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
Serena’s POVThe sun was down and it was time for the tropes to leave. Rachel and Zone already packed their backs and readied their armor. I didn’t have any but I wasn’t afraid. After all, I wasn’t fighting in the battle. I just needed my mother’s relic.I tried to sneak off without Arden suspecting anything. I know he will be furious about this but I have to do this. I took the sword and a few things for sustenance. We leave in the end of night but I need to be at the training so I would be easier to go without drawing too much attention to myself.As I walked swiftly through the hallway almost to the training ground, I couldn’t help but feel victorious that my plan had worked.When I got to the training ground no one was there. Good. I can hide there until everyone is ready to leave.“Going somewhere?” someone asked in the shadows.As much as I was frightened, I drew the sword and I was ready to attack. I don’t know that person is but trespassers are not allowed in this palace.He s
Serena’s POVWhile we lay in bed staring at the ceiling, I noticed how tightly Arden was clinging to me. He didn’t want to let me go and I don’t want to leave him alone either. I wanted to make tonight special for us.I pushed myself upward and I propped my head up with my elbow. I ran my fingers along his face taking in every bit of detail I see. I don’t know how long will be gone but I want to leave with the memory of us like this. Being one as it should be.He turns to me and kisses my hand. He wrapped his arm around my waist and he still was silently begging for me to not leave but he knows my mind is made.His thumb gentle stroke the waist line of my pants not in a sexual way but in a sweet way. He was trying to take it all in that I was leaving and I have never seen him so sensitive and vulnerable. It makes my heart break to see him like that.I leaned in and kiss his forehead. He sucked in air with his mouth, giving me the most adorable look ever. I did it again the kissed his
Serena’s POVDespite the beautiful yet long night I had, I had to get ready to go to Derek’s pack to get my mothers relic and nothing was stopping me.I wanted to get out of bed but Arden held on to me tightly. He was still hung-over last night. He kept touching me all through the night despite the fact that he was exhausted.“Good morning, Arden.” I said.“It’s morning already?” he was acting oblivious.“I have to go get ready.” I said to him.“Sure, but can we do a quick one?” he asked.“We had sex all night.” I pointed out.“It’s not my fault I find you very attractive.” He said seductively.I pushed him away playfully and I broke from his grip. “I am going to shower.” I said.He got you and pulled me into a kiss. I would feel myself getting aroused but I know that is a slippery slope.“Arden, no.” I muttered as we kissed.“Just a quick one I promise.” He said running his fingers along my thighs and touching me in my sweet spot.I moaned in his lips and he pushed me to the wall. He
Serena’s POVI, Zone, and Rachel led our team of carefully selected warriors through the forest on our mission. Derek's pack was close and our goal was simple—eliminate Derek’s forces and put an end to his tyranny.I glanced back at my team. Each of them were trained and handpicked for this mission. They were completely focused as warriors should be, even if the worry about Gilly lingered in the back of my mind. Gilly had chosen to stay behind, reason being that her research on the corrupted wolves was far too important to leave unfinished. I trusted Gilly’s judgment, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off."We’re getting close," Zone murmured in a low tone.Rachel nodded while scanning the area. "Everyone stay on high alert. This place feels... wrong."As we crept closer, there was an unmistakable scent of blood and death that hung heavy in the air. We had expected Derek’s pack to be one hell of an obstacle, but what lay before us defied all expectation. Derek’s pack
I stood among the scattered remnants of Derek's pack, now in my human form.“Stand down,” I commanded. The defeated rogues, stood back up in silence, trembling and waiting for my judgment.Zone and Rachel approached me, I could sense the pride and respect they felt toward my transformation. My wolf mother’s strength had clearly astonished them, and while they remained unsure of the rogues, their relief was evident. I had chosen mercy over vengeance."Thank you," Zone murmured as his eyes met mine. "You've given them hope."I nodded, grateful for their support. Then my thoughts turned to Derek’s former beta. If anyone knew where my mother’s relic could be found, it would be him.I called out to him, and after a few tense moments, Derek’s former beta, a wolf with a scar stretching across his eye, stepped forward. He looked wary and his shoulders were hunched as though prepared for punishment. My commanding presence made him nervous and he kept his eyesight low.“I’m not here to punish y
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."