CHAPTER 93: The Black Hood Attack Maverick’s POV My hands tightened on the steering wheel as the car sped through the emptying streets, the engine growling under the speed as if mirroring the chaos brewing from inside me. I could see the penthouse from this distance, and its destruction was evident even from the afar, but my focus was razor-sharp. Natalie sat stiffly beside me, her voice cutting through the tension. “Minister Blackthorn and Daemon are still inside.” I gritted my teeth, my knuckles white as I gripped the steering wheel tighter. I stopped the car as the penthouse loomed ahead, its once-pristine exterior marred by cracks and shattered glass. I didn’t need to ask what happened. The carnage spoke for itself. My heart slammed inside my chest, but not out of fear but out of anger. How dare anyone attack my private holding?! When we entered the building, it was unrecognizable. Furniture lay shattered, walls were gouged with deep claw marks, and the acrid scent of
CHAPTER 94: A Different AlphaMaverick’s POV:“Hey, hey, wake up.” I rushed over to Natalie, shaking her shoulder. She must have fallen unconscious after I faced off that mysterious man. Natalie twitched, groaning slightly. Her head shifted to the side as her eyes fluttered open, unfocused. “Huh-uh?” She murmured incoherent words, her words a slurry of confusion. She squinted at me, before her eyes darted around the destroyed penthouse, to the window and back to meet my gaze. “W-where’s the bastard?” She asked, her temple stained with blood, a thin crimson trail tracing the curve of her cheek. “Gone,” I said firmly, gripping each side of her face. “Are you okay?” I asked, feeling her skin cold against my palm. Her eyes squinted, becoming even smaller, as if trying to make sense of me, of everything. “Maverick?” she gasped. A faint, bitter laugh escaped her. “So I’m alive. But you... look different.”“He must’ve hit your head pretty hard to say such a thing. I look the same,” I mut
CHAPTER 95: Kicks Of JoyPyra’s POVI was still shaken a bit from the events of the day as I stood in the throne room, the air thick with the lingering echoes of the Wanderer. Madraya stood beside me, her voice a soothing balm against the storm inside.“Do not stress, Pyra,” she murmured, her hand rubbing gentle circles on my back. “You need rest. Such stress isn’t good for your unborn children. Remember, the gestation period of crimson wolves is far shorter.”Her words caught me off guard, my brow furrowing in confusion. She must have seen my confusion and furrowed brows as she smiled, explaining further. “It takes five to seven months for crimson wolves,” she continued, her tone soft. “And you’re already five months along.”I blinked, processing her revelation. “But I don’t feel like I’m close to giving birth. I’m not even that big.”Madraya smiled faintly, “Things are strange now, child. The awakening of a crimson wolf is something I can never understand, for it shifts everything.
CHAPTER 96: A New SourceThird person’s POV:Caspian paced the pack’s common room, his restlessness was evident in every taut movement he made. The common area was filled with silence and tension as everyone waited. Warriors sat or stood in small groups, their gazes flickering toward the door every second with anticipation. Four hours. A whole four hours had passed since their Alpha had left without a word to Caspien or anyone, and every minute stretched endlessly.“Where is he?” Caspian muttered, his voice low and simmering with frustration. “It’s been hours, and he hasn’t returned.” His patience was wearing thin, his worry masked by irritation. After he came back from his successful mission, he expected to see his father waiting for him. Beta Alaric, leaning against the wall with arms crossed, turned to him. “Patience, boy,” he said with a calm authority that only deepened Caspien’s scowl. “Our Alpha wouldn’t delay unless it was necessary.”Boy? That single word was like a spark
CHAPTER 97: No Death ScareThird person’s POV:The laboratory was still filled with tension and the smell of chemicals and antiseptic. Alpha Duncan laid rigid on the edge of the examination table, his teeth gritted against the waves of pain that surged through his body. His normally imposing and staring frame was slumped, weakened, his healing slower than expected. The Crimson’s power still eluded him.Alpha Duncan turned to Caspien who watched his father with curious eyes. “There is someone I have kept locked up in the car’s trunk. Get him out.”“Father,” Caspien began, his voice hesitant and brows furrowed from the strange command, “What kind of—“ Duncan cut him off with a guttural growl, his voice commanding and unyielding. “Do as I say, Caspien. Now.”Caspien’s jaw tightened, but he nodded, his defiance swallowed by duty. He turned and left the lab, his boots crunching against the steel ground before exiting to the gravel path outside. The forest surrounded the facility, dense a
CHAPTER 98: End The Bad BloodMaverick's POV:“This is something we should have done a long time ago, Maverick.” Mother’s voice followed after the initial silence. “Collaborating with the FireHeart pack and joining our forces as one should have been our first and top priority; maybe none of this would have happened.”I sighed, instinctively rubbing my palm over my face in frustration. As much as I would hate to deny it, my mother was telling the truth. It was all my fault. If I had not been too stubborn, too headstrong to believe I could handle everything in and out of my pack, then those wolves, or if I could even call them that, would have been stopped. I fear we are too late now. “But there’s bad blood between our opposing pack, Luna.” Derick’s worried voice pierced through as the ministers who sat around the meeting room all nodded in agreement, most whispering amongst themselves. “It’s been far too long. Our pack would speak to them now, since after the Great War, spark their in
CHAPTER 99: Friends Pyra’s POV:It had been two weeks since I’d confessed to Luna Verona that Alpha Maverick was the father of my unborn children. To my surprise—and of course, relief—she had promised to keep the revelation between the two of us, honouring my plea for secrecy. She had probed for more details about how the event went, wanting to know everyone to the point where I was found by the shore, but I had refused to say much, unwilling to relieve the pain of my past. But after some persuasion, I told her most of it. Now, nestled in the luxurious penthouse, while lying on an impossibly soft bed I’d never dreamed of, I found myself struggling with a different kind of burden. The doctors, along with Madraya, had insisted on strict bed rest. “It’s for the health of the babies,” they said. While I appreciated the care, I couldn’t help but feel restless.I glanced at my protruding abdomen, now noticeably larger than it was before. I couldn’t believe just how much I’d grown in just
CHAPTER 100: Intermission Third person’s POV:The heavy diamond double doors of the FireHeart Pack’s throne room creaked open, their ancient carvings glowing faintly under the golden light spilling from above the chandelier and open skylights. Wolves, moons, and runes whispered stories of battles fought and alliances forged that were engraved in the stone walls. For more than a decade, the doors had remained sealed, the throne room shrouded in mystery that only the elderly could remember its former glory. Yet now, for the first time in a long while, the room was alive with the presence of the FireHeart pack members. Hundreds of pack members filled the grand chamber, their voices hushed in awe. Stone pillars loomed overhead, while the arched ceiling glistened. All eyes turned to the Crimson throne at the heart of the room. Nothing could compare to its beauty; it was a masterpiece, its crimson surface shimmering like blood in the sunlight pouring through the high windows.Standing be
CHAPTER 121: Tape And The First Checkmate Luna Elodie’s POV:I stormed into Beta Derick’s office, my heels clicking furiously against the marble floor as I reached his office. With a strong force, I slammed my fist against the door and it gave way to a disgusting sight. There he was, leaning casually against his desk, his arms spread apart and shirt half undone, while some scantily dressed woman perched on him, her legs draped over his lap as she rhythmically bounced on him. Both of them turned sharply to me, their expression one of shock. The woman immediately jerked away like a startled doe, fumbling to wear her underwear and straighten her dress while Derick fixed his buttons. “Luna,” he drawled, coughing as he ran a hand across his hair. I watched the woman run past me, leaving me alone with this disgusting Beta. “I see the apple doesn’t fall far away from the tree, hmm.”He didn’t reply, only staring at the ground in shame. “My son left the pack in your hands until he retur
CHAPTER 120: The Realm In-between Third person’s POV:Pyra stood motionless with widened eyes as she took in her surroundings. Before her stretched a boundary unlike anything she’d ever seen before—a vast, shimmering expanse of mist that pulsated like it had a life of its own. It was neither dark nor was it entirely bright, and right there Pyra knew she was no longer in her realm. This was the realm between life and death. The entire atmosphere was heavy with faint whispers and cries that came from everywhere and nowhere, as if tugging at the edges of her sanity. The unnatural breeze swayed her crimson hair gently as if forcing her to stay, but how could she? She wasn’t even sure how she’d ended up here. With a heavy heart, she prepared to take a step forward into the mist and the never-returning land of the dead, but a voice stopped her. “And where do you think you’re going?”Pyra stiffened, turning sharply towards the source of the voice, her amber eyes scanning but seeing no
CHAPTER 119: Slipped Away Maverick’s POV:“Sometimes I don’t just understand you, Maverick. You just act like… like, urgh,” Natalie groaned in annoyance, gripping her hair like she was about to pull it out. I crossed my arms, leaning against the soft chair prepared in one of the hospital’s waiting areas, far from the private area where Luna Verona and other pack members waited. Natalie's words trailed off into an irritated groan. Her hands flailed in the air, a gesture she always made when she was too frustrated to form coherent thoughts. I remained silent, my expression blank for she was the least of my worries now. “See!” She snapped, pointing a finger at me like I was some unruly child. “This is what I mean but you say I am a damn talkative. You just stand there! No reaction. No movement. Nothing! It’s like talking to a damn wall, Maverick!”I sighed, my mind trailing back to the event of today as Rhella was rushed to the hospital. I chuckled, it was funny how I had started call
CHAPTER 118: Nobility, Light And Strength Luna Verona’s POV: The sterile scent of antiseptic burnt my nose as the waiting area felt suffocating, the walls pressing in with every agonizing second that passed. I paced the large space, my heels clicking against the cold, tiled floor. I was too restless to sit still and wait. My hands trembled, clenched into fists at my sides as numerous thoughts went through my head. What if there was a complication? What if I lose my daughter when I only just found her? What if I lose my grandchildren if the cesarean section fails? What if I lose them both? What if fate dared to take them away from me before I could hold them all in my hands? No, I shook my head, dispelling such vile thoughts from my mind. I needed to think positively. My legs carried me back and forth, the rhythm doing nothing to soothe the storm inside me as my chest tightened, each breath more shallow than before. How long would they take? It’s been fucking several hou
CHAPTER 117: Brewing Third person’s POV:The realm of Lunaria was filled with an uncharacteristic solemnity, the lands once bathed in the joyous sound of its people, now a shadow of their former self. And within Lunaria, the FireHeart pack stood at a standstill, as every pack member waited with bated breath. Every shadow that danced across the great expanse of the woods, every whisper of the wind that swept through the pack’s grounds, carried the same singular message: Something monumental was happening; the birth of the next descendants of the Crimson bloods. This was history in the making, for the FireHeart pack has waited for decades upon decades for a new crimson to be born and now, it’s finally occurring. This was no ordinary birth—it was a legacy being born. For centuries, the bloodline of the FireHeart Pack carried within it a unique and ancient power, one said to be blessed directly by the Moon Goddess herself. Each child born of this line bore the potential to inherit th
CHAPTER 116: The Puckett's Confession Luna Elodie’s POV:As I descended into the dungeon, enveloped by the scent of damp stone, and iron as it hung in the air, the sound of my light footsteps echoed mixed with the fear and sound of anguish that bounced off the wall. The torches lining the narrow staircase flickered weakly, casting eerie shadows on the walls. This was it. This was to my satisfaction. A time to finish up what I didn't start.The hidden chamber of judgment where sins were being punished especially now that I couldn’t be stopped by Maverick. I do appreciate his care for the pack members, but sometimes, to handle your pack well, one has to have an iron fist. Not everyone deserves kindness nowadays. I smiled, as things were finally looking a little good. There has been no information on the wolves that attacked the pack yet, but at least she was alive: Maverick’s mate. A painful scream from within the dungeon shattered my trail of thoughts. „Uhh, couldn’t a man hand
CHAPTER 115: The Crimsons’ Incoming Pyra’s POV: How dare he? He had no right to point that out!That was so low of him.The air in the throne room was thick with tension, Maverick’s defiance still ringing in my ears over and over again. I had tried to ignore it, but his words cut deep, not because of their content, but because of their audacity. He was still the same as before, daring and authoritative even in my pack. The ministers sat frozen in their places, glancing nervously between me and him. Even Beta Thane, the always and perfectly composed man, one who rarely faltered, seemed unsure of what to do next. I glared at Maverick, his strong posture unyielding as he stood before me. I should be used to this, for I grew up under him in the pack but now, standing in MY court, in MY territory, challenging MY authority before my pack? It was a line he should have known better than to cross.My glare intensified but as I watched him, there was no smirk, no signals to indicate he was
CHAPTER 114: Jest Of The PastMaverick’s POV:The murmurs continued to spread amongst the Ministers, the intense glare from Beta Thane of FireHeart pack, bearing on me but I kept my head high. It was the necessary risk that had to be taken or else the realm of Lunaria as we know it, might never be the same again. “It’s dangerous to associate with humans.”“They were the reason for the blood war that occurred decades ago.”“How dare he associate with those vile creatures.”“We’re strong and united, we need not the help of those power-hungry humans.” The voices grew louder, a cacophony of accusations and discontent rippling through the room like an impending storm. The Ministers of FireHeart Pack weren’t holding back, their disdain for the human world evident in each and every word they uttered. “They’ve always sought to exploit us, to turn our gifts into their tools of war!” One minister barked.“And now, an Alpha brings their veil influence back to our realm? Have we learned nothin
CHAPTER 113: The Disapproval To Solhaven Maverick’s POV:The morning air carried a heavy silence, thicker than the frost clinging to the large windows of the throne room. Everyone had dressed impeccably for the meeting, their attire a statement of preparedness. We had taken a short breakfast, though no one had truly enjoyed the meal as it seemed to be tension-filled, the kind that seeped into the skin and settled in the bones.My gaze swept across the large expense of the room, taking in every detail, every subtle shift of emotion. Natalie was beside me, her usual composure nowhere to be found. She bit her lips ever so often, her fingers twisting the edge of her sleeve, the fabric fraying slightly under her restless grip. Her foot tapped an irregular beat against the marble floor, the sound barely audible but noticeable enough to me. She was nervous—more so than the previous night I saw her by her window after I was done speaking to Pyra. I shook my head, trying to hide the exciteme