Aries’ POV The moment Phillip called the match, Lisa attacked. She was fast—calculated, aggressive. A fighter trained in this pack’s combat style, skilled in overpowering her opponents before they even had a chance to react. But Rexxona… She didn’t get overwhelmed. She didn’t panic. She moved. Every dodge, every shift in her stance—it was fluid, controlled. Effortless. Like she’d done this a thousand times before. Lisa snarled in frustration as her flurry of punches failed to connect. Adjusting her stance, she launched a spinning kick toward Rexxona’s ribs—a powerful move, one that should have landed. Instead, Rexxona twisted at the last second, letting the attack graze past her. In a seamless motion, she caught Lisa’s extended leg and used her own momentum against her, forcing her off balance. Lisa stumbled. The crowd murmured in shock. Lisa never stumbled. Phillip’s expression hardened, but he remained silent, watching. Lisa growled, her face twisting with frustration.
The fight hadn’t gone exactly as I expected. Lisa was skilled—I had predicted that much—but toward the end, if Aries hadn’t stepped in, I had no idea how things would have played out. There was a moment, just before he called it, where I could feel something shifting in Lisa, like she was about to lose control. So much for being cool and composed. As I made my way toward Rose, I caught Lisa and Phillip giving me a look. I was tempted to stick my tongue out or flip them off, but I controlled myself. Lisa needed time to heal—physically and emotionally. Humiliation wasn’t something she was used to. Still, I couldn’t help but chuckle at my own thoughts. The moment I reached Rose, she practically bounced in excitement. "How did you learn to fight like that?! You looked so cool!" I shrugged, trying to downplay it. "I trained a bit with my Ma. I’m not really that good, I just got lucky." Rose scoffed. "Oh, please. No need to be humble. I'm so happy you won. Maybe now Lisa will finally
A deafening series of cracks tore through the air. My body moved before my mind caught up. Lily grabbed Rose, yanking her toward a tree. Julian shoved Aries out of the open space, both moving with trained speed. My pulse thundered in my ears. I barely had time to react before a bullet whizzed past, embedding itself in the bark beside me. The scent of silver flooded my nose. Hunters. More shots. A strangled grunt somewhere in the distance. Someone hit the ground. The pack was under attack. My mind was racing, thoughts tangled and frantic. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t think. Aries’ voice cut through the chaos, grounding me. "Lily, get Rose and Rexxona inside the pack house! Julian and I will take care of the hunters out here!" "Yes, Alpha!" came Lily’s curt reply. Before I could process anything else, Aries and Julian burst from their cover. The gunfire had slowed—hunters reloading. They took advantage of it. Aries shifted mid-run, his body morphing into a massive,
The moment gunshots rang out, instinct took over. Julian and I moved as one, ducking behind trees for cover while making sure the girls were safe. "Alpha, I can smell silver. It's definitely hunters," Julian said, his usual playful tone replaced with cold seriousness. "I know." My jaw clenched. Why today? The timing was too convenient, but there was no time to dwell on it now. We needed control over the situation. Judging by the gunfire, they’d be running low on bullets soon. That was our opening. As expected, the shots slowed, hesitation seeping into their attack. "Lily, get Rose and Rexxona to the pack house!" I barked. "Julian and I will handle the hunters." The moment Lily confirmed, Julian and I broke from cover, shifting mid-sprint. My wolf surged forward, muscles stretching, bones shifting seamlessly into form. Nobody attacked my pack and got away with it. Not again. We tore through the hunters with ease. Blood splattered the ground as claws ripped through flesh, fan
The moment my eyes snapped open, I became instantly aware of my surroundings. A sterile white room, bright lights, and— Aries. Sitting beside me. His intense gaze sent a shiver through me. I hadn’t expected him to be here. Maybe Rose, but not the Alpha himself. The thought of Rose sent a jolt through me, and suddenly, everything from earlier came rushing back—the attack, the hunters, the bullet, the power. I had revealed myself. Panic gripped my chest. What if Rose told everyone? If she had, I was in serious danger. I didn’t know how this pack would react, but after what happened at Blue Crescent, I doubted it would be much different. My breathing quickened. My heart pounded. I was spiraling— Until a firm, warm hand gripped my shoulder. "Rexxona, are you okay?" Aries’ deep voice cut through the noise in my head. I blinked rapidly, suddenly aware that he had been calling my name. He was looking at me with concern, brows slightly furrowed. I swallowed hard, forcing myself t
I was out of the hospital in less than 24 hours, but it didn’t feel like a victory. It was almost time to face the one thing I dreaded the most— Rose. Judging by the past few hours, I could tell she hadn’t told anyone about what she saw. When Julian and Lily came to visit, neither of them acted differently toward me. If they knew, I was sure their expressions, their energy, would have changed. Jillian was still his goofy self, cracking jokes and making me laugh. And for the first time, I realized something—I had never really had relationships like this before. Friends. People who actually cared about me, who made me laugh without expecting something in return. I wasn’t sure how to handle it. But I wanted to try. "We’re hereee!" Julian called, pulling me out of my thoughts as he and Lily walked in. No Rose. My heart sank. I wasn’t sure what I had expected. She had been shocked—anyone would be. But a part of me had hoped she’d be here anyway. "How are you feeling, dearie?" Li
The moment Julian mentioned the Blue Crescent Pack, my world tilted. I thought I was done with them. For good, this time. But now, they were back. Or rather, I was being dragged back into their world. At the thought of Ron, my heart clenched. The pull was gone—I was sure of that. Whatever weak bond had once existed between us had dulled into nothingness. But the hatred? That still burned strong. My mind spiraled into all the possible scenarios, searching for a way out. Aries would be the one going there. Probably Julian, Lily, and the pack elders too. Not me. I clung to that thought. There was no reason for me to be involved. I’ll be fine. I won’t have to see them. I forced myself to believe it. And just like that, I snapped out of my head and realized— Julian was staring at me. "What now, Rex?" he sighed. "You zoned out for dayssss." I rolled my eyes. "Oh please, it wasn’t even a minute. Just a passing thought." "Mmhmm." He didn’t look convinced, but he let it slide.
The past few days had passed in a blur.I was finally settling in.For the first time in forever, I had people I could call friends. Lily. Julian. Rose.It was something I had always craved.But lately, I found myself craving something else.Or rather… someone.Aries.I hadn’t seen him in days, and it was annoying how much I felt his absence.Why do I even care?I pushed the thought away, blaming it on the stress of trying to figure out my powers with Rose.Since I told her the truth, she had been completely on board with helping me.But so far, we had made zero progress.The book was still unreadable. Neither of us could decipher the language. The only thing we did notice was a recurring symbol—a green crest with a massive wolf.A mystery on top of a mystery.Controlling my powers?Still impossible.So, in summary, we had gotten nowhere."Rose!!" I yelled, barging into her room without hesitation.At this point, we were close enough that knocking felt unnecessary.She stepped out of
To say my night was actually used for sleeping would be doing a disservice to the very concept of sleep. And I wouldn’t want to insult the people who actually got some. My entire night was consumed by thoughts. Thoughts about her. What exactly was I thinking? I had no clue. All I knew was that my mind couldn’t stop drifting to her. I needed to figure out these feelings—fast. I had tried to kiss her. That alone meant I owed her an explanation when I saw her again. But what did I actually feel for her? That part, I still couldn’t put my finger on. All I was sure of was this—if we had kissed, truly kissed, I wouldn’t have regretted a single second of it. And that realization? It shook me to my core. Before I knew it, morning had arrived—and I still didn’t have answers. Being indecisive wasn’t like me, but I couldn’t help it this time. I dragged myself out of bed and stared at the guy in the mirror. “Way to go, Aries,” I muttered. “You totally pull off the zombie look.” With a shak
The sun peeping through the curtains did nothing to ease the anxiety twisting in my stomach. Every part of me wanted to curl back under the covers and pretend last night never happened. Pretend I didn’t nearly kiss Aries—the Alpha of the Awoke pack. Not just some guy… Aries.The worst part? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to avoid it—or do it all over again.After what felt like an hour of overthinking, I finally dragged myself out of bed. Maybe I could skip training with Julian and avoid the awkwardness. But of course, my legs had other plans. They carried me straight to the bathroom, right into my training clothes, and toward the door. Where was my willpower when I needed it?Julian had insisted we start training immediately. He wanted to be the first to witness my “cool powers.” So dramatic.I took a deep breath and stepped out of my room. The stairs creaked beneath my feet as I made my way down, nerves building with every step. I had to pass by Aries’s office to get to the training grou
Watching Aries’s face inch closer to mine sparked a feeling I couldn’t even begin to describe. All the fear, doubt, and confusion I had been carrying melted away the moment he stepped into the room. Just a few words from him, and I believed—really believed—that everything would be okay. That he’d stand by me. So I didn’t move away. Instead, my grip on his arm tightened, bracing myself for what was about to happen.Without realizing it, I closed my eyes, my heart racing in sync with his. As someone who had never kissed anyone before, I should have been nervous, but I wasn’t. I knew he’d guide me. I could already feel his breath mingling with mine. His heartbeat thundered, fast and intense.Then, just when our lips were about to meet-bam! The door flew open.We immediately jolted apart, each moving to our own side of the couch like guilty teenagers caught in the act.“Rex!!!” came a voice I’d recognize even in my sleep. Julian.I sighed and looked at Aries, who stood and offered me his
What happened hours ago refused to leave my mind. I kept replaying it, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for what Rex did—but nothing made sense.Seeing her display that much strength… Enough to lift an Alpha like he was a rag doll? That wasn’t just unusual—it was impossible. Or at least it should’ve been.The moment Rose and her mother led her out of the arena, I was going to follow—but I knew I had to deal with Ron first.“Julian,” I called out, only to realize he was frozen in place, eyes wide with disbelief. “Julian!” I said again, placing a hand on his shoulder. That finally pulled him out of it.“What the hell did I just see?” he asked, still dazed.“Not now, man,” I said, nodding toward Ron, who was still on the floor surrounded by his pack members. “We have to handle this first.”Without hesitation, I turned to Regal, who stood pale and silent. “Get your Alpha some help. My Beta will escort you out of my territory. We’ll provide transportation, so you don’t have
To say my mind was in the right place when I put Ron in his place would be a huge lie. My thoughts were a mess, and Ria had completely taken over. The rage was loud, clear, and honestly—justified. As much as I hated the way Ron spoke to Aries, I wouldn’t have exposed that much strength in front of a crowd. Not like that. I could feel Rose trying to pull me back, trying to stop me—but I just couldn’t let go. Not until I heard her voice. Maron. She pulled me back. Out of Ria’s grip and straight into the reality of what I’d just done. I was sure my eyes had changed—maybe even glowed—and without hesitation, Rose shielded me, Maron flanking my other side. Together, they led me out of the meeting room. I messed up. This is all your fault, I snapped at Ria. You might be able to tolerate that kind of insult, but I can’t, she hissed back. No one gets to speak to us like that and walk away. And just like that, she retreated—leaving me alone with the aftermath. I didn’t resist
The meeting started sooner than I had expected, but the moment the Alphas were all present in the room, I instantly mindlinked Julian to inform Rex. I hope their plan works smoothly, I thought as I brought my focus back to the meeting at hand. I was half-expecting someone to question the clash between Ron and me the previous day, but I guess he came up with some lame excuse—no one said a word.Thankfully, he remained quiet the entire meeting, so everything went smoothly. We were just about to wrap things up when my mom mindlinked me: Maron has been brought to her, and the spell is broken.I was ecstatic. All that was left now was for them all to leave so we could finally get back to our lives.“That concludes the meeting of the Association,” Alpha Levon spoke, rising from his seat. “Thanks, Alpha Aries, for the hospitality. We shall not forget it.”“It was my pleasure to host the Association,” I replied firmly, leading them out of the room.But as we stepped out, there was some commot
“We need a third person,” she said, then disappeared for a moment. When she came back, she wasn’t alone. A boy I didn’t recognize was with her. “Who’s he?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, still smiling. “Now, Danny, remember what I asked you to say?” “I dooo, Rose,” he groaned. “Just have my pay ready.” And with that, he strutted toward the room we’d just left. Rose and I followed quietly, hiding behind the nearest wall that could give us some cover. Danny knocked. The same woman from before answered, just as cold and stern. “What do you want?” she asked. “The Alpha’s asked to see you—and the lady,” Danny said, smooth as butter. “Both of us?” she asked, suspicious. “Yes,” he replied. “I don’t know what it’s about. I’m not from your pack, so I can’t question your Alpha. Just delivering the message.” She paused for a second, then nodded. “We’ll be on our way.” “You’re to meet him outside the meeting room,” Danny added, then casual
Rex's POV Falling asleep that night was harder than I expected. I guess the adrenaline of what tomorrow could bring just wouldn’t let my mind rest. But eventually, after tossing and turning, I found enough peace to drift off. That’s when the dream hit me.It was about the book. The symbol on its cover came to life, glowing and pulsing, whispering over and over—“It’s almost time.” Time for what? It wouldn’t say. That phrase kept echoing until I jolted awake, heart pounding, sweat clinging to my skin. Morning had arrived. Only one thought circled in my head—I needed to find someone who could understand the book. Fast. And the first person that came to mind was Aries’ mom. But first… I had more urgent matters to handle. Maron. I got up and headed to the bathroom, preparing myself for what I knew wouldn’t be an easy day. By the time I stepped out, Rose was sprawled across my bed like she lived there. “You’re here early,” I said, towel-drying my hair. “Well, we’ve got
Hearing Rex talk about her mom after everything she’d been through with Ron made my blood boil. I didn’t know why, but I had the urge to punch him all over again—like once hadn’t been enough. Yeah, I’d been eavesdropping. But in my defense, she just wouldn’t stop talking long enough for me to announce myself. And the more she spoke, the more I knew I had to help her. My mom could definitely figure out what Ron had done to Maron. As soon as I left Rose’s room, I mind-linked Julian. "Meet me in my office. Now." "Alright," came the short reply. Minutes later, I heard the door creak open. Julian strolled in and flopped onto the couch like it was his own. “What’s up?” he asked casually. “I need you to investigate something. It’s about Rex.” He sat up immediately, all traces of relaxation gone. “What about her?” “I heard from Rose that you’re aware of her history with Ron.” “Yeah… that jerk. What he did to her—he’s lucky I haven’t ripped him apart.” “Well, as much as I share the