Ava's povThe morning light filtered into the war room through the massive windows as I traced my fingers over the map that had been spread across the large table. My mind was set on a plan— there was one more thing that needed to be done.“We need to go to silver claw.” I announced, my voice calm and firm.Xander, who was standing next to me, turned to fully face me as his eyes narrowed. “Silver claw? Why?” He asked.I exhaled, preparing myself to do some convincing because this wouldn't work without it. “You know I'm from there. My parents live there. They might know something about Darius that we don't know— something we may have missed or overlooked.” I locked eyes with him. “And if they don't then maybe they'll be able to help us get through to him. The war is almost here and I want to give him one last chance before we go fully into battle.”Xander stared at me in silence as he considered my words. His fingers tapped lightly on the hilt of his sword strapped to his side.“Do you
Ava's povA flash of something crossed her face—shock, disbelief, then it turned to something colder. “Ava.” she said, her voice laced with bitterness that I didn't expect but ignored nonetheless.Maybe I imagined it.I smiled as I was almost close to her. “I can’t believe it’s you. After the selection, I—”“Thought I was dead?” She finished for me.My stomach dropped.Sylvia tilted her head. “Surprised? I was taken as a personal entertainer for a high wolf, I'm sure you saw that or maybe you were too busy causing a ruckus that day to notice what was going on with anyone other than yourself.” Her tone was light and casual, but her words were like a slap to the face.“I thought—”“You thought I suffered like the rest?” she asked, her lips curling into a sneeze. “Well, you wouldn’t know, would you? You had other things to do.”“Sylvia, that’s not fair.”Her eyes darkened. “Isn’t it? All those years, you hated the wolves. You claimed to hate them so much, always ranting about how you wou
Ava’s povI shook my head. “no, I can’t.”“you must.” he insisted, sharply. “Because if you go after him and try to reason with him you will only end up dead.”Xander finally spoke up, his voice firm and steady. “if he cannot be reasoned with then he shall be treated like the threat that he is and this war will end by any means necessary.”My mother let out as oft gasp, raising her hand to cover her mouth as she understood what was going to happen to her son.My father’s eyes lit up like an inferno, burning with fury. ‘”so what? You’re going to drive your sword through your mate’s own flesh and blood?”Xander didn’t flinched, he held my father’s gaze head on. “if it means protecting my people, my mate and even your people then yes, I will do what must be done.”The room fell deathly silent. Even the air stilled at the silent battle going on between my father and Xander. The tension was thick and suffocating. I don’t know what I had been expecting but it certainly wasn’t this.I swallo
Ava’s povThe ride was long and quite, each of us lost in our own thoughts. The path went through a deep forest with high snow which slowed us down. The only sound that could be heard was the occasional sound of birds chirping above.After a while, my father broke the silence.“i guess you know about your origin.” he didn’t need to look at me for me to know that he was taking to me.“yes, I do.” I replied. “why didn’t you guys tell me?”He sighed. “after the miscarriage you were like an answer to our prayers, the moon goddess had performed an unexpected miracle in our lives. You were our baby girl- you still are. Nothing will ever change that. that’s why we didn’t tell ypu.”I felt tears well up in my eyes but I quickly blinked away, now wasn’t the time to be emotionalChanging the topic, my father said. “do you really believe that you can change his mind? That he hasn’t been fully blinded and corrupted by his new found authority?”I hesitated before answering. ‘I have to try.’He sig
Ava's povThe person's grip was so tight that I knew that I was going to bruise up. I clenched my jaw, struggling against the hold, but the man behind me only tightened his grip.The rebels around watched in eerie silence, they lowered their weapons but still held it tightly just in case anything went wrong.Darius stood in front of me, expression unreadable. He didn’t seem surprised.It was then that I realized that he had been expecting me somehow.From the place where the others were hidden, I felt Xander reaching out to me through the bond. I felt his rage— flaming hot, pouring through the bond. He was seconds away from attacking.Leo was barely hanging on; he was demanding to be let out, to rip apart anyone who touched me. But I couldn't let them, I needed to see where this was leading.I exhaled and focused on our bond.“Not yet. Stay back.” I said through the bond.I knew that Xander heard me, we had been practicing on the bond for a while now so that we would always be able to
Ava's pov“The bond between you and Xander is a lie,” he murmured. “A fabricated tale created by gods who feared our bond. What we were. What we could be together now.”I forced myself to speak even though my tongue felt as heavy as lead. “You’re lying.”He chuckled, dark and empty “Am I?”Something shifted. It was like claws were digging into my mind.Suddenly, images began to flash in my mind. Memories of a past I didn't know. Whispers of voices I didn't recognize. And a feeling… a deep, painful love that had been lost long ago.I crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath, fisting the dirt beneath my palm as a sharp ache piercing my chest.“No.” I whispered.No, this wasn’t real. It couldn't be.This was a trick.Zerathos crouched down in front of me, his expression softer than before. “I loved you first, Ava.” His voice was gentle now. “Before any of them. Before Xander. Before the gods tore us apart.”I shook my head, squeezing my eyes shut. “No. That’s not—”“They stole you from
Ava's pov“Stand down,” Darius ordered his men, voice sharp and firm.Slowly, they hesitated but lowered their weapons. The ones in wolf form didn't shift back to humans but they gave us space and seemed less tense. A bitXander didn’t take his eyes off Darius as he held out a hand toward me. “Come here, Ava.”I took a step forward—And then, a voice cut through the tension like a knife.“Kill her.”The air went still.For a moment, everything stopped. Including my heart.Then, the shadows returned, slithering on the ground like snakes until they got behind Darius where a figure took form.Zerathos.This time, everyone seemed to feel the evil in him as the rebels shivered and cowered in fear.But Darius? His face instantly drained of color because he wasn't the one who had just issued that command, it was Zerathos.A ferocious growl left Xander immediately. “Don’t you dare—”“Kill her,” Zerathos repeated, his voice as soft as silk and was filled with malice.Darius took a step back, s
Ava's povI took a step closer, ignoring the heavy exhaustion in my limbs from the large amount of energy I had just used. “Darius, listen to me. You have to fight him.”He gasped, his body jerking violently. “I—”But then Zerathos took control again.Darius’ lips curled into a smirk that wasn’t his. “Oh, how sweet.”The shadows surged forward again, this time they spread like wildfire across the ground. The rebels screamed as the darkness rushed towards them, some scrambled to run while others remained rooted in their spot, frozen by terror.Xander growled, stepping in front of me again.“Enough of this,” he snarled. “Face me yourself, Zerathos. Or are you so weak that you have to hide behind my mate’s brother?”The dark god laughed. A sound that was weird, hollow and made the air feel heavy, pressing down on me.“You think I’m hiding?” he said, voice filled with amusement. “No, dear sweet Alpha King. This is only the beginning.”With a wave of his hand, more darkness spilled out. I
Ava's povI took a step closer, ignoring the heavy exhaustion in my limbs from the large amount of energy I had just used. “Darius, listen to me. You have to fight him.”He gasped, his body jerking violently. “I—”But then Zerathos took control again.Darius’ lips curled into a smirk that wasn’t his. “Oh, how sweet.”The shadows surged forward again, this time they spread like wildfire across the ground. The rebels screamed as the darkness rushed towards them, some scrambled to run while others remained rooted in their spot, frozen by terror.Xander growled, stepping in front of me again.“Enough of this,” he snarled. “Face me yourself, Zerathos. Or are you so weak that you have to hide behind my mate’s brother?”The dark god laughed. A sound that was weird, hollow and made the air feel heavy, pressing down on me.“You think I’m hiding?” he said, voice filled with amusement. “No, dear sweet Alpha King. This is only the beginning.”With a wave of his hand, more darkness spilled out. I
Ava's pov“Stand down,” Darius ordered his men, voice sharp and firm.Slowly, they hesitated but lowered their weapons. The ones in wolf form didn't shift back to humans but they gave us space and seemed less tense. A bitXander didn’t take his eyes off Darius as he held out a hand toward me. “Come here, Ava.”I took a step forward—And then, a voice cut through the tension like a knife.“Kill her.”The air went still.For a moment, everything stopped. Including my heart.Then, the shadows returned, slithering on the ground like snakes until they got behind Darius where a figure took form.Zerathos.This time, everyone seemed to feel the evil in him as the rebels shivered and cowered in fear.But Darius? His face instantly drained of color because he wasn't the one who had just issued that command, it was Zerathos.A ferocious growl left Xander immediately. “Don’t you dare—”“Kill her,” Zerathos repeated, his voice as soft as silk and was filled with malice.Darius took a step back, s
Ava's pov“The bond between you and Xander is a lie,” he murmured. “A fabricated tale created by gods who feared our bond. What we were. What we could be together now.”I forced myself to speak even though my tongue felt as heavy as lead. “You’re lying.”He chuckled, dark and empty “Am I?”Something shifted. It was like claws were digging into my mind.Suddenly, images began to flash in my mind. Memories of a past I didn't know. Whispers of voices I didn't recognize. And a feeling… a deep, painful love that had been lost long ago.I crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath, fisting the dirt beneath my palm as a sharp ache piercing my chest.“No.” I whispered.No, this wasn’t real. It couldn't be.This was a trick.Zerathos crouched down in front of me, his expression softer than before. “I loved you first, Ava.” His voice was gentle now. “Before any of them. Before Xander. Before the gods tore us apart.”I shook my head, squeezing my eyes shut. “No. That’s not—”“They stole you from
Ava's povThe person's grip was so tight that I knew that I was going to bruise up. I clenched my jaw, struggling against the hold, but the man behind me only tightened his grip.The rebels around watched in eerie silence, they lowered their weapons but still held it tightly just in case anything went wrong.Darius stood in front of me, expression unreadable. He didn’t seem surprised.It was then that I realized that he had been expecting me somehow.From the place where the others were hidden, I felt Xander reaching out to me through the bond. I felt his rage— flaming hot, pouring through the bond. He was seconds away from attacking.Leo was barely hanging on; he was demanding to be let out, to rip apart anyone who touched me. But I couldn't let them, I needed to see where this was leading.I exhaled and focused on our bond.“Not yet. Stay back.” I said through the bond.I knew that Xander heard me, we had been practicing on the bond for a while now so that we would always be able to
Ava’s povThe ride was long and quite, each of us lost in our own thoughts. The path went through a deep forest with high snow which slowed us down. The only sound that could be heard was the occasional sound of birds chirping above.After a while, my father broke the silence.“i guess you know about your origin.” he didn’t need to look at me for me to know that he was taking to me.“yes, I do.” I replied. “why didn’t you guys tell me?”He sighed. “after the miscarriage you were like an answer to our prayers, the moon goddess had performed an unexpected miracle in our lives. You were our baby girl- you still are. Nothing will ever change that. that’s why we didn’t tell ypu.”I felt tears well up in my eyes but I quickly blinked away, now wasn’t the time to be emotionalChanging the topic, my father said. “do you really believe that you can change his mind? That he hasn’t been fully blinded and corrupted by his new found authority?”I hesitated before answering. ‘I have to try.’He sig
Ava’s povI shook my head. “no, I can’t.”“you must.” he insisted, sharply. “Because if you go after him and try to reason with him you will only end up dead.”Xander finally spoke up, his voice firm and steady. “if he cannot be reasoned with then he shall be treated like the threat that he is and this war will end by any means necessary.”My mother let out as oft gasp, raising her hand to cover her mouth as she understood what was going to happen to her son.My father’s eyes lit up like an inferno, burning with fury. ‘”so what? You’re going to drive your sword through your mate’s own flesh and blood?”Xander didn’t flinched, he held my father’s gaze head on. “if it means protecting my people, my mate and even your people then yes, I will do what must be done.”The room fell deathly silent. Even the air stilled at the silent battle going on between my father and Xander. The tension was thick and suffocating. I don’t know what I had been expecting but it certainly wasn’t this.I swallo
Ava's povA flash of something crossed her face—shock, disbelief, then it turned to something colder. “Ava.” she said, her voice laced with bitterness that I didn't expect but ignored nonetheless.Maybe I imagined it.I smiled as I was almost close to her. “I can’t believe it’s you. After the selection, I—”“Thought I was dead?” She finished for me.My stomach dropped.Sylvia tilted her head. “Surprised? I was taken as a personal entertainer for a high wolf, I'm sure you saw that or maybe you were too busy causing a ruckus that day to notice what was going on with anyone other than yourself.” Her tone was light and casual, but her words were like a slap to the face.“I thought—”“You thought I suffered like the rest?” she asked, her lips curling into a sneeze. “Well, you wouldn’t know, would you? You had other things to do.”“Sylvia, that’s not fair.”Her eyes darkened. “Isn’t it? All those years, you hated the wolves. You claimed to hate them so much, always ranting about how you wou
Ava's povThe morning light filtered into the war room through the massive windows as I traced my fingers over the map that had been spread across the large table. My mind was set on a plan— there was one more thing that needed to be done.“We need to go to silver claw.” I announced, my voice calm and firm.Xander, who was standing next to me, turned to fully face me as his eyes narrowed. “Silver claw? Why?” He asked.I exhaled, preparing myself to do some convincing because this wouldn't work without it. “You know I'm from there. My parents live there. They might know something about Darius that we don't know— something we may have missed or overlooked.” I locked eyes with him. “And if they don't then maybe they'll be able to help us get through to him. The war is almost here and I want to give him one last chance before we go fully into battle.”Xander stared at me in silence as he considered my words. His fingers tapped lightly on the hilt of his sword strapped to his side.“Do you
Lucian’s povThe castle had never felt so cold.Not even in the dead of winter, not even after I lost her- my world, my mate. But now, sitting alone in my chambers, staring at the burning, flickering fireplace, I felt it.A cold so harsh that it seeped through my skin and sank deep into my bones and settled there.Xander had come to me today. A day I had never dreamt of- not even in my wildest dreams. He came not with the hate and vengeance that I had expected but with a forgiveness that I didn’t deserve.If I had been in his position, if my father had raised me the way I raised xander, I would have never forgiven him. I would have trained to become stronger than him then rip him into pieces once he was weak.But, xander was stronger than me.I had raised him to be a warrior, to be cold and ruthless but he had become more than that. He had become a true king, far greater than the one I had ever been.I exhaled sharply, dragging my hand across my face. It was too late to change things,