SLADE POV Standing for the umpteenth time, my eyes stayed on each member seated around the large round table.Each had a solemn look on their face, and I could see some were yet to recover from the injury from the attack.Again, it was barely twenty-four hours; I didn't think anyone could have recovered that fast. Further, I noticed some members were slow healers, and some could scarcely heal by themselves.It was why Winter was helpful in the pack since she oversaw their healing. Now, she was lying almost lifeless in the infirmary with no one to help her recover.I went back again to check if she had responded to any of the treatments done to her, but I received the same response over again; She was not responding, her pulse was getting weaker, and only the moon goddess could do the healing as they had tried their best. Even the seer had tried to resuscitate her, but it was to no avail.Winter was emotionless, the colour from her face had drained entirely, and if not for the rise an
WINTER POVThe wind bellowed my hair around me. Gathering it, I tried to put the hair in a high ponytail as it got into my eyes.I seldom let my hair stay freely like this, and I couldn't remember the last time I did because it was always up, and whenever I was in the infirmary, I put it in a cap as it enabled me to work better and distraction-free.Breathing out as the scent of tulips wafted into my nostrils, I glanced around for the first time.The area was filled with tall mountains and hills. I could barely see anything except for the flowers that surrounded me. There was a variety of them, and only a few I could recognise, like the asphodel, which comprised eighty per cent of the field, tulips and red roses. The rest were unfamiliar to me.The field was dark, illuminated by fireflies; I couldn't tell where they came from but was glad they were here. Despite the fireflies lighting it, it was as if several depressing souls were gathered around, waiting to be freed; however, it was
WINTER POVI sneezed twice before jerking awake; my eyes rounded as I saw several tubes connected to my body.I was in the infirmary with the other patient I had left there. I saw Lisa conversing with Diane and the rest of the Phi while, by the side of my bed, Slade sat with his head on the bed.I guessed he was asleep as I heard soft snores."Slade," I mumbled, caressing his thick hair.Slade stirred and gazed at me with unfocused eyes."Winter?" He furrowed his brows before glancing around the room. I couldn't tell what he was searching for, but soon after, he stared back at me.He blinked once, then twice before gawping.Slade's eyes lit up a while later; I sensed he realised I was awake."Y-you're awake!" He stuttered, gripping my hand."I am," I bobbed my head, grimacing as my head thumped from the movement. Immediately, the rest occupant in the room knew what was happening."My lady!" They said in unison and rushed to my side."Please, check if she's showing any sign of fever. C
TWO DAYS LATER"My lady, this omega just showed another symptom, and his fever worsened." Lisa furrowed her brows, making me grimace.It was no news that the treatment that Jude had brought was a forgery. I had relayed the message as Summer told me before she almost killed me.After leaving the infirmary two days ago, I had tried my best to continue my job; it was almost impossible because Slade got in my way most of the time, requesting I stop and should be on bed rest.Of course, I ignored most of his complaints. I wasn't meant to sit still and watch everyone get destroyed. The goddess herself had said it. I was in the pack for a purpose, and I had not done even half of what I should do.I knew Slade was trying his best; he had sent the Etas and Deltas to find Summer and bring her to the pack for questioning, which she'd be executed soon after since it was a rule from the onset that whoever went against the Alpha King and Luna of the pack should be killed immediately.The search for
WINTER POVMy eyes stayed glued on Britney as Slade's mother got closer.Right now, I noticed some of the things happening had gotten the attention of some pack members, although none of them lingered for long since they knew the consequences of eavesdropping-cleaning the stables. (And the stables were one place no one liked to go. Although the horses were used seldomly, it was challenging to clean their dung and take care of them.)Regardless, what was happening concerned everyone, and I didn't think Slade would punish anyone for it."Gather everyone now for a brief meeting," Slade instructed Jude, walking to his mother."What are you doing, mom?!" He whispered, trying to drag her away, but Denise yanked her hand from him."I should be asking you that, son!" She snapped. "How dare you agree to what the seer says? Did your new Luna force you into doing it? You know, it's why I was not too fond of the first bítch because you don't have a mind of your own. I thought I succeeded in break
SLADE POVBritney was back again with her whiny attitude. Even though I had seen her, I pretended not to notice her. I hoped that by ignoring her, she would disappear from my sight after the threat she had made the last time. However, seeing her again made me furious.Despite my frustration, I didn't want to take it out on her or anyone around me. The seer's prophecy and the affair of the pack occupied my mind. The fact that we didn't know when the next attack would happen was unsettling, but it wasn't the only thing on my mind. The plague was also a concern.I wondered how long we could hold out without a cure. Looking at Winter, I didn't know when she would gain her powers.I realised that Winter needed my help, especially since she had mentioned seeing the goddess Selene, who had referred her to her mother. Winter seemed reluctant to involve her mother in any way, and I didn't blame her for that. But I knew it was essential to put aside personal differences and work together to hel
WINTER POVI stepped through the large gate, inhaling the gentle wind that glided around me. It whipped my hair around my face as I smiled at the butterflies dancing around the small garden close to the entrance of the Royal Moon place.The smile vanished almost immediately, as the butterflies did. Had I imagined seeing them? I didn't know, but the garden was void of butterflies, and worse was, no flowers that could attract any there.I rubbed my clammy palms against the dress I had donned before walking further. It was strange to be back in the Royal Moon pack after two years, even stranger as the usual chattering was absent.Yet, what mattered was I was home. I had the whole time to do what I wanted before I returned. I couldn't let Slade and the Moonstone pack members who had looked up to me down. I needed to get what I was here to do over with and return as soon as possible.It was only a matter of time before the plague took over the whole pack. Another of my patients had worsene
WINTER POVMy mother stared at me blankly for a while, I wondered if she heard me, and I decided she didn't as I received no response.I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off."A-are you certain?" She asked, blinking several times in rapid succession as if trying to clear her vision.Breathing out, I nodded. "I am."After another minute, she walked over to me and pulled me into her warm embrace. "Oh, Winter!"Her voice quivered, and her body shook with a sob.I felt a sudden burst of energy at the contact. It was the first time in a while we'd be embracing, and I had never felt this much energy before until now."Does that me you're helping me?" I asked, unsure of what was happening.My mother stepped back, breaking the connection between us.She ignored my questions and stared at my father. No words were said between them, but I sensed a secret kind of conversation was done; I guess they mind-linked each other because my father nodded.Mother tossed Kendall one last glance bef
WINTER'S POVJoy erupted inside me as I glanced at Slade and Damien-who were now lifeless. For a brief moment, I had thought Slade would be the one in Damien's shoes. I had felt Damien would overpower Slade, considering his immense power, but I was glad it had turned out differently.Gloria screeched, "I'll never forgive you for taking my son from me!""You brought this upon yourself," I said. "You should surrender now that it seems you can't win!""No!" Gloria screamed, almost bursting my eardrums. "I'll never surrender. His death needs to be avenged!" Dark energy enveloped her, emanating an aura of animosity.Gloria's voice thundered through the forest, carrying a raw fury fueled by the essence of darkness. An ominous aura consumed her body; the air crackled with nervous energy.I watched in both awe and apprehension as Gloria underwent a grotesque transformation. Her eyes turned pitch black, and her once-elegant features contorted into a twisted visage of rage. Shadows danced aroun
Slade's POVI shifted uneasily, knowing I shouldn't be in this form. I couldn't help it, though. I didn't want to be the defenceless alpha who always relied on his Luna for help. Even though I had always fought my battles, I felt like most people saw me as weak, barely capable of doing anything.I locked eyes with Damien, and we exchanged growls. But deep down, I almost regretted it. My heart pounded, wildly beating against my rib cage. Being in wolf form made everything even more challenging for me.I turned my gaze towards Winter. Despite being held by Gloria, it seemed like she could free herself from the situation. She looked furious, and I knew most of that anger was directed at me, while the rest was aimed at her ex and his mother."You need to shift back," Winter snarled, her frustration evident. "She said you'll die!"Gloria only laughed in response. I wished I could wipe the grin off her face and make her pay for everything. Pay for killing Britney, especially, and taking my
WINTER POVI had always known that many things could go wrong in one night, but I never imagined it would be this same night. First, the forest became infested with reptiles, making the hunt scarier than I had anticipated. Despite thinking we could manage the situation, the hunters appeared, Slade, got bitten, and now Gloria and Damien had arrived.I never thought I would find myself in a situation like this, struggling in the death grip of the woman who was once my mother-in-law. The last time I saw her, after Slade's victory, she even tried to console my mother. I believed she had our best interests at heart. But learning that she had impersonated people to reach and kill me turned my stomach.I used to admire her and thought she was the perfect Luna, but the crazed look in her eyes just moments ago shattered that illusion. Gasping for breath, I felt her yank harder on my hair. I desperately tried to grip her hand and release her hold, but it only tightened."Fucking shift and kill
SLADE'S POV"What the hell?!" I yelled, glaring at the slime as he kissed Winter.Struggling to stand on my feet; the poison from the snake was making it increasingly difficult. I blinked back the haziness in my eyes, gritted my teeth, and summoned all the strength to confront him."Get your fucking hands and mouth off, my mate!" I bellowed.Winter gasped, her eyes shifting to mine as I hunched over. She approached me and reached out a hand to touch my back, but I shrugged her off."I'm fine," I said, narrowing my eyes. "Why the hell did you let him kiss you like that?!""I let him?" She asked, brows furrowing. As I nodded, she exclaimed, "You saw he forcefully kissed me! I never asked to be kissed, but he did it against my will. So, don't blame me for not reacting quickly—I was taken by surprise!"Of course, I wasn't blaming her, and I wasn't angry with her. I assumed she should have pushed him away at the first opportunity, but maybe I wasn't thinking straight.Winter hissed and att
WINTER'S POVDespite all that I said, Slade didn't budge. He stumbled away from me, running his hands through his hair. "I'm fine, Winter. Just watch where you're standing. We need to deal with this before we leave."I rolled my eyes and clenched my teeth, my gaze drifting up to the full moon. "The poison will spread faster when you shift, and you'll shift sooner than you think."Slade glanced at me and shook his head. "I'm not like the other werewolves, remember? I'm partly a lycan, so I can control my shifting to some extent until the hunt is over."I let out a frustrated breath. No matter what I said or would say, he remained stubborn. I supposed I needed to stay close to him to prevent impulsive actions. Just then, Jude burst into the clearing, growling, and lunged at the hunter's leader next to me before I could stop him.He landed several punches on the leader's face, only stopping to catch his breath."Jude!" I shouted, scanning the other hunters who seemed poised to attack him
WINTER POVI turned to Slade with wide eyes, and he mirrored my expression, staring back at me."What are you all, then?" I blurted out. "Are you not the ones after the pack's MoonStone? I mean, the group of Lycans who fought with the previous Alpha and led him to sacrifice himself?"He nodded grimly. "And we had our reasons for coming after the MoonStone gem." He added, "But we are not the same as those. We belong to a different faction, known as the Bwegbonyu speakers and night hunters. Lastly, we weren't the ones who originally attacked the previous alpha.""This isn't making any sense," Slade voiced my confusion, and I nodded to indicate my agreement."I think we need to explain further. But first, you must understand that we are not the Vordrak Lycans. They pose a threat to everyone in the werewolf world, as well as humans. They are incredibly powerful, second only to gods and goddesses," he explained."Vordrak Lycans?" I murmured, wracking my brain to recall where I might have h
WINTER'S POVI couldn't determine how long I had been peering over Slade's shoulder, but time seemed to crawl, and everything moved slowly. The hunters approached us with eerie smiles plastered across their faces as if they had cornered us exactly where they wanted us. I bit down on my lip, suppressing a groan, while Slade shielded me and prevented me from moving forward."Stay back," he murmured. "They appear formidable."Of course, I was aware of that! I wished I could scream it at him. I wanted to shout that these hunters before us were not the same ones we had encountered on previous occasions. They were doubly stronger, emitting a completely distinct scent, not to mention the crazed expression etched onto their faces."What should we do?" I asked, my fingers twitching and my palms growing clammy. I tightly gripped the hilt of my dagger, clenching my teeth as I contemplated the potential attacks I could launch, all of which could still go awry."We fight," Slade said slowly.Noddi
Winter's POV:We ran tirelessly through the seemingly endless forest, leaping over fallen logs and avoiding reptiles lurking beneath our feet. Although I couldn't see them clearly in the darkness, I could feel their presence as my combat boots brushed against their scaly skin, and their hisses filled the night air. The moonlight cast flickering shadows, making it difficult to discern between reality and imagination. Holding Slade's hand tightly, I relied on his guidance to navigate the treacherous terrain.My heart thumped in my chest, a constant reminder of the imminent danger surrounding us. Adrenaline surged through my veins, urging me to keep pushing forward. Each step I took was a battle against fear and instinct, tempting me to succumb to panic. But I couldn't afford to falter. Not now.As we reached the heart of the woods, Slade abruptly halted, pulling me back as I raced past him. I gasped for breath, my chest heaving, and approached a birch tree, but Slade's firm grip prevent
WINTER'S POVTWO DAYS LATERThe moon hung high in the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the surrounding forest. The anticipation among the Moonstone pack members present was palpable; their breaths came out in shallow huffs as they crouched low to the ground.It was hunting season, and today marked the Moonfest, as it was often called in the Moonstone pack. It was the Hunters Moon festival, and it was a time which happened every October after the harvest moon disappearance. The hunter's moon was the first full moon to have appeared this month, and the festival was a thrilling and transformative nighttime event that showcased the werewolves' connection to the moon and their hunting prowess. I didn't know how it was done in other packs, but Traditionally, only the Deltas and Etas, the warriors of our pack, were allowed to participate. However, Slade's arrival changed everything.Today, we were embarking on something different. Instead of limiting participation to the Deltas and Eta