Her head was in a spin as Maddie walked away from Lewis. She had known him all her life, been best friends with him since they were pups, trained alongside him, celebrated with him, her trust for him went deep. Despite him helping Daniel, she could understand why he tried to get Michael and Nala out of the Games, if he believed what he said was true. He was trying to protect her, and she couldn’t fault him for that. He had also been betrayed. Maddie could see Lewis’ plan before her now. If Daniel hadn’t betrayed him in the strategy trial, it would’ve been her, Lewis and Daniel in the final. Clearly, the Red Dawn heir saw her Beta as a threat. Lewis always planned to win, to protect her from her ex and enemy. However, his words made her stomach turn. She had only known Michael for a month, but she found her trust of him was instinctual. He was her true mate. The wolf chosen by the Moon Goddess to be so compatible with her that neither of them would be able to choose another. Their
His apology sent a surge of heat through Maddie’s veins, as she thrashed in his arms. His hand muffled her screams, but it didn’t stop her from trying. In the evening, the nearby wolves might be able to hear her, so she’d make her throat raw before she stopped trying to warn them of what was coming. Michael clamped his hand tighter around her mouth. It was large enough to engulf the lower half of her face and didn’t budge when she bit into it, the assault gloves protecting him. However, she didn’t give up. She stomped on his foot and tried to kick at him, but he raised a knee to block her attacks, all the while keeping her locked in his grip. It was frustrating how easily he kept her attacks at bay, but she couldn’t stop trying. “Madeline. Madeline.” The Dark Night Alpha had to restrain his voice, while also trying to make her listen. The wolves behind him came forward to help, but he barked at them to stay back. An order they instantly obeyed. Even Erik halted his movements, solidi
“It’s over, Michael.” Lewis’ voice boomed loud and strong across the open cliff side, anger boiling beneath the surface. “All our Silver Moon warriors are aware of your attack and are fighting back. You’re outnumbered and have no chance to win. Surrender and let Maddie go.” A harsh laugh pulled from the Dark Night Alpha above her. Maddie stared up at him, her lips sealed shut at the venom in his eyes, but they seemed to be locked to Daniel. “My wolves have been at war for sixteen years. Compared to their experience, your warriors are pitiful pups playing a game.” As he spoke, his hand moved slow, taking hold of her Semhighan stone and slipping it back beneath her collar. She frowned; the move oddly protective despite him still pinning her in place. He placed his hand over the crystal, now hidden beneath her clothes and pressed his hand to it. The instruction was clear, but should she heed it? He had just begged for her trust but had also admitted to lying to her. His wolves were
“Maddie!” The new voice gave her a sense of relief, before anxiety gripped her. “Jess? What are you doing here?” Maddie’s voice was strained, her throat raw from all the screaming. Her body was limp in Daniel’s arms, fatigue weighing impossibly heavy upon her. Rather than answer, Jess glared at Daniel. “Shouldn't you be helping Lewis? Put her down.” Not being able to argue, Daniel lowered Maddie to the floor and moved to Lewis' side, ready to defend them too. Jess crouched at her side, throwing a look towards the Alpha standing off against the two warriors. Without being in the middle of them, Maddie wondered what was to come. They wouldn’t have to hold back anymore. They could shift and bite and claw at each other until all of them were hurt or worse. Michael had already shown his proficiency for battle. It was clear he would’ve won the Alpha Games should he not have decided to attack the pack. The thought should make anger boil beneath her skin but, instead, her stomach turne
Maddie sagged into Jess the moment Michael was out of sight. She felt him leave like he was taking a part of her with him. Her heat, her strength, her courage. She shivered, gripping onto her friend to stay on her feet. Thankfully the pain in her shoulder was dulling but it had sapped the lingering pockets of her energy. Over the past four weeks she had pushed herself to new levels of exhaustion, but she currently felt as if she had just done every stage of the Alpha Games all at once. Her body ached, needing support just to remain upright. “Are you okay?” Lewis rushed over, taking her weight from his sister. Maddie was just happy to sag into him to relieve the fatigue, but she’d rather him be someone else. With his arms wrapped around her, she felt like her choice to trust him over Michael was cemented. However, her mate’s pleas were hard to ignore. Honesty had burned in his eyes, and she had been close to admitting to leaning towards him than her pack. Jess sent him away before t
“Jess.” If Maddie’s throat wasn’t already torn to shreds by her screaming that horrible evening, her friend’s name would’ve come out as more than a whimper. She dropped to her knees, catching Jess before she toppled to the floor and eased her back against the tree. Her hand fretted over the wound. She needed to try and stop the blood flow, but there was so much. Her abdomen was already dye
Michael POV - Nothing was going according to plan. It shouldn’t be a surprise, things rarely did, but he was to blame for the stumble in taking Silver Moon. If Madeline hadn’t been dazed enough to take the drink he offered her, their attempt would’ve failed, forcing them to retreat or, worse, the Silver Moon warriors could’ve attacked. Thankfully Connor was on hand to help coordinate their wolves. Reports were coming in from over the island, announcing their success in subduing their opponents. Their warriors had been taken to one of two places, the packhouse or the docks, where they were being watched while Michael took the lead. With more of his wolves spread amongst the island, they claimed to have the civilians as hostages, keeping the warriors in check. With no idea of the number of Dark Night wolves on their territory, and most of their warriors under watch, they were locked in place. Though it appeared as though their plan was working, the crucial edge had failed, and i
Michael POV - Michael didn’t waste the opportunity he had created. The moment Alpha Jonathan became willing to listen, albeit grudgingly, he began to share the truth, just as he had done with Madeline. With her being true mate, she had accepted his words quite easily, but he didn’t fool himself to think it would be the same with her father. However, he needed to try. Michael shared his account of the last sixteen years, starting with the first attack. He recounted the war, the struggles, his reason for entering the Alpha Games and their alliance with Mountain Forest. With Erik leading their support, their involvement could no longer be kept secret. While he spoke, Michael watched Alpha Jonathan’s expression for any micro changes he could decipher. The man was like a rock. No information shared made him waiver in his neutral composure, leaving Michael unaware if any of it was sinking in. It made him uneasy, but he continued regardless. He didn’t know how long he’d get to keep t
Inga POV - There had been few moments in Inga’s life when she had stopped to simply observe the world around her. There had always been something she needed to do, every single action having a purpose towards her goal to liberate Grey Stone of their leadership and break free from Red Dawn. Each step forward she had carried that responsibility, that burden, but it was finally gone. Eleanor was dead, Autumn was the Grey Stone Alpha, and she was no longer a Beta. Well, she was in name, but she was free of the role’s duties during her and Connor’s break. The moment she had recovered from the war, Silver Night had been their first stop to confirm their decision with Alpha Michael, and then they were off. Connor didn’t waste any time taking her away from everything, carving out a small piece of the kingdom just for them. He took her to the one place he knew better than anywhere, a place where they could be alone. Dark Night was beautiful in a tragic way. The years of battle had scarred t
Nala POV - “Do you give up?” Nala growled in Autumn’s ear, nipping the soft flesh beneath it. Her mate squealed and wiggled beneath her. Nala smiled as she managed to squirm her legs free and wrapped them around her waist, giving her the purchase to roll them over. She could’ve stopped it, but why would she when it gave her such a great view. Autumn sat astride her waist, pinning her arms to her side with her thighs, a victorious grin on her perfect mouth. Her chest heaved with each pant, and she watched a bead of sweat fall from her chin and slide into her cleavage. Nala's tongue flicked across her lips, a pang of heat swelling in her core. “Ha!” The Alpha shouted, letting her head fall back, her red hair falling around her in wave after wave of beautiful curls. Nala’s fingers twitched at the memory of their softness. “I did it. I finally pinned you.” She laughed, the sound spreading across the empty training field. Nala took the opportunity to look over her mate’s form, gr
Michael POV - “That could’ve been us.” Nala snorted, elbowing him in the gut with a force that almost winded him. It was almost horrifying to picture being mated to his friend. He thought as much as he rubbed his side, already feeling a bruise forming, but didn't get a chance to respond as she turned back to Alpha Autumn. The Grey Stone wolf leaned in to hear Nala's whispers and immediately bloomed a stark red. She fumbled for something to say and ended up thrusting their pup into the warrior's arms instead. Nala lifted the pup to her shoulders, letting him wave widely at the couple on the stage, though it didn't stop her from leaving a hand on Autumn's thigh.Michael chuckled. It was a good thing she had vehemently denied becoming his mate to broker a stronger alliance between their packs. He shuddered to consider it now, but it was easier to laugh about it when they both sat beside their mates, watching the rightful leaders of the pack take their positions.“Mountain Forest, I giv
Inga POV - When one closes their eyes for what they think will be the last time, it’s odd when they open them again. Though everything was blurry and bright, Inga was sure it wasn’t a dream or her imagination playing tricks on her. The pain lancing through her skull could attest for that. Sound came first. The rustling of material beside her, followed by a few sharp shouts that were blaringly loud, as if right beside her ear, but far too muffled for any word to be clear. Her frustration bubbled like hot water beneath her skin, her drive to understand what was going on far greater than her submission to the pain or fatigue trying to pull her back into slumber. She blinked open her eyelids, wincing through the blur of colours that moulded into oddly shaped blobs. One particular blob leaned in close, too close, and her body reacted on its own. Her arm jerked up; her fist semi clenched as her muscles ignored her instincts. She punched the blob, or more like tapped it with her fis
Inga POV - It may have only been two stories, but after the day she had had, the week, hitting the ground felt like hitting a wall that punched the words of giving up to her tongue. Inga swallowed them, her mouth dry, clawing to hold onto her surrender. Every inch of her ached. The impact jarred through her body, making her head ring and her vision dizzy. At least she had managed to push Luna Eleanor off her while they fell. Inga didn’t want to think about the additional pain she’d be in if that bitch had landed on her. If luck was with her, hopefully the Luna had fallen on her face or, better yet, a knife. The night sky was a blanket of black spread out above her, dotted with stars, like glitter threaded into a plush blanket. She was so tired that the paved road at her back felt comfier than her bed back at Grey Stone. Just thinking of that bed made her remember her last night in it, cuddled at Connor’s side, in disbelief and awe that he was there. He made her feel safe, he made h
Inga POV - Inga didn’t so much as flinch when the door cracked hard enough against the wall that it dented the plaster. She didn’t blink when six wolves barrelled inside. She didn’t hesitate as one of the warriors felt gutsy and charged her before the others. She didn’t give him the chance to attack. He had asked for her attention; he had unknowingly drawn the short straw. She lunged. Her body protested as she forced it to shift, but it obeyed. The glare she pinned to the wolf as she moved towards him, made him freeze with the instinct of prey already caught by the predator. It was his lack of discipline to refine his reflexes that was his downfall. The warrior didn’t so much as jerk as her jaws latched onto his arm, her canines digging deep into his flesh. The familiar warm, metallic, taste of blood pooled on her tongue, a wave of feral victory washing through her. With no time to bask in its glow, she twisted her head until she heard the bone snap, before letting the wolf go and re
Inga POV - “Okay. Just stand back, there’s wounded in here.” Lewis raised his voice through the door, then waited, listening for the slow shuffle of feet. Inga listened too, trying to catch any small whispers of deceit among the crowd of Red Dawn warriors waiting for them. “We’re coming out.” The trio shared one final nod, before the Beta twisted the handle and the door swung open. Her stomach was in knots looking out at the wolves watching them, waiting, their eyes predatory. There were at least six; enough to block the corridor that stretched directly from the door towards the stairs, but Inga was certain there were others. She spotted the Red Dawn Alpha and Daniel standing behind their warriors, the leadership safe except for Luna Eleanor. She had the balls to stand at the front. Inga didn’t have to fake the way her face paled as she locked gazes with the Luna. The gleam in her eyes was malicious, her lips lifting as she took in Inga’s hunched form, leaning so far onto Jami
Inga POV - Clawing at Lewis’ arms did nothing. The man was pure muscle and resilience, ignoring her cries for Connor, ignoring her curses, ignoring her pleas for him to stop. Against the Red Dawn warriors, she doubted she’d be much good anyway. Her body felt heavy, like her veins were filled with lead, every muscle protesting her orders. She couldn’t even lift the arm where Luna Eleanor had stabbed her. Even wiggling her fingers sent shooting pains all through her body. Inga had been stabbed before, most warriors had, but it felt different. Her energy, her strength, was sapped. It was like the blade was draining her. However, none of that mattered. Connor was her mate; she couldn’t leave him behind to face all those warriors alone. She had to try and help him. Again, Inga pounded on Lewis’ chest, each impact jarring her, but none of them made the Silver Night warrior even flinch. It was like she was a fly bumping against a window, the force hurting her and not even smearing his s
Connor POV - He was sure his heart stopped, freezing time for the span of a breath, as Inga tipped on the stairs. Her body shifted backward, falling with only the hard stairs to catch her. The silver blade in her shoulder caught the light as she became airborne. Its flash shot through Connor’s mind, jerking him back to his body, forcing a fresh dose of adrenaline through his system. He charged forward, reaching with desperate hands to catch her, to soften her fall, to protect her. He wasn’t sure if it was a miracle, or a divine gift from the Moon Goddess, but the moment he felt her back push against his fingertips, the panic eased, relief chased it away. He was allowed a breath, but the brief moment of calm was crushed as Inga crashed into him. Connor was off balance. His only goal had been to soften her fall, but he didn’t have time to catch her. Her weight pushed him back, forcing him to join her fall, but he wrapped his arms tight around her, curling into her, protecting he