Astrid’s POVThe tension in the room was suffocating. The large council chamber, usually filled with calm deliberation, was now a battlefield of words. Alphas and Lunas from across the packs are all gathered around in one room, their gazes heavy with doubt and mistrust. Killian and I decided to call this meeting to inform everyone about the recent events and to formulate another plan for the future. “We heard that Andros is back, that he came back to the Pack with you, was that true?” One of the Alphas asked. I nodded my head. “That’s true. Although he is banned to enter any Packs, I made my decision out of careful consideration. While we are unsure of where his alliances lies, it would be safe if he is here with us where we could monitor him.”“Andros cannot be trusted,” Alpha Raiden of the Thunderclaw Pack said, his voice cold and unyielding. “He betrayed us once—no, twice. Do you expect us to believe he won’t do it again?”Several heads nodded in agreement, murmurs spreading li
The warrior’s words hung in the air like a heavy shroud, suffocating and cold. I stared at him, trying to make sense of what I’d just heard.“The fragments… are missing?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. My heart pounded, each beat echoing louder in my ears as confusion and disbelief clawed at my thoughts.The Forsaken Amulet was destroyed. Rowena sacrificed her life to ensure it could never be used again. Why would the rogues come back for it? What could they possibly want with shattered remnants?Killian stood beside me, rigid as stone, his golden eyes locked on the warrior. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice low, taut with restrained fury.“Yes, Alpha,” the warrior said, bowing his head. “We inspected the area as you instructed, to see if the rogues left anything behind—clues, weapons, anything. But instead, we found the fragments… gone.”Gone. The word echoed in my mind, a drumbeat of confusion. I tried to piece together the rogue king’s motives, but nothing made se
Astrid's POVThe air in the dungeon was damp and heavy, clinging to my skin like a second layer. The faint flicker of the bright light painted uneasy shadows on the stone walls, casting long, distorted shapes that felt as restless as the questions swirling in my mind. Killian and I stopped outside Andros’s cell, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.Andros sat against the wall, his posture slouched, his gaze fixed somewhere distant, as though we weren’t there. His face was pale, worn, and etched with the weight of regret he had carried silently since Rowena’s death.“Andros,” I said, my voice softer than I intended. It was impossible to ignore how different he looked now, like a man who had already resigned himself to whatever fate we would decide.His dark eyes flicked toward me briefly before dropping back to the ground. “What now?” he asked, his voice hollow, lacking the defiance I used to know.Killian stepped forward, his tone firmer than mine. “We need answers,” he said. “T
Astrid’s POVThe words hung in the air, heavy and ominous. I felt my chest tighten, the implications settling like a stone in my stomach. “What do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.Andros’s gaze dropped again, his shoulders slumping as if the weight of his confession was too much to bear. “If you suspect that someone’s feeding the rogue king information, it wasn’t me. It must be someone close to you,” he answered. “Since they know so much about the Pack, it could be someone in your ranks. Tell me, is there anyone acting weird recently? Anyone you think that is hiding something.”“That’s impossible,” I instantly blurted out. “All of us wanted the rogue king gone. All of us were helping each other to overcome this crisis. Why would someone betray us and work with the rogue king?”“I’m not the one leaking information to the rogue king,” Andros spoke sternly. “Who do you think it is?” The question that escaped Killian’s mouth made me look at him. “Killian, what are y
Astrid’s POVMy husband and mate Killian, who is also the Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack, left the assembly and went somewhere with his ex-girlfriend leaving me behind. As the Pack’s Luna, I dutifully prepared for our annual pack assembly, but he nearly ruined it because he couldn’t wait to spend time alone with Giselle. Giselle was Killian’s ex-girlfriend. She was his one true love, a woman who is better in many ways than me. Giselle and Killian were in love with each other. Even after Killian found out that we were mates and marked me as his mate and Luna, Killian only had Giselle in his heart.As his mate, it kills me to know that my mate who is supposed to love and cherish me is in love with someone else. Killian had always reminded me that he felt nothing for me. In the years that we were married, he treated me as nothing more than his mere subordinate.Aside from being a Luna, I am also Killian’s right-hand man in the military. I am in charge of the Pack training and I always wo
CHAPTER 2Astrid’s POV“I am not just a warrior in this Pack, Killian. I am also your wife and your Luna. Why should I apologize to your mistress that is not even a part of this Pack,” I blurted out as I pointed an angry finger at Giselle. Killian only scoffed in response. He looked at me mockingly like I was a joke to him. “You are so delusional!” He answered back frustratingly. “When have I ever seen you as my mate and Luna?” He questioned taking me aback and causing a sharp pain in my chest. “If it wasn’t for you, Giselle and I wouldn’t have separated.” My body ran cold when I heard his blunt response. I never thought that he was blaming me for what happened between him and Giselle. “Killian… I’m your mate,” I retorted with my lips quivering. “A mate that I never wanted!” He yells back and shatters what is left of my broken heart. “K-Killian, the moon goddess chose us to be together. How could you choose someone else over me?” I asked back as my wolf whimpered inside of me.
Astrid’s POVMy eyes had been swollen red and puffy from endless crying. My grandmother was the only family member I had left. Now that she’s dead, I am left all alone. Since I’m the only one left, I am in charge of her medical expenses and I have been busy preparing for her funeral all alone. I’ve never stopped crying since my grandmother died.Still, I hated myself. What’s the purpose of preparing for her funeral and crying after she died when I wasn’t even there by the time that she needed me the most? In her last days, I wasn’t even there to comfort her.My precious grandmother doesn’t deserve a granddaughter like me.I held back my tears as I gathered my grandmother’s favorite foods together and placed them near her casket. In the happy memories that I had when I was little, I wasn’t all alone. I always had my mom and grandma to rely on. That didn’t last long though, eventually, my mother died and my grandma had to shoulder all the responsibilities and raise me on her own.
Killian’s POVDivorce? I couldn’t understand. I sighed and raked my hair in frustration when I caught my mind drifting off again instead of focusing on the paperwork that I had to finalize for the day. My mind kept on going back to Astrid’s words. I couldn’t believe how she easily asked me for divorce. Astrid has always been responsible and obedient as a Luna and as my right-hand man or commander in the military. I couldn’t believe that she would easily file for divorce knowing that divorcing me would mean she would have to give up her Luna title and it would also make things awkward between us. I leaned on my chair and shut my eyes as I felt my headache coming. She must be talking purely out of her emotions. Once she had calmed down and saw the whole situation with a clear head, she would realize that the divorce would be too much. I was just late for her grandmother’s funeral and I have a reasonable excuse for that. If I really didn’t care, I wouldn’t have shifted to my wolf a
Astrid’s POVThe words hung in the air, heavy and ominous. I felt my chest tighten, the implications settling like a stone in my stomach. “What do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.Andros’s gaze dropped again, his shoulders slumping as if the weight of his confession was too much to bear. “If you suspect that someone’s feeding the rogue king information, it wasn’t me. It must be someone close to you,” he answered. “Since they know so much about the Pack, it could be someone in your ranks. Tell me, is there anyone acting weird recently? Anyone you think that is hiding something.”“That’s impossible,” I instantly blurted out. “All of us wanted the rogue king gone. All of us were helping each other to overcome this crisis. Why would someone betray us and work with the rogue king?”“I’m not the one leaking information to the rogue king,” Andros spoke sternly. “Who do you think it is?” The question that escaped Killian’s mouth made me look at him. “Killian, what are y
Astrid's POVThe air in the dungeon was damp and heavy, clinging to my skin like a second layer. The faint flicker of the bright light painted uneasy shadows on the stone walls, casting long, distorted shapes that felt as restless as the questions swirling in my mind. Killian and I stopped outside Andros’s cell, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.Andros sat against the wall, his posture slouched, his gaze fixed somewhere distant, as though we weren’t there. His face was pale, worn, and etched with the weight of regret he had carried silently since Rowena’s death.“Andros,” I said, my voice softer than I intended. It was impossible to ignore how different he looked now, like a man who had already resigned himself to whatever fate we would decide.His dark eyes flicked toward me briefly before dropping back to the ground. “What now?” he asked, his voice hollow, lacking the defiance I used to know.Killian stepped forward, his tone firmer than mine. “We need answers,” he said. “T
The warrior’s words hung in the air like a heavy shroud, suffocating and cold. I stared at him, trying to make sense of what I’d just heard.“The fragments… are missing?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. My heart pounded, each beat echoing louder in my ears as confusion and disbelief clawed at my thoughts.The Forsaken Amulet was destroyed. Rowena sacrificed her life to ensure it could never be used again. Why would the rogues come back for it? What could they possibly want with shattered remnants?Killian stood beside me, rigid as stone, his golden eyes locked on the warrior. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice low, taut with restrained fury.“Yes, Alpha,” the warrior said, bowing his head. “We inspected the area as you instructed, to see if the rogues left anything behind—clues, weapons, anything. But instead, we found the fragments… gone.”Gone. The word echoed in my mind, a drumbeat of confusion. I tried to piece together the rogue king’s motives, but nothing made se
Astrid’s POVThe tension in the room was suffocating. The large council chamber, usually filled with calm deliberation, was now a battlefield of words. Alphas and Lunas from across the packs are all gathered around in one room, their gazes heavy with doubt and mistrust. Killian and I decided to call this meeting to inform everyone about the recent events and to formulate another plan for the future. “We heard that Andros is back, that he came back to the Pack with you, was that true?” One of the Alphas asked. I nodded my head. “That’s true. Although he is banned to enter any Packs, I made my decision out of careful consideration. While we are unsure of where his alliances lies, it would be safe if he is here with us where we could monitor him.”“Andros cannot be trusted,” Alpha Raiden of the Thunderclaw Pack said, his voice cold and unyielding. “He betrayed us once—no, twice. Do you expect us to believe he won’t do it again?”Several heads nodded in agreement, murmurs spreading li
Astrid’s POVI studied Andros’s face as he spoke, searching for even the faintest trace of deceit, but there was none. His expression was raw, stripped bare of his usual indifference, and in its place was something achingly human. Beneath the steady timbre of his voice, I caught a faint sadness—not just for Rowena, but for Killian, too. It made my chest tighten.I turned to Killian and felt my heart break at the sight of him. His golden eyes, usually so fierce and commanding, burned with a storm of emotions that threatened to drown him—anger, sorrow, regret. He stood frozen, like a man facing the wreckage of his entire world.“Then why didn’t she?” Killian’s voice, sharp and brittle, sliced through the heavy air. His fists trembled, clenched so tightly at his sides that his knuckles were white. “If she regretted everything so much, why didn’t she just say something? Why didn’t she stop?”Andros let out a quiet sigh, leaning his head back against the damp stone wall. “Because she c
Astrid’s POVThe words hung in the air, heavy and sharp, cutting deeper than any blade. I felt Killian’s tension beside me, the barely contained storm beneath his surface threatening to erupt.“She introduced you… to the Rogue King?” Killian’s voice was low, trembling with suppressed rage. His golden eyes bore into Andros, demanding answers, demanding a reason to justify what was unfathomable.Andros’s gaze flickered, the indifference cracking ever so slightly. He leaned his head back against the cold stone wall, exhaling slowly. “She didn’t tell me why at first,” he said, his tone eerily calm. “She just… showed up. Out of nowhere.”The faint light from the torch above us cast long shadows across his face, and for a moment, I saw something raw in his eyes—something I couldn’t ignore.“She said she wanted to help me,” Andros continued, his voice softening, almost as if he were speaking to himself. “Said she didn’t want me to rot away in exile. That she could… save me.”Killian’s eyes
Astrid’s POVThe dungeon was cold, the air damp and heavy with the scent of mildew and rusted iron. Shadows danced on the rough stone walls as the faint light flickered, casting a dim, suffocating glow. Killian stood beside me, his jaw tight and his arms crossed, every line of his body radiating tension.Across from us, Andros sat slumped against the wall of his cell, his hands loosely bound in front of him. His face was a mask of indifference, his eyes distant and unfocused as if he were a world away. He didn’t look at us, didn’t even flinch as we approached.“Andros,” I said, keeping my voice steady. He didn’t move. His breathing was even, his gaze fixed somewhere over my shoulder.Killian took a step forward, his boots echoing on the stone floor. “Are you working with the rogues?” he demanded, his voice hard, cutting through the silence like a blade.Nothing. Not even a flicker of recognition.Killian’s fists clenched at his sides. “Answer me, Andros. Are you one of them?”I st
Astrid’s POVThe world outside my dreams pulled me back slowly, the haze of sleep clinging to me as I stirred awake. Something was missing, though. I reached out instinctively to the empty space beside me, my fingers brushing against the cool sheets where Killian should have been.I blinked, still disoriented, as I pushed myself up. The room was dim, the soft glow of moonlight streaming through the windows. My eyes adjusted slowly, and then I saw him—Killian, standing on the terrace just outside, his broad back turned to me.His posture was rigid, his hands gripping the railing as though it were the only thing keeping him grounded. Yawning, I stretched, rolling my shoulders to shake off the remnants of sleep. The cool air hit me as I stepped onto the terrace and I instantly wrapped my arms around myself.“Killian,” I called softly, my voice still hoarse from sleep. He didn’t turn, didn’t acknowledge me at first. His head hung low, the tension radiating from him unmistakable.I cl
Astrid’s POVI stared deep into Asha’s eyes, clouded with emotions she clearly struggled to suppress. The faint shimmer of tears made her gaze softer, more vulnerable than I had seen in years. My heart wrenched for her, for the conflict I knew was tearing her apart.“It’s alright, Asha,” I said gently, cupping her hands to steady the tremor in them. “I didn’t bring him here to hurt him.”Asha let out a shaky breath, her shoulders slumping as though a heavy weight had been lifted. I leaned towards her when I noticed her eyes squint in thoughts as if she still had something to say to me. She retreated back from the intensity of my gaze. “I-I… I just,” she hesitated., her pale eyes drifting away from me. “It’s okay,” I said softly, breaking the silence. I squeezed her hands gently, willing her to look at me again. If you want to see him, you’re free to go.”Her head snapped up, her expression startled, as though the offer itself had caught her off guard. “No,” she said quickly, he