#vote with gems to support this book😍😘
Valkyrie A week had passed, and life in my new home had taken on a surprising rhythm. It suited me more than I’d ever imagined. The towering walls of Ragnor’s mansion, once intimidating, now felt protective. For the first time in years, I didn’t bow my head to anyone, and the weight of servitude had finally lifted. Nancy ensured I was never alone; her presence was grounding and comforting. And Ragnor? He was everything I never dared to hope for—gentle when I needed softness, strong when shadows of doubt tried to creep in. Together, they helped me heal, not just physically but in ways I hadn’t realized I needed. I recovered quickly, though there were moments when I caught Ragnor watching me with quiet concern, as if afraid the fragile peace we’d found might shatter. “You need air,” he announced one crisp morning, walking into the study where I sat with Nancy. “We’re going out.” “Out?” I raised a brow, curious. “For a picnic,” he clarified, a small smile tugging at his li
Valkyrie My last laugh and fleeting happiness had shifted into unease. I never imagined such a place could exist in this isolated area. “Don’t wander too far from me,” Ragnor said, gripping my hand tightly. His tone was firm, his golden eyes scanning the shadows ahead. “It’s an old settlement, and we don’t know what might be lurking here.” “How long has it been here, I wonder,” I murmured, trying to steady my nerves. “Long before my father’s reign,” Ragnor replied grimly. “I didn’t know it still existed.” As we moved deeper into the eerie stillness, the sharp creak of wood broke the silence. A cottage door swung open, and an elderly man stepped out. His sharp, calculating eyes fixed on Ragnor, his expression a mix of recognition and suspicion. “Alpha,” the man greeted, his voice steady but tinged with something unspoken. “Who are you?” Ragnor asked, his stance unwavering yet respectful. “I am the last of the old pack,” the man replied, his gaze briefly flicking to me. “And I kn
Ragnor "What the hell are you talking about?" I barked, my patience wearing thin. I couldn’t let this old wolf spew nonsense and disturb Valkyrie. She had only just begun to recover, and this could undo everything. “I speak no nonsense, Alpha,” the old man said calmly, his eyes flickering with an otherworldly glow. “It’s clear from her aura—something none of us dared to imagine.” “Enough!” My growl rumbled through the clearing. “I’ve had enough of your riddles. We didn’t come here to listen to your fabricated tales.” “Howard descendo,” the old man intoned, his voice steady but laced with gravity. The name hit me like a punch to the gut. “What did you just say?” I demanded, my chest tightening. “King Howard, your grandfather,” he continued, stepping closer. “He ruled with an iron fist and an obsession for eternity. Surely, you’ve heard of his quest.” “How do you know this?” My voice wavered despite my best efforts to sound strong. He chuckled dryly. “Because we were once part
Valkyrie The forest blurred around us as we raced through it, Ragnor’s wolf form moving with an urgency that spoke of his turmoil. His powerful strides barely touched the ground, as if he didn’t want to waste a single moment lingering. “Ragnor...” I called softly, stroking his fur with a gentle hand. My touch was meant to soothe, to reassure him, though I could sense the storm brewing within him. Something about what had happened in the village—something about the old man’s words—had unsettled him deeply. He responded with a low growl, not of anger but of frustration, and quickened his pace. Tightening my grip on his thick fur, I clung to him as we dashed through the trees, but my thoughts were heavy with the weight of everything we’d just learned. We could feel it. The curse, the prophecy—it was closing in on us. By the time we reached the packhouse, its familiar walls looming before us, my legs felt like jelly. But it wasn’t just exhaustion—it was everything. The curse
Ragnor The fire crackled behind me, its warmth doing nothing to thaw the cold knot of dread tightening in my chest. Valkyrie’s words echoed in my mind: "Together—always." She believed in me. Even after everything I’d confessed, she still stood firm. Her faith was intoxicating yet terrifying. If she truly understood the darkness that followed me, would she still stay? I clenched my fists and took a steadying breath. No matter how much I wanted to shield her from the curse that had plagued my bloodline for generations, the truth was already seeping into her life. And now, I needed answers. “I have to speak to my mother,” I said, breaking the silence. Valkyrie looked up, her embrace loosening. “Your mother? Is that wise? You know she—” “She knows more about the curse than anyone else alive,” I replied, brushing a disheveled strand of hair from her forehead. “I know she can be cunning, but... she’s still my mother.” She sighed, nodding weakly. “I just don’t want you t
Ragnor I stared at her, disbelief coursing through me. “Sacrificed? What do you mean by that? You’ve never mentioned this before!” Her fingers grazed the ornate mantle as she turned to face me, her expression a mix of resignation and anger. “Because it’s a tale I hoped you’d never need to hear. But clearly, fate has other plans.” The firelight flickered against her sharp features as she sighed. “Your father and his father before him were obsessed with power and immortality. They believed that with enough strength, they could rule not just their pack, but beyond—forming an empire to rival the elders of old.” I clenched my fists, fury bubbling beneath the surface. “And what does that have to do with a curse? What did they do?” Her gaze hardened. “They sought a deal with the Shadows.” The air seemed to thicken with her words, the weight of them settling on my chest. “The Shadows?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. She nodded, her expression grave. "The ancient for
Ragnor The night had been a blur—chaotic, suffocating, and full of things I couldn’t explain. The battle within my mind had been overwhelming, and I had barely managed to sneak into my chamber, where Valkyrie lay. I didn’t want to speak, didn’t want to explain anything. Luckily, Valkyrie was already asleep, so I lay beside her and drifted into a restless slumber. The weight of everything pressed down on me like a vice. The curse, the prophecy, the endless threats—it was all too much. Valkyrie didn’t deserve to be caught up in any of it. And yet, here we were. *** The first rays of sunlight crept through the cracks in the curtains, soft but persistent. I kept my eyes closed, unwilling to face the reality of the day. The night’s internal battle had left me hollow, but I couldn’t let her see that. I didn’t want to wake up, not fully. Beside me, Valkyrie’s steady breathing was the only thing that kept me tethered to something real. I turned slightly, my eyes barely opening, t
Ragnor I stared at Tasya, my chest tightening with each word she spoke. The urgency in her voice was clear, and her eyes, wide with a mix of fear and determination, made my pulse quicken. I could feel the storm in my mind rising again, spinning out of control with every word exchanged between us. “What is it, Tasya?” I asked, keeping my voice steady despite the tension brewing inside me. “What’s so urgent?” She stepped closer, never breaking eye contact. For a long moment, she just looked at me, as though she were studying me, measuring the weight of everything she'd been carrying. “I know everything, Ragnor,” she whispered, almost too softly, as if her words were laden with hidden intentions. “Everything.” My heart skipped a beat. My breath caught in my throat, and I had to fight to keep my mind from spiraling as I tried to make sense of what she meant. “What do you mean, everything?” I demanded, though my voice came out far more strained than I intended. Her gaze softened,
ValkyrieEverything resumed.The wind sighed through the trees. Torches flickered. The warriors murmured among themselves, undisturbed.Nothing had changed.I stared at the ground where the drop had vanished into the dirt, my breath caught in my throat. No shift. No surge of power. No time stopping.Just… nothing.A slow, creeping sensation crawled up my spine. I turned the vial over in my hand, gripping it tighter.No. That couldn’t be right.“She said…” My voice came out hoarse. “She said it would work.”Grandfather sighed, his gaze heavy with something I couldn’t quite name—pity, perhaps. Or regret.“Luna,” he said softly, “you’ve been deceived.”The words struck like a slap. Cold. Sharp.I shook my head. “No,” I bit out. “She wouldn’t lie to me. Not about something like this.”Grandfather’s gaze didn’t waver, but there was undeniable sadness behind it.“Wouldn’t she?” he asked again.And this time, I didn’t know how to answer.I wanted to argue, to deny it, but doubt dug its claws
ValkyrieThe courtyard hummed with quiet activity.Warriors secured their packs, checked their weapons, and exchanged murmured farewells. The scent of damp earth and morning dew clung to the air, mingling with the distant smoke curling from the torches lining the walls."Everything ready?" I asked, spotting Dwayne near the front.He turned at the sound of my voice, nodding once. "Ready, Luna.""Good," I said. "We leave soon."He didn’t question me, didn’t linger. That was the way of our kind—efficient, focused. No wasted words. No hesitations.And yet, as I scanned the faces around me, my chest tightened.Where was Phanos?I told myself I wasn’t looking for him. That it didn’t matter. But I knew better.He should have been here.At least… to wave a final goodbye.I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. Damn, what am I thinking?"Pathetic," Genna’s voice growled in my mind, sharp and unrelenting. "You’re acting like a lost pup."I clenched my jaw, keeping my expression neutral. "I’m not."
ValkyrieI woke up the next morning with an ache—not in my body, but in my heart.For a moment, I lay there, staring at the ceiling, letting the weight of my decision settle over me like a thick fog.The room felt colder, emptier, as if something vital had been stripped away overnight.Outside, the pack was stirring. The sounds of warriors readying themselves for departure filtered through the stone walls—footsteps, murmured orders, the occasional clatter of weapons.But none of it mattered.Not yet.Because the only thing I could think about was the conversation from the night before—The way Phanos had looked at me and the unspoken words that lingered between us.I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing the memory away.It didn’t matter now.I had made my choice."You made the wrong choice."Genna’s voice slithered into my mind before I even had the chance to sit up.I let out a slow breath, pressing my palms against my temples. “Not now, Genna.”“Yes, now,” she snapped. “Because I refuse
ValkyrieI felt… different.Not just in my body, but in my very soul.And I could feel how they watched me—all of them. Their gazes heavy with uncertainty, trying to decide whether I was something to be feared or revered.The golden markings on my skin still pulsed faintly, fading but never truly gone. Remnants of the power that had surged through me in the cavern.It had changed me.All of me.The magic hummed beneath my skin, restless and untamed, coiling like a living storm waiting to be unleashed. But beneath that power—beneath the awe and whispers—was something deeper.A weight.A burden."You feel it, Genna?" I whispered internally to my wolf.Genna purred in response, her voice laced with something akin to satisfaction. "Of course, I do. This is what we were always meant to become."Destiny.The word should have made me feel stronger, but instead, it pressed down on me like an iron chain."Prepare to face a more difficult task, Luna," Genna warned.I swallowed. Right.Power nev
Phanos The moment the word left Valkyrie’s lips, the air shifted. The shadows, once writhing and hungry, stilled. The suffocating weight of the Queen’s presence no longer pressed against my ribs like an iron cage. The cavern groaned, but the collapse halted, as if the world itself had been caught between destruction and something else. Silence settled, thick and charged. Then, the Queen of Darkness tilted her head ever so slightly, studying Valkyrie with an amused sort of curiosity. “How fascinating,” she murmured. “You strike a bargain, yet you do not ask for terms that serve you. Only them.” Her eyes flickered to me and the warriors still frozen in place. “Such a foolish, Little Heiress.” Valkyrie didn’t so much as flinch. “Then I suppose that makes us both fools. You need my power, don’t you?” The Queen’s smile was slow, curling like ink spilling through water. “So bold. You will learn, Child, that debts to me are not so easily forgotten.” With a flick of her wrist
PhanosThe roar didn’t just shake the cavern—it tore through it like the wrath of an ancient god.The ground trembled beneath my feet, fissures splintering across the rocky floor. Dust rained from the cracked ceiling, and the cavern walls groaned as if they, too, feared what was coming.My warriors stiffened, their instincts screaming at them to fight. But I knew—no steel, no fang, no strength of our own would be enough.A violent pulse rippled through the cavern.A tremor of pure, undiluted power."Alpha! What was that?!" Gamma Finn shot into the cavern, warriors trailing behind him, their weapons drawn."I don’t know!" I barked, tension coiling in my gut. "Stay alert!"Then, all at once, the answer revealed itself.At the center of the cavern, Valkyrie stood—glowing, trembling, alive with something beyond comprehension.Golden light pulsed from her in waves, her violet eyes burning like twin flames against the darkness. The mark on her skin shimmered, shifting, alive.Then—A tear s
PhanosI had never known fear like this.Valkyrie had been unconscious for too long. Too still. Too silent. It was unnatural—like she had been ripped from this world entirely.She lay motionless on the cavern’s cold stone floor, her hand outstretched toward the crystal—the same crystal that had burst with energy the moment she touched it. That force had knocked me back, sent waves of power crashing through the cavern, and now… she wouldn’t wake up."Valkyrie." My voice was tight with urgency, but she didn’t stir.I moved closer, kneeling beside her, pressing my fingers to her wrist. Her pulse was faint but steady. Still alive. Still breathing.But something was wrong.The air around her crackled, charged with an energy I couldn’t name. A shiver raced down my spine, and my wolf growled inside me, uneasy. The cavern itself seemed to react to her presence—the shadows stretching toward her, drawn to something unseen.Something had changed.And I had no idea how to bring her back."Come
ValkyrieThe energy surged through me like wildfire, setting every nerve ablaze. My feet lifted from the ground, drawn toward the floating crystal as if the very air had turned to liquid, pulling me deeper, closer.My wolf howled inside me, torn between instinctive fear and the irresistible call of something ancient—something meant for me."Valkyrie!" Phanos' voice rang through the chaos, but it was distant, muffled, as though I were submerged in another world entirely.The crystal pulsed, its glow intensifying, flooding my vision with violet light. The whispers morphed into voices—layered, echoing, a chorus of countless beings speaking as one.'Chosen. Claimed. Fated.'A sharp pain lanced through my chest, and suddenly, I was no longer in the cavern.Darkness engulfed me.Then—stars.Not the stars of the night sky, but brilliant, burning constellations spiraling in an endless abyss. I was floating in a void, weightless, untethered.And then, she appeared.A woman cloaked in shadow a
ValkyrieThe moment my foot crossed the threshold, the weight of something unseen pressed against my chest. It wasn’t just the drop in temperature—it was the undeniable sensation of something watching, waiting."Dwayne, do you sense it?" I asked, glancing at him.He nodded. "The power is immense, Luna.""Stay alert," I instructed."Always do."Dwayne moved closer as Grandfather led the way down the spiraling stone steps. The torches lining the walls flickered wildly as if protesting our presence. But we needed to stay focused."Afraid, Little Luna?" Phanos teased, but I didn’t respond.There was nothing I feared—except losing Ragnor and my pack. If this crystal could cure Ragnor and bring him back to me, I would be forever grateful."This is not a child’s game," Phanos whispered.I halted abruptly. "Enough, Alpha. Don’t make unnecessary noise," I snapped.But he only laughed, flashing a careless smile. How reckless can this Alpha be?"We’re almost there," Grandfather announced as we p