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
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
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 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
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
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
Astrid’s POVThe words on the paper blurred before my eyes, my grip tightening until the edges crumpled in my shaking hands. My breath came in sharp, uneven gasps, my pulse hammering so loudly it drowned out everything else.Killian was speaking — his voice low and urgent — but I couldn’t hear him.All I could see was Elara.Trapped. Alone. Scared.The paper shook violently in my grasp as a sob tore from my throat.My daughter was out there, in his hands. And he wanted me.The weight of it settled over me like an iron cage.This was never about the Pack. Never about a war.It had always been about me.A hand touched my wrist, firm and grounding. “Astrid.”Killian’s voice finally cut through the haze of panic suffocating me. I looked up, meeting his golden eyes—burning with unspoken fear.For me.For Elara.For all of us.I swallowed hard, my throat raw. “I have to go.”“No.” Killian’s grip tightened immediately, his entire body going rigid. “Absolutely not.”I stepped back, wrenching