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
Killian’s POVMy eyes were drawn to Astrid as she stood before me, explaining the procedure around the Emberwood Pack while also showing me the different stations they had set up around the Pack. As I listened to how she orchestrated their relief efforts, I was amazed by the plans she came up with and how fast she was able to set all these things up. Temporary camps had sprung up like blooming flowers, each one tailored to a specific purpose — shelters for the displaced, supply depots, and medical stations, all woven together in a seamless network under Astrid’s watchful gaze. She also assigned different roles to each of her men to have their own individual contributions. In that way, all the needs of the people were met. I’m not surprised that she came up with an organized plan to take the chaos that was left by the rogue attack and transform it into something orderly, something functional. It was that skill that I had always admired in her, this innate talent of organization an
Astrid’s POVI stared at Killian, my expression carefully neutral, revealing nothing of the turmoil raging within me. I could see the desperation in his eyes as he searched my face, seeking some crack in my icy demeanor for some glimmer of warmth that he had once known, but my features were set in an impenetrable mask. I watched as Killian’s hand, which was half-raised aiming to reach for me, suddenly fell back to his side as if scorched by the frost in my gaze. His eyes blinked with a look of longing written so plainly on his face, but I remained motionless, unwavering, unwilling to give in to the temptation. I crossed my arms as I waited for him to say a word. He is the one who pulled me out here. Is he just going to stare at me all day?“H-How have you been?” Killian finally spoke in a soft, unsure voice when he saw the impatience that crossed my features. Now that we are alone, he no longer looks like a powerful Alpha. In front of me, he looked like a man walking on eggshell
Killian’s POVIt has been a long day for everybody. We have just arrived at the Emberwood Pack after our long travel, and we are still trying to adjust to the work around this place.We weren’t able to help the Shadowfang Pack much because we had to settle everything. We had to settle our provisions and also build our camps. The night has long fallen, but not all camps have been built yet. As the Alpha, they had prioritized my camp first so I could have my temporary settlement and also so that I could have a good night’s sleep. However, I couldn’t sleep. My conversation with Astrid continued to trouble me. So, I sat on my makeshift desk and started to write so I could do something productive while Astrid kept me awake. In the middle of the night, only the sound of my pen scratching on paper could be heard while an omega shuffled around me, fixing my things and organizing them around the camp since we had only just arrived. I sighed as I turned to another page of the paper. “Alpha
Giselle’s POVThings have been well inside the Pack ever since Astrid had stopped making trouble for us. Until now, she’s still busy at the Shadowfang Pack, and I had no idea when she’s planning to leave and what she is currently thinking. Until now, I have been waiting for the news of her leaving the Shadowfang Pack so I can be ready. I know that as soon as Astrid leaves that place, Killian will rush to see her. That’s why I had to know so I could stop them from meeting or so that I could be there when they meet. Even though I made sure to hide my traces properly, I knew that Astrid would blame me for the accident that happened to her. I’m sure right now she already knows that I was involved in her accident. Drystan must have informed her by the time she woke up about how I lied and that I never met her. I’m sure that would bring suspicions to them. Still, I wasn’t afraid of being blamed for what I did. They can hate me if they want. The feeling is mutual. Even if they have the
Astrid’s POVIn order to cater to the remaining survivors of the Emberwood Pack that needed our help, I woke up at dawn and helped in the kitchen to cook for everyone’s breakfast. I don’t know enough of things around the kitchen; I only know enough not to let myself die of hunger. Although I am good at combat, handling Pack military and Pack affairs, and even knowledgeable in medicine, there are still a lot of things that I don’t know of. Even though I am a woman, I don’t know what women would usually be good at doing. I could break a bone when I dance, I could injure myself with a needle if I sew, and I could make people turn deaf when I sing. I’m certainly not a wife and a Luna material because of these things. The moon goddess really made a mistake in choosing me as Killian’s mate and Luna. It was no wonder why our relationship only ended in a disaster. As volunteers, we prepared today’s breakfast, but we still had to serve the food and also eat last. As I ladled the w
Killian’s POVMy fingers instinctively curled into a fist when I saw Giselle coming. What the hell is she doing here? Why did she follow me?My gaze instantly turned across me to where Astrid was standing. However, instead of seeing her, I saw Nova instead. I was surprised to see Nova holding the ladle and giving soup. I had no idea when Nova and Astrid had switched places. While I was working earlier, I could feel Astrid’s gaze boring into me from time to time. It’s as if she’s trying to read me, scrutinizing every detail. It took me a lot of effort to resist her gaze and to stop the urge to stare back at her. I purposefully ignored her to grant her wish that I would never bother her again. I was afraid that if our gazes met, everything would be over for me. I was afraid that the only resistance I had left, the little thing that I had left for myself to keep myself together without her, would suddenly vanish, and I would be left with nothing. I’ve done a lot of bad things. I h
Killian’s POVAs I was about to answer Giselle, I abruptly fell into silence when a sudden movement in the shadows caught my eye. Before I could react, a blur of motion exploded out of nowhere, a wild, feral snarl ripping through the air. Giselle barely had the time to gasp before she was tackled to the ground. A fierce, snarling figure pinned her down. “Astrid?!” I exclaimed, stunned by the unexpected turn of events. I couldn’t believe that the wild, feral figure that appeared out of nowhere and tackled Giselle to the ground was actually Astrid. I even had no idea where her strength came from. The first time that I met Astrid again here at Emberwood Pack, the first thing I noticed was the great change in her health. Astrid had seemed so weak, so broken, a mere shadow of the vibrant and confident Astrid that I had once known. Astrid is a pure-blooded omega. Her wolf has always been weak, even before, and now she has become significantly weaker. I doubt that Astrid would be abl
Nova’s POVThe weight of betrayal still pressed heavily on my chest as I left the council chamber. My hands trembled at my sides, the urge to destroy something coursing through me. Liora’s face haunted my mind—her laughter, her kindness, the way she had brought light to every room she entered. Now, that light was gone, extinguished by Rowena’s greed and fear.I couldn’t even look at Killian. His silence, his complicity, felt like another dagger in the back. Drystan hadn’t spoken since we left. His rage was simmering, barely contained, but I knew it would erupt soon.We had to keep moving. If we stopped now, the weight of our anger and grief would bury us.“Where to now?” I asked quietly as Drystan and I stepped into the night.He didn’t answer at first, his jaw tight, his gaze fixed on the dark forest ahead. Finally, he said, “We need answers. If Rowena’s betrayal is the beginning of this, the Rogue King is the end. And I know someone who might know how to end him.”“The marked m
Killian’s POVThe tension in the council chamber was suffocating. The Forsaken Amulet sat at the center of the table, its faint glow casting eerie shadows across the room. Nova’s silence was heavy, her jaw tight as she stared at the artifact. Drystan stood to my left, his posture rigid, fists clenched at his sides.Rowena, however, was calm. Too calm. She stood by the window, her back to the room, as though she had nothing to fear.“We can’t ignore the rogue’s message,” Drystan said, his voice sharp, cutting through the heavy air. “They’re coming, and we’re still sitting here debating whether to act.”“We are acting,” Astrid said firmly, her eyes meeting his. “But rushing into this without knowing the full extent of their plan is exactly what they want.”Drystan let out a frustrated growl. “We don’t have the luxury of time, Astrid. Every second we wait, the rogues get closer to taking what they want. And that Amulet…” His voice trailed off, his eyes narrowing at Rowena. “That Amule
Killian’s POVThe Forsaken Amulet sat in the center of the Silvermoon council table, its ornate carvings shimmering faintly in the dim light. The room was silent, heavy with the weight of what we’d brought back from the ruins.“It doesn’t look like much,” Drystan said, his tone edged with frustration as he leaned back in his chair.“It doesn’t have to,” Nova replied sharply, her gaze fixed on the Amulet. “You felt what it did to us down there. This thing is dangerous, whether it looks like it or not.”I nodded, my eyes narrowing as I stared at the artifact. The power radiating from it was subtle but undeniable, a constant hum that set my wolf on edge.“We can’t keep it here,” Astrid said, breaking the tense silence. “If the rogues find out we have it, they’ll stop at nothing to get it back.”“That’s assuming they don’t already know,” Drystan muttered.The tension in the room was palpable, every word charged with the fear and uncertainty of what lay ahead.The meeting was interrupted
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