Alison's Point Of ViewThe landscape of Crimson Pack stretched before me, but it was nothing like I remembered. As the car bumped along the uneven road, I stared out the window, trying to reconcile the lively place I once came to call home with the desolation that now greeted me. The streets were eerily quiet, the bustling squares I used to love reduced to barren stretches. Shops stood half-empty, and the market stalls sagged under the weight of neglect. The vibrant pulse of life had dimmed, leaving behind a haunting stillness.A knot tightened in my stomach. What the hell had happened here?The driver, one of Xander’s guards, glanced at me in the rearview mirror. His tense expression mirrored my own unease, but neither of us spoke. Words felt inadequate in the face of this oppressive gloom.When we reached the gates of my father’s castle, the guards stepped forward, their eyes narrowing as they scrutinized the car. One of them approached the window, his hand resting on the hilt
Alison’s Point Of ViewThe moment my eyes had landed on Simone, something inside me broke free. Relief, fear, and hope all collided, pushing me to my feet as I rushed toward her. Before I could stop myself, I threw my arms around her, holding her tight as if letting go would mean losing her again.“I missed you,” I whispered, my voice trembling.Simone’s arms wrapped around me, her embrace just as firm. “I missed you too,” she said softly, her voice laced with warmth and exhaustion.When we pulled apart, her sharp eyes searched mine. “You’ve been through alot for you to have returned for me, haven’t you?”I let out a shaky laugh. “You have no idea. But we don’t have time for that now. There’s a bigger problem we need to solve.”Simone’s expression shifted, her smile fading into a look of quiet understanding. “I know, we need to get to it.”Without another word, I turned to my mother “Excuse us mother” she nodded and I took that as permission grantedI led her upstairs to my r
Alison’s Point Of ViewI paced the room like a caged animal, my mind spinning in a thousand directions. My heart pounded relentlessly against my ribs, and I could barely keep my hands from trembling. Every step I took across the wooden floor felt like I was trying to outrun the image of Priya’s monstrous face.She was dead. Priya had been dead for over a year. I’d witnessed her death at the hands of Xander, I saw the council guards take away her body. So, how in the hell was she alive or worse, something more terrifying than alive?Simone sat on the edge of my bed, her brow furrowed in deep thought. Her presence, usually so grounding, only added to the thick fog of unease in the room. “This is obviously dark magic,” she finally said, her voice low and grim.I stopped pacing and turned to face her, the disbelief clear in my expression. “Dark magic? That doesn’t make any sense, Simone. Priya was one of my kind. She had no magic in her blood. How could this happen?”Simone lifted h
Alison’s Point Of ViewThe scenery felt too vivid, too real, to dismiss. I was standing in my room, shrouded in darkness. My heart raced as my eyes landed on Xander lying in his bed across the room. At first, I felt relief seeing him there, whole and alive but that feeling shattered as he began to writhe in agony.“Xander!” I tried to scream, but my voice was nothing more than a muffled whimper. I tried again, louder this time, but it was as if the air itself swallowed my cries. Panic surged through me as I watched him twist and turn, his body contorting unnaturally.His bones cracked loudly, echoing in the silent room like the sound of a tree being split apart by lightning. Shifting was supposed to be effortless for an Alpha, almost second nature. But this… this looked like pure torture. I stood frozen, tears streaming down my face as I watched him fight against some unseen force, his agony painted across his face.I reached out, desperate to touch him, to do anything to stop hi
Alison’s Point Of ViewI didn’t sleep all night long. How could I? Every minute that passed without hearing Xander’s voice or connecting to him from our mate link gnawed at me like a ravenous beast. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, painting the room in shades of orange and pink, but the beauty of the dawn was lost on me. My phone sat on the nightstand, mocking me with its silence.I dialed his number again, pressing the phone so hard to my ear it hurt. Ring… voicemail. The robotic voice felt like a slap in the face.“Damn it, Xander!” I shouted, throwing the phone onto the bed. Tears blurred my vision as I paced the room, my mind spiraling. Where was he? Why wasn’t he answering?“Okay, think, Alison,” I whispered to myself, running my hands through my hair. “There has to be someone who knows something.” That’s when it hit me. Katherine. She would know. She always did.I grabbed my phone and dialed her number, my hands trembling. She picked up on the second ri
Alison’s Point Of ViewThe air outside Simone’s house was different today, charged, heavy, as if the universe itself held its breath. I stood frozen on the porch, the hair on my arms prickling. There was a strange energy, like a quiet warning that something unnatural lingered here.I hesitated before calling out, my voice trembling slightly. “Simone?”Silence. Not even the chirping of crickets answered me.A knot of dread tightened in my stomach. “Simone!” I called again, louder this time. Still nothing. My feet moved on their own as I pushed the door open, the creak of the hinges breaking the eerie stillness.Inside, the house was dark, but not just the absence-of-light kind of dark, this was deeper, heavier, as though the shadows were alive and watching me. My heart pounded as I stepped further in, the floorboards groaning under my weight.“Simone, where are you?” I whispered, my voice barely above a breath.The sitting room came into view, and that’s when I saw it. Markings
Alison’s Point Of View The Night Fang territory loomed before me, its towering gates casting long shadows under the pale light of the moon. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white as a whirlwind of emotions churned within me. Fear, guilt, and determination wrestled for dominance in my heart. This wasn’t part of the plan. Katherine had told me to stay away, to focus on finding a solution, but I couldn’t ignore the gnawing feeling in my chest, the pull of my mate's bond with Xander, the faint but relentless call to be near him. When the guards reluctantly let me through after confirming my identity, as soon as the driver parked the car, I stepped out, my legs shaky but purposeful. Katherine met me at the pack house entrance, her expression shifting from surprise to frustration the moment she saw me. “Alison?” she said sharply, crossing her arms. “What are you doing here? I thought I made it clear… you’re supposed to be finding a solution, not running
Xander’s Point Of ViewI was trapped, sinking deeper into the pit, my claws scraping against the unyielding walls as my wolf snarled within me, desperate for release. The darkness around me felt alive, constricting, pulling me under. My voice was raw from screaming, but I couldn’t stop. “Help me!” I yelled, the sound echoing back like a cruel taunt.Then I saw someone, a figure at the top of the hole. “Please,” I begged, my voice trembling. “Help me out of here.”The figure moved closer, and as the light hit their face, my stomach dropped. Priya.Her once-familiar features were distorted, unrecognizable. Her eyes glowed blood-red, her lips twisted in a venomous grin. Hate radiated from her, suffocating me.“You’ll never escape my clutch,” she hissed, her voice a guttural growl that reverberated in my chest.“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “You’re dead. You’re gone!”Her laughter was sharp, cutting through my protests. The air grew heavier, my wolf thrashing violently insid
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