Alison's POVThe silence of the main hall was pretty much deceptive, almost mocking. The weight of my vision still hung heavy in my chest, like a storm cloud waiting to burst. Every step echoed sharply as I approached my father’s study, my resolve strengthening with every beat of my heart.The vision had been vividly clear, too vivid to ignore. I could still hear the voice of the messenger speaking to me, feel the power in the air as it commanded me to find the Crimson Vault. If this vault truly held the key to ending Alpha Cedric’s threats, I had no choice but to pursue it.Still, doubt gnawed at the edges of my determination. Was I chasing shadows? Or was this the very path I was destined to tread?I paused outside the study door, gripping the handle, my knuckles whitening. What if he denies its existence altogether? I swallowed hard, ignoring the tremor in my hand, and pushed the door open.My father looked up from behind his mahogany desk, his piercing eyes narrowing as he saw me
Alison's POVThe air was thick with tension as I paced Simone’s hut, the soft flicker of candlelight casting elongated shadows against the walls. Every creak of the old wooden floor seemed louder than it should have been, each sound feeding my already frayed nerves. Simone sat at the corner table, her milky eyes staring into a void only she could see, her hands delicately tracing the edges of an old, yellowed map.“You’re wearing a hole into the floor,” she finally said, her voice calm but with an edge of amusement.I stopped mid-stride, folding my arms across my chest. “How can you be so calm? The Crimson Vault could be anywhere in this entire territory, and we have no idea where to start.”Simone’s lips curved into a faint smile as she tilted her head in my direction. “Because panicking won’t bring us any closer to finding it. Sit down, Alison. Your restless energy is suffocating.”Reluctantly, I dropped into a chair opposite her, the legs scraping against the wooden floor. Simone r
Alison's POVThe heavy silence in the air felt like a harbinger of chaos as I paced the length of my room, my mind spiraling through the tangled mess of alliances, betrayals, and mounting tensions. The weight of it all was unbearable. Every decision I made seemed to tighten the noose around my throat, and now, more than ever, I felt like I was running out of time.A sharp knock on my door startled me out of my thoughts. “Come in,” I called, my voice steadier than I felt.Simone stepped inside, her cane tapping lightly against the stone floor, followed by two of my guards. Her expression, serene yet commanding, belied the storm brewing in her mind. “The guards will assist me on my task,” she said simply, her blind gaze fixed somewhere near my shoulder.“Thank you for agreeing to this,” I said, my voice low.“You gave me no choice, We are more like sisters now,” Simone replied, a trace of humor in her tone. “I'd go any length for you. Are you ready?”Ready? No. But this wasn’t about me
Alison's POV The air in Alpha Gaius’s office was heavy, the tension almost suffocating as we sat around the old oak table. The treaty lay before us, its parchment yellowed with age, the ink faded but legible. My fingers itched to touch the Crimson Dagger at my side, its weight both comforting and ominous. The secrets we had unearthed could either save us or doom us.“Are we really sure about this?” I asked, my voice quieter than I intended. “The treaty, the magic… it’s all just words until proven otherwise.”“Darling, legends don’t survive this long without truth to sustain them,” my father said, his deep voice steady but with an edge of concern. “And now we have the proof.”Simone sat opposite me, her sightless eyes directed slightly above my head. She held her staff with both hands, her calm demeanor a stark contrast to the storm raging inside me. “Let us read it again,” she said softly, tilting her head as if listening to something beyond the room.My father unfurled the scroll on
Alison's POVThe air outside Shadow Claw’s grand council hall was sharp and biting, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. My boots crunched against the gravel as I stood beside my father, Alpha Gaius, the ancient treaty tucked carefully under his arm. A thin veil of mist hung over the landscape, blurring the outline of the towering structure before us. The weight of what we were about to face bore down on me, tightening my chest like a vice.“Do you think they’ll listen?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.“They will,” my father said firmly, though his tone betrayed the tension coursing through him. “The council was created to uphold the laws and ensure balance among the Sister Packs. If there’s any justice left in this world, today will be our victory.”The word “victory” felt fragile in my mind, like glass teetering on the edge of shattering.I glanced at the doors of the hall, their intricate carvings depicting wolves under a blood-red moon. “How does it work? The counc
Alison's POV “You did it, Alison. You saved it all.” Xander said pulling me into a short hugI couldn't wrap my head around why he was here but I was super excited to see him regardless "Hey, you came?" before I could continue my father said"He told us he'd be coming but wanted it to be a surprise so we couldn't tell" my father said My eyes darted to my mother's side and the sweet smile on her face was so heart filling"So everyone else knew except me, wow guys" I teased pretending to be angry"It's payback for not telling me about these too, now I got you back" everyone burst into laughter."Table is served everyone, we might as well celebrate this win together as a family since Xander is here" my mum said as everyone concurred to it, Xander threw his arms around my waist as we proceeded for the dinning. The feast was massive, my mum had prepared so much in a bid for us to celebrate, by the time we were all done no one had the strength anymore to even rise from the table, by the
Xander’s Point of ViewI woke up to an empty bed and an empty room.At first, it didn’t register. The warmth of the previous night still lingered in the sheets, and most of all in my mind, sluggish and heavy with contentment, I didn’t immediately process that Alison wasn’t next to me. But as my eyes fluttered open and adjusted to the soft morning light streaming through the curtains, the absence of her soft breathing beside me became glaring to me.A pang of disappointment rippled through me. I turned my head, hoping she had simply rolled away or tucked herself in the corner of the bed, but no. The space was cold and untouched.I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I sat up. I was hoping to get a beautiful good morning sex, but I guess today had other plans in store for me. Today was supposed to be the day I returned to NightFang. I had only come to celebrate Alison’s victory and to finalize the details of our mating ceremony. The thought of leaving her, even if only for a short
Alison’s Point of ViewThe warmth of the morning still lingered in my chest as we cleared the breakfast table, the echoes of laughter and heartfelt words still floating in the air. It felt like a turning point, a moment that tethered all of us closer together. As I stacked plates and handed them off to the staff, I caught Xander watching me from across the room, a soft, almost secretive smile curving his lips.“What?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him, though I couldn’t keep the grin off my face.“Just admiring my woman ,” he replied smoothly, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. “You look so at home here. It’s... nice.”“Nice?” I teased, raising a brow. “You really know how to make a girl feel special, Alpha.”He chuckled, pushing off the frame and walking toward me. “You know what I mean. You belong here with your family, with your people, It really suits you.”Before I could respond, my mother’s voice rang out from the kitchen, pulling my attention back to the task
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