FLORA It's been three months since the birth of the triplets. There's been so much peace for the pack, but this morning, I feel restless, weighed down by an invisible cloud of sadness, and I don’t know why. Alexia who is always more comfortable being with Hailey and her kids ìs suddenly super clingy to me today and for a little while I'm confused just as we're about to head out to Hailey, she holds on tightly to my neck "Mommy, don't go" she said, there's so many tears on her chubby cheek "What's wrong, baby? We're just visiting Auntie Hails; don't you want to see your little Alphas?" She looks ùp at me with the level of cuteness only a two-year-old like her could, and my heart melts, and I hug her. " Sweetheart, I said gently, I just want to go shopping with Auntie Hails; we'll be back soon. We'll be back home in the blink of an eye". She holds òn to me tightly as if I might disappear at any moment. "Promise mama?" I smileď and kiss her forehead. Yes baby Soon, we arrive
ISAIAH It was unexpected. I was flung through a swirling stream of blood, darkness, and agony after sitting in the meditation hall for a while, trying to get a better understanding of the pack's destiny. I noticed Flora. As Lucy's blade penetrated her chest, her gleaming smile turned to fear. I saw little Alexia waking up, her tiny voice wailing for a mother who would never respond again, heard her last, gasping breaths, and felt Logan's anguish as he held her lifeless body. My pulse thumping against my ribs, I was left breathless as the vision came to an abrupt stop. Grasping the edge of a nearby table for balance, I staggered to my feet. I said in a whisper, "Alpha King." I need to get to the Alpha King.I ran unsteadily to the main house, my legs moving as though being controlled by a spiritual force, " King Ryan" I gasped, trembling as I exhaled. It's Flora.......something terrible is happening. "Ryan immediately walks closer to me as he comes in and inquires, "What are you talk
TWO YEARS LATERMARISSA The crunch of leaves beneath feet was the only sound in the eerily silent woodland that night. The darkest recesses of my heart appeared to be reflected in the sweeping shadows that the twilight cast over the land. As if I were nothing, Thomas had abandoned me. For Lucy, not just for any other lady. Lucy was a friend, confidante, and alleged ally of mine. I had become the antagonist of Hailey's tale, a daughter compelled to turn on her mate, and a pawn in my father's schemes. But until today, I had never been alone in my entire life. As it was, the calm of the night was broken by muted weeping. At that moment, I stopped moving.With my heart hammering in my ribs, I turned tunnels to the sound and entered the woods. There she was. At the base of a tree, a young girl, perhaps four or five years old, sat curled up. Her clothes were ripped, and her dark hair was matted. Her small body shook as she pressed her knees to her chest. I yelled, "Hey," being cautious not
HAILEY We were traumatized, going through the experience of Jermaine, Jaden, and Jackson's second birthday at the packhouse, where music and laughter filled the air. The triplets took centre stage; their energy filled the air. Jaden clung to my leg and refused to let go, and Jermaine acted like a boss. Jaden, though, was not going to relinquish my leg. Alexia is the party diva herself, taking pictures wherever she goes and never allowing the boys a moment's room. Poor nannies were sweating bullets, of course, because Jackson, my little adventurer, was attempting to conquer the mountain of swathed presents. I sat there observing our boys at play as Logan wrapped his arms around me from behind and said softly, "Unbelievable how they've grown up so fast." I settled into his arms. I growled, "They're perfect," and love filled my heart. Ryan's business associates, members, and some business acquaintances were beginning to show up. Logan stepped outside to greet him and came back a co
MARISSARot, desperation, and sweat clung to the rogue's den. A lantern dangled from the ceiling, the flame dancing, casting grotesque lights that whirled around the walls. Even the sharpest of wolves shouldn't be able to track me down because I cowered in the blackest corner and was concealed under a spell. Lucy was cold and imperious, and her voice sliced through the tense air like a knife. Do you all realize how important this mission is? She strode ahead of the rouges and inquired. The stiletto heels clanged ominously as they struck the stone floor. Grayson replied, "Yes, Queen Lucy," with a display of bravado. Even where I was, I could observe the shaking in his hands as he attempted to hide his fear.Lucy curled her lip into a sneer heavy with sarcasm and hissed. "Your number one priority is the brats. Jackson, Jaden, and Jermaine are the Alpha King's pride and joy. He will be devastated if they're taken." One of the other rogues spoke up hesitantly, "And Alexia?" Lucy's glare f
LOGAN When I lost Flora, I was broken in ways I could never have thought possible. She was the world to me and my mate, my destined mate. Her strength, her touch, and her laughter had all made an imprint on my soul. But now that Lucy had torn her from this world, she was gone. Then there was Hailey, the pack queen: a sturdy leader, a faithful friend, and someone I had great respect for. However, my heart still yearned for Flora. Adding insult to injury, the Moon Goddess has tied me to another, Marissa. The same powers that had taken Flora were the same ones that made Marissa. It was a cruel twist of fate, but I would not give in to it. Marissa was involved with the same powers that had taken Flora. It was a sick twist of fate, but I would not be deterred. Tonight, I would face Isaiah because he was the pack's seer, or as they call a man of knowledge, a keeper of secrets. Perhaps if I were to confront him, I would also discover the other truth—the one which seemed to be bothering me
SELENE I entered the darkened chamber, feeling the tension palpable in the air. The dancing flame of one candle projected the upheaval in my thoughts as elongated, jagged shadows on the walls. Thomas and Lucy were tardy, and I was becoming agitated. Despite their promises of power and retribution, they had brought me only uncertainty and rumors of betrayal after pulling me into their intricate web of intrigues. Lucy went in first, her frozen smile cutting keener than any knife as the creaking door opened. Followed by Thomas, his blank face contradicted by eyes that shone with a mix of sarcasm and contempt. He'd been Marissa's friend and most ardent defender, yet now the ties are broken—we must seek either to win her back to our side or to destroy her. He used to be her best friend, her confidant, but the friendship is no more—a casualty of his unbridled ambition and his affair with Lucy. Lucy purred, "Selene," in a voice as smooth as silk. "I hope you've been able to use yourself." I
MARISSA Selene had suddenly attacked a busy road relènteñsely, the energy struggle was relentless, a bloody tug-of-war that was weakening me every second. Though I was unwilling to concede, I had miscalculated Selene's might and her unrelenting resolve to rule. The room swirled as I pushed harder, with all the magic I had left."And, in contrast to you, I have something worth defending." Her chuckle was abruptly replaced by a cold, calculating stare. She said sarcastically, "Something to fight for?" "You mean that brat, Alexia? Or did you simply choose to also act as the triplets' guardian angel? Her comments hurt me because they reflected the very fears I had been fighting, not because they were true. I had made an oath to myself to stay away from attachments and to keep my distance from anything that may make me weak, but here I was, breaking my rules. With a final rush of force, I was able to free myself as the energy collision reached its climax, sending a tremor through the room
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
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
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
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
LOGANThe grounds groaned beneath me, the motor growled, but I hardly heard it. I was not unconscious of the cold, stinging night air whipping by. I was still unable to understand their words. "Flora was his mother." "His father was Azure." In my imagination, these phrases sounded like battle drums. Flora. My friend, my mate, the mother of my daughter and the angelic human I had loved with every fibre of my being is presently being linked to the one who almost destroyed us all? How is this even possible?. I tried to calm my beating heart, which had suddenly become unsteady, perspirations across my forehead as my knuckles repeatedly shook and the words I had heard settled and dawned on me. Years had passed since she died—gone from me, leaving only memories and an empty spot that I had never occupied. And now, suddenly, the truth was revealed. She had another living child. The son of Azure. I grind my teeth. It was an unpleasant betrayal. This information had dealt me a sudden blow, and
JACKSONI felt like the wind had been punched out of my lungs.David was Alexia's half-brother?That wasn't some irrelevant piece of information we had overlooked—that changed everything.I turned to Jermaine, my fists tightening. "Are you sure?"Jermaine's expression was serious. He tapped the parchment again. "This record is old, Jackson. There's no mistake. Azure and Alexia's mother had a child before ever meeting Alexia's father. That child was David."I ran a hand through my hair, trying to get my head around it. "So that means." My jaw clenched. "That means he's been lying to Jaden the entire time."Jermaine nodded. "Not just Jaden. All of us."I sucked in a sharp breath. "We have to tell Hailey."Jermaine hesitated. "We have to be careful how we do that. Jaden is already wound up. If we push him too hard, he'll think we're trying to manipulate him."I growled. "I don't care if he gets mad at me. This doesn't involve Jaden anymore. Alexia's involved. And if David is anything lik
DAVIDI could feel the change in the air.Jaden was stepping back.Not sudden—not a drastic move. But I knew him too well. He lingered a little longer. His eyes lingered a little longer, searching for something he wasn't sure that he wanted to see.I had seen it before. Doubt. It was a powerful thing. A weapon.And I was a master at wielding it.I had to act quickly.I came across him near the training grounds, looking up into the branches of the trees as if in deep thought. Perfect."Deep in thought about something serious?" I joked, my tone light and cheerful.Jaden shifted restlessly, then shook his head once more. "A lot on my mind."I rested against the stone wall beside him. "Jackson and Jermaine, then?"His head whirled around. "How did you—I smiled. "Come on, Jaden. We've been friends for years. You think I don't know when something's wrong with you?"His shoulders relaxed a bit. He wanted to believe me.Good."Let me guess," I continued, looking at him. "They think I'm a thr
JADENI ran through the castle halls, my brothers' words ringing in my ears."David is not safe. You have to wake up, Jaden.""There's something not right with him. I don't trust him.""And you shouldn't either."It wasn't what they told me that unsettled me—it was the certainty in their voices. Jermaine was usually reserved, the sort who would weigh everything before he spoke, and Jackson, despite his arrogance at times, possessed a keen eye for spotting lies. But they were both wrong this time.David was okay.He had always been okay.Hadn't he?I suppressed the idea.Blending around the cutting corner, I bumped my shoulder into the chilly stone wall but barely registered.I needed air.Sliding the doors of the courtyard wide open, I entered the biting night. The sky stretched out endlessly overhead, and stars shone like lanterns in the distance. The stillness was a welcome change.Until I saw him.Waiting beside the far archway, David stood in the shadows. He wasn't pacing. He wasn
JACKSONThe minute I stepped into the castle, I knew something was off. The atmosphere here wasn't just charged—it was polluted. You could smell the hidden odour around here of great trouble brewing. It was silent, a tick below normal, but I'd been a part of the human world long enough not to miss the scent of deceptions when they hung thick in the air.Jermaine was already in the grand hall, arms folded, his face as sharp as ever."Do you feel it too?" he asked as I walked in.I nodded. "David?"Something was not right with him.It's not a suspicion, just intuition. A powerful, nagging feeling that twisted in my gut whenever I looked at him. He was too smooth, too controlled. Men like him couldn't be trusted.I'd run across my fair share of lying people in the human world—corporate vipers who grinned as they orchestrated your downfall, politicians who had spun deception into poetry. And David? The same vibe. The kind of person who took the long way around, who got you to believe him