Astrid’s POVThe sun hung low in the sky, casting a soft glow over the playground. Giselle sat on the edge of a park bench, her posture stiff, watching her son, Ryker, who stood a few feet away, transfixed by the swing’s rhythmic motion. He didn’t climb onto it; instead, he observed the world around him fading into the background. Giselle didn’t bother to approach her son or to keep him company.Vanessa, sitting next to her, laughed softly as her daughter, Hazel, darted around the playground, introducing herself to other children with ease and grace that came naturally to her. “That girl,” Vanessa mused, smiling fondly, “She could make friends with anyone.”Giselle nodded her smile tight. She watched Hazel charm another group of children, their laughter reaching her ears like an echo that she wished she could hear from Ryker.I watched as Giselle’s fingers tensed on the edge of the bench as she glanced at her son. He wasn’t interacting, wasn’t joining in, leaving her nothing to boa
Killian’s POVI sat at my desk, staring at the reports scattered before me, but the words might as well have been written in another language. No matter how many times I read the same line, the numbers didn’t make sense, the words refused to stick. I’d been at this for hours, trying to focus on pack matters—on the budgets, the patrol schedules, and the ongoing negotiations. All things that needed my attention, things I should care about. But no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept slipping.Back to that night.The night when everything had almost changed between Astrid and me.I closed my eyes, the memory washing over me like a wave. I could still see her so clearly. The way her eyes softened, the flicker of something vulnerable and dangerous in her gaze. The way her breath caught in her throat when our lips had come so close to touching. Too close. That look in her eyes had shattered something inside me, and yet... I had still pulled away.I could still feel the heat of her body p
Killian’s POV“Are you done with task I gave you?” My voice came out steady and cold, unable to ask for the results directly. Ryder shifted, his silence stretching a second too long. “Not yet,” he admitted, his words clipped, like he hated saying them.My eyes shot up at him in surprise. I had assumed the DNA test results were already in, mistaking Ryder’s gloomy expression for confirmation. But as it turned out, Ryder’s expression had nothing to do with the test — he hadn’t even done it yet. “It’s been... difficult,” Ryder scratched the back of his neck, unable to look at me directly to my eyes. I fixed him with a hard stare. Difficult? This was supposed to be a simple task.“Difficult?” My tone was sharp. “I gave you simple instructions, Ryder. Do it quietly, without anyone knowing. What seems to be the problem about that?” He clenched his jaw, frustration clear in his eyes. “It’s Giselle, she never walks around without her attendants. She’s always guarded and every time I get c
Astrid’s POVMy body ached from the grueling training session I had endured all day. Every muscle felt like a knot, protesting at every slightest movement as I finally prepared to sink into the relief of my bed. Sleeping had been my only source since I arrived to this pack. But just as I began to settle into the covers, my phone buzzed, pulling me sharply back to reality.I frowned when Giselle’s name appeared on the screen. Her message was terse, asking me to come to the Pack garden immediately to deliver the “urgent” papers she had requested earlier. I frowned. Urgent? There had been nothing remotely pressing about those papers when she asked for them this afternoon, though she was in a rush like the world was on fire. Something didn’t sit right. Why the Pack garden? Why now? But I couldn’t ignore her. She’d left me no valid excuse to refuse. Maybe it was important, or maybe I was just too tired to argue with the situation.I shoved my fatigue down and dragged myself out of bed,
Killian’s POVI stood in the Pack garden, surveying the scene Ryder had arranged. The twinkling lights, the candles, and the soft, romantic music of violins floating in the air. I exhaled slowly, feeling a mixture of discomfort and obligation tightening in my chest. This was supposed to be simple — a casual dinner to get Giselle’s DNA sample. But Ryder whom I placed in charge of the arrangements, had gone overboard.‘Overly romantic,’ I thought, resisting the urge to grimace. I had only asked Ryder to make some basic arrangements. I didn’t expect this.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Giselle approaching, her face lighting up the moment she saw the garden transformed into what could only be described as a romantic haven. She smiled brightly when the musicians appeared seemingly out of nowhere, playing their violins in a melody so delicate it almost made me wince.I tried to push down the discomfort as I pulled out the chair for her, forcing a polite smile as she settled into the s
Killian’s POVI drank my cold water in large gulps, hoping to quell the growing heat inside me, but instead, it seemed to intensify. The cold liquid did nothing to cool the fire surging through my body. Every attempt to shake off the sensation only made it worse, an uncontrollable current of raw desire that left me disoriented. My mind drifted, unwillingly, back to Astrid—her eyes, her presence still lingering in the back of my thoughts. "Killian, are you alright?" Giselle's voice broke through the haze, and I flinched when her hand suddenly touched my arm. The innocent contact sent an unexpected jolt through me, and I pulled back instinctively. Something stirred inside me again, something I didn’t want to acknowledge.I was still sitting across from Giselle, but my body was betraying me in ways I couldn’t control. I could feel her watching me, concern written all over her face, but I couldn’t explain what was happening. I wasn’t sure I even understood it myself."Should we go b
Astrid’s POV“It wasn’t real,” Killian insisted, his voice raw with desperation. “None of it was real.”I stared at him, disbelief burning through me like an unstoppable fire. His words— “none of it was real” —echoed in my head, but I couldn’t bring myself to believe him. Not this time. Not after everything. He couldn’t just say it wasn’t real and expect the pain to disappear. I scoffed, my jaw tightening as the anger simmered just beneath the surface, ready to spill over. “None of it was real?” I repeated, my voice thick with frustration, laced with disbelief. “What, Killian? The dinner? The marriage? You can’t just pretend it doesn’t exist because you suddenly feel guilty!”It was always the same with him. Killian, always trying to backtrack, always trying to explain things away as if a few desperate words could fix everything. As if all the hurt he’d caused could vanish the moment he decided to acknowledge it. He didn’t get to rewrite our history just because he couldn’t face th
Astrid’s POVI moved quickly through the dimly lit hallways, my heart thudding inside my chest with each step. I kept close to the walls, my eyes constantly scanning for ay signs of movement. I had to make sure that no one sees me sneaking around. The last thing I needed is for someone else to find out what happened to Killian or question why I’m sneaking outside my room in the middle of the night. My breath came out in short, shallow bursts as I neared the Omega’s quarters. Thankfully, their quarters remained the same room. So it wasn’t hard to look for them. When I finally reached the door, I knocked softly, barely a sound, but it felt like thunder in the silence of the night. My palms were clammy, and I glanced over my shoulder again, making sure no one had followed me. It would be suspicious if someone caught me here right now. Finally, the door creaked open, reveailing a young Omega woman. Her eyes widened when she saw me standing there. “Miss Astrid!” she exclaimed in su
Asha’s POVThe chaos outside the Packhouse was deafening, the shouts of warriors mixing with the blaring alarms. My heart pounded in my chest as I rushed to find my father. Three warriors trailed closely behind me, their presence both reassuring and a reminder of how grave the situation was.When I found him in the main hall, his expression was a mix of concern and focus. The weight of leadership never left his shoulders, even now, as danger closed in on us.“Father,” I called, my voice firm but urgent. “The rogues have breached the borders. Andros sent me to evacuate you. We have to leave now.”His brows furrowed deeply, his gaze shifting toward the window where the faint glow of fires could be seen in the distance. “How could this be? How could they get past the security measures so fast? We have the most advanced technology. How could the rogues enter our perimeters just like that?” My father echoed the same questions that I had, but there was no time to think. “The rogues woul
Astrid’s POVThe moon hung high in the sky, its cold light spilling into the quiet room. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the open suitcase before me. My hands shook as I carefully folded my clothes, my mind a tangled mess of emotions I couldn’t untangle.I was my father’s legitimate daughter.The truth had unraveled everything I thought I knew about myself. For years, I’d believed I was nothing — a mistake, a stain on his perfect image. I’d told myself I didn’t belong, that I would never be worthy and that I was just a trouble to their perfect family. And now, knowing it was all a lie… it left me hollow.He’d hidden the truth from me. From all of us. I wasn’t sure what hurt more— the truth itself, or the years of deception.I clenched a shirt in my fists, my breath trembling as I fought to steady it. This doesn’t change anything. I couldn’t let it. He might have been my father by blood, but he had never been a father to me. That bond had been broken long before I even kn
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