Serena's POVI looked around admiring every bit of detail put in this place and I'm in awe. Soon, Rachel took to the stand and gave a speech."As we all know, today is our beloved Serena's birthday and we want nothing but the best for her. Serena, you have been more than a friend to me. You're like a sister and I will always love you. I hope this is your happiest birthday yet. Cheers.""Here, here." The others echoed.I walked to her and gave her the tightest hug I had in me. "I love you so much Rachel." I pulled from her and I could feel tears about to drop from my eyes."No. No. You promised you won't cry." She said,"I can't help it." I giggled and tried to fan my eyes for the tears to go away."Happy birthday Serena." Gilly said as she hugged me from behind. "It's good to see you happier now.""You knew about this?" I asked."I wanted to tell you but Rachel made me swear I wouldn't tell you. But I told Zone after you left.""You are unbelievable Gilly." I said."Yeah, how dare you
Arden's POVI woke up with a feeling of calmness and warmness. I haven't felt this way in years and it was because of her. The woman that has haunted my very being with her presence and her absence makes me crave her even more.The sunlight hits her face making it glow in the sun but she turns away from it and buried her face on my chest.I chuckled lightly with how adorable she looked after doing that. I kissed her on her forehead and watched as her eyes flutter open."Good morning my darling." I said."Good evening." She said and stretched."How did you sleep?"She smiled. "I slept well. Actually, better than I have in a few days.""It's good to know." I kissed her forehead again. "Darling, I have to go."She furrowed her brows and pouts. "Why?"I wanted to stay all day in bed with her doing nothing but admiring her in all her beauty but I couldn't. I have important things to attend to."I have to meet Gilly concerning the investigation of the corrupt wolf. She said believe she migh
Arden's POVWithin minutes of notifying the Kingdom of what Sylvia and her father plotted, other pack Alphas came for the trial. It was truly shocking to see such a quick response to this situation.I saw Zone walk in and I was surprised he would be here to witness the trial. A part of me believes Serena asked him to go just in case I might be attacked.I chuckled to myself at how funny yet adorable that is. She needs to understand that I am the King and I can also protect myself. But it's Serena, she never listens to reasons like that.I decided to pay attention to the trial but it was generally boring. With a lot of talks and back and forth. It took me everything not to yawn and walk out of here. That would be disrespectful but then again, do I care?"If I am going to be tried, His Majesty should be too." Those were the words from Sylvia's father that got my attention."He had a mistress and his wife to be, my daughter was on the same roof as him." He bellowed."That doesn't justify
Sylvia's POVI was alone and broken. I had no family, no friends and no allies. I was completely alone. I have never felt this way in my life. I, Princess Sylvia, who had a good number of guards and servants under my control had no one to turn to.I missed my father and I lost without him. He would always tell me what to do. He always said there's always a way out of a problem but I don't see any way out. He was a good father and he looked out for me the best way he knew now. He wasn't ruthless enough.If he had listened to me and launched an attack on Arden the moment he kicked me out, Arden would have been in shambles. He would be begging me to come back to him and I would have gone back to him because I love him. Unfortunately, he didn't feel the same.I had to steal food to get by and I had to hide in abandoned buildings to spend the night. This was an awful way to live my life. Not even the slaves in the palace lived like this. They had a bed to sleep in, a comfortable room and f
Sylvia's POVShe looked at me with a blank expression. She must wonder why it's taking me so long to decide on if I agree with her. To be honest, I want to agree with her."Do I know you can trust you?" I asked.She cackled loudly. "Trust me? You are really talking about trust? Says the wolf betraying her people. But no matter what, I know what you mean."She cleared her throat. "You wanted power to get back at the Lycan's King's Luna, right?" She asked."You know what I want. Stop playing games!" I yelled."May I remind you that you are the one who called me out for my help," something possessed me and I could feel my bones cracking. I screamed with the pain I felt. "So, don't test my patience."She stopped what possessed me and I fell to the ground. She tuts and walks around me."Oh dear, you are pathetic. Still pinned to a man who doesn't love you but you direct all your anger and hatred to his Luna." She said,"That's not true. His mate is the person who ruined things for me. I am
Serena’s POVZone didn’t let me watch the execution because he thought it wasn’t I should be watching which I hated. I didn’t want to do it out of spite though. I felt bad for Sylvia. I know she has wronged me in more ways then I can count but I just felt an execution was a little too much.I heard she even confronted Arden after the execution and guards admitted that she threatened him but Arden was unbothered for some reason.I don’t have a good feeling with Sylvia still being out there because who knows what she is up to and what or who she is scheming with.She’s truly desperate and she will reach out to anyone for help. She has nothing to lose after all. I just hope I am wrong but I am usually not wrong about these things.Also, I don’t want to bother anyone else with my thoughts. Everyone seems like they are finally breathing fresh air and I don’t want to be the person to dampen the mood. I will just sit back and watch the activities in the palace return back to normal.Arden go
ANOTHER DISASTERSerena's POVAfter spending some intimate time with Arden, I decided to meet my friend who gave Arden that ridiculous advice. I wanted to confront them and ask why they would think of such an idea but I had another plan in mind.I entered Rachel's room and both her and Gilly were seated there. They looked at me like they knew nothing about Arden's proposal and the public knowing about the proposal. They looked excited and they tried their best to hide that excitement."Hey, Arden was looking for you." Rachel said."Oh, I already saw him." I said and chuckled. "And he mentioned something very funny. Apparently, the whole kingdom knows I'm his Luna now which is strange because he hasn't asked me to marry him yet."They both looked scared and I was glad with the reactions I got. I need them to realize the gravity of what would happen if that plan did go wrong. Also, this was very fun to watch. I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they realize I am just messin
Serena’s POVThe news about Derek’s pack being attacked still lingered on in my mind. It was later confirmed that they were being attacked my rogues. What is unclear is why the rogues would attack his pack. Rogues usually terrorize the lonely parts of the woods but they have never entered the kingdom before.This news made me bothered all day and even now that it is night time, I still don’t feel comfortable.Arden has reassured me time and time again about how he will send tropes there to protect the people but there’s something that still calls out to me, making me increasingly worried.He slept soundly while I was wide awake wondering why I still feel an attachment to the place. I think of my time back but there are no fond memories. I tried to force myself to sleep but a particular memory lingered in my mind. The memory of my mother.Then it clicked. My mother’s relic. It was still there. No wonder I was uneasy. That was the last piece of me there and I have to go and get it. It i
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