Hmmm… do you think the attack is accident or intentional?
Astrid’s POVI pressed my lips tightly, suppressing the pain that radiated from my wounds as the Pack Doctor applied ointment to my deep scratches. “Be careful; do not press too much on the wound,” Alpha Everest commanded the Pack Doctor when he saw my pained expression. The Pack Doctor pauses, then starts to dab ointment on my wound more carefully this time. Alpha Everest never left my side. He called the Pack Doctor and had me stay in his office to receive medical treatment. “It’s okay,” I uttered, knowing that pain is inevitable and the Doctor has to thoroughly cleanse my wounds to avoid infection. “I have high pain tolerance.” As a Pack warrior, I’ve had worse injuries. As werewolves who use our canines and sharp claws to fight, deep scratches like this are expected. It cannot be avoided in a fight. I didn’t even know I was hurt until Lucinda pointed at the blood seeping through my clothes. “I think we need to stitch it,” the Pack Doctor suggests after cleansing
Astrid’s POVOur conversation ended when someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” Alpha Everest spoke wearily. He walked back to his office table to meet the guest. “Alpha Everest!” I raised my head when I heard Giselle’s voice. “I heard what happened. How is your daughter? Are the guests from the Nightsong Pack all safe?” Giselle asked in an amicable voice as she walked to Alpha Everest’s table. She still hasn’t noticed me here, sitting silently behind her in the corner of the room. “Everyone is safe, Lady Giselle. You do not have to worry. Is there anything I can help you with?” Giselle smiled and placed the papers she was holding on Alpha Everest’s table. “These are the papers for the alliance. I was hoping you could sign it now. Killian had informed me that you’ve already read and agreed to everything.” Alpha Everest forced a smile on his face as he looked up at Giselle. “That’s true, but you’ve only just arrived. I haven’t mentioned it because I was hoping you could go
Giselle’s POVI drummed my fingers an agitated staccato against the steering wheel, my knuckles stark white against my olive skin. With each passing mile, the tension in my shoulders only seemed to coil tighter, a vise of barely contained fury."That bitch," I hissed through gritted teeth, the venom in my words palpable. Astrid's name was like acid on my tongue, burning with a hatred that refused to be extinguished. The moment I saw her at the banquet, I knew it was her. She had dyed her hair blonde and changed her name, but I will always recognize her. I will always know her through her cerulean eyes, which look like peaceful waters, even if she drastically changes her appearance. Her eyes might look calm and peaceful, but she always stirred trouble for me. As I was on my way back to Silvermoon Pack, I couldn’t get my head out of the shame and humiliation that I felt as the Pack guards dragged me out of the Frostbite Pack like I was a piece of trash. As if failing to get Alpha Ev
Astrid’s POVI got a wide smile on my face as I hopped out of the car. Nova and I had just arrived back at the Nightsong Pack. Drystan gave me a week to have the alliance papers signed. Guess what? Only a day was needed for me to get his signature. I’m sure he would be surprised to find out about my achievement. I knock on Drystan’s office before twisting the door open and inserting my head in. I beamed at Drystan, whose head was burrowed in papers. I’m so excited to tell him the news, but he still hasn’t realized who is at his door right now. “Who is it?” Drystan slowly raised his head. When he saw my face all the exhaustion in his face vanished, replaced with the joy of seeing me. “Astrid, you’re back!” Drystan stood up from his seat and rushed towards me. I entered his office and closed the door behind me. “Look at what I got,” I showed the papers to him. Drystan’s jaw fell open when he saw Alpha Everest’s clear signature. He snatched the paper from me and looked at Alpha Ev
Killian’s POV“What could have possibly gone wrong?!” I yelled out loud and slammed my fist on the table, making Giselle flinch in her seat. I gave her the simplest task, and yet she still managed to ruin it. Our alliance with the Frostbite Pack is already a close deal. She just needed to get Alpha Everest’s signature to make things official. I don’t understand how she managed to fuck things up. “Don’t yell at her, Killian, she’s pregnant!” My mother scolded me as she softly caressed Giselle’s back to comfort her. “Just relax, Giselle, okay? Stress is never good for the baby.” My mother’s brows knitted together as she spoke to Giselle in worry. I clenched my jaw in anger as I watched how my mother consoled Giselle and how Giselle enjoyed my mother’s company. She even dragged my mother into this, knowing that she would defend her and take her side. She couldn’t even face me on her own and own up to her mistakes. Giselle had just returned from her trip yesterday. I w
Astrid’s POVI gazed at myself in the mirror, wearing an elegant sleeveless white dress that fitted my body like a glove, showing my curves in the right places. A smile crept up my lips, like the person that I could see in the mirror. Even though I’m pregnant and my baby bump is showing already, I’m still able to maintain my fit body from before. “You look too beautiful for a pregnant woman.”I turned on my heel when someone spoke behind me. I smiled shyly when I saw Nova standing on my doorstep, staring at me. I felt embarrassed getting caught ogling myself. “You look stunning, too,” I complimented her in her sparkling green dress that reminded me of Ariel’s tail. With her strawberry blonde hair, she looks much like a princess from a fairy tale. “Are you ready?” Nova asks me as she steps inside my room. I took another look at myself in the mirror and breathed deeply. The time flew really fast. I couldn’t coop up inside my room any longer. I need to go out and meet the guests.
Astrid’s POV“Enjoy everyone, and I hope you’ll have a great stay in our Pack,” I flashed my pretty smile to the crowd as I stepped off the podium. The crowd gave me a round of applause right after I ended my speech. The whole time that I was speaking on stage, I could feel his intense gaze boring holes at me, making me feel uncomfortable the whole time. The moment I stepped off the stage, I could finally feel my whole body again. “Don’t forget to breathe, Astrid,” Nova chided when I reached her off the stage. My heart had finally relaxed, and I could breathe properly again after I had escaped everyone’s attention. I gripped Nova’s warm hand for support. Nova didn’t say a word as I gripped her hand tightly with my icy-cold fingers. I’m glad that Nova is here with me. She never left my side even though she also has her own personal life. She stood by me, willing to support me. “I need to take a break,” I muttered under my breath. “Of course, I’ll go inform Drystan,” Nova answer
Astrid’s POVA deep breath passed through my lips as a sense of calm washed over me when Nova arrived just in time to rescue me. Nova ran towards me with a panicked look in her eyes. She lifted me up by my arms, slowly helping me to get my feet on the ground. Killian forced himself off the ground, his lips slightly stretching downwards as he winced in pain. “What happened?” Nova asked me in worry. I was hyperventilating, so I failed to answer her. I just kept clutching my heart, the place where all the pain was coming from. Nova’s eyes widened when the realization hit her. “H-He,” Nova paused, unable to complete her sentence. Anger flashed in her eyes, knowing that what Killian just did was enough to kill me. With my weak wolf and the life inside of me, I’m not strong enough to handle the rejection. “Astrid!” Drystan suddenly appeared and ran towards me when he saw my state. He immediately carried my weight to help Nova, who had been struggling to keep me up. Still, I coul
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
Alpha Theron’s POVAndros entered, his eyes darting between me and the book lying on the desk. He tried to mask his apprehension, but I caught the flicker of recognition in his gaze. I wasted no time.“Did Beta Alek give you this book?” I asked, my voice steady but taut.He blinked, feigning innocence. “I’ve seen the book before, yes. Beta Alek showed it to me and explained what it was.” His eyes held mine, the picture of calm. “Is there something wrong?”Besidehim, Beta Alek looked stricken but hopeful. He took a step forward, his voice shaking with urgency. “Andros, explain everything to your father and tell him that I’m being wronged. I gave you the book didn’t I? I even told you to burn the book for me,” Beta Alek spoke up, trusting that my son would prove his innocence. Andros raised his brows, feigning confusion. “What do you mean?” he asked, his tone soft and innocent.“That didn’t happen. You never gave me the book — I’ve never even touched it.”Beta Alek’s face went pale
Alpha Theron’s POVThe moment Astrid left my office, I reached through the Pack Link, calling for Beta Alek.My voice came out raw and unfiltered, the unmistaken anger pulsed through the link sending their wolves into submission. I could sense Beta Alek’s panic, could feel his wolf bristle at the force of my command. He knew I wasn’t pleased.Moments later, the door opened, and Alek entered, his face pale, but his steps were urgent.I didn’t give him a chance to speak before hurling the book at him. It hit him squarely in the face, making him stagger. As he caught the book, his face drained of color even further when recognition flared in his eyes.“Didn’t I tell you to burn that book?” My voice was low, lethal, and I didn’t miss the way he trembled at each word.Alek fell to his knees, the weight of his guilt bearing down on him. “Alpha,” he choked out, “I admit my irresponsibility. I failed you. I’m willing to accept any punishment for my insubordination,” he answered readily, pr