I could feel Thane's gaze burning against my skin. Then, he placed a gentle kiss on the bruise at the upper part of my back . We were both in bed together. Moments like these I would forever treasure.Some time late into the night, he edged back to the end of the bed, as if afraid he would hurt me if he came too close. I also didn't miss how tense he was; I doubt he let himself get a glimpse of sleep all through the night. I had wanted to say something to him, but nothing I said would make him less cautious when around me.I worried for him; perhaps if I were stronger, if I could fight him off, he wouldn't have to be so worried about hurting me.."How was your night?" Thane asks, and it hit me that he didn't realize that I knew he hadn't been sleeping. I was finally getting to know him better, better than he thought I did, and that was... something."It was refreshing because I had you by my side, but it would have been more refreshing if you were closer to me rather than laying on t
It had been so long since I spoke with my mother; the distance between the two of us—I noticed—would forever be present, and maybe a part of me was afraid.It felt like every time I went to her, she always had a secret to reveal, but some secrets are meant to be kept hidden. I had forgiven her after the promise she made to me, yet I still felt the need to keep my distance.Things were different now than they had been in the past. I hid a lot of things from her as she did from me too. With so many secrets between the two of us, our relationship could never be the same, but at least I was making an effort; I was going to visit her.My thoughts were cut off; was that a knock on the door? I listened in but heard nothing—maybe it was all in my head.Tap, tap, tap.Okay, maybe not my head; that came from the window.I walked to the window. It felt strange that someone would be out here. I pulled open the window, doubtful. I looked down, but just as I thought, there was nothing out here. I
My wolf struggled to the surface, forcing a partial transformation; my claws extended, and I slashed wildy at the face of the man who had his arms locked around my throat. Black dots clouded my vision, I was getting weaker, but I summoned every last ounce of strength for the final strike, and I knew I got him on the throat. Blood sprayed on my face as he let me go.I inhaled deeply; my throat hurt. Just then the door burst open. Thane and Axel walked in, followed by a swarm of guards."Wait outside," Thane said to the soldiers before slamming the door. He rushed to me."Riley, are you alright?"Panic.I could sense that now, it was clear in his eyes; it was clear in his voice.Axel had his eyes at the injured men."I am fine," I said, trying to rise up, only to feel the sharp pain in my ankle. I let out a whimper. I lost my footing, but Thane caught me easily before I could fall back to the ground. His eyes darkened, switching to that scary pure black before switching back, he was tr
I hated the fact that Axel simply accepted it all. It was my fault, not his, yet he still wanted to protect me."Thane I am at fault," I say to him, and that gave him a pause. "He had wanted you to know, but I didn't. I begged him not to tell you, and despite knowing I was doing the wrong thing, I forced him to do just that too.” I had never seen Thane this so angry."I'd expect him to know better.""I forced him into this; this is not his fault.""You would have been killed a few hours ago if we had a way to prevent that and didn't...""But I wasn't," I said, cutting him off."Riley, he is right; I did the wrong thing, and I do not appreciate you trying to defend me," Axel says."No. I am wrong; I am to be blamed; you keep making me feel like some kind of baby; I could be at fault too, and I am now, so if you are going to punish him for what was totally not his fault, then you would have to do the same to me too."That was it. He had been holding back the furry, and I knew it; his e
There was a long silence before Thane finally spoke up."You don't look like a member of this pack," Thane states."I am not, but I and the other had managed to camouflage as one of your soldiers; the security was tight— tighter than we anticipated, so we had to change the initial plan; the direct order had been to wait till dawn before attacking.""And who gave you these orders?" Thane questioned, seemingly satisfied by his answer."We don't know who this person is; he always sends his messenger to deliver the message.""You risked your lives for a man who you've never even seen,” Thane commented, clearly amused by their stupidity “What is the name of his messenger?" "I don't know," the man said. Thane wasn't satisfied with that answer. He unsheathed his dagger, "Thorin—the messenger's name was... Thorin." The man stuttered out."Good”, Thane says, retreating. “When was the last time you spoke to him?""Three days ago, that had been before we got into this pack.""Thane?" Axel calle
A party?I might not be good at handling situations like these, but I didn't think throwing a party was the way to go about it."A party?" Axel questioned, asking the exact question that had been on my mind. I was glad to see that I wasn't the only one who saw this as strange."Yes, a party," Thane responded."Alpha, I mean no disrespect but have you gone nuts?" Axel questioned"Offense taken. I would prefer it if you could start up the preparations.""That isn't a wise choice; a party is the last thing we need. I am your beta, and I have every right to advise you if you go wrong, and this is very wrong.""Perhaps you should have considered this when you decided to keep Beatrix's deeds secret."Axel was immediately silenced."Stop this now, the both of you. Thane, I had asked Axel—begged him to keep that a secret. Are you telling me you wouldn't do the same?" I questioned, but he gave no answer. I spoke on, "A party is not a wise choice, but if you have other reasons behind this then
Thane lay beside me, seemingly satisfied by watching me."You know you need to sleep; you didn't get any last night." I advised, though I did love his gaze on me, it made me feel… special."I can't waste this time I have to spend with you; every second is worth treasuring," he says, but I felt the sadness in his voice. I shrugged it off because I was always that paranoid.~~~~~~There were so many rumors about the party, literally everyone believed there was going to be some kind of big news, how disappointed they would be. Other pack members had been invited, and according to Axel, the party would be packed up with people from all over the world. It was strange that people could leave their homes just for a one-night party.I picked out an elegant, silver shimmering dress; sparkling beads decorated the neckline, the dress was simply breathtakingly beautiful. I had been patiently waiting for the day I would wear the dress, and I felt like this was the day. Honesty speaking, I felt li
There were gasps from every corner of the hall."The woman standing before you was not chosen by the moon goddess but by me. I had chosen her because I thought she complimented me, but I was wrong," he says, turning to me, a sick smirk on his face, and I... I was silenced by the shock I felt. "She is nothing like a queen should be, and I had made a mistake. A mistake I would correct tonight."Thane's smirk widened to a smile."From today, Riley Kaidon seizes to be my Luna and Queen."Ryker had left my heart bruised, but Thane had mended it up only to rip it apart, over and over and again.I felt like the wind had been zapped right out of me as the tears streamed down my eyes.Thane wasn't moved by my tears; he never was, and he never would be.‘He made me love him, he made me fall for his petty lies, he made me hope, and then he shattered the glimmer of hope, leaving me a shell of the person I once was.’ My mother had explained to me how Slade had broken her, and right before my eyes,
ALEXANDER’S POVMy blurred vision slowly cleared, and I realized I was in what looked like a small, empty room.The wall facing me was made of thick, transparent glass.I couldn’t tell how they managed to get me in here—there was no window or door, only a narrow slot likely meant for passing food and letting in just enough air to keep the ‘prisoner’ alive.I could only assume there was some kind of hidden entrance.My hands and ankles were bound with thick silver chains.The chains felt excessive—I could barely move a muscle.More wolfsbane than I’d ever consumed in my entire life had been pumped into my system, completely immobilizing me and filling me with this nauseating, sickly feeling. I hadn’t realized I was shivering until I noticed the tremble in my fingers.The room was chillingly cold, and with the wolfsbane suppressing my werewolf abilities, I was no exception to the cold. I tried to summon flames. Nothing.Maybe I was just too weak to summon the flames. The crushing feeli
1KADIA’S POVWhen I discovered the news of my pregnancy, I had been so happy. But I knew a lot would have to change.I had to be more cautious—for the baby. That meant I wouldn’t be able to keep training the pack soldiers for much longer. Of course, I’d have to give up that duty eventually and it had become a part of my life. I would have to watch my diet, too. And then there were other things. Like the fact that I would grow big, and I might not look the same. My toned stomach which I had spent years working on would be no more.This had been the type of life I once abhorred, but everything was different now—I wanted this. I could see a future with Alexander, filled with laughter and little kids running around, and the thought made me smile.Lara was the first person to find out I was pregnant.After I discovered the pregnancy test was unmistakably positive, I was as scared as I was excited.Lara happened to be visiting the pack, and we kind of bumped into each other. She was all s
KAIDA’S POVThe flesh-eaters were all gone. Packs that had been destroyed were slowly rebuilding; the chaos had finally settled. But there were still many things to attend to—like the few humans who now knew that dangerous supernatural beings lived among them.The human president had reached out to us; He was ready to pay whatever sum was needed to keep creatures like the ‘flesh-eaters’ away, as they could cause civil unrest among the people. He was willing to pay even more so things could return to the way they were when humans and supernatural beings lived separately.Alexander sent a letter back, assuring him that the ‘creatures’ were gone and that things would continue as usual. What they didn’t realize was that many werewolves and supernatural beings already lived among humans. They owned major companies and enterprises worldwide. From popular clothing brands to tech products, much of it was secretly controlled by the werewolf community.One constant worry lingered on my mind —
JADE POVEarlierI had chosen to spend my final hours in the little underground lair just beneath the small house I owned.At the other side of the room, trapped behind a magical wall, was a flesh-eater. I had captured it and brought it back here. If Aliyah does go through with her words, then the creature wouldn’t last until the next day.Hours passed, and the beast remained caged—still alive, still stupidly trying to push through the magical barrier I had created to contain it, no matter how many times it got scarred from trying.I wouldn’t blame the girl if she backed out; she had every right to make that decision. She was young and in love—it wasn’t easy to let go of everything for people who were mostly strangers.Beside me was a picture of Ralph. The only one I had, and the only thing that had accompanied me through the years. Many would say I lived a lonely life, but that was the only way I knew how to live—though it hadn’t always been that way.I thought back to when Ralph wa
DAEMONAliya was in the same silk white nightgown she’d slept in. A soft breeze blew through her silver hair. She looked surreal, like an angel. “I have to do this.” She said, and I could see the determination in her eyes.“No, you don’t have to do this. I told you I would find a way…”“There is no other way.” she said, cutting me off. “This is the only way. I can end the war, and this is what I have to do to end it.”I’d remember those words in the dream I had. She’d told me how she could “end the war.”Those eyes stared at me like she could read exactly what I was thinking.“Do you love me enough to let me go?” she whispered—and that’s when it hit me: it was never a dream. “The undead would be gone if Solene died. The war would end if I took my life—with this dagger.”“Tell me one thing, Aliyah. If you were in my place, would you let me go?” I asked. Tears spilled down her cheeks. She didn’t answer, maybe because we both knew what that answer was. “Why in the hell do you think
ALIYAHI stood watching the lake.The memory of what had happened here resurfaced, and I smiled. There were still so many things I had yet to do, so many adventures waiting out there.I looked down at the dazzling diamond on the engagement ring Daemon had given me. It must have cost a fortune, but that wasn’t why I thought it was beautiful. It would always be my most prized possession because of what it signified.Now I could see the truth—Daemon would have given up his title to be with me.I didn’t deserve his love. I didn’t deserve him. And yet, I wanted him.The best days of my life were the ones I spent with Daemon. Truly, he was the greatest gift life had given me, and I would always be grateful for that.But I had to make a decision.**FLASHBACK**“I need to speak to the girl alone,” Jade said, and I watched the others walk away, leaving me alone with the sorceress.“I remember it all,” I confessed. “I remember how many people died because of me… how many others I killed.”“That
“What did I taste like?” Aliyah asked.“Different… better.” If that was even possible.“That’s because I still have her powers. Even if she’s locked away, she’s still in there.”“You feel her?” I asked.“I hear her. She never stops reminding me that my time is ticking.” Aliyah said.“I will make her pay for what she did to you,” I promised.“She will pay.”…In moments like this, we truly see the vanities of life. Wealth, power, titles—none of them hold any true value. What truly matters are the small, fleeting moments shared with the people you love. Those are the things that endure.Time, too, is a precious thing. It belongs to no one, and no one can stop it. Aliyah walked out of the bathroom.“This is the best bath I’ve had in a really, really long time.”“Would have been better with me in there.”“Maybe, but I’m sore, and we both know you can’t keep your hands to yourself.”“You’re right about that. Now take a seat.”“Why?”"Or stand, if you prefer," I said, watching her raise an
DAEMON’S POVThis wasn’t a dream.It was real; Aliyah was back.All I wanted to do was apologize, over and over again, for every wrong I’d done to her. I wanted to beg for forgiveness, but we only had a single day, and I wasn’t going to waste a second of it. I just wanted to make her happy and give her something to hold onto.“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?” I asked, and she smiled.“Yes, you have, but hearing it a few more times wouldn’t hurt.”I’d decided to take her away from this pack—to somewhere far from all the chaos and everything that had been happening these past few days.“How did it feel?” I asked, and I didn’t need to say more, she understood exactly what I meant.“Awful. I was there, and yet… not. I couldn’t see what was happening, couldn’t control anything—but I could hear. I heard everything.” She looked up at me. “I did hear when she tried seducing you. And I felt her embarrassment when you turned her down.”Her smile widened.“She might have your body, y
KADIA’S POVTwo packs had been attacked by the flesh-eaters; only a few survivors escaped.The other packs were strengthening their security to avoid being caught off guard. Humans weren’t exempted; many had reportedly gone ‘missing.’ Though their government was doing its best to cover things up, it wouldn’t be long before they could no longer dismiss it as a ‘serial killer attack,’ the work of ‘kidnappers,’ or even ‘wild animal attacks.’We continued to receive a flood of messages from packs allied with us, requesting aid and weapons. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t help them all. The Nightshade Pack was under curfew—only patrollers and soldiers were allowed outside after nightfall. It was a necessary safety measure, even though the flesh-eaters still lingered to the south.I watched as Alexander opened an envelope and pulled out a letter.“What’s that?” I asked.“A letter requesting aid. What’s the pack’s financial situation?” he asked, and I pulled out the file.“It’s the