The pack house had fallen quiet these last few days. Gilly’s sacrifice still lived on, and though the witches’ messenger had assured me that their coven was broken and the rogue attacks would cease, my instincts refused to settle.
But there was no time to grieve anymore. Not fully.
I sat at the edge of the table in the main hall with maps of our territory spread across the wood. On the surface also, we’re scribbled notes. My mind was not at rest. I knew I couldn’t undo the past, but I could fortify our future.
The door creaked open and Zone came in. He stopped at my side with his sharp eyes narrowing as they flickered across the map. He leaned casually against the table, arms crossed, but I didn’t miss the tension in his stance.
“You’re wearing yourself thin, Serena,” he said in a gruff yet careful tone. “You’ve barely slept.”
I kept my eyes on the borderlines we’d marked earli
SERENA’S POVMoans, a pleasure driven cry echoing in a secret room. I was with him, Derek, my mate. But these sounds weren’t coming from me.He groaned from satisfaction, but I wasn’t touching him either. No, his pleasure came from Cora, his prostitute wolf. And I was forced to watch them.I was bound to a chair in the corner, watching them mate. Every thrust, every pleasured gasp from Derek, ached me. It was a violation, a reminder of my inability to do nothing, except watch.I watched as Cora sucked him out, deep throating him until she turned red. I watched how roughly Derek handled her. Pulling and grabbing her hair like she was a still object.I was unable to bear the pain of watching my mate mate with Cora, so I squeezed my eyes shut. Suddenly, the sounds ceased, replaced by a satisfied grunt from Derek.My heart raced as I scented Derek slowly approach me. He forcefully took me by the jaw and demanded that I opened my eyes.“Look at me, Omega," he sneered.I forced my eyes open
ARDAN’S POVTraining days with my Beta Thorne, usually excited me. My moves were laser sharp and I’d always won every practice round. But today, my movements were sloppy, sluggish and my focus was scattered.And because of that, it gave way for Thorne to land a blow on my arm, a feat that wouldn't have been possible on any other day.Thorne froze, his eyes widening in surprise. "My King, I—"I held up a hand, silencing him before he could launch into apologies. I was ashamed. "Leave me," I said.Thorne hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowed in concern. "Are you certain, Your Majesty? Perhaps you should—""Alone," I repeated, my voice firmer this time.With a silent bow, Thorne turned to leave, leaving me alone on the training grounds.I headed for the bathroom. When I got there, I stripped off my sweat-drenched training clothes. My reflection in the mirror showed a man sculpted for power - broad shoulders, a chiseled jaw, dark hair. Yet, beneath the facade of strength, anxiety had
SERENA’S POVA throbbing ache in my neck yanked me awake. I blinked open my eyes, the unfamiliar room coming into focus. Where was was I? I looked around the room before looking down at my body.I began to panic as I realized I was lying naked in a bed – a bed that wasn't mine. What the fuck….Glancing beside me, I found a muscular werewolf still asleep. Taking a deeper look I realized it was Joshua, a young member from Derek's pack who I had seen a few times before.My blood ran cold. If anyone came in I would a walking corpse. But I don’t remember how I ended up here. Had Derek… No, that couldn't be right."Joshua?" I croaked, my voice was hoarse.He bolted upright as if stung and his eyes widened with terror. "Serena! What…what happened?"I narrowed my gaze, my brows were furrowed, “I don’t know you tell me!” I yelled.But before he could offer any further explanation, the door to the room slammed open. Leading the surge was Derek, his face was masked with fake fury.Close behind h
ARDAN’S POVDerek did not fail to hide the confusion on his face. Why would the Lycan King, the most powerful shifter alive, intervene on a mere omega’s behalf? I ignored the stunned faces around me, focusing solely on the face sitting upright on the bed.“Put your clothes on," I commanded.My gaze then shifted to the wolf next to Serena on the bed, Joshua, I recalled. "And you," I said with a low snarl, "get out. Now."Joshua didn't need telling twice. He scrambled off the bed, hastily and fearfully. Still, Serena remained covered in the sheet, using it as a flimsy shield to hide her nakedness.Cora couldn't resist a disdainful snort. "Well, aren't you just the picture of grace," she said to Serena. "The Lycan King himself asks you to put some fucking clothes on, and here you are, clutching a sheet to your bare chest like a lost pup."My head snapped towards Cora. "If you don't want to end up as a decoration on the wall like your beta," I warned, "learn to control your fucking tongue
SERENA’S POVThe door slammed shut behind him, leaving me alone in the silence. Tears welled up in my eyes, I felt utterly powerless, trapped in a cage.I couldn’t let Derek break me. I would survive. And when I turned twenty, when I unlocked the secrets of the box, I would find a way to my freedom. A way to avenge my parents and escape the clutches of this monstrous man.It was a long shot, a desperate hope, but it was all I had. Until then, I would play the part of the meek servant, bide my time, and wait for my chance.I straightened the simple dress one last time, forcing myself to take a deep breath. Tears had left their mark on my cheeks, but I quickly wiped them away.Stepping out of the room, I made my way towards the conference room. My heart pounded as I walked only because I wanted to meet King Ardan with utmost composure.As I entered, my gaze met Ardan. He stood by the window with his back to me. He turned upon hearing the door open, wearing an indifferent look on his fac
“Ardan?” I asked, shock showing on my face.” what are you-”“Do Not speak.” he cut me off, enunciating every word. I shut my mouth quickly and drew back, attempting to close my legs, but he would not let me.He grabbed me by the ankles and pulled me forward until my core was nearly parallel with his nose, and he sniffed.He took long, deep breaths of my core and looked like he was fighting not to leap at it.What was he doing? I could only lay there, shaking in fear and arousal, wondering what he would do next.He finally moved, dragging his tongue across my core in one long, wet path. I gasped, immediately baking up and closing my legs.“We are not doing this, and we are not doing this,” I mumbled, scrambling further backward, but Ardan refused to give me any space, closing the gap as soon as I made one.Eventually, he backed me up against the wall. There was nowhere left to run. He grabbed me by the throat, caressing my neck softly.“Don’t run from this, Serena.” He murmured into my
My wolf seemed to have a better understanding of fate than I did.After comforting myself that I should calm down and allow time to prove that there is more to what appears shallow on the surface, I laid myself to rest in a deep slumber.Every new day comes with its hurdles. I was, and I was prepared for whatever might come my way again.I stepped out to begin my day, but the person I saw was a represented day.Someone was already standing outside the door, a tall brunette with a harsh face.Emma.She was the one who raised Ardan from childhood. “Here comes the wench! Aren't you just shameless?” She announced.Her lousy voice broke my thoughts. She was fond of mocking me like I was her sworn enemy in her past life, and she was determined to humiliate me at every given opportunity.“Wash it clean and have it ironed, too.” She tossed a maid dress to me. I picked it up, and I dare not object to her. “Why are you still standing?” She asked rudely.“I. I thought you wanted me to wash this
Ardan's POV.Gama had come briefly to update me on the Pack's financial statements. I listened intently, at least that was what it looked like on the surface.However, my mind was somewhere else, far away from the present happening. I had drifted back to the explosive night I had with Serena yesterday.I couldn't shake off the feeling, I had never felt that way before. It was a wild experience, I couldn't have felt that way with anyone else.“That was too much, you know right? You wanted to devour our mate in one night” My wolf, Alf, mocked me. He was right though, I just lost control of myself, and the mate bond was irresistible.It was an incredibly perfect experience, I would be crazy to deny the truth.But I haven't changed my stand on the fact that Serena was an Omega and I would not settle for someone as weak as her, she was not better than a piece of furniture, what help could she contribute if there was a need for Luna to take a daring stand in the future?Alf disagreed with m
The pack house had fallen quiet these last few days. Gilly’s sacrifice still lived on, and though the witches’ messenger had assured me that their coven was broken and the rogue attacks would cease, my instincts refused to settle.But there was no time to grieve anymore. Not fully.I sat at the edge of the table in the main hall with maps of our territory spread across the wood. On the surface also, we’re scribbled notes. My mind was not at rest. I knew I couldn’t undo the past, but I could fortify our future.The door creaked open and Zone came in. He stopped at my side with his sharp eyes narrowing as they flickered across the map. He leaned casually against the table, arms crossed, but I didn’t miss the tension in his stance.“You’re wearing yourself thin, Serena,” he said in a gruff yet careful tone. “You’ve barely slept.”I kept my eyes on the borderlines we’d marked earli
I stood at outside the pack house. After everything, after Gloria, after Gilly—the eerie silence was unnatural. As if even the earth mourned. I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling the chill in the wind biting at my skin despite the sunlight that peeked through the tree branches. I knew it was coming—consequences always did.I went back into the pack house and just then, there was a soft knock on the pack house door. When I opened it, a witch stood before me. I recognised her type immediately. Though I didn’t know her name, she reeked of magic.I narrowed my eyes but stepped aside to let her enter. “Why are you here?” I said stiffly.The witch bowed her head. “To bring you news... and to seek forgiveness.”“Forgiveness? For what exactly?”She hesitated. “The witches’ coven is broken. Without Gloria, it... it crumbled,” she said softly. “Many of us were loyal to her out
The moment Gloria began chanting her dark spells, I knew we were running out of time. The woods vibrated with the pulse of her magic. Her magic coiled around Gilly like a snake. Gloria had broken Zone from the spell she had him in. Gilly lay limp in Zone’s arms, her breaths were shallow and weak, and her face was pale and barely recognisable as the girl I had fought so hard to save.I needed to act now. We had come this far not to just give up. I clenched my fists as I felt the power of being the wolf mother overcome me. It was raw and overwhelming.“Serena!” Ardan called.I didn’t respond. Instead, I planted my feet, inhaling deeply as I reached into the depths of my power. The ground beneath me trembled as the Wolf mother within me awoke fully.The spell Gloria had used to protect herself began faltering as my power collided with her dark magic. Gloria staggered back, snarling. “No!” she screeched.Zone seized
Where we were felt like a frozen nightmare, every breath I took was heavy. My teeth was bared and my claws were ready, as Ardan, Zone, and I stepped forward. Gilly knelt on the ground. Her pale form was trembling. Standing beside her was Gloria,And Roman—he stood at Gloria’s side, tall and unshaken with a cruel smirk tugging at his lips.“You should have stayed away,” Roman said. “But then again, I suppose you couldn’t help yourself, could you?”“Let her go for the last time,” I growled.Gloria chuckled softly. “Oh, the mighty Wolf mother has come to save her little pawn. How predictable.” Her eyes were fixed on me, sharp as a dagger. “You think you can stop me? You, with your fractured power and naïve ideals? You will fall, Serena. It’s only a matter of time.”“And the time is now.” Roman declared. He mumbled a spell and a rush of wind brought me
Serena’s PoVThe medical wing was quiet—too quiet. I expected to hear Gilly’s faint breathing or the sound of Draven’s footsteps, but instead, the silence felt odd. Sally knew something was off and as I stepped inside, the hair on the back of my neck stood.“Gilly?” I called softly with my voice echoing off the walls.There was no response. I quickened my pace as I moved to Gilly’s room. The door was slightly ajar. Something was definitely wrong.Pushing the door open, my heart dropped. The bed was empty. The chains that bound Gilly were now off and lying on the floor.“What the…” I whispered, barely looking around me frowning in confusion.A low grunt coming from the corner of the room made me turn my head. I gasped. Draven was sitting with his legs tied to the wall, his hands were also tied with pieces of his clothings. His mouth was gagged and I could see the anger and desperation in his eyes.“Draven!” I rushed to him, yanking the cloth from his mouth.“Serena,” he rasped. “You ne
Roman’s POVThe night air was cold as I stepped through the trees, holding Gilly captive. My steps were silent, careful as always, but my mind ran through memories that never left me. I couldn’t stop them, even now—especially now.I had always been an observer, even as a boy. I watched my parents, two forces of nature who couldn’t have been more different yet were somehow drawn together like moths to a flame. My father was a man with no sense of mercy. His ambitions were as grand as they were brutal. “Take what you want. Rule without apology.” Those were his words to me as soon as I was old enough to stand in his shadow.My mother… she was different. Controlled, cunning, with a mind so sharp it could cut you before you realised you were bleeding. A witch with power most would have called godlike, but to me, she was something more—something complicated. She loved me, and in her way, she was always there. She was like the constant in a chaotic world. But she wanted loyalty to her coven.
There were sounds of jingling chains coming from the medical wing as I approached it. I had managed to talk Ardan out of keeping Gilly chained up in the dungeon. Gilly sat slumped on the small cot with her wrists bound tightly chains. When her eyes went up to meet mine, the despair in them almost shattered me.“Serena…” she whispered.I moved toward the door slowly, swallowing my saliva. “Gilly, you’re awake.”She gave out a humourless chuckle, and wiped her tears with the back of her hand that was free. “Awake? I wish I wasn’t.” She looked at her swollen pupils in the mirror and also looked at her hands as they continued to shake as though they were still stained with blood. “I killed him, didn’t I?”I dropped to my knees beside the bed and grasped her hand through the iron bracelets. “No, Gilly. It wasn’t you. Gloria did this. She’s manipulating you, using you. This isn’t your fault.”She jerked at my words, shaking her head vehemently. “Serena, you don’t understand. As long as I’m
The sound of Zone’s boots echoed down the hallway as he stormed into the war room. I could see anger in his eyes. Ardan, Rachel, and I were huddled over maps and scouting reports, discussing strategies to secure the territory.“We have a problem,” Zone said as he tossed a worn scrap of fabric onto the table.I picked it up, frowning. The material was torn and dirty, reeking faintly of magic and rogue wolves.“What is this?” Ardan asked coldly as he straightened his back to face Zone.“I found it near the south border,” Zone replied, crossing his arms. “Tracks leading in and out of the pack’s territory. Someone’s sneaking around.”Rachel furrowed her brow as she leaned closer, inspecting the fabric. “It’s rogue,” she muttered, then paused. “But there’s something else here. A faint magical trace.”Ardan’s eyes turned to me. “Roman.”I sighed heavily, already knowing where this was going. “You can’t keep blaming Roman for every problem we have, Ardan. It’s starting to feel personal. I me
Ardan stood at one end of the war table with crossed arms and a dark face with suspicion written all over it. Zone paced near the fireplace, pacing up and down, clearly frustrated. Across from me, Roman leaned casually against the wall, with his usual composed expression giving away nothing, but I could see it—Ardan and Zone’s distrust was starting to chip away at his calm exterior.“Something’s not right,” Zone muttered for the third time, shooting Roman another glare. “We’re chasing leads, scrambling to keep Gilly safe, and every time something goes wrong, he’s around.”Roman let out a quiet sigh and rolled his eyes as he pushed himself off the wall. “You know, Zone, if you’re going to keep accusing me, you might as well bring some proof. I’ve done nothing but help you all since I arrived.”“You mean since you conveniently appeared,” Zone shot back. “No one knows where you came from. You don’t belong here.”“Enough!” I snapped, standing up from my seat and placing my hands on the ta