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 POVWith my brother’s convincing words, he was able to persuade me to meet with my father and make me admit my mistakes. If it wasn’t for my brother, I would never lower my pride, especially after how my father had hurt me. My heart softened when he mentioned how I used to ask him to forgive my father and do as he said before. Now that he is asking me to do the same thing, I should do what he asked, just like he had done before. “Miss Asha,” the Pack guard that is guarding the door to my father’s office was shocked when he saw me. His eyes widened, but he instantly lowered his head in reverence when he caught himself displaying an inappropriate reaction. I know it’s been so long since I left the room. All the faces I’ve seen on the way here felt like I haven’t seen them in forever. They probably felt the same way, too. “I need to speak to my father,” I uttered since he was blocking my Pack. “Alpha Theron is currently speaking with Beta Alek,” he answered in a low voice,
Astrid’s POV“W-What? Pardon me?” I blurted out, my tongue stumbling for words at the surprise that he gave me with his words. I was just resting in my room when suddenly, Alpha Theron summoned me to come to his office. I thought he just wanted to speak to me, but I was surprised when he suddenly assigned a task to me. “The Emberwood Pack was just attacked by rogues, Astrid. They had suffered a great disaster, and all their leaders were massacred. The remaining survivors needed all the support they could get, and that’s why I’m sending you to manage the relief efforts we will provide them,” Alpha Theron explained, proving to me that I heard him right the first time. He was genuinely assigning me the task of supervising Pack Affair. I don’t understand why he is doing this. I am not in any way affiliated with the Shadowfang Pack. I’m not even an official member. Why would he ask me to go and represent their Pack? My eyes blinked, taken aback by the weight of responsibility and bec
Astrid’s POVI stood in front of the bustling camp, my keen eyes sweeping over the sea of weary and haggard faces of the remaining survivors of the Emberwood Pack. My heart clenched tightly for them as I saw their pitiful situation. What happened to the Emberwood Pack was worse than what Alpha Theron had told me. Their Pack, which was once bustling with joy and life, was completely destroyed. All that was left were ruins and rubble.You wouldn’t think that a community filled with life used to stand there just a few days ago. Everything changed just within a single night. I could still feel the terror that all the remaining survivors had felt from the tragedy that overtook them. As I helped with distributing the food and the supplies that they needed, it did nothing to their faces, which had turned dim, and to their eyes, which had already lost the light in them. These were the remnants of the Emberwood Pack, the survivors of a tragedy that no one should ever have to endure. As I m
Astrid’s POVMy palms grew clammy as I drew nearer to the Silvermoon Pack’s relief brigade. My heart thundered in my ears as memories of the past that I had tried so desperately to outrun threatened to overwhelm me. Even though I knew that Killian would not be among them, the very sight of the Silvermoon Pack’s sigil filled me with dread that I thought I had long since buried. Steeling my nerves, I forced one foot in front of the other, willing my trembling limbs to obey. I was nervous because I was afraid that one of them would recognize me, and right now, I’m not in the right capacity to be reminded of the past.Alpha Theron sent me here to keep my mind busy and to stop me from living in the past, a thing that I could never change. I’m not recovering because I’m still stuck in the past. However, instead of finding my new sense of purpose, I ran into my past instead. How I longed to simply turn and flee, to hide my face away from them, but I know I cannot do that. As the leader o
Astrid’s POVThe ruins of Emberwood loomed around us, silent and foreboding. The rogue ambush had rattled everyone, but we couldn’t turn back now. The message we’d found on the rogue’s body made it clear: the Forsaken Amulet was here, hidden somewhere within these ancient stones.Killian’s voice broke the silence as he gestured to the group. “Spread out. Look for anything out of place—symbols, markings, anything that might lead us to the Amulet.”The warriors nodded, fanning out through the crumbling structures. Nova, Drystan, and I moved together, our eyes scanning the moss-covered walls and broken pillars.“This place is ancient,” Nova murmured, her fingers brushing against a vine-covered carving. “Older than any Pack I know of.”“It’s no coincidence the Amulet is here,” Drystan replied. “The Rogue King must have known about this place for a long time.”I nodded, my wolf uneasy as I felt the weight of the place pressing down on me. There was something here, something powerful and da
Nova’s POVThe library was silent, save for the occasional crackle of the fire in the hearth.A dozen open books surrounded me, their pages filled with old, faded scripts that blurred together in my tired mind.Liora’s journal lay at the center of it all, her precise handwriting guiding me through fragmented thoughts and cryptic hints.The Rogue King. The Forsaken Amulet. The medallion Rowena had presented at the council meeting. All of it pointed to a larger puzzle, but the pieces didn’t fit—not yet.I ran my fingers over one of the pages, my wolf restless beneath my skin. Liora had always been meticulous, deliberate. If she had left clues, they were here for a reason.“Still no luck?” Drystan’s voice broke the silence.I looked up to find him leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed, his expression soft but concerned.“Not yet,” I admitted. “But there’s something here. I can feel it.”He walked over, pulling a chair beside me. His presence was grounding, his steady confidence a
Astrid’s POVThe cool night air felt sharp against my skin as I stood on the balcony of the Silvermoon Packhouse, staring out at the dark line of trees marking the western border. The medallion Rowena had left on the council table earlier still weighed heavy in my mind. The intricate symbol, unfamiliar yet menacing, seemed to pulse with a foreboding energy I couldn’t shake.Killian’s voice behind me broke my thoughts. “They’re too close.”I turned to face him. He stood in the doorway, his expression hard, his shoulders tense. It wasn’t like him to let the strain show, but tonight, even he couldn’t hide it.“Scouts?” I asked.He nodded, stepping closer. “A dozen, maybe more. They’ve crossed into the borderlands.”“That’s not a coincidence,” I said. “Not after the rogue’s little performance tonight. They’re testing us.”Killian leaned on the railing, his jaw tight. “They want to see how far they can push before we snap. We need to make a move, and fast, before this turns into something
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