Klaus' POV “He agreed to it.” I lifted my head from the papers sprawled across my desk as Alicia strolled into the room, a smug smile tugging at her lips. “Sebastian wants to destroy the power that saved him.” I nodded, barely listening. Her words didn’t stir me much. Ever since she’d first whispered about witches—those shadowy, powerful creatures lurking somewhere out there—my mind had held onto them. I didn’t care about Sebastian’s little crisis. Witches were all I could think about. I needed them. Just one would do—one strong, loyal witch who’d bend to my will. With her, I could create hybrid children, fierce and unstoppable. I’d become the most powerful Lycan in the realm, a king among beasts. No one would dare challenge me then. “Even if it doesn’t kill her,” Alicia went on, snapping me out of my daydream, “with her powers gone, we can have the werewolf hunters—” I shot to my feet, slamming my fists onto the desk so hard the wood groaned. “What are you talking about?” M
Eleanor's POV It had been three days since Sebastian last set foot in the room we shared. Three long, quiet days. He’d been acting strange, pulling away from me, and I knew deep down it had something to do with me. He’d brushed off every gentle touch I’d tried to offer. And now? He hadn’t even bothered to check if I was okay. Not once. I sat on the edge of our bed, staring at the empty space where he used to sleep, and felt a hot spark of anger flare up inside me. How could he just vanish like that? I was furious with him now. How dare he humiliate me like this—abandoning our chambers to spend three nights in his concubine’s room? Alicia. She must be having a good time with what's going on.She’d been floating around the palace like she owned it, her feet barely touching the ground, a smug little smirk on her face. Every time she passed me, she’d toss out some sharp, provoking comment—nothing big, just enough to sting. She was trying to get under my skin, and it was working. B
Klaus' POV I leaned against the wall in the guest chamber, inhaling the sweet, musky scent of wolfsbane oil burning in the corner lamp. It was a smell that always lingered in powerful werewolf strongholds—sharp and earthy, meant to calm the beast inside us. But it did nothing for me today. I was restless, waiting for Eleanor to show up. My fingers tapped against my thigh as I pictured her face—those sharp eyes, that proud tilt of her chin. She had no idea what I had planned. The door creaked open, and there she was. Eleanor stepped in, her movements slow and careful, like she was sizing me up. I could see the surprise flickering in her gaze. She hadn’t expected me to call for her. I straightened up, flashing a quick smile, and took her hand. I brushed my lips against her knuckles in a show of respect—an adoration kiss, all polished and proper. She didn’t pull away, but her fingers felt stiff in mine. We sat down across from each other at the small wooden table, the air between u
Eleanor's POV I paced back and forth across the room, my boots thumping against the cold stone floor. Anger poured out of me like heat from a fire, and deep inside, my wolf spirit clawed at my chest, itching to break free. She was mad—furious—and she wanted to take over, to rip through the walls and howl at the world. I clenched my fists and sucked in a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “No,” I whispered to her, to myself. “I’m in control. I have to be.” I couldn’t let my impulses win, not now. Not when everything felt like it was falling apart. The hurt stabbed at me, sharp and deep, like a knife twisting in my gut. Sebastian’s betrayal burned worse than anything. He’d somehow figured out something about me—something I wasn’t even sure was true—and instead of talking to me, he’d walked away. Three days gone, sleeping in Alicia’s chambers, leaving me here alone, forgetting the power he hated was what brought him to life. And now he had the nerve to send Klaus, of all peo
Eleanor's POV Curiosity gnawed at me like a hungry wolf, tugging me toward Klaus’ mansion two days after our last talk. I couldn’t shake what he’d said—those cryptic words about Sebastian and the Capris coven. Why hadn’t Sebastian come to me himself? Why send Klaus with his sly smiles and half-truths? The questions spun in my head, loud and restless, until I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to know what was going on, even if it meant walking straight into Klaus’ den. His mansion loomed ahead as I approached, all dark stone and sharp edges, surrounded by tall pines that creaked in the wind. Inside, he led me to a small, sturdy library—a room packed with shelves of dusty books and a single table lit by a chandelier. The air smelled of old paper and a thick fragrance trying to cover the smell of the old papers. I sat down on a hard wooden chair, my hands clasped tight in my lap, watching him. He stood across from me, his face unreadable, and then he spoke. “I wasn’t sent by Sebast
Alicia's POV Everything about Eleanor made my skin crawl. The way she strutted around like she was some grand wolf, all because she had a few fancy powers—it was disgusting. She acted like she was better than everyone, her nose practically in the air, her eyes glinting with that smug confidence. Well, not for long. I was going to wipe that haughty look off her face once and for all. Eleanor’s time was up, and I’d be the one to end it. Sebastian’s warning from that morning rang in my ears as I stood in Klaus’ kitchen, stirring the ash of the Rowan tree into a pot of steaming water. “Don’t do anything,” he’d said, his voice low and firm, his hand gripping my arm. “I’ll get to the bottom of this myself and talk to her. You’re not to breathe a word of it to anyone.” I’d smirked at him then, but now, alone with my brew, I let out a cackle—a sharp, wild sound that bounced off the stone walls. Too late, Sebastian. Way too late. I wasn’t just going to strip her powers away. If she sur
Caddal's POV I paced the creaky wooden floor of my chamber—or as much as I could pace, stuck in this cursed wheelchair. Impatience ate at me, gnawing like a hungry dog. My Eleanor, my little girl, had blossomed late, but oh, how she’d grown—strong, fierce, and gifted with powers I’d always seen in her. I’d known it from the start. How could she not have them? Her mother was… No. I shook my head hard, shoving that thought away before it could take root. Eleanor was mine—my daughter, my blood, my pride. That was all that mattered. Days dragged by in slow, painful agony. Time slipped through my fingers like sand, wasted and useless, as I sat here waiting for her to come back to me. She’d return, I told myself over and over, staring out the window at the gray sky. I’m her father, after all. She’ll come running, saying, “I’m here, Father.” But she didn’t. The silence stretched on, heavy and mocking, and deep down, I knew why. Sebastian. That arrogant, wild, ill-mannered Lycan wolf
Eleanor's POV Father had always been selfish, wrapped up in his own world. Even now, with age weighing him down, his gray hair thinning and his body frail, he hadn’t shed that awful trait. It clung to him like a second skin. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the letter he’d sent, its rough paper crinkling in my hands. How had I suddenly become his precious, doting daughter? For years, I’d begged for his love, his attention—anything to make me feel like I mattered. But he’d poured it all into Loretta, his golden child, leaving me scrambling for scraps. Now, out of nowhere, I was his favorite? All because I could heal his broken body and feed his grand political dreams? I laughed, a short, bitter sound that echoed in the quiet room. The letter’s threats of war were a joke—a hollow bluff I couldn’t take seriously. War against Sebastian? How did Father think he’d pull that off? The two packs were under Sebastian’s iron grip, every soldier loyal to him, their oaths tied to his na
Klaus' POVThe boat rocked beneath my boots as I dragged Eleanor away from that blood-soaked cabin, her beta sprawled on the floor like a broken toy. Ryker’s chest barely rose, his breaths shallow and ragged, his worthless blood staining my pristine Selene. That idiot, he’d dared to fight me, dared to defy me, and now he was a mess of torn flesh and fading growls. I smirked, kicking the door shut behind us. Good riddance.Eleanor didn’t resist as I pulled her across the deck, her steps steady despite the chains rattling around her wrists. She couldn’t fight back, not with the poison I’d been slipping into her meals for days, sapping her strength, dulling that wild power I’d seen her wield. She was mine now, a tool to bend or break. Either she’d lead me to the Capris Coven, or I’d haul her back to the Crescent Moon pack and force her to my will. No more games.I shoved her hard, and she hit the deck on her knees, her auburn hair spilling over her face like a curtain.“Get up,” I snarle
Ryker’s POVI was trained to protect Eleanor, not to blindly obey her every word. That distinction had guided me through years as her beta, my duty was her safety, her life, above all else. So when the door burst open with a splintering crack and Klaus loomed in the threshold, flanked by two hulking guards, my instincts took over. My switchblade was already in my hand, its weight familiar and steady, and I thrust it forward, the steel glinting in the dim lantern light.“Don’t you dare come in,” I warned, my voice a low growl, edged with the promise of violence.Klaus’ dark eyes flicked to the blade, and a harsh, mocking laugh rumbled from his chest. “You plan to stop me… with that?” His tone dripped with contempt, his lips curling into a sneer as he took a step closer, his broad frame filling the doorway like a storm cloud rolling in.I didn’t care what he thought. I’d fight tooth and nail, hell, I’d tear this ship apart plank by plank, to keep Eleanor safe. She stood behind me, her v
Klaus' POVMore than anything, I despise being made a fool. The sting of it burned hotter than any wound, a festering humiliation that drove me from Alicia’s cramped cabin with a snarl still twisting my lips. My boots pounded the deck as I stormed toward the helm, the sea air sharp and briny in my lungs. I needed answers, and I needed them now. Ryker and Eleanor had strung me along for six miserable days, and I was done playing their game.I found the sailor hunched over the ship’s charts, his gnarled fingers tracing lines I couldn’t decipher. “Where are we?” I barked, looming over him. “Tell me exactly where this damned boat is!”Torin flinched, his eyes darting up to meet mine before dropping back to the parchment. He muttered something under his breath, then pointed to a looping pattern on the map. “We’ve… we’ve been circling, sir. Same stretch of sea for days.”The words hit me like a fist to the gut. Circling. My worst fear confirmed, laid bare in ink and cowardice. Rage surged t
Klaus' POVThe sixth day at sea stretched before me like an endless galaxy, the horizon a mocking line of unbroken blue. Not a whisper of the Capris Coven, not a shadow of land, just the ceaseless slap of waves against the boat and the briny tang of salt stinging my nose that I was already getting tired of. I stood at the deck, gripping the weathered railing, my patience wearing thin with every passing hour. And Ryker,damn him, his presence grated on me more with each day. I have been catching strange feelings from him for a while now, a quiet unease that coiled in my gut like a serpent.We had no reason to like each other, that much was clear from the start. But this? This was different. He moved through the ship like a ghost, detached, his eyes darting away whenever I tried to pin him down. He acted as though he hadn’t just crawled out of the Capris Coven’s habitation a few days ago, as though he wasn’t the one who’d sworn he knew the way. And Eleanor, since that strange night when
Sebastain's POVI watched Leila’s face shift as the weight of my revelation settled over her like a storm cloud rolling across a clear sky. Her hazel eyes widened, then narrowed, her lips parting slightly as if the words she wanted to say were caught in her throat. The dim light of the lantern flickered across her features, casting shadows that danced with her confusion.“She’s pregnant?” Leila’s voice cracked, disbelief threading through every syllable. “How could you not know?”The question stung, sharp and accusing, though I knew she didn’t mean it to wound me. I swallowed hard, my throat dry as ash, and forced the truth out. “I only just found out she’d been using wolfsbane tincture.”Leila’s brow furrowed, her frown deepening as she tilted her head, studying me like I’d spoken in a foreign tongue. “Wolfsbane tincture? That bitter mixture—doesn’t it weaken a wolf’s abilities over time?”“What do you mean?” My voice trembled, betraying the dread coiling tighter in my chest.She lea
Leila's POVThe moment Nathan’s urgent message reached me, scrawled in his hasty hand on a scrap of paper, I leapt into action. I lashed the reins of my carriage, urging the horses into a frantic gallop toward Bloodmoon Pack. The wind tore at my hair, the wheels rattling over the uneven road, but my mind was a storm of its own. Eleanor, pregnant with my brother’s child, had vanished on some reckless voyage to uncover her roots, without a word to Sebastian. And he, predictably, had gone berserk. The note was cryptic, lacking on details for security’s sake, but it carried a weight that sank into my bones. I didn’t understand it all yet, not fully, but I knew one thing I had to get to him before he went completely wild.The journey stretched across a full day, the sun climbing and sinking as the landscape blurred past, rolling hills giving way to dense forest, then the rugged outskirts of Bloodmoon territory. The horses frothed at the mouth, their breaths heaving in clouds of steam, and
Eleanor's POVThe nightmares didn’t relent. Night after night, they clawed at me, vivid and merciless, peeling back layers of truth I hadn’t been ready to face. The pain was a constant now, a dull ache that throbbed in my chest and temples, but I’d grown accustomed to it, numbed by the burning need to uncover the full details of the betrayal surrounding me. Each vision was a rough piece of a puzzle, and by the third night, the picture was complete, its edges sharp enough to draw blood. I woke that morning with the taste of anger on my lips, the echo of thunder still rumbling in my skull, and a clarity that felt both liberating and suffocating.After a sparse breakfast, bread and a sip of refreshing water that did little to settle my churning stomach, I summoned Ryker to my cramped quarters. The boat rocked gently beneath us, the sea deceptively calm beyond the porthole, its glassy surface mocking the storm brewing within me. I sat on the edge of my bunk, my hands clasped tightly in m
Sebastain's POVCapris Coven.The name alone sent a shiver racing down my spine, a cold dread that coiled tight around my chest. Eleanor was headed there, chasing some fool’s errand with our pup growing inside her, our pup, a secret she kept from me, a wound that festered deeper than I cared to admit. The last and only time I journeyed to that forsaken place, I had been a boy, barely old enough to understand the world beyond my pack. It was a nightmare etched into my bones, a blur of terror and misery that still haunted me decades later.I had been small then, clinging to my father's side as we sailed across a sea that seemed endless, its expanse swallowing the horizon. I didn’t know the route, only that it took days, each one worse than the last. The waves had tossed our rickety boat like a toy, the air thick with brine and the sour tang of my own vomit as seasickness wrecked my young body. I retched over the side until there was nothing left, my stomach a hollow pit.. I hadn’t under
Eleanor's POVThe secret of our pup, a fragile life growing within me, I had it kept locked away, hidden with lies about this journey. I had told him I needed to master my powers to understand it, when really I was on a journey to a land I didn't know, a people who were thought to be wiped from this realm. My deception didn’t absolve his, but it muddied the waters, blurring the lines between victim and villain. We had both wielded knives, and we had both drawn blood. None of us was innocent of hurting the otherBut Klaus and Alicia, those two were a different breed of poison. Their betrayal wasn’t born of love tbat turned sour for a moment or promises broken, it was calculated, cold, a blade aimed at my heart with no remorse. I didn’t need more visions to fuel my resolve. The ones I had seen were enough, their revelations shattering everything Ibelieved. My mind lingered on the Great War, a memory not from this life but etched into my soul by the visions. It hadn’t been the necessary