I feel bad for Drystan’s mate. I wish she didn’t die so young. I feel bad for Nova and for Drystan. I wishe Drystan could meet someone that can help him move on from his mate
Astrid’s POV “What’s wrong with her? Is she okay?” Nova asked anxiously after the Pack Doctor performed a thorough check on me. Nova stayed beside me the whole time that I was hurting. She squeezed my hand and comforted me with worry etched across her face. If she had the ability to take away half of the pain that I was experiencing, I knew she would have done it. I’m so glad that we have gotten to know each other and that we have finally become friends. The Pack Doctor couldn’t meet our eyes as he took a step back. I became anxious knowing that face meant that something was wrong. “I-I’ve never seen something like this,” the Pack Doctor blurted out with fear in his eyes. Nova’s brows furrowed. He is the Pack’s best doctor, he should know this kind of thing. “I’ve studied all kinds of diseases and medicines, but I’ve never seen anything like this,” the Pack Doctor continued, adding to my fears. “W-What’s wrong with me? I-Is the baby okay?” I stammered. “The baby is f
Astrid’s POV “Astrid,” Drystan called out my name as soon as he entered my room. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Nova and the Pack Doctor who were standing beside me. “What happened?” Drystan’s eyes widened as he rushed over me. He looked at me with a worry etched across his face as if I was already dying. This is one of the reasons why I don’t want him to know that I’m sick. He doesn’t know anything about my sickness yet, but he is already worried. “I’m fine, Drystan,” I forced a smile on my face as I tried to sit up on my bed. Nova rushed to my side to help me get up, but I refused to get her help since I was no longer in pain anymore. “What is the Doctor doing here? Did something happen when I was gone?” Drystan asked us. I laughed at his exaggerated reaction to stop him from worrying. “What do you mean? Didn’t you say that you tasked a Pack Doctor to monitor my health? I wasn’t doing anything so I called him in for a checkup,” I lied between my teeth. “What did h
Astrid’s POV “Surprise!” My heart melted when Nova removed the blindfold from my eyes and revealed a surprise party for me. I closed my mouth in shock and my eyes teared up when I saw what they had prepared for me. “What is this?” I asked Nova with an overjoyed look in my eyes. I thought Nova had just personally prepared something little to lift my spirits when she told me that she was going to show me something. I knew it was something special when she had to put a blindfold around my eyes, but I didn’t expect that she had gathered all the members of the Pack together and prepared a huge party for me. “It was Drystan’s idea to surprise you,” Nova smiled at me making my mouth fall open. My eyes blinked as I thought of Drystan preparing all of these. I couldn’t believe that he’d been planning something like this behind my back. “Drystan,” I muttered his name breathlessly when I finally noticed him coming towards me from the crowd. “You don’t have to do this, it’s not even my bir
Astrid’s POVI raised my arms and watched how the moonlight reflected on my skin. I don’t understand what is happening. This has never happened to me before. I took a step back with my heart racing inside my chest. Fear gripped me for I didn’t know if I was in danger or not.The moon shone brighter and it looked larger than usual. The crowd was so amazed their mouths were open in awe as they marveled at the moon’s sight. As werewolves, they are attracted to the moon’s sight. They were completely unaware that I was already panicking behind them. My whole body trembled in fear as my body absorbed the moon’s light. The light of the moon that was shining so brightly above us slowly narrowed down to my body as if I were absorbing it. “Huh? What’s happening?” Whispers grew from the crowd as everyone turned confused when the moon’s light slowly faded away into one area. Thankfully, their eyes remained on the moon in front of them. No one had thought of looking behind them yet. I was ab
Astrid’s POV“You don’t have to be worried, Astrid. I promise you, you are not alone in this. I will help you find your cure. I won’t let anything bad happen to you,” Nova adds when she sees my indifferent reaction. I glanced at Nova when I heard her words. She’s promising me too many things. She might blame herself if she’s unable to keep some of her promises. “You don’t have to promise me anything,” I shook her hand that she placed on my lap to comfort me. “I told you, I’ll figure everything out once my child is born,” I answered her even though I really had no intention of doing that anymore. It’s obvious that someone like me could never acquire such a precious medicine. “I’ve been doing my own research behind your back,” Nova confesses which surprised me. “I made a background search on Shadowfang Pack, it turns out Shadowfang Pack is an ancient Pack, no wonder why their name sounded so familiar to me,” Nova tells me. Although I was a Luna who had met so many Pack leaders beca
Astrid’s POV My heart almost jumped out of my chest when I heard Drystan’s voice from behind us. Drystan always appears in the most unexpected times. It’s pure luck that he still had no idea about my sickness until now. “What are you doing here?” I asked Drystan as I clutched my beating heart. “I just came to check,” Drystan answered. “Are you okay now? How are you feeling?” He asked me. I sighed. “I’m okay, I just get tired easily because of my pregnancy,” I lied using a smooth excuse. Drystan softly nodded his head. “You should rest more since you’re pregnant. Always tell us when you need anything,” Drystan tells me. “Is the party over already?” Nova asked Drystan. “Yes, I told everyone to go home already after we saw the moon,” Drystan replied. “Thank you, Drystan,” I paused. “For the party.” I don’t know how to thank him enough.Even though the party was too much, I knew I needed it and Drystan must have seen that also. I’ve been feeling so troubled lately. Even though Ki
Drystan’s POV I clutched Astrid’s bracelet inside my hand as I left her room. As soon as I was alone in the hallway, I took another check on the bracelet once again. For some reason, this bracelet looked so familiar. I’m just not sure where I have seen them before. With a bracelet as expensive as this, it would be uncommon to see it just anywhere. I’m sure that I didn’t see this bracelet from Astrid before. It was from someone else, but I just couldn’t remember. I rubbed the bracelet’s metal with my fingers and felt the weight of it on my hand to test its authenticity. The stone on the bracelet seemed fake, but I couldn’t tell that for sure. However, the metal used in this bracelet seems strange. If I’m not mistaken, I think the metal used here is called Luminite. In the whole world, only the Shadowfang Pack has access to Luminite. Luminite is very rare, and aside from that the Shadowfang Pack doesn’t just release their precious metal to anyone. It’s hard to acquire a special m
Drystan’s POVThe dungeon is so dark and damp that even the place itself could cause fear to roll down your spine. It was eerie silent inside, broken by my heavy footsteps as I strolled in with my hands kept behind my back. I stopped and took a scrutinizing glance at the two spies that my men just caught lurking around our Pack borders. They stared at me with fear in their eyes not knowing what was in store for their life. “You two must be new,” I muttered in a low voice as I sat on the chair across them. The two spies couldn’t speak even though their mouths weren’t bound with anything. They are also sweating so hard even though the night is cold. I sighed and leaned back on my chair, feeling relaxed as opposed to them. The fact that they were caught so easily is a telltale sign that they are newly hired. They didn’t expect the number of Pack guards guarding around our borders, and they also had no clue about our new rotation. It means they just started on their spy job. “Who hi
Killian’s POVThe night smelled like blood and fire.I couldn’t stop moving.Every rogue in my path fell before they even had a chance to react. I didn’t feel them fall. Didn’t care.Because she was here.Astrid.And I would burn this entire place to the ground to get her and Elara back."Killian! We need to push back toward the main entrance!" Ryder shouted over the chaos."Then do it," I snarled, my claws slashing through another rogue’s throat. "I'm getting Astrid."The camp was collapsing around us, rogues scattering in terror. But I didn’t care about them.I cared about one thing.I slammed through the wooden doors, my wolf roaring inside of me, scenting her immediately.Astrid’s POVThe walls shook.The sounds of battle grew louder, closer.I knew what that meant.Killian was here.I forced myself to remain still, though my wrists ached from where they had been tied.The rogues had been restless since nightfall. They hadn’t expected an attack so soon. Hadn’t expected Killian to
Killian’s POVThe night air was thick with tension as we stood outside the war tent, the flickering lanterns casting long shadows over the gathered warriors. We had our plan.It wasn’t enough.Not for me.Not for the rage clawing at my chest, the desperation gripping my every thought.Astrid was out there. Alone. Surrounded. And every second we waited was another second she was at that bastard’s mercy.I paced the length of the clearing, my hands clenched into fists, my wolf snarling just beneath the surface. Patience was never my strength. And right now, I had none."Killian."Ryder’s voice was firm, grounding.I stopped, exhaling sharply, forcing my breathing to even out."We’re ready," Ryder continued, stepping beside me. "The scouts confirmed Astrid’s trail—it leads straight into the rogue king’s stronghold. But we still don’t know exactly where they’re keeping her and Elara."I turned to him, my golden eyes burning. "Then we force them to tell us."Ryder nodded, but his gaze flic
Killian’s POVThe room was suffocating.The walls pressed in around me, and my wolf howled inside my chest, clawing to be free, to run, to fight, to kill.I couldn’t breathe.Astrid was gone.Elara was still missing.They were both in his hands.The war room blurred as I stormed through the Packhouse, my mind a whirlwind of fury and desperation. My steps were too fast, too sharp, but I couldn’t slow down. Not now.Not when I had already lost so much.The moment I stepped into the war room, all eyes snapped to me.Ryder was there, arms crossed, watching me carefully. Warriors stood around the table, tense, waiting for orders. Waiting for me to do something.But I wasn’t thinking.I couldn’t think.I could barely see past the red haze of rage.“She left a trail,” Ryder said before I could even open my mouth.I froze.The room around me seemed to still, my mind catching onto his words like a drowning man clinging to a lifeline.“What?” My voice came out sharp, dangerous.Ryder motioned t
Astrid’s POVElara’s blue eyes locked onto mine, wide and glistening with tears, her small frame trembling in the grip of the rogue holding her.“Mommy!”Her voice cracked, breaking something inside me.I lunged, the burning pain of the wolfsbane shackles forgotten, my body driven by nothing but instinct.I barely made it a step before rough hands grabbed my arms, yanking me back.A snarl ripped from my throat. “Let her go!”Ardan’s smirk deepened. He raised a hand, and the rogue restraining Elara tightened his grip.She whimpered.A sound so small—so fragile—that it shattered every ounce of restraint I had left.“I swear with my own life, Ardan,” I growled, my voice raw with fury, “if you so much as touch her—”He laughed.Actually laughed.Like this was amusing. Like he wasn’t holding my world in his filthy hands.“My, my,” he mused, pacing toward me with slow, deliberate steps. “You really do have a soft spot, don’t you?” His gaze flickered to Elara. “I wonder… does she share your
Astrid’s POVThe journey to Ardan’s stronghold felt longer than it should have.They forced me to walk.Through the forest, over uneven terrain, my wrists bound in iron shackles laced with wolfsbane, burning against my skin with every step.I didn’t fight them.Not because I couldn’t.But because every second I stalled, every moment I made them think I was truly broken, brought me closer to Elara.That was all that mattered.The rogues surrounded me in a loose formation, their laughter and whispered taunts filling the night air.They didn’t see me as a threat.Not anymore.They saw a woman who had given up, a mother who had walked willingly into the lion’s den.That was their first mistake.Their second?Letting me breathe.As we moved deeper into rogue territory, my thoughts remained sharp, focused. I counted our path, memorized the turns, the landmarks, the scent markers.If I survived this, if I found a way to get Elara out, I needed to know exactly how to escape.If I didn't… then
Astrid’s POVThe rogues had been waiting for me.They lingered in the shadows, motionless, like predators poised for the perfect moment to strike. Their eyes glowed eerily in the dim light of the moon, flickering with something sinister—anticipation.They knew I was coming.My stomach twisted, but I forced my expression into something unreadable, my shoulders squared as I stepped forward. I came alone. No weapons. No resistance. Complete surrender.It was the only way.If I fought back, if I hesitated for even a second, Ardan might change his mind. He might keep Elara. He might hurt her.And that was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.I took slow, deliberate steps into the clearing, my heartbeat steady despite the way my wolf clawed at the inside of my skin, urging me to turn back, to fight.Not yet.I exhaled, tilting my chin upward as I finally stopped before them.The group of rogues—at least a dozen—remained silent for a moment, assessing me. Then one of them, a tall, lean man with
Killian’s POVThe omega’s words rang in my ears like a warning bell."Alpha! Alpha! It’s Ryker! He’s awake and looking for you. He won’t calm down!"My entire body locked up.Ryker had always been tormented with nightmares ever since Elara was kidnapped. He often woke up in the middle of the night, demanding to see us and he would always look so terrified. I stood at the Packhouse entrance, my wolf raging to break free, my warriors prepared to track Astrid before she got too far. Every instinct inside me screamed at me to run, to chase her down, to drag her back before she made the biggest mistake of her life.But my son needed me.For a single, agonizing moment, I hesitated.Then I turned on my heel and strode toward the infirmary, my boots pounding against the floor, my fists clenched so tightly my nails cut into my palms. My lungs burned with restrained fury, my thoughts a storm of frustration and helplessness.First Astrid. Now Ryker. I was losing control of everything.When I
Astrid’s POVThe night stretched on, endless and suffocating. The dim glow of the bedside lamp cast long shadows against the walls, but the light felt hollow—cold. The Packhouse was eerily quiet, the usual hum of distant conversations and footsteps replaced by an unbearable stillness.I sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers twisting the fabric of my shirt, my thoughts a hurricane raging inside me.Elara.Her name was carved into every thought, every breath, every aching second that passed. She was out there, in the dark, in the hands of the man who wanted nothing more than to see me broken.And I was still here. Waiting.I had tried. I had tried to listen to Killian, to hold on to the logic that we could save her together, that there was a plan, a chance. But how could I gamble my daughter’s life on a chance?What if they were wrong? What if we weren’t fast enough? What if she needed me now?My throat tightened, the guilt curling around me like a noose. I had waited too long alrea
Astrid’s POVThe words on the paper blurred before my eyes, my grip tightening until the edges crumpled in my shaking hands. My breath came in sharp, uneven gasps, my pulse hammering so loudly it drowned out everything else.Killian was speaking — his voice low and urgent — but I couldn’t hear him.All I could see was Elara.Trapped. Alone. Scared.The paper shook violently in my grasp as a sob tore from my throat.My daughter was out there, in his hands. And he wanted me.The weight of it settled over me like an iron cage.This was never about the Pack. Never about a war.It had always been about me.A hand touched my wrist, firm and grounding. “Astrid.”Killian’s voice finally cut through the haze of panic suffocating me. I looked up, meeting his golden eyes—burning with unspoken fear.For me.For Elara.For all of us.I swallowed hard, my throat raw. “I have to go.”“No.” Killian’s grip tightened immediately, his entire body going rigid. “Absolutely not.”I stepped back, wrenching