Valeria The morning light filtered through the trees as Rylan and Aiden prepared to leave. They stood on the porch, their expressions serious but soft, as if they too were reluctant to go. I tried to ignore the ache in my chest, knowing I would miss their presence, their steady support, but it had to be this way. They both had duties to their packs, and this situation was far from over.Rylan was the first to step forward, his warm brown eyes locked onto mine. “Stay safe, Valeria,” he said softly, his voice carrying the warmth of his affection. “I’ll be back soon. Just call if you need anything.”I gave him a small, bittersweet smile, trying to hold back the rising emotions. “I will. Thank you, Rylan.”He pulled me into a tight embrace, his arms solid and protective. I felt a sense of peace for a moment, enveloped in his warmth, but as he pulled away, the reality of our situation settled back in. This was only a temporary farewell.Aiden, always the more lighthearted of the two, gave
ValeriaAs soon as we stepped into Kade’s study, I could feel the tension radiating from him. The door clicked shut behind me, the sound echoing in the silence that stretched between us. I crossed my arms, narrowing my gaze at him, demanding answers with just a look.“Kade,” I said, my voice firm, “you need to tell me what’s going on. No more secrets.”He hesitated, pacing back and forth across the room like a caged animal. For a moment, I thought he might avoid my question altogether, but then he stopped and faced me, his expression grave.“I don’t know how much you’ve guessed already, but you need to understand how dangerous my father is,” Kade began, his voice low and controlled. “You can’t let your guard down around him. He’ll manipulate anyone, destroy anything in his way. And now, I’m afraid he’s set his sights on you.”I stiffened at his words, my heart pounding in my chest. “Why me? Why now?”“Because of our bond,” Kade replied, his eyes darkening with something I couldn’t qui
Valeria The cool night air hit my face as soon as I stepped outside, a sharp contrast to the suffocating tension that had filled Kade’s study. My heart still sank with anger and hurt, each breath I took feeling shallow and strained. I needed space, needed to clear my mind before I let myself get consumed by emotions. I walked further into the pack grounds, away from the building and toward the forest edge, hoping the serenity of nature might calm me.As I passed the tree line, I spotted a familiar figure near the pack’s healing hut. Eira, the healer, was standing outside, her eyes closed as if she were deep in thought or meditation. The moment I saw her, some of the burden I’d been carrying seemed to lift. Eira has always been kind to me, ever since I arrived here. Her quiet wisdom had a way of soothing even the worst anxieties.I approached her quietly, not wanting to disturb her, but she must have sensed me. She opened her eyes and smiled softly in my direction, her gaze warm and k
KadeThe glass in my hand felt heavy, though it was barely half-full. I swirled the amber liquid inside, watching as it clung to the edges before sliding back down. It was almost hypnotic, the way the whiskey moved, almost as if it had a mind of its own. I took another swig, letting the burn settle deep in my chest. The warmth didn’t soothe the turmoil raging inside me, but for a moment, it dulled the edge of it.I didn’t hear Callan enter the room until he was standing right in front of me, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He always had a way of appearing when I least wanted to talk.“Kade,” he said, his voice firm but with an underlying concern, “is this really how you’re handling everything?”I didn’t answer immediately. I wasn’t in the mood to have this conversation, not after everything that had happened. But Callan wasn’t the type to leave well enough alone.“I mean, come on, man,” he continued, stepping closer and eyeing the glass in my hand. “I’ve been with you sin
MalachaiThe room was suffocatingly dark, just the way I liked it. It was easier to think in the shadows, to plan in silence. I sat in my usual chair, a heavy piece of worn leather that had seen more battles than I cared to remember. The only light came from a single flickering candle in the far corner, casting long, jagged shadows that danced across the walls. My mind was a storm, thoughts twisting and colliding like the thunderheads outside.I didn’t stir when the door creaked open. I knew who it was before she even spoke. Only one person had the audacity to interrupt me unannounced. She glided into the room, her movements soundless, her presence cold and calculated.“Malachai ,” her voice cut through the stillness like a blade, “I’ve returned.”I didn’t need to look at her to know who it was. Dorian. She had always been my most trusted ally, perhaps because she was as ruthless as I was… and mostly because she was rogue, without a pack and without an identity. Her loyalty wasn’t som
RylanThe familiar sight of Blackridge pack’s towering trees and the cool mountain air did little to settle the unease brewing inside me. I had returned, but my heart was still in Shadowfang. Valeria. I couldn’t get her out of my mind. The thought of her being there, alone with Kade, filled me with a deep sense of dread. She could take care of herself—she had proven that time and time again—but something about Shadowfang always felt off, like a shadow looming just beneath the surface.As I approached the main packhouse, the usual warmth of coming home was muted by the tension running through me. My family greeted me at the entrance, their smiles wide but not reaching their eyes.“Rylan, welcome back,” my father said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “We’ve missed you.”I nodded, trying to focus on them and not the whirlwind in my mind. “It’s good to be home.”But before I could even settle into the comfort of familiar surroundings, my mother spoke up, her voice laced with anticipation.
Rylan The cool breeze brushed against my skin as I leaned against the railing outside the packhouse, staring into the forest. My mind was still racing, tangled with thoughts of Valeria and the absurdity of what had just been proposed. How could they expect me to agree to marry someone when I couldn’t even focus on anything but her?The sound of soft footsteps caught my attention, and I turned to see Seraphina approaching. She moved with a kind of grace, her posture calm and composed, but I could see there was something calculating behind her eyes.“I figured I’d find you out here,” she said quietly, stopping a few feet away from me.I straightened, preparing for whatever conversation was about to unfold. “Needed some air.”She nodded, folding her arms and staring out into the distance as if she, too, was deep in thought. For a moment, there was silence, and I wondered if maybe she would let this pass without confrontation. But then she spoke, her voice low and measured.“Why don’t yo
RylanThe next morning, I was in my room, staring out the window at the early morning mist that blanketed the forest. My thoughts were still on Valeria, as they always seemed to be these days. I couldn’t shake the image of her face, the way she had looked at me before I left Shadowfang. How was she holding up? Was she safe? My gut twisted with worry.A knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I sighed, turning to see my father standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable but stern, as usual. He didn’t bother waiting for an invitation before stepping inside.“Rylan,” he began, his voice cold and authoritative, “we need to talk.”I already knew where this conversation was heading. My jaw clenched, but I forced myself to stay calm. “What is it, Father?”He didn’t waste time getting to the point. “You will marry Seraphina.”My muscles tensed at the command. “Father, we’ve already been through this. I told you—Valeria is my mate.”My father’s lips curled into a frown, the lin
RylanThe biting cold of the Blackridge mountains was unforgiving, but I barely felt it. The weight of the occasion pressed down on my shoulders far heavier than any winter chill could. Today was the day my father would be officially crowned Alpha of Blackridge, a position he’d essentially held in practice for years, but this was the formal acknowledgment of his power. I stood just behind him, my breath clouding in the cold air as I observed the pack gathered around us.We were a smaller pack, but Blackridge’s strength was undeniable. Every member was hardened by the unforgiving landscape, disciplined by our strict hierarchy. To outsiders, we might have seemed cold and ruthless, but to us, power and loyalty were everything. No one questioned the strength of my father, Eryx, and no one dared to defy him. He had earned this moment through blood, sweat, and countless battles. But as I watched him, standing tall and unyielding, I couldn’t shake the tension that gnawed at me from within.T
KadeThe dawn came too soon. The faint light filtering through the curtains signaled the beginning of another battle, another fight for survival. But for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t dreading it as much as I usually would. Valeria was still asleep beside me, her body curled against mine, her steady breathing the only sound in the room. It was a rare moment of peace, one I knew wouldn’t last.But I didn’t want to wake her yet. She’d fought so hard to bring our packs together, to show everyone, including me, that she was the Luna we all needed. And I’d fought her at every turn, believing I knew better. But now, holding her close, I realized how wrong I’d been.I’d spent so much time worrying about protecting Shadowfang and keeping it separate that I hadn’t seen the bigger picture. Valeria’s strength wasn’t just in her leadership—it was in her ability to unite, to make people believe in something greater than themselves. Including me. I had to stop thinking that my way was the
KadeThe fire crackled in the pit, casting shadows across the stone walls of the meeting chamber. The air was thick with the tension that lingered after every battle, a kind of pressure that sat heavy on my chest. I could feel the eyes of Valeria’s council on me, their judgment hanging in the balance. It wasn’t just Shadowfang’s future that rested on this alliance—it was my own relationship with Valeria. And after all the mistakes I’d made, I wasn’t sure I had the right to ask for their trust.But I had to try. Not just for Shadowfang, but for her.I straightened in my seat, forcing myself to meet the gaze of the man across from me, Valeria’s Beta, Torin. He’d always been suspicious of me, ever since I’d stepped into Valeria’s life. I couldn’t blame him. I hadn’t exactly been forthcoming, especially when I kept Shadowfang’s independence at the forefront. But that was over now. I needed to show them all that I was committed to this alliance.“Shadowfang is prepared to stand with you,”
KadeThe air was thick with the scent of blood and sweat, the sounds of battle echoing around me as I fought through the chaos. Malachai’s forces had come at us harder than I anticipated. Shadowfang’s warriors, Valeria’s pack—everyone was giving their all. But it wasn’t enough. Not yet.My wolf growled inside me, restless, urging me to push harder, to protect them all. But more than anything, I had to protect her.I caught sight of Valeria at the center of the battlefield, her movements fierce and precise as she took down an enemy rogue with a single, brutal swipe. Even now, she was magnificent—strong, commanding, everything a Luna should be. My heart clenched as I watched her, a surge of protectiveness roaring through me. I’d been holding back for too long, distancing myself under the excuse of duty, of responsibility to my pack. But seeing her now, in the midst of battle, I knew there was no more running.She was my Luna. And I was hers.Another rogue lunged toward her, and before I
KadeThe weight of the prophecy hangs over me like a shadow I can’t shake.It’s a prophecy that warns of a “dark king,” a figure who will bring ruin and devastation to those around him. It doesn’t name anyone outright, doesn’t point to me specifically—but I can’t help but feel its claws digging into my conscience. Every decision I’ve made, every step I’ve taken away from Valeria, away from fully embracing our bond, has begun to feel like a pathway toward that destruction.And I’m the one walking us straight into it.I’ve always been devoted to Shadowfang, to my pack. My life, my entire being, has revolved around protecting them, making sure that we stand strong no matter what threats come our way. But as the days go by, as tensions mount and the threat of Malachai grows more pressing, I’m starting to wonder if my loyalty to the pack has been misplaced—if, in my pursuit of keeping them safe, I’ve been dooming Valeria to struggle alone.I’ve failed her.I should be the one standing at h
KadeI didn’t mean for it to get this bad.I stared at Valeria, her eyes ablaze with fury, her fists clenched at her sides. The tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to cut through, and I knew—I knew—that I had crossed a line. But I couldn’t take back the words I had said. Couldn’t undo the damage they had caused.“This isn’t about control,” I snapped, though even as the words left my mouth, I knew they weren’t entirely true. “This is about keeping us safe. Keeping you safe.”Valeria’s laugh was sharp, bitter. “Don’t try to spin this into something noble, Kade. This is about you thinking I can’t handle my role. That I can’t lead without you micromanaging every decision I make!”I winced at the bite in her voice, but I held my ground. “I’m trying to protect Shadowfang. The pack is my responsibility.”Her eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer, her presence commanding the space between us. “Our responsibility. I’m the Luna, or have you forgotten that?”I hadn’t forgotten. Of
KadeThe air was thick with tension as I stood in the center of the war room, staring at the map in front of me. Every detail had been meticulously planned—our defenses, the patrols, the routes we’d take to safeguard Shadowfang from Malachai’s rogues. And yet, something felt off. I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling crawling up my spine.I trusted my warriors, every single one of them. They were brothers and sisters to me. My lieutenants had fought alongside me for years. We’d faced countless battles together, survived countless threats. The idea that one of them could be a traitor… I didn’t want to believe it.But I couldn’t ignore the reports. There had been small signs, whispers of strange behavior, subtle shifts in communication patterns. Information we should have kept tight within our pack had been slipping through the cracks. Someone was leaking details—strategic details—to Malachai. And now, it was clear that the ambush was more than just luck on his part.I gritted my teeth, g
Kade The report in front of me felt like a weight pressing against my chest, each word sinking deeper into my thoughts. Malachai’s presence was growing, his rogues testing our borders more frequently, and his attacks becoming bolder. This wasn’t just a random series of strikes—he was probing, searching for our weak spots. Every time we fought them back, they retreated, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he found the chink in our armor.Shadowfang had always been prepared, always vigilant. It was my job to ensure we stayed that way. The safety of the pack was my first and only priority, and Malachai was becoming an ever-present threat I couldn’t afford to ignore.I scanned the intelligence report again, noting the details—movements near the eastern border, rogue sightings near our supply routes, a pattern in their retreats that suggested they were mapping our defenses. I clenched my fist, the muscles in my jaw tightening. We couldn’t let this go on much longer.“Alpha?” Ro
Kade The sounds of training filled the Shadowfang camp as I watched my warriors spar under the midday sun. The rhythmic clang of steel on steel, the grunts of exertion, and the sharp commands of our combat instructors were a familiar comfort to me. This was where I belonged—leading, strategizing, ensuring that Shadowfang remained the powerful force it had always been.My pack looked to me for leadership, and I gave them everything I had. Every decision, every battle plan, every word spoken at council meetings was weighed with the same question: how does this protect Shadowfang? I couldn’t afford mistakes. Not with Malachai’s forces lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.But lately, the tension between Shadowfang and Valeria’s pack had been growing, and it was weighing on me more than I wanted to admit. My bond with Valeria should have made things easier—two powerful packs standing united, with their Alpha and Luna stronger together than apart. Yet, the real