Willa’s POV I smacked my palms against my cheeks, the sharp sting doing nothing to ease the heat burning across my face. My face felt like it was on fire, and I knew without looking that I must be flushed a deep crimson. What in the goddess's name had I been thinking? I could blame the cold, the rain, the heat from his body... that's all it was— But deep down, I knew better. I wasn’t thinking straight. It wasn’t just the cold, and I couldn’t pretend it was. The way I had ground against him, the way my body had responded to his touch—it had nothing to do with survival. I had wanted it. Desperately. I closed my eyes, biting back the flood of embarrassment. More heat coursed through me as I recalled the feel of his fingers, his knuckles grazing my breast, circling my nipple. I smacked my face again, harder this time, and let out a frustrated scream that echoed off the tiled walls. “Stupid, stupid, stupid," I berated myself. "You were so selfish you ne
Nox’s POV "Keep an eye on the old man," I instructed silently, focusing on the pack bond that thrummed like a living thing beneath my skin. "I want everything … who he meets, where he goes. And make damn sure you're not noticed." The reply came swiftly. I could practically taste his thoughts through the bond. "And if you get caught," I added, my mental voice as cold as the winter wind, "I'll kill you myself. Understood?" A pause, then the spy's confirmation rang back in my head. I was about to sever the connection when Viktor's voice came from behind me. "Alpha? A word?" I turned, eyeing the medic. His face was drawn, worry lines etched deep around his eyes. "What is it?" "Eric's condition," Viktor said, his voice low. "Should we inform his family?" I considered for a moment, weighing the potential fallout. "Go ahead," I finally said. "But not a word to his mother. The news might just kill her. Give the command to his siblings.” Viktor no
Willa’s POV “Walk with me,” the priestess had said, her voice as gentle as the breeze that rustled through the leaves. I fell into step beside her, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. The fog had faded but the day wasn't that bright still. Even though I needed this, my mind was elsewhere, still reeling from the events of the past few days. I'd searched for Nox earlier, desperate to talk to him after he visited my room, but he was nowhere to be found. Or maybe I was trying to distract myself from the fear of what the priestess's words may be. I was terrified, to say the least. And now here we were, wandering the pathways of the garden, her robes whispering against the ground with every step she took, my stomach in knots. I had questions, ones that gnawed at me relentlessly since our last conversation. "I've spoken with the elder priestesses about our previous conversation," she began, her eyes fixed on the path in front of us. "About the... cu
Willa’s POV The moment I closed my door behind me, the thick scent of her heat clung to my skin like a second layer. I’d only been here a few weeks, yet somehow, this had fallen into my lap—an Omega in heat and no wolf of my own to guide me through this. I wiped my brow, the sweat beading there was less from the warmth of the room and more from the anxiety gnawing at me. I moved to tuck the blankets tighter around her when a sharp knock at my door made me flinch. I didn’t expect visitors. Least of all him. Hunter. The last person I imagined would stand at my door. His scent hit me before his voice did—sharp, yet somehow grounding. I hesitated before answering the door, my hand frozen on the knob. Hunter never came to this side of the wing. Ever. I swung the door open. "Gaia’s in there, isn’t she?" I blinked. “How did you—” He didn’t bother answering. He didn’t have to. I’d underestimated him. Gaia’s scent may not have been strong enou
Willa’s POV The room felt colder than the first time I’d been in here, though that might have been because of Nox. His presence had a way of making the air denser, stifling, like the calm before a storm. It was the same room I had been brought to after the maids had scrubbed every trace of grime from me. The telescope by the far window still stood in the same position, collecting dust, maybe not, but seemed forgotten, much like everything else in here. I glanced at him, catching the sound of glass clinking against glass as he poured himself a drink—no, two. He didn’t offer words, just handed me the glass, the faintest trace of a smirk playing on his lips. It was the kind of smirk that made you question if he knew more than he let on. I took the glass, narrowing my eyes. “So, when exactly were you planning on telling me about your plan?” “What plan?” I frowned. “Don’t play dumb with me, Nox. I know now you’re planning to go after the rogues—using them. W
Willa’s POV I reciprocated with wanton abandon, sliding my tongue against his, my nails digging into his skin leaving little crescent shapes that disappeared almost immediately. My hand left his shoulder to tangle itself in his hair and he groaned as I pulled. I’d yearned for this for days now. The touch, the warmth, I missed it. Fuck, I missed it. And it was more maddening that it was him. I was really kissing him this much, how I desired. I pulled, tilting his head back to sweep my tongue against his just as I wanted. “Fuck!” He cursed, and that sound did something to me. My body jerked and I felt him tense, forcing a whimper to leave my lips and I paused, lips still against his, not moving. He didn't push it. A kiss, I’d been given the kiss I requested. But— I clamped my legs, holding the damn sensation that was burning there, wanting to be touched, to be felt. I wanted more. More. I finally dragged away enough to look up at him. His e
Willa’s POV Nox left the room just moments after my release. He didn’t say a word, just vanished like smoke. Part of me was relieved. I needed the space, the air to think. My body was still vibrating, every nerve tingling, but my mind was a whirlwind of consequences I didn’t want to face. The cool air on my skin brought me back to reality. I had to move, to get out before anyone saw me. I scrambled for my waistband, hastily yanking it up. My shirt was another problem—the top buttons had scattered across the floor. No time to dwell on it. I shoved it, tugging it closed as best I could, praying to whatever deity was listening that I wouldn’t run into Nox or, worse, anyone else. The last thing I needed was an audience. I slipped into the hallway. But then I remembered Gaia… she was in heat. Hunter was supposed to— I froze mid-thought. What the hell was I thinking? My stomach twisted. No. Hunter would handle Gaia. Whatever that meant. I ne
Willa’s POV I could still feel Nox’s presence, as if he had left something behind. Maybe he had. I rubbed a hand over my face before continuing to wipe away the smear of blood. Astrid’s blood. She was asleep now, curled up awkwardly in a too-small chair in the corner, her head tilted at an uncomfortable angle. Two daggers lay by her side, her fingers resting just inches from them. She hadn’t let me touch them, of course, or say a word before she drifted off. I sighed rubbing off the blood, while trying to reach Lyra. My wolf. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, willing her to stir, to respond to me after all these months of silence. It was like trying to grab smoke, slipping through my fingers before I could hold on. But just like the bathroom, silence. I exhaled slowly, my grip on the cloth tightening. But she was there this time, at the edge of my senses. Not quite a response, but a flicker—a reminder that she hadn’t completely abandoned me again.
Astrid’a POV The moonlight spilled like liquid silver across the pack house roof, casting long shadows between weathered slate tiles where I perched precariously, one leg dangling over the edge, the other bent beneath. My sanctuary. My moment of peace after a day that had been nothing short of a goddamn circus. I'd swiped the bottle from the kitchen—a rich, dark vintage that promised to burn just right—alongside a plate of fruit pie that smelled like home. The pie was divine. Flaky crust, hints of cinnamon and apple, probably baked by one of the pack's elder women who still believed in the comfort of traditional cooking. Not that I cared about traditions. A soft scuff against the slate. "I guess you found my secret spot," a voice drawled, a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through the night air. Vad? I choked mid-swallow, the wine burning a path down my throat. Of course. Because the universe has a sick sense of humor, and Vad was it
Astrid’s POV Damn this shoulder. The medics in this gods-forsaken pack might have been skilled, but the wound still throbbed with a vengeance whenever I dared move carelessly. It's been throbbing like a stubborn reminder of everything that's gone to hell. Still, the sting on my shoulder was a minor nuisance compared to the chaos this whole drama has brought. Tiring. If it were up to me, I'd have taken the simpler route. Find Eamon. Put a blade to his throat. Ended this shit weeks ago. No drawn-out drama, no unnecessary casualties. Just clean, precise elimination. But no, the Alpha had other ideas. Grand, sprawling plans that always seemed to draw more blood than they saved. Even so, those schemes were beginning to bear fruit, though. Like moths to a flame, the rogues were rallying. One shared enemy—a clever tactic to dissolve their generational hatred, sure. But the cost? Too damn high. I hissed under my breath as another jolt of pain shot through me
Willa’s POV The words hung in the air like poison—"Not to count Kael... his death was tragic, but he had it coming." My heart constricted, a physical pain so intense I thought I might shatter. Eamon hadn't killed Kael. I had. The guilt crashed over me in waves, drowning rational thought. If only he'd distanced himself from me, if he'd walked away, he might still be breathing. "How do you know all of this?" The question escaped my lips, a fragile whisper barely holding together. Damien's lips curled with a cruelty that made my skin crawl. "Because I helped him. I made all of your potential mates quit." The casual way he spoke—as if erasing lives was nothing more than a mundane task—ignited a fury deep within me. He hadn't suffered. He hadn't lost everything. I had lost my friends, lost Kael, lost the only person who had truly understood me when it mattered much. "Kael was weak," Damien continued, his voice a clinical dissection of my past. "He was never g
Willa’s POV The half-moon hung like a silent witness in the night sky, its silver light spilling through the broken window where I stood. My fingers clutched the silk bedsheet around me, the fabric cool against my flushed skin. But something profound had shifted between us moments ago—I'd heard his voice in my mind, clear as crystal: Mine. Mate. The words still resonated in my chest like the lingering notes of a song. Only true mates could share thoughts, feel each other's emotions through that sacred bond. It wasn't supposed to exist between Nox and me—yet there it had been, as real as the cool night air kissing my skin. My wolf prowled beneath my skin, remembering how desperately she'd wanted his mark. The thought should have terrified me—marking was sacred, an irreversible claim between true mates. Instead, my skin tingled with the memory of his mouth against my throat, and how right it had felt. But he never did mark me. Warm lips brushed my
Willa’s POV I watched as relief flickered across Nox's face—subtle enough that weeks ago, I wouldn't have caught it. Now, I was learning to read the micro-expressions that crossed those sharp features, the tiny tells that betrayed his thoughts. "You all were late," I said, adjusting my robe more tightly around myself. Water still dripped from my hair—and my scalp still hurt. The plan had been simple: appear vulnerable, draw out whoever was working against us from within. And it had worked—perhaps too well, considering the attempted drowning in my own bathtub. But I knew Nox well enough by now to suspect there was more to his and Vad's absence. He never made a move without multiple purposes. "Had to take the long way back," Nox explained. "Needed to ensure we weren't followed." Beside him, Vad cocked his head, a small grin playing at the corners of his mouth as he watched me. "Besides," Nox continued, clicking his tongue, "you had Astrid and Davina
Willa’s POV The air was tense on the front porch of the pack house, the crisp bite of the evening brushing against my skin as I stood beside Astrid. My arms crossed tightly over my chest, I couldn't help but watch Nox and Vad standing a few steps ahead. Their postures were strikingly similar—broad shoulders squared, heads held high— And then there was her. Davina. She lingered too close to Vad, her hand brushing his arm as if staking some unspoken claim. I wasn’t sure what her purpose was. Was she going with them, or was she just here to see him off? Astrid adjusted her stance beside me, the soft creak of her leather boots catching my attention. She was dressed simply for once—brown leather pants and a loose, long-sleeved shirt. But I knew her well enough to see past the simplicity; beneath those flowing sleeves and tucked into her boots were a small arsenal of daggers. She shifted her weight slightly, wincing as her injured shoulder protested. "Seems
Willa’s POV "Home?" The word escaped me like a challenge. "What do you mean, home?" The aftermath of Eamon's revelation churned inside me like a poisonous brew. Emotions twisted and coiled, threatening to break through the fragile barrier I'd constructed. Eamon's claims about my father—they burned, not with divulgence, but with a fury that threatened to consume everything in its path. What if the claim was true? The thought flickered and died. Truth or lie, nothing could justify the devastation. Not what he'd done to me. Not what he'd done to Astrid. Not the cubs torn from their mother. Not the lives destroyed in his wake. I locked those thoughts away, deep in the darkest recesses of my mind. A place where emotions became weapons, where pain transformed into something. Vad's eyebrow arched. "Whoa," he drawled, his voice a silk-wrapped knife, "those frown lines could topple kingdoms." I stepped forward, I was in leather pants and a shirt now. Good fo
Nox’s POV I’d anticipated a lot of fallout, but not this. Fuck! Silence punctured the council chamber, thick with implied pressure and disbelief. My jaw clenched, muscles coiled tight beneath my skin as I watched Willa—her frame vibrating with a rage so pure, so concentrated it could slice through steel. But only visible enough for me to tell. Somehow, they had escaped—not by magic, but by conscious layout. Even with the young woman’s gifts as a seer, no strange power had intervened after the smoke flared. This had been deliberate, every step mapped out. The shockwave that came with it had sent a few Alpha tumbling. And Willa… she wasn’t startled. With all Eamon had revealed about her father, it was impossible to tell which emotion churned within her the most. Was it hatred? Wrath? For once I feared her thought. The dagger remained where it was, untouched—for now. But I knew, without a doubt, that if the moment had been hers, she would not have he
Nox’s POV The pressure in the council chamber thickened as the drunk's voice quivered, each word dragged from his throat. "I got to know Pack Leader Eamon during a raid on the eastern villages of the Moonviel Pack years ago. We were being led by Rogue Leader Thadeus then..." Finneas's face darkened, a deep frown etching lines across his forehead. "What?" The drunk's fingers trembled against the floor. "Yes, it was so brother…" He swallowed hard. "A chance encounter—or rather, an unlucky one on a full moon night. Thadeus was..." His voice cracked. "Thadeus was energetic as ever with his speeches, rallying us for the raids. It was going well at first. He was a good wolf—the only reason he agreed to that raid was because we got word of a cargo caravan moving supplies through the Cull Path." "Those were dark times. I had barely passed being a cub. Finneas remember—we had no food. Our camp was starving, wolves turning on each other. Thadeus never wanted that future for h