Even though it was the middle of summer, the forest felt cooler than normal. My heart was beating so hard in my chest that I could only take short, shaky breaths as I ran after Rhys. When he saw me with Axel, I couldn't get rid of the image of his face and the hurt and betrayal in his eyes. I had no control over how the world felt like it was closing in on me. He called Rhys! My voice was shaking when I called. He didn’t stop or even turn around to look back. Things were getting worse between us for weeks or even months, but this was different. I knew I had done something wrong, but I wasn't sure how I got here. I wasn't ready for Rhys to respond the way he did after Axel told the truth. He was still looking at me with heavy eyes that seemed to accuse me. Eventually, I caught up with him. Standing at the edge of the clearing, he had his back to me and his hands tight together. I thought about it for a second. His broad shoulders were tense and stiff, and he was breathing heavily.
Felza pov..When the group got together in the main hall, the air was tense because the Council's entrance felt like an invisible force pressing down on everyone. Although I was trying to keep a strong face, my heart was racing as I stood next to Rhys. My hands were shaking. Since the scout told me about Sebastian, he hadn't said anything to me. It was impossible to hear him. He was on the other side of the room and kept looking back and forth between Rhys and me. The part of his statement where he said I deserved someone to choose me and be fully committed to me still haunts me. But what I felt or what Axel felt didn't matter right now. The Council's decision hung over us all like a storm about to hit, and I wasn't sure if we'd make it through. The Werewolf Council sent four officials. They were big, scary wolves who were in charge of the packs and made sure everything ran smoothly among us. In cases like this, they were the ones who had the last word. It wasn't just about the Bl
Felza pov... There was a sparkling glow all around because the moon was low in the sky. It was exciting and tense because the Festival of the Moon had begun. The bonfire sparked, shooting sparks into the night sky. The drums kept playing a steady beat, and I could feel the rhythm in my veins. As I stood on the edge of the group, the drums made my heart beat faster. The pack's eyes were on me, even as they laughed and mixed with each other. However, it wasn't the weight of their eyes that made me feel uneasy. Rhys and Lisa's dance had brought me so close to something I wasn't sure I could get back from. Seeing Sebastian out of the blue was like getting hit in the face. He came back from the shadows, bloody but still alive, with a sly grin that didn't mean anything good. I had just begun to understand why he was there when he limped forward, his eyes shining with something evil. But the police had already taken him away before I could even figure out what was going on. But the stre
Lucas's words lingered in the night, and the silence that followed made the air feel cold. The crackling of the flame was too loud. It hurt in my chest, and I could feel Rhys getting tense next to me. His hold was getting even weaker. Lucas did what in this case? He was supposed to be kicked out. Just being around him made my spine tingle. The people in the pack looked at each other with confusion as the crowd moved and whispered like flames. Axel pushed Lucas forward and scowled at him with his eyes getting narrow. When Rhys answered, "Lucas," he used a low voice that warned. "You don't have the right to be here." This party is for the pack because it is now one. You were no longer sent away. What do you have to do here? His wild, dark eyes moved back and forth between Rhys and me before landing on Lisa. He had a weird, awful smile on his face, but it wasn't because he was happy or warm. There was more darkness and fear. "I have every right to be here, Rhys," Lucas said in a quie
Felza pov... The howl gave me chills, and when those bright eyes came out from behind the trees, the air around us got thick with fear. One after the other, wolves with smooth, dark fur came forward and stared right at our pack. These weren't just any attackers. There was something more dangerous about the way they moved than the people I knew. to do more calculations. Rhys tensed up next to me and focused his eyes on the threat that was right in front of him. Before he went to meet the wolves, he lightly touched my hand as if to comfort me. Lisa kept quiet. She had been talking out loud before, but now she seemed uncomfortable. She even looked shocked by the sudden appearance of this new threat. "Who are they?" I watched the wolves getting together just beyond the woods while whispering and shaking my head. Rhys shook his head and clenched his teeth. I'm not sure. Still, they're not here by accident. The pack leader quickly moved forward. He was huge—bigger than any wolf I had s
Felza pov... After the last few days of chaos, the forest around me was almost too quiet. Even though I tried to make sense of what had happened, my heart was still beating fast. It all felt like a nightmare: the fight with Fenris and the threats about some kind of power inside me But it wasn't Fenris or the Shadowclaw Pack that was the worst thing. That was the secret I was not telling anyone. The one I didn't know how to send. It felt like hours had passed while I stared at my image in the river. The cool air of the evening had settled around me. My hand moved naturally to my stomach, and I could just barely feel it. I knew what was going on. I had Rhys' child inside me. I loved him so much, but I didn't know how to tell him. How could I? Everything between us felt so weak and unsure. I could only picture disappointment in his eyes every time I thought about the talk. We still hadn't talked about how we felt, and now this? A kid? Everything would be different, and things would g
Rhys stood in front of me with dark, wide eyes that were filled with shock. I wasn't going to tell him this way. Not in the middle of the forest, where Axel is standing only a few feet away, and not when danger is moving towards us. But there was no going back once the truth came out. "You’re… pregnant?" This time, Rhys spoke less loudly. The shock, the uncertainty, and something else could be heard. Hope? It was hard for me to look him in the eyes, so I slowly nodded. "Yes, Rhys." "I am expecting." There was silence for a short time. Axel stood nearby and moved around uncomfortably. He knew this wasn't his place anymore. But I couldn't pay attention to him. Nothing was getting my attention but Rhys's face, which was changing from shocked to something softer and warmer. He reached out for me with shaking hands, but he stopped just inches from my skin, as if he wasn't sure if he could touch me. He whispered, "Felza, why didn't you tell me?" His voice cracked a little. I couldn't ans
Before I could answer, I heard a howl in the trees far away. Sebastian's troops were getting closer. Rhys tensed up, and his hand went to his side, where his gun was hidden. Fear shot through me as I whispered, "They're getting closer." "What do we do?" Rhys's eyes got darker, and his face became more determined. "We fight." But even as he spoke, I could feel my doubts starting to set in. The fight wasn't just against Sebastian's side. Rhys and I were fighting inside of us. I didn't think either of us was ready for what was going to happen next. Then, just as the howls got louder, a person came out from behind the trees. Sebastian wasn't there. It was Lisa. In the moonlight, her eyes sparkled, and she smiled in a strange way. "Congratulations are in order," she said with a mean tone in her voice. "But don’t stay too cosy, Felza." "You won't be Luna for much longer." I got a chill down my spine when I heard her words because they sounded like a threat. Rhys stepped in front of me t
FELZA’s POVAxel had a mate? He met his mate? I still couldn't get that revelation off my head as I fought some rouges. Axel had surprised me greatly; coming to fight for my pack even when we humiliated him was a great sign of strength. A rouge charged towards me, his teeth bared, as he tried to slash his sword through my neck. I ducked and cut off his legs instead. He screamed out loud and I chuckled at how beautiful that sounded. Earlier, I couldn't handle the picture of Rhys getting tortured that way. I'd killed Lisa in the blink of an eye, and I was quite surprised I felt satisfied by it. I ran towards Rhys to give him a helping hand, “You need to rest.” “Not when I have the chance to finish this up forever.” He smiled, slashing the rouge's throat. At the same time, our gaze landed on Sebastian who was guarded with a few rouges. In just a few minutes, thousands of rouges lay dead on the ground, and I even sighted a few of Rhys' pack warriors. Axel must have freed them from the
RHYS’ POVI thought I'd experienced pain several times, but nothing could be compared to what I felt now. Sebastian had chained Felza to a chair, forcing her to watch me get tortured. In the same position, my hands were chained to the ceiling, while my legs dangled freely like I was about to get executed. Even though I couldn't see them, about two rouges continued slashing my back with a leather whip with thorns, while Lisa focused on piercing my nails with needles, serving me exactly what my men had done to her. Another slash on my back and I wondered if I could really take this anymore. “Leave him alone, please.” Felza whimpered, crying out loud, as she trembled in the chair. She'd tried closing her eyes, but each time she heard me groan, her eyes fluttered open as tears spilled down her cheeks. I'd pressed my lips together, swallowing down my groans, but when Lisa pierced my thumb, a loud groan escaped my lips, “When are you going to stop, huh?” I whispered breathlessly, closing
AXEL’S POVActing on Chris' words might as well be the most stupid thing I'd ever done. Alright, alright, his idea was the best thing that's ever happened to me. I held a banquet, the most talked about in my pack and I found a woman, a stark contrast to Felza, but she enchanted me almost immediately—my mate. I was struck by her beauty, her elegance and her kind heart. Within the last few weeks, our bond grew, and I kept thanking the moon goddess for making me find her. Every night we prepared dinner together and talked about our whole day while having our meal filled with love. Diana made sure she painted my world with beautiful colors, her smile, her laughter and her encouraging words. In just a few weeks, my life changed in ways I couldn't imagine. My aggressive nature was all gone and I couldn't thank Chris more for his perfect and slightly insane idea. “Let's serve dinner since Chris is coming over with his girlfriend.” Diana's voice settled in my ears and I smiled, turning to
LISA’S POVThe plan went extremely well. Better than I could have ever imagined. While the whole pack was asleep, hundreds of rouges—which I lead, infiltrated the Bluemoon pack. We killed a few pack warriors and kept the others chained in the dungeon, and that was just the beginning of their nightmare. Rhys had no idea what's gotten to him when he saw me. He looked shocked, perhaps by my sword dripping with blood, or with the fact that I was back to take what truly belonged to me. A day like this was perfect, perhaps the most perfect day I'd had in a few years.It felt like being on a rollercoaster, listening to the screams of the same pack warriors who made my life miserable. Picking between Rhys and his family wasn't actually a problem. I knew my rouges would get them captured before they got any far and so, I spent my time with Rhys in the dungeon. I had him chained on the wall, his legs and hands set aside like he were hung on a cross. I picked up a dagger, my favorite dagger, a
FELZA’S POV“We shouldn't have left him behind.” I whispered, as we walked through the woods. We'd managed to leave the library, but I could still feel someone on our tail. I tightened my hold on Halo, as we made our way foward, “I wonder what they're going to do to him. We have to go ba—”“No!” Eric snapped, turning to face me. His brows were furrowed deeply as he said, “I care for the Alpha, but your safety matters as well. As soon as we get to Vanessa's, we'll think of a plan to get him out of there.” He seemed sincere, but there was a chilling glint in his eyes when he gazed at me. I swallowed hard and nodded, hoping the moon goddess would keep my husband safe. Halo tightened her hold around my neck, sniffing as a few drops of her tears caressed my skin, “would father be fine? We still have a memories to fill, to make. He's coming back right?” Unsure of the answer, I nodded slowly, “He will come back.” I assured Halo, or maybe I was assuring myself as well. We walked for a few mo
RHYS’ POV“Rouges” “Rouges” They were definitely behind Nora's death. Eric took slow strides towards me, “they must have used the secret entrance to sneak in at night.” And only Nora could have given them the exact spot of the secret entrance; it explained why Sebastian tortured her to death. I balled my hands into fists, anger surging through my veins. I weaved my hands through my hair, gritting out, “we have to kill them all.” “Or you have to get your family to safety. They're taking over the entire pack house. They've killed almost all our men. They infiltrated the pack at night. If we fight against them, we would lose our lives.” For the first time, I felt the urge to punch Eric in the face for being a coward. “You expect me to leave the pack house in ruins? Fleed just because I want to be safe?” “You have a daughter. She's only four; do you want her to live without a father?!” Eric yelled back, his eyes glistening with tears. He ran towards the door, locked it up and faced me
FELZA’S POVIn the last few days, I'd never seen Rhys in such a dejected shape. For hours he kept staring at Nora's room, perhaps wishing she would open up the door and jump in his arms—but she didn't. He did it continuously, walking across the hallway to come to a stop in front of her room. It's been a few days, but Rhys couldn't take the news of Nora's death. Even her parents. Vanessa had refused to bury her, hoping she would sneeze and yell “momma” Her body was still preserved, but Rhys stood on having her buried. He was meant to be at his morning meeting, but here he was, staring at Nora's door with longing in his eyes. It hurt me to see him that way, but I knew how much Nora meant to him. Even with the few moments my daughter and I spent here, I could tell he loved her as much as he loved Halo. Perhaps even more. I cleared my throat and placed my hand on his shoulder, “you should be having your meeting, Rhys.” “The pack is fine.” His hoarse voice rang out, clenching my heart. I
RHYS’ POV“This is for you.” I placed some meatball on Halo's plate, watching as her cheeks flushed red, “thanks, dad.” she smiled, slowly reaching for her fork to begin eating breakfast. Felza had volunteered to prepare breakfast for everyone today, stunning Vanessa for a few seconds. Her gaze lingered on Felza for a while, “I'm yet to have a taste, but I'm sure this would taste heavenly.” She commented, and Felza smiled brightly, “then I hope everyone enjoys it.” I picked up my fork, but I noticed the absence of my second daughter, Nora. Her space was vacant, and Vanessa seemed to be aware of it. I frowned slightly and flipped my attention to her, “where's Nora? It's unlike her to be late for breakfast.” I said, watching as Vanessa slowly placed a meatball in her mouth. She wiped her mouth and leaned backwards, “we had an episode last night. She still refused to tell me about her supposed mate.” “And?” “She's probably sulking, still upset from what happened last night.” She conti
LISA’S POVDragging witches to Sebastian's presence seemed to be my job today. Sebastian kept killing them to satisfy his bloodthirsty urge, snapping their necks just because they enraged him. I hate to admit it, but I felt some kind of pity for them. He was just about to kill another because she refused to speak to him. And when she did, Sebastian smiled brightly at the gem he'd just found. He walked around her, circling her like a desperate predator, “I've been capturing your kind for the last few years, but no one's ever given me the answer and the solution I truly desired. With you, I can tell that my victory is near.” he raised her chin to gaze into her eyes and she smirked, “Since it's nearly midnight, we should proceed now.” Her voice was soft, but the chilling glint in her eyes couldn't be compared to another. She was just like me, slightly different in her own ways. I leaned against the soft cushion and tapped my feets on the ground, watching the interaction between Sebasti