MARISSAThe packhouse was eerily silent, as if the walls themselves grappled with making sense of what had happened. Smoke and the bitter taste of burned magic clung in the air, mingling with the raw emotion that radiated from all assembled. My own heart pounded in every beat as I took in the scene before me.Logan—our Logan—kneeling on the ground, broken.I had never witnessed him so broken. Never. This resilient man had never been so broken. Yet even I had no idea how to process all of these new information. Flora had been so devoted and loving to her mate and child so this revelation is simply too astounding. The man who had been a rock of fortitude, who had battled and fought and led wars and defended his daughter with a ferocity that shook the world—cried.Hailey sat next to him, her presence in itself a soothing balm of reassurance, but even she could not repair this. Some wounds cut too deep. Some truths dismantled everything. Flora was her best friend yet she seemed so lost r
ISAIAHThe air was thick with heaviness. Magic clung like a heavy fog, the stench of incense and old shadows poisoning every breath I took. My flesh itched as the remnant of David's black magic clung to the packhouse walls, a harbinger of what was to come.All of that was nothing compared to the devastation in Logan's eyes before he shifted and vanished into the shadows.I had seen so much sorrow, could foresee so many losses to come. And yet even my gift—the visions the divine had given me—the visions could not prepare me for the bare, suffocating despair that consumed Logan.Flora had been his everything. His salvation for a lifetime of pain. And to discover that she was never his to begin with? That their bond was an illusion of magic?It shattered something inside him that might never heal.Hailey was where Logan had just left, her jaw set, her fists clenched. Her words echoed in my mind."We have to kill him."And she was right.David had grown beyond what I had foreseen. He had
TURTELAThe second I entered my chambers, the weight of it all came crashing upon me.I had held on in that room, standing before my family, as I watched the breaking of a man I had known my entire life. Logan—the hard-as-nails warrior, the father figure who had always stridden so fearlessly—became something raw and broken.And David…That smug, condescending grin. The ring of his laughter echoing, taunting us after his devastation.I clung to the doorframe, shaking hand. I was gasping for breath, constricted chest, scorched throat. I had fought so hard to have some kind of strength in that room, not to break down. But now, here in the privacy of my own chambers, I could finally release it all.A sob of shuddering tore from my throat as I dropped to knees.It was too much.The lying and the betrayal and the war roiling outside our walls. Feeling powerless gnawed at me like a sickness. I was always the bright one, the warm one, the one with the smile that could find humor even in dire
AARONThe past had a way of creeping back in, no matter how much I tried to hide it.I'd had a craving for power. No, that was too weak—I'd been obsessed with it. Power was my aim, my constant thought. And Hailey… Hailey had been my fixation, the crown treasure that I believed I ought to have claimed.I had spent years believing I deserved the throne, deserving of her love. If I had been Alpha King and not Ryan, I would be the one standing beside her, ruling alongside her. I had wanted it at any cost, so much so that I had lost myself in its longing.Time had taken away the illusions from me, forcing me to face reality. Then, meeting my mate and having my beautiful Aurora finally subdued my person, and all my unnecessary cravings disappeared. Hailey wasn't ever going to be my own. And power? Power was a momentary flash, a burden that could destroy the very person that held it. I had seen what it did to others, seen how the burden of it had nearly shattered Hailey.And now I was watch
FLORAThe mirror beat like a living creature under my fingers. Magic seemed to vibrate through the glass, warping my reflection before it stabilized into something more… recognizable.Hailey was alone in her room, her back to me, shoulders rigid. Her crown had never been suited for her, yet she wore it like a fighter.It was nearly admirable. Nearly.I smiled, lightly touching my fingers to the glass. The connection happened, and the flickering candle flame dancing in her room died. The air was thick with the scent of roses and decay.She felt it.I watched her stiffen, her wolf creeping up from beneath her skin. She slowly turned.And she saw me.Her eyes widened, but she did not move.Good."Hello, Hailey," I whispered, my voice thick with amusement.She didn't blink. Didn't even flinch. She just glared as if daring me to justify my existence.It's been years since I'd taken a good look at her, and she was still the same.Still ferocious. Still regal. Still, the woman who'd brought
DAVIDThe room was dimly lit, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows on the stone walls. Burning sage filled the air with its scent and something far more bitter—dark magic at work.I stood centre, hands clasped behind my back, exuding an aura of authority. But inwardly, my blood churned with impatience. Things were going too slow for my liking. I couldn't take the sluggish progression of things. Hailey should've been mine now, or at least she should've warmed up towards me.Both of the women before me—one my mother, the other a baseline friend—were the only ones I had allowed close enough to stand beside me and fight in this battle. That did not mean I trusted them.Flora, my mother, reclined lazily on a gold chair, draped in a sumptuous emerald robe that appeared to throb with vital energy. The years had not touched her beauty. If anything, she was even more beautiful now, her once-benevolent features sharpened into something deadly."You appear troubled, my son," she purre
MARISSA The moment I stepped into the packhouse hallways, a chill went down my spine. Not because of the cold—it was something different. A warning. A hint of darkness, of unnaturalness. I am not alone yet I see no one. The atmosphere was vile. The smell of wood and heat was overlaid with something bitter, something rotting. I gritted my teeth. Dark magic. My grip on the hilt of my dagger tightened as I moved, silent and cautious. I had lived under Hailey's command for too long to dismiss my instincts. They had saved me too many times. And now? Something was wrong. An unnatural being is in with me. All my instincts were screaming that something was horribly amiss. I made the turn, my boots making a mere whisper against the floorboards. The packhouse was too quiet. Hailey's warriors were on high alert, but even they couldn't sense what I could. Because this wasn't an enemy within our walls. This was something otherworldly. And then—I heard it. A whisper. A soft, mock
CONNORThe air was thick with the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves. The full moon hung low in the sky, its light an unearthly glow on the forest. There was a storm on the horizon—I could feel it in my bones, in the way the wind blew whispers through the trees.I was not so easily intimidated. As the Bear King, fear was something I had lost long ago. But tonight?Tonight was different.My warriors were out in the land, watching the borders as they always did, but I knew they would not see what I had been summoned to find out. Or at least—who?I don't like this.The deeper I get into the forest, the more loudly my instincts scream at me to return. The trees rise higher here, their branches curled like skeletal fingers reaching for something unseen. The air is thick—wrong—charged with something I don't recognize. Magic.I was summoned. Summoned. As if some lower creature to heel. The very thought makes my teeth ache. I am the King of Bears. I bow to no one.And yet… here I am.Flor
JERMAINEThere was something about the struggle that lingered in the air long after the final enemy fell. A weight, a thrum of residual power that clung to the soul like an ethereal resonance of the dead.Though Thomas's dying breath was swallowed by silence, I could sense him.Or his shadow.His anger.His desperation.His defeat.I leaned against the broken trellis, chest heaving, heart still racing from the battle. The garden rested in shambles—blossoms shattered beneath heavy heel marks, the smoldering scorch scars of Isaiah's and Kael's fury staining the once spotless paths. Death and potency clung in the air, but what had me unsettled the most was the icy stillness that came after.Jackson was cleaning blood from his sword, face unemotional. Jaden was still standing at the ready, golden eyes scanning the area, refusing to believe that it was truly finished.Our father was standing in the center, shoulders locked, staring down at the spot where Thomas once was.Those words were r
HAILEYThe air was quiet, save for my breathing, as regular as the tick of a clock. Sleep held me in its grasp like a heavy fog, but some power pulled me out of its depths—a discord in the air, an awkward shift that didn't belong.I didn't wake, didn't flinch so much as a muscle to show I knew anything, but my senses were on high alert. The scent hit me next—bitter and flavored with evil.David.The moment stretched, charged and taut. I felt him in the darkness, holding back just beyond the edge of night. He thought me vulnerable. He thought he held the advantage.He was wrong.A breath of movement, a mere stir in the air—then a knife descended at my throat.My eyes snapped open.Before he could bring his knife to my skin, I closed my hand about his wrist in an unbreakable grip. His eyes widened, shock crossing his face. He tried to pull away, but I held tighter, bones snapping under my fingers."You're a fool, David," I breathed, my voice a killing whisper.He snarled, twisting in my
TURTELANight air was quiet, but there was something moving in the space around us. One moment we were sitting there, tension still thick with all that had happened, and then—I felt it.A tug deep inside me, as if an unseen string had been pulled taut and back into position. A rush of heat washed over me, as if stepping out into a frigid winter's night and into the sun. I gasped, my eyes wide with shock as my heart knew before my mind could."Mother," I whispered.I wasn't alone. Alexia drew in a harsh breath next to me, her hold on the rim of the stone table tightening. Jermaine and Jackson both stiffened sharply, their heads snapping up at the same moment. Aaron leapt out of his chair so fast the chair scraped harshly on the floor.And then, as a group, we moved.No words were ever spoken. We all knew it—the instant she was back. We ran in, our shoes clattering in the corridors, hearts racing with a single, desperate desire.We discovered them in their room.Ryan stood his ground n
HAILEYThe air was heavy with the smell of fire and blood. As soon as I entered the room, I saw Ryan.Or Ares.His wolf had emerged fully, and the sight of him sent a shiver down my spine—one not of fear, but of ragged, gnawing worry. His massive body was tense, his muscles rippling as barely repressed fury rolled off him in waves. The golden sheen of his irises had been darkened to black, the edges dancing like the embers of a dying fire.And at his feet—nothing but ash remained.Azure was gone. Not dead—destroyed.Ryan—Ares—had seen to that.The smell of charred flesh still hung in the air, but it wasn't what caught my eye. It was how his body shook, not with fatigue, but with rage barely in check. The monster within him was still fighting to get blood, still fighting to tear something—someone—limb from limb.He was losing it. Losing control to his wolf's instincts.And if I didn't stop him now, he would never come back.I crept forward, slowly, slowly, very slowly."Ares," I breath
RYANAgony.It started as a dull ache, a pressure in my ribs, then spread like wildfire throughout my entire body. It was like some thing had been wrapped around my soul—tight, choking, unyielding—and now it was being ripped away.I gasped, my head spinning, my muscles freezing as I collapsed onto the cold, wet stone beneath me. The chains that had bound me all these years clattered against the floor, and suddenly—air was mine.The spell was broken.I balled my fists, the rush of power surging back into my veins, my wolf snarling inside me, at last released after months of being suppressed and quiet. I drew in a deep breath, the stale air of my imprisonment now mixed with something else—power. A commanding, familiar, and unbreakable presence.Hailey.She did it.I let out a whoop of breathless laughter, my lips spreading in a savage grin. My mate had broken the spell. And that left only one possibility—anyone who'd placed it there was dead.Athena.I could feel it, the traces of her m
THOMASThe scent of blood and power hung heavy in the air. I floated through the garden like a specter, in fast, striking hard.Jackson didn't have time to blink before my fist hit his ribcage, and he reeled back into the stone table. His wine glass shattered against it, crimson liquid spreading across the ground like blood.He coughed, rolling onto his side, but I didn't give him a chance to catch his breath. I launched myself at him again, claws extended—A shock of energy struck my side.I was knocked back, crashing through a stone pillar before I landed on the ground with a grunt. Fire coursed through me, but I didn't have time to register it. I leapt up onto my feet as Adrian appeared in front of me, fangs bared.“You’re either stupid or desperate,” he hissed. “Attacking us here?”I wiped blood from my mouth and grinned. “A little of both.”Jermaine and Jaden were already flanking me, their wolves prowling just beneath the surface. Aurora stood behind them, golden eyes glowing, h
AURORA" Damn Auntie, you certainly are queen."I looked at her.At Her.The Queen of All Species. The Unbreakable. The one whose name carried the legends' weight and whispered fear into the hearts of the enemy.And yet, up until this time, I had never truly seen her.Hailey between the dying sparks of magic, power still snapping in the air like a tempest that will not be silenced. Light and darkness curled about her as though the universe knew whom it was dealing with. Outside, wind howled, but inside was only silence—thickness, gagging, wonder-struck silence.I had believed myself strong beforehand. But facing her there, looking at her after what had just transpired between us, I realized something profound."I see now," I gasped, my words struggling to come above the still-pulsing magic.Those eyes turned upon me—aged, knowing, unreadable.I gulped, perspiration tickling against my skin. "I understand why every mighty ruler wanted you as his wife."It wasn't her power, though that
HAILEYThe moon rode high in the sky, dropping a chill silver light across the castle grounds. I rested my arms against the railing on the balcony's edge, drawing in deep gulps of the night air. My hands grasped the railing tightly as I fought to suppress the fury simmering in my blood. Ryan was lost. Athena had cursed him. And that could mean only one thing—tonight, we hunted.Behind me, Aurora stepped forward, her golden eyes burning with determination. She had not spoken a word since the devastation in the war room, but now there was a tempest raging inside of her, quietly. Her wolf was restless, hungry for revenge."Ready?" I asked.Aurora nodded, rolling her shoulders. "More than ready."I turned and moved towards the door. We did not need an army to accomplish this. This was a personal matter. Athena had crossed a line, and she would suffer the consequences.As we strode through the castle corridors, the torches along the stone walls started to dance furiously, reacting to the s
JADENThe air in the war room was so tight you could strangle on it.Jermaine sat at one end of the long wooden table, folded arms crossed over his chest, face immobile. Jackson was leaning back in his chair, scowling as he beat a single, slow finger against the armrest. I couldn't sit still, pacing up and down the length of the room like a caged animal.The silence had lingered for too long.Then Jermaine finally spoke."We must discuss the prophecy."Jackson mocked. "Now you're interested in it?"Jermaine's eyes narrowed. "I've always been interested."I stopped pacing, spinning around to face them both. "Then why do you sound like you're only bringing this up now?" I snapped. "Ryan—our dad—is missing. Can't we be more worried about finding him rather than arguing about some prophecy that's been hanging over our heads since we were born?"Jermaine expelled a rough breath, gazing at me as if I were being silly. "We're not dealing with any prophecy here, Jaden. This one tells us that