Astrid’s POVThe Packhouse felt like it was holding its breath. The soft rustle of papers, the distant murmur of warriors preparing for their assignments, even the steady crackle of the fireplace—all of it felt muted under the weight of what was coming.I stood at the center of the war room, the maps and reports spread before me like pieces of a puzzle I hadn’t yet solved. My mind raced through the details, analyzing each thread of information, trying to see the bigger picture that Ardan had laid out for us.We had a plan—an effective one by all accounts. But something gnawed at me, a persistent itch in the back of my mind that refused to be ignored. This was too easy. Too obvious. And when it came to Ardan, nothing was ever straightforward.The rogues had proven time and again that they were more than just a mindless army. They adapted, improvised, and somehow always managed to stay two steps ahead. If we underestimated them now, the cost could be devastating.The door creaked o
Astrid’s POVThe council chamber buzzed with an undercurrent of tension that made the air feel thick. The weight of the looming meeting sat heavily on my chest, though I knew I couldn’t let it show. This was where Ardan would aim to make his statement, where he’d strike to spread chaos and fear.I stood in the far corner, my eyes scanning the room as the Alphas and Lunas filed in one by one. Their voices filled the space, low murmurs exchanging concerns over Ardan’s growing influence and his unrelenting attacks.Killian stood at my side, his presence as steady as a mountain. His golden eyes scanned the room, sharp and calculating, watching for any signs of danger. Ryder had already slipped into the shadows, overseeing the security measures with a team of warriors stationed discreetly throughout the area.“You’ve been quiet,” Killian said, his voice low, for me alone.I turned to him, meeting his gaze. “I’m thinking,” I admitted. “Ardan isn’t just about brute force. If he has peop
Astrid’s POVThe meeting dragged on, each word from the council weighing heavier on my mind. The tension in the room felt suffocating, like a rope tightening around my chest. Despite the conversation moving forward, my thoughts were locked on the reports Ryder had just delivered.The eastern forest. A small group of scouts.It wasn’t unusual for Ardan’s rogues to test our borders, but this felt… off. Too timed. Too deliberate.Killian sat beside me, his golden eyes flicking between the Alphas as they debated strategies. Every so often, his hand would tighten into a fist on the table, his jaw clenching as tempers flared.“We’re wasting time,” Alpha Damien growled, slamming a hand against the table. His dark eyes scanned the room. “Ardan’s already moving against us, and we’re sitting here bickering over details. We need decisive action—now.”“Decisive action?” another Alpha countered, his voice sharp. “Like sending more warriors to die for nothing? Ardan’s forces aren’t just mindless ro
Astrid’s POVThe eerie silence of the Packhouse had never felt more oppressive. The warmth of the torches lining the halls failed to chase away the chill that seemed to settle deep in my bones.I paced outside Elara’s room, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. The image of the guard’s frightened expression, the mention of a rogue scent, it all played on a loop in my mind.Killian stood nearby, speaking in hushed tones to Ryder. His golden eyes were sharp, every ounce of his Alpha authority pouring into the conversation as he issued orders. His presence was reassuring, but the fear gripping my chest refused to ease.Elara.The thought of her so close to danger made my stomach churn. She was too young, too innocent to be dragged into this nightmare. Ardan’s shadow was creeping closer, and it terrified me.“Ryder,” Killian said, his tone steady but laced with anger. “I want a full sweep of the Packhouse and the surrounding forest. If there’s even a trac
Astrid’s POVThe unease had taken root deep in my chest, twisting tighter with each passing moment. The Packhouse bustled with warriors and scouts moving in and out, delivering updates and taking orders, but it didn’t soothe the gnawing feeling in my gut. It felt like standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting for the inevitable plunge.I stood in the war room, pretending to focus on the reports spread across the table. Maps marked with patrol routes and potential rogue movements stared back at me, but none of it felt real. My eyes kept darting to the door, half-expecting someone to rush in with news of an attack.Killian was on the other side of the room, speaking with Ryder. His golden eyes burned with intensity, and the tension in his stance betrayed his own worries, though he’d never admit them outright. Killian always bore the weight of leadership with unwavering strength, but I knew he felt the strain just as much as I did.“The eastern border,” Ryder said, his voice carrying
Astrid’s POVLong shadows cast down on me as I walked through the halls. Every step felt heavier than the last, the air thick with tension. I had spent the last hour sitting by Elara and Ryker’s beds, watching their peaceful faces, willing my fears to fade away. But they hadn’t.I had always trusted my instincts, and right now, they were screaming at me. Something was wrong.Killian had tried to reassure me, promising that we had taken every precaution, that the guards stationed around our children were the best of the best. But my gut told me otherwise. Ardan was methodical. He didn’t make reckless moves. If he had stayed silent for this long, it was because he was waiting for the perfect opportunity.I wasn’t about to let him take it.I turned a corner and found Killian waiting for me outside the war room, his golden eyes watching me closely. He had been expecting me.“You didn’t rest,” he said simply.“Neither did you,” I countered, folding my arms across my chest.He exhaled, ru
Astrid’s POVThe hour was unnervingly still-the kind of stillness that didn't promise peace but danger. Even the crickets had silenced their symphony, leaving the world suspended in an uneasy pause.Fresh guards had taken their positions outside Elara and Ryker's room, their heavy boots scuffing the floor before settling into still vigilance. Inside, I sat unmoving, my nails absently scraping patterns into the worn armrest of the chair. Every creak of the house, every gust of wind, felt like a warning. My wolf stirred, pacing just beneath the surface, uneasy.Killian had checked on me earlier. He'd lingered in the doorway, his golden eyes searching mine, his mouth pressed into a grim line. He didn't speak, didn't push me to leave. He didn't need to. He knew I wouldn't.I wasn't leaving my children tonight.The breeze through the open window caught the flame of a candle, snuffing it out in a final flicker. Shadows stretched long across the room. I stood, my movements deliberate an
Astrid’s POVThe world felt distant, muffled by the thick fog of unconsciousness. My body was heavy, weighed down by pain and exhaustion, yet my mind clawed for clarity, for awareness.Then, all at once, reality came crashing down.Elara.My breath hitched, my body jolting as I forced my eyes open. A sharp pain seared through my back, but I ignored it, my heart hammering against my ribs. My surroundings swam into focus—the soft glow of candlelight flickering against the stone walls, the scent of herbs lingering in the air.I was in my room.Someone had carried me here.A shadow shifted beside me, and my gaze landed on Killian.He sat in a chair beside the bed, his elbows resting on his knees, his golden eyes dark with something raw and unguarded. His face was drawn, his usual sharp confidence buried beneath an overwhelming weight.The moment he saw me stir, he straightened. “Astrid,” he breathed, relief washing over his features.But I barely heard him.“Elara,” I gasped, my voice
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 alrea