WINTER'S POVI paced back and forth, my eyes fixed on the wall. Each time my thoughts turned to what had been happening, I clenched and unclenched my hands, feeling a mix of frustration and anxiety.Apart from the issues with the pack members, a week had passed since I rejected Slade, and he hadn't said anything about it. He stopped talking to me altogether, even when I tried to make small talk with him.It was as if I didn't exist, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was doing it to spite me for rejecting him. But then again, it was partly his fault for being so selfish.My mind returned to our last argument, and I couldn't help but feel angry. Slade never considered my feelings before making decisions. He was only concerned about what he wanted, even if it went against what we had discussed.I stumbled slightly on the carpeted floor and groaned before making my way to the bed. Collapsing onto the bed, I sighed deeply, pouted my lips and glared at the door. "Why isn't he here? What
WINTER'S POVTears streamed down my face as Slade wrapped his arms around me. "Please don't!" I sobbed, trembling.He caressed my back slowly, muttering incoherently before I snapped my attention to his face. "You promised me, Slade. Please don't leave me as a widow! You know how I'd be stigmatised...." I couldn't even bear to think about it. The thought of Slade dying and I kicked out of the pack by Denise or anyone else terrified me.My arms wound around Slade tightly, and he groaned loudly. "It's what needed to be done....""No!" I glared at his face. "You can go against it. We can make this work, and I don't care if I'm not making any sense right now. Do not sacrifice yourself! You promised me, Slade, and you need to keep your word!" I said firmly.My hands scrunched up his clothes as I stared at his cold face before he shook his head. Slade cupped my face and leaned in so that we were at the same eye level. "I'm sorry for pushing you into all that's happening. I never meant to hu
WINTER POVSlade's voice broke through my thoughts, and I whirled around, staring at him helplessly."What does that even mean?" he asked."I-I..." I stuttered, then paused to take a deep breath. "I've acquired the power of language. It might seem foreign to both of you, but I just did it!" I said all that in one breath.Slade shook his head and muttered, "This doesn't make any sense. Maybe to me." He stood up and turned to Jude. "Is this a weapon to defeat the Hunters?""It is one of them," Jude murmured. "With the power to understand their language, we won't be caught off guard when they attack. However, I don't know if Lady Winter can handle it alone, but we can try...""Don't underestimate what my Luna can do," Slade interrupted, boasting.I smiled briefly at him before turning to Jude. "Of course, it's possible that I may not be able to handle it alone, but it's something I'd like to try. After enough training, I don't think anything will stop me from achieving what I want."Jude
WINTER POVI stood frozen, staring at my mother with wide eyes. A loud voice snapped me out of my thoughts."The Alpha is convulsing!" Without a second thought, I rushed inside the infirmary.Slade, the Alpha, and my mate lay on the wooden bed, his large frame jerking back and forth. He gripped the duvet tightly, writhing in agony.The small bed barely accommodated his thrashing body, and the situation looked absurd.As I darted forward to help, my mother yanked me back. I swirled around, and our eyes met. "Why?" I raised a brow."Do you know what might be going on?" She asked."If I don't check on him, how can I?" I stared at her hand, and she nodded."Please, be careful," she mumbled.I wanted to retort that I had been in worse situations, but I bit my lip and walked towards Slade instead. Gingerly, I reached out and smoothened his creased brows. My lips quivered, and I gripped his hand. "Slade...." I muttered, but he didn't respond.I attempted to shake him, but he sat up abruptly,
WINTER POVSlade grunted, "No, please, no!"I leapt to my feet and dashed towards him, my heart thumping."Help me!" he cried, his body writhing on the bed. "Help me, please!""Slade!" I shook him vigorously, trying to rouse him from his sleep, but he continued to sob uncontrollably.I blinked back tears that threatened to spill from my eyes, feeling helpless as I watched him suffer.I had been in the room for almost ten hours now, tending to Slade's worsening condition. From the moment it had started in the afternoon, his symptoms had only gotten worse, despite all the remedies I had tried. Even the herbal concoction I had made had no effect, which made me question the severity of his sickness."My lady!" Lisa's voice interrupted my thoughts as she entered the room. She walked towards me; her brows creased with worry before she exhaled. "The alpha will be fine; I trust your expertise."I shook my head, disagreeing with her for the first time. I had never encountered a case like this
WINTER'S POVI couldn't stop staring at Jude, who stared back at me. After a while, I cleared my throat and spoke softly, "We need to have a gathering to explain what's going on so that no one gets the wrong idea.""Yes, my lady, you're right," Jude replied. He leaned in towards Lowry and whispered in his ear. Lowry nodded before leaving the room."We'll all be seated in an hour, including the elders," Jude said. "Do you have any further instructions?"I shook my head, and Jude left the room, leaving me alone with Lisa and Denise.The room was quiet and peaceful, and I wished it could stay that way. But the tranquillity was short-lived."So, do you feel like a queen now, Winter darling?" Denise sneered.Ignoring her, I walked over to Lisa and picked up a syringe from the tray near her. Furrowing my brow, I asked, "Is this the mixture?"The liquid inside the syringe was darker than usual. All the ones I had administered to other patients were dark, but not like this."Yes, my lady. I f
WINTER POVLisa asked me, "Are you still thinking about what Lady Denise said?"I shook my head, even though it wasn't entirely true. I couldn't tell her that Slade's mother was acting stranger than usual, and even if I did, I doubted she would understand."I feel like she's trying to make you afraid," Lisa added, placing a small bottle filled with a concoction in front of me. "What are we going to do with this?""We need to research what's in it," I mumbled, wincing as I felt a sharp pain in my arm. Glancing down, I noticed that the vein had turned blackish, giving the appearance that I had painted it."Your hand, my lady!" Lisa exclaimed, grabbing hold of my hand. "Did the shot do this?"I nodded, pulling my hand away and covering it with the sleeve of my sweater. I then glanced over at a sleeping Slade."Whatever was in that syringe was meant to kill him. And how did Lady Denise know it was fatal?" I furrowed my brow in confusion."She mentioned the name of the plant..." Lisa inter
Summer POV"Lyra," I called out, but there was no response."Lyra...!" I said again, but still, there was no answer.Frustrated, I kicked the coffee table in the centre of the room, wincing at the pain before glaring at Damien, who was sniggering at me."How can I get the wolf to come out? Does she only show up when I'm in danger?" I muttered to myself.I had even gone to the dock earlier and threatened to jump into the frozen lake, knowing I couldn't swim, but Lyra had remained silent. Now, it was as if she had never existed.I glanced at Daniel, who frowned at me."That's no way to talk to a wolf," he grunted."Then show me instead of being quiet and watching me suffer!" I snapped, biting my inner cheek as Daniel raised his eyebrows."I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I'm just frustrated," I said, trying to calm down."Get your act together because we'll need you for the upcoming feast," Daniel muttered before standing up and walking towards the door."Meet me in the room later," he
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