A FEW YEARS AGO…. At the Crimsonbane PackGiselle’s POVIt was by accident when I found out that Damien was secretly the Alpha of the Crimsonbane Pack. At that time, I was working as an omega at the Crimsonbane Pack’s Packhouse. As a newly adopted member, I needed to start low in the ranks. I was demoted to the lowest position. I had to clean around the Packhouse and do menial work as the Packhouse’s Omega. When I was living at the Silvermoon Pack, I was never treated as a servant. We are way higher than omegas and even above the average werewolves. You could say we are the Pack’s nobles without official titles. Since I was born into the Silvermoon Pack, I had my own privileges. However, I lost all of that when I was exiled and turned into a rogue. I could only say that I’m still lucky that I didn’t stay as a rogue for a long time. It would be much better to become a Packhouse’s omega than to be a lone rogue without any friends and without a pack that can provide for me. A
PRESENT TIME At the Silvermoon’s Pack….Giselle’s POVI sped off, keeping my distance from Damien as soon as we were out of anyone’s sight. With Killian’s request, I took Damien out to help him familiarize himself with the packhouse. I picked the Packhouse’s gardens first to escape the watchful eyes and prying ears of the people. I crossed my arms tightly against my chest, my fingers digging under the sleeves of my sweater. A huff of frustration escaped my lips as my eyes narrowed into an irritated glare. I turned on my heel and faced Damien without bothering to mask my real annoyance anymore. “What are you doing here?” I questioned him with an annoyed tone of voice. “You left us without saying anything. What do you expect I would feel when I found out you are pregnant and engaged with another Alpha?” Damien shot back. I scoffed at his words. “Why do you care? My life is not your business anymore ever since you broke your promises and chose someone over me!” I clenched m
Giselle’s POVDamien looked at me in disbelief as if I had just done a heinous crime he never thought I was capable of doing. There are a lot of things he doesn’t know about me, and a lot of things have changed ever since left me. He has no right to look at me with judgment in his eyes when he is the reason why I’m in a desperate situation right now. Damien shook his head like he wasn’t able to stomach my lies anymore. “I’m going to tell Killian about this, whether you like it or not. Killian deserves to know the truth. It’s up to him if he still wants to marry you after that or not.” Damien walked forward with a determined look in his eyes, but I rushed forward and grabbed his arm to hold him. “Please, Damien don’t tell him. Don’t do this to me, please,” my voice croaked as I begged him in a whisper. I tightened my hold around his arm, my fingers digging under his sleeves. Everything would be over once Killian and his mother found out the truth. The only reason why Killian i
Damien’s POVWhat the hell?! “Giselle! Giselle!” Victoria and Killian shouted her name with worry etched on their faces as they rushed to her side. Giselle cried out uncontrollably because of the pain that she had caused to herself. I sat beside her with my eyes wide, staring at her in disbelief. I was frozen in fear when I saw how she punched herself in the belly, causing all this pain unto herself. Giselle has been sitting beside me all this time, so Killian and Victoria didn’t notice how she punched her belly underneath the table with full force. I was pushed to the side as Killian pulled Giselle out of her seat to see what was happening to her. I couldn’t speak. I don’t even know if I should tell Killian that Giselle just tried to abort her own child. “K-Killian! T-the baby, m-my grandson!” Victoria shouted in fear when she saw the puddle of blood beneath Giselle’s chair. Giselle had lost a huge amount of blood already, but her leg was still bleeding. Killian curse
Giselle’s POVI lay weakly on the hospital bed after the Pack Doctor managed to save my baby and keep it from dying. All the pain has finally left my body. My baby and I are back to our normal health again. I just needed to rest until my body recovered on its own to avoid another incident like this in the future. After giving everyone a scare, the Pack Doctor worked fast and diligently to save my baby, the future Alpha of this Pack. The Pack Doctor was in full concentration as he worked, knowing that he would lose his head if he failed to save my child. A profound sense of relief washed over him after he managed to keep my baby safe and alive with his successful emergency procedure. After my body and the baby’s health had stabilized, the Pack Doctor finally allowed me to have me moved to a hospital room for a complete bed rest. I blinked my eyes as I stared directly at the blank ceiling above me. The whole room is in silence since the Pack Doctor prohibits anyone from e
Giselle’s POVThe Pack Doctor’s brows furrowed as he fixed his gaze upon me. His lips parted slightly as if the words he wished to convey had become momentarily lodged in their throat. I knew what he was thinking. That look of judgment in his eyes is all too familiar to me. Yet, he didn’t say anything. He knew that one word out of his mouth, then I might just well kill him now to hide my dark secret. So, with hesitation in his eyes and a heavy weight in his heart, he slowly lowered his head before me in surrender. “Y-Yes, Luna,” he stammered as he forced out his words. Hearing the tremble in his voice, I was not fully convinced that he would be trusted with my secret. However, I had no choice; he is a Doctor, and even if I kill him, someone is going to replace him and find out about the real gender of my child. I need a Doctor that I could trust and work for me to hide the identity of my child. I need to gain his trust and make sure he won’t betray me. “Good,” I
Giselle’s POVEverybody had just left after the Pack Doctor pushed everyone away so I could have my full rest. Once everyone was gone, silence filled the room once again, and my deafening thoughts started to get the best of me again. A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I stared at my pregnant belly. “You are punishing me for harming you,” I muttered bitterly as I drew my hand in circles on top of my belly. I tried to harm her, and right afterward, she gave me this surprise. I flinched when someone just barged into my room and flew my door open. I pushed myself up to a sitting position as I waited to see who that was. My body tensed up when I saw Damien appear in the corner of my room. “Damien?” My brows furrowed when I saw him appear at the corner of my room. “What are you doing here?” I questioned him as I scooted far from him. “We need to talk,” Damien answered tersely as he locked the door behind him and made his way towards me. “This is dangerous!” I hissed at him. “Do
Damien’s POVMy blood boiled in anger as I stormed out of the Packhouse. I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white as my conversation with Giselle seared in my mind. The way Giselle disregarded our child is what angered me the most. How could any mother be so callous, utterly indifferent to their own child? Never in my life had I ever encountered such a blatant disregard before. I shifted to my stormy grey wolf as soon as I reached the clearing. I used my anger to fuel my legs, letting my wolf run as fast as it could until my lungs burned in protest. My wolf did not stop running; instead, it ran faster and faster as my mind replayed the interaction I had with Giselle in my head. Giselle had spoken dismissively about her own child that was still in her womb. Not only that, I also just witnessed how she harmed her own baby just to have things the way she wanted. Giselle is not the same person as I have known before. The Giselle that I know is kind and soft-hearted. She
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