Xavier needed Zoe out of Golden Eclipse borders but Angelina was not going to let him even try to convince Zoe to come with him.So, he made a decision. He looked at Angelina and told the truth, "Zoe's father is dead."Angelina's face changed so fast. She whirled to face Zoe who had sucked a breath at the mention of her father and was looking at the messed-up floor."Goddess, Zoe, I am so sorry. What happened? How?" Angelina asked the questions to Xavier."Long story." He said with urgency, "Please convince her to come with me. I promise you, there is nowhere safer for her than my side.""Why is her life in danger? What is going on?" Angelina asked getting more worried."Because she," Xavier contemplated the truth. He had no idea if Zoe remembered what Dahlia did. Usually during the first transformations, the animals took full control and the human parts had no memory. But Zoe was not a normal werewolf and he was desperate."Her beast killed the guy who killed her father." Z
Zoe's POVI drifted in and out of sleep, my father’s voice echoing in my mind. It felt real, but it wasn’t. I must have whispered his name. The ache in my chest was sharp.When I opened my eyes, the dashboard’s dim light greeted me. I was in a car. Xavier was driving. We were alone.I sat up, my body tense. Where were we going? Why was I here with him? My father was gone, but right now, all I could think about was Xavier."Stop the car," I said, my voice rough.Xavier’s hands tightened on the wheel. He had been waiting for me to speak, but not like this."We’re in the middle of nowhere," he said, trying to sound calm. But I could hear the restraint. He wanted to ask if I was okay. He knew I wouldn’t answer."I said, stop the car." My voice was sharper.He took a slow breath. "This isn’t a safe place. We can stop when we—""What part of 'stop the damn car' don’t you get? I don’t want to be near you. Stop. The. Fucking. Car!" My voice broke. I was done.Something shifted in his expressio
Zoe's POVSomething shifted in the air. A sound. Faint, but growing louder. Fast. Surrounding us.My body went rigid. "You’re right. We need to go. NOW."I bolted for the car. Xavier didn’t need to be told twice. I got into the driver’s seat before he could and started the engine just as he slid into the passenger seat.I slammed my foot on the gas. Our heads snapped back against the headrests. The sudden acceleration was reckless, but hesitation would kill us.The howls came before Xavier could even ask what was happening. He had warned me that this area was dangerous, especially at night. Now, I understood why. We should have taken the longer route, crossed the border checkpoints, and dealt with the scrutiny. But that would have meant exposing an Alpha outside his territory without official business—a red flag we weren’t willing to raise. Instead, we had chosen this unclaimed land, littered with rogues. And now, they had marked us.I gritted my teeth and pressed harder on the pedal.
Zoe's POVWe didn't stop until Xavier took a backroad, slipping us into Silver Moon territory unnoticed. Dawn had begun to break when we finally arrived.Silence had stretched between us ever since the rogue attack. I hadn’t slept. My mind was too restless, too full of memories and emotions I wasn’t ready to face.Xavier pulled up in front of the house—my old home, tucked beside the woods—but neither of us moved to get out. He was waiting for me. I knew he wanted to call ahead, to let Aunt Julie know I was coming, but everything had happened so fast, he hadn’t gotten the chance.I stared at the house, my chest tightening.It had been my whole world once. But now, it felt like a ghost of the past. The place seemed lifeless, frozen in time, its color drained. The flowerbeds were barren. The driveway looked untouched, as if no one had come or gone in a long time. Vines stretched across the roof, dangling in the morning light, adding to the eerie stillness.It looked abandoned. Had Aunt Ju
Zoe's POVI ran into the woods.I couldn't breathe. Coming back felt like a mistake, but I had nowhere else to go. How was I supposed to handle this?The woods looked the same, but everything smelled and sounded different. It felt like I had been living with my senses dulled, and now everything was sharp and new.I used to run until I was too tired to go on, then find my way back. But I wasn’t that weak, wolfless girl anymore. I had a beast inside me, and it wanted out. My body led me to a familiar clearing—the place where I had first met Dahlia."You have to face this, Zoe," Dahlia’s voice echoed in my head.I didn’t answer."The longer you avoid it, the worse it will hit you when it all comes crashing down."A sharp ache rose in my chest. It hurt to breathe."What do I do?" I dropped to my knees on the damp forest floor."Let me out. Let everything out," she urged.I stayed quiet. My emotions were suffocating me. I wanted it to stop. I wanted all of it to stop."How?" My voice was ba
Zoe's POVI was exhausted and pissed off by the time I got home. My feet ached from running barefoot, my body sore from hours of trying—and failing—to shift. At least no one had seen me. Our house sat at the very edge of the territory, tucked away from curious eyes.I stood at the front door, hesitating. Something was boiling on the stove, the smell drifting through the open window, making my stomach twist. Hadn’t eaten since… what, two days ago? A sad excuse for a salad at work.I knocked lightly, but Aunt Julie opened the door before I could even drop my hand. Her eyes were red, her face tight with that look—the same one she had when Dad got arrested. So, Xavier told her everything.I dropped my gaze and walked past her, straight to my room. Xavier stood like he wanted to say something, but Aunt Julie stopped him with a look.Inside, everything was too neat. Aunt Julie must’ve cleaned up after Dad and I left in a hurry. I peeled off my filthy clothes, turned on the bath, and sat on
Zoe's POV It took me a while to grasp what Aunt Julie was saying. Xavier and Aunt Julie waited patiently, though I could sense their anxiety as they watched me for a reaction. "What's in it?" I finally whispered, my voice so soft it felt like speaking louder might summon my mother's ghost. It had been so long since I’d seen a photo of her that her face had faded from my memories. Even the memories themselves were slipping away with time. After my mother’s death, my father had made sure nothing remained to remind us of her. I couldn’t remember ever talking to him about her or how she died. "Her trauma is suppressing the memories," a doctor had told my father when he took me to see one after her death. "I have no idea. Your mother locked it up before you came to this house," Aunt Julie answered in the same hushed tone, understanding how fragile I must be feeling. "Why?" I asked, then clarified, "Why didn’t I know about this before?" "Because your mother made Joe promise to
[WARNING: This chapter contains details of gore and death. Proceed with caution.]Zoe's POVThat night, I slept in my old bed. Apparently, no one had known about our departure from Golden Eclipse or our arrival at Silver Moon. Xavier chose to stay, and Aunt Julie offered him my father’s room, but he refused. He knew I’d be furious if he stayed there. I blamed him for my father’s death, and honestly, so did he.Aunt Julie wanted to ask Xavier about his pack, but he’d been so quiet that she decided against it.I sat on my bed, staring at the contents of the wooden box. I looked at the pictures again, this time paying more attention to the details. I read the notes on the back of each one. Some were simple comments about the photo, while others were written in the same unfamiliar language as the bundle of papers and needed to be deciphered.It was all too much to process at once. The only good thing about opening the box so far was that it had distracted me from my grief, even if just for
Xavier's POVOkay, Zoe was mad. She was so mad she hadn't just confronted Fiona, she had worn my shirt for it, and hadn't even glanced my way before walking out of the room.The only part that made my heart flutter was my shirt. She was marking her territory, and it was so attractive. She had accept
Zoe's POVI stood gawking speechlessly for a moment. All my rage dissipating into disbelief. She had made herself at home already."Would you like to come in?" Her soft, calm voice brought me out of my trance, and my brows furrowed.I walked in with my head held high, "I will do whatever I want in M
Zoe's POVI couldn't sleep. How could I? How could anyone after being humiliated in public with the news of a promised wife of my mate right before my vows of coronation? I had controlled my tears when the ceremony was interrupted. I couldn't lose it in front of a hall full of strangers for whom I
Xavier's POVMy cuffs are rolled. My top button is undone. My hair is messy from all the times I have run my hands through it. I have no idea where my coat is. My feet are more sore from all the pacing than when I was tortured in Riverwoods. It's looking terrible. Zoe hasn't come out of her room. O
Xavier's POVI paced around the room. Lady Aroosa and Fiona were sitting calmly with their backs straight and serene expressions.Pack lawyers, related officials, pack elders, and Lady Aroosa's whole entourage were all gathered in the same meeting room where I had sentenced my father and his allies
Xavier's POVEverything was going great. Zoe had memorized each bow and each step beautifully. She was graceful, gorgeous, and simply perfect. After signing the papers, she was officially a member of Blood Crescent. I was elated by the way the ceremony progressed.It was hard to keep the smile from
Zoe's POVThe day was here. It was the big day. How did it creep up on me so soon?Taking deep breaths to calm myself down, I waited in my room for Olivia. Xavier had been overseeing all the preparations. Everyone who was everyone in Blood Crescent and the neighboring packs was going to be present.
Zoe's POVThe next couple of days passed in a blur of learning loads of new information, meeting new people, and adding input about the coronation. It was a little overwhelming, but I tried to keep it all together. I was not going to be ungrateful for the one good thing going on in my life. Blood C
Zoe's POVI was standing in front of the mirror, still unable to believe that the gorgeous girl staring back at me was me. I kept thinking how my life was changing once again. I was never the ambitious one. My only hope used to be to awaken my wolf and become a patrol guard to my old pack. Those da