Athena POVAs I outran the search party, the woods that surrounded Stone Manor grounds flashed by in a dizzying mix of greens and browns. My heart pounded loudly within my ears, and every jagged breath I took tore like pieces of ice in my lungs. However, I persisted in moving forward, driven by a desire that was far more than my body's capacity.Anna...Hendrix...my precious children. Torn from the warmth and safety of my hug by that sadistic monster Scar and his vile accomplice, Sienna. Just the thought of what unspeakable horrors they could be subjecting my babies to at this very moment caused my heart to seize with a fresh stab of grief. I had failed them. As their mother, it was my sacred job to protect them, to keep them from harm no matter what foul forces dared to threaten our family. Yet in a single instant of letting my guard down, those beasts had snatched them away into the burning void of darkness. If any harm befell Anna and Hendrix because of my failures...No, I couldn
Sebastian POVI could hardly contain my rage as I looked around at the rows of fighters gathered in front of me. Liam Dimitri, Farrell, Rux, Simoné. An all-consuming heat that threatened to destroy whatever last control that kept my primordial beast in check was the rage that burned through my veins like wildfire. My entire being screamed for ruthless vengeance, demanding to crush and destroy anyone who tried to endanger my pack and my family.My beloved children, Hendrix and Anna, had been taken from their haven of protection. Torn by the same evil powers of insanity that had plagued me for far too long, away from the warmth of the den. Once more, Sienna's wicked preoccupation with upending my existence had turned into a perverse game of torture. And she had included our helpless puppies in her cruel scheme this time.A wild snarl erupted in my throat at the thought, one so guttural and full of unmitigated venom that many of the lesser-ranked retaliated reflexively. Allow them to sh
Sebastian's pack's povFrom Farrell's point of view, as our forces gathered on Scar's property, there was a strong smell of bloodlust and approaching violence. The whirling tornado of feelings angry, afraid, determined overpowered my psychic perceptions. Knowing that I was essential to seeing any ambushes or traps the adversary had set, I calmed myself. Rux remarked, "I've got your back, buddy," his big frame soothingly present next to me. Since we were puppies, we have trained together, a strong relationship created in combat.With a nod, I widened my psychic circle in quest of oddities. The compound was in front of them, a massive fortification encircled by thick woodland. A little psychic signal shook me, but before I could identify it, everything went crazy.From Dimitri's point of view, when we drew near to the enemy's stronghold, my blood boiled with a desire for retribution. Sebastian has committed an awful sin by giving those beasts his pups. If necessary, my bare hands would
Anna & Hendrix POVFrom Anna's point of view, the damp cell smelled of mildew and hopelessness, but it couldn't put out the hope that burned in my heart. Hendrix cuddled up next to me, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears he would not let to fall. Being the children of an Alpha, we would not submit to our captors.Our jail walls trembled, dumping dust and dirt on us. There was the distinctive smell of combat, faint shouts and the sound of steel colliding from somewhere beyond.His nostrils flared, Hendrix sat up. "They've come for us, dad's pack."The insight shot through me. Dad would never desert us not even to that evil Sienna. They were battling, taking every chance to get us home without incident.We could not, however, wait to be saved by sitting about. Our just woken powers throbbed in our veins, ready to be let go. It was time we showed ourselves, for we were the children of the strongest Alpha, not simply weak puppies."We have to help them, Hendrix," I said, hushedly. "We ca
Athena & Sebastian POVFrom Athena's point of view, my blade sung through the air, cutting through demonic flesh like it were silk. The awful things that had dared to attack my family collapsed in front of me, their screams of pain music to my ears.There was an avalanche of slamming steel and savage yells all around. But at that time, all I could think about was getting to Sebastian and escaping the evil spell that was keeping my friend in jail.Rux and Farrell battled with me, their unflinching allegiance a barrier against the darkness that was trying to overtake us. By inch by painful inch, we cut a route through the mayhem with every enemy we killed.Then I saw them, our priceless kids Anna and Hendrix, standing strong and defiant among the destruction, like a lighthouse piercing the darkness. As I looked at their changed states the living symbols of our aristocratic ancestry pride sprang in my chest.But when I saw the sight materialize in front of them, that pride was quickly ov
Sienna POVPain. Every nerve was pierced by white hot pain, my broken body protesting. My own poisoned lifeblood gathered beneath me in a spooky red halo. Where? How was I, Sienna, brought to such a miserable condition? Been broken and defeated, vanquished by that horrible Athena and her companion?From the core of my being, hate erupted in a hot flood that burned away the sorrow. It would not be them undoing me, not after millennia of painstaking preparation. With clenched teeth, I called forth the meager sorcerous force that remained in me and let it to run through my demolished body like a poison. Groaned and knitted together, bones helped flesh to sew itself back into a hideous appearance of life.The demonic powers were twisted and corrupting me from the inside out with every painful breath. But that made little difference to me. The price of the all-consuming vengeance that would soon be mine was little sacrifice.Getting up, I looked over the battlefield, assessing the shattere
Scar POVEvery forced breath suffocated me with the odor of failure that hung heavy in the air. My soldiers' remains were scattered over the area, their once-mighty bodies reduced to little more than frayed husks.How? The question sparked my remaining sanity like a brand. How could we have sunk so low, driven to such a pitiful condition by the miserable pack we had set out to destroy?An all-consuming fire that had driven me to do everything for innumerable moons, hatred threatened to eat me from the inside out. I spat a globule of poisoned blood on the ground, my disfigured body yelling in protest at every little motion.Scar, you've lead us into a wonderful disaster.My self loathing was sliced through by Drystan's gravelly baritone, and his words were tinged with a sarcastic contempt that just made me angrier. I fixed the damaged Alpha with a sneer that might have curdled milk, rounding on him. I'll rip your tongue out of your worthless hide, mutt. Watch your tongue.Drystan laugh
Athena POVThe room was glowing warm and golden as the gentle morning light came in through the gossamer drapes. In sharp contrast to the stench of combat that had formerly filled the air, a light breeze blew the delightful aroma of wildflowers through the open windows.I stopped as my eyes opened to just breathe and enjoy the peace of the moment. There was no sense of mounting dread or imminent danger just beyond the horizon for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.I had won. Against all the circumstances, our family had triumphed in the furnace of hardship, our relationships strengthened in the furnace of war.With a happy sigh, I turned to see the sleeping figure next to me. My partner, my other half, Sebastian, reclined in quiet rest, the caress of sleep smoothing his chiseled features.He emanated a quiet power even in this vulnerable state, a resilience that had got us through our worst moments. I could not resist and with my feather light fingertips traced the contou
Hendrix POVI stood gravely before the large ceremonial fire, the flickering flames creating dance shadows on the old stones around me. For my family history, this hallowed place carried decades of power and memories. Tonight, I could sense the weight of that legacy heavy with respect and feeling.Raising my arms, I started the hallowed rights passed down over innumerable years. "We come here on this holy equinox to pay tribute to Athena and Sebastian, the fabled founders of our family. Along with building this wonderful family, the mates whose unwavering love and unbreakable friendship shaped the entire path of our lives.As the gathered members of my pack listened with great concentration, my words rang across the quiet forest grove. We gathered together as one on this night, mothers and fathers with babies in arms, wizened elderly with lined faces, raucous younglings hardly able to contain their excitement."Their story is one of huge hardships faced with far more fortitude, of dar
Athena & Sebastian's POV Athena's povI sighed contentedly as I savored the brilliant glow of the fall sunset streaming over the large den windows. I curled in my beloved overstuffed chair while ribbons of blazing orange and crimsons bathed the old timber beams in warm, nostalgic colors.Though my face showed the wrinkles and lines from a very busy life, I felt an ageless tranquility cover me like a gentle, reassuring blanket. Once so brilliant and strong, my piercing blue eyes now reflected a calm ocean of earned knowledge and fulfillment.A faintly familiar smell of cedarwood and spice floated around as two strong, worn-out hands gently rested on my thin shoulders with learned sensitivity. Sebastian bent down to tenderly kiss my forehead, and I reached up to grab his palm. "You look so wonderfully calm, my eternal goddess," he said softly, his voice rasping but preserving that virile tone that still made my heart flutter after all these years. Looking up at him with a gentle smil
Hendrix POVAs I looked at the young people fresh-faced before me, the crackling fires covered the ancient lair in a warm, flickering brilliance. Though soft in years, I could already see the marks of great leaders in their controlled poses and focused eyes.These dogs stood for the birth of a new age to be developed on the hard-earned ideas and visions left to us by my heroic parents, therefore reflecting the future of our combined packs. It was now my great responsibility as Athena and Sebastian's son and Jax my younger brother to educate this new generation those revered values and ancestral knowledge."You all know the significance of why we've convened here this night," I began, letting my rich baritone carry the whole weight of the occasion. "The holy ceremonies to raise you from students to sovereigns over the continuation of our civilization's enlightened precepts."A handful of the younger ones seemed uncomfortable at the gravity of my words. I wore a forced smile on my worn
Anna POVAcross the sandstone walls of the den, soft candlelight danced shadows that appeared to bring the old etchings to life. Scenes of great wars, somber ceremonies, and the otherworldly visues of the ancient ones danced in the dazzling light. I inhaled steadying, letting the holy aura envelop me as I dropped myself onto the soft fur before the ceremonial fire pit. My fingertips gently stroked the strong wood lovingly white oak blessed by Luna Amara herself, drenched in berries. Its airy, cleansing tendrils brushed my flesh like a phantom mist.Since I had formally adopted Alpha's mantle, today was the first full moon. A fresh moon cycle was breaking through a fresh era. One whereby I would guide our unified alliance into an unparalleled period of peace and illumination. No little chore for a young person two decades old. But my spiritual background and the iron will have passed on from my ancestors inundated my very cells with blessed power and conviction. Little footsteps' gen
Athena POVTen Years A flickering in the lifetime of an eternal, but eons appeared to have changed all around me. From the roots of conflict and hardship Sebastian and I had lived, so much had blossomed.The den bathroom mirror flashed back a mature beauty, residual youthful brightness now enhanced by a royal, almost imperial posture. Laugh lines framed whole lips, showing a ten-year history of great happiness. My small, toned body nevertheless turned alpha heads. Sebastian most definitely never gets bored with destroying me every night as lovesick newlyweds do.As I turned the diamond encrusted wedding band around my finger, I felt a gentle satisfaction. Now the perfect unity symbol I had created for that terrible Sienna embodied the purest spousal loyalty. The great light of our love had sterilized her deadly daggers of betrayal and evil. A high pitched shriek pulled me from dream. I grinned, adjusting my summer tunic as tiny feet pounded closer. The door opened and a tiny tornado
Sienna Mother POVMy tending tools' regular clunk against the hard-packed mud floor offered a calm cadence. Every careful cut of root vegetables and herb mixing functioned as a little ritualistic offering to drive out the demons of past misdeeds.I still felt the weight of that darkness weighing down on me, an inky, stifling miasma of sadness, wrath, and misplaced vengeance almost corrupting me beyond redemption even now. The road I had begun down in the name of exacting revenge for my daughter Sienna was one tinged with terrible crimes and sins. But I had been spared completely giving my soul to those horrible depths by the kindness and intelligence of the Nightwalkers and allied packs. My life had been given an improbable continuity, a chance atonement I knew I could never merit.Sometimes even the basic tasks of attending to the spiritual and medical needs of our new haven felt like an unjustified privilege. The mother of a deranged, homicidal monstrosity, how could I be given r
Athena POVOur caravan reached the last mountain pass as the first rays of light were barely peeping over the horizon. A collective silence descended over the worn-out procession of wolves as the jagged forms gave way to the expansive views beyond.This was it the rich valley Hendrix had sought with every deliberate step of our exhausting journey. Virgin and pure like the earth before the embrace of civilization's development, a real paradise unspoiled by human efforts. As we first viewed the panoramic sight, Sebastian's calming presence at my side helped me. From this distance, the promise of refuge emanated from the very ground itself - a rich, earthy scent that piqued my increased lupine senses. Hendrix signaled for the packs to make camp just inside the pass, clearly understanding the need to gather before setting off into our fresh starts. Though tired to the bone, the assembled thrumming masses carried a tangible pulse of relief and expectation."Well!" The austere rumbling of
Sebastian POVOur large pack was leaving the gathering grounds as the first rays of dawn just peaked on the horizon. Though my body had long since given up the vitality of youth, in those first moments an almost electric stream of energy surged through me. This was it, the start of our magnificent journey into hitherto undiscovered territory.My eyes strayed over the line of wolves walking solemnly beside me. So many well-known people, generations of bloodlines and kinships entwined under those lupine pelts. It was a humble sight that sent off a reflexive protectiveness right down in my core.Whatever paths forward, whatever dangers we were destined to face, I would make sure our people came out on the other side intact. Too much had already been given up to let this desperate endeavor fall apart before it could start."You're quite reflective this morning." As Athena dropped into step next to me, her little voice caught my attention. " EVEN for you."I sensed the rueful half-smile of
Hendrix POVI waited in the hole for the packs to react to my suggestion in great silence. The choice of whether to leave our ancestral house felt like a millstone around every lupine throat. It was against every strand of our beings to uproot our whole lives and to turn our backs on the places that had protected us for ages. Still, the hard fact of cold could not be overlooked the human world was invading far too much of our land. If we stayed, exposure and the carnage that would surely follow seemed like an increasingly certain fate. The alphas started nodding their terrible assent one by one. First was Drystan, with his sharp but firm rugged features. The grizzled warrior understood the great need of this circumstance after seeing enough cycles of violence and death. "You make a good point, Hendrix," he rumbled, his rich baritone booming across the hollow. "Much as it hurts, we have to give our packs top priority. If moving is the only way we can guarantee our ongoing safety and