CIARA'S POV The smell of blood flooded my senses the moment my eyes traced the source of anguish. It was an animal trap. Fuck!"Ciara!" Alex yelled, rushing towards me as soon as he landed on my side of the cliff. "Hey, no, stop that," he grabbed my hand when I tried to rip the damn thing off so I could free my leg."Why?!""It's rigged to blow if you apply external force on it." He directed my attention to a spot underneath the trap. I couldn't see it but my ears picked up the beeping sound emitting from the device. "Please tell m
CIARA'S POV"Where are we going exactly?" Noah asked, his voice eliciting deep vibrations from his back which my ear was currently rested on. After the accident last night, I couldn't walk on my own without slowing everyone down.The others had met my step brother and I halfway on our journey back to them. Apparently, they had heard the explosion and my mate instantly rushed towards the sound like his tail was on fire, not even waiting for Jude or Nathan to show him the way. According to them, he almost stepped into a trap of his own. Watching Alex get scolded by Nathan was funny as hell. I would have laughed if my leg didn't hurt like a bitch while Nathan treated it."Now you ask that?" Alex lifted a brow, looking at my mate like he was the stupidest person
CIARA'S POVHis father is... "What?" I blinked, my brain trying to fathom what I just heard. "What do you mean his father is your father?""Exactly what I said."I was too shocked to even be mad at his terse response. "But..." I trailed off, thinking back to our childhood. I could vaguely remember my mum bringing me to his father's doorstep after they got married. "I thought Steve was your father?""I thought so too but he was just mum's best friend whom she left me with."I frowned. Best friend? That meant they weren't even married. What... "So, we're not even related?"He shook his head. "No, we are. You're my half sister. Mum was also my mum." I blinked once...then twice... thrice.He nodded in resignation. "You're confused." "Very. How did that even happen?""Apparently, mum was Noah's father's mate." My eyes were probably as wide as saucers by now. I was too shook to even talk and I was sure the bewildering revelations were yet to come to an end. So Noah and I were not the fir
ALEX'S POVI spread my arms out, swirling around to start walking backwards. "This is our base camp," I said, watching for my sister's reaction. Her eyes lit up in delight and pure wonder as she swiftly examined the place. I couldn't help but smile at how much she looked like mum. The warmth I wished I had gotten from her, I could see in Ciara's eyes."It's a plaque of pure stone. No one would ever suspect."Of course this unwanted piece of shit had to speak up and ruin my mood. He had better count himself lucky he was my sister's mate or I'd have hurt him beyond his mediocre werewolf healing abilities. Just who did he think he was to torture my little sister? I knew how the Golden Bay pack dealt with their prisoners especially when they were fishing for information. How much more brutal would they be with someone who they thought destroyed their integrity and pride by killing both their heads in one night?"Wait, there are werewolves here?" Was the first thing out of Ciara's mouth th
AVA'S POV "You sent for me, Alpha?"I looked up from the file Riley gave me last night, eyeing the cunning old man who currently stood in front of the court hall. What was left was the legislature who sat at the right side of the hall and to the left were the few people who liked to sit in on court hearings. "Yes, Mr. Junil," I answered curtly, opening the page of the file I needed. "You're the finance administrator of the pack, yes?""Yes, Alpha," he bowed, the feigned reverence and humility nearly making me scoff. "For three generations my family has served this pack whole heartedly without fail and when I die, my son shall take over from me."My brows twitched. We'll see about that. "Indeed he shall. I've been studying the pack's revenue and expenditure and I have to say, I'm quite confused about a few things. Do you mind explaining them to me?"He glanced at the file in my hand, a wary look in his eyes. "It would be my honour to, Alpha.""Excellent," I adjusted my glasses, starin
CIARA'S POVA strange song filled my ears. The world around me was illuminated in a plethora of colours. I searched around and discovered that I was in a meadow. There were different shades of flowers I never even knew existed. I could feel the breeze caressing my skin. The air was clear and clean. It was full of life. The water nearby resounded in my ears. From a single drop, to a trickle to a roar. The crashing of waves confused me. The vast sea of flowers seemed to be pulsing in a synchronized display of light. The aurora phenomena danced across the sky and that was when I heard it.Laughter.'Who's there?' I called out, tentatively and very cautious.I froze when I heard a loud growl that silenced the voice of the waves. My heart shook and the ground underneath me quaked. The raw power in that growl startled me and made my feet glued to the ground. I didn't turn around for fear of seeing what produced that sound. A huge creature jumped over my head. Landing on its hind legs, it t
NOAH'S POVThe waterfall was an interesting thing about this place and I could not get enough of it. I sighed as I sat on a rock, watching the downpour and gathering my thoughts.It had been a rough and overwhelming couple of days for me. The attack by the humans, Ciara being shot, her long-lost brother Alex saving us, finding out the truth about my father and what led to the Gold-Bay pack massacre, the secret cave where lycans and werewolves could freely be themselves.All these was making me have a huge sensory overload.Not to mention the fact that Alex hated my guts. I was used to the feeling of being the most powerful person in the room, because of my Alpha status and werewolf powers, but it was nothing compared to that of Alex. He made me feel small and didn'
NOAH'S POVI had to control my rage. Claws and fangs could never have piercedas deeply as Ava's betrayal. As we slowly made our way into the dark forest, Ciara's hold on my arm helped to ground me. My friendsand pack thought me dead. That cunning she-wolf, Ava, had taken over as Alpha. My blood raced with rage, but I refrained from letting it win. Recovering my packwas more important than seeking revenge.Ciara soothed, "Easy, Noah," her voice a calming melody amidst the chaos in my head.I nodded, appreciating her soothing presence. "We must approach this with wisdom," I saidquietly. "Ava won't give up her authority without a fight."Ciara's half-brother Alex looked at me, worry written all over his face.
The priestess Zara spoke in ancient tongues while chanting in a little clearing far into the forest, her voice resonating over the foliage. Standing next to her, Ciara's heart was heaving under the weight of what lay ahead.Her hands lifted to the sky, "By the ancient powers of the forest, we beseech thee," she said.With breath caught in her throat, Ciara observed the enchanted circle that Zara's words created around them. Even though she understood what needed to be done, the concept made her shudder."Ciara, Noah needs you," Zara whispered gently, knowing in her eyes. "As you are his mate, you are the only one who can give him what he needs to survive."Ciara reached out to Noah, who was quiet and pale on the ground, nodding, her hands trembling.
CIARA'S POVThe last few days had seen a further worsening of Noah's condition. His motions were slow and strained, his formerly bright eyes now dull with suffering. With a troubled heart, I watched him from the doorway. It hurt me to see him struggle because I was his partner. The idea of losing him was unbearable to me, especially at this point when his stability was vital to our pack."Hey, Ciara," was Noah's feeble greeting upon my entrance into the room. His voice was barely a whisper, and it made me feel pain."How are you feeling today, Noah?" I questioned, trying not to let my dread get the better of me.Noah forced a meek grin, but the pain was evident in his eyes. "Just another day, I guess," he replied, his voice strained.
CIARA'S POVAs Noah's recovery progressed, I was thrown into a leadership role that I had not anticipated taking on so quickly as our pack's future Luna. It was a difficult chore that I had not expected, but I had to respond when duty beckoned. Standing before our pack, prepared to allay their fears and lead us toward stability, were my beloved brother Alex and the courageous rebel leader, Nathan, who stood by my side throughout those tumultuous days.As I rallied the group in the center of our domain, I spoke to them with a sorrowful yet resolute attitude. "My fellow pack members”, I started, thanking everyone for attending, my voice firm despite the nerves gnawing at me, facing our pack members who were assembled in the meeting chamber, their faces eager to please. "For all of us, these past few months have been turbulent. We are currently navigating a
UNKNOWN POVHeart thumping in her chest, Ava stood at the edge of the forest. The air was thick with tension, like a storm building on the horizon, and she could feel it. A couple of her faithful soldiers stood beside her, their faces stern and gloomy.With a low, frantic voice, one of them added, "We have to do this, Ava."Ava nodded, her jaw clenched in resolve. She was aware of the stakes. Tension between their packs had been growing ever since she had assumed leadership in Noah's absence as Alpha. And now it had reached a tipping point.She showed no signs of fear as she faced Noah and his soldiers directly. Ava wasn't ready, but she pretended to be, and it felt like everyone had something against her.Ava snarled, "Oh my goodness, see who decided to show up," as Noah's pack appeared out of t
AVA'S POV*FLASHBACK*It has been unsettling recently. Something in the air was causing my skin to stand crawl. Perhaps it was just the excitement of the upcoming full moon, or perhaps there was something worse hiding in the shadows.Among the pack, I had heard murmurs and quiet talks that ended when I got close. It felt like they were planning something behind my back that they would prefer me to be unaware of."Are you alright, Ava?" Marcus asked, a hint of worry in his voice.I responded, attempting to sound assured, "I'm fine." On the inside, though, I was far from okay. It seemed like trouble was building, and I couldn't get rid of it.I had called a meeting of the coun
NATHAN’S POVI was restless, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. One of our spies learned the truth from Riley, who was previously Ava's closest confidant but was now imprisoned in the packhouse for treason. That spy happened to be Steven, one of our most trusted loyalist to the cause. My heart was thumping with anxiety and shock as Steven was telling me the news.I paced in our makeshift headquarters, a room in James's house. The air was heavy with tension. Jude, along with all of us in the rebellion, had been studying Ava for any vulnerability. We had to figure out how to overthrow her and set the pack free from her oppression.Our biggest chance for information had been Riley, who had formerly worked with Ava before. He used to be her Beta, her former lover, but she betrayed him by saying he was a traito
AVA'S POVI summoned a meeting of the general council. Riley's punishment was over, but there were more urgent concerns to attend to. It was necessary to find Justina and the other traitors. The authority I wielded as Alpha of my pack hinged on it."Among us, there is a traitor," I declared with a forceful voice. "Justina has sided with people that want to bring us down. We must discover her and the other people who have turned against us."“I’m glad you're finally making a move on her,” said Leo.The others gave a nod."We have to take action against her betrayal," I said. "We will search every corner of our territory until we find her and those who conspired with her.”
NATHAN'S POVI smiled as I recounted the day's events while I lay in bed that evening. Though we had made headway, our top priority was releasing Noah, Ciara, and Alex. As I was preparing to retire for the night, I heard footsteps approaching my room. Jude, accustomed to a life of vigilance, would rather spend the night outside, so I was the only one in the room. The scent floated towards me. It was Grace.As soon as she knocked and entered, I shot out of bed. "Can I sleep here, Nathan? I'm scared," she said.After a brief pause, staring at her with shock, I firmly said, "No, Grace. It's not a place to sleep."She began pressuring me, "But please, I don't want to be alone.""You know the rules," I said, shaking my head. &ldqu
Steven's POVI never imagined that I would find such important information. Usually, being a servant means remaining unseen, but on that particular day, fate had different ideas.It was simply another typical morning at the packhouse. A sense of tension pervaded the room as I stepped inside in the low light. With solemn expressions on their faces, Ava and the council members sat around the enormous oak table. As a servant, I knew better than to interfere, yet I had to be there."Ava, we need more supplies for ourselves. Or did you bring us to this pack to suffer?," a very authoritative voice challenged from one of the council members.Ava narrowed her gaze.Everyone wanted to express their ideas at the same moment, thus there