Time had passed, and with it, my abilities had grown stronger—more controlled. I could now project multiple powers at once, something I never thought possible when I first began training with Yuvonne.I had been reluctant at first, resistant to her teachings, but I couldn’t deny it anymore—her guidance had helped me more than I was willing to admit.And now, it was time for the next step.I kept Elijah updated about everything, our communication careful and calculated. He was ready to penetrate the pack.It was necessary.I couldn't keep up this double life—training under Dimitri’s ever-watchful eyes while secretly working to turn the pack members against him. The process was slow, delicate. I needed help. I needed Elijah inside the pack, and for that, we needed a plan.One that would make Dimitri trust him.A full moon night was approaching, and I had considered simply proposing the idea to Dimitri—that Elijah and his people could be useful to the pack. But that was too risky. Dimitr
VALERIA’S POVDimitri’s command hung in the air, heavy with authority. The tension between both sides was thick, palpable. Elijah and his pack stopped in their tracks, turning back to face him.I watched Dimitri carefully. He wasn’t the type to let things slide, especially not when it involved strangers within his territory. He was still suspicious, still calculating.“You lost your pack to rogues,” Dimitri repeated, his voice measured. “Which pack were you from?”Elijah didn’t hesitate. “Silvercrest.”Dimitri’s expression didn’t change, but I knew he recognized the name. Good choice. Silvercrest had been a real pack once, a small one that had indeed been wiped out years ago. Using their name gave credibility to Elijah’s story.Dimitri studied him for a long moment before shifting his gaze to the others. “And the rest of you? You were all part of Silvercrest?”“We were,” Tony confirmed smoothly. “The few of us who survived scattered, trying to rebuild our lives. We’ve been traveling e
VALERIA’S POVThe plan was working.Dimitri was loosening up around me, slowly but surely. He had even started asking for my help in small matters, seeking my input as if my presence had finally become something more than a nuisance to him. It was a small shift, but a crucial one. The more comfortable he became with me, the less he would suspect.Meanwhile, Elijah and his pack were making steady progress. They moved carefully, strategically weaving themselves into the fabric of the pack, planting seeds of doubt in the minds of its members. Whispered words here, lingering conversations there—doubts grew like vines, creeping and twisting, ready to strangle the foundation of Dimitri’s rule.Everything was going as planned.I met with Elijah and the others regularly, making it seem as if our friendship was forming naturally over time. It had to look effortless, unplanned. I kept my interactions light and casual in public, exchanging laughter, sharing brief conversations, pretending as if
MAGNAR’S POVThere was something off about those people my father had given entry into the pack. I couldn’t explain it, couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was, but the feeling gnawed at me, a constant warning in the back of my mind.I didn’t trust them.That’s why, just to be on the safe side, I deliberately gave them the farthest guest houses to stay in—away from the pack house, away from where they could do any real damage. I wasn’t stupid. Strangers didn’t just show up out of nowhere, fight off rogues for a pack that wasn’t theirs, and expect nothing in return. There was always an ulterior motive.To ensure I wasn’t overthinking, I asked Bernard and a few others to keep an eye on them, to observe their behavior, their routines. So far, the updates had been normal. No suspicious movements, no signs of rebellion.Except for one thing.Valeria.She was getting close to them—too close for my liking.And I had no damn idea why.She wasn’t a slave anymore. She wasn’t confined to t
MAGNAR’S POVAs I watched her walk away, my fists clenched at my sides. She didn’t even spare me a second glance. My wolf stirred uneasily within me, growling at the distance she kept putting between us. It was infuriating. I shouldn’t care, I told myself. But no matter how much I tried to convince myself of that, I did.I could feel the weight of my friends’ stares as they stood beside me. They had seen everything—the way she spoke to me, the way she dismissed me as if I was nothing. They could sense my frustration, and I hated that they could.“Magnar, just ignore her, man,” Bernard finally said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Just because she’s not a slave anymore doesn’t mean she’s above us. We can teach her a lesson some other time.”A lesson?I bit back the urge to snap at him. He didn’t understand. None of them did. They didn’t know what she was to me. They didn’t know the full truth about her. And I couldn’t tell them either. My father had made sure of that.Instead, I simply
VALERIA’S POVThe moment we stepped inside the club, I was hit with an overwhelming wave of noise, heat, and flashing lights. The bass from the speakers vibrated through the floor, sending ripples up my legs and into my chest. Bodies moved in sync with the music, the scent of sweat, alcohol, and perfume thick in the air. It was suffocating. Overwhelming.I had never seen so many people packed into a single space before. It was chaos, yet somehow, everyone around us seemed to thrive in it. They danced, laughed, and moved through the flashing lights as if they belonged here. As if this was normal.To me, it was anything but.People actually enjoy this? Especially wolves? How do they survive this madness?My wolf stirred uncomfortably inside me, growling at the overstimulation. The pounding music, the sea of unfamiliar scents, the flashing lights—it all made her restless. She was used to running through the forest, feeling the wind against our fur, not being trapped in a swarming mass of
MAGNAR’S POVThe night was buzzing, filled with thumping bass, flashing lights, and bodies grinding against each other on the dance floor. The energy in the club was electric, and despite my initial reservations, I had to admit my friend’s brother had done a remarkable job with this place. The opening night was a massive success, and I had no doubt this would be a hotspot for the pack from now on. This was only the second club in our territory, and by the looks of it, it was here to stay.We settled into the VIP section, a space reserved exclusively for my inner circle. From here, I had a clear view of the dance floor, watching as my packmates lost themselves to the music, swaying and moving without a care. The DJ was in his element, mixing beats that had the entire club in a trance. I leaned back, sipping on my drink, allowing the heavy rhythm to work its way into my system, though I remained aware of my surroundings.Lily had been pestering me all night to join her on the dance floo
VALERIA’S POV“Relax, I’m not going to eat you,” Elijah chuckled, his voice laced with amusement.Easy for him to say. My body was tense, stiff as a board, refusing to move the way it was supposed to. This entire scene—the flashing lights, the overwhelming bass of the music, the press of bodies moving in erratic rhythms—it all felt so foreign.“I know,” I admitted, shifting awkwardly on my feet. “I’m just… not used to this. The crowd, the loud music, the lack of space.”The truth was, I felt like a fish out of water. My wolf, already restless from the suffocating atmosphere, stirred uncomfortably inside me. How did wolves even enjoy a place like this? The noise, the lack of fresh air, the way people brushed up against one another without a care? It made no sense.Before Elijah could respond, someone from the crowd stumbled into me, knocking me forward. A startled gasp left my
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