Oliver’s povThe parchment felt rough beneath my fingers, the names blurring into a sea of ink. Each one represented a guest, a responsibility, a potential threat to Elena’s safety. Our wedding was just days away, and the weight of the Alpha title seemed to double with every passing day. I sighed, running a hand through my already disheveled hair. Chloe's name stared back at me, and an unsettling feeling settled in my gut.I knew she was up to something. Something dangerous but I just didn’t know what and it killed me that I was in the dark.A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. "Come in," I called, and Daniel, my Beta, entered. His face was etched with worry, a rare sight for the usually bubbly wolf."Alpha Oliver, we need to talk about the Princess, Chloe," he said without preamble, closing the door behind him.My unease deepened. "I've noticed it too," I admitted, leaning back in my chair. "She's been… off. Distant. Quiet. It's not like her. It feels like a calm before a
Elena’s povThe musty scent of aged paper and leather clung to the air of the library, a comforting aroma that always soothed my restless soul. I loved losing myself within these stacks, escaping the dangerous realities of living in a powerful pack. Today, however, my focus was fractured. My eyes drifted towards Chloe, perched at a table bathed in the afternoon sunlight. She was the last person I expected to see in the library.Chloe was usually a whirlwind of energy, plotting and scheming. But today, she was still, unnervingly so. I looked around the library noiselessly in search of Hailey. The two were always together but the other one was nowhere to be found.Lost in thought, her brow furrowed in concentration, Chloe looked like a coiled spring ready to unleash, a predator ready to pounce. I wondered what elaborate plan she was concocting. Knowing Chloe, it was probably something that involved ruining the pack or getting rid of me.Then, I saw it. A flicker of vulnerability, a hint
Third person povThe scent of lavender and detergent clung to the air in the laundry room, usually a comforting aroma, but tonight it felt heavy, suffocating. Elena found Beauty hunched on a stool, her shoulders shaking silently. The fluorescent lights hummed above them, casting a stark, revealing light on Beauty’s usually radiant face, now stained with tears.Elena’s heart clenched. Beauty was her only close friend, her confidante, the one person who understood her anxieties even without her having to say a word. To see her like this, so utterly broken, sent a jolt of panic through Elena."Beauty? What's wrong?" Elena asked, her voice soft, laced with concern. She knelt beside her friend, placing a hand on her trembling back. "Tell me. Please."Instead of words, a fresh wave of sobs erupted from Beauty. She buried her face in her hands, her body wracked with silent grief. Elena wrapped her arms around her, holding her close. Words felt inadequate, so she simply held her, letting her
Lucas’s povThe stench of damp earth and decaying leaves clung to me, a familiar comfort in the face of the storm brewing inside. I stood at the edge of the whispering woods, the usual tranquility a mocking contrast to the turmoil twisting my gut. Chloe was late. Or maybe I was early, driven by an anxiety that gnawed at my insides like a hungry wolf.I wasn't supposed to be here. Not after she'd told me. Not after she'd shattered the image I held of my father, the man I was told died a long time ago. The man I thought I knew.A twig snapped behind me, and I spun around, my senses instantly on high alert. Chloe emerged from the shadows, her face pale in the moonlight, her dark eyes wide with a mixture of smug and determination. She was everything I wasn't at the moment: grounded, resolved, and terrifyingly focused."Look who it is," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I thought for a second you wouldn’t come...""Let’s get this over with ," I snapped, the words laced with
Elena’s povThe morning had finally arrived. The day I, Elena, was supposed to marry Alpha Oliver. The air in the pack house crackled with a frenetic energy, a hum of anticipation almost tangible. Everywhere I looked, pack members bustled about, putting the final touches on decorations, ferrying trays of food, their faces alight with excitement. But beneath the surface of forced smiles and practiced breaths, a cold knot of dread tightened in my stomach.I should be ecstatic, radiating joy. I was, after all, marrying the Alpha, securing my place in the pack, fulfilling expectations. But a gnawing unease, a prickling premonition, clung to me like a second skin. The nightmare from before clung to me like a weighted blanket.I tried to shake it off, to convince myself it was just pre-wedding jitters. But the feeling persisted, a constant, low-level hum of anxiety that threatened to drown out the celebratory cheer. I walked through the bustling hallway. Pack members who didn’t seem to acc
Oliver’s povMy boots thudded softly against the worn wooden floorboards, each step a rhythmic counterpoint to the frantic thoughts churning inside my head. The morning of my wedding. A day that should be filled with joy, anticipation, and the sweet scent of a new beginning. Instead, a thick fog of unease clung to me, a gnawing premonition that something was terribly wrong.I paced my room, the nervous energy thrumming beneath my skin like a low growl. The sun streamed through the window, casting long, dancing shadows that seemed to mock my anxiety. Today, I was to take Elena as my mate officially, to bind us for life, to forge a future of strength and unity. She was everything I desired – intelligent, compassionate, and fiercely loyal. I pictured her smiling face as she saw her wedding dress for the first time. The content smile she had when she saw the chefs in the kitchen or the decorations. Her happiness was mine too.But there was a nagging feeling.Yet, the closer the moment dr
Olivier's povMy heart slammed against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. Elena, my Elena, was standing in the closet room, the creamy silk of her wedding dress clutched in her hands. But it wasn't the beauty of the gown that ripped through me; it was the sight of her tears. Each shimmering drop was a shard of glass piercing my soul.Lucas stood frozen beside me, his own face a mask of concern. We had practically kicked the door off its hinges when we heard Elena’s choked sob echoing through the hallway. I hadn't even registered the frantic thudding of my own blood in my ears until I saw her.My wolf was roaring in my head, demanding retribution. Who dared to inflict such pain on my mate? The protective instinct, primal and overwhelming, surged through me."Elena," I breathed, my voice rough with worry. I reached for her, my hands hovering, unsure if I should touch her. She looked so fragile, so utterly broken.She didn't meet my gaze, her eyes fixed on the dress. "It's... it'
Elena’s povThe scent of sandalwood, Oliver’s usual cologne, slowly seeped into my frantic senses. It was a balm, a tiny island of calm in the hurricane swirling inside me. My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat a frantic drum against the silence of the room.“Easy, Elena, easy,” Oliver murmured, his voice a low rumble against my ear. He held me close, his strong arms a reassuring weight, pulling me back from the edge of panic. “It’s just a dress. It can be fixed. We’ll figure it out.”Fixed? A wave of fresh despair washed over me. The intricate lacework, ripped and shredded. The delicate silk, stained and torn. It wasn't just a dress; it was a symbol of my hope, my future with Oliver. And someone, someone deliberately cruel, had destroyed it. This was more than a warning of what was yet to come.“Who would do this?” I finally managed to choke out, my voice trembling. The image of the ruined gown, a mangled mess of white, flashed behind my eyes.Oliver tightened his grip, his ja
Elena’s povThe aroma of herbs hung heavy in the air, a stark contrast to the tension coiling in my gut. I led Beauty through the familiar comfort of the safe house tea room. Sam took Nate’s hand and showed him different colouring books on the shelves.Everything felt… fragile. Like the peace could shatter at any moment.I sank into one of the mismatched chairs, the worn velvet yielding beneath me. Beauty didn’t take the offered seat. Instead, she dropped to her knees, her eyes brimming with a desperate kind of sincerity.“Elena, I… I’m so sorry,” she choked out, her voice thick with unshed tears. “I know saying sorry isn't enough, not after what I did. It was a mistake, a terrible, awful mistake. I betrayed you all, I betrayed the pack. Please, believe me, I didn’t want to.”The raw emotion in her voice was almost painful to witness. I watched her, my face carefully neutral, as she launched into a tearful explanation. She spoke of her sister, Sam, held hostage by the Blue Moon Pack,
Beauty’s povI trembled, the thin cotton of my dress doing little to ward off the chill of fear. The sounds of battle were deafening now, the sounds of howls, snarls, and the brutal thud of bodies colliding. The Full Moon pack, my pack, was under attack. I squeezed my eyes shut, whispering a frantic prayer to the Moon Goddess, begging for our victory.I felt useless sitting in my room doing nothing. Every other person was out there making a difference in the pack and here I was, sitting on my bed and biting my nails.A sharp knock on my door startled me. I jumped back, my heart hammering against my ribs. The door creaked open, and a soldier I vaguely recognized, his face grim and dusted with dirt, stood in the doorway. He was panting heavily and for a second, I wondered if we had lost the war."Beauty," he said, his voice low and urgent. "Come with me."Confusion clouded my fear. "What? Where are we going?""Elena requested that you be taken to the safe house," he explained. "It's fo
Lucas’s povThe wood felt rough against my knuckles as I knocked on Chloe's door. After a few seconds, I pushed the door open.Chloe was sitting on the edge of her bed, her shoulders trembling slightly. She looked up, her eyes widening when she saw me. Recognition flickered across her face, quickly replaced by a cold, hard look. She narrowed her eyes."Lucas," she said, her voice tight. “What are you doing here?” "Chloe," I replied, keeping my voice even. "Why? Why are you doing this? Betraying the pack… betraying Oliver?"She scoffed, turning her head away. "I don't want advice from you."I took a step closer. "You need to talk to Oliver. Ask him for forgiveness.""Forgiveness?" She laughed, a harsh, brittle sound. "What's the point? He'll have me imprisoned. Or worse."A knot formed in my stomach. This was worse than I thought. She truly believed she was past the point of redemption.She turned back to me, a smug look on her face. "He's smart, I'll give him that. Predicting those s
Oliver’s povA soldier ran up to me, breathless. “Alpha Oliver! Elena… she’s safe. She’s with Nate and Sam in the safe house.”Relief washed over me. The safe house was relatively safe and far from the village but it was the best place to be instead of here, right in the middle of the fighting. "Lucas!" I called, "Go to Chloe. Make sure she doesn't leave her room. No matter what she says, no matter what she does. Understand?"Chloe. She was part of the reason we were at war with the Blue Moon pack in the first place, heck, she was the only reason this whole thing started.I didn’t know what she was capable of yet so I couldn’t risk her being out of the pack house. The worse possibility was her informing the Blue Moon pack that we were aware of their attack.Lucas nodded, his jaw tight. "Right away, Oliver."Next, I needed to secure our borders. This attack had to end here, now. “Every soldier to the borders! No one in, no one out. I want eyes on every tree, every shadow. We don’t nee
Elena’s povI turned to look at Nate, Lucas’s brother. He had a look of suspicion as he stared at me.“Hi, I’m Elena.” I said and he shuffled closer to Sam instead. He didn’t trust me and I couldn’t blame the child.He was just like Lucas.I knelt down, trying to meet Nate's shy gaze. He was a miniature version of Lucas, with the same dark hair and serious eyes. "Hey, Nate," I said softly. "How are you doing?"He mumbled something and ducked his head, his fingers the small bag he was holding."It's okay," I reassured him. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to. I just wanted to see if you needed anything."Silence stretched between us. Then, in a voice so quiet I almost missed it, Nate said, "Lucas is really strong."My heart clenched. Of course he admired his older brother. He hadn’t known Lucas for long but he had seen how great of a warrior he was.“He is," I agreed, smiling gently. "He's one of the strongest werewolves I know."Nate looked up, his eyes widening slightly. "He
Elena’s povMy head throbbed painfully. I blinked, trying to focus on the room around me. It was my bedroom in the pack house, familiar and safe, yet… different. The air hung heavy with a sense of unease.Then, the memory of the vision slammed into me.I was on a battlefield. Mud and blood painted the ground. The air reeked of fear and death. Oliver, his usually bright eyes dimmed with pain, lay sprawled near a burning wagon. And Lucas… Lucas was cradling my body in his arms, his face etched with anguish. The image was so vivid, so real, that I could almost feel the cold seep into my bones.Then, a jolt – like being yanked back through time – and the battlefield dissolved. I was seeing something else now, something even more terrifying.Blue Moon soldiers. Dozens of them, sneaking into our territory. They were moving silently, efficiently, like shadows in the night. And the place they were coming in through… an underground tunnel. The tunnel was hidden, partially obscured by roots an
Beauty’s povThe chaos erupted like a storm, a furious tempest brewing just beyond my locked door. I was still under room arrest, a strong cage of my own making, for the foolish choices I’d made. Thankfully Oliver was merciful enough not to let me rot in the dungeon. Rather he kept me here and I was being fed well. The only thing was that I’ve not left the four walls of the room.But the shouting, the frantic calls, the pounding of boots – it was impossible to ignore. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drummer urging me to action.I crept to the door, the heavy oak a tangible barrier between me and whatever madness reigned outside. The two guards stationed there were gone, their duty seemingly forgotten in the face of something more pressing. Impulsively, I reached for the handle, testing it. Unlocked. They were simply gone.I slipped out, a ghost in a place I once called my own home, and caught a glimpse of one of the soldiers sprinting towards the village. "What's happe
Chloe’s pov My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drummer trapped in a cage. I slammed the door shut and twisted the lock, the flimsy click echoing in the otherwise silent room. Oliver knew. He actually knew about the spies. How could I have been so blind? So calm? The long hours of intricate planning, of subtle manipulation, all on the edge of collapse because I’d failed to notice my own brother sniffing around.Sweat slicked my palms as I paced, my mind a whirlwind of panicked calculations. My brother, Oliver, Alpha of the Full Moon Pack, was not a fool. He was perceptive, sharp, and fiercely loyal to his pack, the pack I was actively trying to undermine.A soft scratching at the window startled me. Jax. He moved with a silent grace that belied his formidable strength, sliding the window open and slipping into the room like a shadow. His eyes, the color of a stormy sea, met mine with an unnerving intensity."What's the next move, Chloe?" he asked, his voice a low rumble t
Oliver’s povThe air in the village hung thick with confusion and fear. My nostrils flared, picking up the sharp scent of panic mixed with the metallic tang of blood. Sprawled across the cobblestones, slumped against market stalls, were the spies. Elena’s spell had done its work.My soldiers, their eyes glowing with controlled fury, were efficient and brutal. Each spy, still unconscious under the lingering effects of the magic, was hauled up, their limbs dangling like puppets with cut strings, and dragged towards the prison grounds. A grim satisfaction settled in my gut. At least this threat was contained, for now.Elena… my heart clenched. Casting that kind of spell, especially for the first time, was incredibly draining. I hoped she was fine. The thought of her going through all of this just to protect the pack made me love her even more. Heavens, I loved her. She was the only missing link in my life, the only one I needed.For a second, my mind shifted to Lucas who I had left Elena