Astrid’s POVThe nanny’s eyes widened as she watched Ryker eat, and I could see the surprise clearly written on her face. She leaned forward, her gaze shifting from Ryker to me, as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing.“I... I can’t believe it,” she whispered, her voice tinged with awe. “You actually got it right.”I offered her a tentative smile, my eyes still focused on Ryker. “I just wanted to make sure he had something he liked,” I said softly. “I know how particular he is.”She shook her head, a look of wonder crossing her features. “Particular doesn’t even begin to cover it,” she replied with a gentle laugh. “It’s almost impossible to get it right with him on the first try. It took me months just to figure out his preferences. Even now, I still make mistakes before I manage to cook the right pancake for him. I was so frustrated, I nearly quit my job as his nanny because of it.” She paused, her eyes softening as they met mine. “But you did it.”Her compliment war
Killian stepped forward, his presence a steadying force in the room. “Hey, buddy,” he said, his voice unusually soft, almost gentle. “I know yesterday didn’t go the way we planned.”Ryker’s eyes shifted to him, his expression still clouded. Killian knelt down beside him, making sure he was at Ryker’s eye level. “It was supposed to be a special day for you — your birthday — but things got a little... messy. And I’m really sorry about that.”Ryker tilted his head, his fingers still toying with the edge of his notepad. He was listening, but I could tell he was waiting for more.Killian’s face softened, and for a moment, the guarded mask he usually wore was gone. “I promise we’ll make it up to you. We’ll do whatever you want — just you and me. How does that sound?”Ryker’s eyes lit up, if only for a second. He scribbled quickly on his notepad before holding it up. “Anything?”Killian’s lips curled into a small smile, a glimmer of relief in his eyes. “Anything,” he confirmed. “Just name i
Astrid’s POVThe sun kissed my skin as I stood on the shoreline, watching Ryker and Killian splash in the surf. Laughter carried on the breeze, mingling with the rhythmic crash of the waves. For once, I allowed myself to relax, to pretend that everything was exactly as it should be. We were like a real family bonding together at the beach. Ryker’s smile — bright and carefree — was enough to make m believe in the illusion, even just for a moment. I imagined everything was well with us, Killian and I were still married and that Ryker thinks I’m his mother. It was a good thought, a great illusion, but it was far from the truth. Still, I couldn’t help it. It was nice to indulge myself with the fantasy. I let myself breathe, inhaling the salty tang of the sea breeze. It was a rare thing, this kind of peace. I’ve never felt this peaceful since I found out that my son is alive. For the first time, I felt I was alive again. Being with my son, seeing him safe and happy I finally could f
Astrid’s POVThe poison courses through my veins, burning like wildfire as it spreads. I can feel its tendrils seeping into every muscle, rendering my limbs heavy and unresponsive. Panic claws at my chest as the world blurs and darkens, the strength I’ve always prided myself on slipping away. The sand beneath my fingers feels coarse and cold as I clutch at the ground, trying to stay anchored, trying to fight the rising tide of fear and hopelessness.In the distance, I catch a glimpse of Killian locked in a vicious fight, his movements a blur as he fends off the attackers. My heart pounds. He’s occupied and even if he’s not, he’s too far. I know he won’t reach me in time. I’m alone. I have no one but myself. And the attackers — they’re closing in.I looked at Ryker, his eyes wide and terrified, his small hands gripping my arm as I struggle to rise.It’s hopeless for me. I couldn’t run. But Ryker… he has to go on, he has to protect himself. “Run,” I whisper, my voice cracking.
Astrid’s POVAs I lie there, hopelessness threatens to swallow me whole.I can’t shift, I can’t fight. If only I still had my wolf—if only I were strong enough.I’m so tired of feeling defenseless, of losing everything I care about.Sobs choke me as I call out to my wolf, the part of me that has been silent for so long.I haven’t seen her nor heard from her since the accident. I’m not sure if I had lost her, but I needed her now. She has to come back.The darkness pulls at me, a relentless tide that threatens to swallow me whole.My vision fades, and every muscle feels like it’s made of lead as I lie helpless on the sand.
Killian’s POVI tear into another attacker, my jaws snapping as I toss him aside. But they keep coming, one after the other, their numbers overwhelming.I'm outnumbered, and every move feels heavier, slower. My fur is matted with blood-some mine, some theirs-but it's not enough.Two wolves slam into my side, knocking me off my feet and pinning me down.I growl, thrashing as I try to push them off, but their combined weight keeps me grounded.I catch sight of one of them his teeth bared-lunging for my throat. I twist, trying to shake him off, but they have me pinned, and I know I'm losing this fight.My wolf surges with frustration and fury. We're much powerful compared to them, but we're running out of strength, and I can feel the odds tipping against us.Just as one of
Astrid’s POVI rushed to Killian’s side without a second thought, my only goal was to protect him. I can see he’s outnumbered, pinned down beneath two wolves.My only thought is to protect him, to fight for him. But as I rip the wolf off of him, something changes.The scent of blood hits me harder, sharper. My claws sink deeper into the flesh, and I can hear my wolf whispering in the back of my mind, ‘More. Give me more.’I feel the weight of my wolf coiling inside me, urging me forward as I tear through another attacker.My teeth sink into flesh, the taste of blood filling my mouth, and the rush of power surges through me.I can feel her — my wolf — pushing me away, clawing at the surface, wan
Astrid’s POVHer growl deepens as I push back. She feels me, senses the shift, and her fury erupts like a storm.She turns inward, roaring, her claws tearing at our shared mind as she tries to maintain control.The pain is blinding, but I don't stop. I won’t stop.I push harder, clawing my way to the surface, forcing myself to the forefront of our shared body.The wolf thrashes, her rage palpable, and I feel her claws scrape against our own flesh, desperate to hold onto her dominance.‘Let me out!’ she howls, her voice feral, raw, ‘I will kill them!’‘No!’ I scream back, pushing harder, feeling her anger tear through me like fire. ‘I won’t let you harm them.’She fights, thrashing in her fury, but I can't
Astrid’s POVThe morning sun spilled over the horizon, bathing the Silvermoon Pack in golden light.It felt like a dream.Like I had woken up from a nightmare and stepped into something softer, something real.The wind was cool, crisp, carrying the scent of pine and earth, untouched by war, by fear. Peaceful.Something I never thought I’d feel again.But here I was.And my children—my heart, my soul—were safe.I looked down at Elara, her tiny fingers curled around mine as we sat on the balcony of the Packhouse. She was staring out at the trees, her expression calm but distant."Are you cold?" I asked softly, brushing her hair behind her ear.She shook her head. "No."She was quiet these days.Healing.Like all of us.I glanced over my shoulder, where Ryker sat cross-legged on the floor, watching Killian with furrowed brows."You're doing it wrong," Ryker grumbled as Killian attempted to braid his sister’s hair.Killian gave him a mock glare. "Excuse me? I was an Alpha before you were
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 alread