Willa’s POV He slowly infixed his hand under my back against the table. His hard-on pressed against my contre and a gasp flew from me. My legs fell open, granting him access. Swiftly, he flipped me so that my back was to him and my face was against the table. He unfastened my zipper and tossed the dress from my body. “Nox—” “No one is coming,” he rasped. I felt his lips against my ass cheeks and my breath hitched. “Fuck!” He lifted me and made me bend against him. My ass to him whilst I leaned onto the table. He cupped my breast from behind and then slid his finger into me. A low cry escaped me and my knee bucked. He was fucking me with his finger with no restraint this time. I felt him descend and kiss my cunt then he added another finger followed by yet another cry. “Nox…. Nox!” My eyes widened when he added another finger. A low sound vibrated from his throat and I swallowed a moan. Leafing me over, his mouth collided with my own and I t
Willa’s POV I couldn't move. It wasn't just sex. It wasn't just the act itself—no, it was deeper than that. In a way, it broke through the hatred I had carried for what I’d become. Despite the stories and curses that had chased me, here I was, and none of it seemed to hold power over me with him. Maybe the goddess had a hand in this, or perhaps Nox was simply untouchable by fate. But whatever the reason, I’d done it with him. It was as far as I’d let myself admit. Too good. Too real. Nothing else would ever compare, yet I had no idea where this left us. Maybe there was no reason to worry about that now. I’d said it myself. No title. Nox lifted me off the table, cradling me in his arms. He’d managed to pull on his pants and slip me into his shirt. I couldn’t help but glance back at the table, a grimace forming as I pictured the council’s faces if they ever found out. How could I sit through another meeting, knowing what we had just done on that table?
Willa’s POV I awoke to the creak of old wood above me and the faint singing of birds filtering in from outside. Blinking away the haze, I took in my surroundings: a shabby, rusted ceiling and the faint smell of moss and fresh water. Soft white furs and worn woolen blankets covered the bed I lay on, oddly luxurious for such a run-down place. I sat up, a sharp ring echoing through my ears, making my head throb briefly. A sudden, shrill whistle sounded from outside, jolting me to full awareness. I swung my legs over the bed and stumbled to the door. Standing by the stream, Vad was calmly holding an eagle on his arm, his fingers brushing its feathers as he fed it a small fish before releasing it into the air. From this angle, he looked exactly like Nox. No sign of that smirk that now tells him aside. Bare-back, he wore only his pants and a pair of weathered boots stained mold at the edges. The moonlight caught on the sheen of sweat tracing his back, highlighting
Nox’s POV I could sense Hunter's approach even before he made a sound. A familiar gait, steady and confident, though tonight there was something… urgent. He pushed open the door to my study, arms crossed, his gaze serious. "I've got a report," he began, with a tight grin, "and a not-so-good one." I arched a brow, feigning amusement. "That's how you welcome your Alpha back? No fanfare? No 'glad you survived the night, Nox'?" He smirked, a wry glint in his eye. "Surviving’s just part of the job description, isn’t it?" I leaned back against the edge of my desk, folding my arms. "Alright then, let’s hear it. What's the good news?" "We got word about those people you're looking for," he said, voice dropping to a murmur. "A blacksmith mentioned them. Said he nearly freed them himself." My eyes narrowed. "And?" Hunter shifted, hands slipping into his pockets. "Apparently, they were sold. To a slaver—a circus slaver, to be exact. Barely looked li
Willa’s POV “Davina, darling,” Vad drawled, his voice a lazy purr. “Could you pass the loaf?” Davina handed him the bread, her gaze flickering my way just briefly. She was quiet, but her loyalty to him was clear in every careful movement, like a shadow that refused to be shaken. “How’s your soup?” Vad asked, his attention settling on me. “It’s... fine,” I muttered, barely touching it, just tracing the rim of the bowl with my spoon. Vad’s brow arched. “You’ve barely taken a bite. Davina put a lot of effort into it, you know. You wouldn’t want to insult her.” “Or maybe it’s poisoned,” I replied flatly, meeting his gaze without a shred of humor. A sudden, sharp thud echoed through the room as Davina, seated further down the table, slammed her fist down and stood, her face darkened with offense. Without a word, she stalked over, picked up my bowl, swapped it with her own, and sat back down, resuming her meal without so much as a glance my way.
Nox’s POV “The Alphas meeting is in a few days. I understand the urgency in searching for her, but we’re stretched thin—it’s been two days now.” I clenched my jaw, pacing a short line across my office. “I know, Hunter. Believe me, I know.” My voice was strained, though I tried to keep it steady. Damn Vad. He’d covered his tracks too well, leaving only decoys—paths he knew I’d waste my time following. The bastard probably enjoyed watching me fumble along his false trails, all while she was out there, somewhere, alone—with him. He wanted me chasing shadows, wasting time. And here I was, playing right into his hands. Damn it. My chest tightened at the thought, anger twisting with something ugly. I took a slow breath, reaching for the bond I shared with her, the one she was still yet to notice. The faint, unmistakable pulse of her life was still there, steady and unbroken. She was alive. That much, at least, I knew. But beyond that, I couldn’t tell if she was hu
Willa’s POV I hadn’t fully settled since Nox left, and now Astrid was here. She’d given enough words about what was going on in Moonviel minutes ago when she arrived. But I knew that wasn't the reason she returned. It was apparent. “So, you're okay?" she finally asked, her voice carrying that calmness I'd grown familiar with. "I heard what happened." "Yeah, I'm good. It's all good." This was precisely why I'd declined Nox's offer to move closer to his quarters. Astrid's comings and goings required privacy, and while Nox suspected her existence wasn't entirely off the table anymore, that particular revelation needed a more appropriate time. A timing that, ironically, felt increasingly imminent. Finally, she pulled back her hood, her red hair catching the light. "No, it's not good," she countered, her voice dropping lower. "How did he get into the pack house in the first place? No one saw anything suspicious, no one heard anything?" I stood, needing
Nox’s POV I had sensed the presence before—there was no doubt in my mind that this visitor was the same one I'd detected at the rogue camp, trailing me like a shadow. The exact same person. And they were acquainted, Willa and this presence. I have my judges though, of who they were. She'd been clever in keeping them from me, but if I'm being honest, it only lasted this long because I allowed it. I'd given her command of her own secrets, and to tell the truth, she'd used that freedom well. Made her demands with it. "No one," she said, those eyes of hers steady on mine. "I don't have a visitor." Even now she lied, though I'd expected as much. She wasn't going to give up whoever it was easily. I couldn't help but smile—I had to admire her little performance, even as it frustrated me. "Not a visitor..." I leaned against her doorframe, watching her carefully. "But I've sensed this presence before. I've perceived this scent before... never too far from you, and
Nox’s POV My body coiled tight, steel cables ready to snap, every sinew screaming to tear Eamon apart. Rage crackled deep in my chest like electricity—one heartbeat, two— I didn’t even realize I’d moved until Eamon’s voice stopped me cold. “Not. Another. Step." Eamon's voice was glacial. My claws ached to sink into his flesh, my wolf howling in frustration. Willa’s wide eyes met mine, and I saw the fear there—the fear I never wanted to see on her face again. But beneath it, there was anger too, a fire that hadn’t been extinguished. It made my chest tighten, a sick mixture of fury and helplessness. “Let her go,” I growled, my voice raw and guttural. Eamon smirked, his claws flexing against her skin. “Oh, I don’t think so. You make one wrong move, and I’ll slit her throat right here.” Willa winced as his grip tightened, and my entire body tensed, the mate bond hammering through me like a second heartbeat. My wolf pushed harder against my control, despe
Nox’s POV The night pressed down like a curse, sharp and unforgiving. The air was thick, heavy with ash, and carried the weight of a thousand untold stories. It reminded me of sharp fangs sinking deep into flesh—relentless, excruciating, and unyielding. Rest was a luxury we couldn’t afford, and complaints felt pointless now. Once this ends, Willa will learn the truth about what indeed happened to the second man she had been accused of killing. Draven was on it already, and I'm certain she would get the hang of it quickly. Maybe there was a bright end to this after all. My eyes swept across the maw of the mountain. The Ash Eyes Pack. Once, they were revered. Legends spoke of their lands—a paradise enriched by volcanic soil that made their harvests plentiful and their people untouchable. But that was all gone now, like ash falling from the sky and disappearing into the wind. No one spoke of what had happened. It was as if an unwritten rule had silenced their me
Willa’s POV The Blood Moon would be here soon, I thought, tightening my grip on the hilt of my dagger. If we survived this night, perhaps we'd celebrate it at last, instead of merely surviving under its light. Maybe this time, it would bring renewal, not more bloodshed. I tore my eyes from the heavens to face the land before me: Gerald’s Way. “What is this place?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, though the tension crackling through the air ensured everyone heard me. “This,” Nox replied, his voice smooth, almost indifferent, “is where it all started for Eamon.” Vad’s lips twisted into a smirk that made my wolf bristle. “This is his true home,” he said, gesturing grandly to the crumbling castle perched on the volcanic mountain. “Where he was born.” The small castle loomed, its jagged towers stretching into the ashen sky. Steam hissed from cracks in the earth, the very air heavy with heat and sulfur. “It’s massive,” I murmured, scanning the da
Astridl’s POV How did I end myself in this situation? I could just punch him and get this over before I regret my next action. But I couldn't bring myself to say the word, to act like I used to. His eyes were still on me, waiting. Gods, he was waiting, and the thought that his eyes were this focused on me, the thought of what my answer would do to my body made me nearly curse out. “Say it, Astrid.” Goddess, why can't he just… “Give me more.” I couldn't care about what we were doing—who he was. “I am at your service,” he grunted, and then he reached between us, his finger snagging the latch of my carry-on and he yanked them off. Metal met the floor. And then the one on my thigh. More daggers off. Then he reached for my pants. He pulled on them hard enough to lift my hips. Buttons popped free, tossing onto the floor. “Goodness,” I murmured. He barked out a short, harsh laugh as he shoved my pants down until one leg was completely free, and
Astrid’s POV Once this was over, my family could finally rest, knowing the man who destroyed their lives would breathe no more. A part of me dreamed of escaping with Asher, finding a home beyond the sea—somewhere far from this chaos. This wasn’t home. It never had been. But first, there was work to be done. Willa would get her pack back. That was why I’d joined the fight, after all. And if I wasn’t mistaken, her relationship with the Alpha might not end, not even when the war ended. I knew the dynamics shifting around me. Willa would likely become the Alpha's Luna, and the tension between Starfall and Moonviel might dissolve into an unexpected alliance. Maybe even merge. Packs up north had done it before. Not that it mattered to me. My focus was singular: kill Eamon and complete my revenge. Then I'd be gone. Everything else—the alliances, the titles, the futures of others—was irrelevant. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself. I c
Willa’s POV Justin's lifeless body lay crumpled on the floor, a pool of crimson spreading beneath him. Astrid didn’t so much as glance at her handiwork as she secured the bloodied fabric back onto her hip—a lethal weapon I'd only just witnessed—gleamed with a deadly shimmer, the embedded daggers barely visible against the rich fabric. She stepped away from the mess, spitting outside the open window like it had been nothing more than a chore. I’d seen that fabric with her but never known it to be a weapon, or so. Vad, on the other hand, seemed invigorated, the gleam in his golden eyes unsettling. His gaze landed on the man who’d called Nox his cousin and that smirk of his grew. "The people you hoped would help you crawl onto the throne are nothing but weaklings," Vad snickered. He stepped over Justin’s corpse without hesitation, his boots smearing red across the floor. "You should’ve stayed in the shadows where you’ve been hiding all these years…” Vad turned.
Willa's POV The air, already heavy, seemed to grow denser as the council members filed in behind the Deacon whose face had gone several shades paler, his composure crumbling like wet paper. The unfamiliar man—their uncle, I guessed—looked utterly stunned, his disbelief written across every line of his face. My gaze flicked to Vad, who was watching him with that infuriating smirk, as if savoring the man’s discomfort. He looked like one who already regretted his move too late. But how will I know, judging that he was one of their bloodline, who knows what could exactly come off them? Only a few guards remained inside—Marcus and two others. I pulled at my sleeve. So, this had been the brothers’ plan all along? How? When? Was I kept in the dark again? Not that it mattered now. What a family dynamic. “What is the meaning of this?” The Deacon's voice cracked with indignation, like a man who'd just discovered he was nothing more than a puppet.
Willa’s POV It wasn’t that I was used to Vad’s presence—far from it. But recently, my wolf had stopped baring her teeth every time he was near. That shift meant something, though I wasn’t entirely sure what. The room felt charged, and I couldn’t tell if it was the tension or just Vad’s inherent ability to turn a space into a pressure cooker. I had come in looking for Nox, expecting a quiet moment. Instead, I found Sylvia, and to my surprise, Vad. Hunter had acted strange earlier, avoiding my gaze when he told me where to find Nox. But soon it made sense. Astrid’s expression gave it all away the moment I walked in on her. The rumor. Of course, there was always a rumor when it came to me, but this one didn’t sting. This one was different. My wolf purred at the thought, and I cursed myself as a flush crept up my neck. My sweater sleeve became an anchor as I pulled it over my palm, pretending to focus on something—anything—other than the weight of Nox’s gaze.
Nox’s POV "How do you know?" I prompted, my voice low and measured. Her lips curved—not quite a smile, more a razor's edge of knowing. "Because I can still feel that cold, shivering stare on me since I arrived. It's a sensation you don't forget.” “Unbelievable," Vad muttered, swirling the amber liquid in his glass before throwing a few into his mouth. “What?" Sylvia's eyebrow arched, a challenge wrapped in silk. "You find something amusing?" “No?” Vad drawled. “It’s always something with you. Ever so dramatic." I watched the interplay, my wolf prowling beneath my skin. Something was off. Vad's unusual calm wasn't lost on me. My twin had always been the type to unravel spectacularly when things didn't align with his vision—a mirror of my own younger self, only I'd learned to temper that rage into something more surgical. "Forgive my brother," I said dryly, rubbing my temple, feeling the beginnings of a headache. "He was dropped on his head enough tim