Alpha Theron’s POVMy face flushed with rage as I bolted upright, slamming my fist down on the sturdy wooden table with a resounding crack. The Warrior in front of me visibly flinched. He lowered his head submissively after he had delivered the most outrageous report that I ever heard. My lips thinned as my chest heaved with rapid and shallow breaths. “This is preposterous!” I roared in anger. How could those people easily believe this kind of rumor? Who would even come up with it? My heart burned in anger just at the thought of it. “Alpha, please don’t get angry at me, I’m just delivering the news that I heard,” the warrior spoke in a small voice without looking at me. Upon hearing his voice, my piercing gaze turned back to the cowering warrior who cowered even more. “I-I’m sorry, Alpha,” he swallowed hard, unable to meet my gaze. I just sighed, containing my anger in. It’s unfair of me to direct my anger to him when this is not even his fault. I shouldn’t blame him for his re
Astrid’s POVI closed my eyes as I savored the earthy, floral scents that wafted through the air as Nova and I strolled through the winding garden garden Path of the Shadowfang Pack’s manor. Instead of a Packhouse, they call this place where their Alpha lives as a manor instead because this is his personal home. The Shadowfang Pack is located on two conjoined mountains with a lake in the middle. Despite their unique and difficult landscape, they were able to build big structures in their area, and they are even able to plant gardens as wide as this. I smiled as I admired the various flowers planted in the area, which I couldn’t name because I lack knowledge when it comes to flowers, and gardening and plants entirely. I just knew that it must have took them a lot of effort to cultivate such healthy and lush plants especially in this difficult are that they have. Flowers like this, don’t usually grow on rocky soil at the steep mountain grounds. For them to grow like this, it has to
Astrid’s POVMy brow furrowed in bewilderment when I heard his name. No hint of familiarity or recognition crossed my face after he had mentioned that his name is Andros. I’ve been the Silvermoon Pack’s Luna for so many years and I’ve met many special and important people as one, but I’ve never heard the name “Andros” my entire life. As my Luna, it was my job to widen our Pack’s connection and meet new people. “Andros” is a name that was never in my list. He said I should know who he is, but his name doesn’t even sound familiar to me at all even though it’s a pretty common name. “You,” he spat, the words dripping with contempt. “You should know me.” he fixed me with an accusatory glare. He must have felt offended that his name didn’t gain the reaction he expected from me.My mind raced, struggling to make sense of this confrontation. I don’t know him, nor do I know why he harbors such hatred towards me. Has he mistaken me for someone else?However, he knew what my name was. “I’m
Astrid’s POVFinally, I understood why he is so indifferent and hostile towards me. It turns out, he is Alpha Theron’s son, and with that he could do whatever he wants in the Pack without any consequences. He had the rights to confront me in a hostile manner inside of his own Pack. “Now tell me, are these rumors I’ve heard true?” He asked me with an accusatory glare. I fell silent at his question, without knowing what answer to give him. Should I tell him that I am his half-sister? Clearly he doesn’t have any idea about this. Alpha Theron hasn’t told him anything yet so why should I tell him my real identity? This is something that Alpha Theron should have done, and maybe he hadn’t done it because of a reasonable explanation. A hard truth like this is something that Andros should find out from his father and not from her. “Well?” he pressed, his tone laced with a hint of desperation. “I need to know Astrid. Have you been deceiving me all this time?” Andros questioned, his expres
Astrid’s POVI lowered my gaze when the atmosphere turned a hundred degrees lower when Alpha Theron arrived. I felt suffocated as tension grew between the father and son duo, both contesting each other with a hard gaze. Both of them share the same strong personality, both were refusing to back down from each other. I steeled myself, preparing for the inevitable explosion between the two commanding figures. Just like Nova and I who had done nothing wrong, the guards who had been moments away from dragging me away, cowered visibly at Alpha Theron’s sudden appearance, their grip on my arm slackening at the ALpha’s anger that was pointed towards it.“What’s the meaning of this?” Alpha Theron thundered, his voice echoing through their stillness. “Unhand her at once!”The guards, their faces pale with fear, quickly released Astrid, taking a step back as Theron advanced towards them, his powerful presence commanding their complete submission.Andros, however, reacted very differently. As h
Astrid’s POV“Why didn’t you tell us that you’re coming. If you had said something, we would have prepared ourselves to face you,” Alpha Theron spoke with his broad shoulders slumped slightly. Andros felt a surge of angry confusion, his brow furrowing as he realized the implication. “So you’re saying that it was my fault then?” he accused, his voice laced with a bitterness he had never before directed at his father. “If only I had told you I was coming, you could have prepared yourselves?” Andros repeated. The young man’s chest heaved with the weight of his emotions, the betrayal he had felt at the rumors now compounded by the realization that his own family had been keeping this truth from him. “I rushed back here because I was worried, because of those rumors I had heard,” he spat, his eyes narrowing with a mixture of hurt and indignation. “Haven’t you thought that this wouldn’t happen if you had just told me about this before this rumors started growing?” Alpha Theron’s expres
Asha’s POVI fixed my gaze on the white ceiling as I lay slumped on my bed, my eyes tracing the faint patterns of the plaster with a listless detachment. This had become my new normal, a monotonous routine that stretched on endlessly like the very walls of my room that confined me. I couldn’t quite keep track of the endless days that had slipped by, each one bleeding seamlessly into the next. I have lost the concept of time. It’s hard to keep track of it inside my dimly lit room where the walls seemed to close in with every passing hour.At first, I tried to count the days marking off each one with a small tally on the back of my hand, a feeble attempt to maintain some sense of control. But the monotony of my surroundings soon wore me down, and the urge to escape my room only grew more powerful. I know that if I continued to tally the days, my desire to break free would only intensify. And so, I reluctantly stopped counting until I finally lost track of time. The only way I could
Asha’s POV“Asha! Watch out your words!” My brother scolded me with a narrowed gaze. I pursed my lips as I felt wronged by both my father and my brother. Ever since Astrid came into our lives, I’ve done nothing but wrong in their eyes. I was just concerned about them, that’s all. They are my family members, and it’s normal for me to worry about them. “What’s wrong with what I said?” I retorted, refusing to back down. My brother has to know what Astrid is up to. He was away from our Pack for a long time, and he had no idea what had happened to us while he was gone. He needs to know what that woman is up to. “You don’t know that person the way I do. I swear, I knew she was up to nothing when she and her friends arrived at our Pack. I’m sure you’ve heard the news about the Nightsong Pack. They are taking advantage of our father. She came here just to save their dying Pack!” I spoke fervently so he would see that this is not a simple matter that we should turn a blind eye to. Howe
Asha’s POVThe soft crunch of leaves beneath my boots was the only sound as I walked through the forest path.My mother’s grave is far from the Packhouse. She is buried in a secluded area, giving her peace. The cool air carried a solemn stillness that matched my mood. Visiting her grave was my sanctuary, a place where I could let my guard down and remember the woman who raised me.That’s when I saw him — Andros, my older brother, standing at the edge of the woods. The shadows from the trees seemed to engulf him, and his posture was rigid, alert. Was he here to visit Mother too? I wondered. My heart swelled at the thought. It wasn’t often that Andros and I shared these quiet moments. As the crowned Alpha he has too many responsibilities placed on his shoulder. He was always busy. I opened my mouth to call out to him but stopped short when another figure emerged from the shadows. My brows furrowed. The man wore a black hoodie that concealed most of his face, and his movements wer
Asha’s POVI staggered back, shaking my head in disbelief. “That’s not true. That can’t be true,” I mumbled as if I was just trying to convince myself.“I was left with no choice, Asha. Your mother—Luna Jamaica—was my brother’s mate. He was the rightful Alpha. But when he died, the Pack needed a leader. And I… I was the only option. I was forced to marry her to maintain stability. To keep this Pack from falling apart.”My father’s eyes turned red as he tried his best to hold back his tears. My heart wrenched as I feel for his pain. This is the first time I ever saw my father look so vulnerable. “I gave up everything. My mate. My happiness. My future. I gave it all away for this Pack, for a life I never wanted. And every day since, I have lived with that choice. With the weight of betraying my mate, of turning my back on the only woman I ever loved.”I stared at him, my body trembling as the truth settled over me like a suffocating blanket. Everything I had believed, everything I
Asha’s POVI squared my shoulders as I faced my father, my eyes narrowing at him in anger. I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, the weight of years of frustration and jealousy boiling to the surface. My father simply stood before me, his usual composed demeanor tinged with a rare expression of exasperation, but I didn’t care. Not anymore“She doesn’t even call you Father!” I spat, my voice trembling with anger. “Not once in her life has Astrid ever acknowledged you as her father. And yet, you treat her like she’s some prized treasure. Why, Father? Because you feel guilty for neglecting her? She’s just your illegitimate child! It’s best that she realize she’s not special!” I blurted out angrily.Alpha Theron’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t speak. That silence — his silence — was what always drove me mad. He would never defend himself, never justify his actions, as if I were the one being unreasonable. But I wasn’t.“She’s ungrateful!” I continued, pacing back and forth as my em
Astrid’s POVThe silence after the call ended was heavier than the words I hadn’t spoken.I remained frozen, clutching the phone as though its weight could tether me to the choices I had made. Each unspoken truth tightened like a vice around my chest, each lie stealing the air I so desperately needed.I wanted nothing more than to turn back, to run to Ryker and finally tell him who I really was. But how could I? How could I be so selfish, so reckless? I knew the truth about my condition — how dangerous and uncertain everything is. How could I let him get close to me, knowing how it will all end?The thought of Ryker loving me, only to lose me, was unbearable. I couldn’t let him go through that pain, the kind of pain that had already hollowed me out. I knew it too well — the ache of losing someone you’d give anything to keep. The searing, unrelenting agony of losing my husband, the devastation of outliving my child. I wouldn’t wish that torment on anyone, least of all Ryker.A shiv
Killian’s POVIt had been days since Ryker had last seen Giselle, and Ryker still hadn’t asked a single question about her mother. At first, I was afraid of what he’d say, dreading the moment he’d look me in the eye and ask, Where’s my mother? I couldn’t bring myself to tell him the truth, knowing how much it would break him. How could I possibly explain to him that Giselle is not her mother, and that she’s dead. In his whole life, Ryker believed that Giselle was his mother — she’d raised him, after all, and he’d known her as nothing else.I know it would be difficult for him to accept and process the whole truth, and I was trying my best to avoid the confrontation from him. But now… I’m no longer just worried about Ryker’s difficult questions now I wasn’t just avoiding the question. I am now worried wondering why he still haven’t asked me any question. In the days that had passed, he hadn’t asked even once. Not a word about Giselle. No concern, no curiosity. Just silence. And
Alpha Theron’s POVAndros scoffed, his disbelief clear as he tilted his head back. “You are choosing Astrid over me?” he spat out. “You’re going to make her the crowned Luna of this Pack? It’s only been three years since you met her, and you think she’s worthy of this title? What do you think Asha would say? Astrid isn’t even your legitimate child!”I met his gaze, my own expression resolute. “Astrid has proven herself capable. She’s been our acting Beta for three years and led as the Luna of the Silvermoon Pack for five years before that. She has the qualities, the skills, and the strength needed to lead. In terms of ability, Andros, she does her job far better than you.”Andros’s fists clenched, his expression darkening with insult and rage. “This is madness! The Pack won’t accept it! My mother is your true mate and the Luna of this Pack. Giving your position to someone who isn’t her child is an insult to her legacy and to this Pack!”I took a step forward, my voice unwavering.
Alpha Theron’s POVA long silence settled over the room after I asked the question, heavy and tense. I kept my gaze fixed on Andros, waiting, hoping for a sign of remorse or an explanation. But what I saw instead shook me to my core. Andros looked back at me, and in that gaze, I saw a stranger. The gentle son I thought I knew was gone, and in his place stood a man cold and unyielding.Then he spoke, his voice sharper and louder than I had ever heard it, filled with a defiance that sent a chill through me. “You want to know why I did it?” he snapped, his tone a mix of anger and something darker. “I did it for us, for this pack. I was doing you a favor by doing what you could never bring yourself to do.”His words stunned me. Andros had never raised his voice to me, not once in all the years I’d known him. Even when I was harsh or demanding — as I always was, he had always accepted it in silence, never challenging me. But now, he stood before me, speaking without restraint, and I
Alpha Theron’s POVAndros entered, his eyes darting between me and the book lying on the desk. He tried to mask his apprehension, but I caught the flicker of recognition in his gaze. I wasted no time.“Did Beta Alek give you this book?” I asked, my voice steady but taut.He blinked, feigning innocence. “I’ve seen the book before, yes. Beta Alek showed it to me and explained what it was.” His eyes held mine, the picture of calm. “Is there something wrong?”Besidehim, Beta Alek looked stricken but hopeful. He took a step forward, his voice shaking with urgency. “Andros, explain everything to your father and tell him that I’m being wronged. I gave you the book didn’t I? I even told you to burn the book for me,” Beta Alek spoke up, trusting that my son would prove his innocence. Andros raised his brows, feigning confusion. “What do you mean?” he asked, his tone soft and innocent.“That didn’t happen. You never gave me the book — I’ve never even touched it.”Beta Alek’s face went pale
Alpha Theron’s POVThe moment Astrid left my office, I reached through the Pack Link, calling for Beta Alek.My voice came out raw and unfiltered, the unmistaken anger pulsed through the link sending their wolves into submission. I could sense Beta Alek’s panic, could feel his wolf bristle at the force of my command. He knew I wasn’t pleased.Moments later, the door opened, and Alek entered, his face pale, but his steps were urgent.I didn’t give him a chance to speak before hurling the book at him. It hit him squarely in the face, making him stagger. As he caught the book, his face drained of color even further when recognition flared in his eyes.“Didn’t I tell you to burn that book?” My voice was low, lethal, and I didn’t miss the way he trembled at each word.Alek fell to his knees, the weight of his guilt bearing down on him. “Alpha,” he choked out, “I admit my irresponsibility. I failed you. I’m willing to accept any punishment for my insubordination,” he answered readily, pr