I stood at the edge of the clearing, watching as the pack gathered before me. Taking a breath, I spoke. “You’ve all come through a dark time,” I began, meeting their eyes one by one. “You’ve all lost, endured, and fought to survive. But now you have a chance to rebuild, to become something stronger—something united.”I could feel the crowds hesitation, the remnants of pain that Derek’s reign had left in each of them. They’d learned to look out for themselves, to trust no one. I needed to show them that a different way was possible.“To do this,” I continued in a steady tone, “we’ll need to work together. We’ll need food, supplies, and defences so that no threat can ever leave us so vulnerable again.”The tension in their faces began to ease as I laid out the plan, explaining that we’d form hunting parties, repair our homes, and organise patrols to protect us. I described the look out system I envisioned, with rotating shifts and a rapid response team to ensure no one could strike with
The first light of dawn cast as I gathered a few loyal wolves away from the pack. They listened intently as I laid out my plan. Each of them understood the gravity of my departure. I’d only just begun to lead them, to help rebuild their broken lives, and now I was asking them to take on the burden I was leaving behind.“You all know what we’ve accomplished so far,” I said, setting my eyes from one to the next. “And I trust you to keep it going in my absence. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but I’ll come back as soon as I can.”The beta nodded in acceptance. “We’ll protect the pack and continue your work, Alpha. You don’t need to worry.”I was filled with both pride and sadness. These wolves were ready to fight, to stand firm despite everything they’d been through. I had to leave them now, but their loyalty and dedication gave me strength.“Thank you,” I mur
If the guards’ rumours were true, Zone was in chains for “colliding with a witch,” and I could only imagine what they’d done to Gilly, who was already vulnerable. If there was even a chance they were in the dungeons, I had to find them.“We’ll get them out, Serena,” my wolf promised. Her confidence became mine.Soon, I sighted the thick door to the dungeon, guarded by a lone guard. I timed my movement. I waited for him to shift his attention momentarily and then I moved past him swiftly. His flickering torchlight casted only a slight glimpse of me.I hadn’t been in these dungeons in ages. I remembered how prisoners were brought here under Ardan’s orders, criminals as well who had chosen the wrong side. But this was different. Ardan had always been just. To think of Zone and Gilly down here, locked in these cells, made my blood boil.As I went down the stairs, a tortured howl echoed off the stone walls. The sound was unmistakable. It was Zone. I picked up my pace, sprinting down the na
The night was cold as we quietly and carefully passed through the palace corridors. Gilly, though still unconscious, rested securely in Zone’s arms. Rachel and I moved ahead, scanning for threats while Zone followed close behind.The memory of what I had seen in the dungeon was burned into my mind. I couldn’t shake the image of the imposter Ardan. Yes, my mind has been on it and will continue to be on it until I am able to find my mate. The rogue king had not only stolen my mate’s appearance but had turned the palace—our home—into a place of fear and lies.Meanwhile, the silence between I and Zone was heavy and it was broken only by the faint sound of our footsteps. I knew how Zone felt about his unanswered questions and his simmering anger he was trying to keep at bay. I understood his rage; I felt it too. But now wasn’t the time to lose control.We reached the palace’s outer gardens without any incident. The moon shone bright, making it harder to stay hidden. I motioned for the othe
We had finally gotten out of the dungeon and I helped Zone and Gilly to the hidden passage I’d used to enter. Every sound echoed in my ears—the clink of Zone’s chains that we had now gotten rid of, Gilly’s shallow, pained breaths, and my dragged footsteps against the stone floor. I was angry and confused. What I’d seen… it wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be.“That wasn’t Ardan,” I reminded myself, swallowing down the lump in my throat. My wolf, Sally, had already made it clear: this Ardan was an imposter, the rogue king in disguise. But knowing didn’t lessen the pain of seeing my mate’s face twisted into something cruel and unrecognisable.“Serena,” Zone growled behind me in a low tone but he was very much angry. “Are you going to explain now, or do I have to figure this out on my own?”I paused, staring back at him. He was cradling Gilly in his arms. She looked so small and so broken. The sight of her nearly brought me to my knees.“That wasn’t Ardan like I said,” I said softly and with
The forest had become our home and our prison. Days turned into nights without relief. The rogue king’s forces were everywhere, and we were forced to move like ghosts, never lingering in one place for long.Gilly’s condition had improved, but she still wasn’t strong enough to travel far, and Rachel rarely left her side. That left Zone and me to scout ahead, searching for any sign of Ardan or the rogue king’s plans.The frustration was beginning to pile up, and my wolf, Sally, understood my restlessness. “We’re wasting time,” she growled in my mind as we crept through an underbrush. “He’s out there, and we’re stuck chasing the wrong thing.”“You think I don’t know that?” I shot back. “I just don’t know how to prove it.” I continued. He was alive—I was sure of it—but every moment we spent running felt like another moment he slipped further from my reach.Zone crouched beside me with his sharp eyes scanning the road ahead. “Trail’s fresh,” he murmured, pointing to a set of boot prints in
Dominic’s smirk widened as he crossed his arms, leaning casually against one of the tent poles. He was tall, lean, and radiated this air of arrogance that set my teeth on edge. His sharp green eyes darted between Zone and me, sizing us up like the way predators size their prey.“Ardan,” I said firmly, cutting straight to the point. “You know where he is.”Dominic raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “Oh, do I now? And what makes you think I’d share that information with you?”Zone stiffened beside me with his hand twitching toward his blade, but I placed a calming hand on his arm. This was my fight.“Because we both know you don’t work for free,” I replied. “You don’t owe the rogue king loyalty, and I can pay you better than he ever could.”Dominic chuckled, pushing off the post and circling me slowly. “Interesting theory. But what makes you think your cause is worth my time? I mean, look at you—tired, desperate, and woefully out of your depth. You’re chasing a ghost, sweetheart.”I
The walk back to camp was filled with tension. Dominic’s easy smirk didn’t help; if anything, it made Zone’s temper simmer hotter. I could feel the heat of Zone’s eyes boring into Dominic’s back, but I kept my focus on the path ahead. We didn’t have time for petty arguments—not when Ardan was still out there.When we arrived, Rachel was sitting beside Gilly with her hands glowing faintly as she worked to stabilise our friend’s breathing. Gilly lay on a makeshift bed of leaves. Her face was pale but peaceful. Rachel glanced up as we approached. Her brows furrowed when she spotted Dominic.“Who’s this?” Rachel asked in a wary tone.Dominic gave her a lazy wave. “Dominic. Smuggler, information broker, occasional charmer. At your service.”Zone growled. “We don’t need your act. Just tell them why you’re here.”I stepped forward, cutting through the tension. “This is Dominic. He knows the rogue king’s network and might have information about Ardan’s whereabouts.”“Might,” Dominic echoed, l
Evelyn PoVAt first, I had not thought that Gilly's story would turn out to be so tragic. I thought I was merely doing my mother a favour: I was releasing a spirit and giving peace to the pack. But every single step I took in the direction of solving was heavy with shadows that just threw more secrets in my direction. I could feel the darkness circling in, twisting me into a hangman's noose.The old records of the pack were dusty and brittle, worn yellow with age. Weeks I spent in the archives bent over a desk deciphering the scribbled handwriting and cryptic notes. Draven helped where he could, his fingers dancing over ancient texts while I pieced together, bit by bit, the fragmented history of Gilly's downfall.It started innocent enough. Gilly was loved; with those attributes of kindness and strength, she was never really a natural leader. Somehow respect turned to jealousy, and jealousy turned to betrayal. The swirling in the ancient documents held very hostile stories of a family
Authors PoVThey started like whispers in the night.In the stillness of sleep, they forced their way into her brain to take her through dark and twisted visions. Some shadows curled around her, cold and snake-like; their touch glided over the rippling skin and left frosted impressions behind. The dreams picked their way through her nightmares the same way—her pack in chains, expressionless and with eyes like black pits; there was someone ahead, a person cloaked in shadows.The figure's face shifted and distorted; at one time it would be reminiscent of Gilly with her soft features, at another of Gloria, with that awful smirk. She would desperately attempt to run, to scream, but either the land would crumble beneath her feet, swallowing her whole in the world, until she woke up gasping for air.The dreams haunted her daily, tormenting her with the reality of the world outside the realm of sleep. Gilly's spirit seemed to linger in the edges of reality sewn into the very fabric that woul
Evelyn PoVThe truth sat heavy on my chest, a stone sinking into dark waters. Gilly's voice lingered in my mind, a soft, desperate whisper threading through my thoughts even as I went through the motions of daily life. The blood of the betrayed will break the chains.Those words had been haunting me ever since the ritual with Draven, every syllable a jigsaw puzzle piece that refused to fit. What betrayal? Whose blood? The answers I sorely craved could only be unearthed by digging deeper into Gilly's past, the life which she had led before Gloria's darkness swallowed her whole.I started my search among the old documents located in the pack's ancient archive building where old books and fragile scrolls blended their aged scent with forgotten tales. For hours I studied the pack's historical records that included birth and death records as well as political alliances and loyalty breakdowns. Being careful with my page turns made me sharply conscious that the sound of crinkling pages carri
Evelyn PoVWas this a mere figment of my imagination?… Gilly’s voice had become an echo that trickled into the stillness, catching me unawares. The torment did not even allow me peace in sleep. I would close my eyes, and her voice would take me into shadowed dreams-corridors layered in darkness, chains clanking in the distance."Evelyn."It now sounded weak and soft, no more than an echo but soon merely a whisper grazing my skin. Jerking upright in bed, I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders."Wh-What do you want from me?" I whispered back, my voice lost in the dark.Silence.I woke up abruptly from my bed before drawing the blanket closer to protect my shoulders."What do you want from me?" I demanded quietly. I managed to answer him but my words vanished into the darkness.Silence.I clenched my fists. “If you’re real I need to see you to be sure.”The air moved through the room as the window remained closed. The candle flame moved in an unexpected sideways wave as though
Evelyn’s PoVAs I came to stand amidst the rubble of Odessa’s fortress, there rioted smells of smoke and blood. The bodies of both friends and foes lay scattered on the ground from a battle that, to me, seemed less a victory than a doomsday. My body screamed for peace, and the tightness of every muscle felt unbearable; yet it could hardly compare with the turmoil within me.Finian stood a few paces away, his eyes piercing into mine. His expression was inscrutable-somewhere between hope and acceptance. His knuckles were bruised, his hair caked with dirt, and yet still he seemed the bedrock I have leaned upon during my stay with the pack at Odessa. He had saved me countless times, and now, standing before freedom, I no longer knew where we stood.And then there was Marcus.He emerged from the smoke like an apparition. Relief, pain, and something else—something much deeper, something older, much older—were stamped on his face, making my chest tighten. The last rays of sunlight broke thro
Author PoVBefore sentries had time to alert their camp the arrows struck their targets. The wolves crashed into each other while they shifted as their howls unified their counterparts.Inside the fortress, Evelyn felt it. The vibrations of battle were within her, through the stone walls, deep and low; she felt a low hum settle deep into her bones. She was clasped in silver chains burning against the skin, watching Finian about to die.One of the guards entered the room quickly, his face extremely pale. "We are under attack!"Odessa's face hardened, "By whom?""Callum and his people… he’s alive my alpha. And the Red Blood Moon pack."Odessa's lips twisted into a snarl. "Then they have come to die." She turned toward Evelyn, handing her a dagger she had drawn from her belt. "I ought to kill you. But I will save you for last.”Evelyn then looked into Odessa's eyes, her fear burning away and replaced by determination. "No, I will save you for last.”Then the ambush began. Callum and Ryan
Author PoVThe woods was dark as Marcus and Luca passed through the underbrush in silence. Marcus’s heart thudded against his ribs, with a steady caution. He glanced toward Luca, who had graduated from one stern face of determination to intent.They had been trudging through the woods for hours on nothing more than scraps of intelligence and the stubborn pull of hope. Ryan's rogues had pointed them in the right direction but were ultimately not adventurous enough to try to approach the Red Blood Moon pack directly. After all, Odessa's territory was a death trap of sorts. Even the most adventurous rogues knew better than to cross her borders without sufficient cause.The moonlight was just enough to see the outlines of makeshift tents and some shadows on watch. Marcus motioned for Luca to keep it low and crouched behind some ferns to take in the camp."Do you see her?" Luca whispered in a voice so faint it was almost a sigh."Not yet," Marcus ground out, struggling to make each breath
Serena’s PoVTears stung my eyes, and I woke up in a start with broken breath as the persistence of the dream clung to me. In this muted room, shadows danced upon the wall; for a second, I was hardly certain of where I stood. The dream had borne the reality—Odessa, her eyes bright with evil gleam, standing atop a heap of bones. Her army, a roar of growling rogues and defiled creatures spread out to the last sight. And then there was Evelyn... Evelyn was there, firmly standing by the side of Odessa, the empty look on her face an undercover of madness.I put my trembling hand over my forehead, it was sweating. This dream wasn't just a figment of imagination; it was a warning.I pushed aside the thick furs, stood, and went to the unbarred window. The pack grounds lay quiet, a deceitful calm before a storm. My instincts screeched like a mother's intuition that something far worse than what we had imagined was in the making.If only I could make Ardan see it too.But Ardan... he was no lon
Evelyn’s PoVThe dagger felt heavy and cold in my palm. Odessa’s cold demand rang in my ears. Kill Callum. Bring me his head. This wasn’t a test or ,twisted game to see how far I would go to prove my loyalties. I just had to do it. I knew I had to do it.If I turned it down, she would turn against me. If I carried out her order, I would lose the only ally I had managed to win over. Either way, she would win.Not this time.Finian walked beside me as we traveled through the thick forest. His expression was a mixture of concern and determination. He had not questioned me for warning Callum. He had not hollered when I insisted we needed to fake a death, to give like a disguise for the purpose of tricking Odessa into believing I had done my job. Instead, he nodded, affirming my sense of loyalty."Are you sure it will work?" he asked softly."It must." I responded. "If Odessa realises we lied to her, we would be dead."