Xander's povAfter Ava's outburst in the council's chamber there has been a sudden silence in the pack as everyone was still reeling from the shock of her revelation.I had heard some rumours about a little uprising growing not only in blackthorn but in the other packs as well. I would have to figure them out later.Right now we're still rebuilding the castle. But as we worked to med everything that has been destroyed, something kept bothering me. Like I was forgetting something important.I tried to remember what it was but couldn't. I tried shaking off the feeling but it kept disturbing me, that something had been left unfinished.One day, it hit me. Like a cold slap to my face.The rogues we had captured.They had been rotting in the dungeons, forgotten, since they had been captured during the ambush weeks ago and more had been captured during the castle attacks. We had more than enough to interrogate. Due to all the chaos, I had completely forgotten.Finally, I had a means of gett
Xander's povI clenched the paper in anger. He had been leaking a lot of information right under our noses.I continued to check the crate and found more detailed letters talking about Ava, me, the warriors, patrol shifts, enforcers, warriors that had been sent out of the pack undercover, details on the other pack. Everything.I also found a map with symbols I didn't recognize. It had coordinates to parts in the realm I had never bothered with and some parts that I knew of.Parts that Magnus was in charge of and told me lies about. More hideouts that were right under my nose but I had failed to see.I cursed as I realized how well Magnus had played everything out. He was highly intelligent.One thing still bothered me. Why?Before I could study the map, one of the scouts we had positioned at the base of the cliff burst into the cave, his face pale from the cold and his breathing ragged."Alpha," he gasped, nearly collapsing in front of me.I grabbed his arm, steadying him. "What is it
Xander's povThe pool was small enough to indicate that it wasn't a fatal wound but it was enough to make my stomach drop.Her scent was all around it so there was no denying it.I scanned the area looking for any trace of Lyra or Magnus then I spotted an arrow in a tree with a note at its tip.I snatched it off, hands trembling with barely controlled rage.“If you want her back, come find me. But be quick, Xander. She’s running out of time.”Magnus.A growl escaped me as rage as hot as kava coursed through me.Roman dropped to his knees near the pool of blood. His face filled with fear, sadness and anger.Yes, she was my sister as well but she was his twin. Always by his side since they were in our mother's womb. They were one soul in two bodies.I felt a pang in my chest as I remembered my mother. I had vowed to protect her babies and now, one had been taken from under my nose because I had been too occupied to keep an eye on them. I felt like a failure.“They took her,” Rowan whisp
Xander's povNow, he was using the ghost of my past that had haunted me for so long, to taunt me. I crumpled the paper with a growl.Before I could let the anger consume me, I felt Ava's hand on my arm.“Xander,” she whispered, her voice soft but firm.I turned to her, my chest heaving as I took in ragged breaths. Her eyes—the most striking pair of icy blue eyes, held mine, anchoring me back to reality.“This is what he wants,” she said. “He wants to make you angry. He wants you to lose control so you’ll make mistakes.”I closed my eyes, forcing myself to take deep breaths and calm down. She was right— just like always. Magnus knew me better than anyone. He knew exactly which wounds to poke at and which scars to rip open.I dropped the crumpled note to the ground and crushed it underneath my boot. “Let's keep moving.”****More days passed.The trial was all but gone. Our leads disappearing, lost in the wind. The warriors grew restless. And I was slowly unraveling.Rowan was worse. He
Xander's pov“Talk,” I ordered, my voice hoarse from the strain I put on it barking out orders everyday.Kael responded immediately. “One of our scouts reported sighting some movement near the abandoned ruins at the edge of shadowfang territory so it had been overlooked for years. It has never been reported as rogue territory but upon closer look it seemed heavily guarded so it has to mean something.”My heart raced.Finally, A lead.A real one.Without another word, I adjusted my clothes and walked out of the office.This time, we’d bring Lyra home.Or die trying.*****The rogues have always found a way to outsmart us. After telling Rowan and Ava the latest news, I returned to my office to make some final preparations before we headed out.I stood by my window, staring out unto the pack lands. I hated how much destruction the rogues had made in such little time, how they caught us off guard. How we let our guards down and the once undefeatable and formidable blackthorn pack was use
Xander's povWe decided to leave at night. Using the cover of the darkness to our advantage. Ava ran next to me, she was completely in tune with her wolf sense now. Her sharp electric blue eyes glowed in the dark as it scanned our environment.Rowan was still silent. The guilt still rolling off him in waves. I was too focused on the mission to play the role of a comforting brother at the moment.At first, the trail was easy and simple— animal and werewolf tracks, broken twigs and branches, a sign that there was frequent movement along that path. A good sign.It didn't take long for us to begin to see the traps. The first was a simple tripwire that triggered some arrows. We luckily spotted it in time. The second one was a bit tricker, there was a series of false earth that gave way to home with spikes at the bottom.The layout of the traps were familiar yet foreign. It was the work of Magnus. He was clever, I'd give him that, but not clever enough.We successfully evaded them. Then cam
Xander's pov“A map,” I muttered as I walked towards it.Ava was by my side, she reached out and traced the lines on it. “This could lead us to the main rebel stronghold.”But something was wrong. I slapped her hand away from it. “I'm sorry.” I didn't mean to slap her hand but I had to react quickly.The map was moving, shadows like living… things.“Zerathos’s magic.” Ava whispered, eyes widening.I clenched my fists. Of course.We had Lyra back.Magnus was dead.But the main problem was still at large.****We were in the war room yet again. We had spent a week helping Lyra recover and trying to decipher the map whilst learning as much as we can about the weapons.We had a crucial piece— the map, yet we couldn't understand it. My frustration was beginning to ile up. Kael had called for this meeting today, he said he had found out something. Thankfully, he wasn't badly injured from the blast. It took him two days to recover— he still had a couple of bruises, but I was thankful that he
Xander's pov“I'll get to that.” Kael said. “These were crafted with ancient werewolf knowledge, which I think we need to ask the elders more about. They need to tell us the truth, all of it.”“I'll see to it.” I vowed.Kael gave me a nod before continuing. “The runes are ancient, probably before the great war itself. When this dart meets its target, it leaves nothing more than a little wound— barely a scratch. Then the worse comes, it attacks the victim's soul.”“Soul?” Vanessa walked to the table from her position by the door.“The victim experiences intense pain, hallucinations, and mental breakdowns. In werewolves, it severs their connection with their wolf, making them unable to shift, feel their bond— including mate bond. It’s like tearing the spirit out of the flesh without killing them outright.”“That’s… worse than death for us.” Rowan whispered, face paler than before.I agreed silently. The thought of being cut off from Leo was unimaginable.Then Ava, out mate bond.That wo
Xander's povWe didn’t stop to breathe.The moment we emerged from the tunnel, I gave the signal and my warriors immediately sprang to motion like blades being drawn.We moved fast. No more room for mourning, hesitation, or mercy. The Forge was right in front of us. The explosives were set. The path to Zerathos lay wide open, and I was done playing on the defensive.No more creeping in the dark. No more lurking behind shadows.The bombs were planted.The path was clear.It was time.I turned to Kael. “Light them up.”One of his enforcers raised a hand, signalling for someone to hand him a torch which he placed on a wire which was connected to the bombs inside. The spark started, continuing down the path of wire, moving with speed towards the bombs inside.There was a brief moment of silence and then—Boom.The ground trembled beneath our feet as an explosion ripped through the forge’s storage rooms, sending fire and smoke into the sky. The sound echoed across the cursed land like a lo
Ava's povWe pressed forward in silence, everyone trying to keep their emotions in check and eyes peeled. As we got closer to the place where the first war took place I could feel the land speaking to me.It was broken and never allowed to heal. It was corrupt, hollow, scorched and lifeless.I could feel the centuries of history.The pain. The blood that had soaked into the ground during the First Great War.The screams that had rang out through the filled.Ahead of us was the tree that had the main door to the forge. The place where he had built his empire of shadows and death.But before we could take another step then a scent hit us.Blood.Old and fresh at the same time.Xander held up a hand, signaling for everyone to stop. His golden eyes scanned the battlefield, sharp and cautious. I could tell that Leo had taken over because he didn't want to take any chances.And then we saw him.A small body. Unmoving.A young werewolf, no more than fifteen, lay dead on the cold, cursed grou
Ava's povWe moved forward in silence, our boots pressing into the ashen soil of Ashville’s cursed land. The deeper we ventured, the thicker the air became—dense, humid, tinged with a metallic taste that clung to the back of my throat.But soon enough I noticed that something was wrong.Very wrong.I couldn't quite place what it was.The enemy wasn’t meeting us in open battle.They were watching. Waiting. Hunting. I could feel their eyes on us but I couldn't place where exactly they were.Xander walked ahead, his shoulders tense, his grip on his blade firm. The warriors behind us moved cautiously, scanning every shadow, their ears twitching at every distant sound. The silence was what disturbed me the most. A battlefield should have been alive—full of shouts, the clash of steel, the roar of war.But this?This was like stepping into a graveyard before the bodies had even fallen.What's going on?A shiver crawled up my spine. I kept my magic close, simmering beneath my skin, waiting fo
Ava's povThese chains will not hold me.Never.The shadows wrapped around me like living creatures, chains of darkness slithering over my arms, my throat, my legs—squeezing, burning, consuming. It felt like they were alive, like they were breathing, whispering, coiling into my skin with a predatory hunger.I struggled, yanking against them, but it was like fighting the weight of an anvil. The more I thrashed, the tighter they held me.A cruel chuckle echoed through the darkness."Foolish girl," the General sneered. "Do you think you can fight against your own nature?"This isn't my nature! I wanted to shout but couldn't.I clenched my jaw, refusing to acknowledge the way his words made my stomach twist. I wasn’t one of them. I wasn’t his.Never was and never will be.But the shadows thought otherwise.They hissed in my ear, whispering things I refused to hear.I refused to listen.But my body was betraying me.The cold was sinking deeper, flowing into my veins, making my thoughts slo
Xander's povThe words from its mouth sent a chill down my spine but I clenched my jaw, refusing to show fear. My grip tightened on my blade as I stepped forward, locking eyes with the towering figure that lurked in the darkness in front of us.The red eyes of the Nyx Wraiths burned like embers in the night. The Hellhounds stalker along at the edges of the trees, low growls reverberating through the battlefield. The Revenants stood unnaturally still, their decayed bodies could be seen due to the flickering torches we had lit behind us.Outside Ashville it was day but in here, Zerathos' corruption had seeped so much into the land that it was night.I could feel the tension in my army—thousands of wolves behind me, armed and ready strike justification waiting for my command.The figure in the darkness stepped forward and shadows seeped it off its body like ink on paper or smoke in the wind.It is as a General. I could tell by the way it carried itself that it wasn't a regular foot soldi
Xander's povThe scent of damp earth, ash and frost clung to the air as we neared Ashville’s border. The heat had lessened slightly due to the change in seasons but it could still be felt slightly.The trees stood tall and lifeless, their branches clawing at the sky like skeletal fingers. The land here was darker, heavier—tainted by Zerathos’ growing influence.But we weren’t alone.As we got over the final hill the sight that waited us knocked the breath out of me.Wolves. Thousands of them.They were stretched across the valley in a vast sea of warriors, their bodies gleaming in the dim morning light. They came from all nine packs, their banners flapping in the wind, colors blending into what looked like a tapestry of unity.I recognized them by their crests— rainville, iron claw, blood Moon, silver claw, storm fang, thornspike, wild heart, night shade and lastly, Ashville.Their Alphas stood at the front of each battalion, their warriors behind them, waiting.Waiting for me.Ava s
Xander's povBy the time we reached our camp, the sky had begun to lighten, the first hints of dawn were peeking above the horizon. The rest of our warriors and allies were already awake, their stance ready with their weapons drawn and a hard expression on their faces.Ava was the first to approach us, her sharp eyes sweeping over me, searching for injuries.“You’re okay,” she murmured, relief flickering in her eyes.I nodded. “The attack was successful. We wiped them out.”She exhaled, glancing at the boy we had captured. “And him? Who's that?”“A survivor.” I locked eyes with her. “He’s going to talk.”Ava studied him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she turned back to me. “You should rest.”“There’s no time.” I pulled off my bloodied cloak and tossed it aside. “We move at nightfall.”She frowned. “Xander—”“I’m fine.” My voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.Ava pressed her lips into a thin line in annoyance, but she didn’t push further. Instead, she turned to
Xander's povThe night was thick with tension, the air cold against my skin as we moved swiftly through the trees. My breathing was steady and controlled while my heart pounded fast in anticipation of what was to come..The rebel camp was close.Kael moved beside me, silent as a shadow, his bow already drawn. Rowan and Vanessa followed closely behind, their weapons glinting under the moonlight. The rest of our warriors fanned out, forming a perimeter to ensure no one escaped.We had the element of surprise.And I intended to use it.***The rebel camp was in a clearing deep in the forest, it was half hidden between fallen logs and makeshift tents. Smoke rose lazily from dying fires and the scent of burning wood, meat and unwashed bodies filled the air.There were at least fifteen of them, maybe more.Some were seated near the fire, speaking in hushed tones, while others patrolled lazily along the edges of their camp. They seemed like a lowly group in the rebel force because they didn'
Ava's povThe journey to Ashville was long and grueling. The warriors rode in tense silence as the weight of the upcoming battle pressed down on all of us. The further we traveled, the darker the skies became. In the short time since we had last been here, I could tell that a lot had changed.Soon, the sun began to set so we needed to find a place to stop and rest.“We’ll set up camp here,” Xander announced, coming to a stop on his horse. He turned to Kael and Rowan. “Get the warriors settled. We move again at first light.”Kael and Rowan nodded, immediately splitting off to give out orders.The camp was set up quickly—tents were set up, fires were lit and some of the warriors were assigned as patrol. But before we could settle down to rest, we had one more critical task to do.Kaida, Lyra, and I worked together to set up the enchanted wards around the perimeter of our camp. Unlike regular protective spells, these ones were specifically designed to cut off Zerathos' powers from reachi