**POV Eleanor**The sound of a thunderous lightning bolt striking near the cave split a tree in half, enough to wake me up in fright. I looked outside and saw that it was still raining heavily. All the animals had hidden, and the forest was deserted, inundated only by raindrops."Eleanor..." I heard someone calling me, and I automatically turned to follow the voice.Alice was still sleeping deeply, curled up. I approached and picked up an old piece of cloth, covering her to stop her from trembling. Alice had used a lot of her energy in her wolf form to protect me. It was no surprise that she was completely exhausted, and this rainy weather was perfect for hibernating."Ellen..." I heard again, a murmur of my nickname coming from inside the cave.I swallowed hard and took a few steps toward the voice. My feet were trembling with fear, and my teeth chattered from the cold wind that made my body shiver. I mustered up the courage and picked up a piece of wood, placing it near the fire to
**Pov Eleanor**"Ellen, wake up! The storm has passed!" Alice said, shaking me and pulling the blanket that kept me warm.I opened my eyes slowly. Some rays of light penetrated the cave; the sky was still cloudy, and the marks of the storm were more visible now. Many trees were down, and the plants were flooded, with no sign of life around, giving the place an abandoned feeling.Alice extended her hand to help me up and began to follow the trail that, according to her, was the closest to where we were.***"Are you sure this is the way?" I asked, confused. It seemed like we had been walking in circles for hours. The landscape was always the same, except for some birds in the sky that insisted on following us."Yes, I came through this place. After the wooden palace, there’s a shortcut, a small ravine. We need to follow the river's flow. If we turn left, we’ll go back to the Alpha King's territory. If we go straight, we’ll reach a small, sparsely populated human town," Alice said confi
**POV: Eleanor**My legs gave way and I felt a sharp pain in my stomach that made me howl in agony. In a few seconds, everything around me started to spin, and the pain spread throughout my body."Eleanor, what happened?" Alice asked, the concern evident in her voice as she tried to hold me up."I... I... don't know..." I stammered nervously.My lips trembled, a spark of adrenaline coursed through my body, and then I lost consciousness completely. I could only hear distant murmurs.*When I opened my eyes, I was on a dark surface that gradually took shape. I held onto the wall again. The image gradually cleared, and I realized I was in the same place as before, but without the girls."Where are Alice and Ursula?" I murmured, confused.I looked around and noticed that, although similar, the environment was completely different. The furniture seemed new and the holes in the wall had been patched. There were no rats or pests; everything looked perfectly clean. I heard a noise outside and
**POV: Eleanor**"Come on, Cristina!" I heard one of the women calling my mother, who seemed distant again.I wiped the tears from my face and took a deep breath. After all, this wasn't real; it was just an illusion. It felt like I had gone back a few years before the Alpha King destroyed this place, as if someone were giving me the opportunity to see how it was in the past.The women gathered near large stones and started dancing, while others placed delicious fruits and meats on a table full of candles. Drawings on the ground formed a large red circle, looking like some kind of ritual."Don't forget to pay your respects to the Moon Goddess before dawn, as she has commanded!" I heard the voice of a gray-haired woman speaking. She seemed familiar.Her white hair showed her age. She used a wooden staff to support herself and stand firm, her eyes were blue as the sky, and she had a serious expression on her face."Cristina, the Alpha wishes to see you later to discuss the wedding prepar
**Alpha King's POV**"I’m sorry, Alpha," the guard said nervously, swallowing hard. Sweat was dripping down his forehead, and his hands were trembling uncontrollably.I approached him, radiating anger, my wolf visibly irritated and growling within me. I saw the fear on the guard’s face, but I didn’t care about anything beyond the incompetence before me."Incompetents!" I growled, baring my sharp teeth. "You’re saying you don’t know if Eleanor is alive or if she escaped?" I shouted, punching the wall, the impact echoing through the room.The guard recoiled, even more terrified. "Forgive me, Alpha, we... we found the guards’ bodies and the destroyed truck, but there’s no sign of Eleanor. She might have been rescued or... or she might have escaped.""You had one job!" I roared, my wolf fighting to take control. "How could you let something so crucial slip? She can’t be out there!"The guard fell to his knees, tears threatening to fall. "Please, Alpha, we’re doing everything we can to fin
**Alpha's POV*I was in a dense forest, the full moon shining brightly in the sky, casting shadows across the terrain. The air was cold and damp, filled with the smell of earth and decaying leaves. I walked aimlessly, in my wolf form, the silence broken only by the soft sound of leaves under my feet. Suddenly, I heard a whisper, a familiar voice that made me stop immediately."Alpha..."I turned quickly, my heart beating faster. And there she was, Eleanor, standing among the trees. Her face was pale, and her eyes gleamed with an intensity I had never seen before. But what truly froze me was the blood covering her body, dripping from her clothes and pooling on the ground."Eleanor..." I murmured, taking a step forward, but something held me back."Why, Alpha?" she asked, her voice full of pain and accusation. "Why did you betray me?""I... I don't know what you're talking about," I replied, feeling a sharp pain in my chest. "I never meant to hurt you."She took a step closer, blood lea
**Alpha King's POV**"You miserable worm!" I slammed the folder shut and tossed it onto the table before striding towards Dr. Afonsos. The expression on his face instantly changed, eyes wide with fear.He took a few steps back, not realizing he was backing into the wall. I cornered him, placing one hand near his shoulder and gripping him tightly to prevent his escape."You're going to tell me exactly what you've been hiding from me!" I growled through clenched teeth, my sharp fangs beginning to show near my mouth. My wolf, Ragnar, was furious, thirsting for the blood of the man who dared to betray us and incriminate our mate."Alpha..." he murmured breathlessly. "I’m innocent... I swear..." He coughed a few times, struggling to breathe as my hand pressed against his throat."Was Eleanor pregnant with my child?" I demanded impatiently, raising my claws close to his chest, indicating that I would rip his heart out with my bare hands. He hesitated for a moment, nervous, and I dug my nail
**POV Katy**"You useless fools! I can't believe you let that girl escape!" I screamed hysterically, stomping my feet in frustration."Please forgive us, Luna, we were incompetent!" a male voice sounded from behind the door, and the man beside me knelt, trembling with fear.My eyes darkened with rage. I approached, grabbing the face of the man in front of me, and punched the stomach of the one beside him."Why? Why does it seem so hard to kill Eleanor Parker? I made everything easier for you. She was inside a reinforced truck, handcuffed, with only three guards. It was an easy job; you just had to go there and kill her, then make it look like an accident." I growled with anger, tightening my grip on the man's face and digging my nails into his skin, causing him to let out a faint moan of pain."Luna Katy... it wasn't our fault. There was someone with her... I swear. A wolf appeared to help her and fought our assassin. She was agile and strong. She and Eleanor fled together. We suspect
**POV Eleanor**“I love you, Alpha Gideon...” I murmured nervously, those last words, and I could see the surprise in his eyes...It was brave of me to come here to set things right and stop this sudden wedding, but after hearing the words of the Moon Goddess, I couldn't just ignore it and allow him to marry another.“You only gave him a child, and that makes you think you’re special. I’m also young and healthy and can give many children to the Alpha King; he doesn’t need you and your bastard!” Lauren dared to speak again, her teeth clenched, trying to prevent our reconciliation.“No, you’re wrong. I didn’t just give the Alpha one child; I gave him two!” I responded firmly, and he looked at me, startled and frowning, not understanding what was happening. “You have a daughter, Alpha... I’m sorry for hiding this from you, but you have a daughter named Zoe. She is beautiful and healthy and blessed by the Moon Goddess, just like Noah!” I said, trying to control my tears.“Eleanor...” He w
**Alpha King's POV**It was almost eight in the morning. The maids were decorating the main courtyard while the doctor wrapped a tight bandage around my abdomen to ensure I wouldn’t start bleeding again from moving around."I'm sorry, Alpha. I'll prescribe some pain medication, but I fear it won't be enough. Unfortunately, you'll have to remain standing throughout the entire ceremony so that people won't suspect the assassination attempt," the doctor said anxiously, finishing the bandage near my chest.I just nodded while finishing putting on the black suit. When I reached for the jacket, a searing pain shot through my body, and I bit my lips, trying not to let out a groan. The bandage was so tight it intensified the pain, but I couldn't remove it as it prevented me from bleeding to death."Alpha, the bride has just arrived!" My beta informed me through the mental link.I positioned myself near the wooden altar in the central courtyard, where the maids had just finished decorating. It
**POV Eleanor**I woke up, still seeing everything around me blurry. I looked around and noticed there was a crib next to me. Noah seemed to be sleeping peacefully, and I wondered how I had ended up in this place."Awww," I groaned in pain as I tried to sit up on the bed. Ruby hadn't been able to heal me completely, and all I remembered was being chased by the guards before losing consciousness. I still didn't know how I had managed to get here. It seemed like a house hidden in the middle of the forest. I looked out the window, and there was no one in sight. Maybe I had managed to escape and made it here, but I couldn't remember.The pain in my body was intense, especially where Ruby had tried to heal my wounds. I tried to stand up, but my legs gave out, and I leaned against the wall to avoid falling. I looked around, trying to identify anything familiar.The room was simple but cozy. There was a small wooden table with some herbs and bottles, probably natural remedies. A lamp emitted
**POV King Alpha**I woke up in the palace infirmary, the pain still intense in my abdomen. My beta, Josh, was by my side, a worried expression on his face."Alpha, what happened?" he asked, helping me sit up."Eleanor... she..." I began, but the pain was too much to complete the sentence.Josh looked at me, eyes filled with understanding and sadness. "She took her revenge, didn't she?"I nodded, unable to say more. The reality of what had happened, the depth of Eleanor's hatred, everything was clear to me now. I had lost not only her trust but also any chance of redemption."I can't believe she dared to try to kill you. Luckily, she didn't hit any vital organs, and although the wound was deep, it didn't damage any of your tissues. The hardest part was stopping the bleeding and containing the hemorrhage!" my beta said worriedly, noting some information on a clipboard.I took a deep breath, trying to get up, and realized my arm was connected to a large blood bag. I tried to stand, but
**POV Alpha King**"Are you sure about what you're telling me?" I asked, raising my voice in disbelief. Even though this was the fourth time he repeated the same information, I couldn't believe Eleanor would be so stupid."Yes, Alpha," he replied, trembling with fear, worried I might blame him for not keeping an eye on her."You're telling me that, in less than a day in captivity, Eleanor tried to kill herself in the cell?" I muttered again, nervous, running my hands through my hair impatiently."Yes, Alpha. The doctor suspects that Eleanor has developed postpartum depression and that she was taking controlled medications. They found a large amount of drugs in her blood test, mostly antidepressants and long-term sleeping pills," the guard informed, handing the test results to me."It can't be... how did Eleanor develop this mental illness? She was so healthy!" I responded, throwing the papers into the fire, not wanting to see them again."The doctor said it's common for some mothers t
**POV Eleanor**"Don't give the prisoner any water or food. The Alpha has decreed that she can only eat once a day!" the guard ordered the others as they locked me in the cell.I curled up in that dry, filthy place. They had shackled me just like last time. It was foolish of me to come here without a plan in mind, but when the Moon Goddess revealed to me that Noah was in danger, I couldn't bear to stay away."Stupid, I was so stupid!" I murmured to myself, seeing the blood trickle down my skin. "I need to find a way out of here!"I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate, and that's when a brilliant idea came to my mind.---A few hours later, I was lying on the floor, covered in blood in that dark cell. My face was pale with deep dark circles, as I saw the blood stain my dress and continue to flow."Oh my God, call a doctor! This girl is crazy!" I heard the guard yell as soon as he saw the amount of blood spread across the floor.They desperately opened the door and began to bandage my
**POV Alpha King**I paced back and forth in my office, my hands sweating. I looked at the picture frame in front of me, with one of the photos of Eleanor when she arrived at the palace. She was smiling beautifully, and the sun lit up her green eyes, making them shine in the photo."Why? Why did this have to happen!" I shouted furiously, throwing the picture frame against the wall.The object shattered instantly, and the glass broke into thousands of pieces on the floor. Eleanor's photo was completely crumpled. Unsatisfied, I approached and started tearing it into several pieces, throwing them into the fireplace."Alpha... is everything alright?" my beta entered my office, staring at the mess I had made, and then quietly closed the door."Eleanor is different!" I muttered, sitting in the armchair and staring at the fire. "She has harbored so much hatred for me, and for a while, I understood why I sent her to the Vale of the Rejected. But I remember that, before leaving the pack, she w
**POV Eleanor**I was thrown to the ground again as the guard dragged me by my hair towards the hallway. I took a deep breath, trying to get air back into my lungs when I heard a voice that made my entire body tremble with fear."Let her go, now!" The deep voice echoed in my ears, and I refused to lift my head to look at him again after so long. Every fiber of my being shook upon hearing that voice."Eleanor... is that you?" he asked, but I didn't respond. The silence between us was heavy, laden with years of pain and suffering. I knew he didn't deserve an answer, not after everything he had done."You... finally returned home," he said, his face serious.I slowly lifted my head, my eyes meeting his. The shock of seeing the Alpha King again after all this time was almost unbearable. His presence was overwhelming, a constant reminder of the terror he had inflicted on my life.The guards let go of me, and I stumbled, trying to keep my balance. My body hurt in so many different ways, but
**POV Eleanor**I got up early and packed a small change of clothes in my bag. Alice and Lillian were still sleeping, so I placed my letter on the dresser where they would see it when they woke up.I approached Zoe's crib, where she was sleeping peacefully. At six months old, she was already crawling around the house, with beautiful blue eyes like her brother's and she was extremely loving. I caressed her face and she smiled beautifully, even in her sleep."Forgive me for this, dear. I will miss you," I murmured, kissing her forehead. "Please be a good girl and grow up far from all this. Aunt Lillian and Aunt Alice will take good care of you!" I placed my mother's necklace next to the crib.I took a deep breath and silently left the house, walking to the terminal and taking the first train that would take me back to the pack's home. A chill in my stomach and the tremor in my entire body reflected the fear of returning to that place, but it was the only way to save my children."Miss,