Zarek PoVI leaned back against the cold stone wall, my arms crossed over my chest as I replayed the pieces of their argument. I’d overheard, my fists clenched and my jaw tightened as I watched Lunette walk away from my brother.The resignation in her shoulders was visible even from this distance, as was the tension in his; it made the storm I could sense brewing between them before she disappeared into the house. I hadn’t caught the full conversation—just enough to understand the undercurrent of emotions flowing between them both.Axel had always been impulsive, charging into situations without much thought about anything; it was what he did, and maybe once upon a time it would have been something he did as well.But this was Lunette, and while she was our mate, she wasn’t just anyone to us anymore; she was our father's mate, now someone completely untouchable.I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. Axel would never accept the reality of things; he thrived on rebellion and pushin
Axel POVThe moon was sliced to a tiny crescent, but it was bright over the treetops, its silver light spilling over the dark forest floor. I stood at the edge of the western border, watching the patrols fan out into the forest.Father’s decision after the incident with the rogues attack and the death of the prisoner was to tighten security and patrol. I couldn't find fault with that decision because, despite my suspicions, I had no proof of anything, so I couldn't raise any alarms yet.But it came with a catch—he’d put me in charge.I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be spending nights out, but at least it killed time and allowed me to think about anything but her and my father.And it was hard not to because they were always together; it made it hard to escape from them both.So here I was battling a cold breeze and still trying to figure out where I stood in all of this.A sha
Lunette PoVMy mind wandered as I skimmed the book on medicinal herbs that I had picked that morning. Axel had fallen asleep. I knew it; even though I wasn't looking at him, he was moving less, and he had not turned a page in almost an hour. The candlelight flickered over the pages of the book in my lap that I was reading, or that I had been anyway, but the words had long since blurred into meaningless shapes. I sighed and leaned back in my chair, stretching out my stiff legs, hoping to get some relief.The library was quiet, except for the occasional creaking of the old wood shelves. I had come to like being in the library; it was a quiet space that I could think in without having to worry about others watching me or whispering behind my back. My eyes drifted across the room, landing on Axel. It was a habit now, and I tried not to do it so much. He was slumped in the chair across from me, his long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. His head was tilting slightly to th
Zarek PoVI wasn’t sure why I went to the library that day; I knew that was where she liked to be, and so I tried to avoid it mostly, but I was tired and not really thinking clearly, and maybe it was my need for a distraction, or maybe I just wanted to be anywhere but near my brother and father, who were always nagging me to get out more even when I didn't want to.That and the added effort of trying to not cross paths with Lunette because I knew it would be difficult for me to ignore her all the time, but I needed the library today, especially since the weight of my own thoughts had become unbearable lately; the library, with its quiet, seemed like the perfect escape.Pushing open the heavy wooden door, I stepped inside and inhaled the familiar scent of old books and polished wood with the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the tall windows, falling on the rows of shelves along the walls.I moved to one of the shelves
Lunette POVI panicked when Zarek turned to leave. I wasn’t ready for him to go. Not like this.“Wait!” I cried out with my voice louder than I intended, and I reached for his hand without thinking. My fingers wrapped around his wrist, holding him in place.He froze, his muscles tense beneath my touch. His eyes darted down to where our hands met, then back to my face.“Lunette...” he muttered.“Please,” I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady.“Don’t go.”His eyes searched mine, and for a moment, I thought he might pull away. But then, he exhaled a long breath and gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.“All right,” he said quietly, his voice barely audible.Relieved, I released his wrist and stepped back, my heart pounding as I tried thinkin
Lunette PovZarek was talking about something, but I really couldn't be sure what it was he was talking about exactly, especially since I had not been paying much attention to what he was saying.I had mostly been looking at him; he was talking about some ancient pack war, I think, and he was doing it very well considering we had gone from very heavy topics to lighthearted conversation.It was evening now; the sun was setting, and the library was bathed in the bronze glow, and it felt warm. Zarek and I had been talking for hours, the conversation flowing easily between us, so it felt like we had been doing this forever.I like that, liked that he was this open at least with me, that I had seen this side of him that others had likely not seen before. Zarek—the stoic, sharp-tongued Alpha's son—with his broad view of the world and disarming kindness and vulnerability.When he spoke of his doubts, his fears, he masked them
Lunette POVZarek was off the couch in the blink of an eye; I barely noticed when he moved past me until he had the maid in a chokehold against the door. I shivered in fear, confused at what to do; he grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, and she whimpered, her hands falling to her side as Zarek squeezed. "Zarek, stop."“She saw too much,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. His eyes had darkened; they were now hard and cold—nothing like the vulnerable man I’d just been kissing. My stomach dropped as the weight of his words hit me. “What are you saying?” He didn’t respond immediately, but the sharpness in his jaw and the flicker of rage in his eyes made it clear what he was considering. My panic surged. “No,” I said firmly, stepping in front of him when his hands tightened around her neck. “Zarek, no.” I whispered sharply, my pulse beating erratically in my throat; it felt like my chest would collapse under the weight of everything that had just happened.Zarek’s breathing
Lunette POVThe walk back to my room suddenly felt endless; my mind raced as I replayed everything that had happened in the library.My feelings for Zarek, the stolen kiss, the maid’s intrusion—it all swirled in my head like a hurricane that I pretty much couldn't control.I reached my door, letting out a shaky breath. I pulled open the door and walked inside and closed the door behind me immediately. Sliding down to the floor, I leaned against the door, trying to catch my breath, my heart still racing from whatever had just happened in there right now. The soft click of the latch felt like an ending on the chaos of the day.“What did I just do?” I muttered to myself. I rose to my feet and crossed the room; I needed to distract myself, maybe with a book or a long bath, when a sharp knock interrupted my thoughts.My heart leapt into my throat, panic flooding back. Was it Zarek?Had he come to fi
Axel’s POVThe council chambers were suffocating me, and Lorraine standing beside me was not doing me any favors to be honest, her face composed but I saw the glint in her eyes. She had me wrapped around her fingers and the council was helping her squeeze. They had all but declared, Lunette, Curtis and Zarek traitors to the pack. “We cannot allow them to run free,” Lorraine said, her voice dripping with false concern."If Zarek and Lunette are left unchecked, they’ll bring ruin to Grey Moon. We have to act before it’s too late.” I clenched my fists at my sides, barely containing my anger because I knew she didn’t care about the pack, only her own ambitions but her performance was flawless and the council bought it, murmuring their agreement,“Alpha Axel,” elder Fred addressed me. "You must send your soldiers to apprehend them. For the good of the pack.” I had gotten used to those words over the last few days, even more than I had gotten used to my own father's death. Maybe it wa
Varda POV I heard the news about Alpha Cormac's deathly injury, while I was cleaning up my new room, it had been one of the best news I had in a very long while.I knew it was time.When I had sent the assassins to finish off Lunette, it had never occured to me that I would catch bigger fish in my endeavor.The alpha Cormac, the biggest alpha om our coast and the most respected, it was a coup. A storm of satisfaction had spread through me, filling me, this was good. I needed this chance now, cold determination settled over me as I leaned back in the ornate chair in Slade's–my study now. The Grey Moon pack was vulnerable. Their leadership in shambles this was the time for me to get more than I had wanted with the chaos that was no doubt already starting to spread. I had my opening.And while Lunette wasn't dead yet, that wasn't something I couldn't solve later.Lunette. The name was a bitter taste on my tongue, that little brat was a thorn in my side. She was a loose thread, the la
Zarek POV "Have you lost your mind?” I snarled, at my brother my voice low and dangerous.“You think locking Lunette up is going to solve anything? She didn’t kill Father, Axel.” The tension in the room was suffocating and I really didn't need to be pissed, Axel stood at the head of his table, his arms crossed over his chest, his jaw set tight, I stood across from him bracing my hands on the surface of the table, it was barely enough to keep myself from reaching across and shaking some sense into him. “I didn’t say she did. But until we know for sure who’s behind this, I can’t take any chances.” “Chances?” I barked, slamming my fist on the table.“You’re not just taking a chance, you’re condemning her. The council will see this as an admission of guilt. Do you understand what you’re doing?” Axel’s lips pressed into a thin line. “What I understand is that the council is already breathing down my neck. If I don’t handle this carefully, we risk losing everything.” “Losing wha
Lunette POV My whole body ached from hours of training with Zarek, each and every muscle group screamed in protest as I settled into the chair beside Alpha Cormac’s bed. With the room dimly lit, the only light coming from the faint glow of the monitors tracking his vitals.The steady beeping was oddly comforting, I could at least hold on to the fact he was still with us. I watched him breath in and out guilt gnawing at my insides. He looked a bit better today, not so pale, maybe soon he would wake up. He had nearly died protecting me. He shouldn’t have risked himself for someone like me. I slumped into the chair by Alpha Cormac’s bed and I told myself I’d only rest my eyes for a moment, just long enough to catch my breath. “I’ll make it right,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I’ll find a way to fix this, to protect your pack... your family.” But the steady rhythm of the machines and the quiet hum of the room lulled me into sleep.I didn’t even realize when my eyes closed,
Lorraine’s POVIt was dark outside and quiet wrapped around the pack house like a shroud, it had never been this quiet in a long time the stillness was broken only by the occasional creak of the old walls or the distant howl of a wolf. This was a perfect time for what I had to do, it was the perfect cover.I slipped through the hallways, keeping my footsteps as silent against the wooden floors as possible, my heart pounded in my chest, but it was not from fear. No, this wasn’t fear. This was anticipation. Alpha Cormac’s injury had given me the perfect opening because now with him bedridden and Zarek too preoccupied with training that brat girl Lunette, Axel was the only one fit to step up as acting Alpha. And if Axel became Alpha, well... I would ensure that I was by his side as Luna. It was time to act. Time to turn the chaos to my advantage, meaning there was no room for error tonight. I tightened my grip on the small syringe hidden in my sleeve. The attack had been... unex
Zarek POVI had made a mistake. A colossal mistake.I knew it from the moment I agreed to train Lunette that it was a mistake but I had done it anyway. I told myself it was to keep her from running herself into the ground.She had been practically clawing for the chance to learn how to fight. I thought I could get her to see reason by exhausting her, prove to her that her determination wasn’t enough to carry her through rigorous training.But she had that look in her eyes, the kind that said she wasn't going to give this up.Every day, we met in the training grounds, at dawn when the pack was still asleep and everyday Lunette had thrown herself into the sessions with reckless abandon that made my chest tighten in a way I didn’t want to acknowledge.But it wasn’t just her determination that worried me anymore—it was what I was seeing during those sessions.&n
Axel POV The weight of responsibility was pressing down on me like a mountain, but I welcomed it. With our father still in a coma, I had stepped into the role of acting Alpha for our pack, they needed guidance and Zarek showed no interest in taking up the mantle—his focus was elsewhere not that I could totally blame him—and that left me to shoulder the burden. It was easier this way. The work kept me distracted, and gave me purpose, if I was focused on managing the pack, there was no room to dwell on the chaos threatening my personal life. And no room to think about her. Lunette spent every day by our father’s bedside, from early in the morning until late into the night, she remained in that room, her gaze fixed on his unconscious form as if her presence alone could will him back to health. I hated seeing her like that—fragile, lost, a shadow of the woman I had come to know. But I couldn’t bring myself to approach her. Not after what she’d said. She was going to accept my
Lunette POVAlpha Cormac lay so still in bed, his breathing was still shallow and his -powerful frame looked smaller under the weight of blankets. The room still smelled heavily of the scent of antiseptic and blood.Two days later and it still felt like I was back there with those assassins, the blood on their skin dripping to the floor.I sat in the chair beside him, my hands clasped tightly together as guilt twisted through my gut like a dagger.He had risked his life to save me, throwing himself into danger without a second thought.And for what? I didn’t deserve that kind of sacrifice.“Why did you do it?” I whispered, my voice barely audible."You should have just let me face them on my own.”Of course, he didn’t answer.His eyes were still closed, his face pale almost white, and though the healers had assured me he would
Zarek POV I barely registered the blood pooling beneath my father’s body as I held him in my arms, with his weight sagging against me, I knelt there panic coursing through me. My father, the strongest man I’d ever known, was limp, his blood soaking into my clothes and pooling on the forest floor. “Father!” My voice cracked, "We need to get him inside" Lunette muttered and I agreed with her, I lifted him off the ground and we started walking he coughed weakly, blood staining his lips as his head lolled against my shoulder like he had fainted“Stay with me,” I begged, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. "Come on, old man," I muttered through gritted teeth, forcing my legs to steady under his weight. "You’re not dying here. Not like this." My hands trembled slightly as I pressed against the wound at his side, against the blood that just kept coming. My muscles screamed in protest, but I just kept moving. I wouldn’t let him slip away. Not like this. Footstep