Giselle’s POV “Astrid is dead, madame,” the spy that I hired finally came back with his report. I let out a breath and sat on my couch when I heard his confirmation. Of course, Astrid is dead. The Nightsong Pack held her memorial service along with her funeral. How could she still not be dead?It doesn’t even make sense for Drystan to put on a whole show just to fool his own nephew. Even if Drystan and Astrid are close, why would Drystan betray his own flesh and blood for her?I think Killian’s wolf is just in denial just as what Drystan had explained to him. Killian sounded so convincing that he nearly made me doubt my own eyes. “Are you sure she’s not dead?” I asked the spy I hired again, just to make sure. “She even has her own grave in the Nightsong Pack. We’ve been spying on their Pack for days, but I never saw the girl in the picture you asked me to look for in their Pack,” he replied. I sighed. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was relieved or if I was frustrated that Killi
Giselle’s POV My lips curled downwards and I lowered my gaze to evoke pity from Killian’s mother. Her brows bent downwards instantly when she saw the sad look on my face. She took a step forward, closing the distance between us. “Come on, tell me,” she whispered to me kindly. I forced a small smile on my face as I looked at her. “I’m just happy that you accepted me wholeheartedly,” I paused and blinked my eyes, letting the sadness sink in. “Killian had only seen me as a carrier of his baby. I wasn’t even sure that you would like me,” I spoke pitifully. “This is nonsense,” Killian’s mother exclaimed. “You are the mother of my grandson, of course, I will accept you.”I fell quiet at her words. Grandson? How could she be so sure that I was carrying a boy and not a girl?“You don’t have to worry about Killian. I will talk to him, okay? From now on if you have any problems just tell me. Thinking of problems is not good for the baby,” Killian’s mother smiled as she crouched down to speak
Astrid’s POVI lay awake on my bed with my eyes wide open, unable to turn back to sleep. It’s extremely early, the sun hasn’t even risen yet. I used to wake up at this hour of the day every single day back when I was still a Luna. My body clock is yet to adjust to the new life that I have. In my days as a Luna, I used to wake up before the sun could take its place in the sky to work until late in the night. Back then, I would work for hours straight without any time to rest, but now all I had to do all day was rest. Drystan and Nova refused to let me do any work just because I was pregnant. They are treating me like I’m a disabled person. I know that it is unreasonable of me to complain that I’m doing nothing, but my body is just not used to doing nothing. I miss my job, I miss having tasks that I had to complete throughout the day. I feel like I’m only wasting time every day. Even though it was not time for me to wake up yet, I stood up and cleaned my bed knowing that I won’t
Killian’s POV I twirled the pasta with my fork with a bored expression on my face. I had no appetite to eat, but my mother forced me to join her for dinner. I thought she had something important to say to me, but I was surprised when I saw that Giselle would be joining us for dinner. My Beta had mentioned to me before that my mother and Giselle are getting along pretty well. I also noticed that the two of them have been spending so much time together in the last week. I just pretended that I hadn’t noticed this and busied myself for work. There are a lot of things I had to handle anyway so I got no time to spare for other matters. “Killian, you’ve gotten so thin. What happened?” Mother sounded so alarmed as she looked at my face. “Giselle, why are you not taking care of my son?”I was about to tell her that I was fine. I have just become busy lately, but I was stopped short when she suddenly asked Giselle a weird question. Take care of me? Why is it Giselle’s job to take care of
Killian’s POV“Why do you look so surprised, Killian? Don’t you want the mother of your child to become the Luna? This isn’t just about you or the Pack, Killian. You need to do this for your child. I don’t want my grandson to grow up in a broken family,” My mother added when she saw the hesitation on my face. I glanced at Giselle who had kept her silence the whole time. Her head is also lowered, she’s too ashamed to lift her head and look at me. “Time is moving, Killian. Before you know it, your child will be asking questions. I don’t want my grandson to be confused when he grows up. As much as possible, Giselle should ascend as a Luna before her pregnant belly could turn visible. Understood?” My mother demanded. I chewed my bottom lip as I assessed everything. Deep inside my heart, I’m still hoping that Astrid would come back and claim her title, but I know that would never happen. Astrid is already dead and I have to accept that. Letting Giselle ascend as the Luna would be a si
Astrid's POVThe entire day, my thoughts were constantly racing back to Drystan's statement that Giselle had sent a spy to ensure that I was dead and I couldn't get past over it.I don’t know why Giselle would still be so concerned about me when I already left the Pack.Thinking about it made me remember that Giselle hadn't been on my mind recently. Giselle has slipped my mind because I have been preoccupied with Killian.As I thought about her, I remembered the time when she drove past me right after I left the Pack.That was the last time that I saw her, and I would never forget her last words to me. “Of course, I wouldn’t miss to see you go down to dust. You are just a rogue now who has nowhere to go. You will be dead soon.” At that time, I never held meaning to her words. I foolishly believed she was merely trying to provoke me and add salt to my wound. As I pondered her words, however, I began to question if she really meant her words or if she was simply saying those things
Astrid’s POVI knocked on the door of Drystan’s office.“Come in,” I heard him shout inside, so I twisted the door open.“Astrid?” He looked up at me with surprise on his face, not expecting to see me. “What are you doing here?” He asked me.“I came to ask how I can be of help,” I answered him straightforwardly as I looked around, admiring his office.This is the first time I’ve ever been inside Drystan’s office. I didn’t expect it to look so cozy with a fireplace in the corner. At the side, he has a display cabinet where all of his medals and trophies are placed. Drystan was an overachiever. Not only was he smart, but he was also a talented student. He participated in a lot of extracurricular activities, made his name in sports, and even won many contests. Even with his grand achievements, it wasn’t enough to make him the Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack. “You should be resting in your room, Astrid,” Drystan spoke softly as he brought down his gaze back on the papers that he was wor
Drystan’s POV I clenched my fists when I heard what my Beta had said. I’ve been trying to form an alliance with the Frostbite Pack for months, and now the Silvermoon Pack just suddenly swept in and stole them from us. I’ve been sending gifts and envoys to the Frostbite Pack to convince their Alpha. To be honest, our proposition is a good deal. It is even more beneficial to them than it is to us. I just wanted to have a signed alliance with a high pack like them to stabilize our PackPack and strengthen our future projects. We are just a small Pack who is just starting to establish ourselves in the werewolf community, but we are already getting trampled down without being given the chance for a fair fight. Astrid sighed, making me look at her. I felt bad for her when I saw how her shoulders slumped and how she exasperatedly placed her forehead on her palm. She must be blaming herself for this outcome again. “Astrid—“ I was about to comfort her when my Beta spoke. “Alpha, I think
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
Astrid’s POVThe Silvermoon Packhouse was unusually quiet as we arrived, the afternoon sun casting long shadows across the grounds. My wolf stirred uneasily within me, sensing the tension in both Killian and myself. nWe hadn’t spoken much on the way back, but the weight of what we’d uncovered hung heavy between us.As we approached the front steps, the sound of laughter broke through the silence. I turned toward the sound and saw Rowena in the courtyard, her face uncharacteristically soft as she knelt in the grass, playing with Ryker and Elara.“Mama! Papa!” Elara’s bright voice rang out as she spotted us.Ryker followed close behind her, his grin wide as he sprinted toward Killian. “You’re back!”I knelt just in time to catch Elara as she threw herself into my arms, her small hands clutching at me as if I’d been gone for days. “I missed you, Mama!”I smiled, seeing her melted all my worries away. Although I wasn’t gone that long it felt like I haven’t seen her in ages upon seeing
Astrid’s POVThe clearing was unnervingly quiet. The parchment in Killian’s hands seemed heavier than it had any right to be, the words scrawled across its surface burning into my mind like a brand. Elimination Plan. Pack informant. No survivors.It seems that there is something more behind Liora’s death. It was planned, she was targetted. Her death wasn’t a simple accident. And worse, someone from Silvermoon had helped them.I felt the weight of Killian’s silence beside me, and my stomach twisted. I’m sure he is already suspecting his mother. Aside from Rowena, who else could have made a deal with the rogues?If it was Rowena, it would make sense why she made a deal with us in exchange of escaping punishment.I reached for Killian’s hand and squeezed it in comfort. Killian looked at me and I stared back at him with understanding. There’s no evidence yet. All we know is that someone from the Silvermoon Pack had something to do with Liora’s death. We aren’t sure yet if it was Rowen
Astrid’s POVThe forest around the Emberwood ruins was a tangle of shadows and silence. Every crunch of leaves beneath our boots and rustle of branches above felt amplified in the eerie stillness. My wolf stirred uneasily within me, its senses sharp as if anticipating an ambush.Killian walked at my side, his posture rigid with tension. Drystan and Nova followed close behind, their weapons at the ready, and a small group of warriors flanked us. We’d planned this mission carefully, but the weight of the Forsaken Amulet and the shadow of the Rogue King made every step feel like a gamble.As we approached the ruins, the crumbling stone walls loomed into view, covered in moss and vines. A cold wind blew through the trees, carrying a faint metallic tang that made my stomach churn.“It’s too quiet,” Killian muttered, his eyes scanning the treeline. “I don’t like it.”Drystan nodded grimly. “If the Rogue King knows we’re here, he’s waiting.”“We don’t have a choice,” I said, gripping my
Nova’s POVThe hum of the car engine vibrated through my chest, a soothing constant as the trees blurred past the windows. It had been far too long since our last visit to the Silvermoon Packhouse, but life at Shadowfang had left no room for reunions. Rogue attacks near our borders kept us tethered to home, juggling defenses and strategies.Today was different. Today, we were finally going back.I sighed, my gaze drifting to Leira. She was practically bouncing in her seat, her excitement bubbling over. Too young to understand the weight of what brought us here, she only saw this as a long-awaited visit to her best friend.“Are we there yet, Mama?” she asked, her face pressed against the window, her voice brimming with hope.“Almost,” I replied, my lips curving into a smile. Her energy was infectious, a bright spot in the constant tension.She turned to Drystan, her wide eyes sparkling. “Do you think Elara will be happy to see me?”Drystan, his hands steady on the wheel, glanced at her
Astrid’s POVRowena’s quarters sat on the outskirts of Silvermoon territory, a place that felt as removed from the Pack’s core as Rowena herself. The journey there was quiet, the tension between Killian and me palpable. I could tell he was already regretting agreeing to this, but we didn’t have the luxury of letting emotions cloud our judgment.The rogue attacks were escalating. They were organized, purposeful, and more ruthless than ever. If Rowena had answers that could shed light on the Rogue King’s plans, we had no choice but to seek her out.Rowena had always been a thorn in our sides—a manipulative force who thrived on power plays. But she was also cunning, and if she knew anything about the Rogue King, she might just be the key to understanding what we were up against.As we approached her quarters, the scent of burning herbs filled the air. Rowena’s home was modest but had an aura of quiet power. It was an illusion, I knew—a way to remind every one of what she once was.K
Astrid’s POVThe sun dipped low on the horizon, casting a golden glow over the Pack’s central courtyard. The faint scent of pine lingered in the air as laughter echoed from the grassy clearing near the training grounds. For the first time in what felt like weeks, I wasn’t caught up in Pack meetings, rogue threats, or endless strategy sessions. I could finally spend some time with my children at last. I missed them so much. Ryker and Elara darted around the clearing, their playful giggles warming the heavy ache in my chest. Ryker, now eight, was tall and quick, his movements already showing hints of the warrior he’d one day become. Elara, only four, struggled to keep up but refused to give in, her fierce determination reminding me so much of myself.“Elara, you’re supposed to tag me!” Ryker teased, effortlessly dodging her tiny hands.“I will, Ryker!” she declared, her little face scrunched in determination as she lunged at him.I couldn’t help but smile. For a moment, the world
Nova’s POVThe attic was darker and colder than I’d expected. Dust floated in the dim light that streamed through a cracked window, and the air carried the faint scent of cedar and time. This part of the Shadowfang Pack house had been sealed off for years—ever since Liora’s death.Drystan had given me permission to look through her things, but stepping into the space felt like crossing into sacred ground. Her scent was long gone, replaced by the mustiness of disuse, but I could still feel her presence here. Liora had always seemed larger than life, unbreakable, but here she was just a collection of forgotten memories, packed away in old boxes.I moved cautiously, my fingers trailing over the stacks of wooden crates and trunks. A soft creak from the floorboards behind me made me turn.“You don’t have to do this,” Drystan said, his voice low. He stood in the doorway, his face shadowed but his concern clear. “I can look through it if you want. You don’t need to carry this.”I shook m
Astrid’s POVThe tension in the air was suffocating. Every time I stepped into the council room lately, I could feel it pressing against my chest—the growing divide within the Pack. It was subtle at first, a quiet undercurrent of uncertainty, but now it was undeniable. People were questioning us. Questioning Killian. And Killian’s mother, Rowena, had only made things worse.The council members sat around the long table, their expressions ranging from weary to outright suspicious. Rowena had planted seeds of doubt with her sudden return, and now those seeds were taking root. Some of them believed she was here to help, that her knowledge of the rogues might be the key to stopping this war before it began. Others—including me—weren’t so sure.Killian sat beside me, his jaw tight, his eyes scanning the room like a predator sizing up potential threats. He hadn’t spoken much since his mother’s revelations the night before. I knew he was struggling to process it, to reconcile the woman