“And no one—Alpha, Lycan, or blood-bound parent—is taking them from me.”Her words didn’t echo. They resonated, thick and absolute, the kind of truth that didn’t ask for permission to exist.For a moment, the room forgot how to breathe. Even the shadows seemed to flinch, drawing back into corners like they understood they were no longer welcome in her presence.Nyma didn’t need to raise her voice again. She simply stood there, steady and unblinking, eyes fixed on Raina with the certainty of someone who had already burned once—and would burn the world before she let it happen again.Raina inhaled, sharp and slow, her chest rising with something she couldn’t quite name—fear, awe, maybe even guilt. Her voice cracked slightly, hesitant. “Nyma…” Her gaze flickered toward the door. “If your mother finds out—”“Then she’ll know,” Nyma cut in, quiet but immovable, like iron hammered flat.She didn't need to shout. She didn’t need to explain herself. But Raina, ever the loyal sister-in-law, ev
The name sat on Nyma’s tongue like poison, bitter as wolfsbane and just as deadly.She hadn’t spoken it in over a year—hadn’t called him, hadn’t chased after the ghost of him.Hadn’t dared.But now, the past was clawing up her spine, wicked and sharp, demanding to be named.And gods, she was so damn tired of carrying it alone.Raina swallowed, the sound loud in the hollowed-out room. Her hands twitched at her sides like she didn't know whether to reach for Nyma or step back from her."Who else knows?" Raina asked, her voice paper-thin, like she was afraid the truth might tear right through her.Nyma stilled, head tilting just slightly — a motion so small it might’ve been mistaken for nothing at all. But it wasn’t nothing. It was a storm she didn’t name.A history she didn’t owe anyone. The name surfaced — unbidden, unwanted — coating her mouth in something sour.How he knew. He always would. And how he didn’t matter. As he was nothing to them. Nothing worth remembering.For a heartbea
Nyma’s elder brother, the future Alpha of Raven’s Flock, stood as if the very storms of the old world had shaped him—muscle and bone hardened by a lifetime of discipline, golden eyes bright with a fury barely leashed beneath his skin. Every line of his body promised violence should even a whisper of provocation escape her lips."Sophie D’Aragon, let me remind you for last! " Kael said, his voice low and grating, each word dragging over the air like a blade against stone. "You were banished. The terms were clear—no return, no exceptions."Across from him, Sophie remained untouched by the hostility lacing the air between them. She drew her gloves tighter against her wrists, a movement so casual it bordered on contempt, and lifted her gaze to meet his with the ease of a woman long-accustomed to standing her ground against worse monsters than he."And yet, here I stand," she said, her words smooth as river stones, her mouth curling into a smile sharp enough to cut glass. "Even if your sis
The Silvermoon pack-house was alive with celebration—golden lanterns swayed gently from the ceiling, casting a soft glow over the crowd. The scent of honeyed pastries and fresh blooms mixed with the ever-present musk of wolves and the Lycan family that host them.Nyma sat on her throne-like chair, one hand protectively resting on her swollen belly, a forced smile on her lips as she accepted gifts from her pack.She should have felt joy. Excitement. Something other than this choking sense of unease.Because among the laughter and well-wishes, her husband—Alpha Prince Adrain—hadn't even properly looked at her or given a compliment, when she had spend days to select perfect dress and arrangements just to make him more happier other than being a father.Adrain had returned just yesterday after five long months of 'special training,' yet he had barely spared Nyma a glance since stepping foot back into their home. Instead, Adrain was swallowed whole by his entourage—four women, three men—w
As the night stretched on and celebration came to a nearing end, Royal family took their leave first, then Nyma's family prepared to take their leave. She embraced her parents, her mother lingering for a moment longer, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple as if she sensed the storm brewing beneath Nyma's skin. Only Kael, Nyma's elder brother and his mate, Raina, Nyma's sister-in-law remained. They would be escorting Nyma to their family's territory, Raven Flack Pack in the morning, as per her request. Nyma wanted to give birth surrounded by those she trusted, rather than the den of Lycan she did not. The weight of the night pressed against her ribs. The veiled insults, the mocking gifts, Lucian's audacity—she had endured them all with her head high. But as her gaze flickered across the room, she found herself locked onto Adrain. Her mate. Her absent, distant, suspiciously preoccupied husband. For eight months, she had carried his child. For five, she had led their pack alone, endu
The morning light filtered through the heavy drapes, spilling golden streaks across the plush velvet of Nyma's chambers. Dust motes swirled in the air, dancing in the soft glow, as a faint rustling broke the silence. A familiar voice, gentle yet insistent, called her back from the restless void of sleep."Luna, it's time to rise."Nyma inhaled deeply, the scent of lavender and embers lingering from the night before. She blinked away the remnants of broken dreams, her hand instinctively settling over the curve of her unborn child. A tether to the present. A reminder of all that lay ahead.But beside her, the sheets remained undisturbed. Cold. As empty as they had been all night.The warmth from last evening... had been nothing but a cruel mirage.She said nothing as her omega moved efficiently through the room, drawing out layers of gossamer fabric, silks soft as moonlight. The quiet routine should have been comforting. Instead, it made the silence between her ribs ache all the more.T
"Lira, enough." She crept closer, her heart pounding as she peered through the dense trees. The clearing came into view, dimly lit by the last remnants of dawn's glow, and there—standing too close, much too close—were Adrain and Lira.His hands were on her arms, holding her steady. Lira, unsteady on her feet, swayed slightly, her usually sharp gaze hazy."Let me go, please," Lira muttered, pushing at his chest weakly. "I don't need your help.""You drank too much last night," Adrain's voice was taut, concerned. "You're barely standing, and you're in no condition to leave by yourself."Lira let out a breathy, exasperated laugh. "I'm fine, Alpha.""You're not," he countered, firm but not harsh. "You need rest, and I'm making sure you get back safely."Nyma's hands curled into fists. A dark, possessive growl rumbled deep in her chest, the presence of her she-wolf thrashing against the confines of her control. Why was he acting like this? Like she mattered? But still a tiny part of her r
"Enough," he panted, voice rough, strained. "I said enough."A pause.Then Lira's silky, knowing hummed echoed. "Oh, Rain… why do you always resist?""Because I can't..." Adrain rasped."And why not?" she pressed, her tone playful, edged with something deeper. "It's not like it was so long ago. Isn't it because of me that you kept running away from your little wife since yesterday, is it not? So she doesn't caught my scent on you. After all we did trained a lot in this..."Nyma's breath turned to frost in her lungs.Months. His training, his months long training was spend with her. They'd been together all this time."We were good together, Adrain." A honeyed pause. "Remember what you told Nyma about the 'blood moon night'?"Her thumb brushed his lower lip. "How creative you were with the truth..."Adrain's muscles locked. "
Nyma’s elder brother, the future Alpha of Raven’s Flock, stood as if the very storms of the old world had shaped him—muscle and bone hardened by a lifetime of discipline, golden eyes bright with a fury barely leashed beneath his skin. Every line of his body promised violence should even a whisper of provocation escape her lips."Sophie D’Aragon, let me remind you for last! " Kael said, his voice low and grating, each word dragging over the air like a blade against stone. "You were banished. The terms were clear—no return, no exceptions."Across from him, Sophie remained untouched by the hostility lacing the air between them. She drew her gloves tighter against her wrists, a movement so casual it bordered on contempt, and lifted her gaze to meet his with the ease of a woman long-accustomed to standing her ground against worse monsters than he."And yet, here I stand," she said, her words smooth as river stones, her mouth curling into a smile sharp enough to cut glass. "Even if your sis
The name sat on Nyma’s tongue like poison, bitter as wolfsbane and just as deadly.She hadn’t spoken it in over a year—hadn’t called him, hadn’t chased after the ghost of him.Hadn’t dared.But now, the past was clawing up her spine, wicked and sharp, demanding to be named.And gods, she was so damn tired of carrying it alone.Raina swallowed, the sound loud in the hollowed-out room. Her hands twitched at her sides like she didn't know whether to reach for Nyma or step back from her."Who else knows?" Raina asked, her voice paper-thin, like she was afraid the truth might tear right through her.Nyma stilled, head tilting just slightly — a motion so small it might’ve been mistaken for nothing at all. But it wasn’t nothing. It was a storm she didn’t name.A history she didn’t owe anyone. The name surfaced — unbidden, unwanted — coating her mouth in something sour.How he knew. He always would. And how he didn’t matter. As he was nothing to them. Nothing worth remembering.For a heartbea
“And no one—Alpha, Lycan, or blood-bound parent—is taking them from me.”Her words didn’t echo. They resonated, thick and absolute, the kind of truth that didn’t ask for permission to exist.For a moment, the room forgot how to breathe. Even the shadows seemed to flinch, drawing back into corners like they understood they were no longer welcome in her presence.Nyma didn’t need to raise her voice again. She simply stood there, steady and unblinking, eyes fixed on Raina with the certainty of someone who had already burned once—and would burn the world before she let it happen again.Raina inhaled, sharp and slow, her chest rising with something she couldn’t quite name—fear, awe, maybe even guilt. Her voice cracked slightly, hesitant. “Nyma…” Her gaze flickered toward the door. “If your mother finds out—”“Then she’ll know,” Nyma cut in, quiet but immovable, like iron hammered flat.She didn't need to shout. She didn’t need to explain herself. But Raina, ever the loyal sister-in-law, ev
Nyma's fingers trembled as she snatched the crumpled papers from her nightstand. The heavy parchment felt like poison in her hands, Adrian's royal crest embossed at the top in mocking gold foil.Raina reached out. "Nym, you don't have to—"But Nyma was already scanning the text, her eyes catching on phrases that made her blood run cold:"Termination of marital rights... Full custody relinquishment... Prenuptial clause 7b enforcement..."Then she reached the final page.The world stopped."Petitioner shall retain sole custody of all offspring resulting from this union, effective immediately upon birth."A full minute passed in absolute stillness. The only sound was the slow drip of Nyma's claws piercing her own palms, black blood oozing between her fingers—at the words that would unmake her..Raina reached for the papers. "Ny? What does it say—"Nyma’s lips moved slowly, as if shaping the words was agony. Her voice, when it came, was ragged—razored—choked with disbelief and something fa
The air itself screamed.Golden fire erupted from the Nyma's aura, sparkled like current beneath her finger tips.Windows glass shattered near her. Elara was forced to step backward, her body unable to stand close to Nyma's, some energy pushing everything away from her daughter with a sickening crack. Aunt Amelia and Beta couldn't even process as they were on knees in submission.Alpha Cedric barely managed to stay upright, his boots carving trenches in the floorboards as the force of Nyma's magic pushed him toward the doorway.But Nyma didn't move an inch. And nobody wants to know what would happen if she did make a move right now.She stood at the heart of the storm, her hair whipping like live flames, her eyes—gods, her eyes—no longer the soft, but the merciless gold of a predator staring down its kill."You want me to think like a Luna?" Her voice was layered, echoing with something ancient. "Then listen to your Luna now."She took a step forward. The floor blackened beneath her b
"You stupid, reckless girl."Alpha Cedric's voice didn’t boom like a thunderclap—it slithered into the room like smoke under a locked door, a low, venom-laced whisper that made the air itself recoil. No rage. No raised volume. Just that icy, disbelieving fury that strikes deeper than any yell could hope to.Nyma froze mid-step, the heat of her father's presence bearing down on her like an avalanche. At her throat, the golden pendant—a relic older than the treaty that had tied her fate to Adrain’s—shuddered, then flared to life. Its glow wasn’t gentle. It threw jagged light across the walls like bars, a cage of her own bloodline's making.Then Elara emerged from the shadows behind Cedric, and if her expression was meant to be maternal, it had been devoured by something colder. Her face was sculpted into sharp angles of disbelief and disapproval, fury laced into every breath she took. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Her voice shook—not with sadness, but with restrained hysteria.
“We need to tell your father. Alpha Cedric will understand the weight of this,” Elara said, her voice edged with urgency, already moving before Nyma could answer.Without a word, Luna Elara’s gaze sharpened. She closed her eyes briefly, reaching out through the silent bond only high-ranking wolves shared.Amelia, she mind-linked, her tone brisk and unyielding. Come to Nyma’s chambers. We need to speak with Alpha Cedric—immediately.Luna Elara turned from the pendant’s faint glow, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor as she faced her daughter.“We also need to arrange a visit to the royal estate,” she said crisply. “Formally, it’s diplomacy. Unofficially—if the King and Queen don’t know yet, they will soon. They must be made aware of what you carry.”Nyma recoiled like she’d been slapped. “Seriously, Mama?”Elara arched a brow, caught off-guard by the heat in her daughter’s voice. “Yes. It’s necessary. This isn’t just a child, Nyma. It’s the future. A bridge between the p
“Hm,” Elara murmured, the sound tight in her throat. “Interesting. Prince Adrain could surely get his hands on something rare…”But her eyes said something else entirely. They didn’t move from the stone.She leaned in, close enough to feel the warmth it pulsed into Nyma’s skin.“Our family’s moonstones reflect the bloodline,” Elara said quietly. “Silver for vision. White for resolve. Yours was silver, the night we crowned you Luna. A perfect match. But this…”She hovered just above it, hand open like she was afraid to touch.Then, finally, she did.The moment her
Nyma jolted awake with a gasp, her hands flying to her swollen belly, fingers splaying protectively over the child within. The remnants of the nightmare clung to her—Adrain’s voice, low and venomous, whispering in the dark: "I’ll take what’s mine."The words slithered through her skull like smoke—Adrain’s voice, intimate and cruel. Not pleading. Promising.Her hands flew to her belly, trembling. The baby kicked, soft and real.Alive. Still hers. For now.Her pulse roared in her ears. Would he dare?A knock at the door."Nyma?" Her mother's voice—gentle, but edged in iron. "May I come in?" Nyma opened her mouth to say no, to beg for five more minutes—but her voice betrayed her."...Yes."The door creaked open. Luna Elara stepped in, carrying a tray in hand. The scent of wintermint and crushed moonroot filled the air, grounding and warm. On the tray: a steaming clay cup, a shallow bowl of porridge laced with wolfberries and fire-pearl dust—meant to nourish a growing wolf child. Meant t