Jackson's POVBefore the day really started, the packhouse was still, a rare quiet time. As I went over the remaining loose ends we had to tie off, the weight of the recent evenings pressed down on me. Though the Raven might be gone, the seeds of mistrust and revolt she had sown still entwine themselves through the pack. And Lyra's treachery cut more than most of the pack was ready to acknowledge.My thoughts were cut off by a gentle knock, then Leo came in with a solemn look."Alpha," he started, stopping as though looking for the proper words. "More disturbance has resulted from this. Another one of our scouts discovered Raven's insignia etched into a southern boundary tree.I tightened my mouth to help me control my annoyance. "We've removed her, but her presence still shadows us."Leo nodded with a wrinkled brow. She seemed to have scheduled this. Her last weapon of choice was doubt.I ran a hand over my face, the exhaustion starting to show. "Any directions on Lyra's whereabouts?
Ava's POVI hadn't felt since the evening we faced the Raven, the tension in the air thickens. Lyra's admission had rocked us all and exposed the extent of the Raven's power even following her capture. Now, armed with Lyra's intel, we were entering enemy territory in search of the surviving cells of her adherents.Jackson and I had ready the pack for this, but I could not ignore the pulse of discomfort that persisted. Removing a visible menace differed from confronting the shadow it left behind, still alive in the brains of people she had perverted.Jackson, Leo, Lyra, and I assembled among our most reliable fighters as the first light of dawn broke, prepared to leave. Lyra's face was strained, her eyes ablaze with a will that had replaced her previous hesitation. She had chosen something that had more weight than any of us completely realized.Jackson surveyed the assembled group, his voice forceful but understated. We end this once and for once today. We are not merely going to stop
Ava's POVThough the evening was still, I couldn't get rid of the impression that something was developing—something buried in the quiet. The pack had discovered an unusual calm in the days following our encounter with the remnants of the Raven, but I felt uncomfortable, as though waiting for the other shoe to fall.Jackson had sensed it too, but none of us had discussed it very much. An underlying tension persisted even as we were trying to soothe the pack and lead them through this phase of rebuilding.But tonight that quiet was disturbed.While patrolling close to the packhouse, I came upon Lyra slinking through the woods, her visage darkened by the low light. She hadn't spotted me, but her motions were deliberate, slow, as though she wanted no one to follow her. I decided to follow when a sting of mistrust passed through me.Keeping small feet, I followed her over the deep woodland, anxiety and curiosity twisting in my gut. Every so often she stopped, peering over her shoulder, t
Jackson's POVLike the hush before a storm, the peace that descended over the group was hesitant. We had dealt with the last traces of the Raven's adherents, but I couldn't get rid of the impression that something stayed like a shadow over our oneness. Though I had assumed this was finished and that our family could at last recover, there was evidence we were not quite out of the woods.I kept these questions to myself, not wanting to cause any pack anxiety. She always sensed it, though. Her consistent presence steadied me, and together we headed forth, resolved to run our family with fortitude and grit. But tonight that old sense of something lacking would not let go.Together, Ava and I strolled the border; her hand slid into mine as we silently watched the land. The moonlight gave the woods a silver sheglow, and for a while everything seemed calm. Then, though, I heard quiet rustling—a sound not typical of the hum of the forest.I stopped, grabbing Ava's hand tightly. "Did you noti
Ava's POVThe packhouse was silent, that sort of silence before something changes. It kept my thoughts on edge and felt in the air, an uncomfortable hum under the surface. Eli had stepped forward some days before, pledging to eradicate any residual threats still committed to the Raven. I couldn't blame some of the pack, who watched him like a hawk, even when most of them had progressively welcomed his presence.I wasn't sure which bothered me more—the hope he could change or the anxiety he could not.Lost in contemplation, staring out the balcony of the packhouse over the forest, Jackson's words startled me.Are you not thinking about him? Joining me at the railing, he inquired, staring at the woods.Not feeling like a pretender, I nodded. "I wish he was really sincere and eager to help. But I can't exactly place something about him.Jackson's jaw tightened and he crossed his arms, shadows in his eyes. Trust is not instantaneous. He is aware as well as we are. However, if there is eve
Ava’s POV When I heard the slight tap on my door, the sun had hardly dropped below the horizon. Already before I opened it, I knew who it would be. Jackson stood there, a storm in his eyes, and we just stared silently for a time. He was my best buddy, my compass through the storms, not just the alpha. That compass was also whirling right now.His voice low yet firm, he continued, "Walk with me."Closing the door behind me as we descended the steps and into the crisp evening air, I pulled on my jacket. The night noises of the forest alive—rustling leaves, the far-off shriek of an owl. His pace slower than normal, as though he were gathering his ideas, we strolled in silence for some time.At last he started talking. "You should be aware of something. Around Eli.Hit me like a stone with the name. "I thought he was at last proving himself," I added carefully. "He has been performing as promised.”Jackson's facial expression was incomprehensible, but his jaw was tense. "That is also wha
Ava's POV There was enough tension in the air to cut. Eli stood across the room, back to me, arms crossed, staring out the window into the evening. His quiet seemed colder than the breeze blowing across the broken glass. Since Jackson had shared what he had discovered, this was the first time we had been alone."Eli," I said, keeping a calm voice and yet clenching my fists tightly. "We ought to discuss.His shoulders stiff, he turned not toward me. Ava, nothing to talk about here. Whatever Jackson shared with you—”"Is it accurate?" I stopped myself before I could stop asking. I had to have the truth. The shadows and the half-truths that appeared to float about me like smoke bored me. "Were you meeting supporters of Raven?"Eli whirled around, his face a mask of hardly controlled rage. But under that wrath, I sensed something else: dread. "What if I were?" asked. Ava, I performed what I had to. You wouldn't be able to grasp it.Test me. I moved in front of him, staring back. "You owe
Ava's POV I knew the weight of the unspoken words between us as soon as I entered the room. Eli was standing beside the old desk, his fingers following a line in the dust, yet he was staring at me. His demeanor had something raw, even vulnerable—something I had hardly encountered."Close the door," he murmured gently.I did; the faint click of the latch locked us into an unusual familiarity. The walls were closing in, the secrets whirling about us like a ghostly mist. It was time to face whatever lies beyond weeks of half-truths and tight silences.Eli, what are you concealing from me? Feeling the words come out of my mouth like a dare, I inquired. Particularly given all we had gone through together, he owed me the truth. I stayed firm for whatever he was about to say.Eli looked down, his jaw tightened as though he were battling himself, then his eyes locked with mine, sharper and more intense than I had ever seen. He said, "Ava," his voice low and nearly cracking, "there's a reason
Turning to watch Jackson barreling into the clearing, his wolf form was magnificent and horrible. He wasted no time flinging himself at the closest renegade with a passion that astounded me.Though brief, relief washed over me. The shadows moved once again, as a fresh person entered the area.He was towering and intimidating, with nasty glistening eyes. "Well, isn't this touching?," he said in a sarcastic voice. The courageous Luna and her warriors.Marcus, I spat, venomous in my voice.He grinned and looked over the devastation. Ava, I cautioned you. One cannot run from the past. And you most definitely cannot run from me.He lifted his hand before I could reply, and a flash of black energy rushed at me. I tuned myself, but it never hit.Riley launched himself in front of me with full assault might."No!." As he sank to the ground, his wolf shape flickering before he turned back into his human nature, I shouted.Jackson hissed, blazingly angry eyes guiding him toward Marcus. Marcus w
I'm locked in. No one knows how to get out. I detect it. Panic claws at the margins of my thoughts, my pulse thuds in my ears. Here's how we got here. How rapidly did things spiral?My fingers shake at my sides, and my brain runs for any answer. But not at all. Only me, powerless here. Levi... God, Levi's blood is staining the concrete and I am unable to stop it."Please, Marcus," I say, my voice breaking with need. "Please, please do not do this. I will do anything, I promise to God. Anything your wish is for. Just try not to damage him. kindly.He tilts his head as if he is thinking about what I said, and he smiles sickeningly. His firm hold on the pistol narrows. "Everything? You believe you still have something worth offering me?Though I'm not sure what I anticipate, Marcus fires before I could respond.The gunshot had an unbearable sound.But it's not me.My heart rushing, blood hammering in my ears, I automatically lower to the ground. Turning, eyes wide, I see something that s
I cannot lose you once more, Evie. Not like this. Not once again.Levi's voice is a harsh whisper on my skin; his words pierce the shroud of uncertainty and anxiety clouding my head. His hands quiver as they draw me in, his warmth sustaining me in this whirl of anarchy.In my chest, my heart beats wild and chaologically. Though everything seems to be disintegrating, I find it difficult to distance myself from him. His words and his touch really felt so authentic and honest. The pain I went through upon believing I lost him may easily overwhelm me once more. But the danger—that of Marcus—that is all too real. Too perilous.My voice quivering, I say, "I'm not going anywhere." "But we have to—”I swivel around, heart jumping into my throat, the sharp sound of cracking glass cutting me short. Under the low light of the alley, the figure's shadow blocks the passage. Breath freezes in my throat.He's it. Marcus?"You thought you could escape me, didn't you?," said Given the circumstances, h
Though I can't concentrate on anything except the heat of Levi's fingers clutching mine, the planet is disintegrating all around me. Knowing we have limited time, my heart is racing not only from anxiety but also from the intense feeling that this may be the final time I spend with him."Levi, we have to go—now, my voice quakes with panic."With his clenched jaw, he draws me in and I can see the weight of what we have gone through in his eyes. Though he is staring at something I cannot yet see, his dark and strong eyes convey everything I need to know: danger is near. overly near."I am not leaving you," he adds, his voice a hoarse growl of will. "Not again.."I wonder whether he is speaking to himself or to me. Still, I feel it. The truth was found in his comments. Everything we have endured weighs less now than this. Marcus, the falling stone walls—the improbable chances—we have come so far; now, everything depends on this one instant.Hearing the sound of feet behind us—faint at fi
The man slanted his head slightly, as though entertained by my query. "I am the one dragging the threads straight from the darkness. The one waiting for this turning point. And about what I wish for... The person fixed cold, objective eyes on me. "You have to decide something. a decision meant to either rescue or ruin everything.With fast, shallow breaths, Evie's hand tightened in mine. "Levi," she said, her voice breaking with terror. "please. You really have to trust me. Choose not to pay attention to him."The person advanced still another step, their gaze narrowing. " Trust her?" They laughed dimly. "How can you believe someone who hardly knows her? Someone who from the beginning has been lying to you?Turning to Evie, the weight of her words etched in my chest. "Is that true? Evie... I asked, hardly sure I could keep my voice steady. "What then is happening? Not what are you not telling me?"The voice of the stranger came out once again, louder now before she could respond. Levi
Varian's smile grew wider, his eyes shining with a terrible, nasty pleasure. "To release a power outside your comprehension. She belongs to a lineage of entities designed to transform our planet. And her blood? It is the essence of everything.My heart came to a standstill. Blood, please. What was he referring to?"Don't listen to him, Levi," Evie urged, her voice cracking and desperation leaking through the gaps. "He's lying. He is controlling you. He usually has.But Varian turned her aside, staring just at me. His tone caustic, he spat, "You don't get it, do you, Levi?" She is not any ordinary person. She is the one who may bring either the birth of a new world or the end of this one. And you, he added, his eyes narrowing, "you're standing in my way."I knew nothing about what to do. What Varian was saying eluded me in terms of logic. All I knew, all I believed was real, was disintegrating.Once more I looked at Evie, but she was shaking her head and tears were running down her che
"Levi, please, just trust me!" Now she was trembling, her voice a combination of terror and something more—a plea, a warning. " This thing... it's after me."My ears could hear my pulse pound. Her comments have weight like those of a goods train. "Once you?" I asked, voice just a whisper. "Evie, you are hunting this thing?"The beast howled before she could reply, the sound splintering the air. I halted momentarily, not sure what was happening; it was like the roar of a beast and the wail of a dying man.I turned back to Evie, but her gaze had altered. Now, there was something icy about it—a resolution that froze me right down. "Levi, you have to go." At now. Before it becomes too late.I shook my head, shoved her behind me. "Not a probability. I am not bidding you farewell here.She grasped my arm, her hold overly strong. You must have. Should we not, it will wipe us both. Ask kindly.She kept me steady as I attempted to back off. Her eyes softened, only a little, as though she were
A terrible, all-consuming terror seized my chest as the world darkened. My senses went wild and I could feel everything falling down right away. My sole anchor was the firm hold on my shoulder; my breath came in short spurts. Desperate for anything, anything to grip, I reached out.Levi... Evie's voice sounded far-off, a faint whisper that accentuated the terror chewing at me. "Levi, what's happening?"I had no retort for her. The gloom seemed overly weighty, too oppressive. Something cold pushed, metallic, and sharp pressed on my flesh; I automatically withdrew attempting to get away.Riley, the woman, leaned forward grinning wickedly from her lips. "You really thought you had control, didn't you?" Her voice sent chills up my spine like ice."Let him run!" Stronger now, Evie yelled, her voice tinged with an underlying horror I couldn't ignore.Riley's hold tightened, dragging me even nearer. Though it was pointless, I battled her grasp. Her strength felt surreal, as though she drew f
The planet appeared to spin at that instant. A huge crack sounded far away, then a deep, rumbling sound shook the earth underneath. The very ground seemed to be complaining, straying under the weight of something far more potent than I could understand.The shadows moved suddenly, then the unmistakable sound of shackles rattling. From the distance, a weak glow flickering revealed a shadowy figure rising from the gloom.Her face was hidden yet her shape was silhouetted against the low light. Her motions frenetic as she twisted and tugged, I could see her trying against the chains but she was nowhere."Evie!," My heart was hammering in my chest, I yelled. "Don't—,"The man's grasp tightened on my arm, pressing till it seemed as though the bones in my wrist were about to break before I could finish. "Don't waste your breath," he remarked frigantly. She had already left.Fury blazing in my chest, I turned to confront him. "You are lying!"But another crack louder this time rang in the dis