Chapter 57: Walking Among the SnowEris ~I watched Samuel as he left, his words stayed in the cold air. He had promised me I was safe here, and for the first time in months, I believed it. I pulled the fur blanket tighter around me, feeling its warmth.‘Eris…’ I felt Seven and almost could hear her breathing.‘You should rest,’ Seven said in his quiet, familiar voice.“I’ve rested enough, Seven,” I replied softly. “I need to see where we are.”Stretching my arms, I stood up. My legs were shaky, but I managed. Seven followed as I walked toward the door. I pushed it open, the cold air hit me immediately, but it was refreshing—alive. I stepped outside into the snow.It was beautiful, even though the world around me felt strange. This castle, this village—it wasn’t home, but it was peaceful. The snow fell in thick, quiet flakes, covering everything in a blanket of white. People moved around the village below, some carried firewood, others tending to their homes.As I walked down the p
Chapter 58: The Mark of FateEris ~The fire crackled softly in the room as I sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at my hand. There, on my palm, was a bruise like a faint, star-shaped mark. I rubbed at it, hoping it was just from the cold or from clenching my fists too hard earlier, but it didn’t fade. It was as if the bruise had formed with purpose, as if someone—or something—had placed it there.I flexed my fingers, trying to get rid of the feeling crawling up my spine. I had healed quickly from the torture of Darius faster than I should have, even for someone like me. But this bruise… it wasn’t like the others.‘Eris.’Seven’s voice drifted into my mind, calm but watchful. ‘That’s not just a bruise. There’s magic in it. I can feel it.’“Magic?” I whispered, staring harder at the star. It glowed faintly under the firelight, almost like it was alive. “What does it mean?”‘I don’t know. But someone marked you, Eris. You need to be careful.’Marked. The word left a bitter taste i
Chapter 59: The Stranger in the WoodsEris~The cold air nipped at my face as I walked through the woods, my breath came out in small puffs. Snow crunched beneath my boots, and the thick trees around me stood silent, their branches looked heavy with snow. It felt like the world had been swallowed in white, everything so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat.But something was off.I stopped, my senses suddenly sharpened. There was someone out here. I could feel it. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and a low growl rumbled in my throat.‘We’re not alone,’ Seven warned in my head, her voice tensed.I turned, scanning the trees, trying to find the source of the feeling. My eyes locked onto a shadow moving between the trunks. It was quick, but I saw it. My growl grew louder, and I bared my teeth.“Show yourself,” I commanded.A person stepped out from behind the trees. He was tall, wearing a long black cloak that blended into the dark woods. His hood was pulled low over
Chapter 60: The Hunter’s WrathDarius~The air in my chambers was suffocating me from failure. I paced back and forth, my fists clenched so tightly my knuckles ached. She had escaped again. Again. I slammed my hand against the stone wall, the impact went through my arm, but it did nothing to calm the tornado inside me.“How could this happen?” I growled through gritted teeth. “How could no one find her?”‘Weak,’ Hunter snarled in my mind, rumbling. ‘You let her slip through your fingers. Again.’I could feel him prowling, his claws itched to tear something apart, anything that would make this unbearable feeling of failure go away. He had been restless ever since Eris disappeared into the snow. Every attempt to track her had come up empty, and it was driving both of us to the edge.“She can’t have gone far,” I muttered, though to whom, I wasn’t sure. I raked a hand through my hair, the strands sticking with sweat. “We’ll find her. We have to find her.”‘You better,’ Hunter growled.
Chapter 61: The Poisonous ThroneAugustin~I closed the door to Darius’s chambers, the smile faded from my face the moment I stepped into the dark hallway. That boy had no idea how much he teetered on the edge of failure. He was too blinded by his anger, too easily manipulated by the words of a girl. A mere girl, yet he let her slip through his grasp again and again. Pathetic.But then, weakness ran in the family, didn’t it?I walked down the cold stone corridor, my boots clicked against the floor, echoing in the emptiness. As I rounded the corner, my mind drifted back to where it all started. Eris’s father. The proud, noble alpha who ruled with strength and fairness. A fool, blinded by loyalty and love.“Too trusting,” I whispered, feeling the bile rise in my throat at the thought of him. He never saw it coming, never suspected that his own ally—his friend—was the one poisoning him from the inside.‘He was a fool,’ Hamex growled in my head, his dark tone always brought a bitter t
Chapter 62 : Kaya ~It’s been three months since Eris died. Three months, and I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it. The pain felt as fresh as the day it happened, like someone had ripped my heart out and replaced it with a cold, hollow pit.I tried to numb myself, tried to forget, but nothing worked. Everywhere I went, I saw her—heard her laughter, remembered the way her smile could light up a room, how she made everything feel right. But she was gone, and now I was supposed to be preparing for a wedding I didn’t even want.The room felt depressing and everything was pressing down on me. My suit hung on the wardrobe... It felt wrong. I felt wrong. Tessa was supposed to be my bride. She was in the next room, probably preening, getting ready for a life that didn’t belong to her.Kai was anxious too, like he had been for months now. ‘This isn’t right, Kaya,’ he growled angrily. . ‘She’s not meant to be Luna. She can’t carry Leina’s powers. She’s empty. She’s…’I clenched my jaw.
Chapter 63 : I Will Always Love YouKaya ~A few minutes after Tessa left, the door opened again, but this time the smell that filled the room was different—warm, comforting, familiar. Leina.“Kaya,” she said softly and in a gentle voice, as if she knew exactly how fragile I was at that moment. “Can I come in?”I nodded, still staring at the floor. I couldn’t bring myself to look at her just yet. Somehow, everything was crushing me, and I wasn’t sure I could handle one more conversation.But Leina was patient. She always was. I heard her light and soft steps, as she walked over. And then, before I could brace myself, she wrapped her arms around me. Her embrace was warm, and for a moment, I let myself melt into it, letting her hold me together when I felt like I was falling apart.“I’m so sorry, Kaya,” she whispered against my shoulder. “I miss her too.”I swallowed hard, feeling the lump in my throat growing. “It’s like she’s everywhere, Leina. I can’t escape it.”Leina pulled bac
Chapter 64 : He’s Finally MineTessa ~I’ve always loved Kaya.From the first moment I saw him, I knew he was mine. It didn’t matter that he didn’t see it right away. I was patient. I waited. I was loyal. Always loyal.And then he brought her. Eris.Ugly. From some weak pack on the other side of the mountains. She had nothing. No strength, no power. And Kaya, stupid Kaya, paraded her around like she was some kind of treasure.“She’s going to be Luna,” he had said, like that made any sense. I wanted to scream. I wanted to tear her apart.‘You should have,’ Mei snarled in my head. ‘You should’ve ripped her throat out the moment she walked into our pack. She didn’t deserve him.’“I know,” I muttered under my breath. “I should have. But Kaya… he wouldn’t have forgiven me.”‘Who cares about forgiveness? She was nothing. And now look—he’s still mourning her, like she was worth something.’I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “She wasn’t worth anything. Not to me. Not to this
Chapter 66 : Leina’s DeathKaya ~ Chapter 65:I was standing at the edge of the square when it happened.Leina was just about to finish the ceremony, about to pass the Luna’s power to Tessa. I watched her closely, the way she moved slowly, the tiredness in her eyes. Something about her seemed off today, but I thought it was just the annoyance of the ceremony.Then, she coughed. It sounded sharp, unnatural.At first, no one reacted. We all thought it was nothing. But then she coughed again, and this time, blood spilled from her mouth.My heart stopped.“Leina!” I shouted, pushing through the crowd. I didn’t think. I just ran.She collapsed before I could reach her. Tessa tried to catch her, but she wasn’t fast enough. Leina hit the ground, hard. I was there a second later, kneeling beside her, my hands started shaking as I reached for her.“Leina, no!” I shouted again in a voice that seemed to lose control.Her body was limp, her skin cold. Blood covered her lips, and it kept coming,
Chapter 65 : Luna’s CeremonyLeina ~The village square was already filling with people by the time I stepped outside. Faces I had known all my life turned to greet me, with their bright smiles, voices filled with warmth.“Luna,” someone called, waving from the crowd.“Good morning, Luna!” another greeted me.I smiled softly and waved back, though my body felt heavier than usual, and my legs ached as I made my way through the crowd. I should have felt stronger today, of all days. It was my last day as Luna, the day I would officially pass on the title to Tessa.But something was wrong. I could feel it deep in my bones. May had been silent for days now. She wasn’t responding to my calls, and it worried me more than I wanted to admit. I tried to push the thought away as I reached the center of the square where the ceremony would take place.The elders were there, already preparing for the official proceedings. Tessa stood beside them, in a stiff posture, nervous energy rolling off he
Chapter 64 : He’s Finally MineTessa ~I’ve always loved Kaya.From the first moment I saw him, I knew he was mine. It didn’t matter that he didn’t see it right away. I was patient. I waited. I was loyal. Always loyal.And then he brought her. Eris.Ugly. From some weak pack on the other side of the mountains. She had nothing. No strength, no power. And Kaya, stupid Kaya, paraded her around like she was some kind of treasure.“She’s going to be Luna,” he had said, like that made any sense. I wanted to scream. I wanted to tear her apart.‘You should have,’ Mei snarled in my head. ‘You should’ve ripped her throat out the moment she walked into our pack. She didn’t deserve him.’“I know,” I muttered under my breath. “I should have. But Kaya… he wouldn’t have forgiven me.”‘Who cares about forgiveness? She was nothing. And now look—he’s still mourning her, like she was worth something.’I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “She wasn’t worth anything. Not to me. Not to this
Chapter 63 : I Will Always Love YouKaya ~A few minutes after Tessa left, the door opened again, but this time the smell that filled the room was different—warm, comforting, familiar. Leina.“Kaya,” she said softly and in a gentle voice, as if she knew exactly how fragile I was at that moment. “Can I come in?”I nodded, still staring at the floor. I couldn’t bring myself to look at her just yet. Somehow, everything was crushing me, and I wasn’t sure I could handle one more conversation.But Leina was patient. She always was. I heard her light and soft steps, as she walked over. And then, before I could brace myself, she wrapped her arms around me. Her embrace was warm, and for a moment, I let myself melt into it, letting her hold me together when I felt like I was falling apart.“I’m so sorry, Kaya,” she whispered against my shoulder. “I miss her too.”I swallowed hard, feeling the lump in my throat growing. “It’s like she’s everywhere, Leina. I can’t escape it.”Leina pulled bac
Chapter 62 : Kaya ~It’s been three months since Eris died. Three months, and I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it. The pain felt as fresh as the day it happened, like someone had ripped my heart out and replaced it with a cold, hollow pit.I tried to numb myself, tried to forget, but nothing worked. Everywhere I went, I saw her—heard her laughter, remembered the way her smile could light up a room, how she made everything feel right. But she was gone, and now I was supposed to be preparing for a wedding I didn’t even want.The room felt depressing and everything was pressing down on me. My suit hung on the wardrobe... It felt wrong. I felt wrong. Tessa was supposed to be my bride. She was in the next room, probably preening, getting ready for a life that didn’t belong to her.Kai was anxious too, like he had been for months now. ‘This isn’t right, Kaya,’ he growled angrily. . ‘She’s not meant to be Luna. She can’t carry Leina’s powers. She’s empty. She’s…’I clenched my jaw.
Chapter 61: The Poisonous ThroneAugustin~I closed the door to Darius’s chambers, the smile faded from my face the moment I stepped into the dark hallway. That boy had no idea how much he teetered on the edge of failure. He was too blinded by his anger, too easily manipulated by the words of a girl. A mere girl, yet he let her slip through his grasp again and again. Pathetic.But then, weakness ran in the family, didn’t it?I walked down the cold stone corridor, my boots clicked against the floor, echoing in the emptiness. As I rounded the corner, my mind drifted back to where it all started. Eris’s father. The proud, noble alpha who ruled with strength and fairness. A fool, blinded by loyalty and love.“Too trusting,” I whispered, feeling the bile rise in my throat at the thought of him. He never saw it coming, never suspected that his own ally—his friend—was the one poisoning him from the inside.‘He was a fool,’ Hamex growled in my head, his dark tone always brought a bitter t
Chapter 60: The Hunter’s WrathDarius~The air in my chambers was suffocating me from failure. I paced back and forth, my fists clenched so tightly my knuckles ached. She had escaped again. Again. I slammed my hand against the stone wall, the impact went through my arm, but it did nothing to calm the tornado inside me.“How could this happen?” I growled through gritted teeth. “How could no one find her?”‘Weak,’ Hunter snarled in my mind, rumbling. ‘You let her slip through your fingers. Again.’I could feel him prowling, his claws itched to tear something apart, anything that would make this unbearable feeling of failure go away. He had been restless ever since Eris disappeared into the snow. Every attempt to track her had come up empty, and it was driving both of us to the edge.“She can’t have gone far,” I muttered, though to whom, I wasn’t sure. I raked a hand through my hair, the strands sticking with sweat. “We’ll find her. We have to find her.”‘You better,’ Hunter growled.
Chapter 59: The Stranger in the WoodsEris~The cold air nipped at my face as I walked through the woods, my breath came out in small puffs. Snow crunched beneath my boots, and the thick trees around me stood silent, their branches looked heavy with snow. It felt like the world had been swallowed in white, everything so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat.But something was off.I stopped, my senses suddenly sharpened. There was someone out here. I could feel it. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and a low growl rumbled in my throat.‘We’re not alone,’ Seven warned in my head, her voice tensed.I turned, scanning the trees, trying to find the source of the feeling. My eyes locked onto a shadow moving between the trunks. It was quick, but I saw it. My growl grew louder, and I bared my teeth.“Show yourself,” I commanded.A person stepped out from behind the trees. He was tall, wearing a long black cloak that blended into the dark woods. His hood was pulled low over
Chapter 58: The Mark of FateEris ~The fire crackled softly in the room as I sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at my hand. There, on my palm, was a bruise like a faint, star-shaped mark. I rubbed at it, hoping it was just from the cold or from clenching my fists too hard earlier, but it didn’t fade. It was as if the bruise had formed with purpose, as if someone—or something—had placed it there.I flexed my fingers, trying to get rid of the feeling crawling up my spine. I had healed quickly from the torture of Darius faster than I should have, even for someone like me. But this bruise… it wasn’t like the others.‘Eris.’Seven’s voice drifted into my mind, calm but watchful. ‘That’s not just a bruise. There’s magic in it. I can feel it.’“Magic?” I whispered, staring harder at the star. It glowed faintly under the firelight, almost like it was alive. “What does it mean?”‘I don’t know. But someone marked you, Eris. You need to be careful.’Marked. The word left a bitter taste i