PercyThe weight of responsibility settles heavily on my shoulders as I watch the sun begin to rise over the pack grounds. Golden light stretches across the land, but it does little to push away the tension clinging to the air.Arlo is gone, tracking Tara, and until he returns, it’s on me to ensure the pack remains protected and nothing gets within sniffing distance of our Luna.Hilda stands a few feet away, arms wrapped around herself, staring at the tree line as though she can will Arlo back through sheer determination.She looks exhausted. Dark circles mar the delicate skin beneath her eyes, and she’s favoring her right side slightly. I make a mental note to make sure she rests soon, even though I know she’ll fight me on it.The responsibility I feel isn’t just for the pack. It’s for her, too. For my Luna. For my friend. My heavily pregnant and stubborn as hell friend.A presence shifts beside me, and I know before turning that it’s Nixie. The crisp smell of morning dew clings to h
MorganaThe night air is thick with fear, and I drink it in like the finest wine. The chaos I’ve sown wraps around me, intoxicating, exhilarating. They run in circles, desperate to find Tara, too blind to see that she was never truly missing. Not in the way they think.I stretch my stolen limbs, rolling my shoulders, feeling the resistance of this weakening shell. Tara fought me harder yesterday than she ever has before, clawing at the edges of my control like a wild animal.It cost me. I had to dig deep, unravelling her from within, silencing her screams until they were nothing more than whispers lost in the abyss. But the strain is evident. Our body is deteriorating much faster than anticipated. Who would have guessed timid Tara would be so troublesome?I need a new vessel. A stronger one. Of course, my perfect vessel is even now being grown in Hilda’s distended belly, but I was supposed to have time. Tara’s body should have lasted long enough to raise the infant to a child before I
CereliaI’m not quite asleep, but I can sense something beckoning to me. Perhaps another nightmare waiting to bleed into reality. But I move closer anyway, drawn by a whisper that is neither sound nor silence.A presence lingers here, just beyond the veil of the living. I’ve never communed with the dead before and I’m honestly not overly eager to start now.A shiver runs through me and it feels like the world is holding its’ breath. Time stretches interminably and then, from the darkness, a voice speaks.“Cerelia.” I don’t flinch, even if every instinct I possess screams at me to run. The voice is hollow, echoing as if spoken through a cavern of time.A figure flickers into existence before me. A pale woman, her face gaunt, silvery eyes filled with something ancient and knowing.“Who are you?” I ask, my voice firm despite the ice creeping down my spine. “The one chosen to deliver a warning,” she says, and it’s not just her voice I hear. It’s the weight of countless others before her,
HildaThe silence after Cerelia’s warning is suffocating. Thick with unspoken fears and impossible choices. My hand trembles where it rests against my stomach, protectively hovering over the innocent life in there. She hasn’t even taken her first breath, and yet she’s already at the centre of a deadly conflict.Arlo stands across from me, his jaw tight, fists clenched at his sides. I can see his impotent fury at this untenable situation. He wants to fight. To strategize. But this isn’t a battle of strength or tactical maneuvering.“We have to talk to Astaroth,” I say, breaking the silence. The words taste like poison on my tongue. “No.” Arlo’s response is instant, as sharp as a blade. His eyes burn as they meet mine. “We’ll find another way.”“There isn’t one.” My voice wavers, but I force myself to hold his gaze. “I don’t dare attempt to wield Veilbreaker while I’m still pregnant. We don’t know what it would do to our daughter if my life essence is drained and it’s the only thing we
(Hilda)“Hilda, you can’t fight them alone, you have to go! You have to run!” my mate, Alpha Soren, shouts with the last of his strength. He tries to lift himself off the ground, reaching for me, and I take his hand. “I’m not going anywhere.” I kneel beside him, looking into his eyes. “I love you, Soren. We’re going to survive this together. Or we’ll die together.” “No!” He yells. “Please Hilda, you have to run!”As the words leave his lips an arrow strikes my side. I collapse to the ground, laying beside him, as he cries out my name. I want to comfort him, to reassure him I’m alright, but I need to conserve my strength.With great determination I struggle back to my feet. I’m going to keep fighting to protect him until I exhale my last breath.“Hilda. If we make it out of this alive, I’m making you my Luna. No more wasting time. I love you.”***The world is dark all around me, but his words are a warm, soft blanket surrounding my heart. I wonder where the heavy smell of herbs is c
(Hilda)It’s Cerelia’s Luna coronation ceremony today. It seems like only yesterday that I believed it would be me standing beside Soren, surrounded by our pack, while he confirmed that I was to be his Luna. Now they’re all dressed in their finest and the air is full of joyous celebration for someone else. It’s as if I never existed.I should leave and go back to bed, but I just can’t tear myself away. As I slowly make my way through the crowd, each step sends a sharp jolt of pain through my body. I almost relish the torment, which is nothing compared to the agony in my heart.All I can see is Soren and Cerelia, standing hand in hand and gazing at each other with adoration. The way he looked at me until I opened my eyes and my world imploded.We grew up together. Training side by side. Sharing our hopes and ambitions. I knew him better than anyone and now he’s making another woman his Luna. It’s a betrayal of everything we shared. A man’s voice brings me out of my reverie. “Well, w
(Hilda)My first instinct is to try and fight them off, but my muscles are far too weak after a year of inactivity. The warriors’ grips are like iron and my attempts to struggle are futile.As some of them begin to recognize me as the former Beta of this pack, a warrior who took out many of their comrades, hatred and the thirst for vengeance flare in their eyes. They’re no longer simply following orders, they really want to hurt me.I hate that my eyes fill with tears as desperation claws at my heart. I don’t want to show them that I’m terrified, but panic is overwhelming me. I can’t defend myself in my current condition.Hope surges in my heart when Soren’s voice commands them to stop. The warriors hesitate, releasing their hold on me and for a brief flicker of time I think that Soren may still care about me.Cerelia is by his side, her face a mask of shock and embarrassment as her eyes flash between me and the brother. The crowd’s attention shifts from me to her, and the uncertainty
(Hilda)Damon leaves me alone in the tiny cabin for what feels like an eternity. It’s freezing and I’m hungry enough to start chewing my way through a wall.The worst torment is being alone with my thoughts. Replaying the moment of waking up and Soren’s cold expression when he handed me to Damon like a spoil of war, over and over in my mind.I’m so close to losing my mind completely that I’m happy when 2 of Damon’s men burst into the cabin and drag me outside, throwing me down on the cold, hard ground.Being in the fresh air is wonderful and I bask in the feeling of the freezing wind playing across my face, ruffling my hair almost affectionately.It takes me far too long to raise my gaze and find more than a dozen of Damon’s men standing around me, each of them holding a bow and arrow and looking at me excitedly.They’re planning on hunting me for sport, I realize with dawning horror. I thought Damon’s cruelty had reached its limit, but apparently not.“Go on bitch. We’re giving you a
HildaThe silence after Cerelia’s warning is suffocating. Thick with unspoken fears and impossible choices. My hand trembles where it rests against my stomach, protectively hovering over the innocent life in there. She hasn’t even taken her first breath, and yet she’s already at the centre of a deadly conflict.Arlo stands across from me, his jaw tight, fists clenched at his sides. I can see his impotent fury at this untenable situation. He wants to fight. To strategize. But this isn’t a battle of strength or tactical maneuvering.“We have to talk to Astaroth,” I say, breaking the silence. The words taste like poison on my tongue. “No.” Arlo’s response is instant, as sharp as a blade. His eyes burn as they meet mine. “We’ll find another way.”“There isn’t one.” My voice wavers, but I force myself to hold his gaze. “I don’t dare attempt to wield Veilbreaker while I’m still pregnant. We don’t know what it would do to our daughter if my life essence is drained and it’s the only thing we
CereliaI’m not quite asleep, but I can sense something beckoning to me. Perhaps another nightmare waiting to bleed into reality. But I move closer anyway, drawn by a whisper that is neither sound nor silence.A presence lingers here, just beyond the veil of the living. I’ve never communed with the dead before and I’m honestly not overly eager to start now.A shiver runs through me and it feels like the world is holding its’ breath. Time stretches interminably and then, from the darkness, a voice speaks.“Cerelia.” I don’t flinch, even if every instinct I possess screams at me to run. The voice is hollow, echoing as if spoken through a cavern of time.A figure flickers into existence before me. A pale woman, her face gaunt, silvery eyes filled with something ancient and knowing.“Who are you?” I ask, my voice firm despite the ice creeping down my spine. “The one chosen to deliver a warning,” she says, and it’s not just her voice I hear. It’s the weight of countless others before her,
MorganaThe night air is thick with fear, and I drink it in like the finest wine. The chaos I’ve sown wraps around me, intoxicating, exhilarating. They run in circles, desperate to find Tara, too blind to see that she was never truly missing. Not in the way they think.I stretch my stolen limbs, rolling my shoulders, feeling the resistance of this weakening shell. Tara fought me harder yesterday than she ever has before, clawing at the edges of my control like a wild animal.It cost me. I had to dig deep, unravelling her from within, silencing her screams until they were nothing more than whispers lost in the abyss. But the strain is evident. Our body is deteriorating much faster than anticipated. Who would have guessed timid Tara would be so troublesome?I need a new vessel. A stronger one. Of course, my perfect vessel is even now being grown in Hilda’s distended belly, but I was supposed to have time. Tara’s body should have lasted long enough to raise the infant to a child before I
PercyThe weight of responsibility settles heavily on my shoulders as I watch the sun begin to rise over the pack grounds. Golden light stretches across the land, but it does little to push away the tension clinging to the air.Arlo is gone, tracking Tara, and until he returns, it’s on me to ensure the pack remains protected and nothing gets within sniffing distance of our Luna.Hilda stands a few feet away, arms wrapped around herself, staring at the tree line as though she can will Arlo back through sheer determination.She looks exhausted. Dark circles mar the delicate skin beneath her eyes, and she’s favoring her right side slightly. I make a mental note to make sure she rests soon, even though I know she’ll fight me on it.The responsibility I feel isn’t just for the pack. It’s for her, too. For my Luna. For my friend. My heavily pregnant and stubborn as hell friend.A presence shifts beside me, and I know before turning that it’s Nixie. The crisp smell of morning dew clings to h
Arlo The scent is faint but unmistakable. Tara was here. Hilda and I found no new clues this morning, but my nose has led me back here again tonight.I crouch low to the ground, inhaling deeply, my wolf raging beneath my skin. The remnants of her scent cling to the ancient temple ruins, barely perceptible, nearly washed away by the damp earth and overgrowth.She didn’t linger here for long, but she was here recently. Recently enough that my instincts scream at me to keep searching.Clenching my fists, I push myself upright, exhaling slowly through my nose. I can’t afford to lose control. I need to keep my wits about me in spite of the fact that every step I take feels like I'm chasing ghosts, and the weight pressing down on my chest is threatening to crack me open from the inside.She’s getting away. And I can’t let that happen. Moonlight spills through the broken arches of the temple, casting jagged shadows along the cracked stone. I hate this place.The magic that lingers here is t
HildaThe weight in my chest is suffocating. Tara is gone. And it’s my fault. I should have trusted my instincts the moment I noticed something was wrong.She was a member of my pack and as her Luna I should have protected her, even if doing so wasn’t imperative to my daughter’s well-being.Arlo stands at my side, his arms crossed, tension lining his face as we send scouts to track Tara’s movements. The orders go out swiftly. Search every possible path, trace every lingering scent. Try and bring her back without hurting her.I want to be out there with them, running through the trees, searching for her myself. But I know I’d only slow them down.Frustration knots in my stomach, and Arlo notices. He always does. “We’ll find her,” he says, his voice firm. “Don’t do that thing where you blame yourself for everything.”I let out a short, bitter laugh. “You’re right. It’s completely unreasonable to feel guilty that I ignored every warning sign.” Arlo sighs, stepping closer. “Hilda-”“I don
CereliaThe dream doesn’t feel like a dream. It feels like a prophecy. It may be the first one I’ve ever experienced but I can feel the portentousness deep in my bones.I stand in a vast, endless void, watching shadows twist and churn like a living storm. There are whispers, soft, insidious things slithering through the darkness. Then, as if the world itself bends to an unseen force, the shadows part, revealing two figures.One is draped in a cloak darker than the void itself, his features obscured, but his presence suffocating. The other is a woman with a cruel smile and eyes that burn with hunger. Without ever having seen her, I know this is Morgana.Between them is a child. Golden-eyed, radiant with potential, but so very fragile. So heartbreakingly small in the presence of such evil. The figures speak, their voices curling through the air like smoke.“She is the key,” Morgana says, reaching for the child, “A vessel worthy of my rebirth.” The cloaked figure speaks with a voice that
TaraI’ve learned to listen in silence. Morgana has a habit of talking to herself when she’s alone and as long as I keep myself small, she forgets I’m around.I’ve come to understand that she loves the sound of her own voice. She revels in her own scheming, in the whispers of her own mind. There’s nothing more entertaining to her than listening to her own musings.But tonight, she makes a mistake. She underestimates me. I know I’m small and weak in comparison to her, but I’m not gone yet.“I tire of these games, Astaroth,” Morgana mutters under her breath, pacing within the confines of my room. She doesn’t bother using my voice when she’s alone. This is all her, seductive and cruel. “I know what you want. Blood. You think this sacrifice will be enough to grant you permanent manifestation.”I press deeper into the shadows of my own mind, struggling to remain conscious within my own body, but so small she won’t realize I’m here. This is invaluable and dangerous information.Morgana scof
Hilda The candlelight flickers, casting long shadows across the room. Arlo stands near the window, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his jaw clenched. He hasn’t spoken in minutes, but I can feel the storm brewing within him.“I’m not asking for permission to be involved with this hunt anymore,” I say quietly, though the tension in my voice betrays my own frustration. “I’m telling you what I’ve learned. What we’re up against and that our child is in danger. You can’t keep me from fighting back.”He exhales sharply, turning to face me, his golden eyes burning with barely contained anger. “I know you can’t Hilda, I understand your instinct to protect. I fucking know the overwhelming desire to keep the ones I love most out of danger. Are you sure our…daughter,” despite everything I can hear the wonder in his voice, “Is the reason Morgana is after you?”“I don’t know why she wants her, not exactly. But I know it’s not just about revenge. There’s something more.”Arlo runs a hand t