Serena's POVAfter returning the books to the library, we went to her room. I checked to see if she was hurt, but thankfully, she wasn't. She didn't speak. She just sat down in her bed, looking downcast.I sat next to her and pulled her close to me. She took a deep breath and she started crying. I held her close as she sobbed uncontrollably. I could help it, but tears also began to flow from my eyes."Serena, why are they so cruel? I just wanted to read. I just wanted to…" she took in breath sharply."I know. I know. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm sorry they treated you so horribly." I said"It was more than horrible. I was treated like I killed someone or committed a horrible crime. I wish I never came out of my secret chambers." She said hurtfully.I was sad because I knew what I had to do to get her out, and she isn't even happy being here. I wanted her to have freedom. It seems like she traded one prison for another."I am very sorry about that, Gilly." I said."What di
Serena's POVAfter talking sense into Alpha Zone, I went back to Gilly as promised. She was already fast asleep in bed. I can imagine how tired it must be. It's been a long day for her, and it's good she rests.I decided to sit and wait till she woke up. She needs all the comfort she can get, and she will have enough from me as a friend.After a while, I realized that if she woke up, she would be hungry. I went to the kitchen, and I asked the maids to make lunch for Gilly. The two maids I confronted were there. I stay and watch them do it. Those girls are vile, and they could poison the food. I watched them keenly. Call a way for me subtly reminding them I will not hesitate to make their life miserable if they try to do anything, no matter how tiny, to hurt Gilly.Once they were done, I took the food and went back to Gilly's room. I saw the door was partly open, and I heard Alpha Zone's voice."Serena told me you were attacked earlier. Are you hurt?" He asked."No. Thanks to her. She
Serena's POVAfter I recovered from the process of transforming into a werewolf, I decided to take Gilly to meet Arden so I can tell him about the great powers she possesses and how helpful it can be to the Kingdom and other packs at large.Gilly wasn't completely on board with the idea of telling him about her abilities. She wasn't sure if he would accept her because she was raised by witches, and Serena had faith that he would.They met Arden in the throne room, and he was looking like he would rather not see anyone at this hour, but when he saw it was Serena, he decided to give them his attention."Arden, I know it's late but I need you to know something important." I said.He looked at me curiously. "What is it?" He asked.I know what he is probably thinking. Gilly must have done something that proved she was on the witches side, and she should be punished. That's what anyone would think, but this time, he is in for the shock of his life."Gilly can create potions and essence to m
Serena's POVWe both stared at Sylvia standing over Gilly's almost lifeless body. How did she do so much damage in a matter of minutes? I knew Sylvia was strong, but I never learned to what extent."Answer me, Sylvia!" Zone yelled at the top of his voice.Sylvia looked surprised. "Me? Ask this witch of a mate what she did to me?"Sylvia must be utterly insane if she believes, even for a second, that she is the victim. Both Gilly and I were going to pass her to avoid trouble, but she was the one who ran mad all of a sudden."Sylvia, I can tolerate everything you have done in this palace, but hurting my mate is the one thing I will not take lightly." He said in anger.He was heartbroken and saddened by the sight of Gilly. He only made amends with her, and Sylvia decided to do this horrible and cruel act."What is your problem? Why do you enjoy tormenting people?" I asked with all the venom in me."For your information, it was your fault this happened." She snapped.I looked at her with
Serena's POVI was lying on the floor in so much pain, but I tried my best not to look pitiful, but that wasn't the case. I looked pathetic at best, and this was not the entrance I would make to see Arden.I could still sense Zone and Arden hovering over me, probably wondering how to get me up without causing excruciating pain."Move." I heard.I lifted my head, and I was Gilly. How was she able to get out of bed so quickly?She came to my side, and she applied something to my wound. At first, it was hurting, but later, it became soothing.When she was done, she turned back and walked away despite the number of times Zone called for her. It was no doubt one of the things she learnt from the witches.I sat down first before slowly rising to my feet. The wound still hurt, but it wasn't as bad as before."Are you alright?" Arden asked."Better now," I replied. I looked down at the wound, and it was still there.I guess what she applied was for that pain and not for the wound to heal comp
Serena's POVI went to meet Gilly, and I found out she had made a complete recovery very quickly. I was very happy about that, yes, but I was confused as to how that was possible.She gave me something to drink, and my wound started to heal until there was no sign of the wound."How did you…""I'm not an experienced witch doctor for nothing." She said with a wink. "I heard Sylvia was kicked out of the palace."I nodded in response. I'm still trying to process the fact that Arden asked Sylvia to leave the palace. It's what I wanted him to do, but now that he has done it, I don't know what to feel about it."And?" She asked."And what?""How do you feel about it?"I sighed and rubbed my palms together. "I don't know. It's so weird that Arden called off the wedding, and Sylvia is out of the palace." I said.Gilly cocked her head in confusion."Don't get me wrong. I like that she's out of here, but what now? Is he going to make me his bride, or is he going to find another person? Everythi
Arden's POV.While Zone and I drank, I watched Serena trail away to find Gilly. I couldn't bear to see her like that because it hurt me to my core. I had told Zone's my plans now that Sylvia was which sounded stupid even to me."You know this won't be easy for you." Zone said.I scoffed. "When has it been easy?" I asked rhetorically.After sitting with him for a while, a servant came to me and said the council would like to meet with me. Which was odd because it's nighttime, and there was no message beforehand notifying me about a meeting.I finished my drink, and just as I was about to leave, Zone looked completely pale. His fingers gripped his phone so tightly that it became discolored, and if he held on for too long, he might break his phone."What is it?" I asked.He gave me his phone and I read the news. "Damn!" I roared.I dropped his phone and looked him in the eyes. "Do not let Serena know where I am. I know this is why they want to see me. I can't make things worse for her an
Serena's POVAfter Arden texted to not do damage control, I became increasingly worried about him and his whereabouts. I hated the fact that Zone didn't want to tell me too.After a while we all finally decided to go to our various rooms. I went to mine but I was completely restless. I walked around my room a couple of times. I even tried to read but I couldn't.I lay in bed for a few minutes before getting up. It was pretty late and Arden might still not be back from where he was yet. I needed to know if there was anything in his room to put my mind at ease regarding where he was.I snuck out of my room and I tried to avoid being seen by guards or servants. It's late but people in this palace are seemingly always lurking to find new gossip.I made it to Arden's door and I was going to open it but I decided to knock first just in case he was inside.Just as I was about to knock, the door opened revealing an exhausted Arden. He looked glad to see me then worried. He pulled me into the
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