Astrid’s POVMy composure crumbled, and I broke out into tears when Alpha Theron and the others finally left the room, leaving Drystan, Nova, and me behind. Drystan stood silently by my side, his usually stoic expression softening with concern as he regarded me. Nova, ever the perceptive one, reached out and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s going to be alright,” Nova murmured, her voice like a soothing balm. Why did he have to say that? Why did he have to expose the truth now, after I just lost my child? Did he think that I would be happy to find out that he was my father? Did he think that I would run into his arms and forgive me like nothing happened by just showing remorse? The only emotion I felt when I heard the truth was not joy but anger. Now that I finally knew the truth, I finally knew the amount of pain that my mother went through because of him. As an omega mated to an Alpha, I know how it feels to be abused and oppressed because of discrimination because of the
Asha’s POVA palpable rage consumed me as I stormed out of the room without a clear direction to go in mind.A half-sister?? Never once in my life had I ever expected that my father would fall in love with a woman that is not my mother. My mom and dad were mates destined for each other. My mother patiently waited for her mate and kept herself pure while my father impregnated someone else and even promised her marriage. Even though they haven’t met each other yet, this should be counted as an affair. My father knew that he would meet his true mate later on, but instead of waiting, he cheated on my mother. He actually fell in love with another girl, but because of his responsibility as an Alpha, he had to leave his mistress and marry my mother. My life felt like a whole lie after my father made his raw confession. All my life, I thought my mom and dad had the perfect love story. I grew up adoring how perfect and lovely my parents are. Even our Pack adores them so much. They are tha
Drystan’s POVIt’s been a week since we made our stay in the Shadowfang Pack. It didn’t even feel that we had been here that long. When I turned my phone open, a thousand missed calls and a thousand messages popped up on my notifications, including a thousand emails from different Packs. Ever since our Pack’s alliance with the Shadowfang Pack was announced, my phone never stopped ringing, and Beta Caden never stopped begging and forcing me to come back to the Pack. According to him, there were lots of Alphas from different Packs who flew over to our Pack, wishing to meet me. Last time, when the rumor about my affair with Astrid blew up, everyone ignored me like I was invisible. They treated me like an outcast, but now that I have a connection with the Shadowfang Pack, people are so eager to talk to me like nothing happened. The emails, calls, and messages I received just show how shameless they are. At the time when I begged them not to cancel their partnership with me, no one li
Drystan’s POVIn the end, Astrid managed to convince Nova and me to bring her back to the Pack in exchange for a promise that she would visit here every week for her routine checks. Astrid really didn’t want to stay here any longer. Ever since she found out that her father was actually the Alpha of this Pack, she couldn’t wait to leave. Asha, on the other hand, hadn't seen Asha since she found out that Astrid was her half-sister. She had never shown herself to us ever since When we arrived at the Shadowfang Pack, we brought nothing with us except ourselves. It was an unplanned trip. Thankfully, the Shadowfang Pack provided us with clothes so we could change. Now that we are returning to our pack, we changed the clothes that we wore at Killian’s engagement party since it was the only one we owned. “Are you really sure that you’d come with us?” I asked Astrid for the umpteenth time already. Astrid nodded her head, not getting tired of giving me the same response. “Even if you as
Astrid’s POVThe temperature inside the room lowered, casting a chill on everyone who was present when Alpha Theron suddenly barged inside the room. All eyes instantly turned to him, and they instinctively bowed their heads in deference as he strode purposefully towards my side. “Are you alright?” he pressed, his voice tinged with a rare note of worry, but I refused to meet his gaze. Someone must have informed him of what happened. The news traveled to him so fast. I only turned my head away stubbornly. Hurt flashed across Alpha Theron’s eyes upon my rejection, but it was gone the second it was there as if my eyes had just played tricks on me. Alpha Theron’s brows furrowed, a storm brewing behind his piercing eyes. “What happened here?” he demanded, the weight of his authority filling the room. Silence hung heavy in the air, no one daring to speak up and incur the wrath of the powerful Alpha. Suddenly, the doctor spoke and explained her diagnosis of me to him. “It’s a panic att
Astrid’s POVThe room was covered with silence when everyone left the room. I turned to my side, facing the opposite direction and covered myself with a blanket. I don’t know why Alpha Theron has to stay. What else does he have to say to me? Isn’t it clear that I don’t want to talk to him? Haven’t I pushed him enough away from me already? “Astrid, I know you hate me. What I did to you and your mother was unforgivable, and nothing that I do will make up for all the mistakes that I had done to the both of you,” Alpha Theron started to speak, his voice solemn and filled with remorse. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness… I never will. All that I’m asking is that please give me a chance. You can hate me all you want, I will accept that, just let me be there for you. Give me a chance in your life even if I cannot break through your heart,” Alpha Theron pleaded. As the Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack, Alpha Theron has never pleaded with anyone before; it was always the other way arou
Astrid’s POV“Astrid, are you alright?” Nova’s soft voice entered my ears as soon as I stepped out of the therapist’s office. I shook my head softly in reply as I held on her arm tight. Every time that I go for a session with a therapist, I always leave feeling raw and exposed afterward. The carefully constructed walls I had built around my emotions were always methodically dismantled, one brick at a time, by the therapists’s well-thought questions. Nova wrapped a hand around me to comfort me. “Don’t worry, you’re done already. You can finally relax,” Nova whispered soothingly as she helped me out of the room. I could only nod my head and swallow hard at her words. I always feel weak and out of myself after my therapy sessions. With the therapist’s keen insights and probing questions, she always got into the buried feelings that I had desperately tried to bury and tuck away from the deepest corners of my mind. It’s her job to unearth those buried emotions, forcing me to confro
Astrid’s POVAsha’s terrified screams pierced my ears as I blacked out for a moment. I couldn’t see anything, nor did I know what was happening. I have lost control of myself, like I was trapped inside my own body. “Astrid STOP!!! You are going to kill her!” Nova yelled at me, but I had no idea why she was shouting for me to stop. Panic started to set in as I struggled to get out of myself. I clawed desperately at the boundaries of my consciousness, fighting for control over my body. My wolf had never done something like this before, blocking me from full control over my human body, including my other senses. All that was left of me was my sense of hearing. Usually, in werewolves, the human side should always have higher human control over the human form, just like how the wolf side has higher control over their wolf form.I don’t know how my wolf managed to take full control over my human body, trapping me and keeping me from taking over. “Lyra… Lyra stop. What are you doing?”
Drystan’s POV“No!” Nova gasped, rushing forward, but it was too late. The rogue was gone.I stared down at the lifeless body, my wolf snarling in frustration. He’d been sent here for one reason: to dangle the truth just out of our reach, then snatch it away. My fists clenched tightly at my sides as the words he’d spoken burned into my mind.“The truth will destroy you.”The silence in the courtyard was deafening. Nova stood frozen, her hands trembling as she stared at the rogue’s body.“They’re toying with us,” she said, her voice trembling with anger. “They want us to tear each other apart.”“They won’t win,” I said firmly, my voice cutting through the tension. “We’ll find the truth, no matter what it takes.”Killian stood beside me, his face unreadable but his eyes shadowed with something dark—something I couldn’t quite place.The sharp sound of footsteps broke the stillness. Rowena stepped into the courtyard, her expression carefully neutral, though her eyes gleamed with a calcu
Astrid’s POVThe council room was bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, but there was no warmth in the air. The tension between us was palpable, like a thread stretched too thin, ready to snap. Drystan and Nova sat across from Killian and me, the diary Nova had found lying open on the table between us. Its pages were filled with Liora’s careful handwriting, each word a piece of a puzzle that was growing darker by the minute.“She suspected someone,” Nova said, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. “She didn’t name them, but she knew there was a threat within Silvermoon.”Drystan’s jaw tightened, his golden eyes burning with anger. “And that threat cost her everything. It’s time we stop circling around this. Someone in Silvermoon betrayed her, and we need to find out who.”Killian leaned forward, his expression carefully controlled. “We’re already investigating. My warriors are questioning anyone who had close contact with Liora during that time. But it’s not so
Astrid’s POVThe Packhouse felt heavier than ever as the tension between us grew. Despite our united front, I could see the cracks forming. Drystan and Nova were relentless in their pursuit of the truth about Liora, while Killian and I were walking on a tightrope, desperately trying to keep our secret buried.The message from the rogues still lingered in my mind: “Loyalty is fragile. Truth breaks even the strongest bonds.” They weren’t just taunting us—they were succeeding.Killian had thrown himself into the investigation, questioning warriors and reviewing records, but I could see the toll it was taking on him. He was barely sleeping, barely eating, and the strain of carrying his mother’s secret was written all over his face.As for me, I had my own demons to wrestle with. Every time I looked at Nova, I felt a pang of guilt. She trusted me, confided in me, and here I was, hiding the truth about her sister’s death. My wolf growled uneasily, a constant reminder of the betrayal sim
Astrid’s POVThe Silvermoon Packhouse was quieter than usual, as if the weight of the past few days had seeped into its walls, stifling every sound. Killian had been unusually distant since the discovery of the locket and the ledger, his thoughts turned inward as we both struggled to decide our next move. The secrets we carried were a heavy burden, and the consequences of their revelation loomed over us like a dark cloud.I stood in the courtyard, watching Ryker and Elara chase each other around the garden. Their laughter echoed through the open space, a brief reprieve from the storm brewing within me. My wolf stirred uneasily, sensing the tension that lingered just beneath the surface.“Mama, look!” Elara’s excited voice called, breaking through my thoughts.I turned to see her holding a small bouquet of wildflowers she had picked. Her silver eyes sparkled with pride, and for a moment, the world felt lighter.“They’re beautiful, sweetheart,” I said, kneeling to accept the flowers
Nova’s POVThe room was silent, save for the crackle of the fire burning low in the hearth. I sat at the head of the long table, staring at the assortment of documents scattered before me. Each piece felt like a fragment of a puzzle too shattered to put back together.Drystan stood at the far end of the room, arms crossed, his expression grim. His wolf had been on edge since our return from the Emberwood ruins. So had mine.“They planned it,” I murmured, breaking the silence. “Liora’s death wasn’t just a rogue attack. They lured her there, Drystan. And someone helped them.”Drystan’s jaw tightened, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. “We’ve suspected as much. But we need proof—something that ties this to someone in the Pack. Without it, we have nothing.”I picked up the silver locket we’d found at the ruins, my fingers brushing over its worn surface. Liora had carried it with her everywhere. Finding it there felt like she’d left it as a breadcrumb, a plea for the tru
Astrid’s POVI stared at Rowena, my heart pounding in disbelief. My wolf stirred uneasily within me, sensing my anger, my sadness, my… disgust. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.“You have no remorse,” I said, my voice trembling, a mix of anger and sorrow. “After everything that happened. After the pain you caused to Drystan and Nova. After taking someone’s mate, someone’s sister, you stand here and act as if it was just… business. Just a means to an end.”Rowena’s cold, detached gaze met mine. “It wasn’t personal, Astrid. It was survival. You have to understand—when you’re protecting what’s yours, you’ll do whatever it takes. Drystan would have taken everything from us.”I took a step forward, my fists clenched, my wolf growling within me. “Do you even hear yourself? You didn’t just take everything from Drystan; you destroyed him. You tore apart a bond stronger than anything in this world. Do you know what it feels like to lose your mate? To live every single day with half of
Astrid’s POVThe Silvermoon Packhouse was unusually quiet as we arrived, the afternoon sun casting long shadows across the grounds. My wolf stirred uneasily within me, sensing the tension in both Killian and myself. nWe hadn’t spoken much on the way back, but the weight of what we’d uncovered hung heavy between us.As we approached the front steps, the sound of laughter broke through the silence. I turned toward the sound and saw Rowena in the courtyard, her face uncharacteristically soft as she knelt in the grass, playing with Ryker and Elara.“Mama! Papa!” Elara’s bright voice rang out as she spotted us.Ryker followed close behind her, his grin wide as he sprinted toward Killian. “You’re back!”I knelt just in time to catch Elara as she threw herself into my arms, her small hands clutching at me as if I’d been gone for days. “I missed you, Mama!”I smiled, seeing her melted all my worries away. Although I wasn’t gone that long it felt like I haven’t seen her in ages upon seeing
Astrid’s POVThe clearing was unnervingly quiet. The parchment in Killian’s hands seemed heavier than it had any right to be, the words scrawled across its surface burning into my mind like a brand. Elimination Plan. Pack informant. No survivors.It seems that there is something more behind Liora’s death. It was planned, she was targetted. Her death wasn’t a simple accident. And worse, someone from Silvermoon had helped them.I felt the weight of Killian’s silence beside me, and my stomach twisted. I’m sure he is already suspecting his mother. Aside from Rowena, who else could have made a deal with the rogues?If it was Rowena, it would make sense why she made a deal with us in exchange of escaping punishment.I reached for Killian’s hand and squeezed it in comfort. Killian looked at me and I stared back at him with understanding. There’s no evidence yet. All we know is that someone from the Silvermoon Pack had something to do with Liora’s death. We aren’t sure yet if it was Rowen
Astrid’s POVThe forest around the Emberwood ruins was a tangle of shadows and silence. Every crunch of leaves beneath our boots and rustle of branches above felt amplified in the eerie stillness. My wolf stirred uneasily within me, its senses sharp as if anticipating an ambush.Killian walked at my side, his posture rigid with tension. Drystan and Nova followed close behind, their weapons at the ready, and a small group of warriors flanked us. We’d planned this mission carefully, but the weight of the Forsaken Amulet and the shadow of the Rogue King made every step feel like a gamble.As we approached the ruins, the crumbling stone walls loomed into view, covered in moss and vines. A cold wind blew through the trees, carrying a faint metallic tang that made my stomach churn.“It’s too quiet,” Killian muttered, his eyes scanning the treeline. “I don’t like it.”Drystan nodded grimly. “If the Rogue King knows we’re here, he’s waiting.”“We don’t have a choice,” I said, gripping my