RylanKade’s hand gripped my arm firmly, his voice a low growl as he pulled me to a corner of the hall, away from the earshots of the people that were gathered there. I could feel the tension rolling off him, simmering beneath the surface. I yanked my arm free, glaring at him.“What the hell is your problem, Kade?” I snapped, already knowing where this was going but not in the mood for another confrontation.Kade’s eyes narrowed, his gaze sharp as if he were trying to peer into my soul and see what I was hiding. “My problem? You’re seriously asking me that? You brought Seraphina here, Rylan. To Valeria’s trial. Why?”I crossed my arms, doing my best to maintain control. “She’s my fiancée, Kade. Why shouldn’t I bring her?”He scoffed, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “That’s exactly the problem. You’re engaged to an outsider—someone who has nothing to do with us, with Valeria, or this trial. Do you even understand what this looks like? You’re making a statement, and not a go
RylanThe morning sunlight filtered through the cracks in the curtains as I sat in silence, waiting. My thoughts were a jumble, still tangled from the day before—Kade’s accusations, Aiden’s questions, Seraphina’s sharp eyes watching my every move. None of it sat right with me, and yet I couldn’t focus on any of that right now. Today was about Valeria and the trial that lay ahead.I stood up and left the room, walking down the narrow corridor of the pack’s guest quarters. My footsteps echoed off the stone walls as I made my way toward the meeting with Jeric. Seraphina had stayed behind in our quarters, not entirely welcome at the gathering of Alphas. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that—part of me was relieved she wasn’t coming, but another part of me wondered if she might’ve been better off hearing the details firsthand. Whatever this trial was, it sounded like a nightmare.Kade and Aiden were already there when I entered the meeting room. Jeric stood at the head of the long table, his
Valeria The air in the pack house was thick with tension as I made my way through the corridors. The upcoming trial weighed heavily on my mind, but I couldn’t shake the strange energy that had been following me since the moment I arrived. Everything felt… off. Maybe it was the fact that Kade, Rylan, and Aiden were acting on edge, or maybe it was just the pressure of the trial creeping up on me. Either way, something wasn’t right.I turned a corner, lost in thought, when I bumped into someone. The jolt snapped me back to reality, and I stumbled slightly before regaining my balance.“Watch where you’re going!” a sharp voice snapped.I looked up to see a woman with blonde hair and cold, piercing eyes glaring at me. She was beautiful, in a way that made you feel inferior just by standing next to her. But her expression was laced with disdain as she folded her arms across her chest, assessing me like I was some sort of nuisance.“Sorry,” I muttered, trying to sidestep her, but she didn’t
Valeria I was still trembling as I turned away from Rylan, each step feeling heavier than the last. My heart was breaking, shattering into jagged pieces that cut deeper with every breath. I had to leave. If I stayed any longer, I’d lose my resolve. My chest ached with the finality of what I had just done, but I knew it was the right choice. He had already made his decision by binding himself to Seraphina, and I couldn’t compete with that.But before I could reach the door, Rylan’s hand shot out and grabbed mine. His grip was firm, but not painful, as he pulled me back toward him.“Valeria, wait,” he said, his voice thick with desperation.I froze, refusing to meet his gaze. My body tensed as he moved closer, his presence suffocating, but I didn’t have the strength to push him away. Not again. I felt him step in front of me, his hand still holding mine, as if he was afraid I’d disappear if he let go.“There has to be another way,” he whispered, his voice softer now, more tender. “I’m
ValeriaI stormed out of the room, my breath coming in sharp bursts, heart beating like a drum in my chest. I didn’t know where I was going; I just needed to be away from everything. Rylan, Seraphina, all of it. My head was a mess, emotions swirling in a chaotic storm that I couldn’t control. How could he? How could they all?Just as I turned the corner, too focused on my fury to watch where I was going, I crashed straight into someone. Stumbling back, I blinked up and found myself face-to-face with Aiden.“Valeria,” he said softly, his hand reaching out to steady me. His touch was gentle, cautious, like he could feel the anger vibrating off me.“Get out of my way,” I muttered, trying to shove past him, but Aiden didn’t move. He stayed firmly in front of me, his gaze calm but serious.“I know you’re angry,” Aiden said, his voice steady. “You have every right to be.”I narrowed my eyes, my patience already worn thin. “You don’t know anything, Aiden. You have no idea what I’m feeling.”
Valeria The bull’s eyes glinted in the dying sunlight, and its nostrils flared as it pawed at the ground, clearly waiting for me to falter. My heart hammered in my chest as I stood frozen in the arena, my gaze locked on the beast. I could feel the weight of every eye in the crowd on me, but none of it mattered. All that mattered was keeping my focus.But it wasn’t easy.Memories started flooding in, pulling me back, distracting me from the here and now. The first time I had met Kade flashed before me like an old, faded film. He had been arrogant, a smirk always playing at the corners of his mouth, and I would have hated him on sight. Or at least, that’s what I’d told myself. I hadn’t wanted to admit that there had been something more—something magnetic about him that I couldn’t ignore, no matter how hard I tried. His nonchalance had irritated me at first, but then, somehow, it had become comforting. In a world full of chaos, Kade always seemed to be in control.But then came his fath
ValeriaThe moment I stood back up, the world around me felt like a battlefield. My muscles ached, and every nerve in my body screamed in agony, but my mind was sharp. I had to fight. Not just for my survival, but for something bigger. I needed to prove myself—my innocence, my worth. Yet as soon as I locked eyes with the crowd, their faces twisted in disgust.“Murderer!”“Killer!”“Evil werewolf!”The shouts came fast, spewing venomous words from every corner. I could feel their hatred, sharp as a blade, cutting into me. These people had made up their minds. In their eyes, I was already guilty—guilty of crimes I hadn’t committed, of atrocities I had no part in. They saw me as something wicked, something monstrous.But I wasn’t going to let them win. I wasn’t going to be swallowed by their judgment. No, I was going to prove them wrong.The bull paced before me, snorting, the bull’s dark eyes gleaming with aggression. I had already lost the first part of the trial by breaking eye contac
Valeria As I left the arena, my body still trembled from the adrenaline and the aftermath of using my powers. My mind was racing, struggling to grasp everything that had just happened. The crowd’s cheers still echoed in my ears—Luna Queen—but I felt distant from it all, as if I were walking through a dream I couldn’t wake from. The pressure of the title pressed heavily on my shoulders, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to carry it.I hadn’t gone far when I saw Jeric approaching me. His usually stern face was different this time, softer, as if something had shifted inside him. His eyes were filled with remorse, and his steps were hesitant. I stopped in my tracks, wary of what he wanted now.“Luna Valeria,” Jeric called out, his voice low and filled with an unexpected vulnerability. He bowed his head slightly, which caught me off guard.“Jeric?” I asked, confused. Was this the same man who had practically thrown me into this trial, who had doubted me from the start?“I owe you an apology,”
Kade The night was quiet, too quiet. It had been gnawing at me since the sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving the Shadowfang pack cloaked in uneasy silence. My senses were sharper than usual, every shadow in the packhouse casting doubt, every sound making me tense. Something was coming. I could feel it, like a storm brewing just out of sight, ready to tear everything apart.As I moved through the packhouse, making my usual rounds, I found myself thinking about Valeria—again. She was safe with Aiden, but the distance between us felt like an open wound. I hated being away from her, hated not knowing exactly what she was doing, if she was alright. I knew she was strong, capable, but with Malachai lurking around, I couldn’t shake the fear that something could go wrong. And I wasn’t there to protect her.Shaking off the thought, I kept walking. The weight of my father’s earlier warning still hung over me. “Don’t cross any lines,” he had said, but what did he know about the lines I wa
KadeThe weight of everything pressing down on me was almost unbearable as I walked through the corridors of the Shadowfang packhouse. My mind was still on Valeria—on how much she had been through, how her world had been turned upside down, and how, despite all of it, she was still standing strong. She had gone through so much already, and now she was living with the constant threat of Malachai’s twisted ambition looming over her. I couldn’t help but feel helpless.But I had responsibilities here too. I couldn’t let Shadowfang fall apart while Valeria was away. The pack needed me. The pack needed me.As I walked past the pack’s dining hall, the clinking of silverware and low murmurs of conversation caught my attention. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard this particular voice, but it always grated on my nerves just the same. I paused for a moment, glancing into the room. There, seated at the long dining table, was Mikaela.Her eyes met mine immediately, and the smile that spread across
Valeria The soft rustle of pages turning was the only sound in the library, my eyes scanning the text before me, desperate to uncover anything that might give me some insight into the Nightshade family. I had found the book myself, tucked away in the far corner of the packhouse’s library, one that had piqued my curiosity. It had an old, worn leather cover, its pages yellowed with age, and the scent of dust and parchment filled the air as I flipped through it.The book wasn’t like the others I’d come across; it wasn’t just about history or magical theory—it was a lineage book, a collection of stories and records about the Nightshade family. My heart beat faster with each page I turned. The further I went, the more details I uncovered about the Nightshades’ legacy. They were no ordinary family. This was no mere royal bloodline. This was the family that had been at the center of everything—controlling not just packs, but holding unimaginable power and magic. They weren’t just royalty—t
ValeriaSelene took a seat at the dining table, her eyes flicking between Aiden and me with an air of entitlement. The tension in the room was suffocating, a quiet storm building in the spaces between us. I could feel her gaze burning into me as she delicately placed her hands on the table, giving a sweet, mocking smile.“You know, I’ve always found it amusing,” Selene began, her voice light and casual, “how some people think they’re so special just because they’ve been labeled with a title.” Her eyes darted toward me, thinly veiled venom in her tone. “Being called the Luna Queen doesn’t make you royalty, Valeria. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re still… well, let’s just say, inexperienced in a lot of things.”I clenched my hands under the table, willing myself to stay calm. I wasn’t going to let her rattle me, no matter how hard she tried. But her words still stung, especially with Aiden sitting right there. He remained silent, his eyes flicking between us, clearly trying to avo
ValeriaThe moonlight streamed through the large windows of the packhouse, casting a soft glow across the room as I sat on the bed. My mind was still reeling from my encounter with Selene earlier in the day. It was hard to shake off the tension her arrival had caused, but I knew I needed to focus on more important things—like Aiden. He had been quiet, his face tight with worry ever since Selene showed up, and I could sense the turmoil brewing inside him.I heard the door creak open and glanced up to see Aiden stepping into the room. His brows were furrowed, his shoulders tense. He had been on edge since our conversation with Selene, and I knew it was eating away at him. He paced the room for a moment before sitting down heavily beside me, running a hand through his hair.“I can’t believe this is happening,” he muttered, his voice low and strained. “Selene… of all people, she shows up now. After all this time, when I thought she was—” He broke off, his jaw clenching as if the words wer
Valeria The morning air was crisp as I made my way down the hall, lost in my thoughts. Aiden had been doing everything he could to make me comfortable here at Stormclaw, and for the most part, it had been working. But ever since that woman—Selene—had shown up, I felt a tension in the air, one I couldn’t ignore. It wasn’t that I feared her, but I knew she wasn’t here without reason. People didn’t just come back from the dead without some agenda.As I turned the corner, I wasn’t surprised to see her standing there, leaning casually against the wall. Her blonde hair fell in perfect waves down her back, and she had this smug expression on her face like she was waiting for me.“Valeria,” she said, her tone dripping with false sweetness. “I was wondering when we’d have a chance to talk. Alone.”I kept my expression neutral, refusing to rise to whatever bait she was trying to dangle in front of me. “Selene,” I replied, keeping my voice calm, though I could feel the heat simmering just benea
Aiden I stood in the hallway, watching as Selene unpacked her things, her old room slowly coming back to life around her. It felt surreal, like stepping into a memory that had long since faded, but was now being forced back into focus. She moved around the room with a certain ease, as if no time had passed at all, like she hadn’t been gone for months and everything was still the way it had been before. But things had changed—I had changed.She glanced over her shoulder, catching me watching her. “What? You’re just going to stand there?” she asked, raising an eyebrow with a hint of a smirk.I didn’t respond immediately. I was still trying to wrap my head around all of this, the fact that she was here again, alive and unpacking as if she planned on staying. I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, my mind running in circles.Selene turned back to her suitcase, folding a shirt neatly before placing it in the drawer. “Well, I guess it’s my turn to ask questions now,” she said, her v
Aiden The moment Selene’s name left my lips, I knew it was going to be a long night. She was standing in the dining room like a ghost from the past, a figure I never thought I’d see again, let alone here, in Stormclaw. My muscles tensed, the familiar scent of her filling the air, though it was tinged with something darker now—something I didn’t recognize.“Aiden,” she said again, her voice smooth and dripping with mock sweetness, “Didn’t you miss me?” Her words were accompanied by a coy smile, one that used to have a hold over me, but now? It just made me wary.I couldn’t respond right away. I didn’t even know where to start. The last time I’d seen her—no, the last time anyone had seen her—she was dead. Or at least that’s what I’d been told. The rumors of her death spread like wildfire, consuming everything in its path. I hadn’t even known how to feel about it back then, but now… standing here in front of her again, I felt like the ground was shifting beneath my feet.Before I could
Valeria The past few days had been the most peaceful I’d experienced in months. Here in Aiden’s pack, Stormclaw, there was a serenity that wrapped itself around me, quieting the storm that usually raged inside. The constant tension that had followed me seemed to dissipate, allowing me to breathe without the weight of the world pressing down on my chest. I could almost forget about Malachai’s threat and the lingering danger that loomed on the horizon.Aiden had been a constant source of comfort. Every day, he found new ways to make me feel safe, and though I had my moments of doubt, being with him made it easier to believe that things could turn out okay. He even went out of his way to bring me books from the pack’s library—one in particular caught my attention.“This one looked like something you’d enjoy,” Aiden said, handing me the book with a grin. His golden eyes sparkled with mischief, but there was an earnestness to the gesture that made my heart warm.I took the book, examining