Xander’s POVThe emptiness was the first thing I noticed. The bed felt cold, her warmth missing, and it struck me immediately as I stirred awake. My hand instinctively reached out, grazing the cool sheets where Alison should have been.But I didn’t panic. Alison had a tendency to wake before me, always up with the sun, often in the kitchen, humming softly as she prepared breakfast. I told myself it was one of those mornings, though the gnawing unease in my chest was harder to shake than usual.I swung my legs off the bed, running a hand through my tousled hair before heading to the bathroom. The mirror reflected someone who was trying too hard to convince himself everything was fine. “She’s probably downstairs,” I muttered, splashing water on my face as if the cold would snap me out of my rising apprehension.Once dressed, I made my way down the stairs, my ears tuned for any sign of her. The kitchen was my first stop, but it was empty, except for the faint smell of coffee lingeri
Xander’s POVThe room felt like it was closing in on me. Every word that left Simone’s mouth was like gasoline being poured onto an already roaring fire inside me. My hands curled into fists at my sides as she continued to narrate the events of their journey.“So, let me get this straight,” I growled, my voice low but dangerous. “You walked into the Ancient Rogue City, confronted Kendrick, who’s apparently now a damn king of Rogues and when you told him what Mother Eliza said, his response was to demand that Alison sever her bond with me?”Simone didn’t flinch at my tone. She met my glare with a steady gaze, but I could see the guilt lurking in her eyes. “Yes,” she replied simply.The word hit me like a punch to the gut. I could feel the blood pounding in my ears, the sound of my wolf snarling in the back of my mind. I took a step forward, my jaw clenched so tightly I thought my teeth might crack.“And you thought it was a good idea to tell me this now?” My voice rose, cutting through
Alison’s POVThe iron gates of the Ancient Rogue City loomed before me, taller and more menacing than I remembered. The cold metal reeked of blood and history, of battles fought and lost. My heart pounded as I stepped forward, forcing my voice to stay steady."I'm Alison," I announced, meeting the guard's piercing gaze. "Daughter of Alpha Gaius. Luna of The Night Fang Pack, I'm here to see the Rogue King, Kendrick."The guards didn’t hesitate. Without a single word, they pulled the massive chains, and with a deep, echoing groan, the gates swung open.I swallowed hard. He was expecting me.A shiver ran down my spine as two guards stepped forward, motioning for me to follow. The streets of the city were unlike anything I had ever seen, dark alleys with flickering torches, rogue wolves prowling in the shadows, eyes gleaming with suspicion and curiosity. The scent of damp earth and unwashed bodies filled the air, a stark contrast to the structured, disciplined world I had come from.
Kendrick’s POVThe sound of Alison’s desperate pleas echoed in my mind long after the guards had dragged her away. I leaned back in my chair, exhaling slowly, savoring the taste of her fear in the air.She would come around. They always did.With a flick of my wrist, I beckoned one of the guards forward. He approached swiftly, bowing his head in submission.“Your Imperial Order,” he said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.I tilted my head slightly, studying him. Loyalty, when built on fear, was fragile. It needed reinforcement.“Get me Bruce,” I commanded.The guard bowed again, then turned and disappeared down the dimly lit corridor. The silence that followed was heavy, thick with the weight of anticipation. I tapped my fingers on the armrest, my patience wearing thin.Minutes later, the door creaked open, and Bruce entered, his head already lowered in deference. His long black robes trailed behind him, the scent of ancient herbs clinging to the fabric. He was
Xander’s POVWaiting was never my strong suit.From the moment the sun had risen, I had been stuck on Alison’s balcony, watching as Alpha Gaius meticulously screened and selected the best warriors for our journey to the Ancient Rogue City. I understood the need for caution… hell, I even respected it but the endless deliberation, the way he took his damn time choosing his men as if we weren’t racing against the clock, was driving me insane.Every second wasted was another second Alison was alone with him.Kendrick.The name alone sent a surge of fury through me, making my grip tighten around the balcony railing. He was probably smirking right now, thinking he had won, that he had Alison where he wanted her. The thought of him even breathing near her made my blood boil.I checked the time on my phone. 12 noon.I clenched my jaw. At this rate, we wouldn’t leave until nightfall. And if I let them keep delaying? We’d end up going the next damn day. That was unacceptable.I couldn’
Alison’s POVThe dress was beautiful.Soft silk cascaded down my frame, the intricate embroidery shimmering under the dim candlelight. The fabric clung in all the right places, a masterpiece meant to accentuate, to allure. It should have made me feel elegant, powerful. But instead, it felt like a noose tightening around my throat.I stood before the mirror, staring at the reflection of a woman I barely recognized. Dressed in white, yet drowning in dread. Tonight, I was to be bound to Kendrick, a man I loathed with every fiber of my being.A man I once had a crush on.A bitter smile curled on my lips. It seemed laughable now, how I had once harbored a childish crush on him. Back then, he was the charming, mysterious and enigmatic Alpha that intrigued me, despite how he treated me. But now? Now, I saw him for what he truly was. A monster wrapped in silk. A snake disguised as a king.But how?How had Kendrick risen to power so quickly? It had barely been two years, and yet here h
Kendrick’s POVThe moment I stepped into the chamber, the air shifted.Tension clung to the walls like a thick, suffocating fog. The young maiden at Alison’s feet stiffened, her wide eyes darting toward me as if she had been caught whispering secrets she had no right to speak. But I barely paid her any mind.Because there she was.Alison.My breath caught for a fleeting second before desire took its place. Dressed in silk and gold, she was everything I had ever wanted.. everything I was about to own. Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back, her skin glowing under the candlelight. She looked like a goddess draped in mortal flesh, and fuck, if I didn’t want to rip that dress off her and mark every inch of her body.But I had to wait.The ritual to sever her bond with Xander was only hours away, and when it was done, she would be mine. The mere thought of it sent a wicked thrill down my spine. I could already imagine Xander writhing in agony, his soul ripped apart as their bon
Xander’s POVDarkness swallowed us whole as we crept through the twisted alleys of the Ancient Rogue City. The air was thick with decay, the scent of blood and damp earth saturating my senses. Every shadow felt like a pair of watching eyes, every gust of wind like a whispered warning to turn back. But I wouldn't. I couldn’t.Alison was here. Alone. Trapped. And every second I wasted was a second closer to losing her.Simone moved beside me like a ghost, her footfalls silent against the uneven ground. She grabbed my arm, pulling me into the shadow of a crumbling wall as a group of rogue wolves passed by, their laughter guttural, their conversations laced with violence. I clenched my jaw, suppressing the growl building in my chest. I wanted to tear through them, rip apart anything that stood between me and Alison."Alpha, you need to keep your head straight," Simone whispered, her breath warm against my ear. "If you charge in blind, you're not saving Alison, you’re just getting you
Alison’s POVThe garden had always been my little sanctuary.I sat beneath the shade of the old flowering tree, its blossoms heavy with color, the sweet fragrance dancing lazily in the evening breeze. The sun hung low in the sky, painting streaks of orange and gold across the heavens, while the soft rustle of leaves filled the silence.I let out a gentle sigh, one hand absently cradling my now-round stomach, the other bringing a snack to my lips. Little sweet biscuits.. my latest craving. The soft crunch was comforting, the simple pleasure grounding in a world that had been nothing but chaos and blood not too long ago.For a while, I just sat there, watching the blooms sway and the little insects that busied themselves among them. These were flowers I had nurtured myself… tiny, fragile things that somehow clung to life and bloomed despite the odds. A little like me, I thought with a small smile.But then…That feeling again.The prickling on the back of my neck.The weight of invisibl
Xander’s Point of ViewThe moment Alison’s body collapsed into my arms, my heart lurched violently inside my chest. “Alison!!” I shouted, the sound more a guttural, desperate growl than a word. I scooped her up without hesitation, her head lolling against my shoulder, her skin pale and cold.Panic gripped me like a vice.“Get the physician! Now!” I barked at one of the nearby omegas, my voice rough and sharp.I didn’t wait. I carried her up the stairs, my steps uneven thanks to my injured leg, but there was no force in this world that could keep me from her side. I laid her gently on our bed, brushing hair away from her face, my fingers trembling.“Alison, come on baby… open your eyes for me.” I spoke in a broken whisper.Within moments, the physician arrived, his scent familiar, his face lined with age and wisdom. Before he could even get close, I rounded on him.“What’s wrong with her? What's happening he suddenly collasped?!”“Xander,” my mother’s voice cut through the haze of my p
Alison's POVThe sky was blushing with shades of amber and gold as we reached the Nightfang border. The forest smelled different, cleaner, sweeter somehow. The war was over, and for the first time in what felt like forever, peace hung thick in the air. I felt Simone’s arms squeeze me in a final hug as we approached the edge of Crimson Pack territory.“I’ll be fine from here,” Simone promised, forcing a smile, though her eyes glistened. “You saved us, Ali… go home you need to rest.”I swallowed hard, nodding, my throat tight. “I’ll come see you soon.”“Promise?”“Promise. Tell my father I'd come by later”And with that, she turned and disappeared into the trees.By the time Xander and I made it to the Nightfang courtyard, dusk had started creeping in. The warm orange glow settled over the stone walls and the scent of the pack filled my lungs. Familiar… comforting… mine.Elders, pack members, and Xander’s mother, Katherine, were already gathered, their faces breaking into joy the second
Alison POV“Xander?”The name left my lips in a whisper, barely carried by the cold night air. I stood there, my white fur matted with blood and earth, my chest heaving after the final clash beneath the cursed red moon. The sky was clearing now… the eerie crimson glow fading back to its rightful silver. I should have felt victorious. I should have felt alive.But all I felt was dread.The world around me was too quiet. The earth no longer trembled, the cries of the damned had faded into suffocating silence. I lifted my head, my ears twitching, desperately searching for the familiar voices for them. For Xander. For Simone. But the forest was empty, and the only thing that brushed against me was the cold wind.Where are they?Mother Eliza had promised. Victory will spare them. That was her exact fucking promise. She said the evil witch’s curse would break with the witch’s fall. I had shattered the monster's heart with my own claws, I felt the magic unravel. So why… why wasn’t I hearing
Alison’s POV "I refuse to die like this… not today, not like this.” I thought it was the end. I braced myself, teeth clenched, heart hammering so loud I could hear it echo in my ears. The witch’s spell, an ominous swirl of darkness and crackling green light, shot toward me like a bullet from hell itself. I shut my eyes so tight they hurt, waiting for the searing pain to tear through me. But it never came. Everything around me… froze. I mean literally… frozen. The howling wind stopped mid-scream, the leaves hung motionless in the air like trapped confetti, and the cursed magic hovered right in front of me, suspended like some twisted work of art. My pulse thundered in my ears as I cracked open one eye, then the other, slowly taking in this eerie, impossible sight. “What the…?” I gasped, my voice trembling and shaky. A sudden warmth, gentle but firm, filled the air around me. Then came a voice I hadn’t heard in what felt like forever… soft, familiar… maternal. “Alison, use your
Alison’s POV"I don’t have a goddamn choice, do I?"The words slipped from my lips like a broken prayer, hanging in the cold, cursed air around me. I stood at the ragged edge of that dark, twisted forest a place that reeked of death and old magic, where even the moonlight was too afraid to fall.Behind me, the world I knew was unraveling.I turned, my throat burning, and let my eyes fall on them. Xander, lying there, so pale it hurt to look at him. His chest barely rose, his lips bluish. And beside him, Simone… barely alive, a wisp of breath between her lips, her skin almost translucent in the fading light. My heart shattered, a million jagged pieces tearing at my insides.“I’m sorry Xander! Simone!,” I whispered, the words trembling as they left me. “I swear to you both… I’ll fix this. I’ll make it right… or I’ll die trying.”My chest heaved, but I forced my feet forward, into the cursed forest.Every step I took felt like walking deeper into a grave. The air grew thick, heavy with s
Alison’s POVAs time passed minute by minute I couldn’t hear anything anymore. Not the ticking of time, not Simone’s footsteps circling endlessly, not even my own heartbeat.All I could hear was silence… and the weight of failure.Xander’s head lay on my lap, his face pale, body limp, chest rising and falling in irregular shudders. His once steady heartbeat now thumped like a fading drum. I gently brushed the hair from his forehead, my hands trembling. How could he have done this for me? For all of us?I bowed over him, a tear splashing onto his cheek. “Please,” I whispered. “You can’t die, not now. Not like this.”I looked up, only to see Simone pacing like a trapped animal. Her eyes were wide, frantic, as she pressed her palms against the invisible barrier again and again, trying to push through. Nothing worked. The ancient spellbook… our only hope was lying just inches beyond the boundary. So close. Yet unreachable.Her voice cracked. “Dammit!” she screamed, slamming her fists agai
Alison's POV"No!"It was all I could scream. Just one word. One desperate, gut-wrenching, soul-tearing scream that tore from the deepest part of me. Because right in front of me, Xander had done the unthinkable. The unimaginable.He had thrown himself in front of the witch’s curse.One second, I was standing there, trying to gather my wits, watching the cursed energy coil around her fingers like smoke from hell and the next, Xander had shoved me back and taken the hit meant for me.The sound that came out of him wasn’t human. His body convulsed violently, jerking like a puppet with its strings slashed. The blast hit him dead in the chest, and he fell with a sickening thud onto the dirt-covered ground.“XANDER!” I screamed, dropping to my knees beside him. My voice cracked from the sheer agony tearing at my insides.His eyes were wide open, but they were... blank. Hollow. Like the spark of him had been pulled from his soul. His body trembled, every inch of it twitching in jerks that m
Xander’s POV“She’s breathing… right? Tell me she’s breathing.”I could barely move, my limbs were trembling, my chest tight with exhaustion and panic, but I didn’t care. I dragged myself forward, forcing every muscle in my body to function as if my very existence depended on it, because it did. Alison lay there, still as death, her chest unmoving, her skin pale, and it felt like my world was being ripped apart right in front of me.“Alison,” I whispered, crawling to her. “Baby… come on, wake up. Please.”Her head was tilted to the side, her lips parted slightly, her face bruised from the force of her fall. My heart cracked open. My voice cracked harder.I didn't even realize I was crying until a tear slid down her cheek… no, my tear… my agony transferred onto her skin.Simone appeared at my side, blood dripping from her nose and the edges of her mouth. She looked just as wrecked as I felt, maybe even more. Her hands trembled as she rummaged through her pack. She pulled out a small gr