VALERIA’S POV
I arrived at the café a few minutes early, scanning the place for Magnar. It wasn’t hard to spot him—he was sitting in the farthest corner, shoulders hunched, eyes trained on his clasped hands on the table.
I frowned.
Magnar was always so composed, so full of arrogance and bravado. But this? This was different. This wasn’t the same Magnar who sneered at me in training or threw sarcastic remarks my way whenever he had the chance. This was someone else entirely—someone who looked like they were carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.
I took a steady breath, pushing aside the unease that twisted inside me, and walked toward him.
As I approached, he didn’t even lift his head. His fingers were intertwined, knuckles white from the tension in them. His leg bounced slightly, a restless movement I had never seen in him before.
I pulled out the chair across from him, the sound of it
VALERIA’S POVI narrowed my eyes at him, my mind still struggling to process the words coming out of his mouth.“What changed?” I asked, my voice calm but laced with suspicion. “And why should I trust your words?”Magnar exhaled, his gaze drifting to his hands as he clenched and unclenched his fists. His shoulders were hunched as if he was carrying the weight of the entire world on them.“I had to change,” he murmured. “I—” He paused, his throat bobbing as if swallowing back something bitter. “I’m losing everyone, Valeria. Slowly, one by one, they’re slipping away. I guess this is what they call karma.”I watched him carefully, waiting for the usual arrogance, the sharp edge of his tone that he always carried like a weapon. But it never came.“My father doesn’t trust me with the position,” he admitted, his lips twisting bitterly. “My mother… she doesn’t care about me. Not really. She never has.” He let out a short, humorless laugh. “I already rejected what the Moon Goddess gave me, an
VALERIA’S POVDimitri was gone.Two days.No one knew where.Not his beta, not his inner circle—no one. It was sudden, unplanned, and above all, suspicious move. With such an important event on the horizon, it made no sense for him to leave the pack, especially without a security detail. Dimitri wasn’t the kind of Alpha who liked to leave things to chance. He controlled everything, every movement, every breath of those around him. And yet, here he was, disappearing without a word.That alone was enough to put me on edge.I needed to find out where he had gone and, more importantly, why.But I wasn’t reckless. I knew Dimitri would never leave his packhouse unguarded, and more than that, I knew him. He never made a move without thinking five steps ahead.Which is why I wasn’t surprised when I noticed I was being followed.Two of his men.They were good—silent, strategic, keeping just enough distance that the average person wouldn’t notice. But my wolf did. I could sense them lingering i
MAGNAR’S POVThe pack was restless.It was like an invisible weight hung over everyone, pressing down on the packhouse, making every movement feel tense, every conversation feel clipped. The upcoming event was already enough to keep people on edge, but my father’s sudden disappearance—without so much as a proper explanation—was only adding to the unease.It wasn’t just the warriors sensing it; even the elders had started whispering among themselves. A leader leaving unannounced so close to such an important gathering? It wasn’t normal. And if my father was keeping secrets, that meant trouble.But for now, I had other responsibilities.He left me in charge alongside Beta Sam, which meant I had to ensure things ran smoothly. I wasn’t going to mess this up. Not again. I had already spent too much time being blind to my father’s ways, too much time following orders without questioning them.Not anymore.I had appointed a few warriors to prepare for Uncle Leonard’s pack’s arrival, ensuring
MAGNAR’S POVBack in my room, I locked the door behind me and took a deep breath. I needed to go through everything I had just collected from my father’s office. Whatever was in those files, it was important enough for him to hide.I sat at my desk, my hands slightly shaking as I unlocked my phone and pulled up the images I had taken.The first file was filled with photographs—dozens of them. Each picture had two different time stamps written in the corner and a coded sequence underneath.I frowned. What did those timestamps mean?I scrolled through the images, moving on to the second file. Unlike the first, this one was filled with pages of detailed written records. The contents were extensive—names, descriptions, reports, locations—but nothing immediately stood out.I rubbed my temples, trying to make sense of it.Then something caught my eye.The codes on the photos matched the ones in the second file.I quickly started matching them, pairing the images with their corresponding rec
VALERIA’S POVI gripped the file in my hands, my fingers trembling as I stared at the photograph before me.It was her.My mother.Or what was left of her.Her hollow face, sunken eyes, and lifeless expression stared back at me, captured in an image I wasn’t supposed to see. My breath hitched, and an unbearable pressure built in my chest, suffocating me.My entire life, I had believed that my mother died the night of the massacre—that Dimitri had slaughtered my entire pack, leaving nothing but ashes and broken memories. But now…What am I missing?If she had been alive after that night, where had she been? What had happened to her? And more importantly—why had my father kept her alive while everyone else was slaughtered?I flipped through the pages, my mind racing to piece together the information in front of me. But then, my eyes fell on something strange.Numbers.Highlighted in bold.They stood out like a secret I was meant to uncover, taunting me with their mystery.“What do these
VALERIA’S POVI sat across from Elijah and Tony, they read the files that were in the phone. Their eyes flickered with curiosity, but also a guarded caution.Elijah reached for one of the documents, his brows furrowing. “Where did you find these?”“Magnar stole them from his father’s private safe,” I admitted, keeping my tone neutral.Tony’s gaze snapped to mine. “And you trust him now?”I hesitated. “No. But I trust what’s in these files. Whatever his reasons, he showed me the truth. Dimitri has been conducting experiments on people. Rogues, members of other packs… even my mother.”Elijah’s grip tightened around the edge of the table, his jaw clenching. “Your mother? The Luna. I thought she died.”I nodded, swallowing the bitterness rising in my throat. “Me too. I thought she died the night he attacked my pack I saw it with my own eyes, but according to these reports, she lived for months after that. She was one of his test subjects.”A heavy silence settled over us.Tony exhaled sha
Dimitri was back.And with his return, my world became much smaller.Every move I made was under his watchful eye. If I left my room, he ensured it was for a task within the pack house or somewhere close. Training was out of the question—he had explicitly forbidden it, stating that I needed to rest and prepare for the upcoming gathering. But I knew better. He didn’t want anyone seeing what I was capable of. He didn’t want me to strengthen myself, to draw attention, to become something more than the obedient wolf he was trying to mold me into.Even Yvonne was gone. Dimitri hadn’t risked keeping a witch in the pack, not when so many outsiders would soon be arriving. I had no idea where she had gone, and that uncertainty sat like a stone in my gut.Everything was moving too fast.At night, I was haunted by nightmares—visions of blood, screams that faded into darkness, and the feeling of being trapped. I woke up gasping, drenched in sweat, my heart hammering in my chest. Something was com
VALERIA’S POVThe pack house was alive with celebration, but I felt nothing.A small welcome party had been arranged for the new pack, and while most of the pack members were busy enjoying the festivities, I was left behind—forbidden from attending.Dimitri’s control over me had only tightened in the past few days. Keeping me occupied, limiting my movements, making sure I was constantly within his sight—it was suffocating. I hadn’t even had a chance to meet the newly arrived pack. Not that I cared about a party, but I needed to see who was arriving, to observe, to find out if they were potential allies or enemies.But none of that mattered at this moment. Not when Elijah was still missing.A deep sense of unease coiled inside me like a living thing. Where the hell was he?Elijah wasn’t someone who just vanished. He was our anchor—the one who always kept us together, who reminded us that survival meant sticking together. He wasn’t reckless. Every move he made was calculated, thought ou
VALERIA’S POVRiven left, but I stayed.Her words echoed in my mind, a quiet reminder of the truth I needed to accept.I need to change the way I think.All of this was meant to be.Dimitri’s death. The battle. The bloodshed.I had to take revenge. It was supposed to happen one way or another.I couldn’t blame myself—not anymore.But I couldn’t stay here either.This place, these walls, this land—they would always remind me of what happened.Still, I couldn’t just walk away without a final goodbye.I had to make things right. I had to set everything straight.________________________________________By the time I returned to the pack, the battlefield was nearly cleared.The royal traitors had been dealt with.The Alphas who had dared to cross Riven were handcuffed in silver and being loaded into vans. I had no doubt she would deal with them personally.I walked toward the packhouse, my heart steady but my mind restless.I wasn’t sure what I expected, but when I stepped inside, I was m
VALERIA’S POVDimitri was dead.His lifeless body lay still, surrounded by the very people he had tormented and betrayed.And yet—I didn’t feel victorious.I didn’t feel like a hero.Instead, a sharp, twisting knot of dread and guilt settled deep inside me, like a festering wound that refused to heal.I should have felt relief. Peace.But all I felt was…Empty.A murderer.I had taken a life.Yes, it was justified. Yes, it was necessary. Yes, he deserved it.But that didn’t make it any easier.My gaze flickered toward Magnar. His lips were pressed together in a firm line, his golden eyes locked onto Dimitri’s body. I saw the shine of unshed tears, the war between grief and justice playing out in real time.I turned away.I couldn’t look at him.I couldn’t look at any of them.The weight of their stares, their unspoken expectations, was suffocating me.The world blurred as my breathing grew shallow. My heartbeat pounded against my ribs. I had to get out of here.I took a step back—then
VALERIA’S POVThe battlefield was silent.Not because the war was over—But because they were waiting.Waiting for me to finish what Dimitri started.I stared down at him, breathing heavily, my heart hammering in my chest.Riven’s voice sliced through the silence, low and certain.“Don’t show any mercy this time, Valeria. Your friends are safe—he has nothing against you now.”And just like that—My hesitation disappeared.The weight I had been carrying, the fear, the second-guessing—it all vanished.I turned my head slightly, catching sight of Magnar.He stood there, his arms tense at his sides, his jaw locked.His expression was unreadable, but his eyes…They were conflicted.He may have accepted this fate, may have severed the final tie with the man who raised him, but I knew—watching this wouldn’t be easy for him.I exhaled slowly and met his gaze.“You should look away,” I told him. “This is going to be painful for you to watch.”But he didn’t move.Didn’t blink.Didn’t turn away.
VALERIA’S POVI had never seen a vampire in my life.Not in person.Not until now.And suddenly, we were surrounded by them.Their presence was undeniable—an eerie, otherworldly force that sent shivers down my spine. Their sharp features, their glowing red eyes, the way they moved so effortlessly, like shadows given form.Riven is associated with vampires?Wow.I had heard whispers about her, of course. Rumors that she had ties beyond the werewolf realm. That she had even visited the fae kingdom.I never believed it.But now?Nothing seemed impossible when it came to Riven.And honestly… good for her.If anyone could command respect across different species, it was the woman standing before us with that annoyingly confident smirk.Dimitri, however, didn’t share my thoughts.His face twisted in pure rage, his lips pulling back over his teeth as he snarled at the newcomers.“Vampires are abominations! They are not allowed on my land! This is exactly why you should never have been queen,
VALERIA’S POV“No—”I lunged forward, my heart slamming against my ribs like a war drum.But I was too late.Dimitri’s fingers slammed down on the button, his smirk widening as if he had already won.For a split second, my world froze.I braced myself, every muscle in my body tightening. I knew what was coming—poison.A gas so lethal it would seep into the lungs of everyone around us, burning them from the inside, turning them into lifeless corpses before they could even scream.The end.I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the sting, the suffocating burn, the chaos—But…Nothing happened.I snapped my eyes open, my breath catching in confusion.The arena was still there. The ground hadn’t turned into a graveyard.The warriors, the royals, everyone was still standing.For a moment, even Dimitri looked stunned.His hand trembled over the button, his eyes darting wildly across the battlefield as if expecting bodies to drop at any second.Nothing.No poison.No death.No victory for him.
VALERIA’S POVThe battlefield still burned with chaos, but in this moment, my world narrowed down to only three people—Dimitri, Riven, and myself.Dimitri stood a few feet away, blood dripping from his nose, his fury barely contained. He was no longer the composed, manipulative mastermind. No. I had managed to push him into desperation.And Riven?She was watching me intently, her violet eyes sharp as she slowly began to understand what I was about to do.I turned my gaze back to Dimitri and smirked.“You know, Dimitri,” I called out to him, my voice clear over the noise of the battle, “you missed one crucial detail about Moonbound wolves.”Dimitri clenched his jaw. He wasn’t in the mood for games.But Riven, oh, she was.“I would love to know what it is,” she drawled, amusement flickering across her face.“I don’t care,” Dimitri snapped at the same time.I chuckled darkly. “Oh, but you should, Dimitri. You see, you’ve spent so much time obsessing over your revenge, your plans, and co
VALERIA’S POVI don’t know what came over me.One moment, I was staring at Riven, knowing Dimitri’s command had sealed my fate.The next, I was turning against him.All the energy I had been gathering, all the rage, the frustration, the helplessness—I redirected it.Not at Riven.At him.A blinding surge of power exploded from my hands, aimed straight at Dimitri.It hit him dead center.The force of my attack sent him flying backward, ripping him from the ceremonial platform. He crashed hard onto the stone floor below, a thunderous impact shaking the entire arena.Gasps echoed around me.A thick cloud of dust and debris rose from where Dimitri had landed, swirling in the air like a storm brewing around us. The weight of my attack had thrown him back with such force that the ceremonial platform itself trembled from the impact.For a heartbeat, all I could hear was the ringing in my ears and the shallow gasps of those who had witnessed what I had just done.Then, movement.I wasn’t give
VALERIA’S POVThe moment the signal came, I ran.The battle raged around me, the air thick with the scent of blood, smoke, and something far more sinister—Dimitri’s victory.His forces were overwhelming, tearing through the opposition like a wildfire, precise and merciless. The royals who had sided with him played their part well, cutting down anyone who dared to challenge their authority.This was his battlefield.His game.And I was just a piece he had moved into place.By the time I reached the throne, I expected to see panic, desperation—fear.But Riven sat there calmly, her posture regal, her gaze surveying the chaos below with a detached sort of curiosity.As if she were merely watching a performance rather than witnessing the fall of her kingdom.“So, you’re here to kill me.” She stated with a sigh.She didn’t sound afraid.Not even surprised.I faltered for a moment. She knew?“You knew?” I asked, disbelief coating my voice.She turned her head slightly, her golden eyes meetin
MAGNAR’S POVThe Queen followed my gaze.She saw it too.The fear in Valeria’s eyes.The helplessness clinging to her like a shroud.Riven’s expression remained unreadable, but something flickered in her gaze—understanding.“Hmm… interesting,” she muttered under her breath, her tone thoughtful, calculated. Then, without missing a beat, she turned her attention back to the gathered audience.She took a single step forward, commanding absolute silence.“As the reigning Queen, I declare the trials complete,” her voice rang out, powerful and unshaken. “Magnar has proven himself worthy through strength, strategy, and wisdom. He has shown that he is capable of leading not only his pack but making the hard choices necessary for the greater good.”The crowd erupted in cheers.Pride swelled in my chest, but a weight still pressed against me. Something wasn’t right. I could still feel Valeria’s gaze, though I couldn’t find her in the sea of people.Queen Riven turned to face me once more.“I ho