Xander's povSuddenly, a figure dropped down from the detached above and landed silently in front of us. The sudden movement startled our horses. More figures emerged from the shadows and fog while some silently dropped from trees.Nightshade warriors.They were unlike any werewolves I had ever seen. They were dressed in dark cloaks with armours underneath, their faces were covered by masks made from vines and bones. Their movements were eerily silent, like their feet were floating above the ground that was completely covered with twigs and leaves. It was unnatural and unsettling.Their presence were like ghosts— they blended into the fog itself. One of them stepped forward, I could tell that it was a female.Her eyes were piercing green beneath her mask. She dropped her hood and I saw her pale hair which was braided back. I scanned her and couldn't see any weapon but I could feel the lethal aura that radiated off her.“Alpha king Xander of Blackthorn.” She said, her voice smooth, col
Xander's pov“They become shadow slaves.”“Shadow slaves?” I asked.“Yes.” Seraphina answered. “Creatures consumed by Zerathos's dark powers. There to do his bidding no matter how messy. His personal foot soldiers.”“What in the world?” Kael muttered.“But there's a cure, right?” Ava's voice became quiet at the end of her question as she was as uncertain as the rest of us.Seraphina's gaze softened. “There is a cure. But it is not easily made.”She turned and gestured for us to follow her into a small opening in the wall that I had failed to notice. The air became colder the further we walked. We came to a dark chamber which had a lot of herbs, vials and strange symbols on the walls.At the center was a large stone basin, similar to the one we had seen at rainville but instead of green liquid, it held dark water.Seraphina stuck her hand into the basin then pulled out a small vial which had a silver liquid that glowed in the dark. Inside I could see a… flower?“This is the essence of
Rowan's povThe night was alive and eerily quiet. The nightshade people were truly strange, not even the sound of kids playing could be heard. It was like they didn't exist, they were just ghosts that popped up once in a while.Fireflies flew around like tiny stars eliminating the place. It was enchantingly beautiful. The sound of frogs croaking could be heard in the distance, it was the only sound that echoed through the pack.The encounter with the warriors at the forest made me understand why every pack avoided them and why even my father said we shouldn't bother them unless it was absolutely necessary. They were like death, they would sneak up and snatch your life.Despite the quietness of the place, my mind was anything but quiet. Lyra's capture and Magnus's betrayal still plagued my mind. I knew that it had all been sorted out but I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that it had happened.I sighed and got up from my bed and left the chamber I had been given. Sleep was f
Rowan's pov“What do you mean?” I asked, glancing back at kaida who was looking at me with a wary expression on her face.The woman signed, making my gaze return to her. “It's a sad and long story but basically, her tongue was cut off by a rogue when she was a child. She hasn't been able to speak ever since.”My heart sank at this. “That's… that's horrible.”The woman nodded. “It truly is. Please be patient with my dear Kaida, she has endured a lot at her young age but one thing is certain, she is strong. She told me that she ran away from you last night because she didn't want you to be disappointed by the type of mate she was.”I shook my head and turned to Kaida. “I'm so sorry about everything that happened to you.” I said softly. “I didn't know.”Kaida’s eyes softened as she considered my words then she gave me a small smile. It was the most breathtaking thing I had ever seen, in that moment I wanted to always be the one to make her smile.I wished we were fully mated so that we w
Rowan’s POVShe left her little rock and came to join me on mine because it was bigger. Her scent filled my nose, it was the most pleasant thing I had ever smelled. She smelt like berries, jasmine, herbs and the earth after it rains. It all combined perfectly.She took the paper from me and started writing. The sun had begun to set at this point and I was a bit hungry but I didn't mind. I didn't want to cut this moment short. The setting sun casted a soft golden glow on the forest, when the light hit Kaida she looked like a myth.A goddess out of a story book. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at her. I truly was the luckiest man alive and the thought made me smile widely.I continued to watch her, the gentle sound of the waterfall washing over us with tranquility. The weight from the past weeks lifted from my shoulders.I realized something. Ever since meeting her— although it hadn’t been long, my mind was consumed with the thought of her and I hadn't once thought about Lyra'
Rowan's povThe sun had risen to its peak at this point but as we began our journey back, the sunlight was once again barely visible due to the canopy of leaves and branches above. Of all packs we had visited, I now loved nightshade the most due to the fact that it had brought my soulmate to be and they weren't actually as bad as they had initially seemed. The smell of damp earth was oddly comforting.Kaida and I walked side by side as we climbed up the trees and walked to the center of the pack where Xander, Ava and the rest of the group were already waiting. Her hand occasionally brushed against mine and although it was a simple— sometimes unintentional touch, it sent a tingle and wave of excitement through me every single time.When we got closer to the group, their conversation halted and they turned to look at us. I could see the obvious confusion on my group's faces but what caught my attention was the shift in the alpha and Luna's expressions as they caught sight of Kaida next
Ava's povOur stay at Nightshade pack was a bit of a vacation to me. Something about being in the gloomy forest with nothing but peace and quiet helped ease the tension off my shoulders.I was still amazed by how quiet the pack was. Luna Seraphina had told me that most of the pack usually spoke through mind link and the kids had a spot in the forest where they usually went to play so as not to disturb the pack with their noise.I had asked why they were so quiet. As the name of their pack implied, they had to be as quiet as the night. It was their tradition. She had also gifted me with some scrolls to help me as a Luna and also help me and anyone I choose to show, learn the night walk.I deeply appreciated it. Although they seemed like they could kill you for breathing the wrong way, the night people were peaceful people who just enjoyed keeping to themselves.The wooden box on my lap jiggled slightly which made me look at it. The antidote was safely tucked in, and I was happy that we
Ava's povBy the time we crossed Blackthorn's borders it was already dusk. I was glad to finally be on familiar soil, I also wanted to see Lyra. She was the only person that had been nice to me when I first arrived beside Thomas and Heather.I felt a pang in my chest as I thought about them. They had escaped after the castle attack, I shook the thoughts of them away. Now wasn't the time to think about old friendships.The guards opened the gate and we were greeted by familiar faces that had relief and worry across their faces.Gamma Draven was the first to approach us, his face was dark with concern. “Alpha,” he greeted with a bow. “I'm happy to see you back and just in time. One of the sick, there's something wrong with him. He's… changing.”My heart dropped at the news.“Take us to him.” Xander commanded.We quickly got off our horses then followed Draven into the castle as he led us through a series of hallways until we got to the infirmary.The air was filled with the scent of he
Xander's povThe night was quiet, save for the faint crackling of the fire still burning at the center of camp.But Ava… she had curled up beside me, her head on my shoulder, her fingers gently tucked against my arm. Her breathing slowed sometime between Rowan’s quiet jokes, Vanessa blushing with Kael teasing her and Lyra sitting in silence after her brief confession.She fell asleep there, in the circle of firelight and friends and whispered memories.I couldn’t bear to wake her.So I carried her.Her warmth pressed against my chest as I walked us to the chambers we’d been assigned in the temporary Ashville pack house. The bed was a bit small but clean, sheets tucked in and blankets folded. I laid her down carefully, brushing a stray strand of hair from her cheek before covering her with the blanket.I wanted to stay awake and watch over her. Zerathos may be gone but he has left a lasting trauma and fear of the shadows. I was scared that if I closed my eyes and opened it I would real
Rowan's POVLyra’s breathing had finally evened out beside me, a soft, steady rhythm that showed that she was finally at ease and I was glad. She didn’t say another word after I wrapped the blanket around her and sat by her side. She didn’t need to.I looked at her, really looked.Her face had lost weight in the past months, the edges sharper now—grief had carved out the softness she once had so effortlessly. The dark, sunken circles beneath her eyes told me she hadn’t been sleeping much. And even now, in the calm after the war, her body was tense beneath the blanket, like she was ready to spring awake at any given time if someone so much as touched her. .But she had opened up.That alone made something in my chest unclench for the first time in weeks.I tilted my head back, let my eyes gaze up to the stars, but even their beauty felt muted tonight. Everything felt… dulled. Like we’d survived the fire, only to emerge into the ashes.But she talked. She talked.And I’d take that over
Lyra’s POVThe fire had burned down to little fire, and one by one, they drifted off to sleep. Ava had fallen asleep curled against Xander’s chest. Vanessa and Kael were tangled up on a blanket near the edge of the camp, whispering and grinning like the war had never happened and they were in some sort of fairytale. Like they’d known peace all their lives.I was happy and envious of them so I forced myself to look away.Rowan had stayed with me.He always did.By the time the last bit of fire was snuffed and silence had settled over the camp, he rose, wordless, and offered me his hand. I took it, letting him guide me away from the others, deeper into the shadows where the weight of their stares couldn’t follow.We walked to a place in Ashville that we liked. It was a little hill above the camp where the entire land could be seen and the sky felt so close. The stars were particularly bright on that night, I just stood there and took a deep breath.The night air was cold, crisp, almost
Lyra’s povI don't know how long we sat there but I had droned out their conversation as I watched the burning fire. Suddenly, I felt the air shift. It wasn't the regular shift.But this time, it was different.Tense. Sharp.I knew why.I could feel it, their eyes were on me.And they deserved answers.I just wasn’t sure I had the strength to give them.Rowan came even closer, a steady wall beside me, his warmth grounding. He hadn't spoken much, just held my hand quietly under the blanket we shared. It should’ve comforted me more than it did. But the guilt clung to me, curling in my chest like a shadow that refused to be exorcised.I peeped at Ava across the fire, her knees were pulled to her chest, arms loosely wrapped around them. Xander had stood up and was standing just behind her, arms crossed, his gaze unreadable as it flicked from person to person—though it lingered on me more often than not.I was almost certain I could go the night without a word being said. That they’d keep
Lyra’s POVThe crackling of the campfire sounded distant just like the faint sound of voices laughing and talking. Familiar voices. Ones that once meant comfort and strength. Now, they sounded foreign and distant, like echoes bouncing off the thick stone walls of guilt I had built around myself.I sat wrapped in my cloak, hood drawn low, body leaning into Rowan’s side. His warmth was steady, grounding. I could feel his heart through the fabric, steady as a drum, but there was a tension in the way he held me. He didn’t trust me—not entirely. I didn’t blame him.They had every right not to.Ashville was ruined. The war was over. And I had helped start it. They just didn't know that.I didn’t know how to look them in the eyes, not after what I had done.Ava’s laugh echoed through the air, loud and carefree, like birds chirping and singing during the summer. She teased Vanessa about how she once fought her over Xander. Vanessa rolled her eyes but smiled, her fingers tangled with Kael’s. I
Ava's povThe fire crackled in the center of our circle, its warm glow and embers floating up to the dark sky above us. The scent of roasted meat and earth filled the air. It was the first night in what felt like centuries that I didn’t have to look over my shoulder or hold a weapon while I slept.We had won.The war was over. Zerathos was gone alongside his shadows and forge. It was a tough battle but we won in the end and that's all that mattered. The camp was quiet, solemn in places, and slowly coming back to life in others. Rebuilding had started before the ashes were even cold.We’d spent the entire day helping—healing, carrying, burying. Holding hands that trembled with grief. Offering words to those who could still barely believe they’d survived. It was exhausting in a new kind of way—no longer physical, but emotional.And now, for the first time in weeks, we sat around a fire without dread thick in the air. Just six of us. Allies through it all. Survivors of chaos.Ava sat bes
Ava’s POVThe morning after the final battle was a strange kind of quiet. Not silence, exactly—there were still murmurs, the crackle of the early fires, the low sobs of those mourning their fallen, and the laughter of those too happy not to laugh. It was a quiet that came after chaos, the kind that felt borrowed, fragile, as if the world was holding its breath, unsure if the war was truly over.But it was.Zerathos was gone. His shadows had dispersed, leaving behind only the smell of ash and blood.I stood at the edge of the ruins that had once been the main part of our camp, the place where strategy was whispered and sleepless nights were passed in tense silence. Now it was littered with broken weapons, scorched earth, and fat too many lifeless bodies.Kael called out names from a growing list, his voice steady despite the tremble in it. Vanessa stood beside him, her hand in his, as they honored each name with a nod and a moment of silence. Rowan knelt by the body of one of his falle
Ava’s POVLyra was a blur of shadows, her body twisting and jerking with the force of a nightmare that had fully claimed her. Her eyes were two hollow pits of blackness, her once vibrant blue eyes now lost beneath an abyss. The very air around her seemed to tremble with the power of Zerathos’ dark magic, and the wail that tore from her throat was not the sound of her voice anymore. It was something ancient, something malevolent, echoing in the very bones of the earth beneath us.Xander’s blade clashed with hers as she lunged at him again, but there was no recognition in her movements—just raw, unfiltered rage. The Lyra I knew, the sister of Rowan, the one who had laughed with me and shared secrets in the quiet corners of our kingdom, was gone.“Lyra!” Rowan screamed, his voice was raw and hoarse, breaking with the anguish of a twin who had just watched his sibling become something unrecognizable. His voice was a beacon of desperation, but it did nothing to stop the creature she had be
Ava’s POVThe ground trembled beneath our feet as Lyra's form charged toward Xander with unnatural strength, the sound of her shrieking filling the air with an unnatural, bone-chilling shrill. Her movements were too fast, too erratic, her body a twisted mockery of the sister I knew. Her eyes, once silver with kindness, now pulsed with an abyssal blackness—pools of darkness that swallowed any light. She was lost. But I refused to believe it. Not completely. Not yet.“Xander, MOVE!” I shouted, pushing myself forward, my heart hammering against my ribcage. I couldn’t lose him. Not now.Xander barely had time to react before Lyra was upon him, her blades gleaming with malice as they sliced through the air. He barely dodged, the edge of her dagger grazing his shoulder, sending a burst of pain radiating through his body. He growled, backing away, but she was relentless—her speed matched only by the cold fury in her eyes.“No!” I screamed, my voice raw with desperation, but the words were lo