Mira’s POVI embraced them for what seemed like ages.For the first time in days, I let go of all the weight in my chest and just held them. Rowan’s scent, Damien’s warmth—it was real. They were back. Safe. Alive.I didn’t realize my eyes were stinging until I felt the first hint of a tear threatening to fall.I quickly pulled back, wiping my face before anyone could see.I had lost myself in the moment, forgetting that we were standing in front of too many people. The warriors, the councilmen, even some castle servants were all watching. I straightened my back, regaining my composure.Rowan smirked at me. “Did you miss us that much, Mira?”Damien chuckled, folding his arms. “She couldn’t have. She still hasn’t succumbed to the mate bond yet.”I frowned at him, ready to argue, but before I could open my mouth, Kai scoffed.“You two have been kidnapped for days, and the first thing you care about is whether the Luna missed you or not?” he mocked, shaking his head. “Pathetic.”Rowan smi
Mira’s POVFor the first few moments, Councilman Baylor was speechless.The weight of my question hung in the air, suffocating, as every eye in the room turned to him.Even the other councilmen stared at him expectantly.I knew it.They were thinking the same thing I was—that Baylor had been subtly pushing them to ignore the prisoners’ deaths. That he was trying too hard to make them focus on something else.Finally, he cleared his throat, adjusting his robes as if shaking off the tension. “I am simply suggesting what is best for all of us,” he said smoothly. “If we pursue this investigation and it somehow leads to other Lycan Kings, it could result in war. And I think we can all agree—Blackwood does not need a war right now.”A few murmurs rippled through the hall.He was trying to appeal to their fears—to make them believe that continuing this investigation would only bring disaster.But he wasn’t fooling me.I leaned forward. “If what you’re saying is true, then we should be even m
Mira’s POVThe council hall remained silent as everyone absorbed the weight of Lucian’s question.“If witches are behind this, how do we find them?”No one had an answer.Then, finally, a councilman spoke.“We should send an emissary to Darkfire Clan,” he suggested. “Their kingdom had the last known witch executions in history. If there is any place that might still have traces of witches, it’s there.”A murmur of agreement passed through the room.It was a reasonable plan.But now, the real question was—who would go?“We need someone skilled in negotiation,” another councilman added. “Someone who can get information without drawing too much suspicion.”“I nominate Alpha Lucian,” Councilman Baylor declared.I turned to look at Lucian, expecting him to either accept or decline the nomination.But before he could say anything, his brothers immediately refused.“No,” Kai said firmly.“Absolutely not,” Rowan added.Damien didn’t even hesitate. “He’s not going.”The council members looked
Mira’s POVA shrill note from a flute shattered the silence of my sleep, jolting me awake. My eyes flew open, and for a moment, I was too disoriented to react. Then the realization hit me—I was being woken up. And not in a gentle manner. My body tensed as anger flooded through me. Who dared disturb my rest?I shot up from my bed, my heart pounding in irritation, and my gaze landed on a guard standing stiffly near the doorway, the wooden flute still in his hands. My glare could have burned a hole through him.“What in the gods’ names do you think you’re doing?” I snapped, throwing my blanket off me.The guard bowed slightly, clearly sensing my fury but not deterred by it. “I was ordered to wake you, Lady Mira,” he said firmly. “Lord Rowan instructed me to ensure you were awake and ready for training.”Rowan. Of course, it was him. Only someone as insufferable and overbearing as Rowan would have the audacity to drag me from sleep in such a ridiculous way. My hands clenched into fists
Mira POV Kai didn’t answer me. His expression remained calm, unreadable, as he said, “That’s not my story to tell.”His words made my frustration bubble even more. I hated when people kept secrets from me, especially when I knew they were about something important. But I also knew pushing Kai wouldn’t get me anywhere. He wasn’t the type to give in easily. So, instead, I let out a sharp exhale and crossed my arms.“Fine,” I muttered. “But I didn’t learn anything today.”Kai arched an eyebrow, his lips curving into an amused smirk. “That’s not true. You ran a few successful laps and stretched properly. That’s progress.”I scowled, kicking a loose pebble near my foot. “That’s not real training. Rowan just wanted to punish me.”Kai chuckled. “Rowan believes strength starts with endurance.” He paused before adding, “And patience.”I shot him a glare, already knowing what he meant. He was hinting that I needed to be more patient, that I had to trust the process. But patience wasn’t
Mira POV I wiped the sweat from my forehead, smudging soot onto my skin as I handed Damien another tool. The air in the workshop was thick with heat, the scent of burning metal mixing with oil and dust. My muscles ached from bending and lifting, but I didn’t mind. Strangely enough, I enjoyed this—watching Damien work, seeing how his hands moved with precise intent, as if he were shaping something far greater than just a tool. He was brilliant, there was no denying that.“You don’t usually have someone helping you with all this, do you?” I asked, glancing around at the organized chaos of blueprints, gears, and half-finished contraptions scattered across the workbenches.Damien barely glanced up as he adjusted a clamp on the metal piece he was working on. “No. I work alone.”I arched an eyebrow. “Why?”He shrugged, tightening the clamp before reaching for a hammer. “People can be distracting.”I placed a hand over my chest in mock offense. “Are you saying I’m distracting?”Damie
Mira POVI couldn’t tell where the voice was coming from. It was a woman’s voice, which meant it couldn’t be the shadow guards. That should have reassured me, but it didn’t. A shiver crawled down my spine as I stood still, scanning my surroundings. The torches flickered against the stone walls, casting restless shadows that seemed to move on their own.I swallowed hard, tilting my head slightly. “Who’s there?” I whispered.Silence.I let out a slow breath, trying to convince myself that I had imagined it. Maybe I was exhausted. Maybe my thoughts were so tangled that I was starting to hear things that weren’t real.But then—“Mira.”The voice came again, clearer this time. A soft, almost melodic sound, as if the speaker was both close and far away at the same time. My heart pounded, and I took an involuntary step back.This wasn’t normal.I turned sharply, but before I could investigate further, another voice—louder, real—broke through the eerie stillness.“My lady!”I gasped,
Lucian’s POV I had just finished my meditation, my mind momentarily at peace, though the storm within me never truly settled. Afterward, I decided to take a shower before returning to my painting. The rhythmic sound of water cascading over me did little to wash away the weight I carried—memories, responsibilities, and the undeniable pull toward the one person I shouldn’t crave so desperately.When I stepped out of the bath, steam clung to my skin as I reached for a towel, running it over my damp hair before wrapping it loosely around my waist. My chambers were silent, just as I preferred them. Or so I thought.As I turned toward my bed, movement caught my eye.Mira.She was standing near the paintings, her back partially turned, but I could see the moment she froze—her entire body going rigid as her gaze locked onto mine. Or rather, onto the bare expanse of my chest, trailing lower until she abruptly looked away.I didn’t move. Neither did she.A tense silence filled the room,
Mira’s POVI couldn’t believe what I’d just seen.Lucian. My mate. Lying unconscious on a bed hidden in the shrine. All this time, they’d kept it from me—every single one of them. Even Damien, who I’d come to trust more than I thought I would. The sight of Lucian’s motionless body sent something cold and aching straight through my chest. And then to hear them… Damien and the disciple, talking like I was never supposed to know. Like I wasn’t even part of this.The betrayal tasted like ash in my mouth.I stormed out of the room, my vision blurring with tears. I could hear Damien calling after me, his boots slapping the stone floors of the shrine, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. If I turned back, if I let him catch up to me, I might break completely.“Mira! Please, just listen!”“Don’t!” I snapped, spinning on my heel just as I reached the carriage. “Don’t you dare speak to me!”He stopped short, his chest rising and falling with effort. The look in his eyes was soft—regretful. But
Mira POV I stood in the courtyard, surrounded by the soft murmurs of the guards and the quiet tension that buzzed in the air like a taut string waiting to snap. Everyone was waiting for Adela to return. The amulet swap needed to happen perfectly, silently. One wrong move and Councilman Baylor would vanish into the shadows like smoke. We had one chance to use his connection to the witches to find them, and I couldn’t shake the anxiety tightening around my chest.Adela was brave, no doubt, but this was different. Dangerous. I tried to keep a calm expression as I stood beside Kai, Damien, and Rowan, but my thoughts were far from steady. My mind kept drifting back to the voice I heard last night. The moon goddess. Her words still echoed in my head like a steady drumbeat.You were born for this.The weight of her voice still lingered in my chest. Heavier than armor. More binding than any promise.If I was truly the bridge between the three factions, then I had to start walking that
Mira POV I couldn’t sleep.No matter how much I tossed and turned, the thoughts refused to leave me alone. They kept coming in waves, pressing down on me harder with each passing minute. I had come to Blackwood Castle to destroy the lycan kings. That had been my mission. I was supposed to tear them apart from within, make them hate each other, make them weak—and when the time came, avenge my mother’s death.But now… I was helping them.How had it come to this?I sat on the edge of my bed, hugging my knees as the memories of my childhood came flooding back. My father’s cold eyes. His harsh words. The way the villagers looked at me like I was a mistake. Even as Chief, he had never acknowledged me as his daughter the way he did with the other children in the village. I had always been treated like an outsider because I was human. Because my mother… was a human and not werewolf.He used to say she tricked him into marriage. Claimed she never told him what she was. That she cursed
Damien POV I returned to my chambers with heavy steps, my mind still clouded with irritation. I hated the way Kai thought about our mother. It gnawed at my insides like a slow poison. He always kept himself distant from her, treating her like she was some stranger who had dared to give birth to him. Even as children, while Rowan, Lucian and I clung to her skirts, Kai stood apart, his arms folded, his face emotionless. Like he had already decided he didn’t need her.I clenched my fists as I entered the secret passage that led to my private archives. Only I knew about it, and I intended to keep it that way. It was the place where I had gathered every piece of classified parchment, scrolls, and forbidden books over the years. A treasury of knowledge that even the regular castle archives couldn’t boast of.I needed answers. I needed to know why Councilman Benard Sawyer had once been part of Blackwood clan and now existed in Darkfire clan like he belonged there. If there was any c
Kai POV (Flash back)It was dark and quiet. The torches along the courtyard walls barely lit the stones beneath my small feet. I remembered standing there years ago, my young hands gripping the folds of my tunic as I watched my father speaking with important visitors. I didn’t know it then, but those moments would be some of the last happy memories I would ever have of our family together.I stood beside him proudly, listening as he discussed matters of the clan’s future. The way the visitors nodded at his words, the admiration in their eyes, I wanted that too. I wanted to rule Blackwood one day and have everyone look at me with the same respect they gave my father.I remembered how the captain of the guards had arrived mid-meeting, dragging along a younger Rowan by the shoulder. He announced Rowan’s latest victory in sword combat, boasting about how quickly he was mastering the art. My father and his guests praised him openly, offering him kind words and applause. Rowan had g
Kai POVI stood with my arms crossed as Adela fidgeted under the scrutiny of my gaze. We were gathered in the courtyard now, everyone waiting as she prepared to spill every detail she had about Councilman Baylor.“Start from the beginning,” I ordered her, my voice sharp.Adela swallowed hard. “On the first day I approached him, I was carrying a tray of tea. I pretended to stumble and spilled it all over him. He got angry at first, but I insisted I could help him clean it up. He tried to dismiss me, said he had his maid to attend to him, but I… I pushed.”Rowan scoffed from beside me, but I raised a hand to silence him.Adela continued, wringing her fingers nervously. “He eventually agreed. I followed him to his chambers and while we were there, I, as Lady Mira instructed, tried to… seduce him.”Mira stood to the side, her face stoic, giving no indication of any guilt. I admired that about her.Adela’s cheeks flushed. “He grabbed me almost immediately, but I scolded him, made a sce
Damien PovI stood between my brothers, facing the large oak door that led into my private archive room. They didn’t know about this place — no one did.I pulled open the heavy door and led them inside. The scent of old parchment and ink filled the air immediately, a smell I had grown fond of over the years. The room was dimly lit by lanterns placed carefully around the walls. Scrolls, books, and ancient parchments were stacked neatly on countless shelves, towering all the way up to the ceiling.Both Rowan and Kai froze just inside the doorway, their mouths slightly agape.“You had this all along?” Kai asked, his voice a mix of amazement and suspicion.I shrugged as I moved further inside. “Every leader needs his secrets. This is mine.”Rowan grunted, clearly unimpressed. “Looks boring.”I rolled my eyes. “This is where knowledge lives. Copies of every important document from the main archives, along with other scrolls the public isn’t even aware exist. I’ve been building it for
Mira POVI sat curled up by the window of my chamber, my mind spinning with the weight of what I had just heard. The evening sun poured into the room, casting long shadows across the floor, but I barely noticed. My thoughts were far away.The Blackwood lycans’ mother.The witches.The strange connection between them.I hugged my knees to my chest and stared blankly at the sky. What could it possibly mean? Why would their mother, a royal lycan Queen, have anything to do with the last witches that once terrorized the world? What reason could she have to risk everything by going to the place where the witches were executed?I tried to build a scenario in my mind, tried to make sense of something that felt so impossible. Maybe… just maybe… the high priestess’ words had some truth to them.She had told me that I was destined to be the bridge between the three factions—humans, witches, and werewolves.What if… the Blackwood lycans’ mother had the same destiny before me?It was the only
Kai POV I stood with my brothers under the shade of the large oak tree at the corner of the courtyard, my arms folded tightly across my chest as my mind ran in a thousand directions at once. Rowan paced back and forth like a caged animal, growling low under his breath while Damien leaned casually against the stone wall, deep in thought. The information from Ryker was still heavy on all our minds. I could feel it pressing on me like a mountain. Rowan finally broke the silence. “How is any of this even possible?” he snapped, stopping mid-pace to face us. “Mother and witches? That makes no sense.” Damien pushed off the wall, folding his arms too. “We don’t know the full story yet. For all we know, she could have been trying to destroy them, not help them.” His tone was calm but laced with frustration. I shook my head. “If she was trying to destroy them, why would she be sneaking off at night, leading someone to the witches’ graves?” “Maybe she was investigating?” D