. Wolves whisper behind closed doors. And when I walk through the heart of Blackwood, I feel eyes on me—not just with respect. With doubt.They’re wondering if I still deserve this crown.I never asked to be Alpha for glory. I was born into it. Trained for it. Raised to put duty above all else. The pack was my purpose. My law. My family.But now, even that feels like it’s slipping through my fingers.I stand at the window of my office, watching the training fields below. Young wolves spar with dull blades and tired eyes. Their rhythm is off. Their trust shaken.We’ve lost something.Not just strength. Unity.I thought I had time to fix things. I thought tradition would hold us steady. But Magnus has returned, and the old rules no longer work. I feel it in every council meeting, every message from the border, every plea from the families wh
Magnus Pov.The air has changed.I feel it in my bones, in the stones beneath my feet, in the thin shimmer of magic that clings to the corners of the world like mist. Power is stirring again. Not wild or violent, yet.But close. So close. Like the slow rise of a tide before it swallows the shore.Ivy is remembering.And that is exactly what I’ve been waiting for.I sit in silence, deep in the heart of my sanctuary. The Hollow was once feared, now forgotten by most. But it remembers me. The trees bend for me.The shadows part at my command. This place is mine—woven with old spells, layered in whispers, haunted by memory.Here, I am king again.They think me a monster. A betrayer. A curse.But what they do not understand is that I was once their savior. I offered them balance. I offered power. They refused it. And then they feared it.She feared it most of all.I close my eyes and her face comes to me. Seraphina Gray.Ivy’s mother. The last omega who dared to stand against me an
Selena's pov.The wind was colder in Blackwood than I remembered. Or maybe it was just me.I stepped through the main gates with two guards flanking me.Their presence wasn’t gentle.It was a reminder—don’t try anything, don’t run, don’t speak unless spoken to. I kept my hands at my sides and my eyes down. I didn’t want to see the faces around me. I already knew what they looked like. Anger. Fear. Disgust.Some still remembered me as one of them. Some only saw a traitor.I didn’t blame them.The moment I returned to Blackwood, the whispers started.“Why is she back?” “She should be locked up.”“She’s working for him.”I heard them all. Each word was another knife, but I let them cut. I deserved it. Every last wound.Ivy hadn’t said a word to me.Not when we escaped the Hollow.Not when she woke up screaming from the nightmares.Not when she saw me standing outside her door, hoping for a chance to explain.She walked past me like I didn’t exist. And honestly, maybe I didn’t anymore.
Ronan’s POVThere was a time when I didn't care about the politics of the pack. I didn't care about diplomacy. My instincts, my loyalty, and my fight kept me grounded. I didn't need anything else.But that was before Magnus came.Before Ivy’s life hung in the balance, and before I saw the fear in her eyes—the kind of fear you don't forget. I had seen it in the faces of enemies, but never in hers. That shattered something in me. And it scared me more than I wanted to admit.Now, I couldn't shake the thought that everything was changing. And with every passing day, it was becoming clearer: this wasn’t just a battle for survival—it was a fight for the future. A future I couldn’t ignore, not with Ivy at the center of it.So, here I was—standing in front of the Alpha, my brother Kiernan, and Elias, all of them watching me with hard eyes. The pack was depending on me, even if they didn’t say it out loud. They knew I wasn’t the one to speak diplomacy, but I was the one who would go, the one
Elias’s POVI hated the silence.It had been quiet since we got back from the Hollow. Too quiet. Ivy wasn’t talking. Selena barely looked anyone in the eye. Kiernan kept pacing like a caged wolf, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how close we came to losing everything.One more minute, one more step into that ritual circle, and Ivy could’ve been gone. Taken by Magnus. Or worse—changed by him.The image of her face when we found her—confused, pale, trembling—burned behind my eyes. I had seen her angry. Sad. Determined. But that was something else. That was broken.And I let it happen.I had stood back for too long, keeping peace while others doubted her. Pretending we still had time. Pretending things weren’t as bad as they seemed. But I couldn’t pretend anymore.Ivy was at the center of all of this. Magnus wasn’t just trying to destroy the pack—he wanted her. For something bigger. Something darker.I found Ivy in the old greenhouse behind the manor. She liked it there. Said the plant
Kiernan’s POVThe woods had always been quiet at dawn, but that morning, they felt dead. Not calm. Not peaceful. Just still—like something was holding its breath beneath the surface.Like the forest itself was waiting for the worst to come.I kept a firm grip on Ivy’s shoulder as I guided her back from the Hollow. Her skin was clammy. Her eyes were distant. Selena trailed behind us, silent and ashamed, but I barely looked at her. All my focus was on Ivy.She looked like someone who had walked through hell.Elias was already ahead, scanning the path for danger. His jaw was tight. I knew he was worried, but Elias always handled things with quiet concern. I didn’t. My worry came with fire.I wanted to kill Magnus.Not arrest. Not contain. Kill.Because whatever he’d done to Ivy—whatever he’d made her see—it had left a crack in her. One I wasn’t sure could be repaired.And the worst part?He wasn’t finished.When we finally made it back to Blackwood territory, the guards at the perimet
Ivy’s POV My legs were shaking, and every step felt like I was walking through mud. I didn’t know how I was still standing. The visions still swirled in my head, like ghosts refusing to leave.Selena walked a few feet behind me, her face pale, her eyes locked on the ground. Neither of us spoke. There was nothing left to say.She had betrayed me. That truth was sharp and bitter. But it wasn’t the only one that haunted me.Magnus’s words echoed in my mind over and over again.“Your mother served me. She chose me.”No. No, she didn’t. She couldn’t have.But I had seen the vision—clear and terrifying. My mother, standing beside Magnus, her face calm and cold. And then… something darker. A burst of power. A light inside her chest. Something he wanted. Something he said I carried now.What did he mean?I didn’t know who I was anymore.The moment I broke free of that ritual, I thought I would collapse. But something inside me pushed forward. Maybe instinct. Maybe anger. Maybe fear.Kiernan