RAIDEN’S POV The night air was cold against my skin, but it did nothing to numb the storm inside me. I stood on the balcony of my room, hands gripping the railing so tightly my knuckles turned white. Below, the castle grounds stretched into darkness, torches flickering in the distance like dying stars. Everything looked so calm, so still—so different from the war raging in my mind. My father’s words echoed inside my skull, relentless, unforgiving. Find Seraphine. Kill her.The same Seraphine who had always saved me. The same woman who had given up everything for my sake. A bitter laugh escaped me, ragged and broken. He wanted me to kill her? To hunt her down like a traitor? My chest ached, the weight of it all pressing down until I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I reached for my phone, my fingers trembling as I dialed her number. The ringing stretched endlessly before the call went straight to voicemail. Again. My throat tightened. I redialed. Straight to voicemail. I gritted
SERAPHINE’S POVThe morning light filtered through the curtains, painting soft golden lines across the room. I blinked against the brightness, inhaling deeply as I stretched, the lingering remnants of sleep slipping away. Today was Eliana’s birthday. Her nineteenth birthday. And for the first time in her life, she was waking up with me under the same roof. A quiet, shaky breath left my lips as I sat up, my gaze falling to the nightstand where my phone lay, dark and silent. My fingers hovered over it, hesitating. I needed to talk to Raiden. But turning it on meant risk. What if Maddox called? What if he had already found out? I swallowed, my throat tight. I had no way of knowing whether Raiden had kept his word or if he had told his father everything—the truth about Lena, about me, about the life I had hidden away. If Maddox knew, if he even suspected, turning on my phone could mean disaster. I couldn’t afford to be reckless. With a quiet sigh, I pulled my hand away, pushing th
LIANA’S POVThe night was suffocating, thick with shadows that stretched and curled like living things. My breath tore from my lungs as I ran, the sharp slap of my bare feet against the damp earth echoing through the endless forest. The air was cold, biting, but sweat clung to my skin. My heart pounded, a frantic drum against my ribs. Something was chasing me.I didn’t know what it was. I couldn’t see it, only feel its presence—a suffocating weight pressing against my back, its energy crackling through the trees, wrapping the very air around me. Every time I thought I gained distance, the sensation would surge closer, a breath against my neck, a whisper in my ear. “Please,” I sobbed, barely able to get the word out between my ragged gasps. “Leave me alone!”The only answer was the rustling of leaves, the snapping of twigs under an invisible force. I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.Branches clawed at my arms, tearing into my skin, but I barely registered the pain. The full moon above
REED’S POVI woke up to the soft glow of dawn filtering through the curtains, the warmth of the sheets still wrapped around me. The air was cool, crisp, the kind that makes you want to stay in bed for just a little longer. And then, there she was. Eliana. She was still curled into my side, her body relaxed, her breathing deep and even. The golden rays of morning painted across her bare skin, highlighting the delicate slope of her shoulders, the soft curve of her lips. I had never seen anything more beautiful in my life. God, I was in deep.I watched her, unable to look away, my chest tightening at the mere sight of her. Last night had been… different. She had surprised me, moving with a confidence that hadn’t been there before, touching me in ways that made my head spin. It wasn’t just about pleasure—it was about her, about us. The way she looked at me, like I was the only thing that mattered, like she had chosen me as much as I had chosen her.And I had. I had chosen her. I trace
SERAPHINE’S POVI barely felt my feet touch the ground as I ran up the stairs, my heart slamming against my ribs. The world around me blurred, sounds dulled by the sheer terror screaming through my veins.Not again. Please, not again. I burst through the door to Reed’s room, and the sight that greeted me made my breath catch in my throat. Liana lay still on the bed, her body unnaturally motionless, her face too pale. Her lips were parted slightly, her breath barely visible, like a wisp of smoke on a cold morning. But it was her eyes that sent a bolt of fear straight to my soul. They were closed, but not in sleep.Not in peace.Her body was cold. Ice-cold.I staggered forward, my hands trembling as I reached out, brushing her hair from her face. “Liana?” My voice cracked, and the sound of it was foreign to me—desperate, lost. “Baby, wake up.” No response. I shook her shoulder gently. “Eliana. It’s your birthday, sweetheart. Come on, open your eyes.” Nothing. A strangled sob tor
RONAN’S POV The sun was high, a gloomy eye staring down at me through the now defrosted-coated window. I leaned against the ledge, my fingers tightening around the glass of untouched whisky in my hand. Outside, the trees swayed under the morning breath, whispering secrets that only the wind could understand. But I wasn’t listening. My mind was elsewhere. On someone so precious. Her. Eliana Blackwood, or better still Eliana Moonblood.She was a Moonblood after all even though she has not been introduced to the entire pack.I exhaled slowly, the weight of her name pressing against my ribs like a fist. Today was her nineteenth birthday. A significant day. A dangerous day. It’s going to be a full moon tonight and the full moon on her birthday screamed danger. I ran a hand through my hair, tension coiled in my muscles, making it impossible to stay still. I should have taken her last night in the woods. I should have been faster, stronger—should have gotten to her before he did. Reed
REED’S POVShe wasn’t waking up. Eliana lay motionless on the bed, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths, but she was gone. Somewhere I couldn’t reach her. My hands clenched into fists at my sides.Seraphine’s words wouldn’t leave my head.“If her gate is opened, they will come for her.”Maddox. Kade. Others I didn’t even know about, like the shadowed one from last night. Enemies who had been waiting for her powers to awaken, waiting for the chance to hunt her down. If we brought her back, if we unsealed whatever power had been locked away inside her—she wouldn’t be safe. And what if I couldn’t protect her? The thought sent ice through my veins. I wasn’t afraid of a fight, but this wasn’t a battle I could win with claws and fangs alone. This was something bigger. Something I barely understood.And if I failed? If she came back and I couldn’t keep her safe? I forced a breath through my nose, staring down at her pale face. She looked fragile like this. Vulnerable. It f
KADE’S POVLila stood before me, fidgeting under my stare. She was trying to lie to me. Again.I leaned back in my chair, fingers steepled beneath my chin, watching her carefully. The office was quiet except for the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the far wall. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, painting sharp streaks of gold across the dark wood floors. And yet, despite the warmth of the morning light, Lila shivered. She wasn’t cold. She was afraid, a habit that our child picked from her. “Tell me again,” I said smoothly, tilting my head. “How far have you gotten with the mission of getting me the Silver Blade?” She shifted on her feet, pressing her hands together like a nervous child caught stealing. “I—I haven’t gotten it yet,” she stammered. “The security at the vault was increased after my last attempt. It’s been difficult.” A lie. An obvious lie. She was trembling. The lie lived in the flicker of her lashes, in the slight hitch of her breath. I knew her too we
FOUR MONTHS LATERThe morning sun streamed through the sheer white curtains, casting a golden glow over the grand dining hall. The long wooden table was set with an elaborate spread—pancakes drizzled with honey, fresh berries, and a steaming pot of coffee. The scent of roasted bacon and buttered toast wafted through the air, making my stomach grumble in anticipation. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my swollen belly as I listened to the chatter around me. It had been four months since everything changed—four months since I had finally found my place, my home, my family. Reed sat to my right, his hand lazily tracing circles on my wrist as he spoke with Callum and Asher. My husband. The words still felt surreal, as if saying them would wake me from a dream. The mate bond between us had only grown stronger since our wedding, the kind of connection I once thought I would never have. “Callum can you please hand her another plate, it’s been five minutes since she asked for it,” Reed bl
ELIANA’S POVThe first thing I felt was warmth.Not the suffocating heat of fear or the numbing cold of rejection—just a steady, comforting warmth. It wrapped around my hand, grounding me before my mind could even piece together where I was.Slowly, I forced my eyes open.Blurry. Unfocused. The light overhead was too bright, making me wince. I blinked rapidly, willing my vision to adjust.Where am I? The ceiling above me was a bit familiar. The room smelled different, too—clean, with a faint hint of something I couldn’t quite place. Not the musky, indifferent scent of the packhouse I had come to despise. Then where…?And then it hit me. The pain. The sharp, unbearable pain that had gripped my body before I collapsed. My breath hitched as the memories flooded back—the searing agony, my vision darkening at the edges, the sound of my name being called in panic. Reed. Asher. My hand shot to my stomach. Still round. Still full. A shuddering breath escaped me. My baby. My baby was s
MALCOLM’S POVThe air in the room was suffocating.Not because of the space—we had more than enough of that in this damn house—but because of the weight of everything pressing down on us. The truth. The guilt. The realization that we had shattered something that could never fully be put back together.Callum and I talked on the way back home, but nothing could’ve prepared us for what we were walking into. Eliana was upstairs, unconscious. Reed had carried her in like she was the most precious thing in the world, like losing her would rip his soul apart. And it would.Because of us.Because we had believed what we wanted to believe. Because we had ignored the truth. Because we had taken the pieces of a story that suited our anger and ran with it—dragging Reed down with us. And now? Now, all we could do was sit in this damn living room, suffocating in our own regret while Asher paced like a man on the verge of shattering. His hands ran through his hair, gripping at the strands. His
REED’S POVI didn’t think. I didn’t hesitate. I didn’t wait for permission. The moment I saw her—Eliana, crumpled in the doorway, her body trembling, her skin pale and damp with sweat—everything else ceased to exist.I was at her side before my mind could even catch up, scooping her into my arms. She was so light. Too light.Her breath was uneven, shallow, her body barely responding.“Asher,” I barked, my voice tight with urgency. “We’re taking her out here.”He was already ahead of me, moving fast, clearing the way as I carried her through the castle halls. I didn’t care about the whispers, the wide eyes of pack members watching us go. I didn’t give a damn about their judgment or their curiosity. They had failed her. They had stood by while she was beaten, humiliated, starved. And now, she was barely clinging to life because of them. I would not fail her too. We reached the car, and I slid into the backseat with her cradled against me. Her head lolled against my chest, her face
ELIANA’S POVPain.It started as a dull ache, twisting deep in my stomach. I barely noticed it at first. My body had endured so much these past months—hunger, exhaustion, bruises, the sharp sting of words meant to break me. What was one more pain added to the pile?I thought maybe it was the weight of my dress, the heavy fabric pressing against my skin. That had to be it.I forced myself to stand, my fingers trembling as I reached for the laces of the gown. Each breath I took felt shallow, strained, but I ignored it. I just needed to change. Get comfortable. Then the pain would go away. I peeled off the dress, my breath catching as the cool air kissed my overheated skin. My body ached everywhere, my muscles screaming in protest. Slowly, I slipped into a loose gown, something softer, something that didn’t suffocate me. But the pain didn’t stop. I pressed a hand to my stomach. My heart pounded against my ribs. This was different. A sharp, searing pain shot through me, knocking the
REED’S POVI didn’t know what to do.My body felt too heavy, my mind too loud. I wanted to scream, to rip at my skin until I felt something other than this suffocating regret. But nothing would change. No matter how much I hurt, no matter how much I wanted to turn back time, I couldn’t undo what I’d done.She hated me.I’d called her a whore.I’d let my rage speak louder than reason, and now I had lost her in a way that I wasn’t sure I could ever fix. Eliana had always been strong, but the woman I had just seen—this new version of her—she was unshakable. And I had pushed her there. I had driven her to the point where she didn’t just refuse to listen to me; she didn’t even care to. I pressed my hands against my face, dragging them down slowly. My chest burned, and the weight in my throat grew unbearable. I tried to swallow it down, but it rose like bile, hot and acidic. I sucked in a sharp breath, but it didn’t help. Then, before I could stop it, my vision blurred. A warm line of w
ELIANA’S POVThe dress felt heavier than it should have.Silk, soft against my skin, clean, free of blood—yet I still felt stained.I adjusted the cuffs of my sleeves as I walked down the corridor leading to the Grand Hall, my heels clicking against the polished floor. The path felt longer than usual, the air thick with tension, but I kept my head high. There would be no sign of weakness tonight.The investors were waiting. So was Ronan. My godforsaken Beta.The doors to the Grand Hall were already open when I arrived. The room was grand, high ceilings adorned with golden chandeliers, the long table in the center lined with crisp documents, and men and women dressed in sharp suits. Humans. Our potential business partners. My people were gathered too. The elders, the council, warriors standing at the edges like silent shadows. Asher was seated at one end, his expression unreadable. Raiden was on the opposite side, his arms crossed, eyes trained on me the second I entered. And then
ASHER’S POVI was losing my mind.Hours had passed since she walked out, and no one knew where the hell she was.I should have stopped her. I should have gone after her the second she stepped out with that bloodied gown clinging to her like a second skin. But I hadn’t. I’d been too stunned, too fucking caught up in my own emotions to move. Now, she was out there—alone, hurt, and wearing the same damn nightgown she almost died in. My hands curled into fists as I stormed across the main hall. Every available pack member was searching for her. Even Ronan, despite his silence, was out there looking. The elders were restless. Not because they cared about her, but because of the investors meeting. “Find her, now,” one of them growled at the warriors. “We cannot afford to miss this deal over one reckless woman.” I clenched my jaw. She wasn’t just a woman. She was their Alpha. My wife. Or at least, she had been. And they still spoke about her like she was nothing. I exhaled sharply, s
CALLUM POV The sheets were soft. The woman beneath me, softer. She moaned against my mouth, her fingers tangled in my hair as her bare thighs tightened around my waist. I smirked, trailing kisses down the curve of her throat, my hands gliding over smooth, warm skin. “You’re insatiable,” she purred, her nails dragging lightly over my shoulders. I chuckled. “And you love it.” She didn’t argue. My lips traced down her collarbone, my fingers dipping lower when— Knock. Knock. Knock. I froze. The woman beneath me let out an irritated groan. “Ignore it.” I wanted to. Fuck, I really wanted to. But whoever was at the door was persistent. Knock. Knock. Knock.I clenched my jaw, pressing my forehead against hers with an exhausted sigh.“This better be good,” I muttered. Then, raising my voice, I barked, “Who the fuck is that?” There was a pause before a familiar voice answered. “It’s me, sir.” I sighed again. Benson. My butler. The man had impeccable timing. “What do you want?”