Xander's povThe oracle stood by the door. This was unlike her, she doesn't leave her cottage unless summoned. The room fell into hushed silence as we all watched her walk to the front of the room.“Thane, Garrick and Maris.” She started. “You will not lay a finger on a single hair on that child's head.” She ordered.“Or-oracle.” Garrick stuttered giving her a bow. “What brings you here? This is a simple matter.”“It is not a simple matter. It is far greater than every single one of us in this room— and the realm as a whole.” She said, “Leave Ava alone.”“Why?” Maris snapped. “Ever since that human stepped foot in this castle things have changed and not for the better. Take a look at Xander, he hurt his own people and has been slacking in his duties.”“The wheel of fate has been spun, everything is now set into motion. Many threads of destiny have been knotted together, a story that cannot be undone has been made. Each choice and action taken henceforth, is a step closer to the inevit
Xander's povI ran my fingers through my hair, my hands trembling slightly.“That’s the reason why my father hates me,” I said, my throat tightening. “It’s not just because I remind him of my mother or because he thinks I’m weak. It’s because he blames me for her death.”Ava’s brows furrowed in confusion. “But you said that she died from childbirth complications after the rogue attack. How could that be your fault?”I let out a dry laugh, it sounded hollow and filled with pain. I regret everything that happened till this day, her death would forever haunt me.I let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow and filled with pain. “Because I was the reason she was in the forest that day. I begged her to come with me.”Her eyes widened, and I could see the shock and sympathy warring within her.“It was a beautiful summer day,” I said, my voice distant as my mind flashed back to the memory. “The sun was shining, the air was filled with the scent of jasmine and lavender— my mother's favorites af
Xander’s POVI watched as her chest rose and fell asleep. She slept peacefully. She had exhausted herself while comforting me.I brushed a piece of her hair away from her face before standing up and walking to the door. I wasn't sure if she'd appreciate me being there when she woke up so it was best for me to leave.Casting one last glance at her sleeping figure, I opened the door and walked out. Today had been mentally draining, I didn't have the energy to focus on pack work so I quickly had dinner then went to bed.The next day….The sun has just begun to rise, peaking about the horizon, bathing the castle and the pack grounds with its golden glow. I stood on my balcony, looking at the view before me and thinking about my plans for the day.Everything Ava did for me the day before still lingered in my mind. She deserved something special, she has given me much more than I have ever given her. She was a treasure that I was lucky to have been blessed with.So, I decided to take her to
Xander's pov)We spent the rest of the morning eating, talking, laughing, and sharing childhood memories. Ava told me a lot about her childhood—her favorite memories, her struggles, and the little things that made her happy. I made sure to note every single detail down in my mind.“I used to climb trees all the time,” she said, her voice filled with nostalgia and eyes distant as she transported back to the period of the memory, mentally. “There was this one tree in the village square that was taller than all the others. Everyone always wondered how it managed to thrive so well in the harsh climate, I guess it was just determined to survive at all cost.”“Just like you. You're the bravest person I know.” I said.She blushed again. “Anyway, one day my friends dared me to climb it, and of course, I couldn’t back down from such a challenge. I climbed it despite how difficult it was, I made it to the top, but then I couldn’t get down.”I laughed, imagining a younger version of Ava stuck at
Xander’s pov“Alpha!” I heard Magnus yell from a distance, I turned and saw him sprinting toward me, his face grim.“How did this happen?” I demanded.Magnus stopped in front of me, breathing heavily. “It was an attack. A bomb—one unlike anything we have ever seen before. It went off near the southern border, but it was so powerful that the shockwave reached here.”“A bomb?” Ava asked, stepping forward.Magnus glanced at her briefly before nodding. “Yes. The damage is worse near the border. Some of our warriors and pack members… they didn’t make it.”I clenched my fingers into a fist at his words. Through the pack bond I could feel some people snap as they died and the pain of their families. Each death was like a stab to my chest, literally, that was one of the burdens alpha kings had to bear. They would feel pain for each member of lycara who does.“Who's responsible for this?” I asked.Magnus hesitated, his jaw tightening. “We don’t know yet but we caught a trail of rogue scent nea
Xander's povAva and I decided to walk through the borders now that the rogues had been dealt with. We wanted to see the extent of the injuries and how many we had lost.The southern border which was once a place filled with happiness and love as people went about their day and children played. It was now a graveyard, one filled with memories and death.A young bloody warrior walked towards us, arm wrapped in bandages that were soaked with his blood. His face was pale and his breathing sounded laboured, he was in severe pain. Ava immediately rushed over to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder to help him walk better.He looked surprised at her assistant and was a bit apprehensive because she was human. He remained rooted to his spot. “Let me help, please.” Ava said upon noticing his hesitance. Her voice was calm and welcoming.The warrior shook his head. “I'm fine…” he didn't know what to address her as, he winced as he tried to move out from her hold.The sight both warmed my h
Xander's pov)“So right now, our top priority is to locate their hideout— the center of all their operations.” I continued. “We also believe that the rogues may be working with someone, we have to find out who has joint forces with the rogues.”They nodded.“They’ve managed to evade us for too long, but that ends now. I want every resource at your disposal to be used to track them down. Follow every lead, no matter how small. Leave no stone unturned.”One of the enforcers, a tall man with a scar that ran across his eye named Kael, stepped forward. “Alpha, we’ve already begun gathering as much information as we can get our hands on. There are whispers of rogue activity near the eastern mountains, but nothing concrete yet.”“Then make it concrete,” I said firmly. “Send scouts, interrogate prisoners, do whatever it takes. I want their location as soon as possible.”“Yes, Alpha,” Kael said. “There's something else ““Speak.” I ordered.“We believe that the humans and rogues have joined fo
Xander's pov“Some of you are well aware of what we have learnt about the rogues whilst some of you are not. The rogues now move strategically and tactically, they can no longer be handled like we used to.” I said. “ This attack proves that they are capable of more than we’ve given them credit for. If we don’t act now, they will strike again—and I fear that next time, it could be worse.”Magnus leaned forward, his expression grim. “What’s the plan, Alpha?”I met his gaze, then looked around the table making sure to lock my eyes with everyone present. “We need to come together—not just as a pack, but as a realm. Lycara is home to ten other packs, and if the rogues are bold enough to attack us, they won’t hesitate to target the others. We need to protect our people, all of them.”Rowan frowned. “You’re suggesting we unite the packs?”“Yes,” I said firmly. “This isn’t just our fight. The rogues are a threat to everyone, and we need to stand together if we’re going to defeat them.”Elder
Ava's povMy breath caught in my throat.The flickering shapes. The shifting shadows. The wrongness etched into the faces of those I had known for years.But what I was seeing—none of it made sense. It was twisted. A funhouse reflection of the world I knew. Was this the truth? A vision? A warning?Or…My heart pounded violently in my chest as my legs gave out from under me. I fell to my knees on the stone floor, staring at the ground as if it might split open and swallow me whole.Then the realization hit me.It wasn’t real.None of it.I looked back up at the people I had just seen—people whose faces had changed, who had grinned and had wrong shadows—and now… they were normal again. Whole. Familiar. The same as always.I gasped. “No… no, no, no…”It wasn’t real.It wasn’t real.I stumbled back, shaking my head as the panic started to claw its way through my throat. “It isn’t real. IT ISN’T REAL!” I screamed, so loud it echoed through the forest.Doors slammed open.Boots rushed towar
Ava's povNo one said anything to me anymore.They didn’t need to.The whispers were loud even in their silence.The way conversations shifted when I walked past. The way people refused to meet my eyes, as if even eye contact might make them join in my madness—or worse, my supposed crime.I tried apologizing to some of them even though I didn’t know what for. I tried helping in the kitchens. Volunteering for patrol. Sitting through meetings I was no longer welcome in.Nothing worked. No one wanted me around them.I was a ghost in a home I had helped fight for.The days passed like the wind—fast and untouchable. I drifted through them like a ghost.Nobody spoke to me unless they had to. Even then, it was clipped, formal, laced with suspicion and caution. Conversations that used to warm up rooms now stilled when I walked in. Smiles I used to see daily became vacant stares—or worse, side-eyed glares.I didn’t blame them.Elder Maris had been a guide to them, a beacon. She’d walked with w
Ava's povSilence clung to me like a second skin.Cold and unforgiven.Quiet but loud.It was deafening.I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t even speak. All I could do was stand there, trembling, as dozens of eyes bore into me. Judging. Accusing. Disbelieving.Hating on me.“What did you do?” Elder Thane’s voice cut through the silence like a blade. “Ava… what have you done?”“I—” My voice cracked, barely above a whisper. “I don’t know. I don’t understand what’s happening—”“You’re holding the dagger,” someone growled, voice filled with suspicion and hate.Hate that broke my heart. Hate that I didn't deserve but was getting due to a situation that I didn't understand.I looked down again. My fingers were clenched around the hilt of the dagger, knuckles white, blood trickling down my wrist in thick, slow streams. Maris’s blood.“I didn’t—I wasn’t even—” I took a shaky step back. “I went for a walk. Through the volcanic forest. I just… needed to clear my head.”“That’s not possi
Ava's povThe night begins with shadows.Always.Not the kind that creep under doorways or stretch across walls. These are inside me—cold, vile things curling behind my ribs and pressing against my spine.I couldn't sleep. Again.I thought I had gotten rid of Zerathos' hold on me so I was very confused by the shadows tormenting me.Or is it all just in my head?I didn't know. It was driving me crazy.Every time I closed my eyes, I would see a shape in the dark. A flicker at the edge of reason. A whisper that wasn't by voice.And tonight, it showed me something that I couldn't escape.It started with smoke— it was thick, black, and curling like serpents across the ground. I was standing on a cracked path of scorched earth, the sky a scary swirl of red and grey. The air hummed like something alive.I didn't know this place but something in me said I did.Death Hollow.It whispered.The forbidden wasteland where no life grows. Where bones sink into the black soil and never rise again. Wh
Ava's povWar doesn’t end in a day. But neither does peace begin in one.It has been three days since Zerathos vanished.Three days since we watched his monstrous army retreat into the mist, leaving behind scorched earth, broken trees, a pile of bodies, the smell of blood and rot and the faintest echo of something dangerous whispering in the wind.We had returned to the Ashville main pack to regroup, heal, and mourn. The war council met daily. The injured filled the infirmary. My magic was slowly coming back as the days passed. Our warriors were tense, always half-listening, always watching the tree lines.But there’s something worse than fear in the air.Something wrong that had plagued me since the day of the first battle.And I could feel it clawing at me like a cold hand pressed against the back of my neck.I would wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air, heart pounding like I’ve been running. But there was nothing there, no matter how hard I searched. Just Xander’s s
Zerathos' povThey think they’ve won.How foolish.War doesn't end when someone retreats. Not for those who breathe war.They thought my vanishing act was surrender. That my army fading with me was a sign of loss. But they misunderstood the game entirely.You don’t conquer a kingdom by brute force alone—you break its spirit, fracture its foundation, and wait for the cracks to show and watch everything crumble as they scramble to save what is beyond repair.The moment I faded from the battlefield, I felt the wave of their false relief like a sweet smell in the wind. It made me smirk at their naiveness. A dream. It was the normal way a prey always relaxes when the predator steps away… forgetting that sometimes, the beast only backs off to sharpen its claws.I stood at the top of the cliffs of Death Hollow now, the wind howling in the air, the sky was bleeding, the earth soaked with death, black mist curling at my feet. The death hollow was a little realm I had crafted for myself. Below
Ava's povWar doesn’t start and end in a day. It takes a while.To build. To break. To bleed.To bury.And when the sky finally cleared of fire and ash, when Zerathos’s monstrous form vanished into the nothingness from which he had come from, taking his cursed army with him, all that remained was silence.A thick, eerie, unnatural silence.Like the earth itself was holding its breath.The blood-soaked ground beneath my feet was still warm, humming with the leftover power of dark spells and light magic. The battle was over…for now but it didn’t feel like a victory. It felt like a pause. A line right in the middle of a war that hadn’t even shown us its worst yet.All around me, bodies lay scattered like fallen birds—our warriors, his Shadow slaves and everything in between. Some would never rise again. Others would carry the scars forever.My heartbeat echoed in my ears, the only sound I could hear over the rush of adrenaline still coursing through my veins.Xander stood a few feet from
Ava's pov The moment the black mist erupted from the ground, I knew that things were about to get much worse. It was reeking badly. The ground cracked open beneath our feet like a wound splitting wide, and from it, the shadows poured, thick and choking, whispering in voices I couldn’t understand. Zerathos was coming. And I wasn’t ready, it was too soon. But I had to be. I knew that if I had continued to wait in blackthorn, I would never fully be ready. Now, regardless I was already here and needed to get things together and end this. I turned, eyes widening as I sensed something coming. "Shields!" I screamed, summoning my light magic and making a dome flare out around us, golden and humming with energy just as a blast of shadows shot out from the crack on the floor and hitting the barrier with so much force that the forge shook. We stumbled. Xander caught me by the elbow, his arm strong, steady. His eyes locked onto mine for half a second stormy gray-golden eyes c
Xander's povI spotted the command post—a black stone tower in the heart of the forge still standing amidst the chaos.“Take the south side!” I shouted to Kaida. “Keep them from regrouping!”She nodded once before leaping into the shadows, other nightshade warriors next to hermI tuned to the rest. “Push forward! Get to the tower! Cut the head off the snake!”We broke into a small unified group, making our way to the gate. More and more of Zerathos' warriors began flooding in from the rear now—those that were not caught in the explosions. Reinforcements. Bigger. Angrier.But it was too late.Too slow.I could feel it.Their fear.Their unraveling.And beneath it all the Forge began to make a groaning sound.Like something buried deep beneath was awakening.We reached the tower. My claws tore through the doors.We stormed inside and then came the scream again.A sound that shattered bone and split stone.The Howling Horror. Another one.It was close.And it was coming.I turned toward